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GramercySeason 3 Lessons LearnedWhat a journey this season has been! Thank you so much for joining me, listening week in and week out. What a beautiful, teachable heart you all have. I've met so many interesting people I never would have had the opportunity to meet in the course of my ordinary life. Sometimes we have to go out of our way to meet people outside our spheres of influence. Today's episode will be a deep dive into what these past few months have taught me about the formerly incarcerated as well as the U.S criminal justice system. 2022-01-1023 minGramercyElizabeth Randall HebertElizabeth's one tip to make the world a better place reiterated a long held truth, but also one I easily forget. Communication is key. I needed that reminder that "conflict is based on false perceptions of the other person's role and capabilities, and without asking, you have no idea what you're asking of them. You're assuming how they feel and what they meant, based on your life experiences" This is exactly what I needed to hear at this exact moment in life. Her advice about taking whatever is making you angry and re-channeling it t...2022-01-0349 minGramercySithy BinSithy brought up an interesting point on his decision to join the gang...not only was it considered just the next step because everyone around him was doing it, but he wanted the dual benefits of belonging and protection. The need for acceptance and to impress silenced his initial desire to not participate in the illegal activities of the gang. He was slowly desensitized to the impact of his crimes on others because the praise received from fellow gang members was worth more than the values of his conscience. It wasn't until he was sent to prison that he w...2021-12-271h 07GramercyDavid ShirleyEducation taught David how to hone skills he didn't realize he had. It also taught him to take the negative impulsiveness that had plagued him his entire life and reframe it as a tool that he can use, not one that controls him. Although his transformation was a long time coming, when it occurred, it was genuine. Like he said, "To change you have to want it." Once his mindset changed, there was no looking back except to use his past choices to motivate him to keep progressing forward.David's encouragement to volunteer with...2021-12-2055 minGramercyLaura HernandezAfter hearing Laura's story, the words that come to mind are: determined, brave, compassionate, strong, forgiving, teachable, and resilient. She was dealt a terrible hand in life. She confesses to her mistakes without playing the victim. She wakes up every day and chooses to better herself and help others. Her life is a testament to this. It seems that many prison programs are what help bring about healing in so many broken souls who've found themselves incarcerated. They are finally in a place to learn things they were never taught, grow in understanding, education, and empathy, as well as h...2021-12-131h 06GramercyAndy LopezAndy's generous, gentle soul had quite the impact on me. Despite his life experiences he is still an ardent believer that people are born good and he chooses to see the good in people, try to find common ground, and bring people together. This is a transformed man from the one who thought fighting was the answer to everything. I loved the surprise bunny trail we went down about dog training and learning how to read people. I'm so thankful there are organizations who reach out to prisoners and give them chances to learn m...2021-12-061h 25GramercyDarlene LucaII was deeply touched by the simple yet profound recognition that Darlene so eloquently gave voice to: Healing is not linear. If you stop and think about it, it makes perfect sense. None of us deal with an issue and move on. It keeps resurfacing and sneaking up on us throughout our life. This is why we seek out friends and therapists to talk to. This is why we get depressed. This is why we often get stuck in cycles of unhealthy thinking. Giving ourselves permission to heal over and over again, even if it's something we thought we...2021-11-2945 minGramercyNhut Thanh VoNhut enlightens us about why insecure kids are drawn into gang life - the feelings of loss of control, inadequacy, not belonging to their culture of origin or their new culture. In this light, broken people are taken with the allure of gang life by finding a place to belong and come together - not for healing their brokenness - rather ,to encourage the trifecta of false pride, false power, and false respect. He's intimately aware of this mindset and has compassion on those who find this their only way of escape and belonging.Nhut told me, "...2021-11-221h 06GramercyMelissa O'DellAll I can say is that I'm so thankful for the Melissa's of the world. Those people who work tirelessly for the underdog, who clearly see the system that failed them and valiantly aim to fix those broken structures. Melissa's pronouncement of the need to address the root causes of why people go into the system in the first place is paramount to reforming it. She and others that are like-minded are creatively seeking ways to give power back to those who were never given a fair chance in life through the self- education and entrepreneurial training that Defy...2021-11-151h 15GramercyJose VargasHe speaks about his younger years from the standpoint of: "this is just the way it was" with not a hint of bitterness in his voice. And he never portrays himself as the victim. He teaches us that often our misconceptions, preconceived ideas, and false judgements of situations, or people, or things that happened in the past have