Sounds True Presents:
Sounds True Presents:
10 Days to Activate Revolutionary Love
January 22–31, 2021
Own The People’s Inauguration Upgrade Package today!
What you get when you upgrade:
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10 DAILY TEACHING AND PRACTICE SESSIONSRevisit each inspiring morning session from The People’s Inauguration to help anchor you in the transformative practice of revolutionary love. -
10 INTERVIEW + Q&A SESSIONS AND MUSICAL PERFORMANCESOwn every in-depth interview session with Valarie Kaur and The People’s Inauguration esteemed presenters, plus an exclusive performance by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco and special guests.
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PLUS 3 BONUS GIFTS TO COMPLEMENT YOUR JOURNEYStay Woke by Justin Michael Williams (audiobook), Revolution of the Soul by Seane Corn (eBook), and Finding True Refuge by Tara Brach (full-length audio download).
Dear friends,
We are about to enter a new era. On Inauguration Day, we will watch a new president take an oath of office. But if only one leader makes a commitment, we won’t get far.
Sound government is necessary—but it is not sufficient to heal and transition our country into a place where all of us are free. We are living through unprecedented turmoil, injustice, reckoning, and loss. We need a shift in culture and consciousness, a new way of being together, a revolution of the heart.
And so, we are calling for a People’s Inauguration.
We, the people, need to be inaugurated into the labor of healing and rebuilding our society into a place that is anti-racist and equitable—and anchored in love.
I am excited to invite you to The People’s Inauguration: 10 Days to Activate Revolutionary Love. Together we will tend to our grief, harness our rage, ignite our imaginations, and renew our commitment to labor for a more just and loving world.
Over 10 illuminating days of The People’s Inauguration, you will hear stories, insights, and wisdom for how to labor with love from some of the most visionary thinkers, activists, artists, and spiritual leaders of our time. You will also receive practical daily teachings and tools from me on the core tenets of revolutionary love—love for others, our opponents, and ourselves—including tools that will empower you to ignite change where you are.
In the Sikh faith, we are called to orient our lives to vismaad, spontaneous moments of ecstatic wonder. I look forward to sharing many of these moments with you as we join together in this extraordinary time—our time—of renewal and rebirth, for ourselves, for each other, and for the world around us.
With love,
Valarie Kaur, JD
Host of The People’s Inauguration
Founder of the Revolutionary Love Project
Author of See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love
Valarie Kaur is an activist, lawyer, filmmaker, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. She has won national acclaim for her story-based advocacy, helping to win policy change on issues from hate crimes to digital freedom. A daughter of Sikh farmers in California, she earned degrees at Stanford University, Harvard Divinity School, and Yale Law School. Valarie’s debut book, See No Stranger, expands on her popular TED Talk.
Click here to register for the free event, taking place January 22—31, 2021.
Dear friends,
We are living in a time of immense turmoil, transition, and loss. Even though the darkness can sometimes seem too much to bear, I believe that revolutionary love is the lantern that will shine us through.
The notion of love as a revolutionary act was introduced to me at a young age by my grandfather, Papa Ji. One day, when a classmate hurled a racial slur at me on the schoolyard and I came home distraught, Papa Ji scooped me up in his arms and taught me the Sikh wisdom that would guide me throughout my life:
Tati Vao Na Lagi, Par Brahm Sarnai— ”The hot winds cannot touch you; you are shielded by love.”
When our quivers are filled with love—for ourselves, for others, and even for our opponents—we, the people, hold the power to defeat hate and shape the future of our world. That’s what The People’s Inauguration is all about.
Our vision is to embark upon this new era in America with an inauguration for us. One that grounds us in love, helps us reckon with all we have lost, and uplifts us into the sweet labor for a more just and loving world for all people.
Over 10 illuminating days you will hear personal stories of love leading change from some of our most cherished thinkers, activists, artists, and spiritual leaders. (If you would like to go even deeper in this practice, our Upgrade Package gives you lifetime access, downloadable materials, presenter gifts, and practical tools to help you spark social change now.)
