In Tacoma, a choir made up of immigrants, refugees and community members raises its voice to spread a message of love and unity. The choir provides a much-needed, welcoming community for newcomers who face innumerable challenges in trying to adapt to a new country, culture and language with little social support. Perhaps most importantly, it gives its members a sense of belonging.

J Mase III is a poet, an educator and a self-taught theologian. He is also a black trans man whose work is focused on the intersection of faith and social justice. This has led him, along with Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi, to create a new theology, the tenants of which are laid out in the Black Trans Prayer Book, an interfaith project that affirms the spiritual realities of Black trans people.

Sulayman is one of over 8,500 refugees in the U.S. currently at risk of deportation due to the Trump administration’s reversal of a 2008 repatriation agreement with Vietnam. Now, he and his family live in a constant state of fear and anxiety about what the future might bring.