Please Say Black

Historian, Writer, Educator, and Cultural Activist, Lisa Betty joins me for this episode of Please Say Black.  Lisa is dedicated her work in challenging mainstream social justice movements' problematic views on various issues. Lisa and I discuss the impact of white supremacy on black communities and the importance of understanding its history and patterns to challenge it.  We also touch on the importance of authenticity and storyte...

In this episode, I am graced with the presence of Dr. Jenaya Perdue an educator and entrepreneur living in China.  We discuss Jenaya's experiences as a Black expat and the global nature of anti-Blackness. The conversation touches on the decision to leave the United States, the concept of progress for Black people, and the challenges of accessing information in China due to government censorship. Dr. Perdue highlights the ongoing st...

Author, Liberation Activist, and Black Joy Advocate, Tina Strawn joins me for this episode of Please Say Black.  During this episode, Tina and I discuss decolonizing one's life and prioritizing black joy and liberation.  Together, we discuss the importance of pleasure activism, centering joy and celebration as a way to resist oppression, and the harmful narrative that rest has to be earned.  Tina is a racial and social justice advo...

This episode I am speaking with Guido Melo.  Guido is an Afro-Brazilian-Latinx multilingual author and poet based in Naarm (Melbourne). We have an insightful conversation about how slavery affected the entire North and South America continents and not just the United States.  40% of the enslaved Africans that were brought to the Americas were found their way to Brazil.  Guido highlights the severe atrocities of slavery in South Ame...

Dr. Felicia Bell joins me for the latest episode of Please Say Black. During this episode, Dr. Bell and I reflect on the significance of enslaved labor throughout the United States.  Dr. Bell’s research and testimony before the United States Congress has been significant in establishing a historical record that reveals the tremendous material offering given to this country by the formally enslaved, Together, we hold space to share ...

We interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast because racial terrorism is real and its debilitating. On May 14, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in Buffalo, New York, at a Tops Friendly Markets store, a supermarket in the Kingsley neighborhood on the eastern side of the city. Ten people were killed, and three others were injured; 11 of the victims were black. The shooter livestreamed the attack on Twitch. The shooter left behind a m...

My good friend Tommy Allgood joins me for the latest episode of Please Say Black. During this episode, he and I discuss Black Joy. Tommy shares an expansive understanding of  Black joy. Together, we hold space to discuss the tensions that communally exist that may prohibit joy in light of our traumas. Tommy helps our listeners understand the power of somatic practice in gaining access to more joy within an anti-Black world and viol...

Celebrated Queer Artist, Techie, and Anti-racism Educator, Nandi Kayy joins me for the latest episode of Please Say Black. During this episode, Nandi and I inspire to celebrate and amplify Twerk Culture as an antidote to Respectability Politics. Nandi complicates our current interpretations of Black solidarity as they offer insights into labor and sex work. Together, we acknowledge the significance of embodying Queer politics. Duri...

My good sis Courtney Napier joins me for the latest episode of Please Say Black. During this episode, Courtney and I travail together reflecting upon the old adage, often credited to our dear ancestor Zora Neale Hurston, “All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk.” Together, we hold space to share our feelings with the expression and unpack the ways we have embodied it. As we unravel this important communal conversation we realize that proximity ...

Andre Henry joins host Joquina Reed for the latest episode of Please Say Black.  Andre shares the latest tea from his new book, All The White Friends I Couldn't Keep. Andre is an uncompromisingly powerful author, singer and songwriter. Listen to this robust conversation about the significance of embodying  anti-racism practices in our closest relationships. Additionally, hold space with them as the two bare witness to the real impa...

Dr.Christena Cleveland joins me for the premiere episode of Please Say Black. Dr. Cleveland expands upon her latest book, God is a Black Woman.  Dr. Cleveland shares the significance of self-compassion in Black Liberation and communal healing. Together, we hold space to name the sacredness of Blackness. During this episode, Christina mentions the significance of Palestian theology and I also talk about  Claudette Colvin. To find ou...

Welcome to the Premier Season of Please Say Black!

Please Say Black is a podcast dedicated to uplifting conversations with folx across the African Diaspora.  It is a creative  extension of The AntiBlackness Reader platform. The podcast mirrors the goals of ABR in amplifying Black truth and knowledge, centering Black stories and exposing anti-Blackness. Our host, Joquina Reed is deeply committed to valuing the lived experiences of p...