Stony Road

This episode examines the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk through the lens of equity, diversity and inclusion. Whatever his legacy may be, we denounce political violence and his murder earlier this month. We explore how communities committed to equity and inclusion may respond to this tragedy even when his views may have challenged those very principles.  

In this episode, we were joined by three Racial Healing Ambassadors, Soyini Verrett, Deirdre Kennedy & the Rev. Kelly Perotti who reflected on their experiences after recently visiting the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Our guests along with our producer, Ms. Shemara Fontes and Rev. Bushey spent the day in Memphis recently visiting the museum, the remains of Clayborn Templ...

In this episode we talk about the rise of Christian Nationalism as a war on inclusion in America.   Healing Illinois Grant We receieved a Healing IL Grant through the Field Foundation for 2025. Healing Illinois is a statewi Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

In this episode, we continue our conversation about the pattern of White Male Supremacy aka “the Patriarchy” or "the empire" that has impacted Black Indigenous and People of Color, women and LGBTQ+ folks and continues to inform the conversations we are currently having about diversity, equity and inclusion in the United States of America.  Rev. Bushey and Dr Swilley are joined by the Rev...

In this episode, we are talking about the pattern of White Male Supremacy aka “the Patriarchy” or "the empire" that has impacted Black Indigenous and People of Color, women and LGBTQ+ folks and continues to inform the conversations we are currently having about diversity, equity and inclusion in the United States of America.  Rev. Bushey and Dr Swilley are joined by the Rev. Dr. Beverly...

In this episode, Dr. Swilley and Rev Bushey explore Culturally Responsive Teaching, the other CRT, with some insight from Dr. Swilley's recent dissertation on CRT. As schools navigate the new anti-DEI initiatives in American government, we discuss where and how CRT fits into the goals of our education system today.

In this episode, Dr Swilley and Rev Bushey discuss the four levels of racism (personal, interpersonal, institutional and structural) and how broken systems perpetuate systemic racism in our culture today. Retelling an old fable about a town with a bad curve in the road and our personal experiences with racoons, we talk about the role of fear holds us back from dismantling structural racism in Amer...

In this episode, Dr. Swilley and Rev. Bushey have a follow up conversation to Episode 7 about the intersections of racism and indigenous peoples. Often forgotten in conversations about race, indigenous persons have been dishonored and oppressed by white supremacy even as the first resisters in America.  Healing Illinois Grant We receieved a Healing IL Grant through the Field Foundation for 2025. H...

In November 2024, we were joined by the Rev. Dr. Lisa Barnett, Assistant Professor of American Religious History at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, OK. Our conversation explored the impact of settler colonialism on Native Americans, connecting with the lived experiences of American Indian people today, and how we honor the history of indigenous people and move forward together.   Our Guest...

In this episode we explore the value of being culturally competent and sensitive at this moment in history. Our guest, Dr. Cynthia Taylor shares her experience working with the Cultural Competency Work Group of a local nonprofit, Project SUN of Kankakee County. Dr Taylor is the Director of Multi-Ethnic Student Services at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois and is a professional me...

In this episode we will be exploring the historical patterns of trauma on black bodies and white body supremacy in America. Black bodies have been labeled and treated differently from white bodies by everything from medicine to education, entertainment, civil and criminal law, and law enforcement throughout America’s history. This episode was Inspired in part by two books, Between the World and Me...

In this episode we hope to model a racial healing conversation as we explore our own stories of racial identity and reconciliation. 

In this conversation Shannon Swilley & Robert Bushey survey the landscape of segregation in the 20th century and discover how those patterns of division, specifically in housing and education, inform our conversations on racial equity today.

In this conversation we will examine how the progress and demise of reconstruction erected the foundation for segregation and racial hatred which continues to play out in our own backyards today. We discuss the historical roots of the Civil Rights Movement, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Black Lives Matter Movement.

In this conversation we explore the enduring impacts of racism and racial trauma upon our communities. We discuss the traumatic experiences of African-Americans from the Middle Passage to this current moment in history. We ask the question how does this history of trauma impact our conversations on race today.

Whenever we talk about racial identity,  Whiteness or even Blackness, we believe the conversation must be rooted in history.  In this conversation we will discover that racial identities were created to provide freedom to dehumanize those who did not look like Anglo Europeans. Our story is not a singular story of oppression, meaning it didn’t start with oppression.  Who were we before the Transatl...