Holiday Meet and Greet!

We hope you can join us for this holiday gathering of Listen Learn Act and other community justice advocates. Please come to be uplifted by all the good work that is going on around Louisville. Now is a time to connect, a time to collectively align ourselves as we look to the future together!

*Please sign up so we know how to plan. You can share this link with anyone that would like to come!

https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/class/meet-and-greet/

Casual. Drinks, Libations, Snacks

Family and friends welcome!

As people seeking justice and peace, can we be mindful, faithful, and honest as we approach the 2024 election in times of such discord and mistrust?  How do we look squarely at our history of voting injustice and challenge it in ways that move us closer to equity?  What are the justice issues that matter most today for Black Americans? What consequences/outcomes hang in the balance at local, state, and national levels?  How do we turn from a mindset of “vanquish the enemy” to one of integrity and respect that focuses on what we are for, rather than what we are against?

This course will explore these questions with the help of experienced and knowledgeable Black leaders. They, along with mindfulness practices, readings and sharing with one another will help us define what is ours to do and come to this fraught moment in full usefulness and humanity.

Register Here

Come tour Iroquois Park with Denise Davis, an Olmsted Parks Conservancy.

Louisville's Iroquois Park was important to the city's struggle for civil rights. It was there, in 1924, that two Black teachers were arrested for angrily responding to police and white neighbors who accosted them for bringing Black children to the playground. Come tour Iroquois Park with Denise Davis, an Olmsted Parks Conservancy tour guide, to learn details of the teachers’ arrest, and to delve more deeply into the common assertion that,  prior to 1924, Louisville parks were not segregated. The tour begins and ends in the Iroquois Amphitheater parking lot. The route is a paved, mostly flat, path. 

WHERE:  Meet at Iroquois Park Amphitheatre parking lot

LED BY:  Denise Davis, Olmsted Park Tour Guide and Listen Learn Act member

As people seeking justice and peace, can we be mindful, faithful, and honest as we approach the 2024 election in times of such discord and mistrust?  How do we look squarely at our history of voting injustice and challenge it in ways that move us closer to equity?  What are the justice issues that matter most today for Black Americans? What consequences/outcomes hang in the balance at local, state, and national levels?  How do we turn from a mindset of “vanquish the enemy” to one of integrity and respect that focuses on what we are for, rather than what we are against?

This course will explore these questions with the help of experienced and knowledgeable Black leaders. They, along with mindfulness practices, readings and sharing with one another will help us define what is ours to do and come to this fraught moment in full usefulness and humanity.

Register Here

Ms. Johnson became the first Black woman to lead Metro United Way in its 100+ year history in July 2021.  She has been transformational for the organization as they've centered around three priorities: thriving kids, strong households, and an equitable community.

When asked what an ideal community would look like, without hesitation she said, "Sesame Street -- where all people are loved and welcomed." Adria Johnson is a leader with compassion, empathy, and a commitment to Louisville. 

We hope you can join us on Saturday, November 9th at the Earth and Spirit Center to meet Adria Johnson! Register HERE for this free event!

As people seeking justice and peace, can we be mindful, faithful, and honest as we approach the 2024 election in times of such discord and mistrust?  How do we look squarely at our history of voting injustice and challenge it in ways that move us closer to equity?  What are the justice issues that matter most today for Black Americans? What consequences/outcomes hang in the balance at local, state, and national levels?  How do we turn from a mindset of “vanquish the enemy” to one of integrity and respect that focuses on what we are for, rather than what we are against?

This course will explore these questions with the help of experienced and knowledgeable Black leaders. They, along with mindfulness practices, readings and sharing with one another will help us define what is ours to do and come to this fraught moment in full usefulness and humanity.

Register Here

As people seeking justice and peace, can we be mindful, faithful, and honest as we approach the 2024 election in times of such discord and mistrust?  How do we look squarely at our history of voting injustice and challenge it in ways that move us closer to equity?  What are the justice issues that matter most today for Black Americans? What consequences/outcomes hang in the balance at local, state, and national levels?  How do we turn from a mindset of “vanquish the enemy” to one of integrity and respect that focuses on what we are for, rather than what we are against?

