What does your story say about you?  Find out at the 26th Festival of Faiths, Nov. 9-12 at the Kentucky Center, 501 W. Main St. This year's theme is "Sacred Stories: Contemplation and Connection," a look at how stories define our lives, give us purpose and make us feel part of something bigger. "It is through stories and the sharing of stories that we experience our humanity," said Sarah Riggs Reed, managing director of the Center for Interfaith Relations, which sponsors the event. "And this year at the festival we explore the power of narratives to change people, to move people, to deepen their sense of value, purpose, worth. Stories shape our identities and shared stories shape our communities."Here's what to know about the 2022 Festival of Faiths:What is the Festival of Faiths?Since its inception in 1996, the Festival of Faiths "has promoted interfaith understanding, cooperation and action while celebrating the timeless wisdom contained in the diversity of the world's faith traditions. The nationally acclaimed festival features meaningful dialogue with renowned spiritual leaders, thinkers, practitioners and artists," according to a news release announcing the event.To better understand a person's association with religion, culture, politics, heritage and other things that influence our identities, the festival investigates ancient and modern stories through the lens of faith. During the Festival of Faith sessions over three days, participants take part in storytelling activities that highlight individuality, while establishing a common bond with the rest of the group. More:Gerth: Why are so many Catholic churches closed in Black neighborhoods? It's a sinful storyNajeeba Syeed, a professor of interfaith studies, Muslim scholar and activist who will be presenting at the festival, said there is a constant overlap between religion and aspects of our identity."I think religion can be a part of someone's identity formation, one of many factors that form a whole human being," she said. "It’s not the only factor. Culture, national origin, even which neighborhood you grew up in form your identity. It is helpful to hear from people how religion played a role in their identity, instead of defining that for them."Who organized the Festival of Faiths?The Center for Interfaith Relations, one of the most distinctive religious organizations in the country, sponsors recurring events throughout the United States, including the Festival of Faiths.This Louisville-based festival attracts visitors from various religious backgrounds, promoting conversation and the acceptance of the religious beliefs of others.“The work of the Center (for Interfaith Relations) here in Louisville attempts to expand and deepen our understanding of religious neighbors near and far," said Dr. Lewis Brogdon, director of the Institute for Black Church Studies and associate professor of preaching and Black church studies. "The center also creates a space to celebrate the ways we are both similar and different."What is the 2022 theme of the Festival of Faiths?According to Riggs Reed, the "Sacred Stories: Contemplation and Connection," theme arose from the pandemic and the murder of Breonna Taylor. Riggs Reed believes the turmoil Louisville experienced in 2020 led a lot of people to examine their life stories and ask what narratives they accept and which ones they reject.More:Historic Baptist church's new co-pastor, a gay man, says calling is 'the honor of my life'"This year's [Festival of Faiths] starts the day after midterm elections," she said. "My hope is that this year, in particular, people will come together at the festival, celebrating the fact that we have so much more in common than what separates us. ... My hope is that people leave the festival convinced of the value of their own sacred story, ready to exchange stories with neighbors in new ways. ..."What events are taking place at the Festival of Faiths?Numerous events are taking place over the course of the three-day festival. It begins with the free Interfaith Opening Celebration on Nov. 9 from 5:30-7 p.m at the Cathedral of the Assumption, 433 S. 5th St. Reverend Shelton J. Fabre, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville, will speak and singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer will perform.From Nov. 10-12, a variety of ticketedworkshops will be held that include a diverse group of nearly 24 participants, including an expert in meditation, an Indigenous community organizer, an Old Testament scholar to a media analyst, Afrofuturist performer storäe michele and a priest.More:How Louisville football linebacker Yasir Abdullah's faith as a Muslim has shaped himHere is the list of events:Diverse Spiritual PracticesLessons of Old Stories in a New Context Changing Story Keepers: Millennials and Gen Zers An Evening of Sacred StorytellingThy Neighbor: Faith, Politics and Radical AcceptanceThe Sacred Stories That Connect UsSignificant Stories for Our Times: A Workshop with Matthew FoxShifting the Narrative: Transforming Hearts and Minds to Deepen Spiritual LifeFaith and a New Louisville Think-InA blood drive will also take place on Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. 6th St."I am honored to be presenting with Lyla June and Najeeba Syeed, as we explore important and radical shifts in storytelling," michele told the Courier Journal. "More specifically, we will discuss the ways these stories transform our lens of social justice and are connected to rising and future generations of communities for change."During the session titled "Changing Story Keepers: Millennials and Gen Zers," michele will perform a portion of her choreopoem and solo performance titled mama [rose.], which tells the experiences of a non-binary individual named Sid. Sid and their trans grandmother, Mama Rose, an archaeologist, embark on a journey seeking to heal intergenerational trauma.How much are tickets to the Festival of Faiths?Festival of Faith passes and individual session tickets can be purchased online at kentuckyperformingarts.org, by phone at 502-584-7777, or at the Kentucky Center box office. Passes for the entire festival are $200. Tickets for individual events are $29.95, which includes taxes and fees.The festival will also be live-streamed on theFestival of Faiths YouTube channel. COVID-19 restrictions will be in place and masks will be required when not actively eating or drinking.For more information, visit FestivalofFaiths.org.You can reach Culture and Diversity Reporter Jason Gonzalez at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JayGon15NYC.

