By Friends Publishing Corporation
4.9
1818 ratings
The podcast currently has 23 episodes available.
In this episode of Quakers Today, co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) explore how queer Quakers respond to climate change with joy, creativity, and radical inclusion. The episode features Damon Motz-Storey and Lina Blount, who delve into the intersection of queerness, spirituality, and climate activism. Miche and Peterson also review two books that provide fresh perspectives on environmentalism and queer ecology.
Queer Quaker Responses to Climate Change with Damon Motz-Storey and Lina Blount
Damon Motz-Storey (they/them), a genderqueer Quaker, discusses the importance of radical joy, play, and community in climate work:
Damon Motz-Storey became the Chapter Director of the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club in 2023. They have a wealth of experience leading environmental and climate justice campaigns in the Pacific Northwest. Their achievements include blocking major new coal, oil, and gas expansions, pioneering the Portland Clean Energy Fund initiative, and contributing to Oregon's 2021 state legislation for low-income utility bill discounts, home energy retrofits, and a commitment to 100% clean electricity by 2040. Damon also worked with the Coalition of Communities of Color, managing communications for Portland's successful 2022 city government reform measure and organizing record-breaking fundraising events to support racial justice efforts. They live in East Portland near Powell Butte and enjoys hiking, cycling, weightlifting, cooking, and performing in drag.
Lina Blount highlights the role of interconnectedness and reciprocity in climate justice:
Lina Blount is an organizer, trainer, and nonviolent action strategist who has been involved in environmental justice campaigns in the Philadelphia area for over fifteen years. She currently serves as the Director of Strategy and Partnerships with the Earth Quaker Action Team. Lina has previously worked with the Divestment Student Network and has extensive experience as a canvas director and anti-fracking organizer in Pennsylvania. She identifies as a Quaker and considers the Earth Quaker Action Team, her primary spiritual community.
Book Review: Queer Ecologies and Sustainable Futures
After a short break, Quakers Today will return to producing regular programs on November 12, 2024. Look out for extra features and announcements in October that will appear in your podcast feed.
Here is a question for you: What novel, film, or television series changed your relationship with the world? The world of fiction can alter the way we see ourselves, each other, the natural world, the political order, history, and society. What work of fiction shifted your perspective or altered your worldview?
Leave a voice memo or text with your name and the town where you live. The Quakers Today number is 317-QUAKERS. +1 if calling from outside the U.S. You can also answer on any of our social media pages: Instagram, X, or TikTok.
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.
Season Three of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of changemakers. Visit AFSC dot ORG.
Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text our listener voicemail line at 317-QUAKERS.
This episode’s music comes from Epidemic Sound.
In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, “What does Quakerism have to offer society?”
Co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) explore the concept of prefigurative practice within a Quaker classroom and beyond. What happens when students don't just learn about the future but begin to live it? They also feature queer Jewish poet Jessica Jacobs, who in her new book of poetry, interacts with the ancient book of Genesis.
Sam Thacker and Zoe Levenstein
Sam Thacker is a history teacher at Germantown Friends School. Every January, GFS offers “mini-courses” that provide teachers and students a space for experimentation, investigation, and reflection. In his Friends Journal article “Let Your School Speak: The Power of Prefigurative Practice in Friends Education,” Sam wrote about his course, “Another World is Possible.” Through it, he invites students to engage deeply with hopeful and ambitious visions for social change. Sam and one of his students, Zoe Levenstein, explore how they brought prefigurative practice to life in their classroom.
Sam explains that prefigurative practice is about more than just learning about change; it's about living it. We don't have to wait to build the institutions that will bring about the change we seek. Instead, we can start creating those institutions and practices now, making sure they align with the inclusive, just, and loving world we envision for the future.
Sam says, “If, for example, we are working toward a just, inclusive future, our institutions now should be just and inclusive. Prefigurative practice is proactive, courageous, and true to itself. In Quaker parlance, its life speaks.”
Sam reasons that prefigurative practice is nothing new for Quakers, “I see Quaker institutions as examples of prefigurative practice. By and large, I mean in my article, I discuss meetings for business. Quaker meetings are prefigurative, both in their organization and in the form of worship: Prefigurative practice is vital.
Zoe shares her experiences of engaging with this radical educational approach. Through readings from influential thinkers like George Lakey, Joanna Macy, and Adrienne Maree Brown, the students were encouraged to reimagine the world and consider how they could contribute to creating it.
