Description: This episode brings together Be the Bridge founder Latasha Morrison with two scholars, Dr. Christina Edmondson Ph.D., and Doctoral candidate Jemar Tisby. Both are thought leaders in the push for racial equity in ecclesiastical spaces. In this episode, the conversations will center around the topic of CRT which is short for Critical Race Theory. We strive, as a podcast, to give you, our listeners and supporters, foundational tools to help you develop a clear historical and biblical perspective as it relates to race. LaTasha’s discussions with Christina and Jemar guide us through critiques of inequities and misrepresentations found anywhere, even in academia, that create racial disharmony.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Senior Producer - Lauren C. Brown

Producer, Editor & Music By - Travon Potts

Transcriber - Sarah Connatser

Podcast link: https://podlink.to/BeTheBridgeSocial handles/links: Instagram: @LatashaMorrisonTwitter: @LatashaMorrisonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LatashaMMorrison/Official Hashtag: #bethebridge

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Description: You do not want to miss this episode with Dominique DuBois Gilliard! Dominique explains why the church must be at the forefront of conversations in our culture surrounding systemic sin. This conversation dives deep into the biblical lens in which to view systemic racism and patriarchy, reparations and trauma. And it provides helpful descriptions of confession and repentance. This episode will spur you on in your discipleship journey as well as your bridge-building journey.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Quotes:

“One of the things I think we can never lose sight of is the fact that we're doing this work on the ground, and we're also engaging in spiritual warfare, too.” -Dominique

“I think this is a moment. And I think for bridge builders, the thing that we have to recognize is that it's also an opportunity.” -Dominique

“Scripture is clear, privilege is real and it exists. And it addresses it multiple times throughout the biblical text. But scripture is also clear that we are always going to be tempted to exploit privilege for our selfish gain as opposed to taking Philippians two type mindset and really looking at privilege as something that we could steward and leverage to expand the kingdom and sacrificially love our neighbors.” -Dominique

“What happened as a consequence of the church's silence and lack of integrity is that folks outside the church picked up these conversations that we should have been having.” -Dominique

Links:

Dominique Gilliard  dominiquegilliard.com

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Description: You do not want to miss this episode with Dominique DuBois Gilliard! Dominique explains why the church must be at the forefront of conversations in our culture surrounding systemic sin. This conversation dives deep into the biblical lens in which to view systemic racism and patriarchy, reparations and trauma. And it provides helpful descriptions of confession and repentance. This episode will spur you on in your discipleship journey as well as your bridge-building journey.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Quotes:

“One of the things I think we can never lose sight of is the fact that we're doing this work on the ground, and we're also engaging in spiritual warfare, too.” -Dominique

“I think this is a moment. And I think for bridge builders, the thing that we have to recognize is that it's also an opportunity.” -Dominique

“Scripture is clear, privilege is real and it exists. And it addresses it multiple times throughout the biblical text. But scripture is also clear that we are always going to be tempted to exploit privilege for our selfish gain as opposed to taking Philippians two type mindset and really looking at privilege as something that we could steward and leverage to expand the kingdom and sacrificially love our neighbors.” -Dominique

“What happened as a consequence of the church's silence and lack of integrity is that folks outside the church picked up these conversations that we should have been having.” -Dominique

Links:

Dominique Gilliard  dominiquegilliard.com

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Description: Megan B. Brown joins Latasha Morrison on this episode of the Be the Bridge podcast. Megan’s unique perspective as a woman of color, military spouse, and Bible study leader allows for a vulnerable conversation about important topics. Megan shares her journey of embracing her ethnic identity as well as the importance of reading Scripture with the historical context. They discuss her Bible study, Summoned, about Esther, and how she offers a different take on an often misunderstood book.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Quotes:

“There's all of this layered intensive work that needs to be done to reach women at the heart.” -Megan

“We wanted to pass that torch to the next generation of understanding properly who our Father in Heaven is and what that implies about who we are and how we should treat one another.” -Megan

“Your ethnic identity is something that God has given you. And when we try to become colorblind about that or when we try to ignore that we do a disservice to a part of God's creation.” -Tasha

“I wanted to diminish the things that were different about me….I wanted to blend because my separateness or my differentness was such a point of pain. People were mean.” -Megan

