On this episode of #WeNeedToTalk Malynda welcome Senior Pastor of Middle Church New York, Reverend Dr. Jacqui Lewis.   

They talk about her journey in affirming ministry, current struggles within the Christian faith,  reconciling with racism and white supremacy within the church being in an interracial relationship, and her new book Fierce love.

A powerful conversation that must be heard!

Rev. Jacqui Lewis, Ph.D. uses her gifts as author, activist, preacher, public theologian toward creating an antiracist, just, fully welcoming society in which everyone has enough. After graduating with an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1992, Jacqui fell in love with urban ministry, leading two churches in Trenton, New Jersey. Fascinated with how faith heals the soul—so we can heal the world—she returned to graduate school, for a Ph.D. in Psychology and Religion from Drew University (2004). Jacqui came to study Middle Church, received a call, and joined the staff in January 2004. Middle is the church of her dreams and prayers, a multiethnic rainbow coalition of love, justice, and worship that rocks her soul.

In her activism, preaching, speaking, writing, and teaching, Dr. Lewis advocates for racial equality, gun control, economic justice, equal rights for all sexual orientations/genders and marriage equality. Because of her dynamic leadership, Middle Church was featured in a national broadcast on CBS. A Bold New Love: Christmas Eve with Middle Collegiate Church aired on December 24, 2018 to more than 1,000,000 viewers. Dr. Lewis has been on the The Today Show, All In with Chris Hayes, AM Joy, The Melissa Harris Perry Show, NY1, ABC, NBC, PBS, CBS and WPIX, where she recently covered the Brooklyn memorial for George Floyd. Dr. Lewis has been interviewed on Through Her Eyes at Yahoo News, 30 Good Minutes, Grit TV, the New York Daily News, Here and Now with Sandra Bookman, and appeared on the History Channel H2 series, The Bible Rules.

 

#WeNeedToTalk will Return on February 28th!

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Theme Song written and produced by Steven James

On this episode of #WeNeedToTalk, Malynda chats with Activist, Organizer and Public Speaker Martin Henson. They chat about societal views of the Black community, different forms of activism, his work bridging the gap with Black Men and the Trans Community, how white supremacy fuels all aspects of soceity, and why he started his foundation BMEN that focuses on healthy conversations with Black men surrounding mental health, mascunlitiy, sexuality, homophobia and more.

Martin has spent the last 10 years advocating for black lives and addressing the systemic issues that affect black and marginalized groups, through both conventional and unconventional avenues. He is an activist, organizer, and uses his training as a mental health counselor to add nuance to the way we support the livelihood of black people. Martin has engaged thousands of people around prison abolition, fighting white supremacy, and supporting black communities, through seminars, training and curriculum development, community events, rallies, and his work with the Black Lives Matter Boston chapter.

Martin is the Executive Director of BMEN Foundation, a nonprofit he started in 2018, because of his passions for building effective support systems for black men, community improvement, and activism. His nonprofit brings black men together to actively discuss and work through issues specific to black men, including but not limited to: mental health, healthy masculinity, identity, sexuality, homophobia and sexual assault.

Martin is also a restorative justice coach working with various schools in Boston. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, from the University of Central Arkansas.

On this episode of #WeNeedToTalk, Malynda chats with Pediatrician and Social Impact Entrepreneur Dr. Omolara. They chat about the lack of Black female medical professionals, racism in the medical industry, obstacles she's faced and what led her to create Melanin and Medicine.

 

Dr. Omolara Thomas Uwemedimo is a business development and funding coach for women of color in healthcare and serial entrepreneur, growing 2 companies to multi-six figures in revenue in less than 18 months. During her intrapreneurial career as a pediatrician for over 15 years, researcher & professor for over a decade, she secured $2 million in grant funding and has led inter-professional teams to build and scale healthcare delivery and research programs to achieve health equity for marginalized youth and families. Her work has been defined by a passion for social justice, serving as an advocate and working as a global physician across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

On Episode 4 of #WeNeedToTalk Malynda chats with Actor and Life Coach Eric Feltes. The two chat about spiritual growth, identity discovery, and how his experience with church trauma led him to create a safe space for other Gay men to free themselves and know that God loves them for who they are. Through creativity, courage and authenticity, Eric Feltes cultivates connection and tells stories in order to inspire others to love themselves and the world around them. In his professional life, he does this through acting and Life Coaching. Through his coaching program, Eric helps other gay men free themselves from Chursh shame, a topic in which he has a great deal of firsthand experience. Eric lives in Los Angeles with his dog Cadence and 20 houseplants. He enjoys hiking, reading, and writing. 

