Freedom Road Podcast

On this episode, we are joined by Rev. Gail Song Bantum, Lead Pastor of Quest Church, which recently voluntarily cut ties with its denomination—the Evangelical Covenant Church—because of its hard right turn on LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Pastor Gail was invited to speak with us today, because she is an eye witness to a profound come-to-Jesus moment taking place right now inside of white evangelical denominations. She posted her letter to the denomination online. Lisa read it. We are going to talk about it. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet to Lisa @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road @FREEDOMROADUS. We're also on Substack! So be sure to subscribe to The Truth Is... and Freedom Road. And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! twitter.com/lisasharper twitter.com/FreedomRoadus lisasharonharper.substack.com/ freedomroad.substack.com/ www.thebantumspace.com/gailbantum seattlequest.org/

This is a special presentation of an interview with Lisa Sharon Harper on TALKIN' POLITICS & RELIGION WITHOUT KILLIN' EACH OTHER. Here are the show notes on this episode from our friends at TP&R: "In this conversation with renowned speaker, writer, activist and artist, Lisa Sharon Harper, we discuss Lisa's own genealogy, which she painstakingly researched for her 2022 book FORTUNE: How Race Broke My Family and the World and How to Repair It All, and how doing the work of genealogy is doing the work of history. We also got into some theology! In particular, we explored a profound reading of the first chapters of Genesis. Spoiler alert: I love when Lisa said, 'It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know this is not science!' The truths communicated in Genesis are much more profound than the reductionist reading of some of our young earth creationist friends. That leads us to explore the concept of TOV and TOV M'OD. And we went on to discuss what it will take to repair what race broke in the world." We’d love t

On this episode, we are joined by Carlos Rodriguez, CEO of The Happy Givers and author of Simply Sonship, Drop the Stones and the upcoming book, Flip the Tables. We invited Carlos to speak with us today, because he is one of the most dynamic speakers doing this work. His recent posts on Instagram have been captivating followers. He’s bringing the prophetic fire and we're here for it. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet to Lisa @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road @FREEDOMROADUS. We're also on Substack! So be sure to subscribe to The Truth Is... and Freedom Road. And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! www.happynpo.com/ www.instagram.com/carloshappynpo/ twitter.com/lisasharper twitter.com/FreedomRoadus lisasharonharper.substack.com/ freedomroad.substack.com/

On this episode, we’re going to talk about transgender identity and its weaponization within the American political arena. We’ve invited three people whose voices, lives and faith can shed light on a topic that has been intentionally obfuscated in the melee of political warfare.  Nicole Garcia, a queer transgender Latina, is currently the Faith Work Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force.  Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey is a trans-identified woman who is the Alabama State Director within Human Rights Campaign’s Project One America. Carmarion is also currently serving as the National Co-Minister and South Region Coordinator for Trans Saints ministry of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries. Michael Vazquez, public theologian and policy wonk, is Founding Partner of The Maiden Group. So, you can see we are set for the conversation we need to have on Freedom Road, for such a time as this. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet to Lisa @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road @FREEDOMROADUS. We're also on Substack!

In this episode, we are joined by popular influencer, Ally Henny, Vice President of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, and the author of I Won’t Shut Up: Finding Our Voice When the World Tries To Silence You. Ally was invited to speak with us today, because in these days of terror and targeted violence against Black and Brown bodies we need a word from someone demonstrating her kind of courage. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet to Lisa @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road @FREEDOMROADUS. We're also on Substack! So be sure to subscribe to The Truth Is... And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! https://allyhenny.com/ https://thewitnessbcc.com/ https://allyhenny.com/books/ twitter.com/lisasharper twitter.com/FreedomRoadus lisasharonharper.substack.com/

In this episode, we are joined by popular poet and artist, Morgan Harper Nichols. We invited Morgan to speak with us today, because her poetry and art are forces for healing in the world. And we need some healing right about now. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet to Lisa @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road @FREEDOMROADUS. We're also on Substack! So be sure to subscribe to The Truth Is... And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! www.morganharpernicholsart.com www.instagram.com/morganharpernichols twitter.com/lisasharper twitter.com/FreedomRoadus lisasharonharper.substack.com/

On this episode, we are joined by Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery, Dean of Duke University Chapel and associate professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School. He is also the author of the new and celebrated book, Becoming Human: The Holy Spirit and the Rhetoric of Race. We invited Dr. Powery to speak with us today, because we have been on a decolonizing journey this year. And the wisdom Dr. Powery drops in his book, Becoming Human, can help us on this journey. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet to Lisa @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road at @FREEDOMROADUS. We're also on Substack! So be sure to subscribe to The Truth Is... And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! www.amazon.com/Becoming-Human-Holy-Spirit-Rhetoric/dp/066426722X twitter.com/lisasharper twitter.com/FreedomRoadus lisasharonharper.substack.com/