I imagine a world where everyone is engaged because I think what really dampers my hope a lot is that it seems like people don't care in 20 years, my hope would be that even on the street level, I see people actively working to help each other. I also kind of imagine a world where song and music is more incorporated and like groups singing because I think it just kind of boosts the mood. I imagine a world in which doing activities like that is more encouraged. Yeah, I think it all comes down to human connection, and that makes people care.
Sam Thacker (he/him) teaches high school history at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, where he works with students on sustainability and climate action. He lives with his wife, Pam, and two young children; they are pursuing membership at Germantown
Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa. He is a songwriter, musician, artist, and lover of nature. In this episode, you heard Sam singing Purple Dreams. Hear more of his music on his BandCamp page: 2xtruck.bandcamp.com
Zoe Levenstein is a rising junior at Germantown Friends School, a member of the Quaker Unity & Inclusivity Team (QUILT) at GFS, and helped to plan the 2024 Quaker Youth Leadership Conference in partnership with Penn Charter. Next year, Zoe will be the Environmental Action Club's student leader and participate in the community-wide Campus Climate Coalition. Zoe’s passion is music—listening, singing, and playing the oboe.
Jessica Jacobs
In the August 2024 issue of Friends Journal, Michael S. Glazier reviewed Jessica Jacobs’ latest poetry collection, Unalone: Poems in Conversation with the Book of Genesis. Jessica Jacobs shares her journey as a writer, teacher, and editor, including founding Yetzerah, the first literary organization in the U.S. dedicated to supporting Jewish poets. Jessica reflects on her secular Jewish upbringing, her return to spirituality through studying the Torah, and the seven years she spent immersed in the Book of Genesis. She reads her poem "Prayers from a Dark Room," where Jessica reimagines Gehenna—not as a place of torment but as a mirrored space of self-reflection and repentance.
Jessica Jacobs (she/her) is the author of “unalone, poems in conversation with Genesis” (Four Way Books, March 2024); Take Me with You, Wherever You’re Going (Four Way Books, 2019), one of Library Journal’s Best Poetry Books of the Year and winner of the Devil’s Kitchen and Goldie Awards; and Pelvis with Distance (White Pine Press, 2015), winner of the New Mexico Book Award and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award; and is the co-author of Write It! 100 Poetry Prompts to Inspire (Spruce Books/Penguin RandomHouse, 2020). Jessica is the founder and executive director of Yetzirah: A Hearth for Jewish Poetry.
Learn more about Jessica through her website, jessicalgjacobs.com, on X @jessicalgjacobs, Facebook, and Instagram @jlgjacobs
You will find a complete transcript of this episode at www.quakerstoday.org
Question for next month
Here are our questions for next month: What is a Quaker response to climate change? What is a queer Quaker response to climate change? By looking at climate change-related issues through multiple lenses, like queerness and/or Quakerism, we can discover fresh ways of responding. Answer the question that calls to you, or both!
Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S.
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.
Season Three of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of changemakers. Visit AFSC dot ORG.
Follow us on Social Media
Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text our listener voicemail line at 317-QUAKERS.
This episode's music comes from Epidemic Sound. We also heard Purple Dreams from Sam Thacker and his band Double Truck.
In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, “Who is a historical figure you admire but whose words or actions trouble you?”
Co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) discuss the complex legacies of two notable Quakers: George Fox and Richard Nixon.
George Fox
Johanna Jackson and Naveed Moeed are a part of this year's cohort of the Quaker Coalition for Uprooting Racism. They co-authored the Friends Journal article George Fox Was a Racist: How do Fox’s writings on slavery impact Quakers today? to explore Fox’s legacy on his 400th birthday.
Johanna and Naveed discuss how George Fox, a revered Quaker founder, held and expressed pro-slavery views. Fox's writings showed his alignment with the status quo of the time, defending the institution of slavery rather than challenging it. The authors explore how contemporary Quakers cannot undo the harm caused by historical figures like George Fox but can address it through acts of reparation. They also stress the importance of facing Quaker history honestly, recognizing the patterns of oppression that have persisted, and striving to transform behaviors and systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice today.
Naveed says,
Kintsugi is the art of repairing something that is broken with a gold powder that is combined with an adhesive. And what it does is it doesn't repair in the way that we traditionally think of repair…What we need as Quakers is a form of Kintsugi, where we don't choose to paper the past, or repair it, or replace it or fix it so that it never happened. We need to acknowledge that it happened and how it happened, and where the break occurred, and then put some gold where the break was to bridge the gap.
