365 Media Podcast Network: Recent Episodes
Madison365
365 Media Foundation exists to amplify voices and tell stories from Wisconsin's communities of color. This feed will host all of our podcasts.
Hello Black Oxygen subscribers! On March 7, The OuttaDeeBox Podcast will officially become part of the 365 Media Network, with new episodes every other Thursday. Watch Madison365.org/Podcasts for new episodes or search for OuttaDeeBox on your favorite podcast app. In the meantime, here’s a classic episode from the OuttaDeeBox archives!
From the unforgiving streets of Humboldt Park, Chicago, to the relentless drive of entrepreneurship, our guest J-Ball has a tale that's nothing short of cinematic. His life, marred by the crack era's cruelty and the agony of familial betrayal, unfolds like a masterclass in resilience. Amidst the backdrop of gang violence and systemic oppression, J-Ball's story is a searing exploration of the human spirit's capacity to endure and evolve. As we unravel his journey, you'll be riveted by the raw honesty of a man who refused to be defined by his past.
Our conversation with J-Ball shifts gears as we track his ascent from a series of temp jobs to becoming a master of the wholesale game. The party rental business 'Circle of Fun' was just the beginning of his business ventures, demonstrating J-Ball's knack for identifying opportunities and adapting to market demands. His transformation into a successful wholesaler is peppered with essential business insights, from the significance of multiple income streams to the savvy art of pricing. If you're tangled in the grind or dreaming of financial liberation, J-Ball's entrepreneurial playbook is a treasure trove of strategies and real-world tips.
Wrapping up, J-Ball lays the groundwork for anyone inspired to set up their own business, especially those who've experienced the inside of a cell looking out. From the basics, like naming your enterprise and cutting through the red tape, to the strategic selection of commercial space and the intricacies of insurance, his advice is golddust for newcomers and seasoned business owners alike. J-Ball's relentless energy and shrewd business acumen come to life in this episode, serving as a beacon of hope and a practical guide for all who seek to leave a mark in commerce.
Hello Black Oxygen subscribers! On March 7, The OuttaDeeBox Podcast will officially become part of the 365 Media Network, with new episodes every other Thursday. Watch Madison365.org/Podcasts for new episodes or search for OuttaDeeBox on your favorite podcast app. In the meantime, here’s a classic episode from the OuttaDeeBox archives!
Today, Stacey Clay lays bare his life's journey from the streets of Milwaukee to become a beacon of transformation. As a certified peer specialist at Athesis Therapy, Stacey recounts the trials he faced, including bullying, substance abuse, and a 28-year incarceration. He shares the epiphany that carved his path towards accountability and self-discovery and emphasizes the breakthroughs that shape the future, no matter the past.
The resonance of Stacey's experiences within the prison walls echoes through the tales of his transformative realizations. Imagine learning about Jeffrey Dahmer's fate in the same prison you're in while serving a sentence and using that moment to pivot toward profound life lessons. Stacey's evolution is underscored as he describes his progression from leading groups in prison to his current role as a peer specialist, aiding others with empathy drawn from shared struggles. The listener is invited to witness the power of second chances and the critical value of therapeutic support for the marginalized.
The fabric of our community is woven with stories of hardship and redemption, and Stacey's narrative adds rich texture to this tapestry. We examine the nuanced challenges of parenting from behind bars, the hurdles in maintaining relationships, and the systemic barriers faced upon reentry into society. But through it all, Stacey's voice offers a guiding light for those navigating similar paths and a message of hope for anyone looking to turn the page and begin a new chapter. Join us in a conversation that is both a tribute to the strength of the human spirit and an affirmation of the continuous possibility of rewriting our stories.
Hello Black Oxygen subscribers! On March 7, The OuttaDeeBox Podcast will officially become part of the 365 Media Network, with new episodes every other Thursday. Watch Madison365.org/Podcasts for new episodes or search for OuttaDeeBox on your favorite podcast app. In the meantime, here’s a classic episode from the OuttaDeeBox archives!
When streets talk, they tell tales of struggle and success, of alleyways that lead to avenues of opportunity. Tune into a powerful narrative as I, Dee Star, am joined by Kingston Robertson, the visionary behind the Holy Godz clothing line. Kingston's journey from Englewood, Chicago's hardened pathways to the forefront of the fashion world, is remarkable. Bearing the lessons from his grandmother and uncle, he turned a history with gang culture and a transformative stint in prison into a beacon of hope and inspiration. Hear his truths about navigating life's trials to emerge as a mentor and leader, using his story to steer the youth away from the shadows and into the light.
As threads weave together to create a tapestry, so do the elements of building a brand stitch into the narrative of success. Discover the intricacies of sculpting a clothing line from the ground up, where every choice of fabric and branding strategy weaves a more significant message. Kingston opens up about the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship, the commitment to quality that sets Holy God apart, and the personal evolution required to lead a family-run business with heart and foresight. This episode isn't simply a conversation; it's an invitation to witness the transformation of adversity into ambition and to extend our hands to support those who have faced imprisonment as we strive to uplift individuals and entire communities. Join us on this journey of redemption and resilience, where fashion and purpose dress the spirit of change.
Poet and Green Bay community leader Miriam Brabham came to Wisconsin for love … but stayed because of community. On this episode of Black Oxygen, Miriam, who lives in Green Bay, discusses being biracial, how moving and living in Wisconsin helped her better understand her biracial identity, and the roll of community on her life. In addition, we discussed The Bridge Poem by Kate Rushin - and want it means to be the bridge across communities.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #MiriamBrabham #Madison365 #BlackInWisconsin #BlackInGreenBay #DopeBlackPodcasts #TheBiracialEffect #BeingBiracial #GreenBayWisconsin #GreenBay #GreenBayWi
Resources:
Miriam Brabham, Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-brabham/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-brabham/)
Wisconsin Life, Traumatized curls - https://wisconsinlife.org/story/traumatized-curls-green-bays-miriam-brabham-for-home-is-here/ (https://wisconsinlife.org/story/traumatized-curls-green-bays-miriam-brabham-for-home-is-here/)
The Biracial Effect Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/0cyEi0RRZeOrKuQdSmBdPC
The Bridge Poem by Kate Rushin - https://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/thebridgepoem.html
Ranell Washington and Geraud Blanks are two Milwaukee-based entrepreneurs who recently launched Culture By Design. Culture By Design is focused on designing experiences that gets people talking. On this episode of Black Oxygen Ranell and Geraud talk about the the difference between event planning and experience curation, lessons they learned by leading Black Lens in Milwaukee, the role of gender regarding vulnerability and intimacy, their upcoming line up of events this winter in Milwaukee, and much more…
#BlackOxygenPodcast #CultureByDesign #EventCuration #Madison365 #BlackInWisconsin #BlackLensMke #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackFilm #BlackTrivia #BlackHistoryMonthWisconsin #BlackHistoryMonthMilwaukee #ExperienceCuration #CulturalCommunication #CommunityEngagement
Culture By Design - https://www.culturallydesigned.com/services (https://www.culturallydesigned.com/services)
Kayla Conklin, President of Urban League of Greater Madison Young Professionals, Kayla Conklin wants to make Madison a model city for equity. Originally from Illinois, Kayla came to Wisconsin to attend and cheer for UW Madison. After graduating, Kayla stayed here and Madison has become her home. In this episode of Black Oxygen we discuss Kayla's undergrad experience at UW, her relationship with her father, her career journey and some of the challenges of being a young Black professional in Madison. She gives a special call to action for to learn more about the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Young Professionals group. She’s a leader on the rise - and we should all listen to hear thoughts on what would make Madison a better place for all.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackOxygen #Madison365 #BlackInWisconsin #BlackInMadison #DopeBlackPodcasts #ULGMYP #BlackYoungProfessionals #BlackYoungProfessionalsMadison
In the Fall of 2023, local Madison leader Ali Muldrow took a new job as the first Executive Director of the Wisconsin Abortion Fund. The Wisconsin Abortion Fund is one of the oldest abortion funds in the nation and works to eliminate the financial and resource burden of abortion as health care. In this epsidoe of Black Oxygen, Ali discusses her story around abortion and reproductive health care, the meaning of reproductice health care for Black women, how folks can connect with the Wisconsin abortion fund and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackOxygen #Madison365 #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #ReproductiveHealthCare #ReproductiveJustice #WisconsinAbortionFund #CollectiveCare #CollectiveLiberation #AbortionFund #AbortionAccess #AbortionRights #ProChoice
Wisconsin Abortion Fund - https://wiabortionfund.org/
Books referenced on this episdoe:
We Live for the We, Dani McClain - https://www.akpress.org/weliveforthewe.html
The Source of Self-Regard, Toni Morrison - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/566846/the-source-of-self-regard-by-toni-morrison/
Jasmine Banks was born and raised in Madison and her family has been in this community for five generations. In this episode, Jasmine talks about growing up on Madison's near east side, working with emerging adults at Operation Fresh Start, and her love of nature - including birding and hiking. Near the end of our conversation she reminds us that with so much going on in the world right now that we must find the good.
Give her a follow on Instagram @blackoutside608
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackOxygen #Madison365 #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksHiking #BlackInTheOutdoors #Wisconsin #BlackInMadison #BlackBirders #BlackHikers #BlackOutside608 #DopeBlackPodcasts
Henry Sanders, founder and CEO of Madison 365, has been observing and studying leadership since he was a child growing up in Madison, Wisconsin. On this episode of Black Oxygen Henry discusses why leadership is important to him and lessons from great leaders. He also previews the upcoming 365 Leadership Summit, being held this year on November 6 and 7 in Madison, Wi. To learn more and register please visit this link.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackOxygen #Mad ison365 #WisconsinLeadershipSummit #Leadership #BlackInWisconsin
Cassaundra Thorpe is the Assistant Director of Career and Leadership for Wisconsin Athletics and is the co-host of the Madison based podcast MTZ Overflow. On this episode we discuss what drew Cassaundra to the Madison area, the intentionality she had to have in creating her community when moving to Wisconsin, her faith, how she has learned to live in her purpose, and some of the challenges that are faced in transitioning from being a student or pro athlete.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #BlackBadgers #DopeBlackPodcasts#Badgers #BadgerSports #UWMadison #UWBadgers #MTZOverflow #BlackInWisconsin #BlackWisconsin
Born in Orange County, California and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Travis Beckum wants his life to be about making a positive impact. Travis is incredibly driven and passionate - and he has all the receipts to back it up. He is a Super Bowl Champion, a DJ, a UW-Madison Hall of Fame inductee, and serves of the board of directors for the W Club and the Madison Areas Sports Commission. On this episode of Black Oxygen we discuss Travis’ journey to the NFL, playing in the Super Bowl with the NY Giants, his love of all things Badgers, the impact that he wants to have, and much more. Near the end of our conversation he says, “I wake up everyday and I want to be great.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #BlackBadger #WisconsinBadgers #BadgersFootball #Wisconsin #WisconsinFootball #DopeBlackPodcasts #TravisBeckum #CollegeFootball #Badgers #Badger #UWMadison #UWBadgers #WIHallofFame #DJFour7
Kiba is a spray paint muralist based in Stevens Point. Carisa is a singer-songwriter based in Madison. They met this past Spring via Black Oxygen. On this episode, you’ll learn how these two Wisconsin based artists met, how they inspire each other’s creativity and how art making helps them process the unknown. This conversation also covers topics including Juneteenth and the increasing Black community in Stevens Point, mosquitos in Wisconsin, the desire to create a collective space for artists of color in Wisconsin, and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #Madison365 #MadisonWisconsin #BlackInStevensPoint #StevensPoint #BlackArtists #BlackArtistsinWisconsin #SingerSongwriter #Muralist #SprayPaintMural #KibaFreeman #Kiba #Carisa
This episode of Black Oxygen features Nichelle Nichols, the President of the MMSD school board and System Leader in Residence for the National Equity Project. Although born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, for many years she thought that her life and profession would taking her to places much larger than Madison. Today, you’ll learn how Nichelle began in education as a profession, what type of educational experience she wants for all children in the Madison area, and how she now fully accepts Madison as here home. Our conversation covers many topics including, her initial dreams of being an artist, motherhood, achieving equity within education and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #Madison365 #MadisonWisconsin #NationalEquityAtlas #NichelleNichols #EducationalEquity #EquityInEducation #MadisonSchools #MMSDEquity #MadisonEducation
On September 20th, Letesha Nelson, the Executive Director of the Goodman Community Center, is hosting a community conversation on the evolving role of donors featuring Vu Le. Vu is the author of the book Unicorns Unite: How nonprofits and foundations can build EPIC Partnerships and this the creator and author of the website Nonprofit AF. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Letesha, Vu and I talk about the sometimes challenging dynamic between non-profit and philanthropy, what it means to leave justice as a legacy, the role of AI and the impact it will have on the non-project sector, and so much more. Regarding AI Vu says, “AI is life fire, it can be used to either warm people or burn people.” Letesha and Vu caused me to think a lot during this conversation - and this conversation is just a warm up session for what you’ll hear and experience at the Goodman Community Center event this coming Wednesday.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #Madison365 #MadisonWisconsin #WisconsinPodcasts #GoodmanCommunityCenter #ChangingPhilanthropy #VuLe #MadisonEvents #NonprofitAF #UnicornsUnite
Resources:
Event info: The evolving role of donors: An evening with Vu Le - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-evolving-role-of-donors-an-evening-with-vu-le-tickets-692019618307?aff=oddtdtcreator (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-evolving-role-of-donors-an-evening-with-vu-le-tickets-692019618307?aff=oddtdtcreator)
Goodman Community Center - https://www.goodmancenter.org/ (https://www.goodmancenter.org/)
NonprofitAF - https://nonprofitaf.com/ (https://nonprofitaf.com/)
On September 24th, Alex Booker and Charisse Daniels-Johnson are hosting Soulful Sunday Brunch at the Badger Rock Neighborhood Center. The soulful brunch is a fundraiser to help send Black farmers from the Madison area to the Black Urban Growers Conference. On this episode of Black Oxygen, we discuss the role of farming and healing, becoming an elder, making your own tea and so much more. They both offer so much wisdom and Charisse states, “when we heal ourselves, we heal our timeline - past, present and future.” I hope that you find some inspiration and joy during this conversation.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #SoulfulSundayBrunch #SundayBrunch #BookerBontanicals #Madison365 #MadisonWisconsin #WisconsinPodcasts #WisconsinFoodie #UrbanGrowers #BlackUrbanGrowers #BlackFolksFarming #BlackFarmers #BlackFarmersWisconsin #RuralBlackFolks #Farm2Table #Placemaking
Resources:
Farm 2 Table Soulful Sunday Brunch - https://m.facebook.com/events/690374839679991/ (https://m.facebook.com/events/690374839679991/)
Booker Botanicals Bridges Culture & Agriculture - https://ediblemadison.com/stories/local-upstarts-booker-botanicals-bridges-culture-agriculture (https://ediblemadison.com/stories/local-upstarts-booker-botanicals-bridges-culture-agriculture)
Booker Botanicals - https://www.facebook.com/BookerBotanicals/ (https://www.facebook.com/BookerBotanicals/)
Mark Richardson, President of Unfinished Business, is the Senior Co-Chair of the Downtown Madison Inc (DMI) Board of Directors. Twenty years ago when Mark moved to Madison, while he liked the downtown area, he saw Black folks being tolerated downtown not celebrated. In this episode of Black Oxygen Mark and I discuss his vision of what downtown could be, the role of DMI in creating a vibrant and inclusive downtown, and how each of us can get involved in continuing to make downtown town a great destination place for Black folks. Mark says, “you have to create what you want to see.”
