Black Oxygen
Angela Russell is a Black woman who loves Wisconsin. That said, with so few Black folks in the state, sometimes she needs a little extra dose of Black oxygen. A place where she can breathe, connect, restore by hearing and listening deeply to Black folks in this shared journey of life. This podcast will feature and highlight the Black voices in Wisconsin and a little beyond. We hope that these conversations will lift your spirits and give you a few moments to breathe. Get your candles lit and your incense burning. It's time for Black Oxygen.
Episodes
The Hon. Rev. Everett Mitchell opens this Black Oxygen conversation with a sobering analysis of our current constitutional crisis, where unchecked executive power and Christian nationalism intersect to manipulate communities. But the heart of this conversation centers on what it means to truly care for our neighbors.
Drawing from Dr. Howard Thurman's question, "What does the Bible have to say to people whose backs are against the w...
This season is all about community care. And, quite frankly, how community and collective care is a part of the resistance. Community care is not a charity model—it's a model of solidarity. This season will be amplifying people and organizations that are examples of community care. I have a broad definition of community care—my personal definition includes systems work, democracy, policies, mutual aid, neighborhood centers, meal d...
In this Beyond Wisconsin episode, Angela sits down with Ayris Scales, a tri-sector executive who has navigated government, nonprofit, and corporate worlds with intention and wisdom. Ayris currently serves as SVP of Social Responsibility and Global Initiatives at NAREIT, where she works to expand access to real estate investment opportunities, and runs Able Vision Enterprises, her highly selective consulting practice.
This conversat...
This week, I'm rebroadcasting a conversation with my dear friend Ali Muldrow. This conversation is all about beauty, joy, and friendship. As we start off 2026, the world continues to feel so heavy and overwhelming. This conversation is all about reclaiming the good in life despite the overwhelm, the noise, the comparison, and the seduction of numbness. It's an invitation to each of us to pause, slow down, to notice and to savor. No...
Dr. Curtis shares her complicated relationship with Wisconsin—a "love and hate" dynamic shaped by leaving Milwaukee at 17, experiencing HBCUs and the East Coast, and returning multiple times before finally seeing the opportunity hidden in her home state. She now runs Taylor Nicole Wine and Cupcakes in Madison's Black Business Hub, creating the cultural space she couldn't find as a young woman in the city.
Research on Black Women's ...
This week on Black Oxygen, host Angela Russell sits down with the extraordinary Lachrisa Grandberry—singer, actor, writer, speaker, and Milwaukee native whose journey from fifth-grade teacher to professional theater artist is nothing short of inspiring.
Lachrisa shares the powerful story of how a fifth-grader named Daniel changed her life by challenging her to chase her own dreams. What started as a promise to audition for one show...
Tracy Anderson returns to Black Oxygen to discuss her unexpected 11-year journey in Madison and a recent career transition. She shares her winding path from theater in Chicago to hotel sales, radio hosting on 93.1 Jams, and community outreach at Big Brothers Big Sisters—where she finally found work she truly loved through service.
Tracy opens up about learning to set boundaries, overcoming people-pleasing tendencies, and the challe...
In this powerful episode of Black Oxygen, host Angela Russell sits down with Carla Williams, CEO and founder of The View From Here Wellness Collective, for an intimate conversation about self-care, collective care, and what it means for Black women to move from survival to thriving.
Carla shares her Wisconsin story—from her family's journey from Chicago to Madison in a car without floors, to building a life rooted in community and ...
On this week's episode of Black Oxygen, the tables are turned. Regular Black Oxygen guest Ali Muldrow interviews Angela Russell. The friendship vibes are on thick on this episode as they discuss when Angela first s...
Debra Gillispie, founder and CEO-President of Mothers Against Gun Violence, is a women of deep faith, resilience, and extraordinary grace and vision.
After losing her son Kirk Jr. to gun violence in 2003, Debra transformed her grief into action, creating an organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of families affected by gun violence. In this conversation, she shares her remarkable journey through restorative justice, inclu...
Emily Raclaw is the Director of Marquette University's "On Your Marq" program—one of the nation's top college support programs for neurodiverse students. In this Black Oxygen episode, Emily shares her personal journey of discovering her own ADHD diagnosis in her 30s, and how it shaped her approach to supporting college-bound neurodiverse students. From her unconventional path through German immersion school and living in Germany to...
This episode features my grandfather, Esther Monroe, who I call Daddy Monroe, recorded in the spring of 2023 when he was 96 years old—still driving, still living independently, and still sharing the wisdom of nearly a century on this earth. Today, he's 98, no longer driving or living independently - but is surrounded by family, friends and health care providers that love him tremendously.
What you're about to hear is a legacy—a tes...
Semaj Sconiers is a respected educator, mindfulness and wellness practitioner, and a Racial and Gender Justice Practitioner with the YWCA of Dane County. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Semaj shared her personal journey and experiences with mindfulness practices, including her connection to her grandmother and how she came back to her mindfulness practice while in the intensive care unit during a medical emergency. She shares, "...
Dr. Corinda Rainey Moore is a community steward and leader here in Madison, WI. She is a passionate racial equity advocate who believes in leading by example. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Dr. Rainey Moore and I discuss how UW-Madison brought here to Wisconsin, how love kept her here in Wisconsin, and her passion for all things community related. She provides wonderful advice on how to engage in community leadership in honest ...
This week Dr. Michelle Robinson and I talk about being Black women with ADHD. We discuss growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, being diagnosed as adults, how ADHD presents differently in girls and women compared to the traditional understanding, and shared experiences in perfectionism and executive functioning. During our conversation, Michelle emphasized the importance of neurodiversity as natural variation instead of pathology. We g...
When Keena Atkinson was in sixth grade she moved to Madison, Wisconsin in hiding. Her mother, escaping domestic abuse, moved Keena and her sister here as a place of refuge and safety. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Keena discusses her experience with domestic violence, the discerning power of Black women, how she's learned to live into her purpose, the UW-Madison Odyssey Project and so much more. She offers so much wisdom and ...
This episode of Black Oxygen features Sabrina Madison. Sabrina is a multifaceted leader based in Madison, Wisconsin, known for her advocacy, entrepreneurship, and public service. She currently serves as the Alder for District 17 on Madison's Common Council. In addition to her role as an elected official, Sabrina is the founder and CEO of The Progress Center for Black Women, an organization dedicated to empowering Black women throu...
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