Lisa Anderson is vice president of Intersectional Engagement at Auburn Theological Seminary, an initiative dedicated to equipping bold and resilient women faith leaders with the tools they need for a lifetime of prophetic social justice activism. Anderson is the founding director of the newest signature program of that initiative, The Sojourner Truth Leadership Circle, which aligns the creation of vibrant and sustainable models of activist leadership with an emphasis on self and community care as a defining and galvanizing mandate for social justice in the 21st century. In addition, Anderson works with Auburn’s education team on issues of intersectional organizing, bridging the divide between theology and activism, and on deepening the spiritually grounding of leaders in a multifaith movement for justice via the creation and curation of worship and liturgical resources.
In this week's episode of Fortification, Caitlin is joined by Gabriel Foster. Foster is the first director of the Trans Justice Funding Project (TJFP). He previously worked in Seattle, WA with the Northwest Network of bisexual, trans, lesbian & gay survivors of abuse helping to create their youth programming. Before arriving in New York, he worked at SPARK Reproductive Justice Now with LGBTQ youth of color and allies in Atlanta, GA; the Leeway Foundation, supporting women and trans people creating art and social change in Philadelphia, PA and provided outreach for the Johnathan Lax Fund at the Bread and Roses foundation in Philadelphia, PA.
In Episode 7 of Fortification, Caitlin is joined by Alfredo Gutierrez, a former Arizona State Senate majority and minority leader. Mr. Gutierrez served for 14 years in the legislature and is an outspoken advocate for immigration reform and public schools. His first book, To Sin Against Hope: How America Has Failed Its Immigrants; a Personal History was published in 2013.
In Episode 6 of Fortification, Caitlin talked with Rev. Meg Riley. Meg is currently the Senior Minister at the Church of the Larger Fellowship. Before coming to CLF, Meg served the Unitarian Universalist Association in a variety of positions including directing the Advocacy and Witness Programs, Washington Office for Advocacy, Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender Concerns, and Youth Office. She also was the first Director of Side with Love.
Caitlin is joined by Cara Page, a Black queer feminist cultural worker & organizer, in this week's episode of Fortification. Cara is currently the Executive Director of the Audre Lorde Project. She is also co-founder and former Coordinator of the Kindred Collective; a southeastern network of healers, health practitioners and organizers seeking ways to respond to and intervene on state violence & generational trauma.
In episode 4 of Fortification, Caitlin is joined by Mab Segrest. Segrest is an feminist activist, writer, and the Fuller-Matthai Professor Emeritus of Gender & Women's Studies at Connecticut College. In her book, Memoir of a Race Traitor, Segrest explores her experience as a white lesbian organizing against a virulent Far Right movement in North Carolina against a backdrop of nine generations of her family's history.
In episode 3 of Fortification, Caitlin is joined by Reina Gossett. Gossett is an activist, writer, and filmmaker. Along with Sasha Wortzel, Reina wrote, directed and produced Happy Birthday, Marsha! a short film about legendary trans activist Marsha P Johnson. She is co-editor of the forthcoming New Museum anthology on trans art and cultural production to be published by MIT Press in 2017.
In the second episode of Fortification, Caitlin chats with Dove Kent. Kent is the Executive Director of Jews for Racial & Economic Justice in New York City. She has over a decade of experience in issue-based, identity-based, and neighborhood-based organizing in Boston, St. Louis, and New York in the fields of affordable housing, immigrant rights, police accountability, restorative justice, religious freedom, and community arts.
In the first episode of Fortification, Caitlin sits down with Lena K. Gardner and Rev. Osagyefo Sekou. Gardner is a lead organizer of Black Lives Matter Minneapolis and member of the organizing collective for Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism and Rev. Sekou is an active racial justice advocate and on Jan. 31st, 2016, he and the band he co-leads, Rev. Sekou & the Holy Ghost released their debut album, “The Revolution Has Come.”
This Fall we are thrilled to bring you fortification: a podcast about the spiritual lives and spiritual sustenance of leaders in social justice movements. During one-on-one conversations between Caitlin Breedlove, Campaign Director of Standing on the Side of Love, and movement leaders and activists, we’ll be grappling with and answering these questions. Check out the introductory teaser