What keeps us going when the work of justice feels like an endless fight? In “Facing the Storm,” Desireé Lucas draws on her Black Pentecostal upbringing, the wisdom of church mothers, and Frederick Douglass’s witness to explore the struggles of everyday life and the pursuit of collective liberation. From recurring bills and strained relationships to community organizing and confronting systemic inequality, she names the burdens that can leave us weary and uncertain. Yet struggle also connects us to those who came before us and persevered toward freedom. With honesty and hope, Desireé invites us to make room for rest, gather our courage, and face the storm together—trusting that the progress we seek may lie beyond the clouds.

Access can look like liberation. Representation can feel like progress. But what happens when entering powerful institutions becomes more important than transforming them? Reflecting on Audre Lorde’s enduring words, Dr. Carl W. Kenney II examines the difference between gaining a seat in the master’s house and dismantling the systems that continue to keep others outside.