Air

On this inaugural episode, hosts Lisa Anderson and Amikaeyla Gaston explore it means to be in conversation and relationship with another Black woman, what Toni Morrison may have meant when she said “We Flesh” and how that might resonate with Black women, now. Plus, finding joy in a moment that feels apocalyptic, how spirituality affects us both in and out of The Church, excitement about upcoming conversations, and what parts of “The Color Purple” makes us cry. We also explore rituals that ground us, what we love about being Black women, and songs we carry with us.

  • Lisa Anderson is Vice President of Embodied Justice Leadership at Auburn Seminary. Lisa creates spaces where faith/spirit-rooted leaders find rest, respite, and retreat. Her work also includes intersectional organizing, bridging the divide between theology and activism, and the creation and curation of worship and liturgical resources. Lisa is the founding director of the Sojourner Truth Leadership Circle (STLC), a fellowship program whose mission is to make the ordinary care of the bodies, minds, and spirits of Black and Brown women a priority in their own lives and within the social justice spaces where Black women leaders disproportionately serve. STLC equips Black and Brown women leaders, seeking to advance movements for justice within their communities, through a methodology that incorporates a vigorous and spiritually grounded practice of self-care as a part of a leader’s public witness. Lisa is a graduate of Vassar College and holds a Master of Divinity and Master of Philosophy degree from Union Theological Seminary. She has taught courses in black, womanist, feminist and LGBTQ theologies, ethics and liturgy. She is a regular contributor to several blogs, and journals including the Journal of Theology & Sexuality, and the book, Women, Spirituality, and Transformative Leadership.

  • is a force for change. She creates environments that support people in exploring themselves and uses creativity and strategic questioning to support people in addressing their fears, developing a place where everyone has an equal voice. She has led corporations, universities, government and nonprofit organizations through cultural competency & racial equity training. She has done expansive work in the health arena for over the past 20 years and travels the world extensively as a cultural arts ambassador for the state department bringing together artists and healers of all forms and from all specialties to promote healing and wellness through the arts & activism. Her programming and work with refugees and at-risk children, youth and families has been utilized and implemented by the Department of Health & Human Services, The American Psychological Association and US Consulate General’s Cultural Affairs office, taking her around the world to Israel, Beirut, Amman, Damascus, Palestine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Nigeria & Sierra Leone just to name a few.

  • Check out the Earth Portal Activity “I Am Here”

Episode 1

Black Women Be Wondering With Lisa Anderson And Amikaeyla Gaston

Oh, the power that story and song give to Black Women to heal and thrive! Dr. JoAnne Terrell joins us to share her journey of singing, playwriting, and  transforming lives with music and theater. Plus, the not-so-hard leap from preacher to actor, the importance of being a beginner when one, and how we can all be artists and embody art in any medium, and the need for a singer to sing in order to be. This week's offering: Rock and Breathe and Hum And Drum…and may you be blessed.

  • Dr. JoAnne Terrell is a womanist scholar, a theologian, an artist. She received her PhD at Union Theological Seminary and is the Kenneth B. Smith Sr. Professor of Public Ministry at Chicago Theological Seminary. Professor Terrell’s current research interests are interreligious in scope, and focus on soteriological principles in Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity, the genre of spiritual autobiography, and the power of the visual and performing arts to effect personal, social, and cosmic transformation. She is also the mother of Jada, the dog-mommy of Shiloah, and a dear friend.

    “Despite the wretched conditions humankind continuously faces, I believe in the beauty that is, and it is my scholarly and pastoral duty to pursue and find it.” JoAnne Terrell

    Learn more about Dr. JoAnne Terrell by clicking here.

  • Check out the Earth Portal Activity “Lay Your Burdens Down”

Episode 2

Black Women Be Singing With Dr. JoAnne Terrell

Today, Black Women Be Managing!!! Susan Callender, business leader, consultant, and coach, joins us to talk about how Black women can own their own businesses and not just survive, but thrive. We explore manifesting security that is based in our own agendas, and how to BE the person who sets the agenda and scale, but not at a harmful cost to the self. Other topics include the necessity of taking care of ourselves first, even while trying to support the liberation of others.

