The CARMA Chronicles

In this special anniversary episode, we revisit Dr. Shawn Ginwright's groundbreaking Hope and Healing in Urban Education, the book that introduced the world to Healing Centered Engagement (HCE) and challenged us to move beyond trauma-informed practice toward a vision rooted in culture, identity, joy, and collective well-being.

As HCE has become part of the language of education, youth development, public health, philanthropy, and community change, this episode asks an important question: Have we stayed true to the original vision? Through reflection and a reading of the book's powerful closing page, we return to the source of an idea that has transformed how we think about healing, justice, and the possibilities that emerge when communities are viewed through their strengths instead of their wounds.

Whether you're an educator, youth worker, nonprofit leader, clinician, policymaker, or someone committed to building healthier communities, this conversation is an invitation to rediscover a text that continues to shape a movement a decade later.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Hope and Healing in Urban Education remains essential reading ten years later.
• The origins and evolution of healing-centered engagement.
• The difference between responding to trauma and cultivating hope.
• Why culture, relationships, civic action, and joy are central to healing.
• How Dr. Ginwright's vision continues to challenge us to build communities where everyone can flourish.

This isn't simply a celebration of a book. It's an invitation to recommit ourselves to the work of healing – together.

In this podcast, host and Flourish Agenda's Executive Director Chris Nguon presents a reread of Dr. Shawn Ginwright’s influential essay on the transition from trauma-informed care to healing centered engagement. The text argues that traditional models often focus too narrowly on individual pathologies and past injuries, effectively defining young people by the worst things they have endured. Instead, the healing centered approach promotes a holistic, asset-driven framework that emphasizes collective well-being, cultural identity, and political agency. By addressing the root causes of harm and fostering the ability to dream and imagine, this perspective empowers both youth and adult providers to move toward flourishing rather than just symptom management. Ultimately, the source advocates for a humanistic shift that views individuals as active agents in their own restoration rather than mere victims of their circumstances.

In this episode, we feature The Resilient Roots Podcast episode.
Listen to their Host, El Dorado Charter SELPA Program Coordinator Sean Andrew, interview Resilient Roots Summit keynote speaker (and our very own) from Flourish Agenda, Dr. Lee Porscha Moore. Join us as they discuss the crucial part that Healing and Trauma Awareness plays in developing school and individual wellness in our communities. 

Dr. Porscha's interview can also be found on The Resilient Roots School Wellness Podcast on Episode 2. 

Stay Connected to the our Community:

Resilient Roots School Wellness Podcast

Apple Podcast App 

Spotify: Resilient Roots School Wellness Podcast
Twitter/X: @charterselpa

Music from the episode by:
The Wurx by Spear of Nation

In this captivating episode, we are privileged to sit down with the incredibly talented Barbara Fant, who generously shares her intimate personal journey - from her humble roots growing up in the small town of Youngstown, Ohio, to navigating the bright lights and bustling energy of the entertainment capital of Los Angeles. Barbara's story is one of resilience, passion, and a deep-rooted connection to the transformative power of art and self-expression. As she openly discusses, her path has not been without its challenges, but through it all, Barbara has emerged as a multifaceted artist whose work is imbued with authenticity, vulnerability, and a steadfast commitment to using her platform to inspire healing and growth, particularly among youth. With a disarming humility that belies her immense talent, Barbara shares invaluable insights on the importance of tapping into one's creative spirit as a means of cultivating personal wholeness. This is an episode you simply cannot afford to miss, as Barbara Fant's story is one that is sure to leave an indelible mark, reminding us all of the profound impact that can be achieved when we have the courage to share our most authentic selves with the world. 

In this insightful podcast episode, listeners are invited into an intimate conversation with Stacie Amon Yeldell, a profoundly talented and inspiring music therapist. As part of the Arts-based HCE mini-series, produced in collaboration with the Los Angeles County of Arts & Culture and the L.A. Arts Ed Collective, this episode provides a captivating glimpse into Stacie's remarkable personal journey. Listeners are guided through the honest realities she has navigated within the music industry, learning how her experiences ultimately led her to discover the profound healing power of music therapy. With vulnerability and wisdom, Stacie shares the transformative path that carried her from her roots as a music artist to becoming a best-selling author, sharing the lessons she has learned along the way. Throughout the episode, Stacie's passion and dedication to using the arts as a tool for healing shines through, leaving the audience with a deeper appreciation for the wonderfulness of music therapy and the remarkable individuals, like Stacie, who dedicate their lives to this vital work. This is an incredible, must-listen episode that promises to move, educate and inspire.

