Mothering Wisdom for Activists October 21, 2020 By Collegeville Institute Leave a Comment What role do writers have in expanding our imagination for what is possible? And who is tending to the spiritual needs of activists? In this episode, we continue for the second part of our conversation with Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. Writers engaged in justice work can move people and systems toward change, yet they also need accountability, support, and spiritual growth. Where can these activists turn for mothering wisdom? Listen to Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes and Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove discuss the global pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and the need for spiritual mothers and fathers to guide and care for activists. Topics and resources discussed in this episode: Covid-19 pandemic and what it lays bare about our society Death of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor The rise of white nationalism Race and racism Black women’s equal pay day From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Kamala Harris is the first Black woman and first South Asian-American woman to be the vice presidential nominee of a major political party in the United States The Combahee River collective Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism, and Mothering by Rosemary Freeney Harding with Rachel Elizabeth Harding Bio of Rosemary Freeney Harding Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and Koinonia Farms The spiritual mothers and fathers of the civil rights movement: Bernice Johnson Regan, Ella Baker, Howard Thurman, Fannie Lou Hamer Mothering wisdom for activists Photo of Hosea Williams and John Lewis at Bloody Sunday march Watching the activists and caring for them, holding activists accountable to the best version of themselves The need for a new imagination Bios Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes is Associate Professor of Practical Theology at the Mercer University McAfee School of Theology. She is the author of I Bring the Voices of My People and Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength. A prophetic voice for healing, justice, and reconciliation, her personal mission is to dismantle white supremacist heteropatriarchy while practicing good self-care. Dr. Walker-Barnes is an ordained ecumenical minister. Follow her on social media at @drchanequa [Twitter, Instagram, Facebook]. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a preacher, author and moral activist based in Durham, North Carolina. He has been part of the “Moral Mondays” movement in North Carolina since 2006 and currently serves on the National Steering Committee for the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. The author of more than a dozen book, Wilson-Hartgrove’s titles include Revolution of Values, Common Prayer, Reconstructing the Gospel, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, and The Third Reconstruction, with the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Ellie Roscher is a writer, theology teacher, and host of the Unlikely Conversations podcast. She is a board member at the Collegeville Institute and the author of 12 Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl, and How Coffee Saved My Life. Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and sons. Follow Ellie on social media at @ellieroscher [Twitter, Instagram, Facebook]. Matthew Ian Fleming edited the audio for this podcast. You can find Matthew on Instagram at @matthewianfleming and his other podcasts at www.alterguild.org. Next Steps Follow the work of the Collegeville Institute on social media at @collegevilleins [Twitter, Instagram, Facebook] and subscribe to our email newsletter Like this post? Subscribe to have new posts sent to you by email the same day they are posted.
