September 16, 2025 • 12 mins
In Wantonly Treacherous, Vanessa Riley reflects on faith, racial violence, and the fragility of democracy. From 9/11 to historical massacres and modern gun violence, this essay explores the consequences of hate, the importance of truth, and the need for empathy in a divided world.
This week’s book recommendations are:White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson – Explains how systemic white backlash perpetuates racial violence,The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone discusses the two most emotionally charged symbols relevant to Black communities, the Christian cross and the murderous lynching tree and their interconnection to the souls of Black folk.Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi – Traces the history of racist ideas in America, showing the ideological roots of wanton treachery.The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin – Highlights the consequences of ignoring racial injustice and moral responsibility.The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller is a historical fiction rooted in the truth of the Tulsa Massacre, and it explores themes of racial violence, the resilience of Black communities, and the complexities of faith and justice in the face of systemic oppression.
Keywords:
Wantonly Treacherous, 9/11 reflections, racial violence, white rage, Black history, Psalms 25, gun violence, democracy fragility, empathy, truth, civil unrest, historical massacres, social justice, faith, podcast essay
Episode Notes & Extras
Find my full show notes, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and extras on Substack → vanessariley.substack.com
Join the conversation
Drop your thoughts in the comments — I love hearing from you!
Support & Stay Connected
This week’s book recommendations are:White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson – Explains how systemic white backlash perpetuates racial violence,The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone discusses the two most emotionally charged symbols relevant to Black communities, the Christian cross and the murderous lynching tree and their interconnection to the souls of Black folk.Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi – Traces the history of racist ideas in America, showing the ideological roots of wanton treachery.The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin – Highlights the consequences of ignoring racial injustice and moral responsibility.The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller is a historical fiction rooted in the truth of the Tulsa Massacre, and it explores themes of racial violence, the resilience of Black communities, and the complexities of faith and justice in the face of systemic oppression.
Keywords:
Wantonly Treacherous, 9/11 reflections, racial violence, white rage, Black history, Psalms 25, gun violence, democracy fragility, empathy, truth, civil unrest, historical massacres, social justice, faith, podcast essay
Episode Notes & Extras
Find my full show notes, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and extras on Substack → vanessariley.substack.com
Join the conversation
Drop your thoughts in the comments — I love hearing from you!
Support & Stay Connected
- Like 👍 if this episode resonated with you
- Share ↗️ with a friend who’d enjoy it
- Subscribe 🔔 so you don’t miss the next one
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to the Rite of Passage with Vanessa Riley, the
podcast where storytelling meets passion in every page turns into
a new adventure. I'm your host, Vanessa Riley, and together
we'll dive deep into untold histories, reflect on current events
through a historical lands, share behind the scenes writing insights,
(00:29):
and explore the ups and downs of the author's journey
from rich historical novels to unforgettable characters to pop culture's
intrusion on the written word. Hey, we're going to explore
it all. So grab your pen, your notebook, and let's
begin our journey through the written word. Let's start your
(00:54):
Right of Passage wantonly treacherous in my essay. I want
to take a moment to thank all of you, my
listeners at Right of Passage. We've crossed over twelve thousand
downloads and you don't know what it means to me
to just be able to talk with you every week. Subscribers,
(01:20):
and especially my paid supporters. I couldn't do this without you.
And for my paid supporters, I have resources at the
end of this podcast that's going to help elevate your writing.
But now let's get on with the broadcast. Wantonly treacherous.
(01:41):
I've been reading Psalms lately, Psalms twenty five one through six,
in particular when anxiety, uncertainty, and unrest are high. The
wisdom and comfort in David's words bless my soul. This
week has been heavy, the twenty fourth anniversary of nine
(02:02):
to eleven, one of the largest attacks on American soil.
More than three thousand lives were lost, including children, and
over three thousand fifty one children lost a parent that day.
I often think about life before September eleventh. On the tenth,
(02:25):
I was working at a high tech startup, preparing for
a visit from Canter Fitzgerald. I and my team we
watched the towers fall, the attack on the Pentagon, and
the down flight in Pennsylvania. Then we learned that Canter
Fitzgerald had fallen too, with six hundred and fifty eight
(02:46):
of its employees perishing. America awakened to new threats and
that startup. My startup never closed that round of financing,
and as it was ann casualty. Oh my God, in
you I trust. Back to the present. On September tenth,
(03:09):
twenty twenty five, three students were taken to the hospital
in critical condition following gunfire at Evergreen High School in Colorado.
