49. Joanna Brooks - Understanding the Past to Create a Better Future

In this episode, we speak with Joanna Brooks, author of a new book exploring the Church's problematic history on the issue of race. Joanna holds a Ph.D. in English from UCLA. She’s the Associate Vice President for Faculty Advancement at San Diego State University, and has written or edited ten books on race, religion, gender, social movements, and American culture.As we all continue to grapple with issues of race not just in America but in our own faith, we thought it was important to understand how we got where we are. Joanna helps us explore the history of the Church as it relates to race  — she illustrates where we could and should have done better in addition to telling the stories of heroes who stood up against racism even at great personal cost.We’re really grateful to Joanna for coming on the podcast, and for her willingness to share what she’s learned over many years of research. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Resources:Mormonism and White Supremacy, Joanna Brooks:https://www.amazon.com/Mormonism-White-Supremacy-American-Innocence-ebook/dp/B08761ZHCPThe Color of Money, Mehrsa Baradaranhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B076526LW5/The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexanderhttps://www.amazon.com/New-Jim-Crow-Incarceration-Colorblindness-ebook/dp/B086CFB2NT/13thhttps://www.netflix.com/title/80091741When They See Ushttps://www.innocenceproject.org/central-park-five-tragedy-reframed-in-netflix-series-when-they-see-us/Between the World and Me, Ta-Nahisi Coateshttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SEFAIRI/Tickets for Restore 2026 are now available, and we have a new format we think you're going to love. Get details here!