What does it take to become Beloved Community?

In Part 2 of Faith Under Fire, we move beyond naming spiritual trauma to the harder work of cultivating communities rooted in dignity, accountability, and care.

Our panel explores what it takes to create spaces where people can tell the truth about racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other barriers to belonging without being left to carry those burdens alone. We discuss restorative practices, courageous leadership, and why real belonging requires more than simply saying, “All are welcome.”

From the liberatory roots of faith traditions to the responsibilities of faith leaders in this political moment, this conversation reveals what faith communities can become when they are willing to move beyond comfort and toward transformation.

ABOUT THE PANEL

Adonis Lewis II is a Black/Mexican queer organizer, strategist, and movement leader whose work centers healing, justice, and collective liberation. With nearly two decades of experience supporting grassroots movements and historically marginalized communities, Adonis has led work spanning disaster recovery, restorative justice, digital equity, and queer and trans youth advocacy. He currently serves as Director of Strategy and Impact at the Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville (RSAA), leading with radical empathy, accountability, and a deep commitment to collective freedom.

Rev. Claudia Jiménez is a Unitarian Universalist community minister based in Asheville, NC, whose work centers collective liberation, racial equity, immigration justice, and faith-rooted community building. A longtime educator, minister, and leader in faith formation, she is also part of the Racial Equity Collective, which organizes Racial Equity Institute trainings in Asheville. Claudia brings a deeply relational approach to justice work grounded in collaboration, belonging, and thriving for all.

Malachi Gasaway is a native of Asheville, NC, a Christian, and a queer man whose journey through faith and identity continues to shape his commitment to justice-centered spirituality and authentic belonging. He currently serves as a ruling elder at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Rev. Sara Wilcox is the founding and sole pastor of Land of the Sky United Church of Christ in Asheville, NC, where she works to build faith communities rooted in justice, belonging, and abundant love. Grounded in progressive Christian theology and a deep commitment to collective liberation, Sara’s work bridges pastoral care, community organizing, sanctuary work, and faith-based justice movements. She believes deeply in the power of relationship, collaboration, and courageous community to transform both the church and the world.

Rev. Sean Hasker Palmer is Executive Director of the historic YMI Cultural Center in Asheville, NC, and a nationally recognized leader in Black cultural and educational spaces. An ordained minister, educator, and cultural strategist, Sean’s work weaves Black faith traditions, community leadership, activism, and collective liberation. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at NC A&T and working on a forthcoming book of poetry and preaching titled Black and Therefore Beautiful: Meditations for My People.

🔌 Plug in to find fuel for the long haul.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.

What happens when the place meant to heal you becomes the source of harm?

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation on spiritual trauma and the role of faith communities in social justice.

In this month's episode, five people of faith come together to unpack church hurt and what repair actually requires from communities that claim love.

While white Christian nationalism continues to weaponize faith to police belonging, justify exclusion, and reinforce supremacy culture, many people are still searching for spiritual community, accountability, and healing. This conversation goes deep into conversion therapy, queer faith journeys, liberation theology, forgiveness, and the difficult work of building spaces rooted in dignity, belonging, and becoming.

The message? Bad theology harms. But healing is still possible.

ABOUT THE PANEL

Adonis Lewis II is a Black/Mexican queer organizer, strategist, and movement leader whose work centers healing, justice, and collective liberation. With nearly two decades of experience supporting grassroots movements and historically marginalized communities, Adonis has led work spanning disaster recovery, restorative justice, digital equity, and queer and trans youth advocacy. He currently serves as Director of Strategy and Impact at the Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville (RSAA), leading with radical empathy, accountability, and a deep commitment to collective freedom.

Rev. Claudia Jiménez is a Unitarian Universalist community minister based in Asheville, NC, whose work centers collective liberation, racial equity, immigration justice, and faith-rooted community building. A longtime educator, minister, and leader in faith formation, she is also part of the Racial Equity Collective, which organizes Racial Equity Institute trainings in Asheville. Claudia brings a deeply relational approach to justice work grounded in collaboration, belonging, and thriving for all.

Malachi Gasaway is a native of Asheville, NC, a Christian, and a queer man whose journey through faith and identity continues to shape his commitment to justice-centered spirituality and authentic belonging. He currently serves as a ruling elder at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Rev. Sara Wilcox is the founding and sole pastor of Land of the Sky United Church of Christ in Asheville, NC, where she works to build faith communities rooted in justice, belonging, and abundant love. Grounded in progressive Christian theology and a deep commitment to collective liberation, Sara’s work bridges pastoral care, community organizing, sanctuary work, and faith-based justice movements. She believes deeply in the power of relationship, collaboration, and courageous community to transform both the church and the world.

Rev. Sean Hasker Palmer is Executive Director of the historic YMI Cultural Center in Asheville, NC, and a nationally recognized leader in Black cultural and educational spaces. An ordained minister, educator, and cultural strategist, Sean’s work weaves Black faith traditions, community leadership, activism, and collective liberation. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at NC A&T and working on a forthcoming book of poetry and preaching titled Black and Therefore Beautiful: Meditations for My People.

