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Chanequa Walker-Barnes

@drchanequa.bsky.social

Psychologist, theologian, wellness activist, recovering StrongBlackWoman. I write about spirituality, wellness, & justice.

6,926 Followers  |  600 Following  |  529 Posts  |  Joined: 11.02.2024
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Posts by Chanequa Walker-Barnes (@drchanequa.bsky.social)

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Defund ICE (UPDATED 1/22) - PASSED HOUSE, SENATE VOTE NEXT WEEK β­‘ 5 Calls Updates January 22, 2026: By a 220-207 vote, the House has passed H.R. 7147, the standalone DHS appropriations bill. Republican Rep. Massie (KY) voted …

Call your senators this week and tell them to defund ICE. You can use the 5 Calls app to identify your senators and get their contact information. There’s even a script for you to follow.

Call them whether they are Republican or Democrat.

5calls.org/issue/dhs-bu...

25.01.2026 15:36 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

At least 3 US citizens have been killed by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement over the past month: Keith Porter, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti.

ICE didn’t even exist until 2003. It was created supposedly to make Americans feel safe from terrorists in the wake of 9/11. It is now executing Americans.

25.01.2026 15:36 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Problem with White Christian Love This is probably not the Advent reflection you were looking for.

Last month I did a talk about White racial identity and moral injury. Several White people in the audience responded by talking about love. It was puzzling, but it wasn’t the first time.

It made me wonder: what magical power do White people think their love has?

open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

21.12.2025 13:15 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Possessing The Secret of Joy...Still What does joy mean in a season of despair?

I had great dreams of writing a new Advent reflection on joy this week. But it’s the end of the semester and my creative energy is waning. So I’ve decided to be gracious toward myself and repost last year’s reflection, with some added practice suggestions.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

14.12.2025 14:14 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Advent Peace Meditation Podcast Episode Β· Meditating with Dr. Chanequa Β· 12/07/2025 Β· 16m

And on Apple Podcasts podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...

07.12.2025 19:47 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Advent Peace Meditation

You can also find it on Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/3MEz...

07.12.2025 19:47 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Advent Peace Meditation Inspired by the season of Advent, this guided meditation invites us to cultivate peacefulness in our bodies, hearts, and relationships.

It’s been a few months since I’ve released a guided meditation. Today’s is inspired by the theme of peace in the 2nd week of Advent. open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

07.12.2025 19:47 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes (@drchanequa) These days I often struggle with hope. The world feels too bleak. The country has let me down. The church has let me down. It’s a good thing that Advent begins with hope in the midst of darkness. In t...

These days I often struggle with hope. It’s a good thing that Advent begins with hope in the midst of darkness. In today’s post, I’m taking up hope as a spiritual practice, training my eyes to see it. Because it’s all around us if we pay attention.

substack.com/@drchanequa/...

30.11.2025 13:55 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Oh we always deliver it with humor and love! Our thing is that we want everybody to bring what they cook well. And we will absolutely hype that up.

27.11.2025 13:34 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

You would fit right in with my mom’s side of the family. They are quick to let you know what is and is not your gift.

27.11.2025 13:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A Creed for Woke Christians A statement of belief for those of us who love Jesus and justice, but who often can't find either in the church

When I started this series, I had not planned on focusing on the church. But it turns out that a lot of my favorite writing is about my own spiritual journey. Earlier this year, I wrote this creed in the midst of a debate about the term β€œwoke.” open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

23.11.2025 19:00 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Bipartisan US shutdown deal will sharpen divisions among Democrats Key takeaways after a Senate breakthrough heralds a possible end in sight to the longest shutdown in US history.

β€œIn the end, the Democrats blinked. Or, at least, just enough centrists, soon-to-be retirees and at-risk politicians in the Senate to give Republicans the support needed to reopen the government.”

www.bbc.com/news/article...

