race | A Peace of My Mind

Signs of the times

April 26, 2021 by johnnoltner

It was a quiet drive from Oxford to Sumner, Mississippi. Karen was busy and I drove the 70 miles by myself. I don’t think I said more than a few words all day. Mostly, I read signs. And I’m going to let the signs do most of the talking today. A sign in front of the Tallahatchie County Courthouse says: “Emmett Till Murder Trial. In August 1955 the body of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black youth from Chicago, was found […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: Emmett Till, History, Lynching, mississippi, race, storytelling, Tallahatchie River

Oxford, Mississippi

April 14, 2021 by johnnoltner

A Peace of My Mind visited Oxford, Mississippi’s country courthouse, where a contested Confederate statue stands at the center of the town square. We asked people, “What does this statue mean to you?” Over two afternoons, 36 people chose to participate and these are the stories they shared.

Categories: Blog • Tags: Confederate, History, mississippi, oxford, public art, race, storytelling

The third of July

July 3, 2020 by johnnoltner

This year we have no plans for picnics. No fireworks. No parades or crowds or trips to the beach. It’s a different kind of year. We’ll stay home. Do some reading. Get a few projects done. Mow 20 acres of Christmas tree fields at our farm. When you mow 20 acres, you have plenty of time to think. This weekend I expect I will continue to think about what Independence Day means in 2020. What is independence? Freedom? How do […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: 4th of july, a peace of my mind, frederick douglass, independence day, npr, race, storytelling

Maybe this time

June 3, 2020 by johnnoltner

On Monday May 25, George Floyd was killed by police at the intersection of 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis. Because the COVID-9 pandemic had caused all my programming to be cancelled, I happened to be at home, 11.6 miles to the south. On Wednesday I went to see the site where a small memorial was taking shape and on Thursday returned with an improvised portable studio, a broken heart, and one simple question: “What do you want to say?” Over […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: a peace of my mind, Black Lives Matter, blm, change, George Floyd, justice, Minneapolis, photography, protest, race

I see you

May 30, 2020 by johnnoltner

I’m tired today. But I’ll go back out there. Because my tired is nothing in the face of the soul-crushing weariness I see in my brothers and sisters on the street. My tired pales when it’s held side by side with the frustration I hear in the voices of the people. My tired is no excuse when you begin to recognize the heavy burden that has been carried for days and years and decades of calling out and not being […]

Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: a peace of my mind, George Floyd, justice, listening, Minneapolis, photography, protest, race, storytelling

Millersville University

September 24, 2018 by johnnoltner

At Millersville University, we partnered with the Intercultural Center to ask students, “What is the unique opportunity or challenge of talking about race at this moment in history?” With a studio one day, quick overnight production, and a lecture on our second day, we were able to use our model of storytelling and photography to reflect their stories back to them. It’s a process that allows a community to reflect, refine and articulate their vision in a way that can […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: black and white, challenge, hope, millersville, opportunity, photography, quote, race, story

Memphis Theological Seminary

March 4, 2018 by johnnoltner

Just wrapping up a busy month in Memphis, with American Stories at Memphis Theological Seminary and American Stories at First Congregational Church. I’ve been to Memphis a few times now, and I’m always drawn in by the combination of history, music, food, and good people. I had the chance tp speak at the seminary, and I also set up a studio to ask, “How does your faith impact your view of social justice?” Some of the replies are below, and […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: a peace of my mind, faith, healing, justice, memphis, race, reconciliation, seminary, service, social justice

March for Civility

September 25, 2017 by johnnoltner

Over the weekend, A Peace of My Mind was a part of the March for Civility in Washington, DC. We set up a studio at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial to gather stories from the participants there. It was a hot day, but a historic place to gather, and once again, people shared powerful stories of redemption and healing. We asked people to share a time they were able to find good in an adversary. Because it’s easy to […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: civility, Confederate, healing, Houston, Hurricane Harvey, race, unity, washington DC

Jarell Wilson

March 22, 2017 by johnnoltner

Jarell Wilson describes himself as black, gay, and Christian. He lives in the South and, at times, he struggles to balance these three identities in a society that he says doesn’t embrace two thirds of them. He believes that people often try to put identities into boxes, and that results in stereotypes that lead to stress and conflict. Yet, at the end of the day, Jarell finds beauty and peace all around him. He finds joy in each of these identities. “Peace comes from […]

Categories: Podcast • Tags: beauty, faith, forgiveness, gender, identity, joy, race, religion, round rock, sacred, texas

Joanne Bland

February 10, 2017 by johnnoltner

Joanne Bland was 11 years old when she marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Heading from Selma toward Montgomery, the activists were committed to securing voting rights for all Americans, but on March 7, 1965, they were violently attacked by law enforcement officers. It became known as Bloody Sunday. I interviewed Joanne at her home in Selma in August 2015, just 12 days after Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri, and the city was gripped […]

Categories: Podcast • Tags: activism, alabama, civil rights, MLK, peace, race, Selma, social justice

	Rianne L Leaf on Signs of the times
	barbarakosterdesign on Signs of the times
	Jane Metcalfe on Justice
	India Aubry on Grief
	Heidi on Grief

A Peace of My Mind

Building community and bridging divides through portraits and personal stories.

Tag: race