261 - Black History Month: A Holistic and Historical Look into Community Building, Church Planting, and Coffee with Author and Entrepreneur John Onwuchekwa

As one of the founding pastors of Cornerstone Church in Atlanta and a co-founder of Portrait Coffee, John Onwuchekwa knows how to humbly lead and how to nurture a holistic vision of community. In this episode, John and host Latasha Morrison discuss the history of the West End of Atlanta and the example of redlining as systemic racism. They talk about the importance of creating new narratives through opportunities and perspectives. They both share stories of personal grief and how that impacts the work they do. John’s insights into business and community development, Ecclesiastes, and joyful perseverance will bring encouragement and hope. Host & Executive Producer - Latasha MorrisonSenior Producer - Lauren C. BrownProducer, Editor, & Music - Travon PottsTranscriber - Sarah ConnatserQuotes:“Some people are called to start the work. And then there's others that are called to finish it, to take it on to the next level.” -Latasha Morrison“Maybe even through the bitterness of life, there's ways to find hope and joy and perseverance.” -John Onwuchekwa“Where do we go from here? We just take the very next step. And then once we get to that next step where both feet are firmly planted, we ask and answer that same question.” -John OnwuchekwaTerms:Redlining - the discriminatory practice in the United States that began in the 1930s of the government outlining certain geographic areas based upon race or ethnicity in order to deny services (both directly and indirectly) such as loans or insurance to someone because they were deemed to be a high financial risk; an inequitable and unjust practice that predominantly affected Black AmericansConnect with John Onwuchekwa:His WebsiteInstagramTwitterLinkedInConnect with Be the Bridge:Our WebsiteFacebookInstagramConnect with Latasha Morrison:FacebookInstagram