To learn more about DMI visit their website at downtownmadison.org (http://downtownmadison.org) or check out their upcoming event on September 21 at the Monona Terrace.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #DMI #DowntownMadisonInc #VisitMadisonWi #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison #MadisonWI #Madison365 #InsclusiveDowntown #Wisconsin #WisconsinPodcasts #MadisonWisconsin #Placemakeing
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 started noticing beauty, her relationship with beauty, and travel the 5 senses of beauty.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #BlackInWisconsin #Friends #DopeBlackPodcasts #BeautyAllAround #Madison #MadisonWI #Madison365
This week’s episode of Black Oxygen is a special call to action featuring Tracy Anderson, Community Outreach and Volunteer Manager of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County. Big Brothers Big Sisters empowers children to reach their full potential by creating and supporting strong and enduring one-on-one mentor relationships throughout Madison and Dane County. There are currently nearly 200 children ages 6 to 13 years old in Dane County waiting for a mentor. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Tracy discusses her journey in Wisconsin, the importance of mentorship for children, the current mentor needs, and how to get involved in volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BBBS #BBBSDaneCounty #Mentorship #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison #Mentorship #Volunteer #VolunteerOpportunity
Links and Resources:
https://www.bbbsmadison.org/ (https://www.bbbsmadison.org/)
Drawn by our access to nature and overall cost of living, singer-songwriter Carisa moved to Madison from New York City two years ago. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Carisa discusses her love of nature, what she finds beautiful and the importance of slowing down. We also discuss our mutual love of musicians Ahmad Jamal and Donny Hathaway. Carisa will be performing throughout the city this summer - to learn more about Carisa and her performances connect with her on her Facebook page or her IG page (@CarisaCat). Her music is streaming on all music platforms.
Links and resources:
https://www.instagram.com/carisa.cat/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/carisa.cat/?hl=en)
https://carisa.bandcamp.com/album/the-soul-is-deep-water (https://carisa.bandcamp.com/album/the-soul-is-deep-water)
https://isthmus.com/events/carisa-cider-farm/ (https://isthmus.com/events/carisa-cider-farm/)
Angela takes a break for Mother's Day, but she wanted to share what she's been thinking about on this special occasion.
Born and raised in Racine, Wi, Alicia Hazen is a Madison-based blogger, model and influencer covering the Midwest lifestyle, fashion and motherhood. She is also on the Assistant Dean and Director of Career Services at UW-Madison’s School of Human Ecology. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Alicia discusses her journey into parenthood, the grief and shame one experiences after experiencing miscarriages, describes the Midwest lifestyle (which of course includes cheese curds), and offers advice on moving through career changes. Alicia reminds us that, “we are a part of something bigger.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #MadtownMomma #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison #BlackInHigherEducation #AliciaHazen #MidwestLifestyle #BlackFashion #Fashion #BlackFoodieFaves #BlackBloggers #BlackFoodies #MiscarriageGrief #Miscarriage #Grief #MadtownMondays #MadisonBloggers #WisconsinBloggers #FashionStyle #MadisonWI #BlackInMadison #MadisonMoms #MomsInMadison #BadgerMoms
Links & Resources:
Here’s why we might be one and done - https://madisonmom.com/heres-might-one-done/ (https://madisonmom.com/heres-might-one-done/)
Fabulous People: Alicia Hazen - https://fabulouswisconsin.com/fabulous-people/fabulous-people-alicia-hazen/ (https://fabulouswisconsin.com/fabulous-people/fabulous-people-alicia-hazen/)
Madison Momma - https://www.instagram.com/madisonmoms/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/madisonmoms/?hl=en)
Cleveland James, a retired higher education professional, was one of the key architects of the UW-Madison PEOPLE program. Originally from Charlotte North Carolina, Mr. James came to Wisconsin for graduate school and eventually ended up with a career in college and university admissions. In this episode of Black Oxygen he discusses the history of the PEOPLE program, things for high school students and family members to consider in prepping to apply for college, HBCU marching bands and much more. He reminds us that, “you have to know who you are.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison365 #CollegeAdmissions #UWPEOPLEProgram #BlackInCollege #BlackInHigherEducation
Danielle Bly is the Vice President of Supplier Diversity for WEC Energy Group and is the creator of The Blylife Style blog. On this episode of Black Oxygen, Danielle provides a 101 on the what and importance of supplier diversity, finding beauty in corporate life, and how her mother shaped her relationship with beauty. Of beauty she says, “beauty is more than just the outside … it’s how things make you feel.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison365 #BlackFashion #BlackLove #414 #Milwaukee #Fashion #TheBlylifeStyle #BlylifeStyle #BlackTravel #SupplierDiversity #BlackLove #BlackParenting
Links & Resources:
The Bly Lifestyle - https://theblylifestyle.com/
Chassitti Clark was recently named to the InBusiness 2023 class of 40 under 40, is the founder and curator of the social media account The Black Diner, is a Yelp Elite, is the Vice President of the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Young Professional Group, and works for the Public Service Commission. On this episode of Black Oxygen, we discuss Black hair and the crown act, the purpose of and vision of Urban League of Greater Madison’s Young Professional Group, and the creation of The Black Diner. Of Madison she says, “there’s always something to do … you just have to look for it.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackFoodies #BlackInWisconsin #TheBlackDiner #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison365 #MadisonFoodies #BlackFoodieFaves #WisconsinFoodies #MidwestFoodies #BlackFoodiesInWisconsin #BlackLove #BlackFoodiesNetwork #BlackFoodBlogger
Links & Resources:
https://www.ibmadison.com/40under40class2023/
@theblackdiner
This week, we're taking a breather. But while we work on the next episode in our season about Beauty, we wanted to give you all a few questions to ask yourself and/or a friend that are meant to explore your own relationship with beauty. Some things to think about, and we'll see you next week.
In the Fall of 2022, Noelle and Ade Adedoyin created Friendly Black Foodies - a social media account that profiles their journey through the local Dane County food scene. On this episode of Black Oxygen, Noelle and Ade discuss their journey to Madison, how they met on Hinge, some of their favorite restaurants in the area and share what more they’d like to see in this community. At the end of the episode they invite us all to come and eat with them.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackFoodies #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison365 #MadisonFoodies #BlackFoodieFaves #WisconsinFoodies #MidwestFoodies #BlackFoodiesInWisconsin #BlackLove #BlackFoodiesNetwork #BlackFoodBlogger
This week's episode is a panel Angela Russell moderated at this year's 365 Women's Leadership Summit titled "Unplug to Heal." Featuring Jihan Bekiri, Dr. Damira Grady, Kirby Toon, and Dulce Maria Danel.
More panels like this one will be available soon on the 365 Leadership Summit Podcast, available where you're listening to this podcast. Subscribe today!
In 2019, Oby Nwabuzor created and founded Envision Growth, a Milwaukee-based real estate development firm focused on creating a positive community impact through urban regeneration. In addition to running Envision Growth, she is currently pursuing her DrPH with a focus on the intersection of economic inclusion, real estate and health & social equity, AND she’s the Director of DEI at Landmark Credit Union.
In this episode of Black Oxygen, Oby discusses her Wisconsin journey, how purpose keeps her in Wisconsin, and how her life as an entrepreneur started with a candy shop in her locker in middle school. Because this season is all about beauty, she also discusses the role of complexion and beauty standards. She reminds us that, “black beauty is more than just physical … it’s our culture.”
#BlackHomeownership #BlackOxygenPodcast #SocialDeterminantsofHealth #Milwaukee #SDOH #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison365 #BlackRealEstateDevelopers #Entrepreneur #WhereYouLiveMatters
Links & Resources
https://www.envisionthegrowth.com
https://www.mcw.edu/education/graduate-school/people/oby-nwabuzor
https://www.carvdnstone.com/cns-news/positive-news-oby-nwabuzor-keeps-community-in-mind-with-recent-appointment-to-wisconsin-public-health-council
https://linktr.ee/envisionself
According to 2022 report on home ownership by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum, only 15% of Black households own their home in Madison, compared to over 50% of White households. Nationwide, 42% of Black households own their homes, compared to 72% of white households.
This episode of Black Oxygen features a conversation with Tiffany Malone a Realtor in Madison and the co-founder of Own It: Building Black Wealth. In this episode, Tiffany discusses her journey to Wisconsin, the purpose and key successes of Own It, and provides advice on purchasing your first home.
#OwnIt #BlackHomeownership #BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInMadison #HomeownershipDisparities #Homeownership #MadisonWisconsin #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #Madison365 #BlackRealtors #BlackRealtors #BIPOCRealtors #HouseDownpayment
Links and Resources:
Own It: Building Black Wealth https://ownitbbw.com
Tiffany Malone https://thealvaradogroup.com/our-team/tiffany-malone/
PBS’ Why Race Matters: Homeownership https://www.pbs.org/video/home-ownership-6dj1rj/
Racial Disparities in Homeownership Extend Beyond Milwaukee https://wispolicyforum.org/research/racial-disparities-in-homeownership-extend-beyond-milwaukee/
Black Families Fall Further Behind on Homeownership https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/10/13/black-families-fall-further-behind-on-homeownership
This week we are doing a podcast swap with Citycast Madison. This conversation features an host Bianca Martin interviewing her big sister Monica Martin. Monica Martin is a Chicago-born singer-songwriter who grew up in Baraboo Wisconsin. Bono recently compared Monica to Nina Simone. While she lives in LA now, in this episode she talks about her Wisconsin roots including growing up Black in Baraboo, being a part of the band called Phox, working at Mother Fool’s cafe on Willy Street here in Madison, and a lyric reference to the Caribou.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #PodcastSwap #BlackInWisconsin #CityCastMadison #DopeBlackPodcasts #WisconsinLife #Madison365 #BlackInBaraboo #Music #SingerSongwriter #MonicaMartin
https://madison.citycast.fm
Chris Walker is the Director of the Division of Arts, a Professor of Dance and is the Founding Artistic Director of the First Wave Program at UW-Madison. His Wisconsin journey is the embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea - and starts in Jamaica. In this episode of Black Oxygen Chris discusses his Wisconsin journey, creating a culture of belonging at UW-Madison, and art as a healing mechanism. He says, “the arts allow deep empathy and space and grace for us to confront difficult subject matter.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #WisocnsinLife #Madison365 #BlackInMadison #ArtIsCulture #HealingArt #ArtAsHealing #FirstWave #UWMadison #Stillness #WisconsinIdea #Belonging
Links and Resources:
https://madison.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/uw-madison-exhibit-has-something-new-to-say-about-race-and-art/article_320a3007-c4d0-5d41-9599-2b18b83a01ef.html
https://news.wisc.edu/new-director-of-division-of-the-arts-named/
https://dance.wisc.edu/fac-staff/walker-christopher/
https://artsdivision.wisc.edu
Brenda Moten moved to Wisconsin several years ago to be closer to her family. Her journey of living in the Midwest began when she moved from Shreveport, LA to Peoria, IL. She recently visited her 96 year old father back in Shreveport. This episode features a conversation with Brenda and her father Esther Monroe. They discuss their life journeys, progress on race relations in the United States, and offers wisdom on having a life well lived.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #WisconsinLife #Madison365 #ElderWisdom #BlackInMadison #BeautifulWisconsin #WisconsinIsBeautiful #RaceRelations
Angela Fitzgerald Ward is the Associate Dean of the School of Academic Achievement at Madison College, is the Creator and Host of the Wisconsin Series Why Race Matters, and the Host of Wisconsin Life on PBS Wisconsin. In 2014, Angela moved from Richmond, VA to Madison, WI and since then has worked to make Madison her home. In this episode of Black Oxygen Angela discusses her journey on intentionally creating community in Madison, what she’s learned about Wisconsin by hosting Wisconsin life, the importance of representation in understanding and owning your own beauty, and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #WisconsinLife #Madison365 #BlackRepresentationWisconsin #BlackInMadison #BeautifulWisconsin #WisconsinIsBeautiful
Links and Resources:
Why Race Matters PBS Wisconsin - https://pbswisconsin.org/why-race-matters/about/
Wisconsin Life PBS Wisconsin - https://wisconsinlife.org
The Honorable Rev Everett Mitchell is currently running to be on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. In this episode, Judge Mitchell discusses why he decided to run for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, his southern roots and its impact on his baking abilities, the codification of race within US history, his vision of how law can be a force for good, the role of beauty in changing the narrative and distortion of Black images, and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #WisconsinSupremeCourt #Wisconsin #Madison365 #EverettMitchell #Law #Justice
Willie Jude II, Vice Chancellor of Advancement at UW-Parkside, was recently named as one of the most influential Black leaders in Wisconsin by Madison365. A native of Milwaukee, Willie returned back to Wisconsin in 2021 to join UW-Parkside. In this Black Oxygen episode, Willie discusses his journey into higher ed administration, the growth that can happen when you are outside of your comfort zone, and the beauty of fatherhood. Towards the end of this conversation, Willie reminds us that, “you are loved.”
