Soul Force Politics

Until recently, the insights I have gathered from intense spiritual journeys and consciousness studies have been for my own personal growth. However, this pandemic and the challenging times we are navigating has encouraged me to step into a teaching role that empowers more people to find their deepest truths and to live in the spirit of their inner wisdom. This is a first for me as a podcaster, to have the tables turned and be answering rather than asking the questions. I was delighted to be a guest on the show, "Soul Soil Podcast" with Brooke Kornegay and I humbly invite you to take a moment, sit in nature or some other favorite quiet spot and lose yourself in our conversation. I think you will walk away with some valuable insights and inspiration. I'm here to support you on your journey to wholeness!

Could you lose your dog and your job in the same week and be okay?  I learned that for me, the answer is, "Yes."  It's the gift of resilience and I want to help you build yours.

Calamity is a fierce teacher. She has birthed many awakenings. When I stepped outside of the tiny shack that had been my isolated retreat home for 30 days in the Amazon jungle, I was entirely unaware of the unique global moment that had unfolded around me. This is the story of clueless re-entry into a world-wide pandemic and the wisdom this experience offers to navigate these challenging times. Read the Essay

Today’s guest is journalist Phil Rucker – the White House Bureau Chief for the Washington Post whose co-authored book, “A Very Stable Genius – Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America†debuted number one on the New York Times best-sellers list. In the midst of doing the full circuit of interviews on late night talk shows, National Public Radio, and all the major media outlets last week, we got to sit down with Rucker for an in-depth conversation about this hot new book on our show. I first got to know Phil Rucker when he was covering the Statehouse beat in Annapolis. I was a new Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly; he was a cub reporter for The Washington Post. In addition to my role as a legislator, I was also an elected member of the Democratic National Committee. In 2008, my experience as a superdelegate to the national convention and the attention that presidential candidates Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton were lavishing on people in my position was highlighted in a front-page story Rucker wrote for The Washington Post, entitled, “On the Fence and In the Spotlight.†We held high professional regard for each other and it didn’t surprise me when he was promoted to cover the national political scene. Phil’s talents had him on a trajectory for great things. A Pulitzer Prize winner, Rucker is now the White House Bureau Chief, giving him access to an array of primary sources that generate one of the most unfiltered views of this presidency. This, in part, is what makes “A Very Stable Genius†such a timely, interesting, and historic read for anyone that wants to better understand what is happening day-to-day behind the scenes in the Trump White House. Let us take you there in our fast-paced, fun, humorous, provocative, and wide-ranging interview with one of America’s top journalists.

Today’s guest is a seventh-generation Virginia farmer whose inspiring journey to the heart of sustainable agriculture made him a New York Times best-selling author for his compelling book, “Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers’ Markets, Local Food, and Saving the Family Farm.” Join us for a heart-warming, soul-touching, and humorous look at the wisdom Forrest Pritchard has gained directly from nature to guide his farming practices in a way that is steeped in listening to the land and its animals. Forrest reminds us that we have choices about what we eat and where we get our food — and those decisions have impacts far beyond our immediate gastronomic pleasures. Food is medicine. We explore what that means, while diving into a deeper understanding of the consciousness that is awakening more land stewards to the ancient system of regenerative farming.  

Congressman Jamie Raskin spent 29 years as a Professor of Constitutional Law at American University’s Washington College of Law before he was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2016. You might be familiar with his dazzling intellect while watching the House impeachment hearings, where he serves as a well-regarded Member of the House Judiciary Committee. Congressman Raskin joins us on today’s show to share his brilliant insights into the foundations of our Democracy and what is at stake for the future of America’s experiment with self-governance. You’re going to love this conversation, which runs the gamut of The Federalist Papers to Speaker Pelosi’s decision to hold the Articles of Impeachment until a proper Senate Trial is assured; from questions of abuse of power to violations of the foreign and domestic emoluments clause. With so many impeachable offenses, why were the House Articles limited to just two instances? From aggression to forbearance, what is the role of restraint in party governance? Do we need political parties? Are some Senators risking jury nullification? Oh yes, all of this and so much more! Most especially, don’t miss the last ten minutes of this interview, where Congressman Raskin and I share an incredible Soul Force Politics moment together.

