In our second episode, honoring Black History Month, Jonny and Joanna do a deep dive into the legacy of Dr. Vincent Harding, who offered us Front Light’s namesake. Together they reflect on his formation among Mennonites, the power of his presence in movements for justice since the 1960s, and how his wisdom continues to inspire work for justice today. Joanna shares from her book “The Movement Makes Us Human: An Interview with Dr. Vincent Harding on Mennonites, Vietnam, and MLK” published in 2018. We also talk about our feelings about the onslaught of Trump’s executive orders that are scaring many of us. Jonny shared why he likes to watch birds (and the Birds). Joanna shared news sources that help us understand what’s happening despite the chaos of the news cycle.
To sign Mennonite Action’s pledge, donate, or sign up for our Email list visit www.mennoniteaction.org.
Buy “The Movement Makes Us Human” here: https://wipfandstock.com/9781532635298/the-movement-makes-us-human/
Dr. Vincent Harding’s books mentioned in the interview:
There is a River: The Black Struggle for Freedom in America (Harcourt Brace & Co, 1981)
Martin Luther King Jr: The Inconvenient Hero (Orbis, 2008)
News sources we recommend here:
Democracy Now, https://www.democracynow.org/
Dropsite News, https://www.dropsitenews.com/
The Intercept, https://theintercept.com/
Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/
Huge thank you to the incredible Jewish recording artist, Batya Levine for the use of their song “We Rise” as our theme song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tkmkwufRVw). The beautiful logo is by Jesse Bergen. Front Light is edited by Ken Ogasawara and Christen Kong and produced by Jonny Rashid, Joanna Lawrence Shenk, and Nick Martin. Thank you all for listening and sharing.