Chasing Justice

Conversations about collective identity are important but what does a BIPOC existence offer us as distinct communities of color? Are there communities that like the term more than others? How does our daily reality shape whether or not we will lean into an identity beyond Blackness or Latinidad? When there is so much work that needs to be done even in those distinct identities who has the energy to take on more?

Tyler Burns, VP of Brand and Story, joins Sandra Van Opstal in a reality check on why these questions are necessary for our BIPOC identity (if one even exists). Together, they address the pain in amongst their own communities and how that impacts the ability to envision a collective win. They also invite us to the spiritual practices of protest and coalition as a way of embodiment.

Tyler Burns is a pastor, speaker, and podcaster. He currently serves as the President of the Witness: A Black Christian Collective. You may recognize his voice from the Pass the Mic Podcast.

Collective socio-political terms such as "Asian American", "BIPOC", and "POC" were developed over generations. Are these terms helpful or harmful for communities of color? What is gained or lost when we use them? This straightforward conversation between Kathy and Sandra went so deep, so fast that we had to split it into two parts. Lean in and interrogate with them how our faith informs our sense of identity in communities of color.

For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.

Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.

These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode!

Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice || PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Collective socio-political terms such as "Asian American", "BIPOC", and "POC" were developed over generations. Are these terms helpful or harmful for communities of color? What is gained or lost when we use them? This straightforward conversation between Kathy and Sandra went so deep, so fast that we had to split it into two parts. Lean in and interrogate with them how our faith informs our sense of identity in communities of color.

For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.

Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.

These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode!

Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice || PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Kathy and Sandra offer their expertise from mentoring BIPOC leaders on why ethnic identity development is critical for the work of justice. Hear from their wisdom on the process of identity formation and how coming home to oneself makes us a force in against white supremacy and injustice. They even go through Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatums stages on Identity formation.

When we understand our past and ourselves more deeply we can create a future in which we integrate Jesus and Jesus. Learn how we can pursue goodness and beauty in every vocation and circumstance as people who live justly.

For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.

Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.

These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode!

Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice || PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Media can hurt or heal us in our journey towards collective liberation. Kathy and Sandra talk about the role of media from Kathy's professional experience. They also tackle policing, doomscrolling, and messy conversations media. Hear about their favorite shows that hold space for processing that some of our churches do not. How is it that Shondaland and Marvel are inviting nuance and vulnerability that multi-ethnic justice spaces are not having? AND...At the end we have an exciting announcement!

For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.

Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.

These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode!

Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice || PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Sandra and Kathy help us take a collective breath together as we process the Chauvin verdict, the murders of young black and brown lives, and as we continually face a system that is designed to dehumanize BIPOC bodies. Sandra shares about her experience at the marches and why culture and beauty matter to how we process injustice. They helps us consider why a symphony of our responses in each of our distinct communal experiences is what we need for this justice journey to work.

For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.

Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.

These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode!

Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice || PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

White supremacy sucks for all of us. What do we embody our collective liberation in a lifestyle of justice? What it mean to be a neighbor who is seeking justice? We can talk about justice, without locally living our love in public. Hear concrete examples of ways BIPOC leaders are practicing embodied solidarity. Allow the stories to encourage and challenge us to chase justice together.

For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.

Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.

These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode!

Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice || PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

Women of color are central to the flourishing of our communities and overall social well being. When women of color leave institutions, and we speak out, nobody talks about it; no one notices it. Women are often the first to speak and the last to gain from reforms in society and the church. Black Women speak out and pay an embodied cost. Asian and Latinas overcome bamboo and corn husk ceilings, but at a cost. Native women work to be even noticed.

"When women of color leave institutions and we speak out -loud or quiet -no body talks about it. No one notices it. It's not that the work of white people is not important, but why is it centered?" @sandravanopstal

"The cost we have paid is actually not being paid for our work. No having platforms that equal the impact of the work we have done. And we aren't trained to price our worth." @mskathykhang

"The credit, opportunities, and pay goes to the white person who elevated the person of color and not the actual BIPOC leader, does that seem fair?" @sandravanopstal

What is an acceptable 'American' story? Why some stories seen as normative and others categorized as 'foreign'. Kathy and Sandra talk about the Golden Globe winning movie Minari and why telling our story is not only for our freedom but to confront false narratives and pursue our collective liberation.

For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.

Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.

These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode!

Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice || PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate

How can we advocate for ourselves and others? How do we hold space for one another and with one another?

This episode features a conversation between our hosts Sandra Van Opstal and Kathy Khang about exploring what collective liberation looks like for each of us as we move forward. This is the work of Chasing Justice, the unglamorous, uncomfortable conversation of showing up for one another. Listen in as we continue to have deeper conversations between our communities.

For those who are unfamiliar, Kathy Khang has spent decades speaking and advocating for justice. She is the board chair of the Evangelicals for Social Action, and her recent book, Raise Your Voice, is a powerful guide teaching others to raise their voices wherever they are.

Sandra Van Opstal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice. She has spent years advocating and training the next generation of Christian justice-seekers. She looks forward to expanding that advocacy with Chasing Justice.

These two powerhouse leaders have been friends for over 20 years, and they are passionate about creating spaces where empowerment is realized! Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode!

Support Chasing Justice || Patreon: patreon.com/ChasingJustice || PayPal: paypal.me/ChasingJustice || Donate: chasingjustice.com/donate