They didn't choose the world they inherited. But they're choosing what to do about it.

Pax Fordham, Ashley Samuel, and Alanah Alphonse bring three very different vocations to the same conviction: justice matters, faith demands action, and this generation is not waiting for permission to get involved. From the halls of Congress to the university campus to the clinic floor, they are already doing the work.

The conversation covers how each of them defines justice, how 2020 became a turning point for a generation, and what it means to carry both faith and frustration into a world that can feel simultaneously overwhelming and full of possibility. They push back on the idea that young people are naive — and make the case that wanting healthcare, housing, and dignity for everyone isn't utopianism, it's just taking the gospel seriously.

And then there's Pax's line that stopped the whole conversation: our algorithms are more segregated than water fountains in the 1960s. The implications are staggering — and the invitation is clear. Bridge-building, listening, learning, and choosing to see the humanity in each other might be the most radical acts of justice available to us right now.

Rooted in Micah 6:8, JustCoz believes justice is more than a cause — it's a calling.

KEY QUOTES

"Our algorithms are more segregated than water fountains in the 1960s." - Pax Fordham

"Justice is just really putting us back to where we're supposed to be — how are we supposed to treat each other? How's the world supposed to go?"

"If you don't shoot for the stars, you're just never going to get what you want if you don't believe it could possibly happen."

"I can't treat everyone in the world, but I can treat my patients that day with every ounce of care that I have."

"I can't stop becoming less young, but I can stop myself becoming less hopeful."

"Justice is woven into the story of Jesus."

TIMESTAMPS

0:00  Intro & Theme Music

00:53  Host Welcome    

00:54  Guest Introductions

02:24 Journeys towards Justice — Pax, Ashley & Alanah 

06:06 Defining Justice — Three Perspectives

08:47  How Does Justice Connect with Faith?

11:41  Is This the Faith You Grew Up With? 2020 as a Turning Point

16:12  Who Inspires You? John Lewis, Tim Keller, Taylor Cassidy & More

19:57  What Do You Wish Older People Knew About Your Generation?

26:03  Algorithms, Segregation & the Hunger for Authenticity

30:29  Platform Moment — Educate to Liberate, Senior Thesis & the Medical Student Club

35:02  Closing — Learning to Listen

35:40  Host Sign-Off & Episode Credits

Organizations & Projects Mentioned

Educate to Liberate — Nonprofit bringing critical policy education to underfunded public schools 

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation — cbcfinc.org

People Referenced

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — Civil rights movement leader

John Lewis — Civil rights leader and congressman

Tim Keller — Pastor and author; faith and justice thinker

Charlie Dates — Pastor; justice and faith

Michael Eric Dyson — Scholar, author, and cultural critic

Taylor Cassidy — Social media educator using positive history to reclaim narratives

Episode-Specific Resources

Educate to Liberate contact/website: Educate to Liberate 

Alanah's thesis (when published): 

CALL TO ACTION

This Week's Challenge

Find someone in your family, church, or community that you have some friendship with but who is from a different generation — whether older or younger. Ask them some of the same questions we asked Pax, Ashley, and Alanah.

Ask them: how do they see and experience the world differently than you? How might their formative experiences have been different from yours? And what are the justice issues they are passionate about?

For Young Adults

You are not too young, too inexperienced, or too small to make a difference. Pax, Alanah, and Ashley are proof. Find your lane and get in it.

Listener Engagement

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EPISODE CREDITS

Dilys Brooks — Co-Host & Content Producer

Nathan Brown — Co-Host & Editorial Feedback

Beverly Maravilla Jaramillo — Scheduling Coordination & Guest Confirmations

Sam Gungaloo — Audio Engineer & Web Content Manager

Corban Rosspencer — Mix & Master

Music

Lumber Down — Intro Music, licensed via Riverside FM

Palms Down — Outro Music, licensed via Riverside FM

The JustCoz is a podcast of JustLove Collective.