fed our anger for so long but are often false. If he, who had every right to hold onto anger or resentment was able to see past it and forgive, who am I not to?It...2021-11-081h 10GramercyBertrone Pitts Sr.I'm so glad to hear that Mr. Pitts Sr. became a Defy facilitator while in prison. Can you imagine all the men he encouraged and helped. I appreciate his insightful recognition that Defy is not there to teach about entrepreneurship solely, but that the entire program is based first and foremost on character development...exercising those muscles of responsibility, forgiveness, and the ability to examine your motivations. It was because of this internal work that he was able to eventually voice his own admission that at the time of committing his crimes he was unable to see that he w...2021-11-011h 04GramercyKathy HeinzelI know Kathy would never have chosen this path to intentionally walk down, but the lessons, friendships, and change of heart she gained while in prison were transformational for her. Our lives are but a series of small choices compiled together to form a cohesive whole. Every seemingly inconsequential act matters. They all form the basis of our character, our thought processes, and eventually our actions. After our conversation Kathy emailed me some more thoughts that she regretted not sharing during our interview. I'd like to share those at this time, in her own w...2021-10-2556 minGramercyGilian VillatoroIan's insight as to how the rest of society views and judges the incarcerated is spot on. I really appreciate his counter argument against that mindset. I love how he appeals to our humanity by reminding us that they are just people who were shaped by a certain set of circumstances which eventually influenced who they became. It's not an excuse, it's one explanation that helps us put the shoe on the other foot for a minute. What would you have done had you grown up in these set of circumstances? When we can see ourselves in the other...2021-10-181h 02GramercyCasey DavidWho he is now seems incongruous with the story he shares of his early life. His transformation blows me away. He is kind, forgiving, and generous. He is open and vulnerable, sharing his fears and deepest sorrows. It breaks my heart hearing that he wanted to end his life so bad. Thank God for somebody seeing the good in him, having the courage to tell him and in doing so reignited his spark to continue living. I'm so thankful that spark of fire in him never went out and that he ultimately decided to help kids like the one...2021-10-1154 minGramercySandy RodriguezSandy is completely others centered. She genuinely cares and does everything in her power to help make life better for those around her be it her family, her community, or those she touches through her work. What a wonderfully unique vantage point Sandy brings to each situation she encounters. It was the positive influence of her community in her own life that taught her who she was and grounded her. She's witnessed the benefits of it in her own life and sees the lack of it in the lives of others and desires to cultivate that deeply h...2021-10-0444 minGramercyErik AnderssonErik was not shy in naming his problem and the root of his choices...he cared deeply about what others thought of him. Haven't we all been in those same shoes? Yet ,at the time, he didn't have the tools to handle that fear and insecurity with mental clarity. How many of us would be so forthcoming in telling others where we lacked character and understanding in our youth...most of the time we prefer to chalk it up to stupidity instead of our own ignorance. I'm deeply impressed by the level of character Erik shows now that he u...2021-09-271h 17GramercyChris JohnsonWhen we sat down to talk, he had this awesome lion as his zoom background. He named him Wayne. After visiting with Chris, I learned that it couldn't have been a more perfect representation of who he is. It represents the strength of character and resilience he now possesses. Join me as Chris reveals with profound vulnerability the story of his life. Chris' insight into the human condition astounds me. He's so perceptive, intelligent, and humble. I LOVE how he said, "People have opened up to me about a lot of stuff, because I make myself safe f...2021-09-201h 24GramercyQuan HuynhQuan works as the Senior Post Release Program Manager for Defy Ventures, a non-profit helping those with a criminal past transform their lives through the journey of entrepreneurship. After spending twenty-two years in and out of correctional institutions, Quan was paroled from a life sentence in 2015 and created his first company six months later. The following year, he received the Peace Fellowship Award for his work with the Alternatives to Violence Project. Quan has been featured in Entrepreneur, PBS Newshour, Talks at Google, and numerous other publications and podcasts.Quan is genuine. He is the real deal...2021-09-131h 22GramercyWelcome to Season 3 - Life After PrisonI'm so thankful you're joining me for another season of listening to and learning from those who have been pushed to the fringes of society. This entire season was borne out of a book I read about one man's story. The book is titled, "The Sparrow In The Razor Wire" by Quan Huynh. As soon as I finished reading it, I knew I had to meet this incredible man. I also knew I wanted to learn more about what it was like on the inside and listen to the stories of all the men and women who have endured th...2021-09-0608 minGramercyLessons From Season Two This would be so much more fun in a community setting if we could each share our takeaways with each other and support one