“The future is dark … but is this the darkness of the tomb, or the darkness of the womb?”
In the Sikh faith we have a concept called vismaad, a spontaneous moment of ecstatic wonder. I look forward to sharing many of these moments with you as we join together in this extraordinary moment—our moment—of renewal and rebirth.
With love,
Valarie Kaur
VALARIE KAUR, JD
Valarie Kaur, JD, is a renowned Sikh activist, filmmaker, civil rights lawyer, and leader of the Revolutionary Love Project. Her galvanizing speeches have touched tens of millions of viewers worldwide. Valarie is the author of See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love.
Learn more at valariekaur.com.
Click here to register for the free event, taking place January 21—January 31, 2021.
What you will learn
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LOVING OTHERSExplore how wondering about people, grieving together, and fighting with and for others builds the kind of solidarity the world needs now.
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LOVING YOURSELFMake room to care for our bodies and spirits by channeling the wisdom of the midwife: breathe and push and let joy in through all the labors of life.
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BUILDING INNER STRENGTHCultivate awareness of the emotions and energies moving through your body to process stored trauma and build resilience.
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LOVING YOUR OPPONENTSDiscover safe ways to tend your wounds, and learn how understanding other people’s pain can help us reimagine solutions for overcoming our differences.
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HARNESSING DEEP WISDOMReceive daily teachings and practices that will empower you to tap your deepest roots of wisdom and insight during times of difficult transition.
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SEEDING POCKETS OF LOVEStrengthen your sense of agency in this moment, and emerge with the toolkit to seed pockets of revolutionary love where you are.
28 global visionaries to inspire healing, solidarity, and social change
The People’s Inauguration shares the wisdom of these inspiring minds to explore how love can bring about real change in our world.
Baratunde Thurston
Emmy-nominated host and New York Times bestselling author
Ari Afsar
Singer and composer who originated the role of Eliza in Chicago’s Hamilton
America Ferrera
Award-winning actor (Ugly Betty, Superstore), author, and Harness cofounder
special kickoff event
To kick off our journey into revolutionary love, join Valarie, Baratunde Thurston, and Ari Afsar for a nationwide celebration of healing, inspiration, music, and art to reaffirm our core values and reimagine our future.
Baratunde Thurston
Emmy-nominated host and New York Times bestselling author
Simran Jeet Singh
Writer, teacher, scholar, and activist
Allie Young
Storyteller, writer, and citizen of the Diné (Navajo) Nation
Wonder
Wonder is the practice of cultivating an awe-filled, reflective openness to others’ thoughts and experiences, their pain and joy. In this session, Baratunde Thurston, Simran Jeet Singh, and Allie Young discuss how wonder has helped them understand their own experiences and those of others from marginalized communities.
Session Highlights:
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Why wonder is the wellspring of love
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Seeing others, even strangers, as a part of ourselves we do not yet know
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Immersing ourselves in stories outside of our own and our community
Rev. Dr. Traci Blackmon
Leading voice for social justice through the redemptive power of love
Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews
Deputy director of Faith in Action and host of the Prophetic Resistance podcast
Najeeba Syeed, JD
Associate professor of Muslim and interreligious studies, Chicago Theological Seminary
Grieve
Those we grieve with, those we sit with and weep with, are ultimately those we organize with and advocate for. Transformative faith leaders Rev. Dr. Traci Blackmon, Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, and Najeeba Syeed join Valarie to discuss how grief has forged some of their deepest connections, helping to bridge cultural divides in their communities.
Session Highlights:
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How is grieving an act of love?
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Creating rituals for our own grief
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The importance of showing up to grieve however we are able
Ai-jen Poo
Award-winning organizer, author, and prominent voice in the women’s movement
Caitlin Breedlove
Deputy executive director of organizational advancement, Women’s March
Isa Noyola
Translatina activist, cultural organizer, and deputy director at Mijente
Fight
To fight is to choose to protect those in harm’s way; to fight with revolutionary love is to fight against injustice alongside those most impacted by harm. Here, Ai-jen Poo, Caitlin Breedlove, and Isa Noyola discuss how when we fight with and for one another, we begin to build the solidarity needed for collective liberation and transformation—a solidarity rooted in love.