Johanna Jackson is a white Friend and member of Three Rivers Meeting (New England Yearly Meeting), a group reclaiming Quaker practice for today’s time. Her ministry is Forward in Faithfulness.
Naveed Moeed is a British-born Pakistani and a Muslim-Quaker member of Chapel Hill (N.C.) Meeting. He is part of the American Theatre Critics Association and a semi-professional photographer. You can find his work at fractalsedge.net.
Richard Nixon
Larry Ingle describes how Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, grew up in a Quaker household. However, Larry points out that Nixon's political career often contrasts these principles.
Larry Ingle is the author of Nixon’s First Cover-up: The Religious Life of a Quaker President, a biography of Nixon's religious ideologies and background, and First Among Friends: George Fox & the Creation of Quakerism. He retired from the History Department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and now lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
This discussion features an excerpt from the video Was Richard Nixon a Quaker? See more videos like this on the QuakerSpeak YouTube channel or at QuakerSpeak.org.
Reviews and Recommendations
Quakers in Politics by Carl Abbott and Margery Post Abbott describes a Quaker approach to politics and encourages Friends to leverage our unique willingness to listen and seek common ground. The book is part of the Quaker Quicks, a series of short paperbacks useful for outreach and religious education. Paul Buckley reviewed Quakers in Politics for the June/July 2024 issue of Friends Journal. You can read the review for free and hundreds of others at Friends Journal Book Reviews.
Question for next month
Here’s our question for next month: What does Quakerism have to offer society in 2024? Quakers Today seeks wisdom and understanding in a rapidly changing world. What do you think Quakerism has to offer society in 2024?
Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S.
You can now follow Quakers Today on Instagram, TikTok, and the platform now known as X.
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.
Season Three of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of changemakers. Visit AFSC dot ORG.
Social Media
Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at [email protected], or call our listener voicemail line at 317-QUAKERS.Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.
In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, “What does it mean to be welcomed in a space?”
Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) discuss the concept of feeling welcome. Miche describes their sense of safety under a blanket while podcasting from Logrono, Spain, during their Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. They explore how welcoming spaces can be challenging for individuals with unique identities, especially in religious settings, and emphasize that genuine inclusivity often differs from mere proclamations of welcome.
To see our full show notes and transcript visit www.quakerstoday.org
"If the Quaker community were a household, who would be the owners and who would be the guests?"
Peterson Toscano chats with Rhiannon Grant (she/her) from Woodbrooke Quaker Learning and Research Centre about her article, “A Family of Friends,” which explores the importance of creating welcoming spaces within Quaker communities. Rhiannon, a lifelong Quaker and member of various faith communities, uses the metaphor of a household to explore the roles and feelings of welcome within Quaker meetings. She also discusses how implicit signals can create exclusion and emphasizes the significance of creating spaces where diverse theological beliefs are openly discussed and valued.
Learn more about Rhiannon Grant
Rhiannon Grant is Woodbrooke’s Deputy Programme Leader for Research and Programme Coordinator for Modern Quaker Thought. Rhiannon’s work at Woodbrooke spans academic and practice-based approaches to Quakerism. She teaches in Woodbrooke’s short course program, supervises research, and teaches postgraduate students within the Centre for Research in Quaker Studies. Outside Woodbrooke, she researches and writes about Quakers for both academic and general audiences, as well as writing fiction and poetry.
Her interests center on British Quakerism in the 20th and 21st centuries, especially Quaker theology, ways of speaking about God, and the developments in practice and religious diversity.
You can follow Rhiannon as @bookgeekrelng on X and on Facebook. Watch a YouTube video of her keynote address about Deep Hospitality. Read her Pendle Hill pamphlet Telling the Truth About God: Quaker Approaches to Theology, and look out for a new one entitled Deep Hospitality.
Lisa Graustein (she/her), a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) facilitator, discusses creating truly welcoming spaces in Quaker meetings by ensuring physical accessibility and accommodating diverse needs. She emphasizes the importance of inclusivity, recognizing varied contributions, and continually evaluating if all voices are being heard and needs met. This approach requires ongoing effort and reflection to foster genuine inclusivity.