another in our growing and learning process. I gain so much from hearing your thoughts and experiences. Thank you to each one of you who have shared with me throughout the season. And finally, as much as I look forward to sharing what I've learned this season with you, I'm equally nervous. This is very personal. It's as if you found the key to my diary and are able to read my secret thoughts. I f...2021-06-0730 minGramercyTiara M. Tucker, M.STiara's website describes her as a sought-after thought partner, and I can totally see why. I really enjoyed our deep talk over ideas of social justice and police accountability. I especially appreciate how she differentiates between social justice vs social injustice! Social Injustice is not limited to a black/white issue...injustices happen everywhere.I can learn alot from Tiara's approach to growth. I was impressed how she took what could be viewed as something negative, or maybe even discriminatory, and decided to make changes on her own to give her the experience she...2021-05-3154 minGramercyCorey HutchinsCorey's passion for tap is contagious. I love how excited he gets when he talks about it! I love the freedom of expression and form that tap dance allows. But mostly I appreciate how personal this is to Corey, how he knows he's part of a culture of the history of tap and he's doing his part to pass the mantle and history down to the younger generation.I like how Corey views the world and sees opportunities. For example, how he used his time traveling with Riverdance to learn more about world cultures...2021-05-241h 15GramercyJoshua WilliamsHearing Josh talk about how he's constantly thinking about it and actively working at not coming across as "shady" makes me sad. I hate that the onus is often on Black people to look non-threatening. This is not right and it saddens me that this is a daily reality for African Americans. They are fighting a centuries long battle of stereotypes and false information that are rampant among white Americans.Speaking of that, I really, really appreciate Josh's confession that even he sometimes harbors questionable viewpoints against other Black people. Would that we all...2021-05-1744 minGramercyJaQuintin MeansRight out of the gates JaQuintin exposes his heart in how he expresses his desire for unity. When he's explaining injustices against Black or Indigenous people, it's for the sole purpose of educating, overcoming, and healing in order to create a better future for our children. Doing the hard work now will yield positive results for future generations.JaQuinitn's insight into how there are people from every race thriving and oppressed really challenged me to stop and think and see this through his lens. It was a powerful declaration that he has given much...2021-05-1044 minGramercyChalmer WilliamsChalmer speaks to racism's cousin...classism. I appreciate his description of racism not being as direct when you grow up in an area that is economically depressed and you live among the marginalized. It's just not something you see. But classism is extremely pervasive as well as a slowly boiling frustration hidden just below the surface. Passive enough not to be talked about very often but noticed by all.It fascinated me how Chalmer explained his education on racism (or lack thereof) in his childhood home. It seemed that his parents were happy to...2021-05-031h 05GramercyJ. Kevin PowellKevin actively works at helping others identify where they have prejudices and how they can work to grow and include the "other." It's beautiful, necessary, hard work. Kevin has all the best words. I'm envious of his ability to string such genius sentences together. He definitely has the gift of communication. The thing I love so much about Kevin is genuineness. Everything he does comes out of a desire for a deeper connection between differing cultures. For example, in both his book and his podcast he opens with ground rules for conversation which he's learned throughout his years as...2021-04-261h 03GramercyDr. Meredith WatsonI really like how Dr. Meredith spoke to our motives, especially when it comes to being an ally. We must questions ourselves as to why we want to be this….so that we look good, are seen, for our own ego. We can't say we're an ally and only do it when it's convenient. I'm speaking to myself here too. I often feel like giving up, thinking my effort isn't enough. But it's not about me. It's about us and what is best for the common good. If my voice, actions, money, or other contributions help better someone else's li...2021-04-1957 minGramercyGreg GoodsGreg and I start off the conversation with some hot sports opinions! We connected over his love of sports. What a fun conversation this was! This is what an interview looks like when you just follow where the conversation leads. Greg brings a young, important, balanced perspective to our conversation. During his free time, he records and produces his very own podcast called: On The Spot where he discusses all things sports, entertainment and music.I was really surprised and impressed with Greg's view on politics in sports. He completely and reasonably sees both sides. I appreciate...2021-04-121h 04GramercyCaptain Harold McGheeHarold has more than a decade of teaching and counseling experience, enabling him to reach others with truth, transparency, and strength. In addition to over a decade of service to the United States Army, Harold has launched several successful businesses, and now focuses all his humor, experience, and enthusiasm on being of deep service as an Entrepreneur and Creative Director with the goal of inspiring people todevelop lives that display