 

On Episode 3 of #WeNeedToTalk, Malyn da chats with Entreprenuer and Talent Manager, Temima Shames, The chat about the hardships of being a female entrepreneur, how her childhood gave her a strong work ethic, how its important to talk about the journey of getting to sucess and why she chose to start her own company. 

 

Temima is the CEO & Founder of Next Step Talent. She hopes to inspire other aspiring entrepreneurs to follow her lead and take a chance at any age. From a young age herself, Temima was engrained with an entrepreneurial mindset. Growing up in an unstable household, Temima began supporting herself at the age of 12 and quickly learned the value of hard work. She spent much of her youth as a child actress, which is where she initially got a glimpse into the ins-and-outs of a career as a talent manager.

On Episode 2 Malynda chats with former Windows on the World employee Inez Ribustello. They chat about her narrowly missing 9/11, how 20 years later she has managed to heal, and her new memoir Life after Windows that chronicles her life in  New York before, during and after 9/11.

Eastern North Carolina native, Inez Ribustello, got her start in the world of food and wine after moving to New York City to pursue a career in cooking.  Her wine career took a huge leap forward when she became an Assistant Cellar Master at the renowned World Trade Center restaurant Windows on the World. In a very short time, she was promoted to Beverage Director, putting her in the position as wine buyer for the largest grossing restaurant in North America.    The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 impacted her both personally and professionally.Having lost friends, colleagues, and her job in the attacks, she had to face her future.In September of 2021, Inez releases her self-published memoir Life After Windows, a book she has been working on for the past 20 years.  

 

#WeNeedToTalk is back for its 6th Season!

On the first episode of the season, Malynda chats with Broadway Veteran and Singer/Songwriter Terron Brooks. The two chat about what the new year means, how faith plays a part in his life as a performer, how he handles rejection, and why he's focusing on who he wants to be this year rather than what he wants to accomplish.

Terron Brooks has traveled many roads in his life and career. He welcomed 2021 by signing a deal with Mercia Records with distribution through SONY MUSIC/The Orchard Internationally. 

A native of Southern California, he’s had the pleasure of performing with many artists including Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, David Foster, Randy Jackson, Stephanie Mills, Peter Cetera, Lizz Wright, Yolanda Adams, Sheila E., and One Republic. 

He’s toured with the legendary Phil Collins and Golden Globe and Tony-nominated star Matthew Morrison. He also opened for The New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys’ tour. As a guest artist for the Atlanta, Colorado, and Taiwan Symphony Orchestras, he has delighted audiences with classic songs from Disney productions.

His Broadway credits include Simba in Disney’s The Lion King and Seaweed in Hairspray. He was also featured in the World Premieres of Sleepless in Seattle: The Musical and First Wives Club: The Musical. For his role as Daddy Brubeck in Sweet Charity, Terron earned an Ovation Award nomination.

No stranger to television, Terron is widely recognized for his critically acclaimed role as the great Eddie Kendricks in the Emmy Award-winning NBC mini-series The Temptations. He’s also starred in PureFlix’s hit feature HavFaith with Gary Sturgis and Brooklyn Tankard. Additionally, he’s sung on The Voice, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, American Idol, and on numerous soundtrack albums including the Grammy-winning Hairspray, Tears from the Sun, The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, and ABC’s Gepetto.

Not only did Terron star in the hit romantic comedy All About You with the legendary Debbie Allen and Hamilton star Renee Elise Goldsberry, he co-wrote its theme song and contributed original material to the movie’s soundtrack, produced by American Idol’s Rickey Minor.

With the innate need to give back, motivate, and guide, he released his first book, Something GoOD on the Table: Practical Proverbs for the Soul in 2018.

 

 

#WeNeedToTalk Returns on January 10th! Don't miss it!

Hosted by Malynda Hale

Theme song written & produced by Steven James

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and Stitcher!

On the final episode of #WeNeedToTalk-Faith & Politics, Malynda chats with her friend Author and Pastor John Pavlovitz. They discuss the current voice of Christianity, the lack of progressive Faith figures, how we can reclaim Christianity, and his new book If God is Love, Don't be a Jerk. 

John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. A 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. When not actively working for a more compassionate planet, John enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, cooking, and having time in nature. He is the author of A Bigger Table, Hope and Other Superpowers, Low, and Stuff That Needs to Be Said.