Today’s episode was birthed from an idea that I had several months ago. So Cha, Lettie, Marcie, and Patricia all said yes to speaking about the power of being a Black woman and some of what we deal with on a regular basis. I wanted to utilize the month of August to talk to feature all of us together. This episode is more than I could have dreamed. They represent healing, love, courage, authenticity, and truth. Listening to the convo made me proud to be in community with them and this wasn’t just a podcast recording— it was Black Woman power being exemplified. Here are just a few of the questions that I asked them:
1. What will you no longer return to?
2. What will you no longer accept from others?
3. How are you honoring your Blackness from the perspective of self-care?
4. How is pleasure incorporated into your lives? What give you pleasure?
5. What have you learned about love?
Marcie Alvis-Walker is a writer and the creator of the blog and Instagram feed, Black Coffee with White Friends and Mockingbird History Lessons.
She is passionate about what it means to embrace intersectionality, diversity and inclusion in our daily lives. As a history enthusiast, she believes that learning our comprehensive history from diverse narratives is not only racially healing but also radically anti- racist. She recently moved to Chicago, Illinois with her husband, daughter, and their dog Evie where she reads a lot of books, watches a lot of movies, and drinks a lot of tea and coffee.
Lettie Shumate is a historian, educator, and facilitator in Wilmington, NC. She is also the host and owner of her podcast “History Shows Us” where she educates about history and bridges the past to the present, she discusses racial and social issues, and she doesn’t hold back the truth. Her gift and ability to “connect the dots” is something that is critical to learning from the past. The love she has for history is evident! Lettie received her M.A. in History in 2015 where she focused on American history and specialized in Black history and race studies. She also completed her M.A. in Conflict Management & Resolution in May 2020 which equipped her with skills to incorporate effective communication with hard topics and how to navigate these situations, mediation and facilitation knowledge, and this MA contributed greatly to her work as both a historian and antiracism educator. Lettie’s story and journey is filled with strength and resilience, receiving “noes” and continuing to have faith and be obedient, regardless, and learning what it means to truly choose and cultivate joy while growing and healing.
Patricia Taylor is a wife, mom and California native turned Georgia peach. She believes in Jesus, loving all our neighbors, and having critical conversations around racial justice with grace and honesty. Her work is rooted in anti-racism education, and she currently serves as the BIPOC Educator for Be The Bridge. Patricia is also a co-host for Upside Down Podcast, which is an ecumenical faith space that has unscripted conversations around justice, spirituality, and culture. You may find her on Instagram @patricia_a_taylor and on Facebook at Some Thoughts From Your Black Friend by Patricia A. Taylor.
Cha Barefield is a powerful speaker, entrepreneur and talk show host of The Cha Show. The Cha Show is committed to curating meaningful conversations that bring people together. It creates a safe space for people to share their stories. The Cha Show inspires our hearts to be better, love better and hope more. Cha believes in the power of pushing the needle towards love. She sees the extraordinary in the ordinary and causes us to see the same. The world needs what Cha seeks to amplify, now more than ever.
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