This is a short excerpt from a QuakerSpeak video featuring a variety of voices. The video is entitled What’s the Difference Between a Welcoming and an Inclusive Space? See more videos like this on the QuakerSpeak YouTube channel or at QuakerSpeak.org.
Learn more about Lisa Graustein.
Lisa Graustein is a teacher, facilitator, and artist who holds an MEd in racial justice education. For 20 years, she taught in public middle and high schools. Currently, Lisa works as a DEI facilitator and trainer with schools and nonprofits throughout the northeast. She has been a facilitator for Beyond Diversity 101. A Univeralist Friend, she is part of a group of Quakers founding Three Rivers Meeting, a Queer, Christian Quaker meeting. A solo mom and potter, Lisa lives in an intentional community on the unceded Neponset Band of the Massachusetts land.
More than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long provides an in-depth look at the 1963 March on Washington, highlighting the crucial roles of activists like Bayard Rustin. This makes it ideal for middle school students. The book has been longlisted for the 2023 National Book Awards in the category of Young People's Literature.
The First Day of Peace by Todd Schuster and Maya Soetoro-Ng, illustrated by Tatiana Gardel, tells the story of two communities coming together to help each other, illustrating the concept of peace and welcome for children.
See all of the May 2024 Reviews on Friends Journal
Peterson and McCall discuss their upcoming participation in the 2024 Friends General Conference at Haverford College, where Miche will lead earth-centered worship with Quaker Earth Witness and Peterson will conduct interviews for the podcast.
You can now follow Quakers Today on Instagram, TikTok, and the platform now known as X.
Question for next month
Who is a historical figure whom you admire but whose actions and words also trouble you?
Historians, activists, and content creators help us gain a fuller, more balanced view of often revered historical figures. We learn that the heroes of old were not perfect.
Leave a text or voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S. You can also comment on our social media or email us [email protected].
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall with assistance from Christopher Cuthrell.
Season Three of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of changemakers. Visit AFSC.org.
Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests. Email us at [email protected]. Call our listener voicemail line: 317-QUAKERS.Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.
In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, What does bird watching have to do with Quakers?
You will find a complete transcript of this episode at www.quakerstoday.org
Lessons from Birds about Nature, Community, and Racial Justice
Birdwatching may seem like a serene, perhaps even solitary activity, but in the latest episode of the Quakers Today Podcast, we discover it's a window into much larger conversations about community, justice, and spirituality. Rebecca Heider, a white birder from Philadelphia, shares her Quaker guide to birdwatching, revealing the profound lessons she has learned from birding. Her concept of a 'spark bird' – the one that ignites a birder's passion is a beautiful anecdote and a metaphor for those transformative moments in life that guide our paths.
Rebecca Heider discusses her article, "A Quaker Guide to Birdwatching: Eight Lessons for Friends and Seekers." This discussion also highlights the importance of respecting nature and the profound joy that can be found in everyday moments of observation. Miche McCall crafted the sound design.
#BlackBirdersWeek
Tykee James, a Black birder also originally from Philadelphia, opens up about the joys and dangers of birding while Black. In May 2020, a video from Central Park's "The Ramble" went viral, showing a white woman, Amy Cooper, calling the police on a black birdwatcher, Christian Cooper (no relation) after he asked her to leash her dog as required by park rules.
Despite his calm approach, Amy escalated the situation by threatening to report an African American man was threatening her life. The incident, captured on video and viewed over 40 million times, sparked widespread discussions about racial bias and the history of false accusations against black individuals.
This incident led Tykee and other Black birdwatchers to create Black Birders Week, an event that celebrates diversity in birdwatching and challenges the stereotypes and racial injustices that still exist in outdoor activities. Tykee views the week as a celebration of joy, resilience, and diverse experiences within the Black community.
Tykee shares how his experiences with urban birding as a teen exposed him to community connections and the stark realities of racial and environmental injustices. These observations led him to co-found Amplify for the Future and become the president of the DC chapter of the Audubon Society. Tykee is currently part of a campaign to rename the Audubon Society to better reflect its values, acknowledging its historical context. The theme for the 2024 Black Birders Week is "Wings of Justice: Soaring for Change," and it is hosted by Black AF in Stem.
You can hear a longer version of Tykee’s interview on Episode 59 of Citizens Climate Radio.
