Before and After MLK: Healing Grief with Rev. Liz Walker

In this profound conversation, Reverend Liz Walker, former Boston news anchor turned minister, shares her journey from journalism to ministry and the creation of "Can We Talk" - a revolutionary community healing program born from tragedy. After a church member was killed in gun violence, Rev. Walker and her community developed a peer-led grief support model that has now expanded to 20 sites across the country.

Key Topics Discussed

Rev. Walker's Personal Story

• Desegregated West Side Junior High School in Little Rock, Arkansas (7th grade)
• Father died suddenly during second week of school
• Decades of unprocessed trauma and grief
• Now healing through the very program she helped create

The "Can We Talk" Program

• Peer-led, non-hierarchical space for sharing trauma and grief
• Based on principles of collective healing rather than individual therapy

The Civil Rights Movement Connection

• Rev. Walker grew up during the Martin Luther King era
• Emphasizes how the civil rights movement combined contemplation with activism

Trauma and Healing Insights

• "Most trauma is public" - it's relational, not isolated
• Healing must happen in community, not alone
• Untended grief builds up rather than wanes

Connect with Rev. Walker:

• Website: LizWalkerBooks.com

• Can We Talk Program: CanWeTalkNetwork.org

• Facebook: Liz Walker

• Instagram: @PastorLiz

• Podcast: From the Heart