Audacious Faith. Bold Voices.
Real Conversations for a Just World

Back Talk is a monthly livestream series hosted by McCormick President Dr. Maisha Handy — a womanist theologian, scholar, and justice-driven leader. Each 30-minute episode explores the intersections of theology, justice, leadership, and faith in action, featuring unfiltered conversations with thought leaders, changemakers, and prophetic voices from across the country.

These aren’t easy conversations—but they’re the ones that matter. And you’re invited to pull up a seat.


TOPICS ON OUR MIND
Each month, Back Talk will take on some of the most pressing and provocative issues shaping our communities and churches today. Upcoming episodes will tackle themes like the current migrant crisis and the captivating cultural collision between hip-hop and religion.

These are not easy conversations — but they are necessary ones. And McCormick is leaning in with audacity, with boldness, and with a deep belief in the power of faith to meet the needs of our times.

Episode 3: Taking Up Space in the Age of ICE
November 26, 2025 | 4pm CST

What does it mean to lead boldly in a moment when presence itself is political?
When prayer can provoke tear gas?
When faith in public is treated as a threat?

In this powerful new episode of Back Talk, we’ll explore what it means to take up space faithfully, publicly, and prophetically in a time of escalating deportations, criminalized difference, and shrinking sanctuary.

Dr. Handy and her guests will explore…

  • What it means to take up public, spiritual, and prophetic space when that space is being actively policed, surveilled, or denied

  • How churches, clergy, and communities can resist erasure and reclaim space as sites of belonging, disruption, and liberation

  • How leadership on the margins invites not just safety—but radical courage, embodiment, and imagination

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE BELOW:

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Pastor David Black: Lead Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Chicago (PCUSA), South Side Chicago
An ordained Presbyterian minister and Quaker-rooted spiritual leader, Pastor Black brings a powerful voice to the frontlines of faith-based protest. His ministry is grounded in justice for the marginalized and spiritual solidarity at the edges of the church. After being struck in the head by a pepper ball while peacefully protesting outside an ICE detention facility, his public witness has become a national touchpoint for the conversation on religious freedom, state violence, and prophetic presence.

Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks: Executive Director, A Just Harvest | Pastor, San Lucas UCC | Adjunct Faculty, McCormick & Garrett
Dr. Pagán-Banks is a fierce and faithful champion of healing justice in Chicago. She leads community-centered initiatives for police accountability, food sovereignty, and racial equity through her work at A Just Harvest. As a queer, womanist theologian and UCC pastor, she also cultivates spaces of joy, resistance, and wholeness — particularly for LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities. Her leadership is rooted in imagination, public healing, and the radical power of showing up fully.

About Our Host

Dr. Maisha Handy is a bold, prophetic voice for our times. As the 12th President of McCormick Theological Seminary, she leads with conviction, compassion, and a deep commitment to justice-rooted theological education. An experienced speaker, preacher, and public theologian, Dr. Handy brings over two decades of leadership in higher education and ministry. She is known for speaking truth with clarity and care, and for creating space where faith and justice meet in transformative ways.

Before joining McCormick, Dr. Handy served as Provost at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, where she launched the first version of Back Talk—a webcast devoted to real, public conversations about theology, leadership, and liberation. Now, she brings that same energy and vision to a national audience.

At a moment when the church and the world are crying out for truth, courage, and clarity, Dr. Handy is a leader who doesn’t just respond—she helps us reimagine. Back Talk is an extension of her passion for public dialogue, theological truth-telling, and faith that moves people to act.

MISSED AN EPISODE?

Back Talk streams monthly on McCormick’s Facebook page. You can also find links to episodes below.

Don’t miss your chance to engage with some of the most important issues of our time — through the lens of public theology and prophetic leadership.