Act One: Celebrating Black Love through Collage with Rachel Chapman
Black Her Stories
In this episode, Michaela Ayers explores the transformative power of love, creativity, and community care. Reflecting on her journey through the Seeda School for Black feminist worldbuilding, Michaela shares how the recovery of her creative spirit has shaped her latest offering—The Art of Black Love, a collage and memory workshop. Join us inside Wa Na Wari, a historically Black home turned cultural space, where participants gather to reflect on love in all its forms. Listen as workshop attendees, including Rachel Chapman, bring their memories to life through creative writing and collage....
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Jumping Timelines: Reflecting on the Past, Present, and Future
Black Her Stories
In this reflective episode, Michaela travels through space-time to revisit one of her proudest moments of 2024. This episode also introduces the concept of Black Quantum Futurism, connecting ancestral wisdom to our present lives. Join Michaela as she shares a heartfelt letter to her future self and offers a glimpse into her personal journey as an artist. Links and Resources: Trinit Watson: A Detroit-based Cultural Worker, Resource Mobilizer, and Facilitator of Birwood House's Collective Memory Mapping Series. about her artistic practice and commitment to communal care. Birwood House 🏠:...
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Act Two: Savoring Ancestry and Black Diasporic Food with Franchescha Lamarre
Black Her Stories
In this episode of Black Her Stories, Michaela Ayers reconnects with Chef Franchesca Lamarre. Together, they host an intimate backyard dinner party where food rituals and lineage intertwine. From her roots in Haitian traditions to her bold experimentation with Black American flavors, Fran takes us on a journey through food that honors her ancestors and connects her to her community. Links and Resources: Episode Sponsor: The FBomb Breakfast Club is badass peer support network where women and gender-diverse business leaders come together to laugh, learn, and share recipes for...
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Act One: Honoring Ancestry and Black Diasporic Food with Franchescha Lamarre
Black Her Stories
This episode of Black Her Stories celebrates our maternal connections through food and the sisterhood between chefs Franchescha Lamarre and Mariya Moore Russell. Both women allow us to tag along their journeys through the culinary world and their commitment to preserving Black food traditions. Tune in for a delicious conversation about food, family, and the care of cooking. Links and Resources: Instagram 📸: Keep up with Fran () and Mariya () to stay informed about their upcoming events. And if you haven’t yet, be sure to give BHS () a follow. Food Pop-Ups 😋: If you’re in...
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Celebrating Grandmothers and the Cultural Roots of Collard Greens
Black Her Stories
Dive into the rich heritage of collard greens and explore the connection between food, family, and tradition. Join Michaela Ayers as she hosts a storytelling booth at Detroit’s 2nd Annual Collard Green Cook-Off, capturing the culinary memories of the community. From the preparation techniques passed down through generations to the evolving practices of today’s chefs, this episode is a flavorful celebration of cultural roots. Key Takeaways: Heritage Preparation: Learn how traditional cooking methods, especially those for collard greens, connect us to our ancestors. Community and Food...
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Act Three: Prioritizing Creativity and Community Voices with Sidewalk Detroit
Black Her Stories
Tune into this bonus episode to meet the team at Sidewalk Detroit and get an exclusive behind-the-scenes listen of in the last chapter of artist Halima Afi Cassells’s eco-art residency. Get up close and personal with the visionary leaders who are pioneering a creative approach to city building, climate resilience, and community care. Together, we dive into how artists play a vital role in creating public art that raises awareness of critical social issues and how Sidewalk Detroit leverages collaborative approaches to foster meaningful change. Resources & Special Mentions: ...
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Act Two: Honoring Water and Reimagining Waste with Halima Afi Cassells
Black Her Stories
Tumble down the rabbit hole with Halima Afi Cassells as we dive into the world of eco-art and sustainability. Discover ways to care for Mother Earth, reimagine our relationship with waste, and explore the often unseen impact of microplastics. In this episode, we take you inside an Eco-Art workshop hosted by Sidewalk Detroit, where Halima and community members transformed trash into an upcycled sculpture for Eliza Howell Park. Resources & Special Mentions: Halima Afi Cassels Website: IG: Organizations Places of Interest
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Act One: Watering Possibilities and Reimagining Waste with Halima Afi Cassells
Black Her Stories
Take a walk with me and through her garden. Listen as we chat about her artistic journey, sustainability practices, and the Black women in her life that inspire her. An award-winning, interdisciplinary, community-engaged artist, and mother of three, Halima is an avid gardener whose roots are deeply woven into the soil of Detroit, Michigan. Halima’s deep connection to nature and how gardening has influenced her art practice resonated with me on a soul level and sparked new pathways in my brain; How can I reduce the harm being done to the planet? What habits do I need to shift to be in right...
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Act Two: Imagining Radical Play with Gwendolyn Wallace
Black Her Stories
Tune in to hear an interview with . Together we dive into nuances of navigating strong emotions, the insightful moment that motivated her to write the book, and how Wallace’s early childhood experience informed the Light that She Feels Inside. 👀 Wanna see pictures of our in-person event at the ? Take a peek at our to see the magic for yourself. 📖 To purchase a copy of the Light She Feels Inside from a Black-owned bookstore, stop by . You can also purchase the book from the woman-owned publisher, . 🍭 Interested in collaborating with ? Follow us on and...
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Act One: Expressing Emotions with Nina Simone and Gwendolyn Wallace
Black Her Stories
In this episode, we dip our baby toes into a conversation with Gwendolyn Wallace. Gwendolyn Wallace is a New York City-based researcher, storyteller, and children’s literature author. Her work for both children and adults centers Afrodiasporic voices to explore the unfolding relationship between the spatial logics of colonialism and our body-minds. In this episode, we talk about: The emotional complexity of Black Childhood Nina Simone Ways to get in touch with King Sophia: Website: IG: Ways to get in touch with Website: IG: Ways...
info_outlineTogether, we celebrate the work of Ida B. Wells-Barnette. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Over the course of a lifetime dedicated to combating prejudice and violence, and the fight for African-American equality, especially that of women, Wells arguably became the most famous Black woman in the United States. As a skilled writer, Wells-Barnett also used her skills as a journalist to shed light on the conditions of African Americans throughout the South.
We explore how Wells-Barnette’s practice of courageous truth-telling connects to Elster’s role as a writer of young adult fiction. Jean also shares how we might better take care of our inner child and take much-needed time to process.
In this episode, we talk about:
- How people and community reinforce our sense of self
- The importance of life lessons and overcoming obstacles
- How to take care and protect our inner child
Resources:
- Jean Alicia Elster -
- Website: http://jeanaliciaelster.com
- Referenced Works
- Ida B. Wells-Barnette
- About: Black Past: Ida Wells-Barnette
- Referenced Works
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