Links & Resources:
https://www.uwp.edu/explore/news/uwp-appoints-willie-jude-ii-as-new-vice-chancellor-for-advancement.cfm
https://madison365.com/its-only-10-minutes-december-22-2022/
Deirdra “Dee” Kendrix is an Intuitive Coach & Executive Strategist, who also happens to be a recovering Corp Exec. Dee’s personal mission is to create authentic spaces of Grace and Transformational Growth. Dee is also the CEO and Chief Strategist of DC Global Group; a boutique firm with a niche expertise in organizational (culture) behavior and leadership advisory & development.
In this episode of Black Oxygen, Dee discusses moving from the east coast to Wisconsin, her journey of discovering her inherent beauty, the connection between grace and beauty, the difference between being pretty and being beautiful and so much more. She says, “beauty is anything or anyone that creates marvel, wonder, joy, healing and curiosity.”
Links & Resources:
DC Global Group - https://dcglobalgroup.com
Koffee & Grace - https://koffeeandgrace.com
Black is Beautiful: Deidre Kendrix - https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/black-is-beautiful-deirdra-kendrix
Charles Payne is a Madison transplant, a certified teacher, and self-taught social artist, originally from Michigan. Payne is a Shop One Educator/Artist Residency Finalist and a 2022 TMT New Play Development Playwright. Their play ‘Da Classroom Ain’t Enuf’ was an American Players Theatre New Voices: Creating the Classics of Tomorrow semi-finalist and a Wisconsin Wrights 2022 New Play Development project finalist. Payne is an Isthmus contributor, a Madison Magazine contributor and the Arts + Literature Lab’s inaugural ALL Originals Prize winner.
In this episode of Black Oxygen Payne discusses their experience in Madison, mental health, body dysmorphia, and the beauty in storytelling. Near the end of our conversation, they remind us to take time to reflect on our lived experience.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #CharlesEdwardPayne #BlackLeadership #BlackLeadershipInWisconsin #BeautifulWisconsin #WisconsinIsBeautiful #Storytelling #BlackStorytellers #BlackPoets #BlackTheatre #BodyDysmorphia #MentalHealthConversations #MentalHealthCare
Links & Resources:
Water mark - an essay: https://isthmus.com/news/community/water-mark/
Up went my hands: https://www.channel3000.com/guest-essay-up-went-my-hands/
Little Books of Wisconsin: https://www.littlebookwi.com/blog/artist-profile-charles-payne
Arts + Literature Lab: https://artlitlab.org/artists/charles-payne
For more information on suicide or to connect with someone regarding mental health concerns please check our the resources below
National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 800-273-8255 - https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Anesis Therapy Center - https://anesistherapycenter.com
Journey Mental Health - https://journeymhc.org
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help
Ali Muldrow says, “beauty is about reclaiming all the good in your life.” In this episode of Black Oxygen, Ali discuss the conflation of beauty with perfection, her trip to a cabin in rural Wisconsin, developing and maintaining friendships as adults, when she first understood the depth of her own beauty and much and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackWomenInWisconsin #BlackWomenDroppingGems #BlackWomen #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #AliMuldrow #BlackLeadership #BlackLeadershipInWisconsin #BeautifulWisconsin #WisconsinIsBeautiful #Doula
A message from Black Oxygen host Angela Russell about next season, which will be all about beauty. New episodes drop starting January 9th.
Originally from Kansas City, MO, Dr. Amy Lewis recently moved to Wisconsin to join UW-Madison as research associate as an Anna Julia Cooper Fellow in the Mead Witter School of Music. Granddaughter of Grammy nominated jazz pianist Jay McShann, Dr. Lewis grew up surrounded by music - but she didn’t think she’d go into music education. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Dr. Lewis discusses her family's history in music, her research on systemic oppression and racism within music education, and the role of experiencing joy as a part of liberation. She says, “if we can’t create spaces that bring us joy it will be hard to get to liberation.”
Links:
https://music.wisc.edu/2022/09/29/school-of-music-welcomes-new-faculty/
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/206173/freedom-dreams-by-robin-dg-kelley/
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622408/we-want-to-do-more-than-survive-by-bettina-love/
Madison-based writer Deshawn McKinney’s book of poetry called “forgive me father” is riveting. The poems explore the themes of masculinity, alcohol addiction, and the potential for forgiveness. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Deshawn discusses vulnerability, forgiveness, family, the need to create spaces where people can feel like they belong and so much more. Born and raised in Milwaukee, now living in Madison, DeShawn encourages us to see beyond our bubbles and says that good public discourse can help shatter our bubbles.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #Madison365 #DeshwanMcKinneyn #onforgiveness #fogivemefather #MilwaukeeBorn #MilwaukeeRaised #414 #Wisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackPoets #CivilDiscourse #BlackInWisconsin #BlackInWisconsin #BlackWriters #FirstWave
Links:
https://deshawnmckinney.com
https://deshawnmckinney.com/about/
https://wisconsinlife.org/story/forgiveness-explored-in-milwaukee-writer-deshawn-mckinneys-new-poetry-book/
Keith Stanley, the founding Executive Director of Near West Side Partners, is leaving Wisconsin. In this episode, Keith discusses his family’s journey to Wisconsin from Arkansas, provides an an incredible overview of the near west side of Milwaukee (including how Nat King Cole recorded an album there), his opportunity to take on a new adventure in North Carolina and so much more. His love for Milwaukee is palpable throughout this entire episode and I learned so much.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #Madison365 #KeithStanley #NearWestSidePartners #Wisconsin #Milwaukee #414 #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackLeadership #BlackMenWin #BlackMenLeaders #PublicPrivatePartnership #BlackInWisconsin #MilwaukeeLeadership
Links:
https://nearwestsidemke.org/
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/people/keith-stanley/
Bianca Martin returned to Wisconsin during the pandemic and is now embarking on a new adventure here in Madison. This month, tomorrow actually, Bianca will be the host of a new daily Madison based podcast called City Cast Madison. The goal of City Cast Madison is to help folks deepen their relationship to the city and to bring folks together. On this episode of Black Oxygen, Bianca shares her Wisconsin journey, speaks honestly and openly about the anxiety of starting and hosting a podcast, her vision for a juicy Madison and so much more. City Cast Madison starts this Tuesday, November 29th - be sure to check it out.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #Madison365 #BiancaMartin #BlackInWisconsin #CityCastMadison #CityCast #MadisonPodcasts #WisconsinPodcasts #Podcasts #BlackInBaraboo #Wisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackHosts
Links:
https://madison365.com/its-going-to-be-meaningful-bianca-martin-to-host-daily-local-podcast-beginning-next-month/
https://madison.citycast.fm
TR Williams, born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, knows that Wisconsin has the possibility to be a great state for everyone. In this episode of Black Oxygen, TR discusses her family's migration to Wisconsin, her journey back, and being a Black leader here. In this conversation, Williams reminds us that the US is in a pivotal moment in history and that we all have a role to play.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackInWisconsin #BlackLawyers #BlackWomenLeaders #MilwaukeeLeaders #Milwaukee #414 #Wisconsin #BlackCulture #BlackWomen #WisconsinWomensPolicyInstitute #BlackWomenInWisconsin
To actor Candace Thomas, Wisconsin feels like a second home. Candace is currently part of the Forward Theater production Feeding Beatrice which runs through November 20, 2022 in Madison, WI. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Candace discusses her connection to Wisconsin, her journey into acting, and the role of theater in teaching folks about empathy. We also discuss her role in Feeding Beatrice and what she’s learned about herself in this production.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackActors #MadisonWisconsin #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #FeedingBeatrice #BlackInTheater #ForwardTheater #CandaceThomas #Wisconsin #BlackInWisconsin #HorrorTheater
Links:
https://forwardtheater.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dcrWY_UuZo
https://madison.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/feeding-beatrice-is-a-good-scare-that-will-also-make-you-think/article_edebcf90-c4bb-5dde-8532-e6c84eaabe46.html
Born and raised in Madison, WI, Jessi Evans Kendall is a bedside nurse and a diversity and cultural congruence resource nurse at UW Health. Earlier this year, Jessi was named as one of Madison’s top nurses and received the Top Nurses 2022 Leadership Award from Madison Magazine. Of her path towards nursing she says, “I didn’t originally think of myself as someone who could help others … I thought of myself as someone who needed help.” In this episode of Black Oxygen, Jessi talks about growing up in Madison, her experiences with depression, and the importance of Black nurses for patients and the health care system.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackNurses #BlackNursesMatter #BlackInHealthCare #NursesRock #Depression #MentalHealth #BlackInMadison #MadisonWisconsin #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackNursesRock
Article:
https://www.channel3000.com/top-nurses-2022-jessi-kendall-helps-dismantle-racism-and-health-disparities/
Ja’Malik says, “I don’t remember dance ever not being a part of my life.” From being inspired by Michael Jackson’s Thriller to being moved by Ulysses Dove’s Urban Folk Dance performed by the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Ja’Malik knew as a child that he wanted to become a dancer and choreographer. As the new Artistic Director of the Madison Ballet he is one of three Black people in the US that runs a ballet company not founded a Black person. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Ja’Malik discusses his journey to Wisconsin, honesty and truth in dance and in the US, and the role of dance in resilience and joy.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #BlackBallet #BlackBalletDancers #JaMalik #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #MadisonBallet #BalletInWisconsin #UrbanFolkDance #BalletBoyProductions #BlackBoysDanceToo #Ballet #ArtisticDirector #BlackArtisticDirector #Dance #BlacksInBallet #BlackDanceStories #Choreography #JaMalikChoreography #MadisonContemporaryArt
Resources and Articles:
https://www.madisonballet.org/about/staff/ja-malik
https://www.balletboyproductions.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVTPMwSMwsg
https://www.dancemagazine.com/ja-malik-choreographer/
https://madison365.com/madison-ballet-names-ja-malik-artistic-director/
https://pointemagazine.com/racism-in-ballet/
As a child growing up in a rural village in Togo, Hezouwe Walada saw the impact of malaria on his community. In seeing the death of many close to him, Hezouwe decided to become a doctor. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Hezouwe describes his journey from Togo to Madison and the path towards becoming a physician. He describes how he’s the first in his village to attend school, go to college and to go abroad. Hezouwe talks about moving from experiencing homelessness when he first arrived in Madison to how Madison College and UW-Madison’s Odyssey program help him not give up his dreams of becoming a physician. He is currently a senior at UW-Madison majoring in biochemistry and getting a certificate in global health studies. Of his journey he says, “I don’t just want to be a doctor, I want to be someone that my community looks up to.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackDoctors #AfricanDoctors #AfricansInHealthcare #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #TogoToMadison #BlackScientist #BlackInHealthCare #NeverGiveUp #UWMadison #AlwaysABadger #MadisonWisconsin #BlackInMadison #MadisonCollege #Wisconsin #PreMed #PreMedMotivation #FutureDoctor #Inspirational #BlackPhysicians
Articles:
https://odyssey.wisc.edu/blog/from-bleeding-feet-to-doctor-to-be/
https://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/blog/students-remarkable-journey-to-starting-his-undergraduate-degree-at-age-28-living-his-dream/
Dr. Takiyah Ball is a Food Safety Microbiologist at Sargento Foods based in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. On this episode of Black Oxygen, Dr. Ball discusses so much including her journey to Wisconsin, the beginning of her interest in a science career, how eColi outbreaks related to lettuce occur, and SO much more. Towards the end of the episodes she encourage folks - particularly young folks - to start exploring science careers while in high school and places emphasis on the importance of internships.
#BlackOxygePodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackWomanScientist #BlackInMicrobiology #BlackInFoodSafety #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #ScienceDEI #BlackScientist
Jeff Patterson is the creator and founder of JP Hair Design, a barbershop and community hub on Madison’s westside. Patterson, originally from Illinois, come to Wisconsin to study at UW-Whitewater. Always knowing that he wanted to become a barber, after graduating, he made his way to Madison to study barbering. In this episode of Black Oxygen we discuss Patterson’s journey to barbering, the creation of JP Hair Design, the transition to being a business tenant to property owner, his work with American Player’s Theater and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackBarber #BlackBarberInWisconsin #FadedBlack #BlackBarbership #WisconsinBarbershop #MadisonBarberShop #JPHairDesign
Website:
https://www.jphairdesign.com/our-team/
“I’ve been an artist as long as I can remember,” says Kiba. Originally from Chicago, IL, artist Stephon Kiba Freeman came to Wisconsin to study art at UW-Stevens Point. He is a spray paint artist and says, “spray painting is like trying to control chaos … I don’t try to control everything that that includes the outcome.” In this episode of Black Oxygen, Kiba discusses being an artist, being a father and making Wisconsin his home.
#BlackOxygePodcast #BlackinWisconsin #BlackArtistsinWisconsin #BlackArtists #Madison365 #BlackInCentralWisconsin #KibaFreeman #SprayPaintArt #BlackInStevensPoint #StevensPoint #DopeBlackPodcasts #DopeBlackArt #Wisconsin #KibaFreemanArt
Links and resources
https://www.kibafreemanart.com
https://www.stevenspointarea.com/blog/post/meet-the-artist-stephon-kiba-freeman/
https://www.stevenspointjournal.com/story/news/2021/07/12/stevens-point-spray-paint-artist-stephon-kiba-freeman-creates-worzalla-publishing-mural/7777982002/
Hi all! We're taking the week off to give ourselves some space to breathe. We'll be back with a new episode next week.
“Wisconsin is now positioned to save America,” says Ali Muldrow. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Angela Lang and Ali discuss the upcoming elections of Mandela Barnes for US Senate and Everett Mitchell for Wisconsin Supreme Court. We cover a wide range of topics including, being a Black candidate for a statewide race in Wisconsin, the role of Black women in elections, and how electability is often used as a gatekeeper term for Black candidates.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackWomenInWisconsin #BlackWomenDroppingGems #BlackWomen #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcats #AngelaLang #BLOC #BlackLeadersOrganizingCommunities #AliMuldrow #EverettMitchell #MandelaBarnes #BlackLeadership #BlackLeadershipInWisconsin #HopeOverHate
Led by Saray Khumalo, the first African Black woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, Dineo Dowd climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in August. Dineo says, “it changed my life. I’m a different person.” On this climb, Dineo learned about being patient, trusting her body, trusting the process and the importance of communication. As a result of this experience, she is planning an annual women’s climb on Mt. Kilimanjaro every August - the first planning meeting for the next hike is in just a few weeks.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #BlackWomenWhoHike #BlackWomenWhoClimb #Madison365 #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackinWisconsin #BlackintheOutdoors #ClimbKilimanjaro #BlackWomenClimbKilimanjaro #SummitKilimanjaro #BlackWomenSummit
This episode of Black Oxygen features a conversation with the founder and CEO of Madison365, Henry Sanders. In this episode Henry talks about key lessons he learned while leading Madison365 during a pandemic, the changing dynamics of leadership in the Madison community and parenthood - he specifically opens up about being a parent of a child with Down syndrome. Towards the end of this episode Henry highlights the upcoming Wisconsin Leadership Summit.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #WILeadershipSummit #Madison365 #BlackCulture #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackInMadison #LeadershipInMadison #BlackLeadershipWisconsin #BlackLeadership
Links:
It’s time for a family reunion and you’re invited - https://madison365.com/its-time-for-a-family-reunion-and-youre-invited/
Wisconsin Leadership Summit - https://www.wileadershipsummit.com/home/wi-leadership-summit
Disability Visibility Project - https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/
The theme of the 2022 YWCA Madison Racial Justice Summit is Weaving Our Pasts, Present and Emergent Futures for Racial Justice and Co-Liberation. The summit, being held September 28-30, 2022, will host a number of nationally known racial justice and civil rights activists. This episode of Black Oxygen features a conversation between Rudy Bankston and Linda Sarsour - two of the speakers that will be at the summit this year. A wide range of topics were discussed in this conversation including Rudy and Linda’s journey toward activism, tending the the wounds of oppression, and how white supremacy culture shows up in racial justice movement work.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #YWCAMadison #Wisconsin #Madison365 #RacialJusticeSummit #RacialJustice
YWCA Racial Justice Summit
https://www.ywcamadison.org/what-were-doing/race-gender-equity/racial-justice-summit/
“Black men often suffer in silence,” says Geraud Blanks. Geraud Blanks, Chief Innovation Officer of Milwaukee Film, is this week’s featured guest on Black Oxygen. This week’s nuanced and complex conversation covers a wide range of topics including public mourning and the civil rights movement, masculinity, grief and emotional health, Black identify and grief, and so much more. Geraud also discusses the tenderness of his relationship with his uncle and the regret that he experienced when his uncle passed away. In this conversation, Geraud challenges us all to broaden our identity of Blackness to one beyond pain, suffering and trauma - to one that includes laughter, joy, beauty and creativity. Towards the end of our conversation Geraud shares his experience with depression and anxiety and reminds folks, particularly Black men, to not suffer in silence.
Links & Resources:
Milwaukee Film - https://mkefilm.org/
National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 800-273-8255 - https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
This week on Black Oxygen we look back at this conversation with Ali Muldrow and Savion Castro, President and Vice President of the MMSD School Board. We cover a broad range of education topics including their educational journey, the treatment and labeling of Black children, leading as a Black person in Madison and much more. This episode is filled with laughter, job and lots of wisdom. During this episode Ali says, “we cannot underestimate the advocacy of Black parents.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #MisEducationoftheNegro #EducationinWisconsin #AbolisionistEducationinWisconsin #MMSDSchoolBoard #AliMuldrow #SavionCastro
This week we're revisiting a favorite from Season 3 of Black Oxygen. It features Christopher Kilgour, the creator and founder of Color in the Outdoors. The purpose of Color in the Outdoors is to help connect BIPOC in Wisconsin to the outdoors. In this episode, we discuss Lake Ivanhoe, staying safe in the outdoors and some of Christopher’s favorite outdoor places to explore in Wisconsin. Towards the end of the conversation, Christopher reminds us to “get outside on your own terms.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin
For more information on Color in the Outdoors please visit the following link:
https://www.colorintheoutdoors.com/
On Thursday, July 28th, Dineo Dowd, Madison-based author and women’s outdoor guide, started her journey to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. In this episode of Black Oxygen, we discuss how Dineo made the decision to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, her year-long training to prepare for the climb, and balancing being a mother and having dreams on your own. She says the hardest part of her training was trying to be a perfect mom, making sure that everyone has their needs met and feelings of guilt for being gone for such a long time. Dineo joins a team of 19 other women, led by Saray Khumalo of Summits With a Purpose, for this trip. Towards the end of this episode Dineo reminds us all that the outdoors is a great place for everybody.
Summits with a Purpose - http://summitswithapurpose.org
The BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, founded by Dr. Jeff Galligan, Dexter Patterson, and Rita Flores Wiskowski, celebrates is inaugural anniversary this week. On this episode of Black Oxygen, we discuss the creation of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the impacts of climate change on birds, the impact of birding on one’s mental health, and how to get started birding. To get started birding, Dexter says, “first, realize that you don’t need to be a pro; look for movement; and listen for the music.” This episode is FILLED with tons of bird joy.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #Birding #BIPOCBirdingClubofWi #BIPOCBirders #BirdingIsForEveryone #Wisconsin #BIPOCBirdingWisconsin #WisconsinBirding #WeOutHere #BirdWatching #TiaBirdNerd #BBCBirder #BlackBirders #BirdNerds #BabyBirder #BirdNerdUnite #WiscoBirder #HipHopBirding #BlackInTheOutdoors
Resources:
BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin - https://www.bipocbirdingclub.org
The BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin is busting stereotypes about birdwatching - https://www.jsonline.com/story/travel/wisconsin/outdoors/2022/03/03/bipoc-birding-club-wisconsin-birdwatching-milwaukee-madison/6924188001/
BIPOC Birding Club enjoying success in its first year - https://wsobirds.org/about-wso/news/1797-bipoc-birding-club-enjoying-success-in-its-first-year
BIPOC Birding Club ensures birding is for everybody in Wisconsin - https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2021/10/23/bipoc-birding-club
Alex Booker, owner of Booker Botanicals and a Farmer Education Manager at Badger Rock Middle School, is second generation born and raised right here in Madison, Wisconsin. He grew up on the east side and started his gardening and farming journey while attending the East Madison Community Center as a child. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Alex discusses his grandparents journey to Wisconsin, his vision for Booker Botanicals, the the importance of Black folks reconnecting with nature, mental health and much more.
Resources and book recommendations:
Booker Botanicals - https://m.facebook.com/BookerBotanicals/
Booker Botanicals Bridges Culture and Agriculture - https://ediblemadison.com/stories/local-upstarts-booker-botanicals-bridges-culture-agriculture
We Are Are Each Other’s Harvest - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/we-are-each-others-harvest-natalie-baszile?variant=33007650766882
Farming While Black - https://www.soulfirefarm.org/media/farming-while-black/
On June 1, 2022, the Honorable Reverend Everett Mitchell officially launched his campaign to be on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. In this episode, Judge Mitchell discusses why he decided to run for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, leading with authenticity, living into your purpose, and much more. Our conversation ends with a quote that serves as his North Star, “do not follow the path that has been given. Instead go to where there is no path and blaze a trail.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #WisconsinSupremeCourt #Wisconsin #Madison365
Black Oxygen host Angela Russell checks back in to tell you what's coming up next week!
The Black Oxygen Podcast will return in June for Season 6! Season 6 will be all about Black folks exploring the outdoors. See you soon!
Mark Richardson is the Founder and President of Unfinished Business. Unfinished Business, based in Madison, Wi, focuses on career coaching, DEI consulting, and talent recruitment. In this episode of Black Oxygen we discuss Mark’s journey to Wisconsin, the great resignation, and his journey through grief. He reminds us to, “find the good stuff during hard times.”
#BlackOxygen #GrievingWhileBlack #BlackGrief #BlackInWisconsin #UnfinishedBusiness
DeVon Wilson, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the School of Letters and Science at UW-Madison, experienced deep loss and grief near the beginning of the pandemic with the passing of one of his best friends. He says, “grieving during a pandemic is difficult … I learned that I couldn’t do it alone.” In this episode of Black Oxygen, DeVon discusses his journey to Wisconsin, the difference in community needs between Beloit and Madison, and his experience of navigating grief after losing a dear friend. Near the end of the episode, DeVon shares, “grief is an indicator of the positive impact folks had on your life.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackHealing #BlackResilience #BlackSelfLove #LifeIsAGift #BeloitWi #BeloitCollege #UWMadison #MusicTherapy
Fatou Ceesay, owner of Carisu Homecare, says, “with Alzheimer’s you lose your loved one twice.” Alzheimer’s disease is the 5th leading cause of death for people in the United States. In addition, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is highest among African Americans. This week on Black Oxygen, Fatou discusses the grief associated with dementia, the importance of self-care for caregivers of folks living with dementia and the importance of policy advocacy for Alzheimer’s disease research. Fatou also provides information on local resources folks can connect to for additional support regarding dementia.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackHealing #BlackResilience #BlackSelfLove #LifeIsAGift #Dementia #AlzheimersAwareness #BlackAlzheimers #AlzheimersSucks #BlackCaregivers #AlzheimersAwareness
https://allthingsalz.net/
http://www.cairasucare.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/super-aging-with-fatou-ceesay/id1542106405
In discussing the Will Smith and Chris Rock incident at the Oscars, Rudy Bankston says, “success and celebrity do not negate one’s humanity.” In this episode of Black Oxygen Rudy and I cover a lot topics including the now infamous Oscars incident, the lessons that we can learn individually and locally regarding leadership and healing, leadership beyond wearing the mask of performance, and grief. There was so much packed in this conversation - it’s a deep one. Enjoy!
