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PODCAST

Social Justice Origin Stories

Relando Thompkins-Jones

Social Justice Origin Stories is a storytelling project that highlights personal stories and defining moments that have inspired individuals and organizations to labor for equity and social justice. Through truth-telling: the honest sharing of their experiences, storytellers teach us about themselves, enabling us to learn about ourselves and our world through their stories. By reconnecting with pivotal moments of activation in their lives, they invite us to do the same. At Social Justice Origin

society & culture self improvement

All Episodes

67:16

Thinking Beyond Direct Practice And The Clinical...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2026/04/15

Patrick Taylor, LCSW, US Air Force veteran and doctoral student in Social Work at USC, tells the story of how learning about the Grand Challenges for Social Work in his program and being surprised by how few Social Workers knew about them led him to recognize the experience as a systemic issue. Taylor's research led him to coin the phrase the Micro Pipeline in Social Work (MPISW), the systemic funneling of social workers into clinical roles at the expense of macro exposure, development, and support

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80:58

Boundless Awareness With Pooja Kothari

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2026/04/01

Pooja Kothari, Esq. begins her social justice origin story with memories of her father, who helped cultivate her abilities to think critically as a child, her early awareness of sexism in gender-segregated cultural spaces, and her later experiences with racism and internalizing shame as a cis, queer, first-generation Indian-American woman of color. Recalling her experiences as a former public defender with the Legal Aid Society Criminal Defense Practice in Brooklyn, NY, Pooja reflects on how she

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47:10

Scholarship as Resistance: Elevating The Stories Of...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2026/03/28

In this educational segment of Social Justice Origin Stories, Dr. Darryl B. Rice, Associate Professor of Management and Richard T. Farmer Associate Professor at Miami University, returns to discuss a recent article he and his team published on how authoritarian leadership harms Black employees in the workplace. Rice argues that, in the context of workplaces in the United States, authoritarianism is an extension of racial oppression rooted in slavery and Jim Crow, and their research shows it reduces

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48:06

Look For Hope Everywhere With William "Bill" Vanderwill

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2026/03/18

Reflecting on his 50-year career as a Social Worker, William "Bill" Vanderwill speaks on the importance of strengths-based practice, intergenerational communication, community organizing, and the grassroots power of everyday people taking actions for social justice. Listen in to hear insights from the man Relando affectionately calls "the Fred Rogers of Social Work." This episode includes: How mistakes can become valuable learning opportunities in social work and advocacy The importance of

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72:29

Recreating Home: Justice Over Everything with Byron...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2026/03/04

Dr. Byron Green-Calisch shares how he turned 14 years of higher education and leadership research into consulting, public media work, and activism in Florida. He shares how racialized campus crime alerts and gaps in leadership education shaped his scholarship and pushed him to claim roles as educator, activist, and healer, grounded in collective liberation and a desire to help the helpers. Byron also tells the origin story of the cookout moment that led him to co-found Justice Over Everything with

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69:29

Sankofa Bird: Affirming Blackness From The Start of...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2026/02/18

Drawing on her expertise in social work and education policy and her lived experience as a Black Biracial woman, Dr. Anissa L. Eddie shares how intentional racial socialization in the earliest years can disrupt anti-Blackness, foster radical self-love in Black children, counter the formation of harmful biases, and promote racial equity. Dr. Eddie also shares her personal “Sankofa Bird” journey: reclaiming what was missing in her own racial identity formation to empower future generations. Her

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28:36

Take This With You Vol. 3 | Social Justice Origin...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2026/02/04

This is Volume 3 of “Take This With You“, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. Storytelling is a gift, and in this series, storytellers reflect on what they hope stays with you after their episode ends. As you listen to their sharing, consider this moment as an invitation to reflect on your own journey.00:00 Introduction to 'Take This with You' 00:17 Shoutout to the Generalists 01:10 Understanding Racism, Sexism, and Cross-Training 03:46 Personal Stories and Struggles 08:27 The

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80:48

Black In The Stacks: Sharing Stories of Black...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2026/01/21

Marquita D. Gooch, MLIS, reflects on the pitfalls and power dynamics of representing a library system publicly, while being limited in her ability to speak freely without fear of retaliation. She talks about the freedom she’s found to be more vocal since leaving traditional library work, and shares how her experiences became catalysts for creating Life After Libraries, her podcast and web series chronicling her journey beyond traditional libraries, and Black in the Stacks, her podcast highlighting

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59:23

In Community Vol. 1: The Voices of Social Justice...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/12/23

No one gets to where they are by themselves, and this project would not exist without the collective wisdom of the storytellers who’ve shared their stories with us.This is Volume 1 of “In Community”, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. This annual series brings together the voices of storytellers whose stories were published in a given year. To everyone who has listened, watched, shared the stories, reflected on your own, and returned for more storytelling, thank you. Many

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55:06

Kujo's Kid Zone: Connecting Roots, Bridging...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/12/10

Randy Quansah, creator of Kujo's Kid Zone, shares a memory of an early experience with racism at school that sparked his journey of self-discovery and awareness of African history and identity. What began as sharing the lessons he learned with his daughter expanded into considering other kids and their families, which then became the inspiration behind his educational show for children. Randy talks about his dedication to educating children about African history, challenging Eurocentric narratives,

