Relando Thompkins-Jones
I'm a macro social worker, social justice educator, and consultant who uses media and education to advance equity and social justice within people, organizations, and communities. I started Social Justice Origin Stories because I believe in the power of storytelling and making our experiences accessible to others, because I believe in the liberatory effects of social justice education, to support justice-seekers in finding community and feeling less alone given the relentlessness of oppressive systems, and hopefully to be a resource of support and reflection for those who are thinking through how they could best contribute to the work. We need all who can, to do what they can.
Dr. Emely Medina-Rodríguez, a social researcher and program evaluator committed to equity and culturally responsive practices, shares the story of her journey from Puerto Rico to Chicago and the events that inform her practice and activism as a researcher. Her storytelling teaches listeners about the need to challenge extractive traditional research practices that don’t prioritize the needs of communities, and to have a power analysis be “part of the equation” in research and evaluation.
April 16, 2025
Reflecting on significant learning experiences that have shaped his approach to social justice, speaker, author, and coach Dr. Keith Edwards describes education as an act of faith; investing time in cultivating the necessary relationships required to do the work with the belief that we’re making an impact even if we are not around to witness the outcomes. Speaking from the perspectives of someone who has been invested in and someone who invests that time in others, his storytelling speaks to the importance of unlearning dominant messages of superiority, cultivating critical hope, and understanding the collective damage caused by systems of oppression.
April 2, 2025
Claire Downing, Founder and Principal at The Moonlight Collaborative, shares a story of how witnessing her parents’ activism and the ways they navigated differences as an interfaith family shaped her own commitment to activism; paving the way for her to be able to develop a commitment to continually understand and embrace the complexities of her identities and relationship to privilege and oppression later in life as a white Muslim woman who converted to Islam. Claire also recalls how experiences in toxic workplaces ultimately led her to establish The Moonlight Collaborative, where she partners with organizations that are invested in “creating the conditions for marginalized folks not only to survive, but thrive.”
Her storytelling invites listeners to reflect on their own identities and strengths and to identify their unique place within the social justice ecosystem to drive lasting change.
March 19, 2025
Dr. Bryan O. Buckley tells the story of how his Caribbean upbringing and the lessons he learned from watching his grandparent’s activism shaped his approach to leading for equity in public health. He reflects on pivotal moments in his life and career, the game-changing impact of mentoring and sponsorship, and how his superpower as a connector enables him to build relationships with people closest to the problems to facilitate change in communities and systems. Dr. Buckley affirms that we are all a part of public health and share a collective responsibility in making the world a better place. He encourages listeners to reflect on what their superpowers are, so they can use their unique gifts to make an impact in their own ways.
March 5, 2025
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
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
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
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
That’s a wrap for this year. Many thanks to the storytellers who have contributed to this project and helped to give it life through their sharing. And thank you for listening, watching, and sharing their stories. Let’s hold our people close. Remember that people have always resisted and worked for liberation. It will remain even more critical for us to share and spread our stories in the days and years to come.
December 30, 2024
Chelsea Pratt, a scholar and practitioner in higher education focusing on inclusive and sustainable organizational cultures, workplace well-being, and addressing workplace trauma, discusses the profound impact of trauma and identity in the workplace. She speaks on the traumatic effects of ignoring harmful identity-based incidents both inside and outside our workplaces, especially for people who live at the intersection of multiple forms of oppression.
December 10, 2024