Gun violence is not new. It amazes me that the
death and injury of school children, kids with their futures
ahead of them taken away, are barely covered in the news.
(03:33):
It's as though we've accepted such horrors as part of
our lives. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be
put to shame. The very next day, September eleventh, several
historically black colleges and universities Spelman University, Alabama State University,
(03:58):
Hampton University, Virginia State University, Southern University, A and M,
and Bethune Cookman University went into lockdown due to threats
of violence. People wanted to take their anger out on
innocent students. White rage targeting black communities is not new.
(04:21):
White rage bringing violence to black folks mining their business
like college students is also not new. The Memphis Mascer
of eighteen sixty six left forty six black people dead
and destroyed homes, churches, and schools. Later that same year,
New Orleans Masker saw a white mob attack newly freed
(04:42):
black citizens, killing more than thirty five. In eighteen seventy three,
the Callfax massacre in Louisiana claimed the lives of about
one hundred and fifty black militia members who were attempting surrender.
The following year, the Vicksburg Massacre of eighteen seventy four
in Mississippi killed an estimated three hundred black citizens. The
(05:07):
violence continued into the twentieth century. The Springfield race riot
of nineteen oh eight killed at least fifteen black residents.
In nineteen twenty Okosi Massacre in Florida took the lives
of up to eighty black people while homes and churches
were burned. The Tulsa race masker of nineteen twenty one
(05:31):
left as many as three hundred black residents dead as
thousands of white rioters looted and burned the thriving Greenwood district.
Just two years later, the Rosewood Massacre of nineteen twenty
three killed an estimate of one hundred and fifty black
residents and the entire town was destroyed by a white mob.
(05:53):
They shall be ashamed, who are wantonly treacherous. When violence
struck a college campus in Utah, members of Congress, media
voices and others pointed to the marginalized as the source.
In now deleted tweets. They stroke the raw underbelly of
(06:15):
anger in this nation. Instead of waiting for facts, people
grab hold of their insecurities and hate, clamoring for civil war. Unfortunately,
this too, is not new. People are desperate to blame
someone else for their pain. The immigrant, the stranger, the
(06:36):
marginalized in society carry invisible targets on their backs. Make
me to know your ways, o Lord, teach me your paths.
Then the news broke of a shooter who assassinated a
man on Utah's campus. A man whose speeches proclaimed white supremacy,
(06:58):
who said he could not trust a pilot because of
his skin, who claimed slavery was good. A man who
defended the right to bear arms and dismissed gun violence
as inevitable casualties. He died from a single gunshot fired
from an assault weapon. A wife and young children are
(07:19):
left heartbroken and bereft, facing the very world this husband
and father had worked so hard to wantonly paint with
treacherous words. Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation. This assassination
(07:39):
is a tragedy. Every incident I've listed is a tragedy,
and This one makes me think about the words I
say and the words I leave behind in my podcasts
and in each of my books. I don't want to
be wantonly treasurous. I don't want people to dismiss my
message because it lacks empathy or understanding. My message is clear.
(08:03):
There is too much wanton disrespect, too much wanton loss
of life, and too much excuse seeking rather than answer finding.
For you, I wait all the day long, remember your mercy,
O Lord, and your steadfast love. So I pray for
(08:27):
mercy for me and for this country. I pray for
those who mourn, for those who have lost loved ones
to violence. I never realized how fragile and special our
democracy was until I began to hear calls for civil war.
Everything is fragile, everything is at risk. I fear that
(08:49):
we've all been wanton with our actions and treacherous with
our words. Why is it so hard to see the truth?
We must see it, even the hard truth. And I
wonder if truth had consistently found its way into the news,
into broadcasts, into the halls of Congress, would there be
(09:10):
fewer senseless tragedies, fewer people waking up without the ones
they love. This week's book recommendation lists are as follows.
White Rage, The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by
(09:31):
Carol Anderson. It explains how systemic white backlash perpetuates racial violence.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Kohane
discusses the two emotionally charged symbols relevant to Black communities,
the Cross and the Lynching Tree. It explores these symbols
(09:51):
and their interconnection to the souls of black folks. Stamp
from the Beginning by Eburne. Ex Kind traces the history
of racist ideas in America, showing the ideological roots of
wanton treachery. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin highlights
(10:12):
the consequences of ignoring racial injustice and moral responsibility. And
for a bit of fiction, The Filling Station by Vanessa
Miller is a historical fiction rooted in the truth of
the Tulsa Mascer and explores themes of racial violence, the
resilience of Black communities, and the complexities of faith and
(10:35):
justice in the face of systemic oppression. This week, I'm
highlighting Mahogany Books through their website and bookshop dot org.
