• Podcast
  • January 13, 2024

The Future of Spirituality and Belonging, with john a. powell

On January, 23, 2024, Director john. a. powell sat down with Rabbi Miriam Terlinchamp and Reverend Ben McBride to discuss the future of spirituality, belonging, memory, and the relationship between structure and story. Listen to the two-part...
  • Podcast
  • January 7, 2024

Podcast: To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul

In this episode Director john. a. powell talked to Tracy K. Smith about her new book, To Free the Captives. powell and Smith discussed Smith's term as a Poet Laureate for the United States and how she has used poetry to create feelings of belonging...
  • Podcast
  • January 18, 2023

Podcast: Does Integration Close Racial Disparities?

In this episode of Who Belongs? we hear from Darrell Owens, a policy analyst at California Yimby, and a writer on Substack who focuses on housing, planning, displacement, mobility and other issues. He just authored a new piece called Segregation or...
  • Podcast
  • September 1, 2022

Podcast: Building Bridges Over the Hills

In this episode, we speak with Sharon Dunn and Gwen Johnson — two members of Hands Across the Hills (HATH), a grassroots group working to build bridges between communities in rural Western Massachusetts and in the Eastern Kentucky coal country...
  • Podcast
  • April 20, 2022

Podcast: Cultures of Care ep. 2 | Naima Green and Rich Medina

Welcome back to Cultures of Care, a special new miniseries from Who Belongs? hosted by Evan Bissell and Giovanna Fischer. This series celebrates people that practice collective care in unconventional and insurgent ways. In this episode, we speak with photographer Naima Green and DJ Rich Medina.
  • Podcast
  • April 4, 2022

Podcast: Cultures of Care ep. 1 | Nicki Jizz and Kristina Wong

We're debuting Cultures of Care, a special new miniseries hosted by Evan Bissell and Giovanna Fischer that celebrates people who practice collective care in unconventional and insurgent ways. This episode, we speak with drag queen Nicki Jizz and comedian Kristina Wong.
  • Podcast
  • December 22, 2021

Podcast: Returning Citizens

In this episode we speak with two of the founding members of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, the President Desmond Meade and the Political Director Neil Volz. Together, Desmond and Neil have been working on restoring the rights of people...
  • Podcast
  • December 15, 2021

Podcast: Co-creating a future where everyone belongs

In this episode we speak with Reverend Ben McBride. Ben McBride is a spiritual leader and longtime activist for peace and justice in the Bay Area. McBride serves as a national leader around reconstructing public safety systems and gun violence...
  • Podcast
  • December 8, 2021

Podcast: Co-Creating Public Spaces of Belonging

In this episode we interview with Debbie Lacy. Debbie is the founder of Eastside for All, which serves communities outside of Seattle, WA including Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah and Sammamish. Eastside for All has a mission to transform East...
  • Podcast
  • December 1, 2021

Podcast: Belong Circles

In this episode we speak with Angel Mortel and Aleena Gonzalez. Angel is a lead organizer with LA Voice, which is a multi-racial and multi-faith community organization that awakens people to their own power and trains them to organize together. LA...
  • Podcast
  • November 24, 2021

Podcast: The Belong Movement

In this episode we speak with Ashlin Malouf. Ashlin is the Chief Formation Officer at PICO California, the largest multi-racial faith-based community-organizing network in the state. PICO is leading The Belong Movement, which aims to address the...
  • Podcast
  • November 17, 2021

Podcast: Belonging in Oakland

In this episode we speak with Roberto Bedoya. Roberto is the Cultural Affairs Manager for the City of Oakland in California. He developed the City’s Cultural Plan, titled, Belonging in Oakland. Throughout his career Roberto has consistently advocated...
  • Podcast
  • November 10, 2021

Podcast: On being seen and heard

In this episode we speak with Tamia Dantzler & Dashley Concepcion. Tamia is an alum and Dashley is a current student at El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice. In a previous episode we spoke with Frances Lucerna, founding principal of El Puente...
  • Podcast
  • November 3, 2021

Podcast: Belonging in Schools

In this episode we speak with Frances Lucerna. Frances is the founding principal of El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice. El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice is a public school located in the Southside community of Williamsburg in Brooklyn...
  • Podcast
  • October 27, 2021

Podcast: Black and Native Folks in the Climate Justice Movement

In this episode we interview two of the founding members of The Wind & The Warrior, Ife Afriye Kilimanjaro and Nana Korantema. In 2020, The Wind & The Warrior led a Sacred Waters Pilgrimage to connect Black and Native culture-bearers and advocacy...

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  • May 20, 2026, 16:00 - 18:00 UTC / 9:00am - 11:00am PT

Worldmaking in Motion

Join an interactive online workshop exploring the political economies and geographies of climate-related (im)mobilities and environmental injustices. Through a series of global maps, we will collectively examine how climate change, extraction, supply chains, migration, displacement, dispossession, environmental harm and global inequality intersect across space.
  • Blog
  • September 2, 2025

Our policy on publishing blog & opinion pieces

Consistent with our mission and values, as a multi-disciplinary research center that seeks to advance a world of belonging without othering, the Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI) conducts research, develops narrative strategy, and supports...