purpose, freedom, and legacy!In today's episode we tackle such topics as the school to prison pipeline, government assistance, systemic poverty...2021-04-051h 16GramercyJanice BonsuJanice's accomplishments astound me. She received her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, her MPH (which stands for Masters of Public Health, I had to look that one up) from the University of Pennsylvania, and her almost M.D from Ohio State University Medical School. She is excited to start her residency this June as a full fledged medical doctor. And, as if that wasn't impressive enough, she is also a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force (soon to be promoted to Captain in May). I met this intelligent, graceful, articulate woman completely by chance. I found h...2021-03-2959 minGramercyOfficer Rashod ColemanAuthor Rashod's autobiography about his father's imprisonment is eerily similar to one most of us might already be familiar with from Bryan Stevenson's book, "Just Mercy." It's heartbreaking, unfair, and cruel...but imagine being the child who had to live through it. This is Rashod's story...Rashod has such a tender heart for helping people. He also brings a unique perspective….that of an African American police officer. He sees and can speak to both sides of the equation with knowledge, compassion, and understanding. He is purposeful about building positive relationships with those living in tougher neighborhoods. He...2021-03-2255 minGramercyRahbin ShyneMy guest today has a long list of credits to her name: author, creative, educator, podcaster (her books and podcast are linked in the show notes), and public speaker just to name a few. Rabhin has taught in the Long Beach, CA Unified School District for over twenty years. She’s worked a total of 30 years in education at various levels—K-12, community college and university. She earned her BA in Sociology from Stanford University and J.D. at UCLA School of Law. Oh ya, and she does all that while also walking half marathons multiple times a year. She e...2021-03-151h 01GramercyLaQuanta JacksonLaQuanta's mom made the hard choice of leaving her home and family in Tulsa to give a better life with more opportunity to her kids by moving to Seattle. She was given the chance to grow up in a beautiful neighborhood with successful professionals as parents and all the privilege that comes with it. I found her admission fascinating that privilege sheltered her exposure to racist actions even though she saw glimpses in how those around her were treated. I can understand how it took her awhile to process these actions as racism since they were not overt in...2021-03-0846 minGramercyRalph Monroe IIIToday I am so happy to introduce you to my new friend Ralph Monroe III. He is a modern day renaissance man. He is a poet, father, husband, podcaster, graduate student, preacher, audio and video producer, graphic artist, and business owner. But I knew he was my new best friend when I read in his bio that bookstores are like candy stores for him. We are kindred spirits. Unfortunately, you don't have the benefit of seeing him while he is talking. If you did, you would see a man who never stops smiling. His joy of life is contagious...2021-03-0152 minGramercyCrystal Levingston, MA, LPCI can't wait to introduce you to my dear friend, Crystal. In this episode, you might feel a bit like a fly on the wall overhearing two friends sitting at the kitchen table just talking about life. Crystal is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified School Counselor, and Musician. She began her professional experiences as a middle school and high school orchestra director. Crystal has 19 years of educational experience and 7 years as a School Counselor. She is also the mom of two incredible highschoolers, Carissa and Rueben and an all around hilarious, good person. When I...2021-02-2243 minGramercyPrecious PioneerPrecious has a contagious optimism and a gift of expressing herself with eloquence and grace. In today's episode, we discuss what it means to be a strong black woman, what passive aggressive comments look and feel like, as well as what it's like growing up biracial in the United States. I want to give a huge shout out to Precious' parents for raising such a self-aware, well-adjusted, conscientious young lady who knows who she is and where she stands. She tackles tough problems with action, assertiveness, and kindness. Precious takes her impact on the world seriously. She's o...2021-02-1541 minGramercyBobby WashingtonToday I am in conversation with Mr. Bobby Washington. He is a pastor at the multicultural East Denver Church of God. He is also a successful businessman owning and operating two nationwide businesses. Bobby has a Chinese mother and African American father and lived abroad during his childhood. His life experiences give him a unique point of view about racism in the U.S . I was captivated by his story, his gentle manner in conveying the truth, his honest perspective about racism, and the kindness that radiates from him. There were several takeaways from my visit with B...2021-02-081h 04GramercyMyriama Smith Traore I first learned of Myriama through a mutual friend who sent me her article, "Seeing Color." . In it, Myriama says, "Now is the right time to educate yourself on the reality of black lives and how you can become an effective advocate for racial justice. You can start by seeing color." She is a thoughtful, kind, expressive young woman and thanks to her incredible parents, she is especially wise beyond her years. I commend her for taking the time to share her heart, fears, and experiences with us. It is a