The Liturgists Podcast

An American writer, feminist, womanist, librarian, and civil rights activist. As a poet, she is best known for technical mastery and emotional expression, as well as her poems that express anger and outrage at civil and social injustices she observed throughout her life. Her poems, and prose largely deal with civil rights, feminism, lesbianism, illness, disability, and the exploration of black female identity. Let's talk about Audre Lorde. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.

An African-American professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist. Born as Cassius Marcellus Clay, he changed his name in the early sixties after converting to Islam. He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston at a major upset in 1964 at age 22. He later refused to be drafted into the military during the Vietnam War, and was then arrested, found guilty of draft evasion, and stripped of his boxing titles. The ruling was later overruled during an appeal to the Supreme Court. His actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counter culture generation and the civil rights movement. Sports Illustrated has called him the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time and the greatest athlete of the 20th century. He also received two Grammy nominations. Let's talk about Muhammad Ali. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.

An American theologian. Best known for his black theology and black liberation theology. His 1969 book Black Theology and Black Power provided a new way to comprehensively define the distinctiveness of theology in the black church. His message was that black power — defined as black people asserting the humanity that white supremacy denied — was the gospel in America. He argued that Jesus came to liberate the oppressed, and that white, American churches preached the gospel according to white supremacy. Let's talk about James Cone. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.

An American activist and revolutionary socialist. He rose quickly in the Black Panthers based on his organizing skills, substantial oratorical gifts, and personal charisma. He took chairmanship of the Illinois state Black Panther Party after the party split. Because of his strong leadership, in 1967 the FBI identified him as a radical threat and began to subvert his activities in Chicago. In December of 1969, he was shot and killed in his bed during a pre-dawn raid of his apartment by Cook County State Attorney's office in conjunction with the the Chicago Police Department and the FBI. At the time, the homicide was considered justified, but in 1982, a settlement of $1.85 million was paid to 9 plaintiffs after a civil lawsuit was brought against the three law enforcement organizations responsible for his death. Scholars now widely consider Hampton's death an assassination initiated under the FBI. Let's talk about Fred Hampton & The Black Panthers. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.

Scapegoating is a common human response to difficult situations. We have a tendency to point to another group of people as the source of our world's woes. But is the solution simply saying "they" are the problem? What happens when "they" scapegoat "us" in response? In this episode, Peter Rollins and Michael Gungor talk about how we can engage in productive conflict in a world where technological advancements have only highlighted how much we disagree, and how we can see ourselves through other people's eyes to overcome social challenges together. Peter Rollins is a philosopher, storyteller, producer, public speaker, and author of numerous books, including Insurrection, The Idolatry of God, and The Divine Magician.  Peter earned his PhD in Post-Structural Thought from Queens University. You are not alone! You can join us each Sunday to talk with other liturgists around the world and meet in small groups. It is one of the most meaningful things we do. To find out more, visit theliturgists.com and look for the "Join The Liturgists" button.

An American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights advocate. She published seven autobiographies, many books of essays, many books of poetry, and is credited with plays, movies, and television shows. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. In 1969, her first autobiography "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" brought her into national recognition. She worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Let's talk about Maya Angelou. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.

An American novelist, playwright, and activist. His essays explore intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in western societies. He frequently appeared on television and delivered speeches on college campuses. His church experience significantly shaped his worldview and his writing. He accused American Christianity of reinforcing the system of American slavery by lessening the pains of oppression and delaying salvation until a promised afterlife. Let's talk about James Baldwin. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.

An American actor, famous for his roles throughout the 50s and 60s. In 1958, he received the nomination for best actor for his role in "The Defiant Ones" which was the first time a black actor had received such a nomination. In 1964, he won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for best actor for his role in "Lillies of the Field." In 1967 he performed in several break out films like "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "In the Heat of the Night," and "To Sir, with Love." In 1974, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and in 2009 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Let's talk about Sidney Poitier. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.

An American, Muslim minister and human rights activist. Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. He was sent to prison for 10 years in 1946 for larceny and breaking and entering. In prison, he joined the Nation of Islam and adopted the name "Malcolm X" because "Little" was the name of the white slave master. After being paroled, he became one of the most influential leaders in the Nation of Islam. He advocated black empowerment, the separation of black and white Americans, and rejected the civil rights movement for its emphasis racial integration. Later in his life, he regretted some of his work with the Nation of Islam and after a personal hajj — an islamic pilgrimage — began to advocate racial integration. He was assassinated in 1965 by three members of the Nation of Islam. Let's talk about Malcolm X. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.

An American lawyer who served as associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. He was the Supreme Court's first African-American justice. Before joining the court, Marshall successfully argued several cases before the Supreme Court including Brown v. Board of Education. In 1987, Marshall gave a controversial speech stating "The government [the Founding Fathers] devised was defective from the start. Requiring several amendments, a civil war, and major social transformations to attain the system of Constitutional government and its respect for the freedoms and individual rights we hold as fundamental today..." Let's talk about Thurgood Marshall. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.