“And I just remember always feeling like I had one foot in each space, but I was welcome in neither.”  -Megan

“I'm always painfully aware of my differences on the outside before I'm aware of anything else when I'm around new people.” -Megan

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Description: In this episode of the Be the Bridge Podcast, Dr. Eric Mason joins Latasha for a deep conversation surrounding deconstruction, biblical literacy, and racial reconciliation. This episode is full of biblical wisdom and cultural insight. Dr. Mason also gives great recommendations for resources you will want to get and listen to.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Quotes:

“The Gospel restores all people's dignity. It makes us fully in the image of God through being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.” -Dr. Mason

"In the era of misinformation, in the era of information memes and urban legends, biblical literacy is a must. We cannot assume that people understand the faith." -Dr. Mason

“Urban Apologetics is not just for Black people. This is for Christians. These are books that our white brothers and sisters should be getting and teaching from also.” -Tasha

“The devil always over promises and under delivers.” -Dr. Mason

“So if repetition exegetically is a sign of biblical emphasis, then we need to emphasize what God emphasizes. And if Jesus pulls justice as a hermeneutical lens to use in interpreting the Bible, we should.” -Dr. Mason

“Justice is a reflection of God's character.” -Dr. Mason

“You can't be a Christian and not deal with justice. It's unchristian to ignore justice.” -Dr. Mason

“Can you imagine having to answer to Jesus that you left a church because the pastor was calling you to value a person because they weren't treated justly?” -Dr. Mason

“You will know racial reconciliation is happening in your church when white people can submit to Black people.” -Dr. Mason

“I think that it's very important that there be a racial IQ growth in the body of Christ.” -Dr. Mason

Links:

Dr. Eric Mason: https://www.pastoremase.com/

Epiphany Fellowship: https://www.epiphanyfellowship.org/

Lands of the Bible Cruise 2022 with Dr. Eric Mason, Dr. Bryan Loritts, Pastor Albert Tate, and Lecrae: http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/pf22101622c58465#eotours

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Description: The Be the Bridge Facebook Ministry group was formed in 2020 and is a place for those in leadership in the church to lean into the conversation of racial righteousness. It provides a courageous space for learning, growing, and helping the Church lead in a proactive way. In this episode, founder of Be the Bridge, Latasha Morrison, is joined with the leader of the ministry group, Mariah Humphries, as well as two of the members of it, Brian Kilde and Annie Banceu, to share their experience in the group. This podcast episode reveals their journey of what pushed them into bridge building work and why they continue in it when pushback comes. It will encourage you to know you’re not alone in this important work.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Quotes:

“Ultimately, one of the reasons for starting Be the Bridge was because I really wanted to see the Church, the body of Christ, be more of a credible witness in this conversation.” -Tasha

“Sometimes people don't know, because they don't have the information. But when they're provided the information, they do better.” -Tasha

“I've got a heart for the American church. And for me to have a desire for the American church to change, I need to be able to also have a heart for those who are leading the American church.” -Mariah

“This work starts with humility.” -Tasha

“At Be the Bridge, we're not trying to convince people of stuff. We want you to come already convinced and ready to do the work and ready to replicate and reproduce the work.” -Tasha

“It is a place to make mistakes, it is a place for us to be educated and trained and discipled and relearn.” -Brian

“Racism is a place of spiritual formation just as much as every other area of life, and is a sin that needs to be called out, confessed in humility, and repented from, and repaired.” -Brian

“People of color, leaders of color, pastors of color, help me see fuller God's glory in imago dei.” -Annie

“It's my heart and my passion for the Church to take on a rightful place in this conversation and not be reactive but be proactive, because this is such gospel work.” -Mariah

Links:

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Description: Ellie Holcomb is a singer-songwriter and author based in Nashville, TN who joins Latasha Morrison on this episode to discuss her personal journey toward racial righteousness. She shares how she started a Be the Bridge group, how this bridge-building work has impacted her life and a recent trip she took to the Grand Canyon, and about her new song called “Bridge.” Listen in and hear about the growth that can happen from listening and beauty that can come from curiosity. Be encouraged with this conversation of the power of diverse authentic community in being light and hope in this world.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Quotes:

