There is a kind of wisdom that can only come from living, witnessing, loving, losing, and continuing forward. Our elders carry stories and truths that connect us to where we come from and help guide us toward where we are going. In this episode, I’m honored to share a conversation with the late Ms. Camilla Louise Church Greene, a beloved community elder and fierce advocate for Black liberation. Together, we explore the importance of community heritage, racial equity and justice, the strength and complexity of Black matriarchy, and what it means to move through grief, loss, and end-of-life transition. Throughout our conversation, Ms. Camilla shares from a lifetime of lived experience and offers a perspective shaped by her deep commitment to justice and love. Ms. Camilla passed away on August 8, 2026, and it is a profound honor to share her voice, wisdom, and presence with you. She has now joined the ancestors, becoming part of the lineage, she spent her life honoring. May the wisdom she shared continue to guide us, and may her spirit continue to watch over us. Rest in Power, Ms. Camilla 🕊️ Note from the Author: This episode was recorded in May of 2026. TIMESTAMPS 00:00:20 – A Dedication 00:01:11 - Intro 00:04:56 – What brought you to the Lehigh Valley? 00:07:51 – 4th Generation 00:08:33 – The Black Middle Class 00:18:00 – Love Through the Black Matriarchy 00:21:57 – Visiting South Africa 00:26:40 – Transferred Oppression 00:29:50 – Tears of a White Woman 00:32:00 – The Truth Will Set You Free, but First... 00:35:38 – Spiritual Journey 00:36:50 – When You Were My Age 00:40:46 – The Process of Healing Trauma 00:42:31 – Black Woman Empath 00:44:28 – Loving Tom 00:57:00 – 61 Years of Marriage! 1:00:12 – Grief as the Final Act of Love 1:02:35 – How Do You Practice Self-Care? 1:06:53 - Outro 1:07:26 – A Poem SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES About the Guest: Mrs. Camilla Louise Church Greene (84) was an African-American elder who grew up in the Black middle-class Historical Landmark Community of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York. Her grandparents were Deacons at Concord Baptist Church where her mother was also one of the organists. As the first African American to graduate from Brooklyn Friends School, she is featured in Rachel Devlin’s book “A Girl Stands at the Door: a history of girls in the North and South who integrated schools.” As a teen Ms. Camilla was a charter member of Brooklyn Jack and Jill. And she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in College. Over thirty years, Ms. Camilla taught HS English in nine high schools in three states (NY, NJ, CT). In the late 1980s she became part of the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF), working first with Dr. Ted Sizer’s Coalition of Essential Schools (CES), then with the National School Reform Faculty, both located at Brown University. With this reform initiative Ms. Camilla traveled all over the US visiting and interacting with High School teachers, administrators, students and local communities as a Senior Associate with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Most recently, Ms. Camilla was an anti-racist leadership facilitator working with a variety of teams. Her ongoing anti-racist work is with public, private, charter schools, for profit and non-profit organizations across the country. Her most recent clients include: The Maret School in Washington DC; Lehigh Valley Community Foundation; Oregon Department of Education; Department of Health at Maimonides, NY; San Francisco Coalition of Essential Small Schools; Next Up Oregon; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority of Lehigh Valley, and Urban Principal’s Academy at Lehigh. Camilla was on the Design Team of the RCDC James E. Lawson Freedom School of Lehigh Valley and she was on the board of the Promise Neighborhoods of Lehigh Valley. Currently Ms. Camilla is also an active member of Communities Organized against Racism in Emmaus. Ms. Camilla lives in Allentown, PA (Upper Macungie) Her daughter, and grandson live in Salisbury, PA. Notable Work and Involvement in the Lehigh Valley (PA): 2026 a participant in the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation Core Learning Cohort. 2007 involved with the founding and opening of Seven Generations Charter School in Emmaus, PA Served on the board of Seven generations charter School Served on the Global Awareness Committee at Moravian Academy Was a member and a facilitator of sessions with Jude Denis at Power NorthEast A Member of Resurrected Life Church, UCC Member of Women on the Move Former board member of Resurrected Life Community Development Corp (RCDC) Helped to establish the James Lawson Freedom School at Resurrected Life Community United Church of Christ. Currently work with the James Lawson Freedom School Servant Leaders as a volunteer in the summer Active participant in DEI practitioners Initiative of United Way Focus group Project Equity United Way Member of the Water Fountain Project lead by Allan Jennings of CACLV Part of a focus group with the Color Outside the Lines Initiative Member and facilitator of the Lehigh Valley Solidarity Foundation lead by Rev Ben Hailey and Rev Dr. Gregory Edwards Member of the Board of Observers for Muhlenberg College Served on the Board of Promise Neighborhoods of Lehigh Valley. (PNLV) Part of United Way’s Black Health Equity Project led by Carmen Bell and Dr. Hasshan Batts Worked with the Black Student Union at Emmaus HS Active member of COAR (Communities Organized Against Racism) Volunteer work with Rosalind Lucien’s The Scholar Blueprint and The Thrive Hub programs for High School students. Poem Spotlight: I Want to Age Like Sea Glass by Bernadette Noll * Recited by Ms. Camilla and Niya Randall (IG @waterandlaughs) on 6.1.26 Additional Resources: * “Are You Teachable?” The Life & Legacy of Ms. Camilla Greene | The Entrepreneurs’ Club Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/23HkOFb7d4ixHAlBNrD9lZ?si=46ac1e5b23f145f1 * Greene, C., & Brownson, J. (2019, January 28). Perfection: An Ongoing Conversation. SF-CESS. https://sfcess.org/perfection-january-2019-1/ * Greene, C. (2005). The Practice of Freedom. Connections: A Journal of the National School Reform Faculty, 2005(Winter), 3;14. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ750609.pdf * Greene, C. (2005). Education as the Practice of Freedom. Educational Horizons, 84(1), 50–53. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ750609.pdf * Morning Call. (2021, December 26). Kwanzaa hasn’t been widely celebrated in the Lehigh Valley, but a few friends are changing that. https://www.mcall.com/2021/12/26/kwanzaa-hasnt-been-widely-celebrated-in-the-lehigh-valley-but-a-few-friends-are-changing-that/ * CREATE Teacher Residency Program (Collaboration and Reflection to Enhance Atlanta Teacher Effectiveness) - https://createteacherresidency.org/ Video of training new teachers in ATL to engage in equity-centered, anti-racist collaboration - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hwqfs1NhDWSuF-h72bBh0I2wH6ltmk_E * The Camilla Louise Green Leadership Award at Emmaus High School * The Hip Hop Project - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQMOCYqxMiE * Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley - https://promiseneighborhoodslv.org/ * James Lawson Freedom School - https://rcdclv.org/programs/james-lawson-freedom-school/ * The Scholar Blueprint - https://thescholarblueprint.com/ * The Thrive Hub - https://thethrivehub.org/ OBITUARY Camilla L. Greene May 31, 1942 – August 8, 2026 https://www.stephensfuneral.com/obituaries/Camilla-L-Greene?obId=49208244 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredkoipodcast.substack.com
