Latasha Morrison's new book, Brown Faces, White Spaces is out today! To celebrate this exciting book launch, we invited Jen Hatmaker to join Latasha on the Be the Bridge Podcast because she was with Latasha in the beginning of Be the Bridge and has supported the work until now. 

In this conversation, you'll hear Latasha and Jen go back to the beginning of Be the Bridge, look at where culture is now, and look ahead at the work still to do in the racial justice space. You'll be inspired and empowered to keep persevering!

And after their conversation, you can hear chapter 1 of the audiobook of Brown Faces, White Spaces read by Latasha. Help us celebrate this book launch and grab a copy of the book today!

Excerpted with permission of Penguin Random House Audio from Brown Faces, White Spaces: Confronting Systemic Racism to Bring Healing and Restoration by Latasha Morrison; Foreword by Eugene Cho; Afterword by Dr. Anita Phillips; Read by Latasha Morrison, Dr. Anita Phillips and David Lee Huynh © 2024, Latasha Morrison, ℗ Penguin Random House, LLC.

Gospel artist, pastor, and entrepreneur Tasha Cobbs Leonard joins Latasha Morrison on the Be the Bridge Podcast to talk about her debut book, Do It Anyway: Don’t Give Up Before It Gets Good.

At Be the Bridge, we talk about hope often. It is what pushes us onward and allows us to persevere. Tasha Cobbs Leonard vulnerably shares parts of her story that will inspire and empower others. She offers hope to our community!

About Tasha Cobbs Leonard:

A pastor’s daughter born and raised in Georgia, Leonard first emerged to widespread acclaim with her breakout 2013 release, Grace, which garnered a GRAMMY, three Doves, and three Stellar Awards on the strength of its chart-topping, platinum-selling lead single, “Break Every Chain.” In the years that followed, Leonard would go on to establish herself as a genuine “gospel sensation” (NPR), racking up more than two billion streams across platforms, landing three more #1 singles and five #1 albums, performing with everyone from Common and Nicki Minaj to Ne-Yo and Ciara, and making national television appearances on Good Morning America, CNN’s Fourth of July, BET’s Black Girls Rock, CBC’s A Day Of Healing, and the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration.

A tireless advocate for empowerment and positivity, Leonard has also risen to success as an author, actress, entrepreneur, and worship leader at The Purpose Place Church in her adopted home of South Carolina, where she co-pastors with her husband and producer, Kenneth Leonard, Jr.

Tomesha Faxio is a self-taught documentary photographer dedicated to portraying and centering the Black experience. She specializes in portraits of Black women and women of color. Tomesha strives to tell authentic stories that both inform and inspire, and her photography has been featured across media outlets. Before becoming a photographer, Tomesha was a lawyer working as Legal Counsel for Spanx. She is a graduate of Spelman College (B.A., Psychology) and Vanderbilt University (J.D., Law), and now lives with her husband and two daughters in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Tim Ross is a professional podcaster, social media influencer, author, preacher and businessman. You've probably heard him on his podcast, The Basement, and seen him on social media. He just recently released his book “Welcome to the Basement: An Upside Down Guide to Greatness.”

You will love this conversation between Tim and Latasha as they laugh together, hold grief together, and show us the importance of embracing the tensions in life.

Bri Stensrud is an author, human dignity advocate, and the Director of Women of Welcome. She has authored two books: Start with Welcome: The Journey toward a Confident and Compassionate Immigration Conversation, and a children's book: The Biggest Best Light: Shining God's Light into the World Around You. Bri holds a Masters of Biblical & Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and her voice has been highlighted across news platforms. 

We are thrilled to have author, speaker, perpetual theology student, and co-host of The Holy Post Podcast, Kaitlyn Schiess join the Be the Bridge Podcast with Latasha Morrison for an episode all about this American political life as followers of Jesus. They discuss Kaitlyn's new book, The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here, which gives historical context for where we are now.

They talk about how looking to see what people in history missed in their ethics and Bible reading can help us not miss the same, the Bible in the Civil War and in the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the importance of seeing how Black Americans used Scripture in our history.

They offer both practical and hopeful words to our community as we navigate this presidential election year.

