Where Do You Find Hope? with Corina Newsome

In this episode of the Climate Changed podcast you will experience:

• A centering practice led by poet, Maya Williams.  You will hear Maya read Emily Dickinson’s Hope followed by one of Maya’s original poems, Religious Imposters. 
• Nicole Diroff has a deep and incredibly honest conversation with Corina Newsome
• Ben and Nicole’s deep and moving discussion about those remarks
• Next Steps for Engaged Hope

About Corina Newsome

Corina Newsome is the Associate Conservation Scientist at the National Wildlife Federation and a recent graduate from Georgia Southern University with a Master of Science in Biology. Corina, who began in the field of wildlife science as an animal care professional, specializes in avian conservation and passionately connects people with the natural world through birds.

Having experienced the hurdles faced by marginalized communities in wildlife conservation, Corina’s mission is to center the perspectives and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in wildlife conservation, environmental education, and exploration of the natural world. Corina is also one of the co-organizers of the inaugural #BlackBirdersWeek   

About Maya Williams and Their poem, Religious Imposters

From Mayawilliamspoet.com: Maya Williams (she/hers, they/them, and ey/em) is a religious nonbinary Black multiracial suicide survivor constantly writing poems. Maya is the seventh Poet Laureate of Portland, Maine.  Maya's content covers suicide awareness, mental health, the prison industrial complex, faith, entertainment media, grief, and healing.

About the poem, Religious Imposters, Maya writes: It is inspired by Baháʼí poet Anis Mojgani's poem "Shake the Dust." His poem is a call for so many different types of human beings to "shake the dust" and come into their own because of how there's so much to admire about them. I created this poem as an expression of love towards religious and non-religious people to let go of imposter syndrome (shake that dust, if you will). There's so much to admire about folks coming into their own worldview.

As a Christian writer, I cannot separate my writing process from my faith (especially when I write my prayers in my private journal). There is a sense of sacredness and desire for a community when I engage in writing a poem similar to this one. 

Religious Imposters was published in Frost Meadow Review and then shared on the Interfaith Youth Core. 

The Conversation “Faith journeys are not soundbites” -Nicole Diroff

Corina reveals how taking on racial injustice directly through activism has challenged the straight-forward faith she developed as a child at her church in Philadelphia. The outrage she has felt along with her commitment to engage in the struggle causes her to ask questions about her faith. She is wondering about Jesus as the great community organizer, as Dr. Heber Brown, has preached. To address the overwhelming anger along Corina chooses to engage in the process of deconstructing and reconstructing her faith. Through the process, she feels like a new person—back in touch with God and experiencing a new type of freedom.  She and Nicole talk about this messy and essential process. 

“I decided to I would make a career out of my desire to look closely. -Corina Newsome from A Thing with Feathers

Nicole first learned about Corina through the essay, The Thing wit