#213 iChange Justice Podcast - The Survival/Thrival Paradox: Building Your Authentic Self in an Apartheid Nation

Host Joy Gilfilen and co-host Karen Ball launch a new conversational series with Elder and civil rights leader Mel Hoover (Mel-Rose Ministries). This episode begins the podcast's move into its Fifth Era as a converging network.

Mel, born in 1944 into an "apartheid nation," contrasts his inherited unconditional love with the Constitution's "lie in terms of the actions" and reveals his Native American heritage. The hosts compare their three distinct generational stories (Apartheid, Vietnam, and the Red Scare) to explore the Survival/Thrival Paradox: How do we build a restorative culture when facing the deep societal fear and "undeniable fissures" exposed by the COVID-19 lockdown?

Mel's wisdom for the future is a mandate for courage: cultivate the core belief to be your "authentic self no matter what." This internal decision is the key to creating a "beloved, inclusive future."