🎧 Press play to hear courageous faith in action.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.

What happens when community leads—and resources follow?

In this episode, we spotlight what became possible through Tzedek’s 2025 Community-Led Grantmaking process, where five local community members helped move $500,000 into Western North Carolina through a strategic funding partnership with Dogwood Health Trust, which matched that investment dollar for dollar.

The priorities were clear: People are craving connection, support, and spaces that help move beyond survival mode.

The response? Community built the answer. What emerged were solutions and visions already alive in the region, now resourced to grow:

• The People’s Place AVL is building civic fabric across lines of difference through relational dinners that spark reflection, collaboration, and action.
• LoveJoyLiberation Community Relations Firm is leveraging youth-led, intergenerational play as a tool for joy, healing, and belonging.
• Aflorar Herb Collective Climate Resilience Hub brings together climate resilience, herbal care, and rest through a grassroots model rooted in sustainability and collective healing.
• YWCA of Asheville is advancing inclusive infrastructure, digital access, and expanded safety while reimagining community care.

The result? Real connection. Real care. Real momentum.

This episode is a reminder that the people closest to the challenges are often closest to the solutions. When communities are trusted with resources, they don’t just imagine better futures; they build them.

🎧 Press play to hear what community made possible.

MEET THE COMMUNITY BUILDERS

David Greenson is a longtime grassroots organizer, bridge-builder, and co-founder of The People’s Place AVL. With roots in Oakland, New York City, and now Asheville, his decades of movement work center racial justice, accountability, and helping people connect across lines of difference to build shared power.

alexandria monque ravenel is a creative, spiritualist, and independent educator whose work centers empowerment, culture, and community connection. A native New Yorker now rooted in Western North Carolina, she co-founded The People’s Place AVL and Noir Collective AVL, a Black-owned boutique, art gallery, and bookstore featuring Black entrepreneurs, located on “The Block” within the retail spaces of YMI Cultural Center, one of the oldest operating African American cultural centers in the United States.

Dr. Amieris Lavender (“Dr. L”) is a visionary strategist and founder of LoveJoyLiberation Community Relations Firm. A storyteller, creative, gardener, and community builder, she specializes in turning bold ideas into people-centered systems and joyful public experiences.

Sarah Nuñez, PhD, is a cultural worker, educator, and community organizer based in Asheville. She is a co-founder of Aflorar Herb Collective and is leading the development of its Climate Resilience Hub, in collaboration with Sarita's Healing Hub. Her work weaves herbalism, healing justice, art, and movement-building to strengthen community care networks.

Diana Sierra is the CEO of YWCA of Asheville and its first Latina and openly gay leader. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she brings experience across direct service, county government, and nonprofit leadership focused on empowerment, access, and community wellbeing.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.

What if shelter wasn’t the end goal, but the beginning of coming home?

Join us as Christian Chambers of Safe Shelter breaks down how relationships and radical hospitality are redefining shelter in Asheville.

At Safe Shelter, people aren’t “clients.” They’re guests.

Led by community health workers and peer leaders with lived experience, Safe Shelter’s practical, wraparound support model centers dignity, trust, and connection. It’s a place where families stay together in all their forms. Pets are welcome. Community dinners replace isolation with belonging. And support goes beyond a bed for the night. We’re talking real pathways to permanent housing.

This is what home work looks like at Safe Shelter: real safety, real trust, real possibility.

About Christian: Christian Chambers is the Executive Director of Safe Shelter in Asheville, a community-driven nonprofit program of Counterflow that connects people to permanent housing through dignity-centered, holistic care. With both lived and professional experience navigating housing instability, Christian leads a team of community health workers and peer support specialists, building pathways rooted in trusting relationships, shared joy, and real-world support. He brings a deeply interpersonal approach to leadership, grounded in the belief that transformation happens through consistency, proximity, and showing up when it matters most.

Safe Shelter reimagines what it means to belong. And this conversation is a grounded look at what happens when dignity leads.

🎧 Press play to recharge.

🌐 Learn more at safeshelterasheville.org.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.

What if your morning coffee could change lives?

In this episode of The UPLift, we sit down with the Deep Time AVL team to explore how unfiltered engagement, meaningful employment, and fierce collaboration are reshaping reentry in Asheville—one cup at a time.

At Deep Time, coffee becomes the unlikely bridge between prison and possibility. Operating as a coffee roastery and café run with, by, and for people impacted by incarceration, Deep Time blends social enterprise rigor with trauma-informed care and wraparound support. The aim isn’t temporary relief. It’s dignity. It’s skill-building. It’s reducing recidivism by strengthening the social determinants of freedom: housing, work, belonging, and community.

The result? Real connection. Real trust. Real transformation.

Deep Time isn’t charity. It’s kinship with a paycheck. And this conversation is a proven playbook for second-chance hiring and community-based recovery.

About Dustin: Rev. Dustin M. Mailman is a friend of those whom the so-called empire deems disinherited. As the Founding Pastor of Deep Time, he sits at the intersection of care, grassroots organizing, and solidarity-based approaches to faith formation. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University and Emory University, and is an Elder in Full Connection in the United Methodist Church.