In this thought-provoking podcast episode, host Chris Nguon delves into the dynamic intersection of art speculative visioning, and creative visual arts education, as explored through an insightful conversation with Los Angeles-based artist Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca. As part of the captivating Arts-based HCE mini-series, produced in partnership with the Los Angeles County of Arts & Culture and the L.A. Arts Ed Collective, the episode guides listeners on a journey through a vibrant, imaginative possibility space. Vaca's multifaceted artistic practice serves as a springboard for a rich dialogue, shedding light on the ways in which the realms of fine art, conceptual design, and pedagogical innovation can vibe together. With dope references to the world-renowned Comic-Con convention, the episode delves into the transformative power of speculative thinking, inviting the audience to envision new frontiers where creativity, technology, and societal advancement intertwine. 

In this episode, host Chris Nguon has the privilege to be in community with Dr. Cory Greene, the co-founder of H.O.L.L.A., a nonprofit developed from the organizing work and political strategizing of people who served sentences in New York State Correctional Facilities. Cory is invested in developing, leading and implementing an-intergenerational youth led citywide and nationwide Healing Justice Movement. Cory (40 years old) was born and raised by a single mother in East Elmhurst Queens, NY, during a time when many mothers and urban communities were impacted by the crack epidemic. 

Cory’s ancestors and elders hail from the struggles of delta Mississippi, and the historical reality of being Black in “America” Cory’s experiences as a youth growing up in urban ghettos have contributed to his understanding of the systemic inequalities As a result, Cory has committed himself to a wide range of educational projects, healing, and grassroots movement building that seek to change existing conditions for youth of color and our communities. Cory earned his Associate degree in Liberal Arts Deaf Studies from LaGuardia Community College. Cory earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Psychology from New York University. Cory earned his doctoral degree from the Critical Social Personality Psychology program at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), where his research efforts analyze the praxis of grassroots pedagogy and healing-centered youth organizing within a process of radical healing. 

This is one of the most powerful episodes of the CARMA Chronicles podcast and we are blessed to share it with you. One love. 

In this episode, host Chris Nguon connects with Rasheedah Brown-Harris, who might very well be the most important guest we have ever had on the CARMA Chronicles. Rasheedah sits down with us straight from the Bronx and offers a beautiful and authentic look at how Healing Centered Engagement has impacted her, her family, and her community in New York City. 

Rasheedah is a Parent Leader with the Parent Action Committee (PAC), a resource and supporter for caregiver wellness, a staunch advocate for all things right for young people and their caregivers, and a Healing Centered Pioneer who became HCE Certified along with a handful of wonderful community members, practitioners, and caregivers in 2022. And that’s just in her time away from her primary job! You don’t want to miss this conversation.

In this episode, host Chris Nguon sits in community with Mariyam Bey, a beautiful soul out of Oakland who sways and moves from the heart in support for young people. A multi-year site coordinator for the Oakland Freedom Schools, Sista Bey shares this summer’s amazing achievements at her West Oakland site, explores the reality of leadership through a more heart-centered avenue, and talks about how activating young people’s freedom is the ultimate healing mechanism. 

In this episode, host Chris Nguon taps in with Dr. Shawn Ginwright, who recently released his latest book called The Four Pivots: Reimaging Justice, Reimaging Ourselves. The beautiful conversation centers on the journey of the book itself since its release, Shawn’s conversation with people all over the country about their reflections, learnings, and piqued ideas of the book, and new ideas that have popped up. Chris and Shawn also dive into the concept of the “cerebral” practitioner and demystify what all that even means. And of course, it wouldn’t be a podcast with Shawn with some small talk about boating, sailing, and the healing of the water as well.