The UPLift with Tzedek: Real Talk for Real Change
Welcome to The UPlift - Real Talk for Real Change! We're here to build authentic community relationships and help fuel social transformation in Asheville, NC, believing collective liberation is not only possible but probable as we share, listen, and learn together.
The Tzedek Social Justice Fund is a social justice philanthropy fund that redistributes money, resources, and power to support systems change and community healing in Asheville, North Carolina. Through adaptive, trust-based philanthropy, we resist oppressive systems and work to transform our collective home into a place where everyone flourishes. We fund mission-aligned work centering LGBTQ Justice, Racial Justice, and/or Dismantling Antisemitism; this means we give money to organizations and individuals invested in creating a more fair, equitable, and flourishing society.
We dream of a thriving Asheville where everyone's needs are abundantly met - where everyone is safe, respected, and celebrated. We believe that a community rooted in joy and love is possible - that is, if we can connect and build our shared vision on the value that liberation is for all.
Sound good to you? We hope so!
Let's be real. Let's go deep. Let's get liberated.
Episodes
23 episodes
Living Legacy: A Sophie Dixon Story
Can one person really make a difference? This month, we put that question to the test—and the answer is a resounding YES!In this episode of The UPLift, Ms. Sophie Dixon shares her hard-won wi...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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36:54
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Humanizing Headlines: Immigration Insights from JMPro
Are anti-immigration policies really about national security, or is something deeper at play? This episode of The UPLift explores immigration as a human rights issue as we sit down with Julio Tordoya, an award-winning journalist d...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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28:02
Rise UP! Part 2. From Response Reflections to Reimagined Revolutions
When disaster strikes, how do we rise—not just as individuals, but as a collective? In this episode, we reflect on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and ask: Can 2025 be the year of revolutions, not just resolutions? Let’s find out!<...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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31:45
Rise UP! Part 1. From Crisis to Collaboration—Lessons from the Frontlines
How do communities hit by disaster emerge even stronger and more connected than before?In this month's episode of “The UPLift,” we explore how Asheville, North Carolina, came together after Hurricane Helene, transforming adversity...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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31:50
Oy to Joy! Insights from the Asheville JCC
How do we harness the power of joy to build a more inclusive world? The Asheville Jewish Community Center's (JCC) Executive Director, Ashley Lasher, has some ideas on how "Jewish Joy" can unlock community and connection both in and beyond share...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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29:48
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Healing with Heart: Reclaiming Wellness Through Radical Connection
Is empathy an antidote to oppression? This month, "cultural edge walker" April Easter shares her unique journey and the wisdom she's acquired over 20 years in the field, including her pivot from criminology to radical compassion. This ca...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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28:12
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Tzedek Transitions: From Staff to Society
Happy Pride Month and Happy Juneteenth! Both celebrations commemorate the relentless pursuit of liberation, honoring the places we've been and progress we've made while pushing for continued change. In this episode, we're serving Funder-Frontli...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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36:54
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A Culture of Care: Insights from the Last 8 Years
What does it mean to build a culture of care? This month, we answer this question as we say goodbye to our outgoing Director of Mindful Operations & Finance, Lindsay Majer, who shares her experiences and reflects on her growth during her ei...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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26:27
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The Personal is Professional: Looking Back to Move Forward
Good vibes incoming! This month, we brought the mics to the Tzedek Connect table, digging into how our pasts impact who we are and how we show up in our social justice work today. Featuring voices from various backgrounds, these beautifu...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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32:38
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The BeLoved Community: Love in Action
Think a bunch of ordinary folks can't change the world? Well, BeLoved Asheville flips that script in five minutes flat. In this month's episode, we're spotlighting what happens when communities...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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31:32
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Transcending the Check: Cultivating Trust in Community Partnerships
In this episode of TheUPLift, Delia Noemi Jovel Dubón of Tierra Fértil Coop and Stephanie Swepson-Twitty of Eagle Marke...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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28:06
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Coffey Talk: What's Brewing at Tzedek?
In this 2024 kick-off episode, we jump into the beautiful, sometimes messy world of community engagement and social justice work alongside Tzedek's newest team member, Tera Coffey. In sharing her experience of working in the government grind to...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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29:57
Let's Talk: The Nitty-Gritty of Social Transformation
Can celebrating failures can be just as powerful as cheering for our successes? Is collaboration necessary for collective liberation? What pressures do BIPOC leaders face in this work? How do we heal together and what roadblocks slow our progre...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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29:01
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Catharsis: Exploring the Transformative Power of Collective Healing
Healing is a personal, as well as collective, journey. In this episode, Ember Phoenix explores the critical importance of engaging in difficult conversations with curiosity, love, and commitment as a path to individual and community liberation....
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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31:10
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Between the Sheets: Creating Equitable Workplace Policies
Ready to reimagine the concept of workplace equity? Gear up as Lindsay Majer discusses actionable strategies for creating a work environment that truly embraces and empowers everyone. From standardizing pay to redefining job descriptions...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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29:18
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Our VOICEs United: Unionizing Nonprofit Spaces
Ready to unveil the powerful journey of a nonprofit organization's transition into a union? Offering invaluable services to survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking, Our VOICE is instrumental in Asheville's nonprofit realm. In this mo...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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30:24
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Amplifying the Ripple: Spotlight on the Collective Power of CoThinkk
Ever wondered about the deeper significance of Black Philanthropy Month, celebrated every August? Tracey Greene-Washington and Tera Coffey, dynamic voices from the revolutionary organization CoTh...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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29:55
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Culture Shift: Collaborative Community Building at La Milpa
Ready to kickstart change? Then buckle up! Get inspired by Colaborativa La Milpa’s Director Geny Hernández López and Operations & Finance Coordinator Angeli Sosa as we ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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32:34
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Pride & Prejudice - Faith, Love & LGBTQ Inclusion in the South
It's Pride month and we're discussing LGBTQ+ inclusion/exclusion in the South with Reverend Tami Forte Logan of Faith 4 Justice Asheville and Torre White of the
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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33:01
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Breaking the Cycle - It's Not Rocket Science; It's Rockefeller
For Tzedek, the Brilliance Awards are one way to UPLift the UPLifters! Tzedek Brilliance Awards honor Asheville leaders who have engaged in impactful, intersecti...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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31:52
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Birthing Justice - Healthy Black Moms, Healthy Black Futures
This month, we get REAL in exploring the incredible power of community-based, BIPOC-led doulas and how they're changing the game for birthing families. The numbers don't lie. The truth is that Black birthers have a 53% higher risk of dying in t...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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29:00
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