Hi! I'm Garrison Hayes and I'm excited to be joining Mother Jones as the first-ever Creator in Residence.
Over the last two years, I've been busy building a following on TikTok, where I publish mini-docs about hidden or misrepresented moments in American history; the crosswinds of politics, culture, and identity; and my many, varied book obsessions.
So how in the world does someone end up a TikTok creator? It's pretty unique for me. I'm a former seminary-trained pastor who developed a strong connection with my congregation when I led my church's digital strategy during the pandemic. I studied film production as an undergrad, so I was prepared for the fully virtual early days of that crisis. Speaking directly to camera to address sometimes slippery concepts just felt right, and it wasn't long before the audience of curious listeners expanded beyond my congregation.
But back to the topic of faith and how that informs my belief that we need to look to the past in order to build a better future. I grew up in and around the church in the Southern Bible Belt—we didn't miss a single Wednesday night Prayer Meeting for the first 18 years of my life. So, naturally, I've been paying rapt attention to the Georgia Senate runoff election—happening tomorrow but already setting records for early voting. But even I've been stunned by the amount of God stuff at campaign rallies and on the airwaves in Georgia.
What's going on?
In my debut video for Mother Jones, I discuss how Christianity itself is on the ballot in Georgia by exploring two wildly different Christian visions competing for the state's soul: Walker, who is endorsed by Donald Trump, plays to a version of far-right evangelicalism known as Christian Nationalism, which seeks to muddy the waters between church and state; Warnock, on the other hand, is a minister and has a more progressive approach to Christianity with direct connections to the civil rights movement.
You can follow the series as it drops on TikTok, or watch the full video in one place on good ol' fashioned YouTube.
I'll be back again soon with more stories about history, race, faith, and more. I hope we can stay in touch as my MoJo journey continues.
—Garrison Hayes, Creator in Residence
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