CCDA Podcast

G. Tyler Burns is joined by Alethea Lamberson to share stories of hope and impact as young people encounter community building in their neighborhoods. They discuss Chasing Justice's Pilgrimage Pop-Ups and how they are fostering imagination and connection with participants in their contexts. Chasing Justice is going to be at the CCDA Conference [https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/] this year! And you are invited to attend the Pilgrimage Pop-Up happening in Richmond! Visit chasingjustice.com [https://chasingjustice.com/popup/] to learn more and register. G. Tyler Burns [https://chasingjustice.com/tyler-burns/] is a pastor, speaker, writer, and podcaster. He currently serves as the President of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, an organization founded to educate, encourage, and empower Black Christians to be free in soul and in body. He also co-hosts the organization's flagship podcast Pass the Mic. Alethea Lamberson [https://chasingjustice.com/alethea-lamberson/] is the co-host of The Roll Down podcast. She has spent a decade training campus ministry staff and students in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her commitment to scripture and her thoughtful reflections on sociocultural learning have made her an amazing facilitator of the justice journey. Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Dr. Lorenzo A. Watson is joined by Elizabeth Perkins to discuss the history of Christian Community Development and share stories of some of the people and experiences that helped shape this work. Elizabeth also reflects on how CCD has shaped her life and ministry, and how she is carrying her father's legacy forward. Want to learn more about Christian Community Development? Join Lorenzo and Elizabeth for a free online training on September 2nd on practicing CCD. Learn more at citycollectiveseries.com [https://www.citycollectiveseries.com/]. Elizabeth Perkins lives with a profound sense of calling shaped by her faith in Jesus Christ and a passion for justice, reconciliation, and discipleship. She often reflects on how God's faithful hand has guided her steps, not simply for her journey, but to empower others to walk boldly in their purpose and become instruments of change in a broken world. With over 25 years of ministry experience, Elizabeth has poured into the lives of both men and women, mentoring and guiding them in their spiritual, personal, and leadership development. She has a heart for equipping the next generation to rise with courage and conviction. As part of this work, she founded and led She-ciples, a discipleship group for teen girls focused on purity, purpose, and identity in Christ—demonstrating her commitment to nurturing young women with truth, grace, and love. She aims to help future generations encounter and follow Jesus, becoming agents of hope, healing, and justice. Through her work at the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation [https://jvmpf.org/], Elizabeth remains steadfast in her pursuit of biblical justice and reconciliation, believing that through Christ, lives—and communities—can be made whole. Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Troy Jackson is joined by Rev. Traci Blackmon to discuss election protection, what it is and why it matters. They reflect on the importance of voting access and what a healthy, faithful culture of civic participation would look like in our communities. Each August, we focus on civic engagement as a CCDA Family. Learn more about engaging with your local government at ccda.org/civic [https://ccda.org/justice-initiatives/civic/]. Learn more about The Faithful Witness Campaign at faithfulwitness.us [http://faithfulwitness.us/]. The Rev. Traci Blackmon is the former associate general minister of justice and local church ministries for the United Church of Christ, a position she held for eight years. She earned a bachelor of science in nursing from Birmingham-Southern College and a master of divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary. Blackmon's work focuses on communal resistance to systemic injustice through the redemptive power of love. Her response in Ferguson, Missouri, to the killing of Michael Brown resulted in national and international recognition. She was appointed to the Ferguson Commission by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and to the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships by President Barack Obama. She currently serves on the board of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference and was named among 15 "Faith Leaders to Watch" in 2020 by the Center for American Progress. Learn more about Rev. Blackmon and her work at faithoutloud.org [https://www.faithoutloud.org/]. Community organizer, pastor, leader and writer, Troy Jackson, has been with UNDIVIDED since its founding. He is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and earned his PH.D in U.S. history from the University of Kentucky. Troy's book Becoming King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Making of a National Leader (The University Press of Kentucky, 2008) explores the critical role the grassroots Montgomery Movement played in the development of Dr. King. His other publications include his work as an editor on The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Volume VI: Advocate of the Social Gospel (September 1948-March 1963) (University of California Press, 2007). With their children grown, Troy and his wife moved to a cabin outside of Cincinnati, OH, with their two dogs, Pip and Pico. Learn more about Troy and UNDIVIDED at undivided.us [http://undivided.us/]. Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Lawson Wijesooriya is joined by Dr. Danny Avula, the mayor of the city of Richmond, to discuss Christian Community Development in their city. They reflect on their history with CCD, how they are listening to the community, and how Dr. Perkins' legacy has shaped their lives, families, and vocations. Join us in Richmond this October 7-10 for the CCDA Conference! Visit ccda.org/conference [https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/] to learn more. Each August, we focus on civic engagement as a CCDA Family. Learn more about engaging with your local government at ccda.org/civic [https://ccda.org/justice-initiatives/civic/]. Dr. Danny Avula took office as the 81st Mayor of the City of Richmond on January 1, 2025. Before his election to public office, Danny served the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts for 12 years, including 6 years as its Director. There, he championed efforts to increase access to care for the most vulnerable residents of our community, prioritized the voices of those with lived experience, lifted up the intersection of housing and health, and addressed the root causes that shape health outcomes-especially poverty and race. Born in Hyderabad, India, he immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1979. A father of five, Danny and his wife, Mary Kay, have lived in Richmond's East End for over 20 years. Mary Kay is a teacher with Richmond Public Schools. Click here [https://www.rva.gov/mayors-office/about-danny] to learn more about Danny. Lawson Wijesooriya is the Chief of Staff for Richmond's 81st Mayor, Dr. Danny Avula. Before leading his successful bid for mayor as campaign manager, Wijesooriya spent 15 years leading local non-profits—with a focus on strategy and community development—to serve some of the city's most vulnerable residents. She graduated from the University of Virginia as a Phi Beta Kappa Jefferson Scholar and is a mother of two. Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Sylvia Kamande is joined by Lisa Sharon Harper to discuss The Clearing. They reflect on this time of economic difficulty for many Black and Brown women, the toll that takes on their health and relationships, and the importance of moving forward in community. They also share about the preconference event The Clearing, happening on October 7, 2026, in Richmond, where women of color are invited to connect, learn, and grow together. Click here to learn more about The Clearing and register for the CCDA Conference at ccda.org/conference [http://ccda.org/conference]. Lisa Sharon Harper is the founder and president of Freedom Road, a groundbreaking consulting and communications group. Lisa is a theologian whose writing, speaking, activism, and training have sparked and fed the fires of re-formation in the church from Ferguson and Charlottesville to South Africa, Brazil, Australia, and Ireland. Having earned an MFA in playwriting from the University of Southern California and an MA in Human Rights from Columbia University, Lisa's play An' Push da Wind Down won the 1996 Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival Michael Kanin Award for Best Student Play and Best Production. Lisa's book, Fortune: How Race Broke My Family And The World--And How To Repair It All was named 2022 "Book of the Year" by Word and Way. The Very Good Gospel was named 2016 "Book of the Year" by Englewood Review of Books. Lisa is host of the Freedom Road Podcast, cohost of The FOUR Podcast, and author of her Substack column, "The Truth Is…" The Huffington Post identified Lisa as one of 50 Women Religious Leaders to Celebrate on International Women's Day. Lisa is currently earning her PhD in womanist ethics at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and serving as Affiliate Faculty at St. Stephen's University in Canada. Learn more at lisasharonharper.com [https://lisasharonharper.com/]. Sylvia Kamande serves as Director of Family Ministry at Because Justice Matters, in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighbourhood. Originally from Kenya, she has spent more than 15 years in full-time ministry serving alongside diverse communities across Africa, Latin America, and the United States. She is a co-church planter with El Camino Covenant Church and co-leads the Women of Color Network [https://ccda.org/woc/] within the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). Sylvia is passionate about equipping leaders, cultivating belonging, and creating healing-centered spaces where children, families, and communities can experience restoration and abundant life in Jesus. Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].