Today’s guest is the author of an incredible book that I strongly urge you to add to your collection, “Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change.” Sherri Mitchell was born and raised on the Penobscot Indian Reservation and her professional career spans work as an attorney, policy advocate, civil rights educator for the Maine Attorney General’s office, and founding director of the Land Peace Foundation. In this compelling book, she shares with us knowledge and lived experiences that weave together the political, scientific, ethical, and spiritual aspects surrounding a multitude of complex issues that we must traverse for a deeper collective healing from the trauma of colonization. This book brings forward unique wisdom teachings from First Nations people that can set us all on a better course. In this podcast, we explore how to silence ourselves to hear the wisdom of our highest authority and how quantum entanglement probes us to right our relationship to life itself. We discuss the myth of separation and how oneness and sameness are not equal. We deconstruct the ways that water has been colonized and how this threatens our very existence. We acknowledge the power of co-creation and untangle how our rights must always be grounded in a corresponding set of responsibilities. We end our conversation with a fascinating review of Indigenous teachings on the roles of sacred feminine and sacred masculine energies and how to keep them in balance for a harmonious way of being. Through it all, you will be struck by the deep intuitive knowing that comes from a way of life that is guided by sacred instructions. May this be the invitation for you to walk in the world in this more enlightened way as well.

Today’s guest is one of our country’s best-known progressive voices in the Catholic church — freshly home from the Vatican, where he received a private audience with Pope Francis to discuss his growing ministry to LGBTQ Catholics. He came to the priesthood after rejecting a life in corporate America; found himself the go-to “Resident Chaplain†on the Colbert Report; and is the author of several best-selling books, the editor-at-large for America Magazine, and is a widely followed commentator on national and international news. Join us for an insightful, funny, and inspiring conversation with Father Jim Martin. A couple of disclaimers about our interview. Nothing about this conversation is meant to be exclusive of other faith traditions. While Father Jim and I share stories and insights that are Christ-focused, we joyfully support and honor all faiths. And while we engage in a dialogue about various aspects of the Catholic Church’s teachings, we do not use this interview to acknowledge a history of the Church’s many failings beyond the LGBTQ issues that are the focus of this episode. Speaking for Soul Force Politics, I want to clarify that not talking about it does not mean we do not see or acknowledge the Church’s shortcomings on a variety of issues that range from discrimination against women, contributions to the annihilation of tribal culture and forced assimilation, and sexual abuse of children just to name a few. The Church is a human institution, and as such, is just as flawed as it is beautiful.

Today’s guest is nationally-recognized indigenous and First Nations activist, Oklahoma journalist and Cherokee Nation citizen, Rebecca Nagle – host of Crooked Media’s sensational new podcast, “This Land.” This Land is about “an 1839 assassination of a Cherokee leader and a 1999 murder case – two crimes nearly two centuries apart [that] provide the backbone to an upcoming Supreme Court decision that will determine the fate of five tribes and nearly half the land in Oklahoma.” We have a brilliant conversation about a range of policy issues implicated by the pending SCOTUS decision in the Carpenter v. Murphy dispute. This is a fascinating case for anyone interested in law, public policy, indigenous rights, tribal sovereignty, land rights, and the challenges of fighting against the powerful oil and gas industry. As we walk through what’s at stake, we explore themes related to the original sin of our nation’s genocide and whether those unresolved issues gave way to the birth of our current political chaos. And we challenge you to think about your resolve as an activist to stand for the right thing, even if it is not popular. This and much more on this episode of #SoulForcePolitics.   More about Nagle’s show, “This Land” “Patrick Murphy was convicted of murder by the state of Oklahoma in 2000.  But defense attorneys soon discovered that his conviction may have been based on a lie. Hosted by Rebecca Nagle, an Oklahoma journalist and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, [This Land] podcast will provide an in depth look at how a cut and dry murder case opened an investigation into half the land in Oklahoma and the treaty rights of five tribes. Follow along to find out what’s at stake, the Trump administration’s involvement, the larger right wing attack on tribal sovereignty and how one unique case could result in the largest restoration of tribal land in US history.”   Click on the image to be directed to This Land —–> Our host, Heather Mizeur, with Rebecca Nagle at her home in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.  They are seated under family lithographs of John Ridge and Major Ridge. Here are links to Rebecca Nagle’s opinion editorials for Think Progress and The Washington Post that we referenced in our interview.  

