Chanequa Walker-Barnes
@drchanequa.bsky.social
Psychologist, theologian, wellness activist, recovering StrongBlackWoman. I write about spirituality, wellness, & justice.
Pinned
Allow me to introduce myself.
I AM...
...a clinical psychologist, theologian, seminary professor, and multi book author;
...an intersectional justice advocate and wellness activist;
...an unapologetic womanist, feminist, and stan for Black women;
...a two-time breast cancer survivor;
I AM...
...a clinical psychologist, theologian, seminary professor, and multi book author;
...an intersectional justice advocate and wellness activist;
...an unapologetic womanist, feminist, and stan for Black women;
...a two-time breast cancer survivor;
“In the end, the Democrats blinked. Or, at least, just enough centrists, soon-to-be retirees and at-risk politicians in the Senate to give Republicans the support needed to reopen the government.”
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Bipartisan US shutdown deal will sharpen divisions among Democrats
Key takeaways after a Senate breakthrough heralds a possible end in sight to the longest shutdown in US history.
www.bbc.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:25 AM
“In the end, the Democrats blinked. Or, at least, just enough centrists, soon-to-be retirees and at-risk politicians in the Senate to give Republicans the support needed to reopen the government.”
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
During and after my years in seminary, I agonized over where God was calling me to be. I kept trying to find the promised land, the place where I fit, where life was full of calm. I thought that was the goal of the spiritual journey. I found peace when I accepted my place in the wilderness.
November 9, 2025 at 1:01 PM
During and after my years in seminary, I agonized over where God was calling me to be. I kept trying to find the promised land, the place where I fit, where life was full of calm. I thought that was the goal of the spiritual journey. I found peace when I accepted my place in the wilderness.
In celebration of my birth month, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite essays all month long. I wrote this one 8 years ago, trying to make sense of why I hadn’t returned to church after what was supposed to be a six-week break during Lent. open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Dear Church, I Quitchu
I used to be the only one of my ministry friends not attending church on Sundays. Not anymore.
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:45 PM
In celebration of my birth month, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite essays all month long. I wrote this one 8 years ago, trying to make sense of why I hadn’t returned to church after what was supposed to be a six-week break during Lent. open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Last week I wrote about how we are made for community. This week I’m thinking about how the church fails to embody community more often than not.
Read the post at drchanequa.substack.com/p/when-the-c...
Read the post at drchanequa.substack.com/p/when-the-c...
When the Church Fails to Be Community
It shouldn't be this hard for the church to offer genuine welcome
drchanequa.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Last week I wrote about how we are made for community. This week I’m thinking about how the church fails to embody community more often than not.
Read the post at drchanequa.substack.com/p/when-the-c...
Read the post at drchanequa.substack.com/p/when-the-c...
Reposted by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
Today is a good day to…
Take a mindful breath.
Feel the earth under your feet.
Be where you are.
As you breathe in, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing out.
Repeat as needed. And it will be needed repeatedly.
Take a mindful breath.
Feel the earth under your feet.
Be where you are.
As you breathe in, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing out.
Repeat as needed. And it will be needed repeatedly.
October 25, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Today is a good day to…
Take a mindful breath.
Feel the earth under your feet.
Be where you are.
As you breathe in, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing out.
Repeat as needed. And it will be needed repeatedly.
Take a mindful breath.
Feel the earth under your feet.
Be where you are.
As you breathe in, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out, say to yourself, I know that I am breathing out.
Repeat as needed. And it will be needed repeatedly.
Who knows the secret to getting off these DNC fundraising lists? And what does the way they sell (and resell) donor info tell us about how they govern?
October 23, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Who knows the secret to getting off these DNC fundraising lists? And what does the way they sell (and resell) donor info tell us about how they govern?
Call me a heretic but I’m going to say it: Jesus is not enough.
