Shannon Polk, Executive Director of The Witness Foundation moved out of her role to take on a new assignment. She will transition into a new role as president and chief executive officer of Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Polk began her work at The Witness Foundation in October 2020 where during […]
Meet Natasha Robinson, who will be serving as Interim President of The Witness Foundation. You can learn more about The Witness Foundation and its work at www.thewitnessfoundation.co Natasha Sistrunk Robinson is the President of T3 Leadership Solutions, Inc. She is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (2002), former United States Marine Corps Captain, and former […]
In this episode, Tyler and Jemar are joined by artist, creative, and writer Sho Baraka! Sho just released He Saw That It Was Good, a collection of essays on the topics of work and creation. The conversation begins by discussing this book and how important it is for this moment. But…the dialogue took a turn. […]
Buckle up! We have the incredible Dr. Anthea Butler with us today to talk about her new book White Evangelical Racism. Dr. Butler joins Tyler and Jemar to talk about the importance of understanding social and political power, the popularity of a multi-ethnic approach to racial reconciliation, and so much more. This is not one […]
This Behind the Mic was too good not to share! Tyler and Jemar talk about the cost of reconstruction after #LeaveLOUD, give a candid look at our democracy, and costly soul care in this moment. In 2018, the New York Times published an article tiled: A Quiet Exodus: Why Black Worshipers Are Leaving White Evangelical […]
Today we have a special interview for you! Our host Tyler Burns recently interviewed Danielle Coke, also known as @ohhappydani, to talk about creative anti-racism in a world of injustice. In the conversation, they talked about her journey, her own #LeaveLOUD story, and how disruptive creativity can enhance the cause of anti-racism. Be sure to […]
Jemar is BACK! Returning from his brief hiatus, Jemar and Tyler give you the official explainer of what #LeaveLOUD really is and who it is for. We know you have questions, so we’re taking time to answer as many as we can. We answer the questions: -Are we saying all Black people HAVE to leave? […]
This past week, the world paused and held its collective breath, waiting for the verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial. Almost a year after Chauvin placed his knee on George Floyd’s neck, and killed him for all the world to see, his verdict was read. Is this justice? Will this lead to lasting change? Is […]
Family, sometimes you have to throw out the script! That’s what PTM host Tyler Burns and Witness VP Ally Henny did during their latest Behind the Mic on IG Live. What was originally an episode recapping the second part of Tyler’s Leave LOUD episode turned into an unscripted convo about Black freedom in white […]
This conversation is like water for the soul, fam. Today’s episode features the incredible Cole Riley, the creator and writer of Black Liturgies— a project seeking to integrate the truths of Black dignity, lament, rage, justice, and rest into written prayers. Black Liturgies creates a space of sacred welcome. A space of dignity, lament, truth-telling, […]
Leave LOUD: Tyler Burns with Greg Burns This is a deep cut, y’all. A few weeks ago, you heard Tyler Burns tell his own #LeaveLoud story, but we couldn’t leave it there. As always, there’s more to the story. Tyler invites his father, Greg Burns, onto the podcast to discuss being converted and trained in […]
Another one…After Jemar Tisby’s courageous #LeaveLOUD story last week, Tyler Burns is up next to share his own journey. How do you overcome years of Christian Education that makes you question your Black identity? What can our lives look like when we embrace a vision for what it means to be Christ-following and Black-centered? For […]
Whew! Listen, family…this is the one. 10 years ago, Jemar Tisby founded this organization with the hope of achieving racial reconciliation in white evangelical spaces. Eventually, after a barrage of attacks, smears, and racial trauma, the organization changed its name, and Jemar left the place that he thought was his home. What happened? What changed? […]
We’re back with another episode! Tyler has a conversation with Witness BCC Vice President and Coming The Roots podcast host Ally Henny about their shared Pentecostal roots. What can we learn from our spiritual heritage? What may be missing underneath the surface that others cannot see? How can we use what we have experienced to […]
Welp…Black History Month is wildin once again…As much as we try to stay away from talking about every instance of racism, we couldn’t let this one slide. A few days ago, a viciously racist letter that was sent Pastor Dwight McKissic became public. Shortly after it was shared for the world to see, the letter […]
As we begin Black History Month, we are releasing a special interview about our willingness to be ourselves regardless of what society says. Our guest today is writer, activist, and speaker A.D. Thomason. A.D. is on to speak about his new book Permission to Be Black. AD is a three time award winning filmmaker and […]
Happy MLK Day! In honor of the famed civil rights icon who is often whitewashed, often sanitized, often vilified; we have a special treat for you. On April 16, 1963, Dr. King wrote a lengthy letter to a coalition of white clergymen from a narrow jail cell in Birmingham, after being arrested by the police […]
We started the Cultural Artifacts episodes in 2015 because we wanted to encompass the awesome things — books, albums, podcasts, sermons, people, events, movies, TV shows, and so on — that we’ve consumed in a given year. (Here’s the kicker: it doesn’t have to come out in the given year. It just has to be consumed in the given year.
After the chaos of 2020, we all have been looking forward to 2021…welp…
We asked for your reflections on the insurrection at the Capitol. Here’s what some of our readers had to say.
