Into Liberation: A podcast about transformative change, inclusion, and building a more just and compassionate world

Today I’m excited to introduce you to Terry Berman, a senior VISIONS consultant,  elder, and mentor to many of newer VISIONS consultants as they have come into this work. 

Terry grew up in a politically active Jewish family in South Africa, witnessing firsthand the courageous activism of her parents, whose anti-apartheid work forced the family into exile. Terry shares her story, reflecting on the complexities around her wh...

Join us for a conversation with Louise Coggins, longtime VISIONS board member and current board chair of VISIONS, who first met the founders of this organization when high schools integrated in Rocky Mount, NC. 

So much of VISIONS history and way of being is rooted in its value of relationality. Louise’s longtime connection and passionate support of VISIONS, and so many other organizations working for justice, is a testament to this...

Join us as we sit down with VISIONS co-founder, longtime consultant, and retired professor public health Dr. John Capitman! Dr. Capitman talks about how he specialized in eldercare and developed community interventions in public health, as well as how his background and the life experiences informed his commitment and his approach, including how a severe car accident and other trials deepened his empathy and understanding of system...

What does it mean to embrace a multicultural, democratic society in a nation scarred by Apartheid? Join us for the second part of our interview with Dr. Julian Sonn, who has spent the last thirty years working towards transformational change in South Africa. From the exuberance of the first democratic elections in 1994 to the ongoing quest for inclusivity, Dr. Sonn offers an in-depth look at the power and potential for leadership i...

Join us for another VISIONS elder story as we sit down with Dr. Julian Sonn, who has been with VISIONS, quite literally, since its inception. This is another in our series of elder story podcasts that we’re doing in honor of our 40th anniversary, which we'll be celebrating in Boston on September 27, 2024. 

Dr. Sonn is a psychologist and academic, and also worked extensively the VISIONS model while in exile in the US before retu...

This episode of Into Liberation features the extraordinary Dr. Cassandra Joubert, who starts by sharing her story of growing up in racially segregated Houston and becoming a passionate advocate for maternal and child health. Dr. Joubert talks about how her early life experiences and her time at Howard University in the early 1970s (amid the vibrant activism and Pan-Africanist movement) shaped her understanding of complex social iss...

Join us as we sit down with Vincent Johnson, as he recounts his  trajectory from being a 'third culture kid' to becoming the Director of Equity and Inclusive Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Growing up as the child of a serviceman who was stationed in Okinawa and Taiwan, as well as Washington, DC, Vincent's immersion in different cultures before attending Harvard University shaped his outlook...

What do feelings and emotions have to do with anti-oppression work?

Join me as I welcome longtime VISIONS consultant and counselor Felipe Garcia, who specializes in Transactional Analysis, the liberatory psychology framework at the core of our model. Felipe is the author of several articles, including one you may have read if you’ve been part of a longer VISIONS training called "The Role of Feelings in the Workplace....

You've probably heard about the importance of mental health, but have you ever considered how it intersects with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion? Join us for a  conversation with Dr. Haley Sparks, the Director of VISIONS' Mental Health Program, as we explore the terrain of DEI work and mental health. Dr. Sparks, a personality psychologist by training, shares about her journey and offers a preview of her upcomin...

What if you could immerse yourself in a captivating blend of personal stories, history, and introspective exploration, all while gaining powerful insights into racial equity, social justice, and their intricate relationship with land?

That's exactly what we're offering in today's episode as we talk about PACE Connect @ Foxfire Ranch, taking place from March 15-19, 2024 in Mississippi's Hill Country. Fo...

Note: This episode was recorded before the events of October 2023.

In this episode I speak to longtime VISIONS consultant Dr. Deborah J. Walker, who has spent her life doing anti-oppression work-- a commitment rooted in her experiences growing up in Birmingham, Alabama in the 1960s. When she was 12, Dr. Walker was a block away from the 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963, when it was bombed-- an inflection mom...