Session Highlights:
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Recognizing the fight impulse in our bodies, and channeling that impulse into something that gives life
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Developing metaphorical “swords and shields”
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Becoming a strong “accomplice” for vulnerable communities
Rabbi Sharon Brous
Spiritual innovator, named “most influential rabbi in America” by Newsweek/The Daily Beast
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis
Womanist minister, author and fierce champion for love and justice
Amy Olrick
Author, journalist, and techie studying the science of connection
Maggie Wheeler
Facilitator, songwriter, choir director, and actress on NBC’s hit series Friends
Rage
To rage is to honor and tend to our own pain so that trauma does not hijack our ability to see another’s humanity. But how do we process our rage in a way that is healthy and safe for ourselves and others? Join Rabbi Sharon Brous, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Amy Olrick, and Maggie Wheeler as they reveal how they harness their rage to grow as people and activists, working toward an anti-racist society.
Session Highlights:
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Defining and developing “safe containers” for our rage
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Resisting the urge to disconnect when witnessing the rage of communities of color and others who experience injustice
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Asking ourselves, “What information does my rage carry?”
Van Jones
CEO of REFORM Alliance, CNN commentator, host of The Redemption Project and The Van Jones Show
Sister Simone Campbell
Attorney, activist, and author of the influential “Nuns’ Letter”
Listen
Listening to our opponents is seeking to understand them. It is an act that preserves their humanity—and our own. In this conversation, foremost listeners Van Jones and Sister Simone Campbell reveal why deep listening is not only moral, but strategic in building bridges of understanding.
Session Highlights:
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What is required of us when we practice deep listening?
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Listening to our own bodies to know when it is safe to listen to our opponents
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Why we must risk being changed by what we hear when we listen
Lisa Sharon Harper
Public theologian and founder/president of Freedom Road
Brian McLaren
Speaker, activist, public theologian, and author of Faith After Doubt
Deepa Iyer
Writer, lawyer, strategist, facilitator, and coach
Sherrilyn Ifill
President and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Reimagine
To reimagine is to explore a vision of a relationship, community, and world where we all flourish. How would you reimagine the world you want to live in, and what does collective reimagining of our world require of us? Lisa Sharon Harper, Brian McLaren, Deepa Iyer, and Sherrilyn Ifill join Valarie to discuss why imagination has been an essential component of their individual journeys with social transformation.
Session Highlights:
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Imagining the world we are fighting for, not those we are fighting against
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Protecting our collective imagination through pockets of revolutionary love
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Rituals and art as a means of nurturing our imagination
Seane Corn
Internationally celebrated yoga teacher and humanitarian activist
adrienne maree brown
Writer, doula, podcaster, and pleasure activist
Breathe
Breathing creates space in our lives to think and see differently, enliven our imagination, awaken to pleasure, and let joy in. It sustains us—and each other—in our shared labor. But how do we practice this act of love for ourselves when the labor ahead makes us feel breathless? Join adrienne maree brown to discover why we don’t have to make ourselves suffer in order to serve.
Session Highlights:
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Discovering our ancestors’ ancient rituals for breathing in community
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Noticing beauty in the world
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Taking time in your day to slow down and focus on your breath
Rev. angel Kyodo williams
Zen priest and author of Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace
Susan Raffo
Writer, cultural worker, and bodyworker
Push
To push is to choose to enter into grief, rage, or trauma as part of a healing process. Pushing requires us to discern the right times to breathe and rest, and the right time to push through painful sensations, emotions, and thoughts to birth new possibilities. Join Rev. angel Kyodo williams and Susan Raffo as they discuss how breathing and pushing can help us to heal and transform as individuals, as communities, and as a society.
