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As of 10/13/21, Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno shares the latest news from the Vatican about Pope Francis. In this first update in a series, he will review briefly The Season of Creation, the Season of Prayer and Reflection, the Meeting with Interfaith Leaders to discuss Climate Change, COP 26 in Glasgow, the Laudato Si Action Platform and The Synod on Synodality.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno interviews Mayor Jerry Dyer about his initiative to improve the city's "curb appeal" through the coordinated delivery of existing City resources to eliminate trash, graffiti and blight, by creating community based cleanup and beautification projects. The goal is to create a cleaner, greener more beautiful place to live, work and play. Besides this project, as time allows we will discuss the Mayor's commitment to One Fresno and his position on the LGBTQ Community, Covid-19 protocols (masks and vaccinations), the union construction jobs deal, the wildfires' effect on Fresno, his opposition to the PG&E rate hike proposal and his support for the eviction moritorium for Fresno renters.The program opens with the Pope Video from June 2016 and its call for true solidarity in our cities.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno interviews Marcel Woodruff, a community organizer with Faith in the Valley, a PICO affiliate. With 120 congregations of various faith backgrounds representing over 100,00 people in Fresno, Kern Merced Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties, FIV comes together with community partners to create a better future for Valley families and communities. Faith in the Valley is to collaborating with everyone for a future with good jobs, clean air and water, alternatives to incarceration, quality healthcare and safe neighborhoods- for all segments of the community. In this program, Marcel will describe Advance Peace, its main program to reduce gun violence in the city of Fresno.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will interview Maciel Godburn, volunteer coordinator for Crime Survivors Ministry in the Diocese of Fresno.  She will discuss Crime Site Healing Prayer Services- Bakersfield and Porterville.  This episode concludes with a Wall of Remembrance for the victims of crime. Maciel Godburn is coordinating with Bishop Joseph Brennan's blessing. 

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will interview Maciel Godburn, volunteer coordinator for Crime Survivors Ministry in the Diocese of Fresno.  She will discuss and illustrate with photos the June 26, 2021 Crime Survivors Healing Retreat held at St. Anthony's Retreat Center in Three Rivers. Bishop Joseph V. Brennan participated and celebrated Mass for the crime survivors. This episode concludes with a Save the Date announcement: June 25, 2022 for the Second Annual Crime Survivors Ministry Healing Retreat. Maciel Godburn is coordinating with Bishop Joseph Brennan's blessing.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will interview Maciel Godburn, volunteer coordinator for Crime Survivors Ministry in the Diocese of Fresno. She will introduce viewers and listeners to the origins of this commitment which go back to her husband John before he passed. She'll describe the Crime Survivors Ministry logo which she designed and present all the events the ministry had for this year 2021. Maciel Godburn is coordinating with Bishop Joseph Brennan's blessing.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will interview Chris De Leon, Community Gardens Manager, Fresno Metro Ministry. They'll discuss a range of issues including Metro Ministry's leadership and several of its programs. Better Blackstone, Food to Share, CalFresh Outreach, Cooking Matters. As Manager, Chris will describe the amazing Fresno Metro Community Gardens, which will be illustrated by visuals and a video.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno interviews Fr. Byron Macias, a Claretian Missionary serving as sacramental priest at the St. Paul Catholic Newman Center. Fr. Byron will introduce us to himself and his religious community and his speciafic ministry at the St. Paul Catholkic Newman Center. He and Jim will then share with viewers and listeners the efforts they are co-chairing to  develop Creation  Care Teams at the parish in the spirit of Pope Francis and with leadership and resources from Catholic Climate Covenant.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno interviews Dr. Malik Simba, Professor Emeritus, Fresno State University where he taught several courses in the Africana Studies Program and History, wrote a number of important books, and inspired countless students. In his first appearance on Looking at Social Justice, he will share his experience of teaching American history via Critical Race Theory for 40-plus years to White, Black and all others. He'll define CRT, offer examples of it, and why it is important that we use it as a way to best appreciate the complex and difficult mirror of our nation's history. Our country was built on racism, and it's high time to address systemic racism that sustains so many of our institutions to this very day.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno interviews Kyla Mitchell, who will share about there Women's' International League for Peace and Freedom (hereto listed as WILPF) and the film Hibakusha, which they will be presenting at the Big Red Church on Saturday, August 7, 2021 at 7:00. Inspired by Jane Addams, WILPF has been working globally for world peace and justice for more than a 100 years. Hibakusha (Japanese for Survivor)It is a powerful film about Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and is part of the Human Rights Coalition Commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 6th and 9th.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno interviews Destiny Rodriguez, Regional Community Relations for the Climate Center. She will introduce viewers and listeners to the Climate Center, Community Choice Energy, benefits that deserve to be explored, where this is already a reality, what kit would do for the central valley an d how to learn more and become involved.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will briefly describe the Human Rights Coalition of Centyral California's Second Annual Commemoration of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and then Dr. Daniel O'Connell will invite viewers/listeners to join him in a "fast" from August 6 through August 9 in solidarity with those suffereing injustices around the world even today.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will introduce viewers and listeners to Heath Cox Richardson, distinguished professor of History at Boston College, his alma mater. He'll invite the public to subscribe to her daily newsletter Letters From an American which hundreds of thousands read each day, and share a bit more on Then and Now, the podcast she and Joanne Freeman (History Professor at Yale) started posting weekly since June 1, 2021. These are tremendously important resources which contextualize the current American political landscape by connecting it to other moments  and movements in U.S. History, sometimes as far back as the colonial times.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will discuss with Judge Dale Ikeda, retired Judge on the Superior Court of Fesno County the Human Rights Coalition of the Central Valley's Second Annual Commemoration of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This year's event includes an opening ceremony on August 6th (Peace Harden @ FSU), a film on August 7th (Big Red Church), and a closing ritual on August 9th (Shinzen Garden). It includes land acknowlegments, speeches,readings, and an invitation to Fast (Dr. Daniel O'Connell). Judge Ikeda inttroduces us to VORP, Restorative Justice, Japanese American Citizens League, Fresno-Kochi Sister City Program, Japanese Internment, Japanese-American bravery in Wortld War II, Peace Garden at FSU, Seedlings from Hiroshima, and Nuclear Disarmament