Hours after voters rejected a measure known as Constitutional Amendment 2 to eliminate abortion rights from the Kentucky Constitution, opponents who worked to defeat it took a few minutes Wednesday to reflect on the victory − and look ahead."We know that Amendment 2 will not restore abortion access in Kentucky overnight," said Rachel Sweet, who managed the Protect Kentucky Access campaign against the measure. "But it is an important step in continuing the legal fight for abortion access in this state."Abortion has been illegal in Kentucky, except in medical emergencies, since the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 struck down Roe v. Wade, eliminating the nearly 50-year-old federal right to abortion. Kentucky was among about a dozen states with a "trigger law" to immediately ban abortion in the event of such a ruling.Now abortion rights advocates are turning their attention to a pending court challenge to the law, a challenge that could have been rendered moot had the constitutional amendment passed.Kentucky Amendment 2:Opponents of Kentucky abortion amendment celebrate its defeatInstead, the Kentucky Supreme Court on Nov. 15 will hear arguments that the Kentucky Constitution provides a right to abortion. Lawyers for the state's two abortion providers are asking the court to allow abortion services to resume while a challenge to the trigger law and a second law banning abortions after six weeks works its way through the state court system.Jefferson Circuit Judge Mitch Perry in a preliminary ruling in July, found that the state constitution did appear to contain abortion rights, based on privacy, due process, equal protection and other provisions, and allowed abortion services to resume until the case was decided. But that ruling was blocked by a judge on the state Court of Appeals and no abortion services have been permitted until the Supreme Court hears the case and issues a ruling."We are very hopeful that our state lawsuit will ultimately restore abortion access in the commonwealth," said Jackie McGranahan, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, whose lawyers are involved in the case.Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, an anti-abortion Republican, said he is ready to defend the two laws before the Supreme Court and has filed briefs arguing that the General Assembly, not the courts, is charged with making laws affecting abortion.In recent years, the GOP-controlled legislature has enacted more than dozen bills meant to ban or restrict access to abortion.Kentucky was among five states with abortion measures on the ballot Tuesday. California, Michigan and Vermont voters approved adding abortion rights to their state constitutions while a Montana ballot measure to ban some procedures remained pending as of Wednesday.Cameron, in a statement, said he was disappointed in the defeat of Kentucky's amendment."While this result is disappointing, it does not change our belief that there is no right to abortion hidden in the Kentucky Constitution and that the regulation of abortion policy is a matter that belongs with our elected representatives in the General Assembly," he said.That's the same argument more than two dozen GOP lawmakers made Oct. 27 at a news conference where they denounced alleged "misinformation" about the amendment, arguing it merely preserved the rights of members of the General Assembly, rather than judges, to make abortion laws."This amendment makes it clear that there is no right to abortion in the Kentucky Constitution," said Rep. Nancy Tate, R-Brandenburg and chairwoman of the legislators' "pro-life caucus." "This will keep state judges in their lane of interpreting the law and not inventing new laws and new rights that the constitution doesn't speak of."Kentucky election results:3 key takeaways from Kentucky's midterm election resultsTate also is among lawmakers who say they do not support exemptions in cases where a pregnancy results from rape or incest − which opponents to the amendment had criticized as unduly harsh."Some of my best friends were conceived through rape and incest," she said. "It absolutely breaks their heart when they hear from a public position that their life is not valued."But Sweet said she believes the defeat of the amendment sends a strong message to lawmakers that a majority of voters understood and rejected it."I think this does send a message to Kentucky lawmakers that they do not have carte blanche to pass whatever extreme abortion restrictions they choose," Sweet said.Further, Sweet said, some lawmakers, as well as other supporters of the amendment, have made it clear they oppose abortion in almost all circumstances including in cases of rape, incest or fetal anomalies."I think perhaps where they went wrong is being very clear about what their agenda is," Sweet said.Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Crofton Republican, said in October that he personally does not support exemptions for abortions."This is really a reliigous and faith question for me," he said. "I don't believe we have the right to kill an innocent life God created."Wednesday, he said he was disappointed in the outcome of the amendment vote but said he doesn't believe it was a "fair fight," with opponents raising millions more dollars than supporters. Nor does he agree the vote sends a message to lawmakers."That assumes the people of Kentucky were informed fairly and correctly, and they weren't," Westerfield said.Both sides traded accusations of misleading or false claims about the amendment.Abortion opponents, while acknowledging they lost the battle over the constitutional amendment, say they remain committed to continuing the fight in court and elsewhere."The overturning of Roe v. Wade showed us how much work remains to protect the right to life in Kentucky and across the country," said Addia Wuchner, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life. "We are ready to do that work.Lawmakers could reintroduce the constitutional amendment next year, which would put it on the 2024 general election ballot. But Westerfield said, "I'm not aware if we'll do that."More politics:Judge who signed the warrant to search Breonna Taylor's apartment loses reelection bidWesterfield, who has sponsored several bills to restrict abortion, said he's calling on abortion opponents to do more to promote efforts to help pregnant women and make it less likely for them to seek abortions by aiding pregnancy crisis centers or other such programs."I think we can do more than any law can do," he said. "It's my hope that the pro-life community won't give up. ... We'll continue to deal with it and protect life as best we can."Contact reporter Deborah Yetter at [email protected] or on Twitter at @d_yetter.

Women continued to dominate judicial elections on Tuesday in Jefferson County, where candidates vied in 16 contested races. Men won only one of the five races in which a male faced a female − with Anthony Jones defeating Emily Monarch.That continues a trend in which men are “pretty close to extinction” as one judge proclaimed after elections four years ago left only eight men – out of 40 − on the bench.More:Midterm election: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul defeats Democrat Charles Booker.Here are the other results from Tuesday, in which four of five incumbents retained their seats.In one of two Court of Appeals contests, District Judge Annette Karem, who was trying to jump up two notches on the court ladder, defeated McKenzie Cantrell, a state representative.In the other appellate contest, Circuit Judge Audra Eckerle defeated Tricia Lister, who had less name recognition. None of the four candidates were endorsed by Citizens for Better Judges (CBJ), while the local chapter of Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) backed Cantrell and Lister. In an intriguing race for circuit court, District Judge Julie Kaelin, a progressive who opposes cash bail and was backed by SURJ, handily beat Ebert Haegele, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney who was endorsed by CBJ. More:Kentucky judge, hit with 45 ethics violations in July, is ordered removed from the benchIn another circuit contest that was followed closely, incumbent Mary Shaw, who signed the warrant for the police search that led to Breonna Taylor’s death, was defeated by Tracy Evette Davis, despite a recent report that she had a conviction in 2019 for reckless and drunken driving. In the three other circuit races: Ted Shouse, an outspoken criminal defense lawyer, lost to Melissa Bellows, who practices civil and criminal law.Sarah Clay, who was endorsed by both CBJ and SURJ, defeated Nichole Compton, who has both JD and MBA degrees. Patricia “Tish” Morris, who was trying to follow in the footsteps of her late father, Geoffrey Morris, a former circuit court judge, beat Dorislee Gilbert, a former assistant commonwealth's attorney and an advocate for domestic violence victims. In district court races: Anthony Jones, a former assistant public advocate in Henderson and an assistant county attorney in Jefferson County, beat the male jinx by defeating Emily Monarch.More:KY judge dismisses lawsuit blaming Louisville Bail Project in 17-year-old girl's deathKristina Garvey, the incumbent, beat Kelly Bowles, who in a campaign bio described herself as a public school teacher and a “proud member of the LGTBQ+ community.” Yvette de la Guardia, a former public defender, defeated Lora Holman, who has been a solo practitioner and who grew up in Oldham County.Incumbent Lisa Langford easily beat challenger Justin C. Brown, a former public defender. Megan McDonald, a lawyer and mediator − and the daughter of former