This course will explore these questions with the help of experienced and knowledgeable Black leaders. They, along with mindfulness practices, readings and sharing with one another will help us define what is ours to do and come to this fraught moment in full usefulness and humanity.

Register Here

As people seeking justice and peace, can we be mindful, faithful, and honest as we approach the 2024 election in times of such discord and mistrust?  How do we look squarely at our history of voting injustice and challenge it in ways that move us closer to equity?  What are the justice issues that matter most today for Black Americans? What consequences/outcomes hang in the balance at local, state, and national levels?  How do we turn from a mindset of “vanquish the enemy” to one of integrity and respect that focuses on what we are for, rather than what we are against?

This course will explore these questions with the help of experienced and knowledgeable Black leaders. They, along with mindfulness practices, readings and sharing with one another will help us define what is ours to do and come to this fraught moment in full usefulness and humanity.

Register Here

Join us on Wednesday, September 18th to watch this brilliant film and discuss it afterwards.

Origin chronicles the process of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Isabel Wilkerson as she researches and writes Caste, the Origins of our Discontents, which is considered one of the defining books of our time. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Ava Duvernay and stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson.

Time: 1:30 - 4:00 p.m.

Location:

Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse, 515 Nerinx Rd. Nerinx, KY

Join us on Wednesday, September 11th to watch this brilliant film and discuss it afterwards. The discussion will be led by Lamont Collins of Roots 101 African American Museum.

Origin chronicles the process of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Isabel Wilkerson as she researches and writes Caste, the Origins of our Discontents, which is considered one of the defining books of our time. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Ava Duvernay and stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson.

Pizza will be served!

Location: St. Bernadette Parish Center

6500 St. Bernadette Ave. Prospect, KY

Listen Learn Act and the Bishop's Table Community, an advocacy group located in the Shawnee neighborhood, invite you to join us for our next Environmental Justice bus tour on September 10th at 10:00 a.m.

Guided by UofL professor Tim Darst, this tour opens our eyes to environmental racism issues right here in our city. And, we'll talk about what ACTIONS we as Louisvillians can take to change it.

WHEN: September 11th from 10:00 am - noon

WHERE: Gospel Missionary Church (Bishop's Table), 3225 Vermont Ave. Louisville, KY

The DEI Dilemma - A Community Conversation

On August 21st at 6:30, please join us for a free Community Conversation with Lee A. Gill, JD, Vice President for Institutional Equity at the University of Louisville, in a talk entitled, “The DEI Dilemma.”  In this era where diversity, equity and inclusion have become bad words, we'll take another look at why DEI is so important to truly lift us all up.

Register here to let us know you're coming: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/class/comm-convo/

Listen Learn Act and Roots 101 African American Museum

invite you to join us for a FREE SHOWING of the brilliant film "ORIGIN"

At 12:00 p.m. and 5:30 pm on August 9th we will join Roots 101 at 124 N 1st St, Louisville, KY, to host a free showing of the film, ORIGIN. The film chronicles the process of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Isabel Wilkerson as she researches and writes Caste, which is considered one of the defining books of our time. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Ava Duvernay and stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson. Watch the trailer here.

Let us know you're coming by registering here: 

Listen Learn Act and Roots 101 African American Museum

invite you to join us for a FREE SHOWING of the brilliant film "ORIGIN"

At 12:00 p.m. and 5:30 pm on August 9th we will join Roots 101 at 124 N 1st St, Louisville, KY, to host a free showing of the film, ORIGIN. The film chronicles the process of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Isabel Wilkerson as she researches and writes Caste, which is considered one of the defining books of our time. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Ava Duvernay and stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson. Watch the trailer here.

Let us know you're coming by registering here: 

JOIN US for a social gathering of Listen Learn Act and friends and other community justice advocates to connect and support each other in this work of love. We'll hear from organizations about their work and give you an opportunity to share any information about your own justice groups. It's casual and free with light snacks, drinks and libations.  Wednesday, July 17th at the Earth and Spirit Center from 6:00 - 7:30. Let us know you're coming to help us plan - sign up HERE

Listen Learn Act and the Sr. Thea Bowman Society invite you to join us for a FREE SHOWING of the brilliant film "ORIGIN"

Origin chronicles the process of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Isabel Wilkerson as she researches and writes Caste, the Origins of our Discontents, which is considered one of the defining books of our time. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Ava Duvernay and stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson.

