By therolldownpodcast
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The podcast currently has 31 episodes available.
This season launched in January 2023 and is wrapping up in 2024, something that our hosts did not anticipate. In this finale, Alethea and Matthew reflect on what it took to get this season launched and highlight each of the episodes and what they appreciated about them. They express their joy and gratitude in what was accomplished in the midst of more unexpected life circumstances which caused the season to take a year and a half to complete, and they give a brief vision for what the upcoming season will be focused on.
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Melendrez
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
We have our first returning guest, Danielle Coke Balfour, back to discuss her first book, “A Heart on Fire: 100 Meditations on Loving Your Neighbors Well”, which was released in October 2023. We talk with Danielle about what sparked her desire to write (and illustrate!) the book, and how she landed on her “ten pillars of a life of good work”. We also highlight one of the meditations in the “Justice” section that resonated with us and directly connects to the foundation of The Roll Down. We hope you enjoy this fun and inspiring conversation with one of our favorite guests!
Danielle Coke Balfour is a graphic designer turned artist, advocate, speaker, and entrepreneur. She’s the founder of Oh Happy Dani, an illustration-based educational platform that uses artwork and resources to make complex ideas surrounding racial justice more accessible for the everyday advocate. Danielle works to inspire her community of over half a million people across social media to do good daily, right where they are. She’s also the author of “A Heart on Fire: 100 Meditations on Loving Your Neighbors Well.” Whether working with brands like Target and Adobe, speaking in front of audiences, or running her business, Danielle hopes to inspire others to embody their values and live a life of sustainable activism by using what they have to impact the world around them.
Additional Resources:
Book website: https://book.ohhappydani.com
Bookshop link (supports indie bookstores with every purchase!): https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-heart-on-fire-100-meditations-on-loving-your-neighbors-well-danielle-coke-balfour/19795761?ean=9781524881221
Danielle’s weekly newsletter: https://ohhappydani.com/advocate
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
This episode is a continuation from the previous episode where we discussed the lead up to, and the closing of, all Lenses offerings in the U.S. in July 2021. In this episode, Alethea and Matthew share more about their experiences in the organization outside of what happened with Lenses, and they’ll explore the impact of these events and practices they utilized to heal. Though their story is specific to the Cru ministry, anyone who has endured religious trauma and/or workplace abuse may benefit from the practical elements they offer.
Additional Resources:
The Roll Down, Season 1 episodes: “Empathy, Containment and Validation” and “Community & Self-care in the Fight for Justice”
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
On July 29, 2021, The Lenses Executive Team released a statement which announced that all Lenses offerings in the U.S. would be shut down effective immediately. From that day until now, there have been various things said about why Lenses closed, and much of what has been said is not remotely true. As the three year mark is coming up this summer, Alethea and Matthew felt it was time to let people know what really happened. And though this episode is specific to one organization, those who have endured workplace and/or spiritual abuse may resonate with the themes from these experiences.
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
This is part two of a two part episode where we discuss the state of our country as of April 2023. We acknowledge that we barely scratched the surface in our last episode due to the sheer amount of obscene things in the news each week and the lack of hours in a single day to process it all. Today's episode will focus more on practical ideas of how to engage at the local level and how to continue practicing self-care in the midst of our fight for justice. We hope that this will be an encouragement to you who are listening and wrestling with these very same realities, questions, and feelings right alongside us.
Linked Resources:
www.house.gov
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
This is part one of a two part episode where we discuss the state of our country as of April 2023. We will cover some of the various atrocities that have taken place during the last two years, some of the ignorant policies being implemented and some of the connections we have made to other historical events. From book bans and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community to mass shootings and immigration, there is so much that can be said. As you listen, know that some of these events can be retraumatizing so please go at your own pace and care for yourself in the midst of this never-ending stream of foolery.
Linked Resources:
https://www.hmd.org.uk/learn-about-the-holocaust-and-genocides/what-is-genocide/the-ten-stages-of-genocide/
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
This episode is an invitation into the life, person and work of a woman of color in the creative sphere. Our guest and friend, Danielle Coke, walks us through how she rests, dreams, creates and perseveres as she’s doing justice work.
