Episode: Greg Thompson: Catalyzing Racial Healing Through Storytelling
Scholar and writer Greg Thompson joins us to talk about the sacred work of storytelling, and how sharing the story of the Underground Railroad can promote racial healing and justice.
Greg Thompson is a scholar, artist, writer, and producer whose work focuses on race and equity. He currently serves as Executive Director of Voices Underground, an initiative to promote the nationally significant story of the Underground Railroad in our community and as a Research Fellow in African American Cultural Heritage at Lincoln University (HBCU), and has become good friends with Bishop Todd.
Also check out Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair, a highly-recommended book that Greg co-wrote with Duke Kwon that provides a compelling historical and theological case for the church’s obligation to provide reparations for the oppression of African Americans.
You can connect with Greg on Facebook, Instagram, or by emailing him at greg@vuproject.org.
Announcements and Links:
Mentioned in this episode:
- Clint Smith’s book How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
- Netflix series High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America
- The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty
- Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair by Duke L. Kwon and Gregory Thompson
This Black History Month, C4SO has licensed four of artist Steve A. Prince’s social justice artworks to feature. We will post one artwork each Sunday, with questions and prompts for you to do Visio Divina, or “sacred seeing,” an ancient form of Christian prayer in which we allow our hearts and imaginations to enter into the image to see what God might have to say to us. Click the links below to the Visio Divina exercises:
C4SO is also celebrating Black History Month with a contemplation and discussion group led by the Revs. Teesha Hadra and Kimberly Deckel. Throughout February, they will highlight several works of poetry by black poets from various eras. They will also explore the photography of Gordon Parks. Each week, look for a selected poem and photograph on C4SO’s social media, along with prompts for you to use as you contemplate these works. The poems and photos will be compiled here.
Register now for a Zoom discussion on Monday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. CT, where Teesha, Kimberly and participants will discuss each of the poems and photographs they have selected and explore their thoughts and reactions.
Our Cycle of Prayer Spotlight ministry for this week is Immanuel Anglican Church in Decatur, GA, led by the Rev. Matthew Browne.

