Coffee with AmyBeth Willis

AmyBeth Willis is the Director of Children and Youth at Southside
Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona and an organizer
with the national sanctuary movement. AmyBeth comes to the
sanctuary movement as an ally and to this podcast with lots of
wisdom.


AmyBeth and I met at an event at Richmond Hill organized by Lana
Heath de Martínez and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public
Policy. AmyBeth was one of the leaders throughout the several-day
event. Lana especially wanted me to attend an event with about 15
student-leaders pursuing U.S. citizenship. They were part of
a the Latino Leadership Institute with Father Jack
Podsiadlo. I was touched very deeply by these students, their
hard work, and their desire to liberate other groups of people.
They understood the largest vision of the American Dream. They
deserve to be here more than I do, that's for sure.


It was great to initially meet AmyBeth that night and to connect
with her again in 2017 in this interview. Between our original
meeting and the interview I've asked Lana repeatedly how I can
help advocate for the Latinx communities, immigrant communities,
and refugee communities. Repeatedly, Lana would reply, "Have
you talked to AmyBeth yet?"


There are several things to learn about Lana asking me
repeatedly. First, most obviously, AmyBeth has knowledge,
stories, and expertise to be shared with me and all of you.
Second, Lana understands the importance of stories being shared.


AmyBeth quotes Lilla Watson, who refuses to take credit for words
from her community, "If you have come to help me, you are
wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation
is bound up in mine, then let us work together."  AmyBeth
knows that our own salvation comes by putting ourselves at risk
and standing alongside the marginalized. In the words of American
Jewish poet, Emma Lazarus, "Until we are all free, we are none of
us free." We know Martin Luther King Jr. said, "no one is free
until we are all free" and that this principle is
fundamental to Latin American Liberation Theology. Thank you to
AmyBeth Willis for being the source of so much courage,
knowledge, and inspiration.


Links:


Southside Presbyterian Church


Lilla Watson


Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (Learn. Pray. Act.)


Kim Bobo, Exec. Dir. VICPP


Interview with Lana Heath de Martínez


Richmond Hill


Emory University


Sanctuary Not Deportation


Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg


Latino Leadership Institute, Sacred Heart Center


United Faith Leaders