What if I told you that the path toward healing our divides lies in peeling back our pain?\xa0 Are you willing to go there?\xa0 My guest this week on Our Voices Matter is more than willing.\xa0 In fact, he uses his lived experience to help others navigate that treacherous, yet transformative path.\xa0
Aaron Layton is an educator and diversity consultant who holds a Master of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.\xa0 On August 9, 2014, the fatal shooting of 18 year old Michael Brown at the hands of a police officer ignited a firestorm of protests in Ferguson, Missouri.\xa0 It also ignited something in Aaron Layton that led him on a journey to talk to his white brothers and sisters in a way that he never had before.\xa0 They talked.\xa0 They listened.\xa0 They learned.\xa0 Three years later Layton shared what he learned in a book entitled, "Dear White Christian."
Regardless of your faith, don't let the title scare you away from listening to its underlying message and call to action:\xa0 "the most transformative work you can do is to begin to explore 'who do I consider to be the other'?"\xa0 \xa0
In our wide ranging conversation, Layton and I explore the underbelly of this topic.\xa0 From Michael Brown to George Floyd, how can we engage in courageous conversations that move us toward understanding, acceptance and healing?\xa0 As Layton so beautifully lays out for us, it starts with peeling back the pain.
www.ourvoicesmatterpodcast.com
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This podcast is devoted to empowering us all to better understand each other's differences...one story at a time.\xa0 Emmy Award-winning journalist, Linda Lorelle, guides guests through insightful, unexpected conversations that reveal our common humanity.\xa0 This show is not about politics per se; it is about finding a way to reclaim civility in the context of the contentious times in which we live, by sharing our personal and professional stories, in hopes that others might find a glimpse of themselves.