<![CDATA[Heal Our Culture]]>
healourculture.substack.com]]>https://healourculture.substack.com/podcastSubstackSun, 08 Mar 2026 16:09:25 GMThttps://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2316077.rssHeal Our Culture"Culture Healers, not Culture Warriors"episodicHeal Our Culturehealourculture@substack.comNo<![CDATA[Heal Our Culture - 1 March 2026 Update]]>Wes Fryer in Charlotte shares a Heal Our Culture update focused on maintaining hope through community and wise voices, including a choir concert and Black History Month sermons he posted online. He discusses the U.S. attack in Iran that reportedly killed Iran’s supreme leader, warns about misinformation, and demonstrates an AI fact-checking “super prompt” by Mike Caulfield to rebut a viral meme about Clinton, Obama, and Biden enabling Iran’s nuclear program. He recommends the Straight White American Jesus podcast episode (Feb 27, 2026) to critique what he calls “un-Christian nationalism,” then covers Pentagon pressure on Scouts of America over DEI and the removal of the Citizenship in Society merit badge. He also describes an AI ethics clash involving Anthropic’s refusal to allow unfettered military use without guardrails, and invites viewers to advocacy resources and the March 4–5 Thrive Conference.

00:00 Hope First01:32 Community and Wisdom04:28 War in Iran07:12 Fact Check Toolkit09:16 Limits of Debunking13:16 Unchristian Nationalism15:30 DEI in Scouting20:19 AI Military Ethics23:06 Advocacy and Thrive26:56 Closing HopeLearn more and follow Heal Our Culture on:

* YouTube

* HealOurCulture.org

* healourculture.subsack.com

* 2026 February Sermons from Caldwell Presbyterian Church (Black History Month)

* Join me (Wes Fryer) in advocacy

* Check out News with Wes Fryer

* Information about the March 4-5, 2026 "THRIVE: United for Democracy and Global Action" Conference

* Wes' Thrive February 2026 presentation, "Reclaiming Our News Feeds"

This update is also available on YouTube and Facebook.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healourculture.substack.com]]>https://healourculture.substack.com/p/heal-our-culture-1-march-2026-updatesubstack:post:189609525Mon, 02 Mar 2026 02:17:23 GMTHeal Our CultureNo1631<![CDATA[Ep 4: Cairo and Democracy’s Fragility]]>Wes Fryer records episode four of the Heal Our Culture podcast from Charlotte, North Carolina on February 15, 2026, framing it as a “letter to the future” for his unborn grandchildren. He shares a story from a November 2017 trip to Cairo, Egypt to speak at the Ed Forum conference, including visiting the pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Cairo Museum, and learning about the historic Hotel Mena meeting before the 1945 Yalta Conference. He credits the trip’s guidance and context to Ahmed Ragheb, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and family friend (Muslim married to a Jewish wife), whose career connects to Wes’s father’s Vietnam-era F-4 service and later pilot training leadership; Wes also recalls the Iranian hostage crisis era at Columbus Air Force Base. Wes recounts Ahmed’s explanation of Egypt’s post–Arab Spring politics, noting Mohamed Morsi’s 2012–2013 presidency and the subsequent military takeover that preceded President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi’s rule beginning in 2014, and uses this to reflect on democracy’s fragility and the dangers of populism. He connects these themes to the United States in February 2026, describing concerns about rising authoritarianism, voter suppression, and challenges to democratic institutions, and references recent killings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents and reports of masked, unbadged arrests and detentions, including incidents in Charlotte. Wes describes his own oath to defend the U.S. Constitution as a 1992 U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, his path out of pilot training and into education, and his ongoing media literacy work since 2019, including the “Conspiracies and Culture Wars” inquiry project (medialiteracy.wesfryer.com/concw) and his effort to “reclaim our news feeds” through news.wesfryer.com using Flipboard and a Federated Reader project built with AI. He cites polarized narratives around the January 6 insurrection, presidential pardons for those involved, disputes over the 2020 election, and differing accounts across platforms as reasons for prioritizing trusted sources. He also points listeners to the “Wes and Shelly Share” podcast (episode 39) discussing snow days and resistance work, including involvement with Indivisible and Indivisible Charlotte through Caldwell Presbyterian Church. The episode closes with a call to be “culture healers” rather than “culture warriors,” to sustain hope and community, and to defend democratic values and rights—especially voting rights—while recognizing the long historical struggle for justice highlighted during Black History Month.

00:00 Welcome + Why These “Letters from Granddad Fryer” Matter01:46 Cairo 2017: Invited to ED Forum & First Impressions of Egypt02:26 Pyramids, Museums, and WWII History at the Hotel Mina04:25 Meet Ahmed Ragheb: Family Connections, Service, and a Cross-Faith Marriage07:17 Egypt’s Arab Spring Aftermath: Morsi, the Coup, and Military Rule08:29 Democracy Is Fragile: Lessons for the U.S. in an Age of Populism11:14 My Oath, My Path: Air Force Academy, Career Turns, and Media Literacy Work19:11 Reclaiming the News Feed: Tools, Projects, and Competing Realities24:47 A Letter to the Future: Hope, Black History Month, and Choosing Culture Healing29:10 Closing: Community, Resistance, and Building a Healed World

Learn more about “Heal Our Culture,” SUBSCRIBE and follow for updates on:

* Substack

* YouTube

* HealOurCulture.org



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healourculture.substack.com]]>https://healourculture.substack.com/p/ep-4-cairo-and-democracys-fragilitysubstack:post:188098268Mon, 16 Feb 2026 03:32:24 GMTHeal Our CultureNo1883<![CDATA[Let's "Confront Whiteness" in 2026]]>Please consider joining me for the 9 week course, “Confronting Whiteness,” starting in January 2026. My spouse and I participated in this transformative course 2 years ago, and I’m looking forward to leading my first cohort this spring as a trained facilitator.

