Gathering Ground

In this episode of “Gathering Ground,” Mary sits down with four women of the SOL Collective, a Chicago storytelling group built to put Black women and women of color at the center of the stage: co-founder Shelley A. Davis, Karin Norington-Reaves, Terri A. Johnson, and Rev. Michelle Hughes. Shelley traces SOL back to a kitchen table and a year of Thai food dinners, dreamed up after a 2019 show finally gave her an audience that could hear her. Terri, Michelle, and Karin each share the story that turned them into tellers, from facing chemo with humor to a memorial that became a celebration to grieving a daughter's death in front of an audience, and what it took to tell those stories off book.Episode Highlights:- Shelley A. Davis on how SOL began around her kitchen table in 2019, and what makes the collective's “high polish” personal essay storytelling different from Chicago's open mic and spoken word scene- Terri A. Johnson on choosing to tell her breast cancer story with humor instead of avoiding it altogether, and the audience members who always come up afterward with their own- Rev. Michelle Hughes on becoming a storyteller after decades as a “manuscript preacher,” and the memorial service that turned into a party- Karin Norington-Reaves on the sisterhood that carried her through her daughter's death, and how storytelling shapes her work leading the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership“Gathering Ground” is now available on Vimeo! Watch full episodes and subscribe for future conversations.If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.

In this episode, Mary Morten gathers four leaders shaping the future of documentary film in Chicago.Stacy Robinson, artistic director of Kartemquin Films, marks the studio's 60th anniversary and the hard-won lessons behind 80-plus films, including Hoop Dreams and The Interrupters. Yvonne Welbon, founder and CEO of Sisters in Cinema, talks about turning 30 years of research into the country's only brick-and-mortar space dedicated to Black women filmmakers. And two filmmakers who came up through their fellowship programs, Cam Be and Arlieta Hall, share what's next: Cam's Joffrey Ballet documentary premiering on PBS, and Arlieta's deeply personal film on caregiving through Alzheimer's, Finding Your Laughter.Together they talk candidly about a funding climate where legacy institutions built around race are being targeted, why finding your people matters more than going it alone, and what it takes to keep Chicago's documentary ecosystem alive.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS- Stacy Robinson on Kartemquin's 60th anniversary, the studio's philosophy of documentary as social inquiry, and how they decide which stories to tell- Yvonne Welbon on building Sisters in Cinema from a grad school research project into a physical home for Black women filmmakers in South Shore- Cam Be on his process, his fellowship with Kartemquin, and his new PBS documentary Joffrey Ballet: The Next Movement- Arlieta Hall on Finding Your Laughter, her film about caregiving through her father's and mother's Alzheimer's, and balancing comedy, storytelling, and heartAll four guests on a funding climate where the Civil Rights Act of 1866 is being weaponized against race-conscious programs, and why community, not isolation, is what keeps filmmakers goingLISTEN & SUBSCRIBEAll episodes: bit.ly/gatheringgroundSubscribe to this channel for new episodesFOLLOW GATHERING GROUNDInstagram: @mortengroupHost Mary F. Morten: @marymorten

In this annual fireside chat, host Mary Morten reconnects with Angelique Power of the Skillman Foundation and Tracie Hall of the HBCU Library Alliance for a conversation about memory, education, and what it takes to carry the baton in a moment when history is under pressure. From the opening of the Obama Presidential Center to the progress happening in Detroit's public schools, they look at who gets to tell our stories and why staying vocal matters.Episode Highlights- Mary on being featured in the Obama Presidential Center museum through her film “Woke Up Black,” and the story of trying to sneak a DVD into the White House- Angelique on stepping into the Obama Presidential Center and feeling like she had "unzipped the current timeline," plus Tracie on why every family's keepsakes are archives worth protecting- Angelique on Detroit's gains in reading, math, and graduation, and Mary on why she insists young people be on every panel, because her film's teens are "exceptional, but not exceptions"- Tracie on her work with 105 HBCU libraries and how censorship fights that began at school boards now reach libraries, museums, and universities, plus all three on passing the baton and caring for themselves along the wayIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.

In the season finale of “Gathering Ground,” host Mary Morten sits down with Teresa C. Younger, outgoing president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, for a candid reflection on 13 years of leading a legacy institution through fundamental transformation. Teresa talks about what it took to center women and girls of color at a second-wave feminist foundation, the listening tour that covered 50,000 miles in her first year, and why she believes succession planning is one of the most overlooked acts of leadership. She also shares what comes next: Project Stargazing, an intentional pause to redesign the constellations.Episode Highlights- Teresa Younger on arriving at the Ms. Foundation as its second Black woman CEO and leading a 50,000-mile listening tour that reshaped the foundation's language, priorities, and grantmaking strategy- On centering women and girls of color as a point of inclusion, not exclusion — and the board conversations, donor fears, and courageous clarity it took to make that shift explicit- Trust-based philanthropy before it had a name: how the Ms. Foundation moved to general operating support, de-siloed its grant pillars, and started treating grantees as partners instead of recipients- Succession planning as a leadership responsibility: why Teresa started the conversation with her board in year eight, why transitions cost money, and what she would tell any long-tenured leader about exit strategyIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.

SummaryWhat does it mean to do research that refuses to look away and to protect that work when the political climate demands retreat? In this episode of “Gathering Ground,” host Mary Morten sits down with Dr. Amanda Lewis, current director of the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois Chicago, and Dr. Beth Richie, the institute's former director, to mark 25 years of community-centered, justice-oriented scholarship. Together, they trace IRRPP's origins in faculty activism, make the case for engaged research as a more rigorous — not less rigorous — approach to knowledge-making, and speak plainly about what it means to keep saying the word "race" when institutions around the country are flinching.If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.

In this episode of "Gathering Ground," host Mary Morten sits down with Chase Glenn, Executive Director of the GenderCool Project, and GenderCool champions Chazzie Grosshandler and Ashton Mota to explore how storytelling, joy, and visibility are reshaping the conversation around trans and non-binary youth. At a time when legislation like Kansas's retroactive ID restrictions are making headlines, GenderCool is centering something the news rarely shows: young people who are not just surviving, but thriving. Together, Chase, Chazzie, and Ashton trace the origins of GenderCool, share their own powerful coming-out stories, and make the case that the antidote to fear-driven narratives is something deceptively simple -- actually getting to know trans youth as the full human beings they are.Episode Highlights- Chazzie Grosshandler on founding GenderCool at her family's kitchen table after coming out in fourth grade, and why she and her parents knew that if people could just get to know transgender and non-binary young people, everything could change- Ashton Mota on coming out to his mom on his 12th birthday, growing up in a Caribbean household navigating cultural and religious dynamics, and how his family eventually opened their home as a foster placement for LGBTQ+ youth of color- Chase Glenn on moving from policy advocacy in South Carolina to leading GenderCool in Chicago and why he sees personal storytelling, not legislation, as the most powerful force available to the trans community right nowIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.

In this episode of "Gathering Ground," host Mary sits down with Scheherazade Tillet, founder and executive director of A Long Walk Home, and Kaethe Morris Hoffer, executive director of CAASE (Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation), for a searching conversation about art, accountability, and what it means to keep doing this work when the political ground keeps shifting beneath you. Together, they trace their paths into this fight, reflect on what the Epstein revelations expose about power and complicity, and share the stories of resilience -- and record-breaking impact -- that are keeping them grounded right now.Episode Highlights:- Scheherazade Tillet on co-founding A Long Walk Home 24 years ago from her own healing journey -- and how photography and art became the foundation for training young Chicago women to become artist-activists fighting gender-based violence- Kaethe Morris Hoffer on CAASE's record year -- 244 survivors served, new legal work representing incarcerated women who experienced sexual harm, and lawsuits filed against the Illinois Department of Corrections- Both guests on navigating federal funding cuts and anti-DEI pressureIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.

What does it mean to lead a movement when the movement itself is under pressure? In this episode of "Gathering Ground," Mary sits down with Darlene Nipper, CEO of Rockwood Leadership Institute, and Russell Roybal, Board Chair of Rockwood and Executive Vice President at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, to mark Rockwood’s 25th anniversary and explore what it truly means to lead from the inside out.Episode Highlights- Darlene Nipper on Rockwood’s evolution — from environmental training to a cross-movement leadership powerhouse that centers leaders of color and LGBTQ+ communities- Russell Roybal on the “elevator exercise” — a pivotal Rockwood experience that helped him trace workplace triggers back to childhood, and why personal leadership is inseparable from organizational leadership- Leading with joy: How Rockwood’s approach breaks leaders down and builds them back up, centered in what truly matters to them- How Rockwood is responding to the current political moment - with new grassroots programs, community crisis response, and unwavering investment in leader renewalIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.

In this episode of "Gathering Ground," Mary speaks with Sharon Bush, President of Grand Victoria Foundation, and Sol Anderson, President and CEO of Evanston Community Foundation, about how philanthropy can move closer to the communities it seeks to serve. Drawing from their distinct place-based work across Illinois and in Evanston, they discuss trust-based grantmaking, community-led decision making, and the responsibilities funders hold in advancing racial justice.Sharon and Sol reflect on how foundations can support grassroots leadership, sustain commitments to equity in a shifting political climate, and rethink traditional funding models. Their conversation highlights the importance of proximity, trust, and collaboration in building philanthropic practices that strengthen communities and support lasting change.Episode Highlights:- Sharon Bush on pioneering trust-based philanthropy and sustaining racial justice commitments across Illinois- Sol Anderson on community-led grantmaking and the importance of proximity to power- A look inside two foundations rethinking how resources flow to grassroots leaders- Why rest, renewal, and imagination matter for movement leaders and funders alike

This episode of "Gathering Ground" brings together two sector-shifting leaders: Bina Patel, CEO of Saathi Impact Consulting, and Vu Le, writer of the blog Nonprofit AF. With honesty and clarity, they join Mary to examine how the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors perpetuate inequality, reward compliance, and resist transformation.Together, they explore how movements are being co-opted, how "toxic intellectualizing" replaces real action, and why we must stop maintaining systems we claim to be dismantling.Episode Highlights:- Bina Patel on strategic compliance and the quiet parts that keep systems unjust- Vu Le on the myth of philanthropy and why nonprofits must get political- A call to stop obeying tyranny in advance and begin organizing for collective liberationLinks and Resources:- Saathi Impact Consulting – https://saathiimpact.com- Nonprofit AF Blog – https://nonprofitaf.com/If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.