very vulnerable position to be in and I a...2021-02-0144 minGramercySaja ButlerSaja Butler is first and foremost a musician. Music can't help but flow out of her. She owns her own company called Urban Monk Studio where she has taught and continues to teach thousands of music lovers how to sing and play a variety of instruments. She is passionate about the power of music in life. Saja sees music as a bridge that joins people together. It is with that same contagious joy and passion that she welcomes and loves everyone in her life. I met Saja at her home in Old Town Fort C...2021-01-251h 02GramercySeason Two Trailer - Being Black in AmericaIn this season we learn how to be an ally to our Black co-workers, neighbors, and friends. We learn how to ask relevant questions. We learn how to listen. We learn how to say, "I see you. I hear you. I am with you." Articles on Racism:What is systemic racism?Becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable topic of race.Anti-racism: A practice in being uncomfortable.The Myth of a Post Racial AmericaPost Racial Society2021-01-1807 minGramercyLessons From Season OneThe top 7 reasons for displacement: 1) Persecution, be it racial, religious, political, or social. 2) War, as we've witnessed in the news from places like Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq 3) Climate Change - the UNHCR estimates that in 2018, 16.1 million people were displaced by weather related disasters and hazards precipitated by climate change.4) Violation of Human Rights - this most often occurs when the wealthy and powerful elite become corrupt government agents who then stop supporting the social structures that provide for the poor. 5) Poverty - this is also tied to governmental inadequacy, ineptitude, and greed. 6) Hunger - most often due to dro...2020-10-1918 minGramercyFrank Anello - Project WorthmoreFrank is just a regular guy with an admittedly not-so-perfect track record, who found where he belonged. It just so happened that where he belonged was with immigrants and refugees. It was as much of a surprise to him as anybody. His love for "the other" drove him and his wife Carolyn to create a beautiful community in Denver called Project Worthmore. Even after 10 years of creating positive change in the community, it just keeps growing and including more and more people. Project Worthmore truly does reinforce the worth and value of each immigrant and refugee as they learn...2020-10-1244 minGramercyJosh Stallings - Colorado Immigrant Rights CoalitionColorado Immigrant Rights Coalition is a statewide, membership-based coalition founded in 2002. It encompasses all types of organizations from immigrant to business and faith to labor, basically any organization that wants to ally itself with their mission. Their goal is to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees by making Colorado a more welcoming, immigrant-friendly state. Thank you CIRC! They actively achieve this mission through non-partisan civic engagement, public education, as well as working as advocates for fair and humane immigration policies. Josh is personally engaged in ending ICE notifications, informing immigrants of their rights, increasing access to legal and co...2020-10-0547 minGramercyHtee Ku - BurmaChristian Karen are a persecuted minority and driven from their homeland.. Many of the ethnic cultures from Myanmar refer to their country as Burma. The US Dept of State uses Myanmar and Burma interchangeably.Htee's story is tragic and beautiful all at the same time. During our conversation, I took a cautious path asking Htee about her experiences in the camp. You have to be sensitive to tread lightly and follow the interviewee's lead. Most camp residents have experienced horrors too heavy to bear, let alone voice. Trauma is a given. Yet Htee graciously...2020-09-2847 minGramercyKarin Bates - ESL TeacherNot only has Karin taught English as a Second Language in elementary, middle and high school, as well as university settings, she has also taught and lived in several countries throughout the world. I am thankful I got to know Karin during the last 3 years while teaching at The Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado. Obviously, Karin has a huge, tender heart towards the people to whom she devotes her life. She is constantly wanting to adapt and adjust her lessons to the needs of her current students. She stays abreast of on-going social and political...2020-09-2142 minGramercyLaura Peniche - MexicoWhat a powerful story of tenacity, courage, and love. Her father took incredible risks because of love - what father wouldn't? Laura overcame great odds as a person without status to achieve her dream of higher education. But most importantly, she learned perseverance through her struggles and came out stronger because of them. Of course she gives back to her community in such palpable ways. Of course she seeks to help others, it's who her father encouraged her to be through his own life example. Thank you for reminding me of the beauty that comes when we persevere through...2020-09-1452 minGramercyThe Lawyer Lady - Part TwoI honestly had no idea that immigrants paid taxes, in fact, I never really thought about it.. It was also news to me how much revenue those taxes generate. Equally surprising is the relatively small amount of social welfare consumed by immigrants. It is incredible the amount of power the media has to negatively or positively affect our opinion of an issue based on how they spin it. It's on us to research and find out if what we hear is true or not, especially in today's society of "alternative facts," conspiracy theories, and outright lies