R-Soul: Reclaiming the Soul of Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice

The Reproductive Justice Resilience Project: A Conversation with Charity Woods Barnes

Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams talk with Charity Woods Barnes, founder of the Reproductive Justice Resilience Project, about her work to help reclaim rest, joy, and care for women of color navigating oppression and systemic injustice.

Devoted to cultivating a shift in culture toward radical care, healing, and collective liberation, Charity shares what life has been like forging a reproductive justice practice that both feeds her spirit and also guides others in finding their way in the movement.

Links to discussed content: 

• Reproductive Justice Resilience Project (RJRP): https://rjresilienceproject.org/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeRnW5UV2YtYvMaQEvwlpv9D16eU4V2ovx1vCf4MlqcvNHJwIWQLZH7SXnZuQ_aem_z4VdNAZMmrWPFJFEwCE5Fw

• A Resilient Fire Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/rjrp-a-resilient-fire/id1818774537

• RJRP Lunar Guides: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1Euq2PNmYY3hiMwRaWTSQehJHhhW29fij

• Restorative & Transformative Justice Training: www.faithchoiceohio.org/restorative-and-transformative-justice-training
  
  
• Relearning Self-Care: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/relearning-self-care
  
  
• Finding the Divine as an Afrofuturist in a Christian Supremacist World: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/finding-the-divine-as-an-afrofuturist-in-a-christian-supremacist-world

Music by Korbin Jones

The Patchwork Quilt Nobody Wanted: Abortion Access Three Years Post-Roe

When the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a death blow in 2022 to federal abortion protections offered by Roe v. Wade, a gruesome patchwork quilt of abortion regulations covered the nation, creating drastic gaps to abortion access from state to state. Three years into this new “normal,” Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams talk about what life is like now that nobody got what they really wanted from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Focusing on the impact that confusing abortion laws and vague, ever-changing repro rights restrictions have on patients seeking care, Kelley and Terry frame the present as a prelude to what's possible through religious freedom protections, communal resistance, and effective organizing in the coming years.

Links to discussed content: 

• Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (U.S. Supreme Court Decision that overturned Roe v. Wade): www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf

• (Episode 130) Recent podcast episode on the difference between the "Pro-Life Movement" and the "Abolish Human Abortion" sect: https://faithchoiceohio.podbean.com/e/they-had-it-comin-division-in-ohios-anti-abortion-industry/

• Guttmacher Map & Resources: https://states.guttmacher.org/policies/

• Ohio Abortion Lawsuits: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/12/03/battle-over-abortion-regulations-continues-in-ohio-lawsuits-stretch-into-2025/ 

• FREE online Self-Managed Abortion in Good Faith training: www.faithchoiceohio.org/self-managed-abortion-in-good-faith-training

• The Jubilee Fund for Abortion Justice (practical support for abortion seekers): www.faithchoiceohio.org/jubileefund

• Repro Legal Helpline: https://reprolegalhelpline.org/

Music by Korbin Jones

There's No Catch: Making Space for Those We'd Rather Cancel

Kelley Fox talks with Samantha, Program Coordinator of Faith Choice Ohio, about her work in organizing our presence at PRIDE festivals and via FCO's Abortion Care Package program. Together, they discuss the non-transactional, no-expectation nature of showing up for reproductive health, rights, and justice, especially as people of faith.

Links to discussed content:

• PRIDE with Faith Choice Ohio: www.faithchoiceohio.org/pride
• Abortion Care Packages with Faith Choice Ohio: www.faithchoiceohio.org/abortion-care-packages
• (PODCAST) Telling Our Stories: Samantha’s Journey to Abortion Advocacy:
  https://faithchoiceohio.podbean.com/e/tellin-our-stories-samantha-s-journey-to-abortion-advocacy/
• (PODCAST) They Had It Comin’: Division in Ohio’s Anti-Abortion Industry: https://faithchoiceohio.podbean.com/e/they-had-it-comin-division-in-ohios-anti-abortion-industry/
• People of All Religions Use Birth Control and Have Abortions: www.guttmacher.org/article/2020/10/people-all-religions-use-birth-control-and-have-abortions
• Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel, by Loretta Ross: www.simonandschuster.com/books/Calling-In/Loretta-J-Ross/9781982190798
• We Will Not Cancel Us, by adrienne maree brown: - https://adriennemareebrown.net/book/we-will-not-cancel-us/
• Unthinkable Thoughts: https://adriennemareebrown.net/2020/07/17/unthinkable-thoughts-call-out-culture-in-the-age-of-covid-19/
• Restorative & Transformative Justice Training: www.faithchoiceohio.org/restorative-and-transformative-justice-training