Join in the conversation on our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn to let us know your thoughts on this episode! 

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Senior Producer - Lauren C. Brown

Producer, Editor, & Music - Travon Potts with Integrated Entertainment Studios

Assistant Producer & Transcriber - Sarah Connatser

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Not all views expressed in this interview reflect the values and beliefs of Latasha Morrison or the Be the Bridge organization.

This is an episode full of joy and hope for Black History Month! We have asked a few friends of Be the Bridge to share what they love about Black culture. Their responses remind us of God’s distinct, beautiful, intentional creativity and design. They remind us of the power of perseverance and resilience.

Resilience is connected with another theme we’ve been holding on to at Be the Bridge - hope. So we are also bringing a word of encouragement from one of our board members, Dr. Will Gravely. He gave a message at our Leadership Summit that we had to bring you. So we invite you to listen to the scholar, pastor, strategist, and creative Dr. Will Gravely share HOPE: The Marathon and the Sprint - Spiritual Strategies for Endurance, Effectiveness, and Execution.

For Black History Month, historian, author, and speaker Jemar Tisby joins Latasha Morrison and Jefferson Jones on the Be the Bridge Podcast. This full conversation brings wisdom, context, and encouragement as they talk about current headlines, the importance of context in history, white Chritian nationalism, navigating church, and more.

Jemar wraps up the conversation by saying, “God makes His biggest moves with the smallest resources. So hang in there.” And ultimately that is what we hope this episode reminds you - God is at work and together we can persevere.

Join in the conversation on our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn to let us know your thoughts on this episode! 

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Senior Producer - Lauren C. Brown

Producer, Editor, & Music - Travon Potts with Integrated Entertainment Studios

Assistant Producer & Transcriber - Sarah Connatser

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Has America ever been a racist country? Jefferson Jones, the BTB Youth & University Manager, and Elizabeth Behrens, a BTB Educator and the Learning & Content Developer, sit down to discuss this question and the conversations happening around it. They talk about the importance of understanding narratives, origin stories, and different types of conflicts. They also encourage the community to not be driven by outrage but be fueled by things that are sustainable.

Join the conversation in the Be the Bridge Facebook Group and on the Be the Bridge Youth and University Instagram.

Find the BTB Recommended Resources here.

Find the BTB Racial Justice Glossary of Terms here.

Whether you are feeling hopeful or struggling to find hope right now, pull up a chair for this conversation. Join the Be the Bridge Executive Team as they talk about the impact of a yes, what true peace looks like, and how our stories are connected. Latasha Morrison, Tange Johnson, and Micah Smith discuss how God can use us to impact others and how we can cling to hope even in the midst of things falling apart. They lean into lament and remind us that hope is not wishful thinking or optimism. This episode will help the Be the Bridge community prepare our hearts and minds for whatever is to come this year.

Join in the conversation on our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn to let us know your thoughts on this episode! 

Host & Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison

Senior Producer - Lauren C. Brown

Producer, Editor, & Music - Travon Potts with Integrated Entertainment Studios

Assistant Producer & Transcriber - Sarah Connatser

Quotes:

“We have to have hope in this work that we do to persevere.” -Latasha Morrison

“There are people out there learning how to think as bridge builders, learning how to engage as bridge builders. We're seeing people who are transforming into these cross racial communities that live differently and act more justly because of it. And that's something that really gives me hope out of the work of Be the Bridge.” -Micah Smith

“We may not know the ways that God is working. We may not always know the people whose lives we're touching. But it's happening. I try to stay in a perpetual state of awe of God, because that keeps me in a place of hope for our future and my now.” -Tange Johnson

“Be around people that can empower you, so that you in turn can empower other people that need some help and hope in times of uncertainty.” -Latasha Morrison

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Resources Mentioned:

Maverick City Music audio clipBe the Bridge book by Latasha Morrison

Be the Bridge groups

Born a Crime book by Trevor Noah

Be the Bridge Recommended Resources

Be the Bridge Academy

Be the Bridge Youth and University

Pre-order Brown Faces, White Spaces book by Latasha Morrison

Connect with Be the Bridge:

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Not all views expressed in this interview reflect the values and beliefs of Latasha Morrison or the Be the Bridge organization.