According to Tonya Mosley in her interview with Ava DuVernay on NPR's Fresh Air, 'Origin' deepens our understanding of what Black people experience in America.

St. Agnes Parish Center, 1918 Newburg Rd., Louisville, KY 

Freedom Summer 2024 Voter Registration Campaign

Simmons College has organized an initiative to remember and revive the passion for justice that drove those young students and other activists to victory. Please register and bring your friends to the Launch of Louisville Freedom Summer: The Movie, The Conversation and the Jazz Set: Its Relevance Then and Now, a wonderful evening of education and entertainment. We look forward to seeing you there!  Register here

First let us say - THIS IS NOT A RACE!  

Please consider registering to walk (or run if you want) with our Listen Learn Act team in the Race4Justice! You can do one lap, or ten laps. Or, no laps if you want to join the team as support!

This event was designed by a Louisville women-led high school student group called Future Ancestors. Inspired by Breonna Taylor, the movement that followed her tragic loss, and the many other injustices we’ve seen and experienced, the Race4Justice is about uniting our city to move forward. 

Proceeds from the event will be donated to local nonprofits doing justice work in the city. To register, click the link below and choose 

Event: 26 Lap Team Walk/Jog/Run/Roll. Sign up to join our team – team Listen Learn Act. Entry fee is $30 (for a very good cause.)

Register Here

On Saturday May 18th at 11:00 a.m., we’ll take a stroll through Shelby Park and learn how one park can communicate so much about racial tension and discrimination in Louisville.

Sometimes the experience of racism within a community can be found within the histories of the places where people gather. Join us for a tour of Shelby Park, one of the first in Louisville designed as an “modern” city park by the Olmsted brothers. Established prior to the segregation of Louisville’s parks and the location of the first large public swimming pool in the city, its history holds clear examples of racial tensions throughout the decades

Certified Park Tour Guide Denise Davis will lead this eye-opening experience! 

Spots are limited, so register today! 

Register Here

Join us on April 24th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. at the Barn where we will hear from Dr. Catherine Fosl, a lead author of the recently released report, “The History of Policing in Louisville: A Fact-Finding Report on Institutional Harms.”  

Dr. Fosl has worked for racial justice in Louisville for decades alongside many other civil rights giants such as Anne Braden, Mattie Jones, Rev. Louis Coleman and Carla Wallace.  During our Community Conversation, she will share a vital but little known part of our city’s history.  She hopes to engage more people to act in service of greater external accountability for our police when it comes to their response to marginalized groups, especially Black Louisvillians.  

Refreshments will be served. We hope you can join us!

Sign up HERE

On April 13th at 11:00 a.m., we’ll take a stroll through Shelby Park and learn how one park can communicate so much about racial tension and discrimination in Louisville.

Here's a little back story: When asked if Olmsted parks were segregated, the resounding answer is NOT UNTIL 1924, after General Castleman died. It is true that - officially - the parks were segregated only after an incident at Iroquois Park when two young Black teachers were accused of allowing their students to play in a white space.  In actuality, the story is much more complicated - and one that can be revealed through a Shelby Park tour.

Certified Park Tour Guide Denise Davis will lead this eye-opening experience!  Spots are limited, so register today! 

Register Here

This Intersection Between Mindfulness and Justice class will explore the connections between compassion, mindfulness, and our efforts toward justice. How do we work for equity in an unjust world that has shaped our way of seeing? How do we effectively challenge injustice when we do see it? How do we encourage others to join the movement? As the Rev. angel Kyodo williams has said, anti-racism work asks us “to literally transcend ourselves.” In past classes we learned how racism (historic and current) has negatively impacted almost every aspect of life for the Black community. This class will continue to examine disparity but focus more on actions to address it. Guest speakers will include longtime West Louisville activist Mattie Jones and Reverend Tim Findley, CEO of Elderserve, who led the way in protesting police violence in Summer, 2020. Reverend Joe Phelps will share his own journey in this “work of love,” and Karen Newton (Wellbeing Integrator and Certified Mindfulness Teacher) will offer wisdom for cultivating compassion, courage, and the patience to search for answers and stay the course in action. 

