Let's Give A Damn

Munther Isaac is a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian. He now pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College, and is the director of the highly acclaimed and influential Christ at the Checkpoint conferences.  He speaks locally and internationally and has published numerous artic...

Jess Natale is the creator of the Instagram account @so.informed. Her background is in marketing, journalism, political volunteering, and activism. She’s dedicated the So page to educating millions of people around the world on topics ranging from politics and reproductive rights to criminal justice reform and more. She is actively involved in political protests and organizing, focusing on efforts...

It’s Daniel Maté & Aaron Maté day on the podcast! Let’s get this out of the way — yes, they are the sons of Dr. Gabor Maté .  Daniel is a composer, lyricist, and playwright for musical theatre . He is also a mental chiropractor. And he is one of the hosts of Bad Hasbara - The World’s Most Moral Podcast . Lastly, he coauthored a book with his dad called The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and...

It’s Lily Greenberg Call day on the podcast! Remember a couple of months ago when we heard on social media that a Biden appointee had resigned over his atrocious handling of and his complicity in the genocide in Gaza? Lily is *that* staffer! Lily is a former Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the Department of Interior. She has nearly a decade of experience in politics, movement organizing...

Genesis Be, a dynamic artist and activist, harnesses the power of music to amplify marginalized voices and advocate for social change. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, her music blends elements of hip-hop, soul, and spoken word, creating a powerful platform for storytelling and empowerment.  With lyrics that confront systemic oppression and celebrate resilience, Be's artistry transcends entertainment,...

Born and raised in the Bronx, Joél Leon is a performer, author, storyteller, and damn-giver extraordinaire.  “Joél’s words are where I go when I need some inspiration. And he never lets me down.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda “In each generation, there are only a few authors who are gifted with the ability to fully capture the best parts of the human condition. Joél is one of those authors.” — Frederick Jo...

It’s been a few weeks but we’re back! My guest this week is the brilliant Katie Bogen. In her own words , Katie is a clinical psychology PhD student, a trauma therapist, a sex researcher, a rad Jewess, a queer activist, and a cottagecore rabble-rouser. Katie is truly a wonderful soul. Over the past few months, ever since this horrific genocide began, she has been one of the most helpful voices on...

I know it’s a bit late—hello 2024!—but I wanted you to experience some of my favorite moments and some of your favorite moments in 2023. I spoke with some incredible folks last year and I learned so much from them. Here’s to many more incredible conversations in 2024! If you want to skip around this episode, here are the timestamps for each highlight: Simran Jeet Singh - 8:07  Rachelle Lefevre - 1...

Noor Tagouri’s name literally  means “Guiding Light.” And a guiding light she is! Noor is back for a second time. Her first appearance was for episode 19 of the podcast in the summer of 2017!  At 29, Noor is an award-winning journalist and producer, a touring speaker for over 15 years, and has told stories in every medium from radio and print, to documentaries and brand campaigns. In 2019 Noor fou...

Meike Ziervogel is a German-British novelist with five novels to her name. She is the founder of an award-winning publishing company in the UK and a fluent Arabic speaker. Since 2018 she has lived in Lebanon. From 2018 to 2019 she transformed a failing needle art workshop in the Shatila refugee camp into a sustainable independent business, providing a monthly income to 100 refugee women. In Januar...

My guest this week is my friend and incredible human, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis. Jacqui is an author, activist, preacher, and public theologian toward creating an antiracist, just, gun violence free, fully welcoming, gender affirming society in which everyone has enough. Read the rest of her bio here .  Watch or listen to Jacqui’s Listen, Learn, Lean Into Peace series. Learn more about Freedom Rising...

My guest this week is the esteemed Tim Wise. Tim is among the most prominent anti-racist educators and authors in the United States. He has spoken to audiences in all 50 states and internationally about systemic racism, inequality, and methods for dismantling racism in institutions from workplaces to schools to law enforcement.  He is the author of nine books including his most recent essay collec...

