What is The Clearing?

Sylvia Kamande is joined by Lisa Sharon Harper to discuss The Clearing. They reflect on this time of economic difficulty for many Black and Brown women, the toll that takes on their health and relationships, and the importance of moving forward in community. They also share about the preconference event The Clearing, happening on October 7, 2026, in Richmond, where women of color are invited to connect, learn, and grow together. Click here to learn more about The Clearing and register for the CCDA Conference at ccda.org/conference [http://ccda.org/conference]. From Ferguson to New York, and from Germany to South Africa to Australia, Lisa Sharon Harper leads trainings that increase clergy and community leaders' capacity to organize people of faith toward a just world. A prolific speaker, writer, and activist, Ms. Harper is the founder and president of FreedomRoad.us [http://freedomroad.us/], a consulting group dedicated to shrinking the narrative gap in our nation by designing forums and experiences that bring common understanding, common commitment, and common action. Learn more at lisasharonharper.com [https://lisasharonharper.com/]. Sylvia Kamande is originally from Kenya but is now based in San Francisco, California. She works for an organization called Because Justice Matters [https://www.becausejusticematters.org/] (BJM). BJM believes in building pathways to brighter futures for women, girls, and families in urban communities, and they work in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco. She serves as the Families' Director at BJM and currently as the Women of Color Network Connector at CCDA [https://ccda.org/woc/]. Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].