Welcome to the Relentless Pursuit podcast, a WRF creative collaboration with artist-activist Crystal C. Mercer. With a soulful and vibrant approach, this podcast will showcase the stories of Arkansans striving for equity and championing ALICE – those who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed.
Recent Episodes
"Looking From A Mountain View"
A Conversation with Christian Scott-Richards
On this episode, we’re talking with Christian Scott-Richards, Leadership Associate and Board Liaison with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, about her upbringing in Mountain View, Arkansas, and how small-town living leads to big ideas about equity and justice.
"Some Things Ought To Be Easy"
A Conversation with Rev. Cory Anderson
On this episode, we’re talking with Rev. Cory Anderson, Chief Innovation Officer with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, about his entry into equity work and his vision for thriving families, communities, and generational wealth building.
Expect Abundance
A Conversation with Patricia Ashanti
Tune in to Episode 6 of the podcast, where Patricia Ashanti, the visionary CEO and Founder of Delta Circles, unveils the remarkable journey of how this organization has evolved into a transformative movement supporting families to end poverty, and challenging the way that Black women think about themselves, their finances and their businesses.
Forging Trust Inside and Out
A Conversation with Katie Wiggins
Join us for Episode 5 as we sit down with Katie Wiggins, the Grants and Learning Officer at WRF. Discover how Katie’s passion for creating equitable systems is helping to shape the foundation’s trust-building approach to its organizational culture and grantmaking.
She's Got An Arkansas Soul
An Episode with Niketa Reed
On episode 4 of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast, we’re talking with Niketa Reed, Founder and Executive Director of Arkansas Soul Media, about her incredible journey from childhood to adulthood in the art of storytelling and journalism.
Molding the Clay
An episode with Rev. Ryan Davis
In episode 3 of The Relentless Pursuit Podcast, we sit down with Rev. Ryan Davis, director of UA Little Rock Children International, as he shares his love for Arkansas and his passionate and determined advocacy to build moral leadership around anti-poverty work in Arkansas.
Equity as a Remedy
A conversation with Marquisa Wince, Esq., Executive Director of the Arkansas Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Tune into The Relentless Pursuit Podcast, where Arkansans have justice-centered dialogue to promote the pursuit of equity in The Natural State and beyond. On this episode, we’re talking with Marquisa Wince, Esq., Executive Director of the Arkansas Appleseed Legal Justice Center about her journey from the Upper Midwest to the Deep South to activate justice through the field of law.
Trusting Our Roots
A Conversation with Judith Yanez of RootED NWA
In our first episode, we sit down with Judith Yanez, Executive Director of RootED Northwest Arkansas, to learn how parents in Springdale, Arkansas, are helping break down long-standing educational barriers facing Latinx youth and families.
Featured Episodes
"Looking From A Mountain View"
A Conversation with Christian Scott-Richards
"Some Things Ought To Be Easy"
A Conversation with Rev. Cory Anderson
On this episode, we’re talking with Rev. Cory Anderson, Chief Innovation Officer with the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, about his entry into equity work and his vision for thriving families, communities, and generational wealth building.
Expect Abundance
A conversation with Patricia Ashanti
Tune in to Episode 6 of the podcast, where Patricia Ashanti, the visionary CEO and Founder of Delta Circles, unveils the remarkable journey of how this organization has evolved into a transformative movement supporting families to end poverty, and challenging the way that Black women think about themselves, their finances and their businesses.
Forging Trust Inside and Out
A Conversation with Katie Wiggins
Join us for Episode 5 as we sit down with Katie Wiggins, the Grants and Learning Officer at WRF. Discover how Katie’s passion for creating equitable systems is helping to shape the foundation’s trust-building approach to its organizational culture and grantmaking.
Trusting Our Roots
A Conversation with Judith Yanez of RootED NWA
In our first episode, we sit down with Judith Yanez, Executive Director of RootED Northwest Arkansas, to learn how parents in Springdale, Arkansas, are helping break down long-standing educational barriers facing Latinx youth and families.
About the Host
Crystal C. Mercer
Crystal C. Mercer is a daughter of the Diaspora in the American South, from Little Rock, Arkansas. She is a Black, Textile Artist, Actor, Activist, Poet, Playwright, Published Author (A Love Story Waiting To Happen, Butterfly Typeface Publishing, 2018, and From Cotton to Silk: The Magic of Black Hair, Et Alia Press, 2021), Found(her) and Executive Director of A BLACK SPACE, a nonprofit that serves and liberates Black folks through culture bearing, oral tradition, and ancestral craft, and Lead Designer and Merchant of Mercer Textile Mercantile. In addition to her creative passions and business savvy, she holds a number of professional positions, from full-time, to contracted and commissioned work. Through that work, Mercer activates change in spaces and expresses narratives with an emphasis of uplifting voices of color and making marginalized populations visible.
Stay Connected
Stay up-to-date with the latest episodes of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast by subscribing to our email list! As a subscriber, you’ll receive email notifications when new episodes are released, along with exclusive content and updates.
Just enter your name and email address below to join our community of podcast listeners. We can’t wait to share our next conversation with you!