Music by Korbin Jones

They Had It Comin’: Division in Ohio’s Anti-Abortion Industry

After a 2023 ballot initiative confirmed that anti-abortion sentiment is a minority position in Ohio, the state’s anti-abortion industrial complex split into two fairly distinct ideological camps. Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams explore the rift between Ohio’s “Pro-Life Movement” and their foil, the “Abolish Human Abortion” sect — including why those names are better classed as propaganda than truly descriptive.

Drawing on strong theological reflection, the history of U.S. reproductive rights, and basic grade-school logic, Kelley and Terry take listeners through the break-up we all knew was coming as the anti-abortion rhetoric starts to not make sense even to its own practitioners.

Links to discussed content:

• Ohio lawmakers propose bill that would grant legal personhood at moment of fertilization: www.athensmessenger.com/news/ohio-lawmakers-propose-bill-that-would-grant-legal-personhood-at-moment-of-fertilization/article_3c08abc5-bcdd-4609-b9e8-f9fead53ddfb.html
• Inside the latest challenge to Ohio’s reproductive rights amendment: www.cleveland.com/news/2025/06/inside-the-latest-challenge-to-ohios-reproductive-rights-amendment.html
• Anti-abortion ‘abolitionists’ take slavery rhetoric to the next level: https://georgiarecorder.com/2023/09/02/anti-abortion-abolitionists-take-slavery-rhetoric-to-the-next-level/
• This Ohio Turf War Is the Latest Sign That the Anti-Abortion Movement Is in Disarray: www.thenation.com/article/politics/ohio-abortion-constitutional-amendment/tnamp/
• R-Soul Episode 7: Liver & Onions (and Abortion): https://faithchoiceohio.podbean.com/e/liver-and-onions-and-abortions/
• Restorative & Transformative Justice Training: www.faithchoiceohio.org/restorative-and-transformative-justice-training

Music by Korbin Jones

We Will Persist: Overcoming Anti-Abortion Political Violence

Recounting both firsthand experience and repro-political history, Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams help listeners see the explicit connection between anti-abortion ideology and modern political violence in the U.S.

Catalyzed by the recent assassination of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman, Kelley and Terry explain why it’s no big surprise that Rep. Hortman’s assassin also targeted abortion workers in his destructive quest. Revisiting historical examples of anti-abortion violence, this episode also provides listeners with concrete steps to achieve focus, maintain perspective, and keep pressing forward in the fight for abortion justice and reproductive freedom.

Links to discussed show notes:

• Abortion providers devastated by political killings, hit list: thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5353386-abortion-providers-targeted-missouri-shooting/amp
• 'God Sent the Shooter,' & Other Lies by Political Extremists, by Rev. Terry Williams: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/2019/5/31/god-sent-the-shooter
• The Army of God: newreligiousmovements.org/a/army-of-god
• Video of "Cry Night" at an Evangelical Camp: www.tiktok.com/@emhahee/video/7246223464242105643
• PRIDE 2025 with Faith Choice Ohio: www.faithchoiceohio.org/pride
• Finding Small Joys in a Summer of Turmoil, by Kelley Fox: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/finding-small-joys-in-a-summer-of-turmoil

Music by Korbin Jones

Liberation Through Love: A Conversation with Minister Constance Dunlap

Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams are joined by special guest Constance Dunlap, Minister-in-Residence at Faith Choice Ohio, to talk about her ongoing calling, work, and witness for reproductive justice in faith-forward spaces.