We were made for relationship with other human beings. We cannot live without one another because we were not meant to, no matter what Western individualism tells us.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
We were made for relationship with other human beings. We cannot live without one another because we were not meant to, no matter what Western individualism tells us.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
As Long as I Got King Jesus, I Still Need Somebody Else
Humans were made for relationship, but we seem to keep forgetting that.
open.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Call me a heretic but I’m going to say it: Jesus is not enough.
We were made for relationship with other human beings. We cannot live without one another because we were not meant to, no matter what Western individualism tells us.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
We were made for relationship with other human beings. We cannot live without one another because we were not meant to, no matter what Western individualism tells us.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Last weekend I had the privilege of speaking at New Brunswick Theological Seminary on the topic of community, something I’ve been thinking a lot about these days. Today’s post is part of what I shared.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
As Long as I Got King Jesus, I Still Need Somebody Else
Humans were made for relationship, but we seem to keep forgetting that.
open.substack.com
October 19, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Last weekend I had the privilege of speaking at New Brunswick Theological Seminary on the topic of community, something I’ve been thinking a lot about these days. Today’s post is part of what I shared.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Reposted by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
Head to a protest today. I can almost promise you will feel less hopeless. That's exactly what they don't want. There are more of us than there are of them.
October 18, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Head to a protest today. I can almost promise you will feel less hopeless. That's exactly what they don't want. There are more of us than there are of them.
Reposted by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
Actual helpful advice.
October 17, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Actual helpful advice.
It’s a hard week for Black Gen Xers. We loved us some Diane Keaton. And D’Angelo? No words for how much he shaped the sound of our generation.
October 15, 2025 at 6:58 PM
It’s a hard week for Black Gen Xers. We loved us some Diane Keaton. And D’Angelo? No words for how much he shaped the sound of our generation.
👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
and i'll do you one better ... men become uncomfortable when their partners make more than they do because they believe that their partners will financially and emotionally manipulate them ....
as they .... manipulate their partners.
as they .... manipulate their partners.
October 15, 2025 at 4:21 PM
👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽
Reposted by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
That’s crazy. I wonder what happened in January
October 15, 2025 at 10:34 AM
That’s crazy. I wonder what happened in January
Every few months I end up writing about rest as a form of resistance. It keeps coming up in daily life. This time I’m drawing on the wisdom of the late Walter Brueggemann.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Rest for the Weary
Yes, I’m writing about rest and resistance again. It won’t be the last time, either.
open.substack.com
October 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Every few months I end up writing about rest as a form of resistance. It keeps coming up in daily life. This time I’m drawing on the wisdom of the late Walter Brueggemann.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
What strikes me is how our perceptions of right and wrong are divided by political ideology.
October 9, 2025 at 11:55 AM
What strikes me is how our perceptions of right and wrong are divided by political ideology.
The failure to do this reckoning has dire consequences.
I never get blocked as much as on the days i point out the every single thing that is happening now is something that multiple people from multiple spheres of life/influence said would happen. People's refusal to ask themselves "why didn't i believe them?" is preventing progress.
The police funding discussion was laughed at… “what do you mean DEFUND the police?”.
Funding levels have skyrocketed to support the activities we see right now.
Now it’s “…but nobody knew it would be this bad…”
Yeah, WE knew!
Funding levels have skyrocketed to support the activities we see right now.
Now it’s “…but nobody knew it would be this bad…”
Yeah, WE knew!
October 5, 2025 at 2:43 PM
The failure to do this reckoning has dire consequences.
NEW POST!
I had an encounter at the pool this week that triggered memories of when I first realized my power of invisibility (it was in seminary). I’ve come a long way since then.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
I had an encounter at the pool this week that triggered memories of when I first realized my power of invisibility (it was in seminary). I’ve come a long way since then.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
I Am Not Invisible
Invisibility can be a superpower, but only if we get to choose it.
open.substack.com
October 5, 2025 at 12:12 PM
NEW POST!