About Marisa: Marisa Johnson is a dedicated Sojourner at Deep Time Coffee, a community she gratefully calls both a workplace and a family. After overcoming significant life challenges, including rebuilding her life following a 10-year period of incarceration, Marisa has embraced Deep Time as a meaningful place of stability, growth, and purpose. Grounded in faith and resilience, she is committed to personal development and to the continued journey of transformation ahead. Marisa looks optimistically toward her growth and transformation through God and Deep Time.

About Shilone: Shilone Knight is the Head Barista at Deep Time. He is fascinated with the work and healing he’s found at Deep Time. He is passionate about leading other Sojourners by example, so everyone has a shot at being in community.

Want to help fuel change?

🎧 Press play.

☕ Visit the café.

📦 Subscribe to monthly beans at deeptimeavl.org.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.

What does it mean to protect Black space in a moment set on erasure?

In this episode, we sit down with Rev. Sean Palmer, Executive Director of the historic YMI Cultural Center, for a grounded, wide-ranging conversation about Black institutions, cultural memory, and the high-stakes work of building Black futures together.

Sean invites listeners to see Black cultural centers not as static organizations, but as living organisms shaped by joy and grief, strategy and spirit, history and imagination.

The challenge: To steward legacy without freezing it in time.

In a moment where Black space is under threat through policy, funding decisions, and cultural amnesia, Sean weighs in on what it takes to lead with both courage and care. From dismantling plantation logic in cultural center leadership to naming the danger of siloed Black organizing, this conversation is both a reckoning and a roadmap.

The YMI’s role? Preservation and possibility. Memory and movement. As Sean puts it: “This is a place of Sankofa. We will go back and fetch it—and we will take it into our Afro future.”

About Sean: Rev. Sean Hasker Palmer is a seasoned higher education leader with 20+ years of experience and a national expert in Black Cultural Centers. He currently serves as Executive Director of the historic YMI Cultural Center in Asheville, NC, following eight award-winning years at UNC Wilmington's Upperman Center. A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a Commissioner on the Gullah Geechee Corridor, Sean is also Vice President of the Association for Black Culture Centers (ABCC). He is the former supply pastor of Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, NC, and he is pursuing his Ph.D. at NC A&T. Sean has been working on a book that combines poetry and preaching entitled Black and Therefore Beautiful: Meditations for My People.

🎧 Ready to help snatch back what's owed — with interest? Hit play.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.

What happens when everyday people stop waiting for permission and start organizing for liberation?

This month, Paula Swepson Avery, Tzedek's 2025 Ella Baker Brilliance Award recipient, shares her journey into community organizing. It didn't begin with a plan or a grant, but with a plate of food, a room full of neighbors, and a question that changed everything: What is your vision for your community?

That simple ask sparked a new way of thinking about power, one grounded in listening, trust, and shared responsibility rather than titles or credentials.

About Paula:

Paula Swepson Avery spent over 28 years as a CNC programmer and machine room manager before discovering her calling as a grassroots community leader in Marion, NC. When layoffs brought her manufacturing career to an end, Paula turned toward mutual aid, gathering neighbors, building relationships, and co-creating a new vision of people-powered possibilities. She is the Founder and Executive Director of West Marion, Inc., the first and only Black-led nonprofit in McDowell County.

From starting a community garden to reclaiming a historic Black school building to imagining a future resilience hub, West Marion's work shows what's possible when dignity is treated as a non-negotiable. A visionary and equity-driven leader, Paula has grown the organization from $10,000 in seed funding in 2016 to a $1.2 million annual operating budget in 2024.

Her strategy secret? "Chase the work, not the money." It's a reminder that movements built on hot meals, deep listening, and a shared sense of belonging are often the most powerful.

Paula is the recipient of the 2025 Ella Baker Brilliance Award, which honors a Black community leader in Asheville who has empowered and organized others to address systemic oppression.

🎧 Hit play to be inspired by the energy that comes from working with—not just for—community.

Visit westmarion.org to support West Marion Inc.'s transformative work, including its ambitious $15 million legacy project.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.

Coupons, queerness, and calling in? Yes, it’s all connected!

We’re back with another episode of The UPLift, and this one’s special because we’re welcoming Bridgitt Belanger, our new Director of Mindful Operations and Finance, to the team and to the mic.

So what happens when money, metrics, and meaning actually line up with people’s lives? When soul and spreadsheets intersect?

This conversation isn’t just about budgets; it’s about belonging, visibility, and balancing numbers with humanity. We’re getting into what it really means to bring your whole self to social justice work as Bridgitt shares what it’s like to live as a nonbinary, neurodivergent person, trading anonymity for authenticity, and how small acts of recognition—from correctly spelling a name to honoring pronouns—make a world of difference.

This episode is a candid invitation into vulnerability, growth, and learning to lead with consent and courage.

Curious how mindfulness can bring more heart and healing to the ledger? Tune in.

We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.