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackHealing #BlackResilience #BlackSelfLove #LifeIsAGift #SharedHumanity #MirrorWork #Belonging #celebrityhumanity
https://www.iamweclassics.com/
https://www.iamweglobalvillage.org/
After experiencing a health incident last fall, Honorable Reverend Everett Mitchell now says, “life is a gift. I was treating life as a hustle, not as the gift it is.” In this episode of Black Oxygen Hon Rev Mitchell discusses what he’s learned about the gift of life, being your authentic self instead of being on the hustle train, and navigating grief both in his roles as Pastor, Judge, and friend. We also refer back to an episode he was on in season 1 of Black Oxygen when he talks about the book he wants to write called Red Bird. This conversation is touching and profound - stay till the end to hear an exciting announcement.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackHealing #BlackResilience #BlackSelfLove #LifeIsAGift
Lacouir Yancey, owner of Y-Massage, is a massage therapist, bodyworker and musician based in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Lacouir talks about where emotions reside in the body, the grief he has carried after losing loved family members, and how his experience of grief caused him to move his body differently. As a healer, Lacouir reminds that each of us has the power to be conduits of healing.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackMassageTherapists #BlackHealing #AncestralWisdom #NaturalFitness
Y-Massage -
http://www.y-massage.net/
Originally released 11/1/2021
Born in Sudan, Nada Elmikasfhi has been working to adopt Wisconsin as her home since 2002. She is deeply guided by James Baldwin’s quote, “the place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it.” As Chief of Staff for Rep Francesca Hong and columnist for The Isthmus, Nada is not only working to create a sense of belonging for herself, but is working to uproot systemic white supremacy throughout our state so that Wisconsin can be a place where diversity can thrive and flourish. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Nada talks about boundaries, radical love, power and shared humanity. She reminds us that, “the human spirit is one that inherently trusts.” Towards the end of our conversation she tells us all, “you don’t need permission to lead.” The conversation is filled will love, tenderness and maps out how we each have a role to play in creating the beloved community.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackWomenRest #BlackWomeninWisconsin #Belonging #Boundaries #Power #RacialEquity #AccountabilityandLove #AccountabilityandBoundaries
Dana Sonnenberg, born in Texas, adopted and raised in rural Wisconsin by white parents believes in the ability for people to change and in the power of people showing up for her. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Dana, Project Activator of CREATE Portage County, discusses what it meant for her to be a Black woman raised by white parents, the love she has for her father, what it’s to be a woman of color living Central Wisconsin, and much more. Her experiences of grief are profound - both as it relates to her individual and ongoing process of racial reckoning and healing and missing her father.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackDaughters #BlackInStevensPoint #BlackInCentralWisconsin #CREATEPortageCounty
Georgia Allen, Executive Director of The Road Home and Co-Founder of the Soaring Independent Cooperative, says that grief comes in many forms and that non-traditional forms of grief include loss of dreams, safety, autonomy and identity. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Georgia talks about the grief experienced as a result of economic instability, how the pandemic has amplified economic instability in Dane County, and her personal stories of facing benefit cliffs and the grief she experienced after the death of her baby daughter. Near the end of the conversation she shares with us that “grief can be a place of learning” and urges us to “not let grief consume you.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackMothers #BlackDaughters #BlackInMadison #TheRoadHome #BenefitCliffs #EconomicInstability #SoaringIndependent
Links and Resources:
The Road Home - https://trhome.org
Soaring Independent - https://www.soaringindependent.com
After falling off the ‘benefits cliff,’ this mom decided to build a child-care safety net - https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/05/child-care-coop-network-low-income/
Suzanne Johnson, First Vice President of Branch Banking for Park Bank, has experienced deep grief. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Suzanne discusses the various types of loss and grief that she’s experienced including losing her brother to gun violence and just recently learning more about her biological family through an ancestry analysis. Throughout her different experiences Suzanne eventually learned to prioritize her needs and learned to trust others for support during times of grief. Towards the end of our conversation she says, “the only way to healing is through the emotion.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackMothers #BlackDaughters #BlackInMadison
For Dr. Michelle Robinson her mom was the single most important person in her world. In remembering her mother she says, “my mom was the closest thing to an angel here on earth.” The experience of loss that Michelle experienced with her mother and other family members has fundamentally changed her. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Michelle shares the experience of losing her mother, what it’s like to experience chronic death and suffering, the need for researchers to center humanity in their work, and how, despite loss, her heart continues to remain open to love and to life.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #BlackMothers #BlackDaughters #BlackInMadison
Bianca Shaw is a leader in state government, owns and runs the Black Equity & Policy Institute, hosts the podcast Bianca Talks Policy, Politics and Hip-Hop and homeschools her daughter. On this episode of Black Oxygen, Bianca and I cover a wide range of topics including being a Black woman, the difference between liberation and freedom, surviving and grieving a relationship after domestic violence, and the importance of being engaged in the public policy process. She says, “Where there is people there is power … we have to show up and be present the in the public policy process.” She reminds us that our voices are powerful - we just have to engage.”
Black Equity & Policy Institute - https://blackequityandpolicyinstitute.com
Bianca Talks Policy, Politics and Hip-Hop - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bianca-talks-policy-politics-and-hip-hop/id1551188952
Wisconsin Women’s Network Policy Institute - https://wiwomensnetwork.org
The incidence of pancreatic cancer is higher in African Americans compared to any other racial group in the United States. Niketa Rae, this week’s featured guest, lost her grandmother to pancreatic cancer nearly a decade ago. In August 2021, Niketa Rae established the Ebony Eyes Foundation to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer and let people know that they are not alone. In this episode of Black Oxygen, we discuss Niketa’s love for her grandmother, how we each move through grief differently, and some general information about pancreatic cancer. Niketa reminds us, “life is short, let people know how you feel.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #BlackGrief #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #BlackTherapy #GriefAwareness #GriefAndLoss #HoldingSpace #EbonyEyesFoundation #PancreaticCancer #BlackInMadison
Ebony Eyes Foundation - https://www.ebonyeyesfoundation.com/
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network - https://www.pancan.org/
National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 800-273-8255 - https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
“Black men often suffer in silence,” says Geraud Blanks. Geraud Blanks, Chief Innovation Officer of Milwaukee Film, is this week’s featured guest on Black Oxygen. This week’s nuanced and complex conversation covers a wide range of topics including public mourning and the civil rights movement, masculinity, grief and emotional health, Black identify and grief, and so much more. Geraud also discusses the tenderness of his relationship with his uncle and the regret that he experienced when his uncle passed away. In this conversation, Geraud challenges us all to broaden our identity of Blackness to one beyond pain, suffering and trauma - to one that includes laughter, joy, beauty and creativity. Towards the end of our conversation Geraud shares his experience with depression and anxiety and reminds folks, particularly Black men, to not suffer in silence.
Links & Resources:
Milwaukee Film - https://mkefilm.org/
National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 800-273-8255 - https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Myra McNair, owner and founder of Anesis Therapy and recently named 2022 Woman to Watch by Brava Magazine, is the featured guest starting season 5 of Black Oxygen on grief, loss and mourning. In this episode, Myra and I discuss the collective grief present as a result of the pandemic, grieving in the Black church, the role of social media in processing grief and so much more. We also discuss the mental health pandemic that is happening concurrently with the coronavirus pandemic. Her clinic, Anesis Therapy, had over 400 people on the waitlist this summer. In reaching out and seeking mental health support, Myra suggests to not wait until you are in a crisis - get on a waitlist as soon as possible. Towards the end of the episode Myra provides suggestions on how to hold space for each other, how to listen and a list of app that could be helpful on your grieving journey.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackGrieving #BlackSorrow #BlackJoy #CollectiveGrief #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackMentalHealth #AnesisTherapy #BlackTherapy
Links & Resources:
2022 Women to Watch - https://bravamagazine.com/myra-mcnair-w2w/
Anesis Therapy Center - https://anesistherapycenter.com
Journey Mental Health - https://journeymhc.org
Liberate - https://liberatemeditation.com
Headspace - https://www.headspace.com
Calm - https://www.calm.com
National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 800-273-8255 - https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
On this season of Black Oxygen - we are going to discuss grief, loss and mourning. Author of the Wild Edge of Sorrow, Francis Weller says, “Grief work is soul work. It requires courage to face the world as it and not turn away …”
In this season of Black Oxygen, we are going to do just that - face our grief together.
In addition to sharing some of their stories around loss, our guests and I will explore the following questions:
• It’s been said that the condition of Black life is one of mourning - what does this quote by Claudia Rankine mean to you?
• Sometimes we have a tendency to think of grief as a time bound linear process. What is your relationship to time and grief? How would you describe your process of grief and mourning?
• We know that our times of grief are not necessarily mutually exclusive from moments of joy - During your experience of grief and sorrow were there moments of joy in the process? Is there anything that made you laugh during that time?
• How has your experience of grief brought you closer to yourself? How has your experience with grief impacted your relationships?
• How has your experience of grief impacted how you show up in the world day-to-day?
• How do you think that tending to our collective grief could be a source of healing for our country’s wounds? What would need to be in place to make this happen?
• If you could create a grief playlist - what one or two songs should be on it?
Resources:
Grieving While Black: An Anti-racist Take on Oppression and Sorrow by Breeshia Wade
Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur
The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller
The Condition of Black Life is One of Mourning by Claudia Rankine
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/magazine/the-condition-of-black-life-is-one-of-mourning.html
Gigi Stahl is an equity, diversity and inclusion practitioner in Central Wisconsin. In this episode of Black Oxygen, we discuss the sounds and vernacular of Wisconsin, what belonging looks like in Central Wisconsin, and the power of the youth voice. Gigi emphasizes that with education we should be asking the question, “how do we facilitate learning as opposed to bestowing knowledge?” We also discuss the risk of burnout for EDI/DEI practitioners. Regarding rest for practitioners, Gigi says, “if there isn’t permission to pause, there is only permission to break.”
#CentralWisconsin #StevensPoint #BlackOxygenPodcast #GigtStahl #BlackinWisconsin #MakingLoveSustianable #AbolitionistEducation #MulticulturalEducation #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #BlackEducationinWisconsin #DaretoPause #BeloninginWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasters #Madison365
Rudy Bankston, Founder and President of i Am We Classics, just published his fourth book - Snippets of Soul, Too - Healing from Love. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Rudy discusses education, leadership, boundaries, love and so much more. He says that we are collectively addicted to the status quo and that it is time for us to relearn how to connect with each other after so much separation. As it relates to education, systems change and relationships, Rudy reminds us that love is a mandate for it all. This conversation encourages each of us to get curious about our fear and woundedness but not get stuck there. It encourages us to lean in with love - love of self and love of each other.
For more information:
https://www.iamweclassics.com
#BlackOxygenPodcast #RudyBankston #BlackinWisconsin #BoundariesandLove #LoveIsaMandate #iAmWeClassics #SnippetsofSoul #SnippetsofSoulToo #HealingFromLove #BlackintheMidwest #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasters #Madison365
Founding member of Milwaukee’s Bronzeville Arts Ensemble and Artistic Association with Chicago’s Congo Square Theatre, Malkia Stampley, is currently directing the theatrical performance of The Gift of the Magi for American Players Theatre. In this episode of Black Oxygen Malkia discusses Milwaukee as the place where she began her theatre career, the impact of the pandemic on her craft, and the power of theatre to either heal or harm communities. Towards the end of our conversation, she reminds us to dare to pause and take a moment to breathe and breathe together.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackTheater #BlackTheatre #AmericanPlayersTheatre #GiftsoftheMagi #DaretoPause #BlackProducers #MalkiaStampley #BlackinWisconsin #BlackintheMidwest #BlackWomeninWisconsin #BlackArtMatters #DopeBlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasts #BlackPodcasters #Madison365
For more information:
Malkia Stampley
https://malkiastampley.wixsite.com/malkiastampley
American Players Theatre - The Gift of the Magi
https://americanplayers.org/plays/the-gift-of-the-magi
This week on Black Oxygen we present a discussion featured at the first Black Oxygen Live event conducted in partnership with CREATE Portage County. Our guests on this panel are Letesha Nelson, Ali Muldrow, Winnie Karanja and Dr. Thomas Gibson. The conversation covers many topics including the educational background of our guests and their thoughts on how we can co-create educational experiences based on justice, love and anti-racism.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackLove #BlackHumanity #SharedHumanity #BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #CentralWisconsin #Belonging #StevensPoint #CWES #CreatePortageCounty
This week on Black Oxygen we feature a conversation with Nada Elmikashfi Chief of Staff for Rep Francesca Hong and Angela Lang Executive Director of BLOC. The focus of this conversation was our collective heartbreak regarding the Rittenhouse verdict in Kenosha Wisconsin. In this episode we discuss what it is like to keep loving and working on a society after continual heartbreak, creating space for grief when you are on the front lines of organizing, and what it would look like to create a Wisconsin that embraced the humanity of Black bodies. Angela Lang reminds us, “you can’t organize Black people if you don’t love Black people.” And Nada asks, “How many Black people have you loved?” This is a beautiful, gut wrenching and timely episode.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackOrganizing #BlackLove #BlackHumanity #SharedHumanity
This week on Black Oxygen we are rebroadcasting my conversation with Marc Young. Marc is now the Executive Director Recruitment, Marketing and Admissions. This particular episode is based on his time at UW-Stevens Point. Originally from Detroit, MI, Marc Young loves central Wisconsin. In this episode, we discuss Marc’s role as the Director of Admissions and Recruitment for UW-Stevens Point, the importance of relationships in his life, and what it is like being Black in central Wisconsin. In addition, Marc talks about how the reliance on technology has impacted the human element of relationships. At the end of our conversation Marc reminds us all to, “master the art of being yourself.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #BlackInCentralWisconsin
In January 2021, Dr. Thomas Gibson became the 15th Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and its first ever Chancellor of Color. Chancellor Gibson has three primary focus areas in leading UWSP: enhancing academic excellence; expanding diversity, equity and inclusive excellence; and increasing enrollment and growth. During this week’s episode of Black Oxygen, Chancellor Gibson discusses his journey to Wisconsin, observations of inclusion in Central Wisconsin, and the power of higher education. Of his own education he says, “my education gave me the confidence to dare.” His vision of the role of higher education is all about giving students the space and opportunity to dare and dream the impossible.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackHigherEducation #UWSP #CentralWisconsin #Belonging #StevensPoint
Born in Sudan, Nada Elmikasfhi has been working to adopt Wisconsin as her home since 2002. She is deeply guided by James Baldwin’s quote, “the place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it.” As Chief of Staff for Rep Francesca Hong and columnist for The Isthmus, Nada is not only working to create a sense of belonging for herself, but is working to uproot systemic white supremacy throughout our state so that Wisconsin can be a place where diversity can thrive and flourish. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Nada talks about boundaries, radical love, power and shared humanity. She reminds us that, “the human spirit is one that inherently trusts.” Towards the end of our conversation she tells us all, “you don’t need permission to lead.” The conversation is filled will love, tenderness and maps out how we each have a role to play in creating the beloved community.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackWomenRest #BlackWomeninWisconsin #Belonging #Boundaries #Power #RacialEquity #AccountabilityandLove #AccountabilityandBoundaries
Is the concept of a Black woman resting a notion of science fiction or something that is real? This week on Black Oxygen we feature a discussion called Rest Black Woman that was held at the 2021 Wisconsin Leadership Summit. The featured guests on this panel are Alice Traore, Angela Lang, Yanna Williams and Ali Muldrow. The panel conversation opens up with a guided meditation to help us each slow down and to center us in the space together. This discussion is beautiful and restorative … and we learn … the notion of a Black woman resting is decidedly not science fiction. I hope that you enjoy this episode, and as Angela Lang reminds us, “we gotta find a way to breathe.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackWomenRest #RestBlackWoman #BlackWomeninWisconsin #WisconsinLeadershipSummit
In 2020, Winnie Karanja was recognized as one of Forbes 30 under 30 for creating Maydm. Created and based in Wisconsin, Maydm provides girls and youth of color in grades 6-12 with skill-based training for the technology sector. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Winnie discusses her educational journey, the connection of STEM education and economic development, and her hopes and dreams for Maydm as she transitions from leading the organization. Towards the end of the conversation, Winne reminds us that in teaching children STEM innovation, “you don’t know they world of wonder that you await you.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #Maydem #BIPOCSTEM #BIPOCInnventors #STEMEducationInWisconsin #STEMWorkforceDevelopment #FORBES30under30 #BIPOCCoding
Each year the Women Artists Forward Fund selects, honors, and awards two women visual artists in Dane County with a cash prize. Alice Traore, a Madison based artist, is one of the recipients of the 2021 Forward Art Prize from the Women Artists Forward Fund. In addition to being an artist, Alice is a learning communities facilitator and curriculum designer for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. In this episode of Black Oxygen, recorded in Fall of 2020, Alice and I discuss what it is like being a Black women doing DEI work and the role of Black mermaids in the middle passage. Alice is phenomenal and my heart leaps every time I see her. I hope that you enjoy this conversation.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #BlackArtists #EducationInWisconsin #BlackMermaids #ForwardArtPrize
Black Oxygen was honored with a Wisconsin Innovation Award in the non-profit category! Thanks to everyone who voted and everyone who listens.