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will interview Rev. B.T. Lewis, Pastor of Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church. In response to the dismissal of Yvonne Spence as Fresno City Clerk, their discussion will begin with the call of Black leaders for the City of Fresno to develop an anti-racism taskforce to create action plans and roundtables to address employment and career opportunities, economic development, and greater justice and equity for everyone in Fresno. Racism in Fresno, the Fresno City Council, the Fresno Black Leadership Collective, the African American Clergy Caucus will be mentioned in this part 2 of 2 programs with Pastor B.T. Lewis.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will interview Rev. B.T. Lewis, Pastor of Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church about faith leadership and politics and the importance of addressing inequities and the woven roots of racism and implicit bias in society, institutions, and systems. Pastor will share how his experience of growing up in Greenville Texas definitely influenced him as a young man, and how all forms of racial bias, attitudes and  injustice need to be addressed by all institutions, including churches. This is part 1 of 2 programs with Pastor B.T. Lewis

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will introduce viewers and listeners to four podcasts that he is personally enjoying in his retirement: The Commonweal Podcast, Inside the Vatican, The Gloria Purvis Podcast, and Now and Then.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will interview Rabbi Dr. Laura Novak Winer, Director of Clinical Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education, Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, CA. Among other things hey will talk about Rabbi's rabbinic and doctoral studies, Tzedek, Shalom, Tikkun Olam, Jewish Education, creating cultures of learning, Faith in Fresno, working on the Eviction Prevention Program for Fresno, empowering tenants to advocate for their rights, the legal defense fund, systemic racism, the Interfaith Scholar Weekend, witnessing, and reparations.

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will discuss the importance of Juneteenth , the 13th and newest Federal Holiday 

Jim Grant, retired Director of Social Justice Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno will discuss Eboo Patel and his Interfaith Youth Core. The podcast will be based on a reading of  Patel's column in USA Today, June 9, 2021, "Bridges of Unity Don't Just Fall From the Sky".