The Facing Project

Poverty is everywhere, but we like to pretend it doesn’t exist and could never happen to us. Yet 38 million Americans live in poverty.

Join J.R. Jamison and Kelsey Timmerman as they share a story of a woman who sees home as more than a physical space, and a story of a homeless man who wants to be seen.

Photo – By 7C0 via Flickr Creative Commons.

Stories –
• It’s Not a Shelter, It’s My Home: Sonya Johnson’s story as told to Angie Rogers-Howell from A Midsummer Night’s Narrative: Stories of Home, performed by Terry Whitt Bailey.
• Questioning Homelessness: “James’s” story as told to Matt Pulford from Facing Hope in Rome, Georgia, performed by Curtis Mardis.

Music –
• "Foolin'" by Nangdo. Released under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. From the Free Music Archive.
• "something" by airtone. Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) license. From the Free Music Archive.

Chapters –
[00:00] Introduction
[03:15] "It’s Not a Shelter, It’s My Home:" Sonya Johnson’s story. 
[13:03] "Questioning Homelessness:" “James’s” story. 
[19:43] Interview with Dorica Watson. 
[25:17] Understanding others through poverty simulations. 
[31:08] What communities can do to change the conversation of poverty. 

Original air date: Jul. 31, 2021

Professional athletes, like any celebrities, have huge followings and can influence positive change; yet they are often expected to temper and censor their statements on politics, social justice, and activism.

Join J.R. Jamison and Kelsey Timmerman as they discuss Athletes & Activism.

Photo – By Ron Cogswell via Flickr Creative Commons: https://flic.kr/p/DH81JN.

Stories –
• Momma’s Boy: Jessie Bates III’s story as told to Mitchell Carter from Facing Social Justice in Sports.
• Untitled: Trey Moses’s story as told to Thomas Deckard from Facing Social Justice in Sports.  

Music –
• "Spellbound" by Broke For Free. Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) license. From the Free Music Archive.

Chapters –
[00:00] Introduction. 
[03:13] "Momma's Boy" - Jessie Bates III's story. 
[09:41] "Untitled" - Trey Moses' story. 
[17:37] Interview with Trey Moses. 

Original air date: May 29, 2021

J.R. Jamison explores aging through the stories of those aged 60 to 95 who look back at their careers and accomplishments, and discuss times of war and peace; strength and bravery; struggle and tenacity; and the secrets to life and living in the golden years.

Special guests: Molly Flodder, editor of Life After 60: The Golden Years?, and Dr. Jacquelyn Frank, a leading gerontologist and anthropologist whose research focuses on aging in place.

Music –
• “Summer Sinners” by Jacket Thor. Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. From the Free Music Archive.
• “High Altitude Golden Sunset” by Pulse Emitter. Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. From the Free Music Archive.

Chapters –
[00:00] Introduction. 
[01:50] Interview with Molly Flodder. 
[15:52] "Discovering the Person I’ve Always Been" - Molly Flodder’s story as told to Kelsey Timmerman, performed by Beth Nahre. 
[25:13] "Where I'm Supposed To Be" - John Charles Peterson's story as told to Jeffrey Owen Pearson, performed by Jeffrey Owen Pearson. 
[32:18] "I'm Busy Retiring, Please Leave a Message" - Kay Stickle’s story as told to Julie Davis, performed by Melinda.  
[39:26] "A Time for Everything" - James Hilleson’s story as told to Jacquelyn Harris, performed by Larry Beck.  
[46:31] Interview with Dr. Jacquelyn Frank. 

Original air date: May 31, 2025

The United States is the most divided it has been since the Civil War, yet there are everyday people who are still willing to work together to find a path forward.

Join J.R. Jamison and Kelsey Timmerman as they explore identity and family and discuss J.R.’s forthcoming father-son memoir, Hillbilly Queer—a gripping tale of two men who see the world differently, one a gay liberal highbrow and the other a working-class Trump supporter, and their travels together to rural Missouri at the height of the 2016 election to uncover truths about their family’s past.

Cover Art – By Shantanu Suman and Emma Fulkerson (inspired by photography from Brock Williamson)

Chapters –
[00:00] Introduction.
[02:42] How J.R. and his dad came to the decision to go to Missouri.
[07:08] J.R. on approaching his father to ask questions about their relationship.
[10:58] J.R. and his dad's past encounters with J.R.'s identity.
[14:01] The fear of rejection in the face of love.
[18:17] Understanding family history in search of context.
[21:55] Considering generational perspectives.
[27:23] Connecting with important people in your life while you can.

Original air date: Apr. 24, 2021

In the next decade, 500,000 teens with autism will enter adulthood and age out of school-based services. Adults with autism are less likely to access healthcare, have a job, or pursue a degree beyond high school.

Join J.R. Jamison and Kelsey Timmerman as they discuss Autism in Adulthood.

Photo – By Jesper Sehested Pluslexia via Flickr Creative Commons: https://flic.kr/p/EHKB5v.

