2025

2025

Build What You Dream: The Rockstar Woman Movement with Shannon Cohen

In sharing the Social Justice Origin Story of the global Rockstar Woman™ Movement, founder Shannon Cohen recalls how manifesting her dream of establishing truly inclusive professional networks and affinity spaces for women was born from a mix of inspiration, observation, and agitation, with a particular desire to create spaces that were markedly different from the exclusionary, predominantly white spaces she experienced as a Black Woman in her early days as a professional. Drawing on the legacy of resilience and entrepreneurship passed down from her grandparents, Shannon’s storytelling speaks to the power of betting on yourself, incubating your ideas instead of shelving them, the power of collective ambition and cooperative economics, and the importance of healthy hibernation for longevity in social justice work.

February 19, 2025

A Lighthouse and A Refuge: The Firehouse Community Arts Center with Phil Jackson

Pastor Phil Jackson shares the social justice origin story of the Firehouse Community Arts Center in Chicago, essential leadership lessons he has learned from his role as founder and CEO, and the ways the Firehouse lives out its mission to interrupt the cycle of violence among youth and young adults in North Lawndale through the power of the arts and faith. His storytelling affirms the transformative impact of the arts, establishing and maintaining authentic relationships with your community, and stories of how the Firehouse has become a refuge and source of inspiration and strength for many in North Lawndale.

February 5, 2025
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Using Power to Bring More Power to People: Education for Freedom and Justice with Mia Henry

Mia Henry connects common threads between her training as an educator, the 29 Civil Rights tours she organized and led over the past 10 years, and her current work developing educational curriculum on resistance and social justice as the founder and CEO of Freedom Lifted, which offers justice-centered leadership development through online learning, training, and facilitation. 

The social justice origin story of Freedom Lifted emphasizes the importance of understanding power as an abundant resource, the critical work of using our power to bring more power to oppressed people, and drawing wisdom from stories of resistance throughout history when people have strived to create a world where power is shared for guidance on how we can better share power within our organizations and movements for justice.

January 20, 2025

Looking The Beast In The Face: Unlearning to Relearn with Yusef Bunchy Shakur

Dr. Yusef Bunchy Shakur names his experiences navigating systemic oppression, his time in prison, and the people who invested in him in his life as pivotal moments that activated his commitment to social justice. His storytelling affirms the power of vulnerability, self-forgiveness, and the critical role of education and community in personal and collective healing.
Dr. Shakur also highlights the importance of America confronting its true history, addressing internalized oppression, challenging patriarchy, and remembering our inherent worth and capacity for change.

January 9, 2025