Dr. Roxie Hentz is the founding Executive Director of CEOs of Tomorrow headquartered here in Madison Wisconsin. In this episode of Black Oxygen Dr. Hentz and I discuss how her 5th grade teacher made a forever impact on her, the brilliance of children and the importance of culturally relevant education. She begs the question of “how do we see kids as partners in their own education?” And says, “kids should be able to own their learning.” This a great conversation best suited for educators, parents and all that want to co-create a liberated future with our children.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #EducationInWisconsin #CEOsofTomorrow #RoxieHentz #AbolisionistEducationinWisconsin #AbolistionistEducation #YoungInnovators
Letesha Nelson, the new Director of the Goodman Community Center, is this week’s featured guest on the Black Oxygen podcast. We cover a wide range of topics in our conversation including Letesha’s educational journey, parenting, self-forgiveness, and authentic leadership. We also discuss Goodman Community Center’s role in supporting wholistic education for the entire family. During our conversation, Letesha says, “Goodman is all the things I needed when I was a single mom on welfare.” Listen with an open heart and open mind - and get to learn about a new leader in Madison, WI - Letesha Nelson.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #AdverseChildhoodExperiences #BlackInWisconsin #EducationInWisconsin #LeteshaNelson #MeetLetesha
Click here to learn more about the Goodman Community Center:
https://www.goodmancenter.org/
This week on Black Oxygen we feature Ali Muldrow and Savion Castro, President and Vice President of the MMSD School Board. We cover a broad range of education topics including their educational journey, the treatment and labeling of Black children, leading as a Black person in Madison and much more. This episode is filled with laughter, job and lots of wisdom. During this episode Ali says, “we cannot underestimate the advocacy of Black parents.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #MisEducationoftheNegro #EducationinWisconsin #AbolisionistEducationinWisconsin #MMSDSchoolBoard #AliMuldrow #SavionCastro
Season 4 of Black Oxygen starts off featuring a conversation with Ann Terrell, current President of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Ms. Terrell is an early childhood education professional serving 40 years in local, state and national leadership capacities. She has held a variety of positions and roles over her career including teacher, center director and administrator, child care licensing specialist, school district early childhood education director and higher education faculty. In 2018, Ms. Terrell authored and published her book Graceful Leadership in Early Childhood Education. In this episode we discuss the history of early childhood education in the United States, centering equity in early childhood education, what Black joy and love look like in the classroom and much more. Near the end of the episode Ann reminds us that we must, “acknowledge that early education is the start of education … learning begins at birth.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #MisEducationoftheNegro #EducationinWisconsin #AbolisionistEducationinWisconsin #EarlyChildhoodEducation #NAEYC
Season 4 of the Black Oxygen Podcast will be about education in Wisconsin. In her book We Want to Do More than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom, Dr. Bettia Love says, “We must struggle together not only to reimagine schools but to build new schools that we are taught to believe are impossible: schools based on intersectional justice, antiracism, love, healing, and joy … Abolitionist teaching is built on the creativity, imagination, boldness , ingenuity, and rebellious spirit and methods of abolitionist to demand and fight for an education system where all students are thriving not just surviving.”
In this season, we will explore what it means to create an educational system where Black children can thrive in Wisconsin, how white supremacy and patriarchal culture is embedded into our current educational system, what Black joy looks like in schools, the impact of COVID on the education , and much more.
First episode comes out of September 6th.
This week, we're revisiting Angela's conversation with Ali Muldrow.
“Our society is defined by how we treat each other’s children," says Ali Muldrow. In this episode, building on her skills as a community activist, teacher, and doula, Ali Muldrow describes how Madison, WI is in the “active labor” phase of creating a more just society - a society that can be considered a sanctuary and a great place to be a child.
This week’s episode of Black Oxygen features a panel conversation on Black Love and a Black Women’s worth that was held as a part of the Black Lens February programming. This panel features: Winter Dunn, the Director and Producer of the film Junebug Sabrina Madison, the Founder and Executive Director of the Progress Center for Black Women Genia Stevens - Executive Director of Jumpstart Rock County Dasha Kelly Hamilton - Wisconsin’s State Poet Laureate Krystal Hardy - a Make-Up Artist based Milwaukee This panel conversation was powerful and we covered many topics including Black women’s relationships with their fathers, pushing beyond the stated narrative of what it means to be Black, knowing your worth as a Black woman, love and so much more. Towards the end of our conversation, Dasha Kelly Hamilton says, “love is a release.” Love is indeed a release - in this season of love - I hope that each of you can love yourself and radiate love to each other. For more information please visit: mkefilm.org
Rudy Bankston, Founder and President of I Am We Consulting, is learning the answer to his own question of “what does it mean to live authentically in your own skin?” In this episode of Black Oxygen, Rudy shares his story of journey of self-love as a survivor of the school-to-prison pipeline and the role of grace in his continued journey toward freedom. We cover so many topics in this conversation including restorative justice, the ways that fear is institutionalized within our educational system, and the role of love in pivoting toward living into a higher frequency. Towards the end of this conversation Rudy reminds us, “as a Black person in this country our mandate is to consistently discover what it means to love ourselves and this goes hand-in-hand with our healing.”
To learn more about Rudy and his work please visit his website: https://www.iamweclassics.com
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove
What does it mean for a Black man to be seen as fully human? In this special encore episode, Judge Everett Mitchell discusses his journey of trauma, abuse and subsequent healing. He also discusses what it means for him to be fully seen. Everett, who's also a pastor, closes by reminding us all that we need to do something with the power that we’ve been given.
This week on the Black Oxygen Podcast, we feature a conversation with Karim Njie, the creator of Madison Climbers of Color. In this episode, we discuss Karim’s deep seated connection to the outdoors, how climbing has helped him see America with a different lens, and why he created the Madison Climbers of Color group. Regarding exploring the outdoors, similar to other Black Oxygen guests, Karim suggests that folks can often begin their exploration right in their own backyard.
The first Madison Climbers of Color event is being held on Tuesday, July 27th, at 6:00 pm at Boulders Climbing Gym. Please click here to sign up - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3Cv3_SMphthic7bNlwdLDXjM4PfR5upPODE954ckvY03WDQ/viewform
Also, to connect with Madison Climbers of Color please follow them on IG - @madisonclimbersofcolor
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin #BlackInTheOutdoors #MadisonClimbersofColor #BlackOutdoors #BlackClimbers #BlackPeopleClimb #WeClimbToo #BIPOCClimbing
“I’m the flyest birder you’ll ever meet,” says Dexter Patterson. This week on Black Oxygen, Dexter Patterson, also known as the @wiscobirder on Instagram, talks about his journey to Wisconsin, how he got started birding and his new organization the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin. He says that birding as taught him patience, gratitude and joy. To get started birding, Dexter recommends that we start in our own backyard.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin #BlackInTheOutdoors #WiscoBirder #BirdingIsForEveryone #BirdingWisconsin #WisconsinBirding #BlackBirders #HipHopBirding #BIPOCBirdingofWisconsin #BIPOCBirding
Lifer Story: My first Yellow-headed Blackbird -
https://madisonaudubon.org/blog/2021/6/1/lifer-story-my-first-yellow-headed-blackbird
This episode of Black Oxygen features a conversation we Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes on the outdoors, climate change and exploring Wisconsin. Lt. Governor Barnes discusses how his relationship with the outdoors began as a child doing outdoor sports activities and expanded once became a regular runner. Throughout the conversation we also talk about the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities. He ends our conversation by reminding us that, “there is always something to discover in Wisconsin.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #MadelaBarnes #LtGovMandelaBarnes #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin #BlackInTheOutdoors #ClimateChange
Trigger Warning: This week’s episode will cover topics included domestic violence and sexual assault.
This week's episode of Black Oxygen we feature a conversation on Nurturing for Liberation that was held at the 2021 Madison365 Women’s Leadership Summit. Based on the book, Parenting for Liberation: A Guide for Raising Black Children by Trina Green Brown, this discussion features a discussion between Dr. Sagashus Levingston, Ananda Mirilli, Genia Stevens, and May Yer Theresa Thao moderate by Angela Russell. The panel chats about their vision of a liberated life for their children and their parents, what it means to liberate oneself in order to raise free children, and the complexity of being seen as a leader while being fully human. During the conversation, Dr. Sagashus Levingston reminds us that, “motherhood is both a site of oppression and a place of resistance.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast: #BlackInWisconsin #WOCMothering #MotheringAsResistance #NurturingForLiberation #MotheringForLiberation
This week on the Black Oxygen Podcast we hear from the Madison-based couple Dr. Michelle Robinson and Joshua Wright. We cover a range of topics in this episode including how their mutual interest in the outdoors began in childhood, the impact of climate change on Dr. Robsinson’s family in Texas, the disproportionate impact of climate change on Black and Brown communities, their favorite Wisconsin places to explore and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin
Tena Madison is the Volunteer Leader for the Outdoor Afro - Wisconsin Network. In this episode of Black Oxygen we discuss Tena’s childhood experiences in the outdoors, the role of nature and healing for Black folks and her experiences with the Outdoor Afro Wisconsin Network. Tena says in nature she’s learned to let go of the illusion of control and how not to be married to particular outcomes in life. She offers this advice to Black folks starting to explore the outdoors, “be brave in small ways and explore what is around you.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin #BlackInTheOutdoors #OutdoorAfroWisconsin
Originally from South Africa, Dineo Dowd made Wisconsin her home four years ago after developing a love for the outdoors living in Utah. Dineo is a member of the Board of Directors and is the Madison Branch Ambassador of Hike It Baby. In addition, she has written four outdoor themed children’s books - Adventure Day, Sunset Hike, Spring Hike, and Summer Camping. In this episode, we discuss Dineo’s love for the outdoors, lack of representation of Black folks in outdoor-related media, and her favorite outdoor gems in Wisconsin.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin #BlackInTheOutdoors #HikeItBaby #HikeItBabyWisconsin #DineoDowd
Season 3 of Black Oxygen starts off featuring Christopher Kilgour, the creator and founder of Color in the Outdoors. The purpose of Color in the Outdoors is to help connect BIPOC in Wisconsin to the outdoors. In this episode, we discuss Lake Ivanhoe, staying safe in the outdoors and some of Christopher’s favorite outdoor places to explore in Wisconsin. Towards the end of the conversation, Christopher reminds us to “get outside on your own terms.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin
For more information on Color in the Outdoors please visit the following link:
https://www.colorintheoutdoors.com/
Season 3 of the Black Oxygen Podcast will be about Black folks exploring Wisconsin. There are so many stereotypes of Black folks and the outdoors - often based in historical trauma. But as bell hooks said in her essay called Earthbound, “to live in communion with the earth, fully acknowledging nature’s power with humility and grace is a practice of spiritual mindfulness that heals and restores ... we create and sustain environments where we can come back to ourselves, where we can return home. Stand on solid ground and be a true witness.”