Reviews and Recommendations
In this segment of the Quakers Today podcast, Miche McCall and Peterson Toscano delve into recent book reviews from Friends Journal. Peterson shares his enthusiasm for Ruth Todd’s new book Exploring Isaac Penington: Seventeenth-Century Quaker Mystic, Teacher and Activist. He highlights Penington's influential role in early Quakerism and his spiritually led writings, noting Todd's unique approach, including metaphors from nature and experiential exercises for readers.
Miche shares their intrigue with Altar to an Erupting Son by Chuck Collins, a novel that challenges notions of pacifism through its provocative opening scene and subsequent exploration of the impact of violence. This leads to a broader discussion on pacifism and activism within the context of creating a better world.
Additionally, Peterson is curious about Daybreak, a cooperative board game focused on climate change solutions, emphasizing the game's community-building aspect and eco-friendly design. Miche shares their recommendation of the Headspace app's Sleepcasts, particularly those with a Star Wars theme, highlighting their effectiveness in aiding relaxation and sleep.
Find more reviews at Friends Journal online.
Question for next month
When you walk into a new space, what do you see, hear, or experience that makes you feel welcome? What might be present that leads you to conclude you may not be welcome? The space may be a library, a place of worship, or someone’s home. It might be a town, a business, or a school.
Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S. You can also send an email: podcast @ friendsjournal.org
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.
Season Three of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of changemakers.
Social Media
Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at [email protected]. Call our listener voicemail line: 317-QUAKERS.
Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.
Season three of the Quakers Today Podcast begins with the introduction of new co-host Miche McCall (they, them). Along with co-host Peterson Toscano, they unpack the profound questions of faith, activism, and the essence of community.
Meet Quakers Today podcast’s newest team member, Miche McCall.
Miche is a professional Friend who works to inspire others to live in alignment with Spirit and joy. After a decidedly secular (but beloved) experience at Oberlin College, Miche came to Quakerism through a fellowship with Quaker Voluntary Service in 2019. They graduated with a Masters in Theopoetics and Writing from Earlham School of Religion after finding a passion for the queer undercurrents of Quaker worship and silent performance art. Today, Miche works at Quaker Earthcare Witness and Quakers Today podcast. They are inspired by podcasts, ultimate frisbee, and, more recently, block printing. Miche lives in Brooklyn, New York, with their partner and a dog named Bread.
Being a professional friend means that I get to spend all of my time thinking and worshipping, and learning more about this faith. -Miche McCall
Community, Interconnectedness, and the Quest for Economic Justice
Nathan Kleban shares profound insights from his spiritual journey, emphasizing the transformative power of community living and its impact on personal growth and collective action. Kleban explores his experiences and observations, ranging from the labor dynamics in the Salinas Valley to the complexities of navigating individualism and community needs. He critically addresses the exploitation embedded in global supply chains, urging a conscious reevaluation of our roles within these systems. Through his journey across different communities and his work with the Alternatives to Violence Project and Right Sharing of World Resources, Nathan exemplifies a deep commitment to confronting injustice and fostering relationships that pave the way for meaningful change.
Read Nathan’s article Move Toward the Suffering: Confronting Economic Injustice Head-On.
A transformative moment for me was living in community. That sense of community was very transformative for me both in learning more about myself and then seeing what we can do together. I just kind of saw myself becoming a lot more alive in those contexts. -Nathan Kleban
Quaker Testimonies as Pathways: Confronting White Supremacy with Equity and Community
Lauren Brownlee, from the Bethesda Friends Meeting in Baltimore Yearly Meeting, delves into the intersection of Quaker principles and racial equity. Drawing on Tema Okun's work on white supremacy culture, Brownlee identifies characteristics such as perfectionism, binary thinking, and urgency that permeate our society and contrasts these with Quaker testimonies like peace, community, and stewardship. She emphasizes the importance of embracing a diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, and worldviews to foster a beloved community grounded in equity and justice. Through a reflective examination of Quaker testimonies, Brownlee advocates for actively engaging in the antidotes to white supremacy culture within Quaker communities and beyond, underscoring the role of discomfort in growth and the necessity of inclusive community building. Lauren Brownlee is the deputy general secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL).
Lauren Brownlee appears in the QuakerSpeak video, How Quaker Testimonies Can Combat White Supremacy. The full version of this QuakerSpeak video can be found on the YouTube QuakerSpeak channel. Or visit Quakerspeak.com.
