State of Inclusion

While most of our podcast episodes are about looking out at other communities to learn and find inspiration, this episode is all about encouraging you to really notice what is happening right in your own backyard. We encourage you to take a Power Walk through your community and also to follow the money. As an example, I share a local project where, along with some good friends, we took our own Power Walk through our county's budget. Much of this episode is also a repost of an interview originally aired on the Simple Civics Greenville podcast.

In this episode, we pause to express gratitude and reflect on the lessons learned through nearly a year of intentional engagement on immigration justice, in partnership with Village Engage and the Greenville Immigration and Faith Coalition. Listen in as our team explains how this journey has changed us and check out some of the photos from moments of community engagement.

In this episode, with the help of our guest Russell Stall, we will look back at the contributions past immigrants have made to Greenville, S.C. In doing so, we will draw from the lessons of our community's immigrant past to help inform our future. Welcome to this very special series, New Roots, New Voices: Listening to Our Immigrant Neighbors, where we will listen to and lift up the voices and stories of local immigrants here in Greenville, South Carolina.

Sometimes it takes someone new, coming from outside the community, to hold a mirror up, allowing us to see our community more honestly and realistically. In this episode, we will meet Chong Song, who came to the U.S. to marry a soldier. Following her husband’s military career, she has lived in many places across our country and beyond. In this episode, Chong shares a little of her life story, including her immigration journey, as well as her honest and direct take on Greenville. Welcome to this very special series, New Roots, New Voices: Listening to Our Immigrant Neighbors, where we will listen to and lift up the voices and stories of local immigrants here in Greenville, South Carolina.

In this episode, we'll meet Maria Beltran, an immigrant from Ecuador, and a paralegal who works every day on behalf of local immigrants. You'll quickly realize, as I did, that Maria is a force, a person who gets things done, someone anyone would be happy to have by their side. Welcome to this very special series, New Roots, New Voices: Listening to Our Immigrant Neighbors, where we will listen to and lift up the voices and stories of local immigrants here in Greenville, South Carolina.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing four Afghan youth. In their voices we hear the beautiful energy and resilience of the young, even ones who have left so much behind. We will learn a little about their journey and the dreams they have for their future. Welcome to this very special series, New Roots, New Voices: Listening to Our Immigrant Neighbors. where we will listen to and lift up the voices and stories of local immigrants here in Greenville South Carolina.

This week, we'll hear three different voices from my home state of South Carolina. Listen in as we hear from Laura Hornby with Welcome English Language Learners of Greenville and Interface Ministries, Matt Rollins of First Baptist Greenville, and Dulce López from the South Carolina ACLU. Each of these individuals personally lives out their commitment to loving their immigrant neighbors, providing pathways and opportunities for others to join them and act as well.

In this episode, I'll take you along with me on some of my local journeys as others and I work to build a more inclusive and equitable community right where we live. This is the first in a series of episodes where we explore what it means to practice Self Work and GroundWork on the issue of immigration justice. At a time when our nation feels so divided on this issue, you'll hear how a small group of community members is working to make a difference by starting "close in."

In this episode, we'll dig into the idea of civic health--what it is, how you can measure it, and what North Carolina has learned from measuring their state's civic health. Along the way, we'll also discover an approach to create a breakthrough on issues that divide us by using a tool called deliberative dialog, and we'll learn how North Carolina is developing their next generation of citizens and civic leaders.

In November, Emma Winiski and I led a breakout session at the Government Alliance on Race and Equity annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Our Session was titled Building for All: Connecting Inclusive Practices to Improve the Built Environment and Beyond. In this episode, you'll hear an overview of our Six Practices for Building a More Inclusive Community, and Emma will share how Oklahoma City applies Inclusive Practices to its built environment. If you link to the detailed show notes, there is also a video version of our presentation that includes the slides.

Have you wondered how we can create a local economy that works for everyone? I believe it happens when we make different choices. Different choices in how we show up in our communities, in how and where we shop, what we buy, what we build, and how we invest. This episode is about someone who decided to show up and make a difference in their community by choosing to put their time and money where their heart is and creating a way for others to join them in that work. Note: This interview was previously published on Next Economy Now.

How can we co-create a more just, compassionate, vibrant, and inclusive economy? In this interview, Judy Wicks shares how the Circle of Aunts and Uncles in Philadelphia does just that as they invest in and support local entrepreneurs. In our discussion, Judy goes even further to help us understand how supporting local businesses can build a more sustainable future for our community.