My guests this week are two truly remarkable women. I met Sophia and Patricia at the Clinton Global Initiative 2023 meetings a few weeks ago.  Read more about Sophia Kianni’s work here . Follow her on Instagram and Twitter . And make sure to check out Climate Cardinals!  Follow Patricia Velásquez on Twitter and Instagram . Consider getting involved with the Wayuu Taya Foundation . --- 📱 Follow Le...

“All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild.” — John Muir Barbara Jo Jenkins co-authored The Walk West (William Morrow), which became an international bestseller and part of the permanent White House Library. A nonfiction blockbuster, it sold 15 million copies, became a Reader's Digest condensed book, and was chosen as one of the most influential bestsellers related to American...

From their website : “Rise & Shine TN believes every Tennessean should enjoy a free, safe, and vibrant life. Rise & Shine was started as a home for those who want to harness their hope, anger, sadness and fear and use it to build change. This is more than meetings with legislators who won’t hear us. This is more than calls that won’t be answered. This is more than business-as-usual. We dra...

Flamy Grant is a shame-slaying, hip-swaying, singing-songwriting drag queen from western North Carolina. Her 2022 debut record, Bible Belt Baby , was nominated for Best Pop Album at the San Diego Music Awards, and she is a winner of the 2023 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition. Both a powerhouse vocalist and an intrepid songwriter, Flamy blends the art of drag with her iconic folk/rock so...

I met my Natalia Antelava about a month ago in Tbilisi, Georgia, at the storytelling festival she co-founded that I spoke at. At this festival, I spoke alongside Sean Penn , Armando Iannucci , Aaron Rasmussen , Joe Sabia , Sarah Natochenny , and 70 others. I was impressed by her then and I am much more impressed with her now! She’s an incredible human that has gone through so much, been to so many...

It's Megha Desai Day is on the podcast! Megha is a corporate advertising powerhouse turned President of The Desai Foundation . After years working at some of the top advertising agencies—like BBH, Anomaly, and Wieden & Kennedy—Megha decided to join her family's foundation to help them grow and increase their reach in meaningful ways. The Desai Foundation is an organization that empowers women...

If you don’t already know who Matt Bernstein is, where the hell have you been? Living under a rock somewhere? Matt is a content creator, a makeup artist, and a self-described “queer jew with very long nails.” Matt uses a simple and unique design style to create infographics and other images that are meant to raise awareness around LGTBQ+ issues, antisemitism, bigotry, and so much more. Matt is als...

I don’t need to tell you about Rainn Wilson. You know about Rainn Wilson. He’s one of the best fucking humans out there. I’m so glad he’s a friend of mine and a friend of the show. His words and wisdom are needed so badly right now and I’m pumped that we get to hear from him again right here on the podcast. Soul Boom! Spirituality! Happiness! And so much more! NEXT STEPS: — Follow Rainn on  Instag...

Benjamin Perry is a minister at Middle Church and an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in outlets like The Washington Post, Slate, Sojourners, and Bustle. With a degree in psychology from SUNY Geneseo and an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary, Perry has worked as an organizer with the New York chapter of the Poor People’s Campaign and as an editor at Time, Inc. Perry has appeared on M...

During this Black History Month, we’re bringing you some snippets from conversations we have had over the past few years with incredible Black writers, speakers, professors, preachers, actors, and artists. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” — Barack Obama After you listen to the incredi...

Simran Jeet Singh, Ph. D., is the Executive Director of the Religion & Society Program at the Aspen Institute and the author of the national bestseller The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life. Simran's thought leadership on bias, empathy, and justice extends across corporate, university, and government settings. He is an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity with Columbia Univer...

Welcome to the first episode of 2023! We have an incredible year ahead for you. We're just getting started! This week's guest is the incredible Nazazin Ash . Nazanin is the CEO of Welcome. US —a new national initiative built to inspire, mobilize, and empower Americans from all corners of the country to welcome and support those seeking refuge here. This organization is led by a truly incredible te...

I can’t believe this is the last episode of the year! We hope you’ll stick around and get more involved in what we're doing and building here at Let’s Give A Damn in 2023. We have so much that we’re planning on rolling out next year. This Best of 2022 episode features clips from some of our favorite moments during our conversations with the following incredible guests in 2022: — Episode 219 with J...