Our community testimony invites us to think about who all is in our community. How do we have expanding overlapping concentric circles of community? And how are we caring uniquely, for each member of our community? -Laureen Brownlee
Reimagining Quaker Faith: Towards an Ecology of Light and Life
Lauren Brownlee reviews A Quaker Ecology: Meditations on the Future of Friends by Cherice Bock in the March 2024 issue of Friends Journal. The book, inspired by Bock's presentations at the 2020 New England Yearly Meeting, explores the link between Quaker practices and the ecological crisis, proposing an eco-reformation through watershed discipleship and an eco-theology of light. It challenges Quakers to deepen their relationship with nature and act on environmental stewardship, offering a roadmap for faith-driven ecological engagement.
You will find a complete transcript of this episode over at QuakersToday.org.
Question for next month: What recommendation do you have for us and why?
In each episode, we share reviews of books or films. I imagine you can recommend a book, music, film, or game that has moved you and deepened your understanding of the world. What recommendation do you have for us that we can share with others who listen to our show? What recommendation do you have for us and why?
Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S.
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall.
Season Three of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of changemakers. Visit AFSC dot ORG.
Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at [email protected]. Call our listener voicemail line: 317-QUAKERS.
Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound.
In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, How do you process memories, experiences, and feelings?
In this special episode of Quakers Today, you will learn about what we have in store for you in Season Three. We also look back to share highlights from Season Two. These include:
After the show notes, you will find a complete transcript of this episode below.
Question for next month
How do you process memories, experiences, and feelings?
For some people, they chat with a friend, or they write in a journal. What about you?
Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S.
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online.
Season Three of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Visit AFSC and find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of changemakers.
Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at [email protected].Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound. You heard Gravy by Jobii, Dead as a Doornail by T. Morri, The Busted Swing, and Lost in Translation by Wendy Marcini and Elvin Vanguard, Exhibit A by J.R. Productions, Calmar Adiós by Authohacker
This bonus episode of Quakers Today features a reunion of Quaker leaders from the U.S. and the U.K., discussing how Quaker organizations work towards a just world. Recorded during American Friends Service Committee's annual Corporation meeting in Philadelphia in April 2023, the episode includes Joyce Ajlouny, Bridget Moix, Oliver Robertson, and Sarah Clarke. T
They explore responses to global challenges and the importance of Quaker values in a turbulent world. The episode emphasizes non-violence, listening, and engagement as core Quaker principles. The discussion also covers the impact of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, highlighting the Quaker approach to peace and justice. The episode, hosted by Marisa Mazria Katz, showcases the Quaker practice of creating safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue and action towards global peace and justice.
Joyce Ajlouny: General Secretary of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). A Palestinian-American, she focuses on issues like education, gender equality, economic development, and humanitarian support. Ajlouny has led initiatives supporting peace and justice efforts in the U.S. and abroad, including places like Jerusalem, Gaza, Guatemala, and Somalia.
Bridget Moix: General Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation. She works on deeply fractured politics in America, leveraging Quakerism as a tool for change. Moix focuses on nonpartisan engagement, seeking solutions and common ground in a divisive political environment.
Oliver Robertson: Head of Witness and Worship with Quakers in Britain. His work includes responding to global crises such as COVID-19, focusing on peace education and collaboration across borders. Robertson emphasizes the importance of pacifism in Quakerism, especially in times of war.
Sarah Clarke: United Nations Representative and Director of the Quaker UN Office. Clarke's role involves creating spaces for dialogue at the UN, focusing on listening and engagement. She has been instrumental in spotlighting issues and countries often overlooked at the UN, maintaining a focus on Quaker values in her work.
You will find a complete transcript of this episode at our showpage www.QuakersToday.org
Special thanks to Brian Blackmore, Director of Quaker Engagement
Question for next month
How do you process memories, experiences, and feelings?
You may think to yourself, Oh, I want to answer that question, but you are running or cooking or traveling, and it is not convenient to call at that moment you are listening to this episode. Then life crowds in and you forget to call. If you have been thinking of leaving a message, this might be the perfect question for you. How do you process memories, experiences, and feelings? For some people going for a walk alone in the woods helps or chatting with a friend or some other way. What about you? How do you process memories, experiences, and feelings?
Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S.
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online.
Season Two of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Find out how you can become part of AFSC’s global community of changemakers. Visit AFSC.org.
Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at [email protected].
In this episode of Quakers Today we ask, How do you process memories, experiences and feelings?
For the best listening experience we encourage you to listen to this episode with headphones or earbuds.
