race | A Peace of My Mind

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

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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

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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

Elaine Baker

January 29, 2017 by johnnoltner

Elaine Baker grew up in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Founded in 1887 by former slaves, Mound Bayou is the oldest self-governing all-black municipality in the United States. Elaine grew up in an era of segregation, with “white only” and “black only” signs in neighboring communities, though she didn’t experience day-to-day racism in Mound Bayou. She learned that her value and worth were not determined by others. As a young girl, she picked cotton for 2.5 cents a pound and went on […]

Categories: Podcast • Tags: community, mississippi, mound bayou, principles, race, segregation, values

RaShad Arnold

December 28, 2016 by johnnoltner

RaShad Arnold is a social worker for a nonprofit agency in Portland, Oregon. In his free time, he writes and records rap music he describes it as “music you can play in front of the entire family.” RaShad remembers having “the talk” with his parents about what to do if he were ever pulled over by a police officer. Although he has never been cited for more than a parking ticket, Rashad has been pulled over multiple times for what he calls “driving while black.”

Categories: Podcast • Tags: ethnicity, freedom, oregon, portland, race, respect, stereotype

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This will be short

December 16, 2016 by johnnoltner

Pardon the broad, sweeping generalizations…but here’s the thing… If all the non-white people are saying, “um…there are some issues we need to discuss regarding race.” And all the white people are saying, “Everything is fine…just get over it and let’s move on.” Then…we might have some work to do regarding race. If you don’t see it, consider who you are talking to about the issue. Last week I was artist-in-residence at the Everyday Democracy convening in Baltimore. I set up […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: American Stories, art, black and white, democracy, dialogue, healing, listening, peace, photography, portraits, race, social justice, stories

Stories of Peace

July 10, 2016 by johnnoltner

We have one week left in our Indiegogo campaign to fund our book, A Peace of My Mind: American Stories. There’s work to do. We’d welcome your help to stand with us and do all we can to move toward peace and reconciliation in a difficult time. Help if you can. Share this message far and wide. Together we can turn ripples of hope into waves of compassion. Visit this link to help: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-peace-of-my-mind-american-stories/x/2664576#/

Categories: Blog, Video • Tags: a peace of my mind, American Stories, APoMM, art, book, crowdfund, dialog, healing, hope, Indiegogo, listening, peace, photography, race, restorative justice, social justice, stories, travel

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We’re all in this together

July 9, 2016 by johnnoltner

We’re all in this together Black or white. Gay or straight. Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, or Atheist. Man, woman, or child. Republican or Democrat. Cop, soldier, artist, teacher, banker, farmer, or unemployed… We’re all in this together. When I started A Peace of My Mind, I set out to hear from people of all backgrounds. Especially the ones I didn’t know well. Especially the ones whose voices seemed to be lost in the public debate. It was my own path […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: a peace of my mind, APoMM, art, book, crowdfund, dialog, diversity, Indiegogo, listening, peace, photography, portrait, race, social justice, stories

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Don’t run

July 8, 2016 by johnnoltner

**Note** I remember on 9/11 I had a job photographing corporate headshots for a construction company. It was a full schedule, and the most surreal day I can recall as little snippets of the news filtered in. There was a weight in the air at the loss of life, yet they wanted to continue with the project, so I spent my day asking people to smile, when all I wanted to do was cry. Yesterday I had a deadline project […]

Categories: Blog • Tags: American Stories, APoMM, healing, listening, peace, photography, race, reconcilliation, social justice, sojourners, stories

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A Peace of My Mind

Exploring the meaning of peace, one story at a time.

Tag: race

March for Civility

Jarell Wilson

Elaine Baker

RaShad Arnold