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
T.R. Williams, Wisconsin Women's Network Policy Institute lead facilitator, Senior Director of Development at United Way, business owner, and newly initiated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated — returns to Black Oxygen for an in-depth conversation about the importance of community.
TR traces her family's Great Migration story from Mississippi to Milwaukee, and her own winding path from New York City to Madison, wher...
A quick update from Black Oxygen host Angela Russell about what's coming up next on Black Oxygen.
In this episode of Black Oxygen, Angela sits down with Tyrone Creech, Executive Director of GSafe Wisconsin for a wide-ranging, deeply honest conversation about what it means to serve LGBTQ+ youth in this political moment.
Tyrone shares the realities on the ground: the s...
Marcus Allen of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Madison, Wisconsin sits down with Angela for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, service, combat, and community. What unfolds is a portrait of a man shaped by rejection, forged in war, and called to build something lasting.
Marcus traces his journey from Clarksdale, Mississippi through Milwaukee's Great Migration chapter, three combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a divin...
Shalicia Johnson is a Madison-born photographer and the owner of ArrowStar Photography, where she specializes in community photography, business portraits, and family portraiture. Before picking up a professional camera, she spent 28 years in early childhood education, primarily with infants and toddlers in a continuity of care model. That work, and the deep observational practice it required, shapes everything about how she photog...
Angela welcomes back the very first Black Oxygen guest, Opal Tomashevska — a Madison native, credit union leader, poet, and newly elected board president of the Lussier Community Education Center — for a rich conversation on community care as resistance. Rooted in Opal's story of growing up in Wexford Ridge and coming of age through community institutions, they explore how the cooperative model of credit unions, Black professional ...
What if the story you've been afraid to tell is the exact story someone else needs to hear?
New episode of Black Oxygen is live, and this conversation with Danielle Hairston-Green hit different.
Danielle is a Moth Story Slam winner, host, storyteller, and director at UW-Madison Extension. She came to Wisconsin from Philadelphia by way of Texas. Eight years later, she's still here, and she has things to say.
We talked about communit...
In this episode of Black Oxygen, host Angela Russell is joined by former Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle for a wide-ranging conversation about diversity, race, leadership, and democracy.
Governor Doyle reflects on the formative experiences that shaped his values. We dig into the mechanics of building diverse teams without tokenism, the current fragility of American democracy, Wisconsin's outsized role as a swing state, and why the ar...
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...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Building on the belief that a deeper understanding of the natural world enriches all of our lives, host Steven Rinella brings an in-depth and relevant look at all outdoor topics including hunting, fishing, nature, conservation, and wild foods. Filled with humor, irreverence, and things that will surprise the hell out of you, each episode welcomes a diverse group of guests who add their own expertise to the vast world of the outdoors. Part of The MeatEater Podcast Network.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.