Danielle Coke is a designer turned illustrator, advocate, speaker, and entrepreneur. She’s the founder of Oh Happy Dani, a lifestyle brand and educational platform that uses artwork and resources to encourage hope, inspire justice, and make complex ideas more accessible.
She’s driven by her desire to help everyday advocates do good daily in their spheres of influence using their passions and skills, and she’s fostered a community of over half a million people across social media. Danielle also has a passion for helping brands deliver messaging with light and truth, and has creatively partnered with Fortune 500 companies like Target, Adobe, The Home Depot, Dell, and Meta.
Her passion for serving alongside mission-based organizations has led to collaborations with nonprofits like the NAACP and The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, as well as several community organizations in her hometown of Atlanta. With a joy that flows from her desire to love her neighbor as herself, Danielle hopes to spark action in pursuit of the ultimate good as you hold her art in your home and carry it in your heart.
Linked Resources:
Instagram/Twitter/Facebook - @ohhappydani
Website- www.ohhappydani.com
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Guest: Danielle Coke
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
In the last episode, special guest Sandhya Oaks talked about reclamation identity, resilience, and addressed why so many people are wrestling with the question “who am I?” This episode is a continuation where Matthew and Alethea let us see their journeys in reclamation identity and how that led to refinding their voices. They share how a crucial part of the journey was regaining agency to choose when and how to be a bridge for others, especially as People of Color. Matthew and Alethea hope this episode will give hope for those struggling to find their voice in a chaotic world.
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
This episode is a powerful invitation towards reclaiming our identity and what it means to be resilient. Our guest and friend, Sandhya Oaks, walks us through some of the ways that she (and we) can return to the core of who we are by slowly taking back our God given identities through the hard but beautiful and necessary journey of story work.
Sandhya is a Speaker, Ministry leader, Story Coach, and Spiritual Director. Born in India and adopted as a Transracial Adoptee in the Midwest, her story lends to walking with others through identity reclamation and creating experiences that restore.
Sandhya holds three Certificates in Narrative Focused Trauma Care and a Certificate in Resilient Leadership from the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, along with a Certificate in Narrative Trauma Story Work through the Restoration Institute Training Program. Additionally, she recently completed her Trauma Care Group Training Certificate through The Art of Living Counseling Center. Alongside story coaching, Sandhya is a trained Spiritual Director.
She has provided hope and healing through the TEDx stage as she shared her story: “Awakening to My Name”. Her good work has also been experienced through Sojourners, Someday is Here, and Red Tent Living.
Linked Resources:
Instagram- @sandhyaoaks
Website- www.sandhyaoaks.com
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Guest: Sandhya Oaks
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
While there are many acronyms being thrown around these days, here’s one of great value to our communities—DEIB—which stands for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. The common thread in each is that something needed to be done institutionally where these things lacked. You may have heard talk about these terms in smaller combined fragments but they are a mightier and more holistic work when combined. Matthew and Alethea are going to take time breaking it down for us by defining the terms and analyzing the work itself. The heart behind this episode is to give clarity, common language, an assessment of where the work has fallen short, and a discussion on how we as BIPOC can keep showing up to do the work—all of this with the ultimate hope that all would belong.
Linked Resources:
Brenè Brown with Aiko Bethea and Ruchika Tulshyan:
The Heart of Leadership Part 1- https://brenebrown.com/podcast/the-heart-of-leadership-part-1-of-2/
The Heart of Leadership Part 2- https://brenebrown.com/podcast/the-heart-of-leadership-part-2-of-2/
Hosts: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Meledrez
Engineer: Katie Nguyen Palomares
Designer: Cameron Stingley
Admin Assistant: Alexandra Suarez
Follow us on IG: @therolldownpodcast
The Roll Down podcast is part of the Chasing Justice Podcast Network. To find out more, visit chasingjustice.com.
The podcast currently has 31 episodes available.