In episode 6, Drs. Brandy Liebscher and Danielle Beck talk with Stephen Lennstrom about his commitment to anti-racism and racial reconciliation as a pastor and theologian. Stephen shares personal stories and insights as a white man and Christian seeking to find his place in the transformative and liberating work of racial justice.
At the beginning of this episode, Brandy and Danielle also tackle the question, “Is Facing Ourselves a Christian podcast?” **Spoiler alert** Yes and no.
In this episode, Stephen references Howard Thurman’s seminal book, Jesus of the Disinherited, which you can learn more about here.
In episode 5, co-host Brandy Liebscher sits down with her dad, Larry Liebscher, a retired police officer, to talk about police brutality. Their conversation was recorded following the deaths of Philando Castile (St. Paul, Minn.) and Alton Sterling (Baton Rouge) who were shot and killed by police July 2016. Brandy and her father attended a community rally in response to these shootings, in solidarity with the African American community, which Larry wrote about in a blog entitled, "A Retired Cop Reflects on This Week's Tragedies" (which you can read here). In this episode, Brandy talks about being the daughter of a police officer as well as a strong proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement; and her dad reflects on his commitment to law enforcement, while also troubled by recent police shootings.
Also be sure to check out Michelle Alexander's seminal work, The New Jim Crow. Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and Ava DuVernay's documentary on race and mass incarceration, 13th (streaming now on Netflix).