Stony Road

This episode examines the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk through the lens of equity, diversity and inclusion. Whatever his legacy may be, we denounce political violence and his murder earlier this month. We explore how communities committed to equity and inclusion may respond to this tragedy even when his views may have challenged those very principles.  

In this episode, we were joined by three Racial Healing Ambassadors, Soyini Verrett, Deirdre Kennedy & the Rev. Kelly Perotti who reflected on their experiences after recently visiting the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Our guests along with our producer, Ms. Shemara Fontes and Rev. Bushey spent the day in Memphis recently visiting the museum, the remains of Clayborn Temple, and the I Am A Man Plaza. Our trained Racial Healing Ambassadors serve our local community to advocate for and promote racial equity and healing. 

The trip and this episode were made possible by the YWCA Kankakee and The Grow Center in Bourbonnais.

In this episode we talk about the rise of Christian Nationalism as a war on inclusion in America.  

In this episode, we continue our conversation about the pattern of White Male Supremacy aka “the Patriarchy” or "the empire" that has impacted Black Indigenous and People of Color, women and LGBTQ+ folks and continues to inform the conversations we are currently having about diversity, equity and inclusion in the United States of America. 

Rev. Bushey and Dr Swilley are joined by the Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale, founder of the Incarnation Institute for Sex and Faith, Rev. Bev is an ordained Christian clergy who has spent most of her thirty years of ministry helping people reconnect their spirits and their bodies, and confronting sex-negativity in the church and culture. Dale was an ecumenical campus minister at the University of Pennsylvania for over two decades. She founded the Incarnation Institute for Sex and Faith in 2014 whose mission is to teach clergy and sexologists an inclusive, science-friendly, sex-positive Christianity. The Institute and Rev Bev have celebrated sexual diversity and have explored the intersectionality of race and sexuality. She is the co-author of Advancing Sexual Health for the Christian Client: Data and Dogma along with Sexologist, Rachel Keller and has a new book released in 2024 entitled Who Told You You were Naked? Meditations on the Sexual Body.

In this episode, we are talking about the pattern of White Male Supremacy aka “the Patriarchy” or "the empire" that has impacted Black Indigenous and People of Color, women and LGBTQ+ folks and continues to inform the conversations we are currently having about diversity, equity and inclusion in the United States of America. 

Rev. Bushey and Dr Swilley are joined by the Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale, founder of the Incarnation Institute for Sex and Faith, Rev. Bev is an ordained Christian clergy who has spent most of her thirty years of ministry helping people reconnect their spirits and their bodies, and confronting sex-negativity in the church and culture. Dale was an ecumenical campus minister at the University of Pennsylvania for over two decades. She founded the Incarnation Institute for Sex and Faith in 2014 whose mission is to teach clergy and sexologists an inclusive, science-friendly, sex-positive Christianity. The Institute and Rev Bev have celebrated sexual diversity and have explored the intersectionality of race and sexuality. She is the co-author of Advancing Sexual Health for the Christian Client: Data and Dogma along with Sexologist, Rachel Keller and has a new book released in 2024 entitled Who Told You You were Naked? Meditations on the Sexual Body.

In this episode, Dr. Swilley and Rev Bushey explore Culturally Responsive Teaching, the other CRT, with some insight from Dr. Swilley's recent dissertation on CRT. As schools navigate the new anti-DEI initiatives in American government, we discuss where and how CRT fits into the goals of our education system today.

In this episode, Dr Swilley and Rev Bushey discuss the four levels of racism (personal, interpersonal, institutional and structural) and how broken systems perpetuate systemic racism in our culture today. Retelling an old fable about a town with a bad curve in the road and our personal experiences with racoons, we talk about the role of fear holds us back from dismantling structural racism in America.

Funding for this episode was made possible by a Healing Illinois Grant.

In this episode, Dr. Swilley and Rev. Bushey have a follow up conversation to Episode 7 about the intersections of racism and indigenous peoples. Often forgotten in conversations about race, indigenous persons have been dishonored and oppressed by white supremacy even as the first resisters in America. 

In November 2024, we were joined by the Rev. Dr. Lisa Barnett, Assistant Professor of American Religious History at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Our conversation explored the impact of settler colonialism on Native Americans, connecting with the lived experiences of American Indian people today, and how we honor the history of indigenous people and move forward together.  

Our Guest for this episode:
Dr. Lisa Barnett earned her PhD in U.S. History at Texas Christian University in 2017, a Master of Theology in American Religious History from Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas in 2012 and her Master of Divinity Degree in 2008. Dr. Barnett is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is the author of Peyote Politics: The Making of the Native American Church published by University of Oklahoma Press, 2025.  

In this episode we explore the value of being culturally competent and sensitive at this moment in history. Our guest, Dr. Cynthia Taylor shares her experience working with the Cultural Competency Work Group of a local nonprofit, Project SUN of Kankakee County. Dr Taylor is the Director of Multi-Ethnic Student Services at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois and is a professional mental health provider as well. 
During the episode, Robert and Shannon share in conversation about current dialogue concerning racial equity in our nation. Usually when we hear the phrase, "saying the quiet part out loud," reference is being made to overt racist language spoken by some popular or notable white person. In our episode, we explore the growing culture of white supremacy that is suppressing the language of racial equity in our midst.