This week, Heather is joined by journalist Paul Kix, whose bestselling book You have to be willing to die before you can start living takes readers on a guided tour of the chaotic streets of Birmingham, Alabama, in the spring of 1963. It is the story of the pivotal ten-week campaign of marches, nonviolent resistance, and nights in jail that helped reverse the trend of Jim Crow segregation. . Who can forget the heartbreaking photos and video clips of Birmingham these days? Images of young black students being assaulted by police dogs and water cannons went viral decades before the Internet went viral.
Paul guides Heather through her research on Birmingham, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the organization of King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He also draws attention to the important contributions of leaders of the civil rights movement such as the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth (whose characteristic maxim became the book’s title) and Dr. King’s chief of staff, Wyatt Tee Walker, who often been overshadowed by MLK’s immense fame. Paul’s book reveals how those ten weeks in Birmingham changed the trajectory of American politics, religion, and race relations.
Sixty years later, Birmingham’s story would also have a profound impact on Paul Kix’s view of his marriage and family. As a white man, married to a black woman, with a daughter and twins who identify as black, he has been deeply affected by the murder of George Floyd in 2020 as well as other incidents that have seemed to devalue black lives. As a result of his personal struggle with these events and difficult questions from his children, Paul found himself called to remember Birmingham in 1963. When Paul became interested in the work of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he n was not a practicing Christian. But the faith of the men who led the civil rights movement not only inspired him intellectually, it also inspired him spiritually. This poignant interview sits at the intersection of faith and social justice.
Heather also welcomes our resident social media expert, Brady Shearer, to discuss another tool for your social toolbox. This week, Brady shares ideas for repurposing weekly sermons into condensed content for podcasts and YouTube.
Guest bios
Paul Kix is a journalist and author whose last book was The saboteur, a bestselling and critically acclaimed true story about the most daring man of World War II. His writings also appeared in The New Yorker, Atlantic, GQAnd ESPN Magazine, among other publications. His latest book , You have to be willing to die before you can start living, is the subject of this episode of the podcast. He lives in Connecticut with his family.
Host biography
Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communications at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including I will see you tomorrow And It’s not your turn. Contact Heather on X, the app formerly known as Twitter, at @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday. Get Heather’s weekly inspirational email in your inbox every Friday evening at 7pm EST. Register now on: www.heatherthompsonday.com/links.
Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today
Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day
Executive producer: Ed Gilbreath
Producer: Loren Joseph
Mixing engineer: Alex Carter
Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper
