TWIH Episode 35: Why #BlackLivesMatter in the Pagan Community with Crystal Blanton (#pantheacon)

This Week In Heresy

In this episode, we are joined by Crystal Blanton, priestess, social worker, and author, to talk about not only the events that happened at Pantheacon 2015, but also about why the discussion about racism in the Pagan community is important. We also talk about the wider issues of racism in America, and the realities of living as a Person (and Pagan) of Color.

Crystal Blanton is a High Priestess, clinical counselor/social worker, graduate student in a Social Work program at a California State University and a published author. She writes and coordinates the Patheos blog “Daughters of Eve”, is a writer for Sage Woman Magazine, is a monthly columnist for The Wild Hunt, and on the board of Solar Cross Temple. She has been a practicing Pagan for the last 12 years, worked in Social Services for 17 years, and currently provides clinical intervention services to disenfranchised youth in Oakland schools. She has had the privilege of traveling as a guest at Pagan Spirit Gathering in 2012, and Sacred Harvest Festival in 2011, 2012 and 2014. She was the keynote speaker for the 10th Annual Conference on Current Pagan Studies in 2014. She has also enjoyed the chance to teach and learn at Pantheacon for the past years.

Within her personal life, she has been with her husband since 1996, has four children, and raises a multicultural family in the Bay Area. Among her passion for social justice work, she is an advocate for expanding common understanding of privilege, race relations, the use of restorative justice practices and cultural empathy; furthering constructive discussions that are often taboo and misunderstood in society.

Links

Crystal’s Website

Books

Bringing Race to the Table

Bridging the Gap

Shades of Faith

Shades of Ritual: Minority Voices in Practice

Pain and Faith in a Wiccan World: Spirituality, Ethics and Transformation