10.11.2025 11:25 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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What If There Is No Promised Land? My spiritual life changed for the better when I stopped looking for the promised land and learned to make my home in the wilderness.

open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

09.11.2025 13:02 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

During and after my years in seminary, I agonized over where God was calling me to be. I kept trying to find the promised land, the place where I fit, where life was full of calm. I thought that was the goal of the spiritual journey. I found peace when I accepted my place in the wilderness.

09.11.2025 13:01 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Dear Church, I Quitchu I used to be the only one of my ministry friends not attending church on Sundays. Not anymore.

In celebration of my birth month, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite essays all month long. I wrote this one 8 years ago, trying to make sense of why I hadn’t returned to church after what was supposed to be a six-week break during Lent. open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

02.11.2025 13:45 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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When the Church Fails to Be Community It shouldn't be this hard for the church to offer genuine welcome

Last week I wrote about how we are made for community. This week I’m thinking about how the church fails to embody community more often than not.

Read the post at drchanequa.substack.com/p/when-the-c...

26.10.2025 13:15 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Today is a good day to…

Take a mindful breath.
Feel the earth under your feet.
Be where you are.

As you breathe in, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing out.

Repeat as needed. And it will be needed repeatedly.

25.10.2025 13:14 β€” πŸ‘ 45    πŸ” 17    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 0

Who knows the secret to getting off these DNC fundraising lists? And what does the way they sell (and resell) donor info tell us about how they govern?

23.10.2025 19:36 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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As Long as I Got King Jesus, I Still Need Somebody Else Humans were made for relationship, but we seem to keep forgetting that.

Call me a heretic but I’m going to say it: Jesus is not enough.

We were made for relationship with other human beings. We cannot live without one another because we were not meant to, no matter what Western individualism tells us.

open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

23.10.2025 13:57 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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As Long as I Got King Jesus, I Still Need Somebody Else Humans were made for relationship, but we seem to keep forgetting that.

Last weekend I had the privilege of speaking at New Brunswick Theological Seminary on the topic of community, something I’ve been thinking a lot about these days. Today’s post is part of what I shared.

open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

19.10.2025 13:56 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Head to a protest today. I can almost promise you will feel less hopeless. That's exactly what they don't want. There are more of us than there are of them.

18.10.2025 15:26 β€” πŸ‘ 9488    πŸ” 1797    πŸ’¬ 120    πŸ“Œ 88

Actual helpful advice.

17.10.2025 15:10 β€” πŸ‘ 537    πŸ” 356    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 13

It’s a hard week for Black Gen Xers. We loved us some Diane Keaton. And D’Angelo? No words for how much he shaped the sound of our generation.

15.10.2025 18:58 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ‘‡πŸ½πŸ‘‡πŸ½πŸ‘‡πŸ½πŸ‘‡πŸ½πŸ‘‡πŸ½

15.10.2025 16:21 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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That’s crazy. I wonder what happened in January

15.10.2025 10:34 β€” πŸ‘ 16361    πŸ” 5254    πŸ’¬ 537    πŸ“Œ 292
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Rest for the Weary Yes, I’m writing about rest and resistance again. It won’t be the last time, either.

Every few months I end up writing about rest as a form of resistance. It keeps coming up in daily life. This time I’m drawing on the wisdom of the late Walter Brueggemann.

open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

12.10.2025 13:42 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

What strikes me is how our perceptions of right and wrong are divided by political ideology.

09.10.2025 11:55 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The failure to do this reckoning has dire consequences.

05.10.2025 14:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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I Am Not Invisible Invisibility can be a superpower, but only if we get to choose it.

NEW POST!

I had an encounter at the pool this week that triggered memories of when I first realized my power of invisibility (it was in seminary). I’ve come a long way since then.

open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...

05.10.2025 12:12 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This current American presidential administration is run by people who are quite obviously mentally ill, and we need to start talking about that.

30.09.2025 17:24 β€” πŸ‘ 31606    πŸ” 7937    πŸ’¬ 1602    πŸ“Œ 465