• 14: Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present Part 1
    Apr 13 2022
    In part one of our Medical Apartheid episode, we will be discussing Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "The first full history of Black America’s shocking mistreatment as unwilling and unwitting experimental subjects at the hands of the medical establishment. No one concerned with issues of public health and racial justice can afford not to read this masterful book that will stir up both controversy and long-needed debate. From the era of slavery to the present day, starting with the earliest encounters between Black Americans and Western medical researchers and the racist pseudoscience that resulted, Medical Apartheid details the ways both slaves and freedmen were used in hospitals for experiments conducted without their knowledge—a tradition that continues today within some black populations. 
    It reveals how Blacks have historically been prey to grave-robbing as well as unauthorized autopsies and dissections. Moving into the twentieth century, it shows how the pseudoscience of eugenics and social Darwinism was used to justify experimental exploitation and shoddy medical treatment of Blacks. Shocking new details about the government’s notorious Tuskegee experiment are revealed, as are similar, less-well-known medical atrocities conducted by the government, the armed forces, prisons, and private institutions. 
    The product of years of prodigious research into medical journals and experimental reports long undisturbed, Medical Apartheid reveals the hidden underbelly of scientific research and makes possible, for the first time, an understanding of the roots of the African American health deficit. At last, it provides the fullest possible context for comprehending the behavioral fallout that has caused Black Americans to view researchers—and indeed the whole medical establishment—with such deep distrust."
    This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is fighting insecurity to connect with others.
    To purchase the book, visit: Medical Apartheid via Amazon or Medical Apartheid via Penguin Random House
    To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast
    To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support! 
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  • 9: The Cross and the Lynching Tree
    Feb 28 2022
    In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African American community. In this powerful new work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk. Both the cross and the lynching tree represent the worst in human beings and at the same time a thirst for life that refuses to let the worst determine our final meaning. While the lynching tree symbolized white power and black death, the cross symbolizes divine power and black life God overcoming the power of sin and death. For African Americans, the image of Jesus, hung on a tree to die, powerfully grounded their faith that God was with them, even in the suffering of the lynching era. In a work that spans social history, theology, and cultural studies, Cone explores the message of the spirituals and the power of the blues; the passion and of Emmet Till and the engaged vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.; he invokes the spirits of Billie Holliday and Langston Hughes, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ida B. Well, and the witness of black artists, writers, preachers, and fighters for justice. And he remembers the victims, especially the 5,000 who perished during the lynching period. Through their witness, he contemplates the greatest challenge of any Christian theology to explain how life can be made meaningful in the face of death and injustice."
    This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is Celebrating BHM and Processing Florida's "White Discomfort Bill" 

    To purchase the book, visit: The Cross and the Lynching Tree via Amazon or The Cross and the Lynching Tree via Orbis Books
    Other sources mentioned in this episode include:
    • Critical Race Theory by Wikipedia
    • Florida Advances Bill That Would Ban Making White People Feel Bad About Racism, and No, That’s Not a Joke by Bess Levin
    • Florida bill to shield people from feeling ‘discomfort’ over historic actions by their race, nationality, or gender approved by Senate committee by Amy Simonson
    To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast
    To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support! 
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  • 6: Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You
    Jan 16 2022
    In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You by Dr. Henry Cloud. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Many of us struggle with anxiety, loneliness, and feelings of inadequacy. We know that God created us in his image, but how can we be loving when we feel burned out? How can we be free when we struggle with addiction? Will we ever enjoy the complete healing God promises? Combining his professional expertise and personal experience, renowned psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud guides us through four basic ways to become joy-filled, mature followers of Christ: 1) Connect more deeply with others, 2) Separate from others in healthy ways, 3) Understand the good and the bad in ourselves and others, and 4) Grow into greater emotional and spiritual maturity. With fascinating case studies and helpful techniques we can start using immediately, Changes That Heal reminds us that God promises to complete his good work in us."
    This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is COVID 19 and navigating working in healthcare.
    To purchase the book, visit: Changes That Heal via Amazon
    To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast
    To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support! 
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  • 2: The Deconstructionists Playbook
    Nov 26 2021
    In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing The Deconstructionists Playbook edited by Crystal Cheatham and Theresa Ta. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: 
    "The Deconstructionists Playbook comprises selections from devotionals that have been published by Our Bible App in the last few years. In 2017, Crystal Cheatham set out to create a mobile Bible app where users could read devotionals concerned about topics outside the norm for traditional Christian publishing. These devotionals are explicitly queer-affirming, anti-racist, pro-feminism, and encouraging of interfaith inclusion. Today, the app has published hundreds of devotionals while bringing together a once fragmented community of spiritual wanderers.
    This devotional anthology is meant to guide you through a journey of faith deconstruction, reconstruction, and liberation. Our authors are concerned with naming and dismantling oppressive systems and beliefs—especially when it comes from within the Church.
    With the chorus of some 60+ authors, journey through this anthology of devotions. Come celebrate this epic churning of faith through the deconstruction of our religion, the reconstruction of faith elements centered on justice and solidarity, and the application of liberation theology to dismantle white supremacy and patriarchy. By taking part in this uniting of ideas, you will find yourself in a movement of radical inclusion and love, while finding God in mysterious places."
    I am also introducing a segment I am calling "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" where I will be reflecting on an interesting topic or thing that caught my attention during the week. This episode's topic is the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.
    To purchase this week's book, visit: Deconstructionists Playbook via Our Bible App or Deconstructionists Playbook via Amazon 
    To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast
    To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support! 
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