In this episode, I have the honor of introducing you to one of my teachers — a woman whose brilliance, insight, and wisdom has been a welcome partnership on my own journey of liberation. Come with me to meet the Reverend angel Kyodo williams – only the second black woman to be ordained as a Zen priest in the Japanese Buddhist lineage. Rev. angel is a social visionary who applies wisdom teachings and embodied practice to intractable social issues at the intersection of race, climate, and economic justice. Radical, redemptive, accepting love is at the core of all personal and social transformation. However, as we discuss, this is a challenging concept and one that requires us to redefine our notion of what love is. And this examination further calls on us to look more closely at how and whether we are practiced at offering this expansive love to ourselves first. Rev. angel offers us a tool for expanding the reach of our self-exploration by plugging us into our integrity and inherent dignity through a somatic connection that is formed in a practice that she calls, “centering presence.†Come walk with us on this path in our conversation here. She is the co-author of one of my favorite books, “Radical Dharma: Talking race, love, and liberation.†In this Soul Force Politics podcast, Rev. angel Kyodo williams gives us meaningful insight to navigate today’s political challenges by teaching us the difference between anger that is fueling versus anger that is consuming. And no conversation with Rev. angel is complete without touching on the challenges of disarming, disrupting, and dismantling white supremacy culture. With her characteristic fierce truth-telling-but-held-with-love approach, we learn how to locate ourselves within this system, and land with tools she gives us to create the transformational shift to a future filled with radical love for self and others. Watch this video for instructional guidance on the “centering in presence” activity taught by Rev. angel Kyodo williams

I am thrilled to bring you a conversation with a woman who has defined what it means to be a social justice warrior for all of her nearly 90 years in this lifetime – the unstoppable Dolores Huerta.  She co-founded the United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez in the 1960s and led the successful 5-year national grape boycott that delivered key labor concessions for farm workers. Dolores helped organize and mobilize Latinx voters at the ballot box to help deliver Bobby Kennedy the California primary win and was standing next to him at the victory podium at the Ambassador Hotel in Las Angeles just moments before he was assassinated in 1968. Throughout her entire career, Dolores Huerta has spearheaded movements for the advancements of civil rights. She is also no stranger to acts of civil disobedience, having been arrested for advocacy numerous times and also, tragically, experiencing police brutality when a San Francisco police officer beat her to the point of hospitalization while participating in a rally protesting the policies of the George H.W. Bush presidency in 1988. Dolores is 89 years young and ran circles around me in this interview. Her passion, strength of character, vitality, and persistence is palpable. She chastises me more than once that our work must be about love AND accountability. She is all about action!  Learn more about her lifetime of empowering action for change by listening to our show and visiting her current work at the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

Crystal Bowersox stole the nation’s heart as the darling of the 9th season of American Idol. Her voice has been described as both “dirt and diamonds.” Her music is full of light and love and she speaks a wisdom beyond her years. We recorded this podcast – and her live performance of a song – in my ship suite on the Melissa Etheridge Cruise. I heard Crystal playing this song, “Courage to be Kind” in one of her concerts on the ship and knew that she would be the perfect guest for Soul Force Politics.   Join us for this beautiful conversation about struggle, redemption, love, light, kindness, and a willingness to reach across ideological divides and the political spectrum to hug perfect strangers and remind them they are loved!     