I had an encounter at the pool this week that triggered memories of when I first realized my power of invisibility (it was in seminary). I’ve come a long way since then.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
I had an encounter at the pool this week that triggered memories of when I first realized my power of invisibility (it was in seminary). I’ve come a long way since then.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Reposted by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
This current American presidential administration is run by people who are quite obviously mentally ill, and we need to start talking about that.
September 30, 2025 at 5:24 PM
This current American presidential administration is run by people who are quite obviously mentally ill, and we need to start talking about that.
We are definitely not meant for this. And our nervous systems aren’t meant to be constantly exposed to global trauma, violence, and grief, either.
I don't think people were meant to hear the opinions of hundreds of strangers within a few scrolls and swipes
October 2, 2025 at 1:05 PM
We are definitely not meant for this. And our nervous systems aren’t meant to be constantly exposed to global trauma, violence, and grief, either.
“Stop killing us.”
“We hear you. We’re going to tear down the Confederate statues.”
“I mean, that’s long overdue but…”
“And we’re also going to elect a bunch of White supremacists and Nazi sympathizers to fight antisemitism.”
“We hear you. We’re going to tear down the Confederate statues.”
“I mean, that’s long overdue but…”
“And we’re also going to elect a bunch of White supremacists and Nazi sympathizers to fight antisemitism.”
a woman wearing hoop earrings is sitting in the back seat of a car .
ALT: a woman wearing hoop earrings is sitting in the back seat of a car .
media.tenor.com
September 23, 2025 at 2:34 PM
“Stop killing us.”
“We hear you. We’re going to tear down the Confederate statues.”
“I mean, that’s long overdue but…”
“And we’re also going to elect a bunch of White supremacists and Nazi sympathizers to fight antisemitism.”
“We hear you. We’re going to tear down the Confederate statues.”
“I mean, that’s long overdue but…”
“And we’re also going to elect a bunch of White supremacists and Nazi sympathizers to fight antisemitism.”
Reposted by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
NEW: Air Force jets are doing ICE flights to Africa with transponders turned off, making them nearly un-trackable.
This includes the third-country removal to Ghana and another secret flight. We figured out where it landed.
From me for @rollingstone.com:
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
This includes the third-country removal to Ghana and another secret flight. We figured out where it landed.
From me for @rollingstone.com:
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
ICE Is Deporting People to Africa on Nearly Un-Trackable Military Flights
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is deporting people to African countries like Ghana on military flights that are nearly un-trackable.
www.rollingstone.com
September 21, 2025 at 1:10 PM
NEW: Air Force jets are doing ICE flights to Africa with transponders turned off, making them nearly un-trackable.
This includes the third-country removal to Ghana and another secret flight. We figured out where it landed.
From me for @rollingstone.com:
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
This includes the third-country removal to Ghana and another secret flight. We figured out where it landed.
From me for @rollingstone.com:
www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
I’ve been grappling with this idea of captivity for a few years now. Strangely, it’s helped me to prioritize my wellbeing.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Contending with Captivity
My people were never meant to be free, but since when has that stopped our joy?
open.substack.com
September 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
I’ve been grappling with this idea of captivity for a few years now. Strangely, it’s helped me to prioritize my wellbeing.
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Reposted by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
I guess if you're a white person it feels this way to think racism is odious. Poor guy he's getting pointed at by the mean people of color who ridicule him for not being racist.
How it feels to still believe racism is both morally odious and politically disqualifying.
September 14, 2025 at 1:38 PM
I guess if you're a white person it feels this way to think racism is odious. Poor guy he's getting pointed at by the mean people of color who ridicule him for not being racist.
I wrote this about the intensity of a new academic year and then the political chaos of this week magnified it. open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Be Like Water
Starting the school year with a new intention to keep me from being carried away by chaos
open.substack.com
September 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
I wrote this about the intensity of a new academic year and then the political chaos of this week magnified it. open.substack.com/pub/drchaneq...
Reposted by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
It's simple. They see themselves in him. They do not see themselves in his targets.
September 11, 2025 at 10:59 AM
It's simple. They see themselves in him. They do not see themselves in his targets.