Rashid Darden's Personal Reflections
The episode features Rashid Darden and his reflection of identity and faith. As a Black person in a predominantly white faith community, Rashid's experience is unique and enlightening. He shares, "The surprising thing about my journey in the Quaker faith is that I'm still able to show up as my entire self and not be penalized for it... and in fact, to be celebrated for it."
Rashid Darden is an award-winning, best-selling novelist of urban LGBT experiences, a seasoned leader of Black fraternal movements and nonprofit organizations, and a professional educator in alternative schools. He lives in Conway, North Carolina. Rashid serves as the Associate Secretary for Communications and Outreach for Friends General Conference.
Hear more of Rashid’s reflections in the QuakerSpeak video, Growing the Community of Friends, Embracing Diversity, and Quakerism. It is also available at the QuakerSpeak YouTube Channel. Many thanks to Christopher Cuthrell for providing this audio.
Influences on Virginia Woolf
Peterson Toscano draws a parallel between the Quaker faith and the literary world, focusing on Virginia Woolf, a renowned early 20th-century author. Some scholars suggest that Woolf's feminist stance and innovative writing techniques were significantly influenced by her Quaker aunt, Caroline Stephen. She is the author of the classic religious text, Quaker Strongholds. This connection highlights how Quaker practices of self-reflection and inner exploration may have impacted Woolf’s iconic stream of consciousness writing style, particularly evident in characters like Mrs. Dalloway.
Dig Deeper into Caroline Stephen and Virginia Woolf
Quakers and Fiction: Vicki Winslow’s “Sabbatical”
The episode also brings us the story "Sabbatical" by Vicki Winslow. After experiencing the loss of her father, Silena Yancey travels from North Carolina to the American Southwest to find inspiration, which she hopes leads to equilibrium. Vicki shares, "My story 'Sabbatical' is largely a collage... In many ways, we're all on a sort of pilgrimage." This narrative invites listeners into the internal pilgrimage of its protagonist, providing a window into the process of self-discovery and reflection.
Vicki Winslow is a writer who currently serves as clerk of the Friends Meeting in Liberty, North Carolina. Her publications include Follow the Leader for middle readers, a novella called The Conversion of Jefferson Scotten, and short stories in both literary and online journals including the story The Last Bear in Deep South Magazine.
Read the full story in the November 2023 issue of Friends Journal or on FriendsJournal.org. In our podcast feed, you will also find a bonus recording to Vicki’s story.
Satire in Quaker Context
Adding a different flavor to the episode, Peterson discusses Donn Weinholtz’s book, Jesus Christ, M.B.A.: A Gospel for Our Times. The story is illustrated by David Weinholtz. Carl Blumenthal reviewed the short book for Friends Journal. He writes,
Conventional wisdom says that if Jesus returned today, he would be branded a heretic, a lunatic, or a criminal. Yet Donn Weinholtz’s satire on the Second Coming imagines him as a rabble-rouser, who, instead of rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, plunges into the political fray as an independent candidate for the U.S. presidency.
Closing Thoughts and Invitation
As Peterson Toscano and the team begin preparing for the next season of Quakers Today, he invites listeners to share their experiences of the show and share feedback. Leave a voice message or send an email. You will find contact details below.
Question for next month
How do you process memories, experiences, and feelings?
Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S. Or email [email protected]
Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online.
Season Two of Quakers Today is sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee.
Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. To learn more, visit AFSC.org
Writer Vicki Winslow appears in this month's episode of Quakers Today. As part of that episode, this is bonus audio of Vicki reading her story. Music and sound design by Peterson Toscano.
After experiencing the loss of her father, Silena Yancey travels from North Carolina to the American Southwest to find inspiration, which she hopes leads to equilibrium. Vicki shares, "My story 'Sabbatical' is largely a collage... In many ways, we're all on a sort of pilgrimage." This narrative invites listeners into the internal pilgrimage of its protagonist, providing a window into the process of self-discovery and reflection.
Vicki Winslow is a writer who currently serves as clerk of the Friends Meeting in Liberty, North Carolina. Her publications include Follow the Leader for middle readers, a novella called The Conversion of Jefferson Scotten, and short stories in both literary and online journals including the story The Last Bear in Deep South Magazine.
Read the full story in the November 2023 issue of Friends Journal or on FriendsJournal.org. Hear the complete episode, Quakers, Fiction, and Virginia Woolf by visiting QuakersToday.org
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