Well, That Went Sideways!

In this episode, we talk with Marchell Taylor about his journey through childhood trauma, an undiagnosed brain injury, and incarceration. His story highlights the need for proper diagnosis and treatment for individuals in the criminal justice system. It's a need Marchell Taylor responded to himself by developing programs for inmates and by his work as a screener for TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury, and as a peer specialist for WellPower, a mental health services provider in the Denver, Colorado area.

In this episode, we talk with Natalie Thoreson about centering love in the work of social justice and conflict resolution. They're a consultant and facilitator who works with individuals and organizations to bring about positive social change through love, compassion, and community. We spoke with Natalie Thoreson at the 2023 White Privilege Conference.

In this episode, we talk with Natarsha Prince Sanders about racial justice and spiritual development. She's a speaker, teacher, and community pastor, as well as a doctoral student at Columbia Theological Seminary.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Shemariah Arki about building community and promoting institutional equity in education. She is an educator, an activist, an organizer. She currently serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Africana Studies as well as the director of the Center for Pan African Culture, both at Kent State University in Ohio. Dr. Arki is also the founder and program director of the Ellipsis Institute for Women of Color in the Academy. We spoke with her at the 2023 White Privilege Conference in Mesa, Arizona.

In this episode, we talk with Curtis Acosta about conflicts over ethnic studies and about humanizing education. He taught high school for over 20 years in Tucson, Arizona, and developed a groundbreaking Mexican-American studies program. The state of Arizona banned that program in 2010, despite several years of positive academic outcomes. The ban was later ruled unconstitutional. Curtis Acosta currently works as an educational consultant and teaches at the University of Arizona. We spoke with him at the 2023 White Privilege Conference in Mesa, Arizona.

In this episode, we talk with Aaron Stark about his journey from an abusive childhood to almost carrying out a mass shooting, and then becoming an advocate for mental health services and gun control. His TED talk, entitled, I Was Almost a School Shooter, has over 14 million views.

On this episode, we talk with Erin Breeze about navigating conflict in divorce and transforming the way we look at divorce. She is a life after divorce strategist who works primarily with mothers through her program, Happy Home.

On this episode, we talk with Lisa Forbes about how she draws on her personal experience with trauma and incarceration to advocate for others who are struggling to re-enter society as restored citizens. And she also describes a simple technique called Tapping that has helped her deal with the emotional and physical effects of trauma. Lisa Forbes is an author and keynote speaker. Her book is titled, I Can Take it From Here: A Memoir of Trauma, Prison, and Self-Empowerment.