On this episode, we are joined by Christena Cleveland, a social psychologist, public theologian, author, and activist. She is the founder and director of the Center for Justice + Renewal as well as its sister organization, Sacred Folk. Christena has been on a living pilgrimage of transformation recently—the decolonizing pilgrimage. One of the products of this transformational journey was Christena’s awe-inspiring book, God is a Black Woman, which dropped onto bookstore shelves in February 2022. She’s also built a powerful Patreon community that is doing the work of decolonizing their faith and their minds.  This is the era we are in. It is time to decolonize our minds. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet to Lisa @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road at @FREEDOMROADUS. We're also on Substack! So be sure to subscribe to The Truth Is... And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! www.christenacleveland.com www.justiceandrenewal.org www.christenacleveland.c

On this episode, we are joined by Jamila Hodge, executive director of Equal Justice USA (EJ-USA). Jamila brought 15 years of criminal justice experience as a prosecutor, policy advisor, and technical assistance provider to her role at EJ-USA when she joined the team as their new leader in 2021. EJ-USA is a national organization that works to transform the justice system by promoting responses to violence that break cycles of trauma. EJ-USA works at the intersection of criminal justice, public health, and racial justice to elevate healing over retribution, meet the needs of survivors, advance racial equity, and build community safety. In light of the proliferation of gun violence, police violence and the corresponding temptation to incarcerate our way out of this problem, "Jami" joined the conversation to help us dream of a new way to do public safety together. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Folks can follow Freedom Road on Substack at freedomroad.substack.com. You can also Tweet @LisaSHarper or to Freedo

On this episode, we are joined by Candice Benbow: Author, Essayist, Public Theologian and Eductor. Candice is the creator of the Lemonade Syllabus, the author of Red Lip Theology, which launched to much acclaim earlier this year, and a regular contributor to Essence Magazine. Candice was asked to join us for this conversation because as we enter 2023, this is a year deeply meaningful for people of African descent on U.S. soil. We commemorate several major milestones this year; the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Declaration, the 60th anniversary of the Birmingham Children’s March, the 60th anniversary of the 4 little girls, and the March on Washington. Rarely do we center the women when commemorating the march toward freedom, but we have had a march of our own. And the work Candice is doing represents a critical Freedom March happening inside the Black community right now. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road at @FreedomRoadUS. And, keep sharing the podcast with your

On this episode we are joined by Sibil Fox and Rob Richardson, featured in the award-winning Amazon documentary, Time, which is now published as an incredible book that tells more of the story. Fox and Rob are a formerly incarcerated couple. Fox served 7 years and Rob did 21 years time behind bars in Angola prison in Louisiana. Lisa invited Fox and Rob on the program because they learned something about resilience, they learned something about our broken justice system, they learned something about grace—doing all that time. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet Lisa at @LisaSHarper or Freedom Road at @FREEDOMROADUS. And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! www.amazon.com/Time-Fox-Rich/dp/B08J7DDGJY foxandrob.com twitter.com/lisasharper twitter.com/FreedomRoadus

On this episode we are joined by Dr. Michael Emerson, renowned sociologist and Head of the Department of Sociology at University of Illinois, author of the landmark sociological study on evangelicals and race, Divided by Faith. In the context of the rise of white Christian nationalism—and the shameless claiming of that moniker by a growing gaggle of politicians— we invited Dr. Emerson to Freedom Road, because Lisa was blown away by a talk that he gave based on his most recent study of the white evangelical religion. There are things that he and his team found that are both clarifying and really scary. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet Lisa @LisaSHarper or Freedom Road at @FREEDOMROADUS. And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/273885.Divided_by_Faith twitter.com/lisasharper twitter.com/FreedomRoadus

This month we are joined by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, T3 Leadership Solutions, founder and cochair of Leadership Links. Most noted for her book, A Sojourners Truth and Mentor for Life. Natasha’s latest project brought together a bunch of dynamic women writers to contribute to Voices of Lament: Reflections on Brokenness and Hope in a World Longing for Justice. Natasha was invited to speak with us because Voices of Lament lifts the curtain to help us see past the white veneer of the evangelical church—to see its impact on women of faith—of color. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet to Lisa @LisaSHarper or to Freedom Road at @FREEDOMROADUS. And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! Join us on a journey through the power and the practice of Faith-Rooted Organizing www.t3leadershipsolutions.com www.leadershiplinksinc.org/home www.ivpress.com/a-sojourner-s-truth www.natashasrobinson.com/voicesoflament asistasjourney.com/2021/04/29/a-black-woman-at-war/#cont