“Because I think it's so easy to stay safe and comfortable with what we're familiar with. And I think actually, we're missing out when we do. And that's where I started realizing I'm like, oh my goodness. This has been my loss from not intentionally listening to my Black and Brown brothers and sisters.” -Ellie

“If you actually really start listening to the people in your life who are Black and Brown, who have had different experiences than you, you will grieve. You will grieve. If you start researching history, there will be and there should be grief.” -Ellie

But the beauty for me has become that my understanding, as we've walked through this book, as we've listened, acknowledged the truth, repented, lamented, and then started this work of rebuilding, the gospel has become wider and higher and deeper and more wonderful and more colorful, and more powerful than I ever imagined.” -Ellie

Links:Land acknowledgment in reference to the conversation around the Grand Canyon: 'Guardians Of The Grand Canyon': The Havasupai Tribe's Long Connection To The Canyon's Red Rockshttps://unitedstreettours.com/https://www.anniefdowns.com/podcast/episode-223-mike-kelsey/http://www.thenewrespects.com/https://cornertocorner.org/https://eji.org/https://ellieholcomb.lnk.to/canyon (edited)

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Description: 

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Quotes:“One of the things that has really been important for me is to think through what voices can I elevate because of the people who are listening to me?” - Jamie

“My brain and my eyes and my heart have been opened wider than I ever imagined they could have been. And that's taken work. And I’ve taken heat for it in some ways.” -Jamie

“Empathy is the difference of sitting in it with someone. Sympathy is when I'm a bystander but I'm not sitting in it with you.” -Tasha

“It's not my children's responsibility to open my eyes up to racial injustice in our country.” -Jamie

“If you're raising a Black child and you're white, their experience in life is going to be 100% different than yours. And you want your child to feel like they can tell you and that you are an advocate for them.” -Jamie

“I love to tell people, it's not always what people do in front, but it's also what they're doing behind the curtain.” -Tasha

“This work is spiritual work. This is discipleship. This is spiritual formation that we're going through.” -Tasha“You have to be teachable. And if you're not teachable, that is exhausting to a person of color.” -Tasha

“This is not my work. This is God's work. And that's what sustains me.” -Tasha

“I started Be the Bridge because of the local church. So I want to see the Church whole and well. And when we get it, the world gets it.” -Tasha

“I hold on to my ancestors before me that hoped for a better future.” -Tasha

“Like our ethnicity, our culture comes from God. And it's expansive. Look at all the people and languages that God has created. And so when that is stolen from us, or when that is withheld from us, there's disruption that happens in God's original design. And so it's about the reordering of things, reconciliation. Justice is about the reordering of things.” -Tasha

“I wish that people would enter into spaces and conversations with people and trust that their feelings are real.” - Jamie

“I think the hope is we see glimpses of change...And if there were so many stories of change, there's hope for everyone to also change as well.” -Jamie“Broken systems create broken language.” -Tasha

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Description: Pastor Stephanie Williams O’Brien joins Be the Bridge founder Latasha Morrison on the podcast for a conversation surrounding the injustices the community of Minneapolis has endured, the lifelong commitment to racial justice, submitting to the leadership of people of color, and her new book Make a Move all about the practical advice she gives for making decisions and acting in faith. And she speaks words of encouragement for both leaders of color and white leaders. Pastor Stephanie will help you get unstuck in your personal life and your spiritual life, your life in community, and your life of bridge-building.

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Quotes:“It's an intentional choice to seek out and welcome the authority of leaders in your life.” -Stephanie

“This is not about a moment, but it's about a lifestyle. This is not about a short-term commitment. This is about conviction.” -Latasha

“Maybe instead of praying that our church becomes more diverse, let's pray that we're people that would actually be safe for folks to come in.” -Stephanie

“So read the books, watch the things, but experiment in behaviors that change and shape us, because I think we can behave our way into new thinking. And we can also think our way into new behaviors.” -Stephanie

“How are we not willing to hold space for a discussion before we have already judged it?” -Stephanie

“If we can just say, ‘God, I want to be on your heels, what are you doing? And how can I respond?’ If that was our orientation every day, that's where we're going to figure out how we can leverage privilege and be people who bring hope and help and who learn.” -Stephanie

“My prayer is for people not to make the same historical mistakes.” -Latasha

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