There are many things we can’t do today to change current events, but we CAN “work on ourselves” and build community with others. Educational as well as community-building experiences like this course are part of the prescriptions we need today to maintain hope in the face of so much difficulty.

I hope you’ll consider joining me. Several more videos are available which can help you learn more and decide if this is for you.

More details are available on cw.wesfryer.com.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healourculture.substack.com]]>https://healourculture.substack.com/p/lets-confront-whiteness-in-2026substack:post:178370078Sat, 08 Nov 2025 19:36:17 GMTHeal Our CultureNo42<![CDATA[The Good Boy Gazette]]>I (Wes Fryer) created this 3.5 minute story on with Google Gemini’s experimental “Storybook” mode, using the following prompt:

Tell an adventure story of the golden retrievers, Rosie and Moose, who found a way to help the United States transcend this moment of political polarization and rising fascism, by moving toward an ethic of kindness, love, and caring for our neighbors. The creation of an open source and federated social media platform engineered to promote good local news in the feed was key to this process! Make the images of people ethnically diverse.

You can also read, listen to and view this storybook directly on Google Gemini.

See the post on HealOurCulture,org, “Reclaiming Our News Feeds,” for more details.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healourculture.substack.com]]>https://healourculture.substack.com/p/the-good-boy-gazettesubstack:post:174888315Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:57:38 GMTHeal Our Culture, Wes Fryer, and Resist and HealNo211<![CDATA[Ep 3: James Baldwin as a Culture Healer]]>James Baldwin’s timeless ideas on race, identity, and healing are more relevant today than ever. In this third episode of the "Heal Our Culture" podcast, I (Wes Fryer) discuss Baldwin’s lasting legacy and why his centennial is a crucial moment to revisit his work. Drawing from personal experiences and recent cultural discussions, I share eight resources that I am personally committing to reading, listening to, or watching in the weeks ahead. These include Baldwin’s iconic essays like A Talk to Teachers and the transformative documentary I Am Not Your Negro. These works offer profound lessons for those seeking to foster understanding and healing in our divided world. Listen in to discover how Baldwin's legacy can help us all engage as culture healers.

Learn more about the “Heal Our Culture” project on HealOurCulture.org.

The eight essays, books, podcasts and videos referenced in this episode are:

* CBS Sunday Morning: “James Baldwin at 100” (5 min)

* The Teacher’s Forum Podcast from 3 Sept 2024: “James Baldwin at 100: Teaching Race, Identity, and the Power of Truth” (56 min) – David Harris, Dr. Yven Destin and Tyron Dandridge

* WikiPedia article on James Baldwin (English)

* On Hulu: “I Am Not Your Negro”

* “A Talk to Teachers.” Article by James Baldwin. October 16, 1963.

* “James Baldwin: The Last Interview” (PDF)

* “Here be Dragons” by James Baldwin (PDF)

* “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin (book)

This podcast episode (28 min) is also available as both an audio recording on Spotify and a video on YouTube.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healourculture.substack.com]]>https://healourculture.substack.com/p/ep-3-james-baldwin-as-a-culture-healersubstack:post:148658479Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:00:00 GMTHeal Our Culture and Resist and HealNo1737<![CDATA[Ep 2: Why "Heal Our Culture?"]]>In this heartfelt second episode of the “Heal Our Culture” podcast, Wes Fryer delves into the critical need to heal our culture amidst today’s polarized climate. As a middle school STEM and media literacy teacher, Wes emphasizes the importance of becoming “culture healers” instead of “culture warriors.” Through three personal stories, he illustrates the power of community, family, and media literacy in bridging divides and fostering understanding. From his experience with emergency preparedness and media consumption to a moving church service for a Nicaraguan friend and a discussion about the impact of institutional racism, Wes advocates for intentional, positive engagement in our communities. He invites viewers to join the Heal Our Culture project, which aims to promote uplifting content and meaningful connections, encouraging everyone to contribute to cultural healing. Referenced links and shownotes from the episode are available on HealOurCulture.org. Also available as a video on YouTube.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healourculture.substack.com]]>https://healourculture.substack.com/p/ep-2-why-heal-our-culturesubstack:post:145542831Tue, 11 Jun 2024 16:37:09 GMTHeal Our CultureNo953<![CDATA[Ep 1: Racial Healing Retreat (Jan 2024)]]>Reflections and takeaways by Wesley and Shelly Fryer from the Racial Healing Retreat hosted by Caldwell Presbyterian Church of Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, January 27, 2024. The retreat was facilitated by Kimberlee Yolanda Williams, author of “Dear White Woman, Please Come Home: Hand Me Your Bias, and I'll Show You Our Connection.” Her website is engagingacrossdifference.com⁠. The retreat was sponsored by ARCC (the Anti-Racism Council at Caldwell.) Access referenced episode links and show notes on HealOurCulture.org.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit healourculture.substack.com]]>https://healourculture.substack.com/p/ep-1-racial-healing-retreat-jan-2024-3ef4ea8e87e-6e5c-432e-b771-4a0e8f1ac9b9Fri, 02 Feb 2024 01:15:29 GMTHeal Our CultureNo1974