Stories –
• One Day I’ll Flap My Arms in Freedom, and No One Will Care: Kyle Reninger’s story as told to Jason Newman from Facing Autism in Adulthood.
• This is My Son. Belinda Hughes’s story as told to Ivy Farguheson from Facing Autism in Muncie, Indiana 

Music –
• "Warm" by Cambo. Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. From the Free Music Archive.

Chapters –
[00:00] Introduction.
[05:00] One Day I’ll Flap My Arms in Freedom, and No One Will Care
[09:17] This is My Son
[16:27] Interview with Belinda Hughes.
[20:03] Finding support for adults and their families.
[25:56] A little magic by Cody Clark.

Original air date: Mar. 27, 2021

Kelsey Timmerman is joined by author and educator Daisy Hernández to discuss her new book, Citizenship, a provocative and intelligent examination of our country’s ongoing debate about what it means to be an American. In their conversation about her work, Hernández braids together memoir, history, and cultural criticism to expose the truths and lies of how we define ourselves as a country and a people. 

Chapters

[00:00] Introduction. 
[01:32] What those with citizenship don't usually think have to think about. 
[06:23] Ways in which race and citizenship can have blurred lines. 
[10:45] Internalized racism in relation to identity. 
[14:46] Understanding the lexicon of race and citizenship. 
[24:34] Working to bridge political and cultural gaps. 
[32:22] How volunteering experiences change lives. 
[37:51] Connecting volunteerism to community care. 
[39:39] Daisy's story and dual-citizenship. 
[52:11] Where hope can be found in citizenship. 

Original air date: June 27, 2026

Today half of women in the tech field are likely to leave their positions by the age of 35. But in the 1970s it was even more challenging to work in the industry as a woman, and especially for a woman of color. But one organization is working to change those stats.

Join J.R. Jamison and Kelsey Timmerman as they discuss Race, Tech, and the Fight for Equity.

Photo – By Michael Himbeault via Flickr Creative Commons.

Story –
• Sink or Swim—In Code: Dr. Ruby Cain’s story as told to Aimee Robertson-West from Facing Racism in Muncie, Indiana 

Music –
• "If I Wait" by Sunbyrn. Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.5) license. From ccMixter.

Chapters –

[00:00] Introduction. 
[05:56] Story: Sink or Swim—In Code. 
[14:47] Interview with Chandra Ford and comparing Dr. Ruby Cain's and her career experiences. 
[16:54] Coping with an intimidating environment. 
[22:10] Has the tech industry changed? 
[25:31] Efforts to change the tech industry. 

Original air date: Feb. 27, 2021

If all 7 billion people on Earth consumed the amount of resources as the average American, it would be as if the planet were shared with 72 billion people.

Join J.R. Jamison and Kelsey Timmerman as they discuss Food, Earth, and Sustainability and chat with two organic farmers who opened their own grocery store.

Photo – By Matthias Ripp via Flickr Creative Commons: https://flic.kr/p/J4xXyd.

Story –
• The Downtown Farm Stand: Muncie’s Green Grocery: Dave & Sara Ring’s story as told to Becca Foerder & Bryn Marlow from Facing Sustainability in East Central Indiana

Music –
• "Outside the Walls" by Good Old Neon. Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0)license. From the Free Music Archive.

Chapters –

[00:00] Introduction. 
[06:32] Story: The Downtown Farm Stand: Muncie’s Green Grocery. 
[14:44] Interview with organic businessowners Sara and Dave Ring. 
[21:46] What the pandemic has shown us about our food system. 
[24:18] Other benefits of a lifestyle inspired by organic food. 

Original air date: Jan. 30, 2021

Host J.R. Jamison sits down with Jim Fielding, a C-suite executive who spent 30 years leading some of the world’s most beloved media and retail brands, including The Gap, Disney, Claire’s, DreamWorks, and 20th Century Fox. Jim’s latest book, All Pride, No Ego: A Queer Executive’s Journey to Living and Leading Authentically, was released last year, and in their conversation the two explore lessons on empathy and cracking the rainbow ceiling.

Chapters
[00:00] Introduction.
[02:01] How genuine leadership storytelling requires autobiographical details. 
[11:42] On how personalities contribute to leadership styles. 
[20:25] Being your authentic self. 
[23:47] On shifting corporate landscapes. 
[39:22] Queer mentorship and the rainbow ceiling. 
[46:45] Learning empathy through understanding others' lived experiences. 
[56:37] Context on corporations' roles in validating identity and affecting society. 
[1:03:39] Lessons beyond how one identifies. 

Original air date: May 25, 2024

2020 is the year that never was, but also the year that had it all: fires, floods, protests, murder hornets—a pandemic! With so much unrest and concern about the future, it’s easy to overlook the good that’s happened in the world.

Join J.R. Jamison and Kelsey Timmerman as they take a look back at 2020 and share their favorite stories from everyday people who provide inspiration despite their present-day circumstances.

Photo – By Marco Verch via Flickr Creative Commons.

Chapters
[00:00] Introduction.
[04:40] Interview with Will Grinstead.
[18:53] Jason Phillips’s story.
[25:35] Listener call-in.

Content advisory: Please note that from 20:46 - 24:10 there are descriptions of gun violence.

Original air date: Dec. 26, 2020