A doctoral candidate at Garret Evangelical Seminary, Constance shares deep wisdom, connecting her Baptist spirituality with an embodied sexual health advocacy that centers relationships, community-building, and compassionate presence. Listen in as Constance leads listeners on an exploration of personal and community growth by reflecting on current challenges in the repro movement and the exciting opportunities that these times bring for those who are struggling for freedom.

Links to more content by Minister Constance Dunlap: 

• Justice as an Invitation to Transformation: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/justice-as-an-invitation-to-transformation 
• Reproductive Freedom is Body Work: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/reproductive-freedom-is-body-work 
• Lament for the New and the Not Yet:
  www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/a-lament-for-the-now-and-not-yet 
• Reconcile and Reclaim Collaborations:
  www.reconcileandreclaim.com/ 

Music by Korbin Jones

Alive in Our Hearts: Remembering Dr. George Tiller

Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams take time to honor the life and story of Dr. George Tiller, an abortion provider who was murdered while serving as an usher at his church on May 31, 2009.

Centering the episode on the life of Dr. Tiller, Kelley and Terry connect the dots between violent religious extremism and anti-abortion acts of terror, drawing the link between forces at play in the murder of Dr. Tiller and modern violence against reproductive health providers as recent as this year. Faith Choice Ohio's liturgical resources for use in your own Tiller Observance are also discussed — with the episode closing in a powerful prayer from the 2025 Tiller Observance Resource Guide.

Links to discussed content:

• Palm Springs IVF Clinic Bombing: www.npr.org/2025/05/19/nx-s1-5403669/what-we-know-palm-springs-ivf-clinic-bombing
• New Faith4Repro Store (with "Keep Your Theology Off My Biology" merch): www.faithchoiceohio.org/store
  
• 2025 Tiller Observance Resource Guide (with prayers, reflections, and video content for use by congregations and individuals): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MT7FQGxq_8GK7ghNpw_ytvtjVXO_Hoi7?usp=drive_link
  
• Killing the Black Body, by Dorothy Roberts: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/155575/killing-the-black-body-by-dorothy-roberts/
  
• A Brief History of Deadly Attacks on Abortion Providers: www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/11/29/us/30abortion-clinic-violence.html
  
• The Anti-Abortion Roots of Christian Nationalism: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-christian-nationalism-abortion-ban-b2629614.html 
• "'God Sent the Shooter' & Other Lies by Religious Extremists," a blog article by Rev. Terry Williams: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/2019/5/31/god-sent-the-shooter
  
• "Worth It All," a blog article by Rev. Terry Williams: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/worth-it-all

Music by Korbin Jones

Gifts to Share: Repro Movement Strategies That Help Win Intersectional Struggles

Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams reflect on the similarities between the last 40 years of fights for reproductive rights and modern struggles for justice, identifying key repro movement learnings that can help make sense of current attacks on fundamental rights.

Lifting up the historic resilience of abortion care providers and reproductive justice practitioners in the face of government hostility, Kelley and Terry explore ways for modern supporters of diversity, equity, and inclusion to stay strong in the midst of increased legislative attacks and the weaponization of law enforcement systems against vulnerable groups.

Links to discussed content: 

• Combating Anti-Abortion Misinformation: https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/resources/how-to-identify-and-combat-anti-abortion-disinformation
• National Network of Abortion Funds: https://abortionfunds.org/
• Faith Choice Ohio Training Center: www.faithchoiceohio.org/trainings
• Conflict Is Not Abuse, by Sarah Schulman: https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/C/Conflict-Is-Not-Abuse
• "That Man Said What?!" (an early R-Soul Episode on COVID and Misinformation about POC): https://faithchoiceohio.podbean.com/e/that-man-said-what/
• Volunteer for Ohio Senate Bill 1 Referendum: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSePTgRhX2MyRJ6PjmhAgV4oYcyz7Z0295El5sxfZ04bpjoE4Q/viewform

Music by Korbin Jones

Progress, Not Perfection: Remembering Pope Francis

For the first time in 20 years, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church has died in office. Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams are joined by Nicole Morino from Catholics for Choice to remember the life and complex legacy of Pope Francis as the world processes his death.