This season we will explore what it means to be a Black bodied person connecting with nature and the outdoors, hidden treasures of Wisconsin, and advice on exploring Wisconsin while Black.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackInWisconsin #BlackFolksExploringWisconsin
Yanna Willams came go Madison, WI to study dairy sciences. Since her time in Madison, she’s gone from completing her graduate studies and teaching animal sciences at UW-Madison to starting her non-profit Dear Diary Madison and serving on the Board of Directors for the Verona Area School District. In this episode of Black Oxygen, we discuss Yanna’s background in animal and dairy sciences, the genesis of Dear Diary, and her journey towards self-love.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #DearDiaryMadison
For more information on Dear Diary Madison:
https://www.deardiaryofmadison.org
This week on Black Oxygen we are rebroadcasting the Season 1 conversation with Myra McNair. In 2016, Myra McNair, Marriage & Family Therapist and trauma specialist, founded Anesis Therapy Center - a therapy center that centers and provides culturally appropriate mental health care services for Black, Indigenous, and People Color (BIPOC). In this episode of Black Oxygen, Myra discusses key components of healing from historical and generational trauma. She emphasizes that healing can pass from one generation to the next.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #BlackMentalHealth #GenerationalHealing
This episode was originally released on 8/20/20.
This week on Black Oxygen we feature Dr. Linda Vakunta. Dr. Vakunta is the Deputy Mayor for the City of Madison and one of the co-founders of Fourward Madison. This episode covers a wide range of topics including her background in psychology, the intersections between disability justice, environmental justice, and racial justice, motherhood and much more. Towards the end of the episode, Dr. Vakunta reminds us all that we can live in a better world - but that it is up to each of us to make our world a better place for us all. I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #BlackMotherhood
In her book, Salvation: Black People and Love, bell hooks says, “Patriarchal thinking certainly does not encourage men to be self-loving. Instead it encourages them to believe that power is more important than love, particularly the power to dominate and control others.” On this week’s episode of Black Oxygen the Hon. Rev. Everett Mitchell and Rudy Bankston, Founder and President of I Am We Classics, discuss patriarchy, leadership, the need for a prophetic voice within the Black church, the role of white supremacy in White churches, and their own paths towards decolonization and reconstruction. This episode if full of tenderness, vulnerability, wisdom, random laughter and so much love. Make some time to listen to this episode - you may want to have a notebook and tissue near by - you’ll want to take notes and you may get all the feels.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove
Dr. Jack Daniels is the President of Madison College. Madison College is a public technical and community colleges based in Madison, WI that serves 12 counties in south central Wisconsin. On this week’s episode of Black Oxygen Dr. Daniels discusses the role of Madison College and workforce development, the impact of the pandemic on students, the three ways that he prepared for the Chauvin verdict, leadership, and much more.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #MadisonCollege
https://madisoncollege.edu/president
This week on Black Oxygen we feature Dasha Kelly Hamilton, Poet Laureate for the State of Wisconsin and for the City of Milwaukee. The conversation starts with Dasha reflecting on the killing of Daunte Wright, not knowing that the rest of the week would be filled with so much gun violence and grief throughout the nation. This episode of Black Oxygen covers SO much including grief, leadership, mentoring, Dasha’s vision and work as the state’s Poet Laureate, and so much more. During our conversation Dasha says, “My mother taught me how to fly. My father taught me out to have a flight plan.” Take some time to listen deeply to learn about Dasha’s vision, self-reflection, gratitude, growth, and joy.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #BlackPoetLaureate #WIPoetLaureate
What does it mean for a Black man to be seen instead of watched? What does yoga have to offer Black bodies? How are each of us a reflection of the divine? These are just some of the questions that Keith Borden discussed on this week’s episode of Black Oxygen. Keith Borden is a Black yogi, yoga teacher, ordained interfaith minster and musician based in Madison, WI. In this episode we discuss Keith’s journey to Madison after having lived in New York City and Oakland, CA, what brought him to yoga, and the importance of slowing down. In this episode, Keith energetically invites you towards stillness. I hope that you accept this invitation as a gift - for yourself.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #BlackYogaTeachers
For more information on Keith Borden, please visit his website:
http://www.reunionyoga.com
This week, the Black Oxygen Podcast features Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., the Founder and Director of the Privilege Institute and the National White Privilege Conference. The 2021, White Privilege Conference is being held virtually April 7 - 10, 2021. In this episode, Eddie discusses the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practitioners doing their own skills building and work, how the system of white supremacy shows up in DEI practice, the need for addiction recovery services for BIPOC folks, and so much more. During our conversation, Eddie emphasized that he “wants Black kids to know that they can be unapologetically Black.”
For more information on Dr. Eddie Moore Jr and his work please see the following information:
https://twitter.com/eddieknowsmoore
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddiemoorejr/
https://www.theprivilegeinstitute.com/
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #BlackInCentralWisconsin #WhitePrivilegeConference
Karen Nelson began her career as a chemist. In her first job as a chemist, she created a Black hair care product - but her ideas and product were not supported. She was told that her product creation did not reflect America. Heartbroken, she left the research field and eventually found herself doing equity, diversity and inclusion work. In this episode, we discuss Karen’s career journey, finding her circles of support, and the role that her faith plays in her activism. Karen ends are our conversation by reminding us all to just breathe.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #BlackInCentralWisconsin
Originally from Detroit, MI, Marc Young loves central Wisconsin. In this episode, we discuss Marc’s role as the Director of Admissions and Recruitment for UW-Stevens Point, the importance of relationships in his life, and what it is like being Black in central Wisconsin. In addition, Marc talks about how the reliance on technology has impacted the human element of relationships. At the end of our conversation Marc reminds us all to, “master the art of being yourself.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove #BlackInCentralWisconsin
This episode of Black Oxygen featuring two Madison based spoken word and hip hop artists is seriously fun. Rob Dz Franklin and Opal Ellyse Tomashevska talk about a new music piece that they worked on together, community conversations that will inform United Way of Dane County planing for the future, colorism, and of course love. Buckle in for this super fun conversation ... stay til the end to hear their new release “The 90s: Thinkin’ Back.”
For more information on getting involved in the community conversations please visit:
www.unitedwaydanecounty.org/conversations/
To get a copy of Opal and Rob’s new release please visit:
https://remedybornmuzik.bandcamp.com/track/the-90s-thinkin-back
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove
Carmella Glenn, Program Director of Just Bakery and Certified Peer Specialist, says that “In Madison, we believe that Blackness is cookie cutter.” In this episode of Black Oxygen, Carmella challenges the monolithic view of Blackness in Madison, discusses the transformative approach of Just Bakery and Just Dane, and how finding her voice and integrity gave space for people around her find their healing as well. At the end of our conversation, Carmella says that, in Madison, “we must stop assimilate everyone to be the same.”
To learn more about Just Bakery and Just Dane please visit:
https://justdane.org
Rudy Bankston, Founder and President of I Am We Consulting, is learning the answer to his own question of “what does it mean to live authentically in your own skin?” In this episode of Black Oxygen, Rudy shares his story of journey of self-love as a survivor of the school-to-prison pipeline and the role of grace in his continued journey toward freedom. We cover so many topics in this conversation including restorative justice, the ways that fear is institutionalized within our educational system, and the role of love in pivoting toward living into a higher frequency. Towards the end of this conversation Rudy reminds us, “as a Black person in this country our mandate is to consistently discover what it means to love ourselves and this goes hand-in-hand with our healing.”
To learn more about Rudy and his work please visit his website: https://www.iamweclassics.com
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove
2021 has made quite the entrance. I don’t know about you, but I’m already feeling wiped out and we haven’t even made it through the 1st quarter of the year. This week on Black Oxygen I’m practicing what I preach - we are taking a pause and rebroadcasting an episode on rest. This weeks episode features a conversation with Alia Stevenson, Chief Programs Officer for The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, on health, rest, and shared humanity. We discuss what it looks like to rest in a society and system that is having us hustle and grind. Alia shares her story of how going into heart failure at the age of 26 served as her wake up call to rest.
Originally released 8/17/20.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove
For all of February, Black Lens, of Milwaukee Film, is offering films and events that amplify and honor the Black voice. This week’s episode of Black Oxygen features a panel conversation on Black Love and a Black Women’s worth that was held as a part of the Black Lens February programming. This panel features: Winter Dunn, the Director and Producer of the film Junebug Sabrina Madison, the Founder and Executive Director of the Progress Center for Black Women Genia Stevens - Executive Director of Jumpstart Rock County Dasha Kelly Hamilton - Wisconsin’s State Poet Laureate Krystal Hardy - a Make-Up Artist based Milwaukee This panel conversation was powerful and we covered many topics including Black women’s relationships with their fathers, pushing beyond the stated narrative of what it means to be Black, knowing your worth as a Black woman, love and so much more. Towards the end of our conversation, Dasha Kelly Hamilton says, “love is a release.” Love is indeed a release - in this season of love - I hope that each of you can love yourself and radiate love to each other. After listening to this episode, please be sure to check out the films being featured this month by Black Lens. They are featuring 30 films all by Black film makers. For more information please visit: mkefilm.org
In this episode of Black Oxygen, Dr. Eric Wilcots, a Black astronomer and Dean of UW-Madison’s College of Letters and Sciences says, “2020 taught us some remarkably important things and if we are wise we will listen to them.” We cover so much in our conversation, including the difference between astronomy and astrology, self-love, the concept and meaning of time (both geologic and astronomical). Regarding time, Dr. Wilcots reminds us that, “yes, stuff takes time, but that doesn’t mean that every minute isn’t important.”
After listening to this episode, check out more about the Origins project that is mentioned in this episode:
https://origins.wisc.edu
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove
Will you accept the invitation to become whole? In this episode of Black Oxygen, Dr. Angela Rose Black, founder of Mindfulness for the People, discusses her journey towards wholeness. Our conversation covers a lot including her journey to Wisconsin, boundaries, and the challenge of white-led media. She said, “white led media strips the dignity of Black folks.” The conversation was moving and beautiful.
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove
For more information about Dr. Angela Rose Black and Mindfulness for the People - http://mindfulnessforthepeople.org
When asked about his sense of belonging as a Black man in Wausau, Wisconsin, Alex says, “my sense of belonging comes from within.” This episode of Black Oxygen features Alex B. Grant, a photographer and videographer based in central Wisconsin. We cover a variety of topics during our conversation including his journey from Racine to Wausau, survivors guilt, and being open to love after heartbreak. He closes our conversation by reminding listeners, “wherever you are, make it your own.”
#BlackOxygenPodcast #BlackinWisconsin #DopeBlackPodcasts #2021 #BlackOxygenLove #LovingBlackness #AllAboutLove
For more information about Alex Grant and his work - please visit the following link:
https://alexbgrant.com
In this conversation, Dr. Sagashus Levingston, Founder and Executive Director of Infamous Mothers, says, “Black women give me the strength to show up in America.” Dr. Levingston came to Madison, WI for graduate school to become a professor - but ended up not only getting her doctorate but creating Infamous Mothers. This episode of Black Oxygen covers a number of topics including Black motherhood, self-love, and the abusive nature of being Black in America.
For more information on Infamous Mothers please visit the following link: https://www.infamousmothers.com/
“We can be stunned by what we saw, but we should not be surprised,” says Angela Lang of BLOC about last week’s insurrection at the US Capitol. In this season 2 premiere of Black Oxygen, our conversation centers covers a lot of topics including democracy, lessons learned from the Georgia runoffs, and the importance of self-love for Black folks during a time of deep revolution.
https://www.blocbybloc.org
For more information on BLOC please visit the following link:
This episode of Black Oxygen is brief. In this episode, our host, Angela Russell, provides an overview of the topics we’ll be covering in season 2. Season 2 of Black Oxygen is going to be focused all on love. We all know the often cited headline that WI is the worst state in the nation to be Black ... and yet Angela, a Black woman, that loves Wisconsin. She doesn’t think that Wisconsin needs to be a place of unrequited love for Black folks. She thinks that, collectively, we have the power to change the narrative. Angela says that a key foundational component in creating a better Wisconsin for all is a radical and revolutionary love. Not in an overly touchy-feeling superficial romantic sense - but in a way that calls us to explore what it means to love ourselves, each other, and re-imagine and create structure that embody a love ethic.
The tables are turned on this episode of Black Oxygen. On December 23, Ali Muldrow interviewed Angela Russell - the creator and host of Black Oxygen - for WORT’s live recording of A Public Affair. This Black Oxygen episode features this live recording. Ali and Angela cover many topics including the genesis story of Black Oxygen, what it means for Black leaders to be fully human, reflections and learnings from the podcast, and so much more.
