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Webinar Panel Discussion: Thursday, October 29 | 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT
Practicing Moral Courage
How Do We Stay Hopeful for the Long Haul When Justice Feels Slow?
Thursday, October 29 | 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT
Live on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram
Featuring Dr. Terence Lester and Dr. Emiola Oriola Jr.
Hosted by Alicia Akira
Join us live!
Register to receive the livestream link and a reminder before the conversation begins.
Thursday, October 29
90-minute live conversation
What does it take to keep going?
We talk a lot about having the courage to act. But what about the courage it takes to keep going, especially when the change we long for is slow, uncertain, or difficult to see? For people who care deeply about justice, that can be one of the hardest parts of the work. We see suffering that continues and we watch divisions deepen and communities struggle. We speak up, serve, organize, advocate, pray, and try to be faithful, and still, so much remains unfinished. Over time, it can be difficult not to become discouraged by how little seems to change.
So how do we stay hopeful for the long haul when justice feels slow?
Join Christians for Social Action for a live conversation with Dr. Terence Lester, Dr. Emiola Oriola Jr., and host Alicia Akira about what it means to practice moral courage when there are no quick fixes or easy answers. Together, we’ll talk honestly about the tension between longing for change and living faithfully when that change doesn’t come on our timetable.
How do we keep disappointment from becoming cynicism? How do we remain compassionate when it would be easier to become numb? How do we hold onto anger about injustice without allowing that anger to harden us? And how do we keep showing up when we don’t know whether we will see the outcomes we’re working toward?
Hope for the long haul
Christian hope isn’t the same as optimism. It doesn’t ask us to deny what is hard, minimize suffering, or convince ourselves that everything is getting better. And it doesn’t depend on being able to see how the story will end. Hope gives us another way to live in the meantime.
It can shape how we love our neighbors, how we tell the truth, how we stand with people who are pushed aside, and how we continue doing the work that is ours to do. It can help us remain open to compassion rather than retreating into self-protection, and faithful rather than measuring everything by immediate results. This conversation is an invitation to think together about the kind of courage that lasts not because we are certain of the outcome, but because we are paying attention to who we are becoming as we work for change.
Thursday, October 29. 90 minutes. Join us live.
Host: Alicia Akrie
Alicia Akrie is a designer, creative, communicator, and passionate servant of Christ who believes deeply in the power of living authentically and unapologetically in the freedom God has given us. With a career rooted in fashion design, Alicia has spent years bringing creative visions to life, designing women’s denim, wovens, and outerwear for major brands and retailers including Macy’s, American Eagle & Aerie, Walmart, and others. Her creative journey has taught her that what we create, what we wear, and how we show up can all become expressions of who we are.
That same passion for creativity, identity, and freedom fuels Alicia’s love for the local church. She has served through Bible study leadership, curriculum development, teaching, preaching, conference operations, panels, and speaking engagements, using her gifts to build community and encourage others in their walk with Christ. She is also the founder of Live unLeeshed, a faith and fashion platform created to inspire women to embrace their God-given identity and live fully and freely. At the heart of Alicia’s work and ministry is a simple conviction: we are called to live authentically for Christ, take up space in the purpose God has given us, and never be afraid to become who He created us to be.
Panelists
Dr. Terence Lester is a storyteller, public scholar, community activist, and author. He founded Love Beyond Walls, a nonprofit committed to raising awareness about poverty and homelessness, and teaches public policy and social change at Simmons College of Kentucky. His latest book, From Dropout to Doctorate: Breaking the Chains of Educational Injustice (IVP, 2025), traces his journey from high school dropout to PhD and issues a bold call for equity. Through his life and writing, he uses narrative, policy insight, and faith to challenge systems that leave people invisible and to inspire practical change. He is author of the four-part CSA series on Economic Injustice.
Dr. Emiola Oriola Jr. is a scholar-practitioner, educator, and storyteller whose work explores belonging, dialogue, and what it means to remain human in a fractured world. His scholarship and leadership focus on global citizenship, experiential learning, cross-cultural engagement, and organizational culture, helping people and institutions cultivate deeper forms of connection and responsibility. He holds a D.Ed. from the University of Pittsburgh, where his research examined communal dialogue, out-of-school learning, and holistic human development. Professionally, Dr. Oriola has led initiatives centered on dialogue and belonging, including serving as the inaugural leader of the Office of Interfaith Dialogue and Engagement and the Office of Inclusion and Belonging at the University of Pittsburgh.
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