Judges Tom and Dee McDonald − defeated Shanner Fauver, who was endorsed by SURJ. Karen Faulkner, a former public defender who ran unsuccessfully for county attorney in 2014, and who was endorsed by CBJ, beat Jessica Stone, an assistant county attorney, single mom and former ballet dancer. Incumbent Tanisha Hickerson, who was endorsed by CBJ, trounced challenger Kaitlin Dean, a Kansas native who described herself as a military spouse and an “impartial servant leader.” The daughter of Jefferson Circuit Clerk David Nicholson, Sara Micheal Nicholson, who was elected to District Court in 2016 after practicing law only two years and was deemed unqualified by 81% of lawyers in a Louisville Bar Association poll, walloped Christian Garrison, a former public defender and assistant county attorney. Mary Jue Wolford, who began her career as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Western District of New York, when her husband Will played for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, and was later an assistant Jefferson County attorney, easily beat Claudette Patton, one of the first women to clerk for famed criminal defense attorney Frank Haddad and later a law clerk for federal Judge Charles Allen and a deputy attorney general who also practices in private law firms and taught for several universities. 

In her campaign for Jefferson Circuit Court, Tracy Evette Davis says she has practiced law for eight years all across the state of Kentucky.  But in addition to representing others, she was herself the defendant in at least three cases.The Courier Journal reviewed Davis' record after a judge not involved in the election on Wednesday questioned her qualifications.On Sept. 2, 2019, records show she was charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence – at 6:59 in the morning − after a deputy sheriff saw her “swerving all over the road” and “crossing all lanes” on Interstate 71.She failed three field sobriety tests given to her by a Louisville Metro Police officer, according to her citation.Asked about the charge, Davis said in an email, “We are all human.”She pleaded guilty but was placed in diversion, which she completed this July, resulting in her plea being set aside and dismissed, said Josh Abner, a spokesman for the county attorney’s office.He said she qualified for diversion because it was her first offense and because there were no “aggravating factors,” such as injuries or property damage.“I received no special privilege,” she said. “No one is above the law, myself included.”Also in 2019, Davis, now 43, was charged with a felony for “making a false statement to receive benefits,” when she applied for food stamps and Medicaid, according to court records. The records say her statement allowed her to receive a combined $15,909 in overpayments.But Abner said the charge was dismissed the next year when she was allowed to amend her tax return to show she had less income, which in turn qualified her for the benefits. Davis said she had not taken deductions in previous years to which she was entitled.In her email, Davis also noted that while the felony was charged in 2019, she was initially cited in 2013, when she was a single mother of three and studying for the bar exam.“I struggled like most families in Jefferson County and I am not ashamed of that,” she said.Davis was also sued in 2019 by a woman who provided management services for her unsuccessful 2018 campaign for district court and who alleged she failed to pay a $22,000 bill. When the sheriff’s office attempted to serve her with the suit six times at her home, Davis avoided service each time, according to court records.Steavon Deonna Stokes, the plaintiff, eventually won a default judgment against Davis, which she appealed, saying she had never been served with the lawsuit.  In a 2021 unanimous decision, the Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment.In her email, Davis said: “I dispute the facts in that case and unfortunately there was a default judgment for a company that never existed in the state of KY and was dissolved in Alabama in bad standing.”The Courier Journal was unable to locate anyone with the plaintiff’s name for comment.Her opponent, incumbent Jefferson Circuit Judge Mary Shaw, declined to comment for this story.Shaw was the only incumbent circuit judge in Jefferson County to draw a challenger in this year's elections. Lawyers said she was vulnerable because she signed the warrant that led to the 2020 police search of Breonna Taylor's home in which she was fatally shot by a detective after her boyfriend − thinking the couple was being robbed − fired one shot that struck a detective in the leg.Activists initially criticized Shaw for signing the warrant, but more recently detectives who obtained it have been charged in federal court with falsifying an affidavit to obtain it.