Today’s guest is one of America’s most accomplished and enduring public servants – decorated Vietnam War Veteran, 2004 Democratic Presidential Nominee, former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, John F. Kerry. I was blessed to have a front-row seat to watch this man in action for four years. From 2002 – 2006 I was Senator Kerry’s Domestic Policy Director in Congress and took a leave of absence from the Senate during the Presidential campaign to be the Kerry-Edwards campaign director for the State of Maryland. These were some of the most formative years of my professional career. I got to learn from one of the best. It was wonderful to reunite with my friend, mentor, former boss, and one of my political heroes to engage in a Soul Force Politics dialogue for our listening community. If you have not yet read his new memoir, “Every Day is Extra,” I highly recommend you pick up or download a copy of this fascinating story of his life of service. We walk through some of my favorite portions of the book in this podcast episode. Join us for this lively conversation about the global threat of climate change; war-time lessons about life, death, and government betrayal; a warm review of a surprising bipartisan friendship that came from speaking truth in a Senate prayer breakfast; a rewind to the 1996 clash of the titans in Kerry v. Weld and their ground-breaking campaign finance agreement; and thoughts about regaining America’s standing on the world stage.

In this episode, our host, Heather Mizeur, shares her reflections on the lessons emerging from the national debate that was stirred from the standoff between the Covington Catholic teens and a Native American drummer at the Lincoln Memorial following the Indigenous People’s March on January 18th.  “Rather than engaging in an exercise of finger-pointing and assigning blame over whose version of what happened is ‘truth,’ it might serve us better to focus on what this moment teaches us.  There are some rich lessons here for all of us, should we choose to open ourselves to the opportunity.”

Sister Helen Prejean, the spitfire Catholic nun internationally known for her work as a death penalty repeal advocate and author of the bestselling book, “Dead Man Walking,” joins Heather Mizeur for a #SoulForcePolitics conversation about mass incarceration, restorative justice, state executions, revenge, forgiveness, the grace of awakening, and the deep responsibility we have to take action and speak truth when we bear witness to injustice. These lessons are beautifully told in her upcoming memoir, “River of Fire,” which she previews for us here. Watch the preview of the new documentary, “Sister,” about Helen Prjean’s life and work Read Sister Helen Prejean and Delegate Heather Mizeur’s Baltimore Sun editorial calling for an end to the death penalty in Maryland, Jan. 17, 2013

“How would the world be different if politics were rooted in radical love?”  In this kick off to Season 2 of the #SoulForcePolitics podcast, join Grammy and Oscar award-winning rock star Melissa Etheridge and our host, Heather Mizeur, for an in-depth discussion on how radical love can change politics as usual.

We end our first season of #SoulForcePolitics with the release of a special two-part series dedicated to exploring the healing power of love to conquer hate in the aftermath of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.  Two years ago this week, forty-nine souls were violently and unexpectedly taken from us as they were on the dance floor shining their light, loving life, and celebrating LGBT Pride. The darkness that filled the hours after this vile attack was almost too much for many to bear. And then Melissa Etheridge came in to help us heal a little bit. She immediately wrote and recorded the song “Pulse,†which remains a powerful reminder of how and why we are all called to love one another. Melissa joins us for a brief interview as part of our #SoulForcePolitics podcast tribute to Pulse survivors, families of the victims, and the Orlando alliance that formed after this tragedy.  I went to Orlando to meet and hear the stories of Barbara Poma, Pulse Nightclub owner and founder of the One Pulse Foundation; Víco Baéz Febo, one of the survivors of this heinous hate crime whose emotional wisdom is medicine for weary souls; Mayra Benabe-Alvear, the strong, big-hearted, and remarkably joyful mother of victim Amanda Alvear; and Robin Maynard-Harris, community activist and a founding board member at the One Orlando Alliance.  From this wonderful weekend together, I have curated a unique story of insight told through their woven and interrelated experiences. Through it all, is a story of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love to rise above everything.  Love always wins. In a time when so much of the news and focus is on the negativity and the poisoned relationships around us, this podcast can be your refuge for how to defeat it with a connection to all that is beautiful and positive in this world. So stick with us through both episodes. You won’t want to miss a single moment.  And please, honor them with action. Choose only love. Be ONE.