This month we are joined by Michelle Ferrigno Warren, President and CEO of Virago Strategies, a consulting group that provides strategic direction and project management for civic engagement campaigns alongside communities affected by racial and economic injustice. Michelle's new book, JOIN THE RESISTANCE: STEP INTO THE GOOD WORK OF KINGDOM JUSTICE, offers a roadmap into the movement for so many of you who are looking around and saying how can I help make difference? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet Lisa @LisaSHarper or Freedom Road at @FREEDOMROADUS. And, keep sharing the podcast with your friends and networks and letting us know what you think! https://michelleferrignowarren.com/ https://michelleferrignowarren.com/join-the-resistance/ https://twitter.com/lisasharper https://twitter.com/FreedomRoadus www.instagram.com/lisasharper/ Please join us at Justice Revival: https://justicerevival.org/donate/

This month we are in conversation with Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra and Brandon Wrencher. Dr. Alexia, a national leader in faith engagement in immigrant justice for decades, is the dean of Centro Latino and associate professor of integral mission and global transformation at Fuller Theological Seminary. Brandon Wrencher is a minister, community organizer, teacher and facilitator whose work falls in the intersection of decolonizing church, contemplative activism and local presence to build beloved communities.  www.fuller.edu/centro-latino/ www.goodneighbormovement.org/leadership www.instagram.com/goodneighbormovement/ twitter.com/lisasharper www.instagram.com/lisasharper/

This month Lisa Sharon Harper is joined by Kamal Bell, founding owner of Sankofa Farms. The goal of Sankofa Farms is to create a sustainable food source for ethnic minorities in both rural and urban areas located in Durham and Orange County, North Carolina. We invited Kamal to come speak with us because his work offers a way forward toward repair of what racial hierarchy broke in the world. www.sankofafarmsllc.com/ www.instagram.com/sankofafarms/ twitter.com/lisasharper www.instagram.com/lisasharper/

This month we are joined by Robert Draper, New York Times Magazine political journalist to discuss his most recent article: “The Arizona Republican Party’s Anti-Democracy Experiment”. Apart from being a regular commentator on MSNBC, CNN and Washington Journal, among others, Draper is also the author of several books, including his most recent bombshell, To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America into Iraq (2000).   In Robert Draper's essay on the Arizona GOP’s Anti-Democracy Experiment, he goes under the hood and explains how it all happened. And given the fact that we are about a month away from one of the most consequential elections in American history, we had to get Robert’s take on how we understand what’s going down and the stakes for our nation. www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/magazine/arizona-republicans-democracy.html twitter.com/DraperRobert twitter.com/lisasharper

This month, we feature an episode from a new podcast featuring Freedom Road's Lisa Sharon Harper: The FOUR. You can check out other episodes of The FOUR at thefour.black. Few have worked harder to cut and mend the ties between oppressor and oppressed than the one and only Ruby Nell Sales. The FOUR are honored to be joined by this iconic human rights activist, public theologian, and social critic. Ms. Sales’ long fight for freedom began in the 1960s with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, SNCC, at Tuskegee University, as a student freedom fighter in Lowndes County, Alabama. And it nearly got her assassinated. Jonathan Daniels, a white freedom worker from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, pulled Sales out of the line of fire. But Daniels was shot and killed. The assailant was acquitted by an all white jury. Ms. Sales witnesses profound strength in the American Black family, including her own. But for too many people of African descent, family stories were buried as a strategy t

This month, we feature an episode from a new podcast featuring Freedom Road's Lisa Sharon Harper: The FOUR. You can check out other episodes of The FOUR at thefour.black. Kristin Kobes Du Mez catapulted to the top of the best-seller list with her book, Jesus and John Wayne. A leading church historian, she joins The FOUR in a real eye-opener for the team. Kristin pulls back the curtain on conservative white evangelical America to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the white evangelical movement, what got us to January 6th, and where we may go next. In sum, at times The FOUR were left speechless. 

This month, Americans will pause to commemorate the day when the last enslaved African Americans were notified that they had been set free, on June 19, 1865 (two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation). In this context, Lisa Sharon Harper and Cole Arthur Riley (author of This Here Flesh, creator @BlackLiturgies on Instagram) reflect on the impact of 400 years of subjugation on Black flesh and Black souls. Listen as Cole taps into the spirituality of her father and grandmother to find the resilience needed for the next leg of the journey.