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13:35

The Justice We Imagine Vol. 3 | Social Justice Origin...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/11/26

This is Volume 3 of The Justice We Imagine, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. This series focuses on storytellers' responses to three essential questions: When is true social justice possible? What shapes our approach to the work? And why does understanding and sharing our social justice origin stories matter? As you listen to their responses, reflect on what your answers might be. 00:00 Introduction to Social Justice Origin Stories 00:28 When is True Social Justice

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20:45

For Those Who'll Come After Vol. 2 | Social Justice...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/11/12

This is Volume 2 of “For Those Who’ll Come After“, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. In this series, storytellers reach across time, sharing messages and reflections for future generations, sharing what they want them to know, remember, and carry forward in the ongoing pursuit of social justice.00:00 Introduction: The Power of Stories 00:28 Messages for Future Generations 01:11 The Ongoing Fight for Social Justice 02:03 Acknowledging Our Roots and Resilience 02:57 Concerns and

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65:31

Humanizing Our Neurodivergence: Lessons of Love From...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/10/29

Sheldon Gay shares his journey of late identification as gifted and neurodivergent, which fostered his commitment to humanizing Black, gifted, and otherwise neurodivergent experiences to promote acceptance and self-love. Through his podcast 'I Must Be Bug'N,' Sheldon aims to dismantle the pathology associated with labels and celebrate the strengths and challenges, what he terms “the 'cape and the kryptonite” of neurodivergent people. Sheldon advocates for narrative change and more compassionate

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75:16

A More HUMAN Approach to Truth-Telling & Building...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/10/15

Tracie Jae, human culture strategist and educator describes how her family both shielded her from, and prepared her to engage with racial injustice, and shares about the breadcrumbs that helped her to learn that racism shouldn’t be normal. She tells the story of the birth of her identity as The Quiet Rebel, and breaks down her more HUMAN (Honest, Urgent, Meaningful, Accountable, Nuanced) approach to equity conversations and explains why real social change starts with addressing harm, embracing

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75:51

Jim Crow 2.0: How Anti-DEI Laws Are Rooted In...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/10/01

In this educational segment of Social Justice Origin Stories, Dr. Darryl B. Rice, Associate Professor of Management and Richard T. Farmer Associate Professor at Miami University, shares the research findings he and co-authors Dr. Tsedale Melaku and Dr. Jennifer R. Bishop write about in their forthcoming article: Jim Crow 2.0: Understanding Present-Day Anti-DEI Laws as A Function of Cross Generation Transmission of Systemic Anti-Black Racism in the special issue of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

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18:27

For Those Who'll Come After Vol. 1 | Social Justice...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/09/17

This is Volume 1 of “For Those Who'll Come After“, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. In this series, storytellers reach across time, sharing messages and reflections for future generations, sharing what they want them to know, remember, and carry forward in the ongoing pursuit of social justice. 00:00 Introduction: The Power of Stories 00:28 Messages for Future Generations 01:31 Reflections on Perseverance 04:42 Balancing Joy and Struggle 06:02 Understanding Civics and

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58:12

Reimagining Leadership and Finding Our Role in The...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/09/03

Beca Velázquez-Publes, Founder, Coach & Consultant at The Liberated Leader, opens up about the lessons she learned early on from her parents that made working for social justice a part of her DNA. She talks about the evolving nature of purpose and how her work with the Urban Core Collective solidified her social justice journey, allowing her to build a space that resisted norms in the nonprofit space and push collective growth edges to test new ways of being for work and in community. Beca

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56:38

Exploring Identity and Mental Health Through Comics,...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/08/20

Quincy M. Simmons, a rising senior at SUNY New Paltz in Journalism, Film, Video, and Black Studies, shares what motivated him to use his love for comic books, manga, and anime to address social justice issues through his podcast, 'The Masks We Wear. He talks about mental health, neurodiversity, and toxic masculinity, and how exploring comics as modern mythology can offer powerful reflections on today’s social and political climate. Quincy also talks about his journey with journalism, how he uses

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35:44

Take This With You Vol. 2 | Social Justice Origin...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/08/06

This is Volume 2 of “Take This With You“, a special series from Social Justice Origin Stories. Storytelling is a gift, and in this series, storytellers reflect on what they hope stays with you after their episode ends. As you listen to their sharing, consider this moment as an invitation to reflect on your own journey.00:00 Introduction to 'Take This with You' 00:17 Expressing Gratitude to Mentors and Loved Ones 01:47 The Importance of Representation in Education 02:40 Navigating DEI Work and

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69:59

Marching to the Beat of Your Own Drum: Finding Your...

Social Justice Origin Stories ·

2025/07/23

Chinyere Neale reflects on a time in her life when the frustration she often felt toward well-meaning but uninformed white people who considered themselves allies in racial justice work became a mirror for her own growth. After attending an LGBTQIA+ ally training at work one day, she came to a humbling realization that she also had the capacity to be well-meaning but uninformed in a different way. The experience expanded her understanding of privilege and oppression, and influenced her approach to

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51 results

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