In this thought-provoking episode, our guest, Natasha L. Robinson, shares about growing up in an African-centered church, practicing Ifa/Orisa traditions and where she sees justice show up in her faith and the world.

Highlights:

• How membership in a Black church that values African cultures shaped Natasha’s openness to different religions
• How Natasha recovered from betrayal by a religious leader
• Where justice shows up in Natasha’s multifaith understanding
• How Natasha understands Jesus in and out of church

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Trinity United Church of Christ: https://www.trinitychicago.org/
• The Gathering: a Womanist Church: http://www.thegatheringexperience.com/
• Pink Robe Chronicles: https://www.drmelvasampson.com/pink-robe-chronicles
• Ase Ire: https://aseire.com/
• Jeremiah Wright: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright
• Melva Sampson: https://www.drmelvasampson.com/about
• Irie Lynne Sessions: https://www.dririe.com/about
• Kamilah Hall Sharp: https://www.ctschicago.edu/people/kamilah-hall-sharp/
• Ilekes: https://asanee44.com/ileke-beads-in-the-ifa-tradition/

Guest Information:

Natasha Robinson, J.D. is Assistant Vice President of Social Justice and Advocacy and Title IX Coordinator for Roosevelt University. Professor Robinson is a retired criminal defense attorney, and the creator and curator of Legaleaze Please! LLC, an online platform and digital space that empowers the development of individual and collective comprehension of criminal laws, cases, and policies through decoding, deconstructing, and demystifying legal language. Professor Robinson has been a regular guest legal analyst on CourtTV and WGN9 news. Robinson is a proud ministry partner of The Gathering, A Womanist Church, in Dallas, Texas, and is currently pursuing a Masters of Theological Studies as a member of the Sacred Memory Cohort at McCormick Theological Seminary.

Legaleazeplease at gmail dot com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/legaleaze_please/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/legaleazeplease/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/natasha.l.robinson.5

Join the Conversation:

Have thoughts about this episode? We’d love to hear from you! Send us your comments or questions at www.DiverseDevotions.com

In this thought-provoking episode, our guest, Tawnicia Rowan, shares her personal experiences of Black Christianity, finding the Universal Truth Center and how she accidentally became a minister there.

Highlights:

• How loving a Buddhist posed big questions to her faith
• Why her Christian mother pointed her to a new place of worship
• Five universal principles that are the most meaningful for Tawnicia
• Her experience at a historically Black and Christian seminary
• How to create a world that is meaningful and compassionate for all

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Universal Truth Center in Miami: https://utruthcenter.org/
• Universal Foundation for Better Living: https://ufbl.org/
• Rev. Dr. Mary Tumpkin: https://ufbl.org/rev-mary/

Guest Information:

Tawnicia Rowan is an ordained minister in the Universal Foundation for Better Living, an international association of New Thought Christian. Currently, Rev. Tawnicia serves as a staff minister at the Universal Truth Center in Miami Gardens, FL and as a faculty member at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary and the Unity Urban Ministerial School. You can reach Rev. Rowan via email and hear her talks on YouTube.

Email: tawniciar@utruthcenter.org

Tawnicia’s talks: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsQL9T7IxkcA8bf1j6nJsOpTNeYbpprWz&si=8YODGNFIm6x3Yljp

Join the Conversation:

Have thoughts about this episode? We’d love to hear from you! Send us your comments or questions at www.DiverseDevotions.com

In this thought-provoking episode, our guest, Takiyah Nur Amin, shares about growing up with Muslim and Christian family members, finding Unitarian Universalism as a place of acceptance, and what her daily spiritual practices look like.

Highlights:

• How Takiyah found her tradition over lunch in the high school cafeteria
• What it means to be a part of a covenantal religious tradition
• Why living together with love and empathy trumps doctrinal differences
• Why she won’t choose between her Blackness and her faith tradition

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Care for the World: Reflections on Community Ministry: https://amzn.to/3WqVVb2
• BLUU Notes: An Anthology of Love, Justice and Liberation: https://amzn.to/3Cm6SUD
• Unitarian Universalist Association: https://www.uua.org/
• BLUU: https://blacklivesuu.org/
• OWL curriculum: https://www.uua.org/re/owl
• John Shelby Spong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shelby_Spong
• Chautauqua Institution: https://www.chq.org/about/

Guest Information:

Takiyah Nur Amin is a dance scholar, educator, academic success strategist. Dr. Amin serves Unitarian Universalism as a member of the Ministerial Fellowship Committee and UU Studies Network, and a former member of the Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU) Organizing Collective Board. Her writing has been featured in UU World Magazine, and in two edited volumes, Care for the World: Reflections on Community Ministry and BLUU Notes: An Anthology of Love, Justice and Liberation (co-edited with the Rev. Mykal Slack.) You can reach Dr. Amin at TakiyahNurAmin.com

Join the Conversation:

Have thoughts about this episode? We’d love to hear from you! Send us your comments or questions at www.DiverseDevotions.com