Session Highlights:
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Investing in healing practices that best serve you
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Engaging in processes of accountability
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Exploring the links between inequalities, healing, and justice
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, PhD
Marine biologist, policy expert, and founder of Urban Ocean Lab
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III
Senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ and social justice activist
Transition
What awaits us on the other side of our labor? As a medical term, “transition” is the final and most dangerous stage of childbirth—but the metaphor is just as apt in our labors for justice. In this session, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III discuss why we, the people, are America’s greatest hope for transitioning to a better future.
Session Highlights:
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Becoming attuned to our sacred inner wisdom
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Finding our deepest courage to keep pushing, even when it is difficult, to birth new realities
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Asking ourselves, “What stories am I willing to let die in order for new possibilities to be born?”
Ani DiFranco
Iconic singer-songwriter, feminist, and founder of Righteous Babe Records
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
Founder of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign
Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis
Theologian and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign
Parker J. Palmer, PhD
Prolific activist-author and founder of the Center for Courage & Renewal
Resistance Revival Chorus
Collective of 70+ women and nonbinary protest singers
Joy
Joy is the gift of love. Beyond a feeling, joy is the core practice that sustains all others. During this joyful celebration of music and wisdom, Ani DiFranco performs new music inspired by Valarie’s writings, along with special guests the Resistance Revival Chorus. And Valarie interviews three transformative social leaders: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, and Dr. Parker J. Palmer.
Session Highlights:
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Why is joy a necessary practice of revolutionary love?
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Noticing and protecting your joy each day
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Joy as an act of moral resistance and reimagining
Valarie Kaur, JD
Sikh activist, filmmaker, civil rights lawyer, and leader of the Revolutionary Love Project
Go Forth
To close out The People’s Inauguration, Valarie presents a special send-off to inspire and empower you to “Go Forth” in revolutionary love.
Own The People’s Inauguration Upgrade Package and receive lifetime access to:
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Digital session recordings: more than 10 hours of practical guidance, breakthrough insights, and stirring musical performances.
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Downloadable transcripts, audio and video sessions, and additional bonus resources.
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10 daily teachings and practices to help open your heart to revolutionary love and spark social change.
Plus 3 Bonus Gifts—for Free!
Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us
In this innovative audiobook, Justin Michael Williams guides you in creating a custom meditation practice to help you wake up to the life you were really born to live.
Revolution of the Soul
Celebrated yoga teacher and activist Seane Corn shares pivotal accounts of her life with raw honesty to help us heal, evolve, and change the world in this eBook.
Finding True Refuge: Meditations for Difficult Times
Join renowned meditation teacher Tara Brach for insights and guided practices for finding a place of healing, peace, and shelter from the storms of life.
Plus 3 Bonus Gifts—for Free!
Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us
In this innovative audiobook, Justin Michael Williams guides you in creating a custom meditation practice to help you wake up to the life you were really born to live.
Revolution of the Soul
Celebrated yoga teacher and activist Seane Corn shares pivotal accounts of her life with raw honesty to help us heal, evolve, and change the world in this eBook.
Finding True Refuge: Meditations for Difficult Times
Join renowned meditation teacher Tara Brach for insights and guided practices for finding a place of healing, peace, and shelter from the storms of life.
Frequently asked questions
The People’s Inauguration: 10 Days to Activate Revolutionary Love is a FREE online event. Registration includes access to The People’s Inauguration kickoff event on January 21, 2021, as well as a special send-off on February 1, 2021. Anyone who has registered for the event can access each day’s morning and evening sessions as they become available, as well as programming from previous days for the duration of the event.
If you would like to engage with the material on a deeper level or gain lifetime access to the content, you can purchase our special Upgrade Package.
Purchasing The People’s Inauguration Upgrade Package allows you to engage with the content presented at this online event at your own pace and convenience, anytime you like. After the event has concluded, you will have lifetime access to each day’s morning practice session and evening interview + Q&A, as well as downloadable transcripts. You will also receive three bonus gifts to complement your journey—Stay Woke by Justin Michael Williams, Revolution of the Soul by Seane Corn, and Finding True Refuge by Tara Brach.
You can purchase the Upgrade Package for $97.
Please visit our FAQ page here.
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