The Roll Down

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.

As promised, Alethea and Matthew wanted to dive more deeply into the reasons behind their unexpected hiatus—not because they owe it to their audience, but because we’re family here and they desire to share the entirety of their lives with you. Their hope is to bring you into their life’s story over the last 1.5 years in a vulnerable way while acknowledging the risks involved and without filtering their pain. They also recognize that they are not the only ones having gone through a lot during this time so they hope to create a space for you to also be seen, known, and even validated at a distance. 

Linked Resources: 

Free Therapy App- https://therapyfundfoundation.org/therapyfund

Latinx Therapy- https://latinxtherapy.com/

Brother Be Well- https://brotherbewell.com/

Therapy for Black Girls- https://therapyforblackgirls.com

Indigenous-https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Indigenous

Asians for Mental Health- https://asiansformentalhealth.com

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.

After a year and a half hiatus, Alethea and Matthew are back behind the mics and more ready than ever for Season 2. In this episode, they talk about the myriad of feelings they have with the new season finally launching along with their hopes and dreams for what this season will be. While briefly acknowledging the unexpected break, they will dive more into the reasons why in the next episode.

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 season finale is a sweet celebration between our hosts as they reflect on what this experience has meant to them thus far. It has served as a steady lifeline for us all in the midst of the challenging last year. It has also been a warm welcome to the journey that they are on individually and collectively as they show up week after week bringing their full authentic selves to the conversation. 

In efforts to be good stewards of what God entrusted us with, we will continue to create a space for people of color to be known and seen, and guidance for those in the pursuit of justice. We look ahead expectantly to how we will be stretched, challenged and spurred on right alongside you in Season 2!

Host: Alethea Lamberson & Matthew Melendrez

Guests: Emma Tautolo, Sandra Van Opstal, Tyler Burns

Guest IG: @etautolo @sandravanopstal @burnsclan_

Producer: Caleb Dea

Social Media & Marketing: Jazzlyn Venkataya

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