  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were once considered obligations by many firms, given no more than lip service, with doubtful or non-existent impact on the bottom line. Susan Callender not only makes it her mission to demonstrate the dynamic value of DEI but has the real-world experience to prove it.

    As a respected business leader and consultant, she can claim what few business coaches can—clear results. She’s enabled multiple companies to achieve over $1 million in revenue since initiating her consultancy over ten years ago, but her most impactful decision came in 2019 when she accepted the role of Chief Operating Officer at Epoch Education, Inc. Susan has built a career leveraging her experience as a corporate litigator and consistent success as an entrepreneurial investor and executive to serve as a mentor and guide to start-ups and emerging businesses. Her background provides the perspective and knowledge that it’s possible to embrace DE&B and use it as a clear competitive advantage. Susan Callender believes that instituting a responsible culture of belonging is both motivational to employees and impactful to a company’s growth.

    Learn more about Susan Callender here.

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Episode 3

Black Women Be Managing With Susan Callender

Using art to reveal truth...today we talk with Michelle Browder: artist, activist, and artivist who creates art commemorating Black women in joy and love. Michelle describes the inspiration and process in building The Mothers of Gynecology monument, as well as purchasing the building at the site of Dr. Marion Simm’s experiments, reclaiming it as a space for the maternal health of Black women, and changing the medical profession through her art. Offering:  Letting the spirit of a Black woman emanate in your space.

  • Michelle is a native of Denver, Colorado. At the age 7, Michelle and her family moved to rural Verbena, Alabama in the late 70’s. Michelle experienced bullying through racial bias at an early age. Out spoken as a child, Michelle began combating her attackers through physical confrontations leading to multiple suspensions. During her last suspension, Michelle’s father gave her an ultimatum, “Prison or Art.” He challenged her to seize the moment to be creative. At the age of 13, Michelle harnessed her entrepreneurial spirit and started a hand painted T-shirt business. After graduation, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia and attended the Art Institute of Atlanta studying Graphic Design and Visual Communications. For nearly 35 years, Michelle has used art, history, and “real talk” conversations to mentor marginalized and disfavored students through visual arts and spoken word. She has created and branded art diversion programs used by juvenile detention centers in Atlanta, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama. Michelle’s art has been shown in galleries across the country notably the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. She has painted for Tyler Perry, Denzel Washington, and countless other stars. She opened a gallery and restaurant called PJR’S FISH AND BBQ RESTAURANT that employed high school students, returning citizens, and the homeless. Michelle has traveled across the country speaking and motivating our children to be More Than a statistic, generalization, or stereotype. She challenges all children and students to defy the odds of victimization. Today, Michelle is the founder and director of I AM MORE THAN... Youth Empowerment Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. She owns and operates More Than Tours, a social business providing educational tours for nearly 10,000 underserved students in marginalized communities of color. Michelle’s mission is simple,“Exposing Our Children To The Truth, Will Give Them Access To A Seat At The Table.”

    Additional guest resources: The 2023 Anarcha, Lucy, Betsey Second Annual Day Of Reckoning

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Episode 4

Black Women Be Creating With Michelle Browder

Beauty, grace, and stillness. Ericka Huggins, a founder of the Black Panther Party joins us today to discuss the journey of slowing down, sitting still, and breathing. She shares her stories of developing a meditation while incarcerated, including a period of solitary confinement. We also explore the importance of telling children the truth, the journey of being with joy, and the battalion to uplift and reflect love on one another in community. Plus, the power of healing through writing poetry, finding hope in the hardest places, and the tragedy of the American prison system. This week's offering: The poetry of where you come from and the words you live by.

  • Ericka Huggins is a human rights activist, poet, educator, Black Panther Party leader and former political prisoner. For the past 36 years, she’s lectured throughout the United States and internationally. Her life experiences have enabled her to speak personally and honestly on issues relating to the physical and emotional well-being of women, children and youth, the incarceration of men and women of color, and the role of the spiritual practice in sustaining activism and promoting social change.

    Learn more about Ericka at her website.

  • Check out the Earth Portal Activity “On Knowing”

Episode 5

Black Women Be Organizing With Ericka Huggins