In her book Eloquent Rage, Dr. Brittney Cooper says, “how it feels to be a Black woman ... our victories belong everyone even though we do all of the work.”
In this episode of Black Oxygen, Lilliann Paine, the Chief of Staff for the City of Milwaukee Health Department, talks about the work it took for racism to be named as a public health crisis by the Wisconsin Public Health Association and in the City of Milwaukee. In pointing to the work of Dr. Camara Jones, Lilliann talks about how the work of naming racism as a key driver to the health of communities is not new - but what happens is that the work of Black women often gets erased from the narrative. Lilliann also discuss the impact that working in public health during this COVID19 pandemic has had on her personally. In the end, she reminds us all to, “listen to Black women, trust Black women, and cite Black women.”
Links to things discussed in the conversation
BARHII Framework/Model -
https://www.barhii.org/barhii-framework
Dr. Camara Jones - Levels of Racism: A Theoretical Framework and a Gardener’s Tale
Creative Health Collective -
https://chealthc.info
Genia Stevens, the founder and Director of Rock County Jumpstart and Marketing Strategist at Belwah Media, is this week’s featured guest on the Black Oxygen Podcast. In this episode, we cover a lot including discussing the wide variety of Black-owned businesses in Rock County, WI; our shared love for our alma mater - Beloit College; and the challenges of maintaining of emotional well-being in 2020. At the end of the episode Genia reminds us, “when you get time to rest, we need to take it.”
Here’s a link for more information on Genia: https://geniastevens.com
In reimagining a new normal, Gabe Doyle wants Black folks to see themselves as belonging in Wisconsin. This episode of Black Oxygen features Gabe Doyle - Director of Community Impact at United Way, former counselor, and former Project Coordinator of Project Ujima. This episode covers SO much including vicarious trauma, what it means to have a sense of belonging as bi-racial Black man when you have two white parents, the love he has for his family, and the systemic changes that are needed on in order for Black folks to thrive throughout Wisconsin. In this episode Doyle also asks the rhetorical question of, “why did we all watch Tiger King?” He ends this episode with reminding us that we all have a role to play in creating positive change.
Raised in Milwaukee, Sabrina Madison, aka Heymiss Progress, moved to Madison with what she calls “big rose colored glasses.” In this episode of Black Oxygen, the Founder of the Progress Center for Black Women, candidly discusses the systemic challenges facing Black folks in Madison. She states, “this is a city that has very low standards for Black folks.” Progress also talks about the optics of success in Madison, how to get involved in local government, and how she works on maintaining her personal peace as a Black leader in this community. Towards the end of our conversation, she talks about her favorite Black owned businesses for holiday shopping.
Click here to learn more about the Progress Center for Black Women - https://www.centerforblackwomen.org
In one of his poems, Paul Laurence Dunbar said, “we wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes.”
In this episode of Black Oxygen, Cedric Johnson, Community Services Manager at MGE, talks about his reckoning and the process of removing his mask to survive and thrive in Madison, Wi. The conversation is rich and covers many topics current energy challenges of many Madison families, the process of learning about and loving oneself, some of the hidden gems in Madison and so much more.
https://ourlivesmadison.com/article/the-chameleon/
This week the Black Oxygen podcast features Ashley Saunders-Madden, Inclusion & Talent Strategy Manager at Exact Sciences. In this episode we talk about the importance of representation of Black folk in the sciences, the power of networking and mentoring and finding a network in Madison. In addition, we were joined by a special guest, Ashley’s daughter, midway through the interview. Throughout our conversation Ashley demonstrates how she’s holding it down in her career and as a mother in 2020. She says, “I respect myself to keep my own appointments for me.”
This episode of Black Oxygen featuring Rob Franklin, a Madison based hip-hop and spoken word artist, centers around the topic of Black life in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. Similar to other episodes of Black Oxygen, we cover a variety of topics including surviving as a Black man in Madison, creating an inclusive downtown, and homelessness. Stay tuned until the end where Rob offers a quick reflection via spoken word on the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
This week’s election marks an intense inflection point in our nation’s history. No matter the outcome of the election, we are all feeling a bit on edge and ungrounded. Collectively, we’ve lost our breath. In this week’s episode of Black Oxygen, LaCouir Yancey tells us to, “sit the bleep down and find your quiet space.” Owner of Y-Massage Bodywork and Natural Fitness, LaCouir is a massage therapist, personal trainer, musician, urban dance and movement specialist, and an instructor at the East-West Healing Arts Institute. We talk about a lot of topics on this episode including masculinity, life as a small business owner during 2020, and how we are holding fear and anger in our bodies. At the end of our conversation, he calls on us to create the “head space to love each other again.”
To learn more about LaCouir Yancey or to book an appointment with him visit his website: http://www.y-massage.net
This Black Oxygen episode featuring Denise Thomas, President and Owner of the Effective Communication Coach, is SO RICH. We cover many topics including being a single Black woman, dating, knowing your worth, what survival means for Black women, and so much more. She ends our conversation by reminding us all that, “you are not losing control. Your why and your purpose will never change. You just have to reinvent your how.”
To learn more about Denise Thomas and the Effective Communication Coach please visit her website:
https://www.realcommcoach.com
The week’s episode of Black Oxygen features the Black Oxygen Panel conversation that was held at the 2020 Wisconsin Leadership Summit. This panel included several guests from previous Black Oxygen episodes including Opal Tomashevaka, Angela Lang, Ranell Washington and Everett Mitchell.
In this episode, Rev. Mitchell says, “sometimes it is the screaming that allows for the healing.” During this conversation we chatted about so many things including: the guests' Black Oxygen experience, what it is like to be a Black leader in 2020, what it would be like if we didn’t have to hustle for our worthiness, and what emotional and spiritual healing looks like when racial trauma wounds are continually re-opened.
Sometimes we all need a space to let go and scream. For more information and reading on screaming and healing check out this piece - Love Rests in the Scream published on the Feminist Wire in 2015. I’ve come back to this article again and again and again.
https://thefeministwire.com/2015/02/college-feminisms-love-rests-scream/
According to James Edward Mills, the author of the Adventure Gap and Founder of the Joy Trip Project, “everyday is a daring adventure, a trip into the joyful pursuit of our own full human potential.” In this episode of Black Oxygen, James and I chat about the relationship of Black folks and the outdoors. He talks about how his relationship with the outdoors began at a young age and how he navigates the outdoors as a Black man. James emphasizes three corrective measures that are needed throughout the United States to get more Black folks actively engaged in the outdoors. We also chat a bit about some of the unknown history of Black folks in nature. This conversation is authentic, engaging, and a bit challenging at times. James’ key piece of advice, “get outside.”
Here are some links on featuring the work of James Edward Mills:
The Joy Trip Project - https://joytripproject.com
The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors - https://joytripproject.com/the-adventure-gap/
These people of color transformed US national parks - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2020/08/people-of-color-who-transformed-us-national-parks/
How can the National Park Service work to be anti-racist? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/more-diversity-how-to-make-national-parks-anti-racist/
You can’t organize Black folks if you don’t love Black Folks - Angela Lang
It’s been said that Milwaukee, WI has the superpower to potentially decide the next President of the United States. We are in an election where every vote counts and one where the Black vote is essential. This week we are resharing The BONUS EPISODE OF Black Oxygen featuring Angela Lang.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Angela Lang, the Executive Director of BLOC (Black Leaders Organizing for Communities), is currently feeling the pressure of this upcoming election. In this episode of Black Oxygen Angela discusses the meaning of democracy, what’s actually on the ballot in November, and how centering joy and loving oneself is an act of resistance. I hope you enjoy (or re-enjoy) this conversation as much as I did.
.... Also, this is a BIG week for the 365media family. The Wisconsin Leadership Summit starts TODAY, Monday, October 5, and is going on all week. And it's all online! 25 panels, including the Black Oxygen panel I'm moderating on Friday! I'll be talking to Opal Tomashevska, Everett Mitchell, Ranell Washington, and Angela Lang. I hope that you can join the conversation. Thanks, and enjoy.
Here’s a link to learn more about BLOC: https://www.blocbybloc.org
For more information about the Wisconsin Leadership Summit please click here: https://www.wileadershipsummit.com
This week’s episode of Black Oxygen features Frances Huntley-Cooper, Wisconsin’s first and only elected African-American mayor in the state’s history. Frances came to Wisconsin in 1973 for school and she thought she’d leave when she graduated. She didn’t leave - she ended up making Wisconsin home. In her time in Wisconsin she has served in many leadership roles at the city, county, state, national and international levels. In this episode we talk about what kept her in Wisconsin, representation, being a DNC delegate, the NAACP ACT-SO program, and being a Black leader in Madison.
Here is a link to learn more about the NAACP ACT-SO Program:
http://www.naacpofdaneco.org/act-so.html
Sarah Ishmael, Doctoral Candidate and co-author of “The Fire” in the book Teaching While the World is on Fire, says that Madison is not a place that you can rest at a Black person. In this episode of Black Oxygen, we discuss the structural and atmospheric nature of racism, the inherit wisdom and education of BIPOC students, and the role that books and reading play in creating a place of sanctuary. We also discuss some of the structural changes needed in Madison, WI that will be necessary for Black folks to be able to breathe more fully.
Book link: https://thenewpress.com/books/teaching-when-world-on-fire
Black Lens, of Milwaukee Film, is currently hosting the 2020 virtual Minority Health Film Festival (MHFF). This episode of Black Oxygen features the organizers of Black Lens - Dr. Donte McFadden, Geraud Blanks, and Ranell Washington. We discuss a wide range of topics including masculinity, vulnerability and tenderness among Black men, and the role of Black film in creating a space of sanctuary and validation for Black folks. Towards the end of the conversation, we chat about the best R&B artists of the 80s and 90s - who do you think should be on this list?
To learn more about the Minority Health Film festival please visit - https://mkefilm.org/mhff
For more information on Black Lens please visit - https://mkefilm.org/black-lens
For the music playlist associated with this episode please visit - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1B8Ov1qa1ar9DgpqiSA6Ha?si=bAZuHYsZTNu3VrsWh8DaOA
Centering Blackness is the theme of the 2020 YWCA Madison Racial Justice Summit. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Vanessa McDowell, CEO of the YWCA of Madison, describes what it means to center Blackness, discusses intersectionality, and what gives her hope. Known as DJ Ace to many in the community, Vanessa also shares some of her go-to songs to get folks on the dance floor.
To learn more or to register for the summit please visit:
https://www.ywcamadison.org/what-were-doing/race-gender-equity/racial-justice-summit/
What does it mean for a Black man to be seen as fully human? In this episode, Judge Everett Mitchell discusses his journey of trauma, abuse and subsequent healing. He also discusses what it means for him to be fully seen. Everett, who's also a pastor, closes by reminding us all that we need to do something with the power that we’ve been given.
Community, stillness and making sanctuary portable are three instruments of freedom for Madison based artist Alice Traore. In this episode of Black Oxygen we discuss the importance of community, what it is like being a Black woman doing diversity, equity and inclusion work during this current civil rights movement for Black lives, and the role of Black mermaids during the Middle Passage.
Alice also talks about current sources of inspiration including two pieces called The Deep:
The Deep (the song) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT1ujfuXFVo
The Deep (the book) - https://www.riverssolomon.com/thedeep
It’s been said that Milwaukee, WI has the superpower to potentially decide the next President of the United States. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Angela Lang, the Executive Director of BLOC (Black Leaders Organizing for Communities), is currently feeling the pressure of this upcoming election. In this episode of Black Oxygen Angela discusses the meaning of democracy, what’s actually on the ballot in November, and how centering joy and loving oneself is an act of resistance.
Have you rested? Alia Stevenson, Chief Programs Officer of the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, regularly asks this question to the Black women in her life. In this episode we discuss what it looks like to rest in a society and system that is having us hustle and grind. Alia shares her story of how going into heart failure at the age of 26 served as her wake up call to rest.
This episode of Black Oxygen features Wisconsin Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes. Lt. Governor Barnes discusses how much of the Black experience involves living in fear, based in legacy and current systems of oppression, and how this fear can prevent us from living fully into our freedom.
In 2016, Myra McNair, Marriage & Family Therapist and trauma specialist, founded Anesis Therapy Center - a therapy center that centers and provides culturally appropriate mental health care services for Black, Indigenous, and People Color (BIPOC). In this episode of Black Oxygen, Myra discusses key components of healing from historical and generational trauma. She emphasizes that healing can pass from one generation to the next.
Is it possible to survive and thrive as a black man in Wisconsin? Henry Sanders, Founder and CEO of Madison365 thinks that it is hard...but it is possible. In this episode of Black Oxygen, Henry describes his journey in navigating the white system, how his faith and family are his refuge, and his vision of helping Black folks shine in Wisconsin.
“Our society is defined by how we treat each other’s children," says Ali Muldrow. In this episode, building on her skills as a community activist, teacher, and doula, Ali Muldrow describes how Madison, WI is in the “active labor” phase of creating a more just society - a society that can be considered a sanctuary and a great place to be a child.
What does it take to live into your freedom as a black woman in Madison, WI? In this premier episode of Black Oxygen, spoken word artist and community leader Opal Tomasheska describes her journey. She says, “every artist is finding their freedom.” She closes this episode with a spoken word piece dedicated to Tony Robinson.