Register Here

This Intersection Between Mindfulness and Justice class will explore the connections between compassion, mindfulness, and our efforts toward justice. How do we work for equity in an unjust world that has shaped our way of seeing? How do we effectively challenge injustice when we do see it? How do we encourage others to join the movement? As the Rev. angel Kyodo williams has said, anti-racism work asks us “to literally transcend ourselves.” In past classes we learned how racism (historic and current) has negatively impacted almost every aspect of life for the Black community. This class will continue to examine disparity but focus more on actions to address it. Guest speakers will include longtime West Louisville activist Mattie Jones and Reverend Tim Findley, CEO of Elderserve, who led the way in protesting police violence in Summer, 2020. Reverend Joe Phelps will share his own journey in this “work of love,” and Karen Newton (Wellbeing Integrator and Certified Mindfulness Teacher) will offer wisdom for cultivating compassion, courage, and the patience to search for answers and stay the course in action. 

Register Here

This Intersection Between Mindfulness and Justice class will explore the connections between compassion, mindfulness, and our efforts toward justice. How do we work for equity in an unjust world that has shaped our way of seeing? How do we effectively challenge injustice when we do see it? How do we encourage others to join the movement? As the Rev. angel Kyodo williams has said, anti-racism work asks us “to literally transcend ourselves.” In past classes we learned how racism (historic and current) has negatively impacted almost every aspect of life for the Black community. This class will continue to examine disparity but focus more on actions to address it. Guest speakers will include longtime West Louisville activist Mattie Jones and Reverend Tim Findley, CEO of Elderserve, who led the way in protesting police violence in Summer, 2020. Reverend Joe Phelps will share his own journey in this “work of love,” and Karen Newton (Wellbeing Integrator and Certified Mindfulness Teacher) will offer wisdom for cultivating compassion, courage, and the patience to search for answers and stay the course in action. 

Register Here

This The Intersection Between Mindfulness and Justice class will explore the connections between compassion, mindfulness, and our efforts toward justice. How do we work for equity in an unjust world that has shaped our way of seeing? How do we effectively challenge injustice when we do see it? How do we encourage others to join the movement? As the Rev. angel Kyodo williams has said, anti-racism work asks us “to literally transcend ourselves.” In past classes we learned how racism (historic and current) has negatively impacted almost every aspect of life for the Black community. This class will continue to examine disparity but focus more on actions to address it. Guest speakers will include longtime West Louisville activist Mattie Jones and Reverend Tim Findley, CEO of Elderserve, who led the way in protesting police violence in Summer, 2020. Reverend Joe Phelps will share his own journey in this “work of love,” and Karen Newton (Wellbeing Integrator and Certified Mindfulness Teacher) will offer wisdom for cultivating compassion, courage, and the patience to search for answers and stay the course in action. 

Register Here

This Intersection Between Mindfulness and Justice class will explore the connections between compassion, mindfulness, and our efforts toward justice. How do we work for equity in an unjust world that has shaped our way of seeing? How do we effectively challenge injustice when we do see it? How do we encourage others to join the movement? As the Rev. angel Kyodo williams has said, anti-racism work asks us “to literally transcend ourselves.” In past classes we learned how racism (historic and current) has negatively impacted almost every aspect of life for the Black community. This class will continue to examine disparity but focus more on actions to address it. Guest speakers will include longtime West Louisville activist Mattie Jones and Reverend Tim Findley, CEO of Elderserve, who led the way in protesting police violence in Summer, 2020. Reverend Joe Phelps will share his own journey in this “work of love,” and Karen Newton (Wellbeing Integrator and Certified Mindfulness Teacher) will offer wisdom for cultivating compassion, courage, and the patience to search for answers and stay the course in action. 

Register Here