For everyone listening, I want to encourage you to use
your words. As I promised at the beginning, I have
something for you. I've built out my YouTube channel Write
of Passage, history, culture and writing with tons of writing
(10:58):
resources to help us all use our words more effectively.
You can find me on YouTube at at Vanessa Riley author,
or just click the links below. For my special paid subscribers,
you're going to get all ten lessons private access for
(11:18):
you to build a character. I take you through the
lessons that we talked about and give you much more.
I think you're going to enjoy that. Click the private
links below. The preetor campaign has begun. Get the collector
cards for buy your Sword and see this book releases
January thirteenth, twenty twenty six. You can find my notes
(11:42):
on substack or on my website Vanessailey dot com under
the podcast link in the about tab. If you're ready
to move with purpose and power, hit that like button
and subscribe to write a Passage. Be a part of
my crew. Your journey deserve nerv's community, and I want
to be there with you. Thank you for listening. Hopefully
(12:05):
it'll come again. This is Vanessa Riley
Welcome to the Rite of Passage with Vanessa Riley, the
podcast where storytelling meets passion in every page turns into
a new adventure. I'm your host, Vanessa Riley, and together
we'll dive deep into untold histories, reflect on current events
through a historical lands, share behind the scenes writing insights,
(00:29):
and explore the ups and downs of the author's journey
from rich historical novels to unforgettable characters to pop culture's
intrusion on the written word. Hey, we're going to explore
it all. So grab your pen, your notebook, and let's
begin our journey through the written word. Let's start your
(00:54):
Right of Passage wantonly treacherous in my essay. I want
to take a moment to thank all of you, my
listeners at Right of Passage. We've crossed over twelve thousand
downloads and you don't know what it means to me
to just be able to talk with you every week. Subscribers,
(01:20):
and especially my paid supporters. I couldn't do this without you.
And for my paid supporters, I have resources at the
end of this podcast that's going to help elevate your writing.
But now let's get on with the broadcast. Wantonly treacherous.
(01:41):
I've been reading Psalms lately, Psalms twenty five one through six,
in particular when anxiety, uncertainty, and unrest are high. The
wisdom and comfort in David's words bless my soul. This
week has been heavy, the twenty fourth anniversary of nine
(02:02):
to eleven, one of the largest attacks on American soil.
More than three thousand lives were lost, including children, and
over three thousand fifty one children lost a parent that day.
I often think about life before September eleventh. On the tenth,
(02:25):
I was working at a high tech startup, preparing for
a visit from Canter Fitzgerald. I and my team we
watched the towers fall, the attack on the Pentagon, and
the down flight in Pennsylvania. Then we learned that Canter
Fitzgerald had fallen too, with six hundred and fifty eight
(02:46):
of its employees perishing. America awakened to new threats and
that startup. My startup never closed that round of financing,
and as it was ann casualty. Oh my God, in
you I trust. Back to the present. On September tenth,
(03:09):
twenty twenty five, three students were taken to the hospital
in critical condition following gunfire at Evergreen High School in Colorado.
Gun violence is not new. It amazes me that the
death and injury of school children, kids with their futures
ahead of them taken away, are barely covered in the news.
(03:33):
It's as though we've accepted such horrors as part of
our lives. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be
put to shame. The very next day, September eleventh, several
historically black colleges and universities Spelman University, Alabama State University,
(03:58):
Hampton University, Virginia State University, Southern University, A and M,
and Bethune Cookman University went into lockdown due to threats
of violence. People wanted to take their anger out on
innocent students. White rage targeting black communities is not new.
(04:21):
White rage bringing violence to black folks mining their business
like college students is also not new. The Memphis Mascer
of eighteen sixty six left forty six black people dead
and destroyed homes, churches, and schools. Later that same year,
New Orleans Masker saw a white mob attack newly freed
(04:42):
black citizens, killing more than thirty five. In eighteen seventy three,
the Callfax massacre in Louisiana claimed the lives of about
one hundred and fifty black militia members who were attempting surrender.
The following year, the Vicksburg Massacre of eighteen seventy four
in Mississippi killed an estimated three hundred black citizens. The
(05:07):
violence continued into the twentieth century. The Springfield race riot
of nineteen oh eight killed at least fifteen black residents.