being substituted as...2020-09-0743 minGramercyThe Lawyer Lady - Part OneToday's episode is the first in a two part series on immigration law. I had the pleasure of interviewing Autumn Nelson, Rocio Rivera and Carla Crapster - the incredible trio from the law firm: The Lawyer Lady in Longmont, CO . They were so gracious to sit down with me and explain in very practical terms what the general public needs to know when it comes to better understanding immigration in the United States. This interview is full of incredibly useful information that can help us respond to the top three prevalent myths of immigration. This conversation might change what...2020-09-0743 minGramercyIdriss Siyat - KenyaAlthough Idriss is from Kenya, his roots are Somali. Through the course of research for this episode, I learned that Somali people occupy all of Somalia, Somaliland, the northern part of Djibouti, north-western Kenya, and the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. Somalis practice Islam which has been an integral part of society for 14 centuries. It is a major influence in their daily lives as you will hear from Idriss' story.I love how I never know where my conversations will go with each of my guests. Although I have questions prepared ahead of time, I...2020-08-3149 minGramercyRama Raghavan - India Our boys became best friends in elementary school ushering in lasting family bonds. Since those early years, my family has moved to two different states. Yet our friendship remains strong. Our boys have celebrated high school graduations with each other. Our families have vacationed together. I think you get the picture. This is my friend. I value this gift in my life. I have learned so much from Rama and his wife. And I'm thrilled he's here with us today to share his story.Before we begin, I'd like to dispel a myth about im...2020-08-2454 minGramercyAlex Kloehn - Lutheran Family Services Rocky MountainsChange-making looks different for every person. It takes the work of an entire community to welcome our refugee friends; from the people donating furniture and setting up apartments to those who meet them at the airport and those walk alongside the refugees helping them adapt to their new environment during those crucial first few months. Alex, and all those working at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, remind us that the refugees they serve are people who just want a fresh start in life. They want the chance to watch their children grow up in safety. They desire to work...2020-08-1747 minGramercyMohamed Malim - SomaliaMohamed's story starts with his parents' story, as most of ours do. Over a million Somalis have lost their homes and been forced to flee because of a decades long civil war. Many flee to neighboring countries such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, Yemen, and Kenya. The Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya is where Mohamed's family fled to and where he was born 24 years ago. It is the world's largest refugee complex. As of January 2020, the UN estimates 217,532 Somali refugees and asylum seekers are living among it's 5 camps. This is not a healthy place to birth a child, yet children make...2020-08-1029 minGramercyMary - HondurasMary is doing an incredibly courageous thing by sharing her story with us. She wants people to know what it's like being an undocumented immigrant in the United States. This interview was hard for her. I could see in her eyes the memories she was reliving. I have the utmost respect for Mary. Eleanor Roosevelt says, "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face." Mary has done this.The story that made the deepest impact on me happened after we finished recording. Mary gave me...2020-08-0343 minGramercyLisa Taylor - Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern ColoradoLisa is the Executive Director of IRCNOCO. Prior, Lisa had been the Executive Director of Right to Read of Weld County. In her capacity as Executive Director, Lisa manages all major grants, partnerships, staff, and daily operations. Lisa additionally sits on a variety of boards across Weld County to help further the mission of IRCNOCO as well as to raise the profile of their clients.Lisa's Quote: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.To learn more about IRCNOCO visit their website at: https://www.ircnoco.org/2020-07-2734 minGramercyReche Mouwembe - The Congo The Congo comprises two countries, The Republic of Congo where Reche is from, which is on the western side of the Congo River. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly known as Zaire) is east of the river. The Congolese Civil War in Reche's home country occurred from 1993-1994 as well as from 1997-1999. This is the civil war Reche references that her parents were fleeing from.Reche's Favorite Quote: If you can think it, you can do it.The Congo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CongoThe Congolese War: ht...2020-07-2058 minGramercyShukur Manaf - MyanmarMy guest today is Shukur Manaf. He is a 23 year old Rohingya refugee who's family is originally from Myanmar but who fled to Malaysia before Shukur was born. He is an incredible human being. He inspired me from the moment we sat down to talk. He is overwhelmingly optimistic, is so happy to be living in the US, and is thrilled to be able to help others. The history of Myanmar is very complex but is important to understand because of the current Rohingya refugee crisis .The following is an abbreviated version. 2020-07-1357 minGramercyIntroducing GramercyIntroducing gramercy, a podcast about those living and working on the margins of society. 2020-06-0504 min