Offering an honest assessment of his impact on the church, Kelley, Terry, and Nicole unpack the trajectory of repro in the Roman Catholic Church, discuss the divide between the church’s hierarchy and the views of its adherents, and outline what the future likely holds in store for abortion justice and reproductive freedom for Catholics around the world.

Links to discussed content:

• Catholics for Choice Just the Facts: www.catholicsforchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/CatholicsForChoiceJustTheFacts.pdf
• Sign Up for C4C's Young Catholic Repro Collective: /www.catholicsforchoice.org/ycrc/
• Sign up for a 1-on-1 with a Catholics for Choice Organizer: www.catholicsforchoice.org/welcome-to-catholics-for-choice/
• Pope Francis sought to make LGBTQ+ people more welcome, but church doctrine didn't change much: https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/pope-francis-sought-make-lgbtq-people-church-doctrine-121112450
• Catholics for Choice delivers Abortion Stories Quilt to the Vatican in 2024: www.catholicsforchoice.org/press-releases/catholics-for-choice-displays-50-foot-quilt-in-front-of-the-vatican-to-bring-the-stories-of-pro-choice-catholics-to-life-at-the-synod-on-synodality/
  
• Pope Francis answers a young boy's questions about his father's death: www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/04/16/my-dad-heaven-little-boy-asks-pope
• Pope Francis stigmatizes abortion with "hitman" comments in 2018: https://apnews.com/article/5137019e19c5410aa7e2c2b68f21824f
  
• Explainer on what happens when the pope dies: www.npr.org/2025/04/21/g-s1-61909/pope-death-funeral-conclave-timeline
• Catholic Conference of Ohio map of six dioceses: hwww.ohiocathconf.org/about/ohio-dioceses
• Roman Catholic Church Hierarchy explained: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zv9yd6f/revision/1

Music by Korbin Jones

Can I Borrow Your Bullhorn? Making Progress with Protest

Kelley Fox and Rev. Terry Williams talk about protest, progress, and movement ecology, exploring how diverse ways of engaging modern movements for social change work together to accomplish collective liberation.

Giving practical advice from personal experience, Kelley and Terry walk listeners through options for engaging protests, some theories of change that often show up during direct action events, and ways to participate in supporting progress even if hauling around a bullhorn isn’t really your thing.

Links to discussed content:

• Definition of Movement Ecology: www.openphilanthropy.org/wp-content/uploads/Ayni_social_movement_ecology.pdf
• Intro to Movement Ecology: www.youtube.com/watch? v=luC4xvQoeFk
  
• "There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them" (Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin): www.britannica.com/biography/Alexandre-Auguste-Ledru-Rollin
  
• 150 Days of Injustice (2020 event): www.columbusmonthly.com/story/entertainment/human-interest/2020/07/31/organizers-gather-strength-for-next-push-in-black-lives-matter-movement/43290671/
  
• "Protesters: Know Your Rights!" (ACLU Ohio): www.acluohio.org/en/know-your-rights/protesters-know-your-rights
  
• "Tips for Preparedness, Peaceful Protesting, and Safety" (Human Rights Campaign): www.hrc.org/resources/tips-for-preparedness-peaceful-protesting-and-safety
• "What's Your Role in the Movement for Black Lives?" by Elaina Ramsey: www.faithchoiceohio.org/blog/whats-your-role-in-the-movement-for-black-lives?
• Social Change Ecosystem Map, by Deepa Iyer: https://buildingmovement.org/our-work/movement-building/social-change-ecosystem-map/
• "unthinkable thoughts," by adrienne maree brown: https://adriennemareebrown.net/2020/07/17/unthinkable-thoughts-call-out-culture-in-the-age-of-covid-19/
• "Mariame Kaba: Everything Worthwhile Is Done With Other People" (Adi Magazine): https://adimagazine.com/articles/mariame-kaba-everything-worthwhile-is-done-with-other-people/

Music by Korbin Jones