Ep 122 - Being Hearable: Regina Shands Stoltzfus on Teaching Peace, Trauma, and Sustaining Activism (Because You Can't Teach Peace Without Understanding Violence)

If you enjoy Created Creative Podcast, we warmly invite you to become a patron: patreon.com/u11072417 For just $10 a month you can become part of our monthly Created Creative Conversations. Find out more below!Dawn and Ruth welcome Regina Shands Stoltzfus, Goshen College professor in northern Indiana and Mennonite Church USA member, whose journey from peace education and anti-racism training led her through activism, pastoring, seminary, and into higher education.Regina's book Resistance, Resilience, and Radical Love: Reflections on Blackness and Teaching Peace tackles something crucial: You can't teach peace without studying violence. And to do that effectively, you have to be "hearable" creating space where students can actually listen and engage without shutting down from trauma.She's using historical cases like the Wilmington Massacre of 1898 to teach about systemic violence, addressing secondary trauma in the classroom, and navigating the current political pressures around DEI work. Regina defines what it means to "work together for justice" across different professions and commits to creating an accountability plan for her next book on the seasons of activism life.This conversation is for educators, activists, and anyone wondering how to sustain justice work without burning out, how to teach difficult truths without retraumatizing people, and what it actually takes to be "hearable" in a world that's often too loud or too defensive to listen.LINKS: We love making this podcast for you and we'd love your support for! patreon.com/u11072417 Join at the $10 level and become part of Created Creative Conversations where you can get support from Dawn and Ruth and other creatives for your own new project! Want to write a book? Dreaming of starting a business? In April our theme is "Seeds of Possibility" and we'll help you get moving!Find out more about our guest, Regina Shands Stoltzfus: https://www.goshen.edu/academics/faculty/regina-shands-stoltzfus/00:17 New Tech Week00:30 Tech Rage Stories02:28 Get Human Help02:44 Church Water Timer03:32 Small Town Singalong07:30 Meet Regina08:11 From Activism to Academia11:16 Teaching in a Red State13:05 New Book Launch14:06 Teaching Peace Studies Violence16:35 Holding Trauma in Class17:35 Writing Through Sabbatical20:08 Course Design for Care21:32 Hearable as Black Professor23:22 Student Pushback and Growth25:12 Systemic Violence Rhymes26:00 Citations Over Opinions26:15 Fake Historian Cred26:47 First Solo Book27:39 Writing Through 202429:30 Teaching Under Scrutiny31:09 Choosing the Right Rooms32:17 Work Together Justice34:30 Conflict Skills Everywhere36:53 Next Book Seasons38:14 Accountability Mapping Plan40:40 Memorial Day Deadline