In nineteen twenty Okosi Massacre in Florida took the lives
of up to eighty black people while homes and churches
were burned. The Tulsa race masker of nineteen twenty one
(05:31):
left as many as three hundred black residents dead as
thousands of white rioters looted and burned the thriving Greenwood district.
Just two years later, the Rosewood Massacre of nineteen twenty
three killed an estimate of one hundred and fifty black
residents and the entire town was destroyed by a white mob.
(05:53):
They shall be ashamed, who are wantonly treacherous. When violence
struck a college campus in Utah, members of Congress, media
voices and others pointed to the marginalized as the source.
In now deleted tweets. They stroke the raw underbelly of
(06:15):
anger in this nation. Instead of waiting for facts, people
grab hold of their insecurities and hate, clamoring for civil war. Unfortunately,
this too, is not new. People are desperate to blame
someone else for their pain. The immigrant, the stranger, the
(06:36):
marginalized in society carry invisible targets on their backs. Make
me to know your ways, o Lord, teach me your paths.
Then the news broke of a shooter who assassinated a
man on Utah's campus. A man whose speeches proclaimed white supremacy,
(06:58):
who said he could not trust a pilot because of
his skin, who claimed slavery was good. A man who
defended the right to bear arms and dismissed gun violence
as inevitable casualties. He died from a single gunshot fired
from an assault weapon. A wife and young children are
(07:19):
left heartbroken and bereft, facing the very world this husband
and father had worked so hard to wantonly paint with
treacherous words. Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation. This assassination
(07:39):
is a tragedy. Every incident I've listed is a tragedy,
and This one makes me think about the words I
say and the words I leave behind in my podcasts
and in each of my books. I don't want to
be wantonly treasurous. I don't want people to dismiss my
message because it lacks empathy or understanding. My message is clear.
(08:03):
There is too much wanton disrespect, too much wanton loss
of life, and too much excuse seeking rather than answer finding.
For you, I wait all the day long, remember your mercy,
O Lord, and your steadfast love. So I pray for
(08:27):
mercy for me and for this country. I pray for
those who mourn, for those who have lost loved ones
to violence. I never realized how fragile and special our
democracy was until I began to hear calls for civil war.
Everything is fragile, everything is at risk. I fear that
(08:49):
we've all been wanton with our actions and treacherous with
our words. Why is it so hard to see the truth?
We must see it, even the hard truth. And I
wonder if truth had consistently found its way into the news,
into broadcasts, into the halls of Congress, would there be
(09:10):
fewer senseless tragedies, fewer people waking up without the ones
they love. This week's book recommendation lists are as follows.
White Rage, The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by
(09:31):
Carol Anderson. It explains how systemic white backlash perpetuates racial violence.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Kohane
discusses the two emotionally charged symbols relevant to Black communities,
the Cross and the Lynching Tree. It explores these symbols
(09:51):
and their interconnection to the souls of black folks. Stamp
from the Beginning by Eburne. Ex Kind traces the history
of racist ideas in America, showing the ideological roots of
wanton treachery. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin highlights
(10:12):
the consequences of ignoring racial injustice and moral responsibility. And
for a bit of fiction, The Filling Station by Vanessa
Miller is a historical fiction rooted in the truth of
the Tulsa Mascer and explores themes of racial violence, the
resilience of Black communities, and the complexities of faith and
(10:35):
justice in the face of systemic oppression. This week, I'm
highlighting Mahogany Books through their website and bookshop dot org.
For everyone listening, I want to encourage you to use
your words. As I promised at the beginning, I have
something for you. I've built out my YouTube channel Write
of Passage, history, culture and writing with tons of writing
(10:58):
resources to help us all use our words more effectively.
You can find me on YouTube at at Vanessa Riley author,
or just click the links below. For my special paid subscribers,
you're going to get all ten lessons private access for
(11:18):
you to build a character. I take you through the
lessons that we talked about and give you much more.
I think you're going to enjoy that. Click the private
links below. The preetor campaign has begun. Get the collector
cards for buy your Sword and see this book releases
January thirteenth, twenty twenty six. You can find my notes
(11:42):
on substack or on my website Vanessailey dot com under
the podcast link in the about tab. If you're ready
to move with purpose and power, hit that like button
and subscribe to write a Passage. Be a part of
my crew. Your journey deserve nerv's community, and I want
to be there with you. Thank you for listening. Hopefully
(12:05):
it'll come again. This is Vanessa Riley
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