We end our first season of #SoulForcePolitics with the release of a special two-part series dedicated to exploring the healing power of love to conquer hate in the aftermath of the tragedy at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.  Two years ago this week, forty-nine souls were violently and unexpectedly taken from us as they were on the dance floor shining their light, loving life, and celebrating LGBT Pride. The darkness that filled the hours after this vile attack was almost too much for many to bear. And then Melissa Etheridge came in to help us heal a little bit. She immediately wrote and recorded the song “Pulse,†which remains a powerful reminder of how and why we are all called to love one another. Melissa joins us for a brief interview as part of our #SoulForcePolitics podcast tribute to Pulse survivors, families of the victims, and the Orlando alliance that formed after this tragedy.  I went to Orlando to meet and hear the stories of Barbara Poma, Pulse Nightclub owner and founder of the One Pulse Foundation; Víco Baéz Febo, one of the survivors of this heinous hate crime whose emotional wisdom is medicine for weary souls; Mayra Benabe-Alvear, the strong, big-hearted, and remarkably joyful mother of victim Amanda Alvear; and Robin Maynard-Harris, community activist and a founding board member at the One Orlando Alliance.  From this wonderful weekend together, I have curated a unique story of insight told through their woven and interrelated experiences. Through it all, is a story of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love to rise above everything.  Love always wins. In a time when so much of the news and focus is on the negativity and the poisoned relationships around us, this podcast can be your refuge for how to defeat it with a connection to all that is beautiful and positive in this world. So stick with us through both episodes. You won’t want to miss a single moment.  And please, honor them with action. Choose only love. Be ONE.

Today’s guest is one of the great humanitarians of our time — Chef José Andrés. He isn’t only a famous celebrity chef with amazing top-tier restaurants to satisfy your culinary desires. He is also leader of the World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that has fed millions in the wake of disasters that range from earthquakes in Haiti and hurricanes in Puerto Rico to wildfires in California and volcanic eruptions on the Hawaii islands and just this week in Guatemala. He told me that the first book he read in English was John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and he was particularly moved by a quote from the book that “Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there.” José Andrés is always there. He has a simple belief and powerful understanding of the role that food can play as a change agent. Born in Spain, Chef Andrés is a New American that exudes our nation’s can-do spirit and the knowledge that we are strongest in our unity together — we, the people, can do anything united! Thanks for listening, and I hope that you will be inspired by José Andrés’ words, his work, and his belief that just by merely showing up with a big and open heart to serve your neighbor, you, too, can make a huge difference in this world. Learn more about José Andrés’ non-profit work to feed a hungry world during catastrophic natural disasters through his World Central Kitchen organization. Learn more about José Andrés’ culinary work and the many award-winning restaurants he owns through his Think Food Group company.

Few have inspired me more in public life than Robert F. Kennedy. Imagination, courage, and determination. Justice, fairness, and equality. Compassion, mixed with toughness and discipline. He promoted unity over division. He encouraged dissent to strengthen conviction. His heart was in charge, and it led him to personally witness and uplift the despair, hopes, and dreams of America’s unfinished business in forgotten pockets of the nation – from Native American reservations to the fields of migrant farmworkers; from urban blight to rural hunger. Bobby Kennedy reflected the consciousness of our best selves. He practiced Soul Force Politics. 50 years ago we lost Bobby Kennedy to an assassin’s bullet when he was shot after winning the Democratic presidential primary in California on June 5th, 1968. Fortunately, words themselves never die. And in his book, “RFK: His Words for Our Times,” author C. Richard Allen collects, edits, and introduces us to the core of Robert Kennedy’s work through the use of his own words from testimony and speeches Kennedy gave in his short but profound career in public service. In today’s show, we speak with Rick Allen about this book, Bobby Kennedy’s life and contributions to public policy, political thought, and the imagination of what can still be accomplished to live up to our country’s greatest calling – the belief that we can always aspire to be a better, more perfect union where equality and justice for all are the cornerstones of our democracy. Thanks for listening and I hope that you will be inspired to read this incredible book and find the Bobby Kennedy that resides in your own heart’s desire to act for good in the world. RFK’s words are most definitely a timeless call to action and we need his wise guidance now more than ever. A celebration of Kennedy’s life and legacy, “RFK; His Words for Our Times,” by C. Richard Allen and Edwin O. Guthman