Breathe, Baby, Breathe: The Fresh Air of African Values

"We can catch our own babies....We owe it to our ancestors to get all-the-way free." –Melanie FunchessIn love, Jackie Dozier, Melanie Funchess, aka "Mama Mel," and Sherita D. Bullock, aka "The Baby Lady," are leading the effort in Rochester, NY, to rebuild the Black  "Village." Known as "Shermakie," a combination of their three names, Jackie, Melanie, and Sherita are self-described gatekeepers of  the Black village. Jackie, Melanie, and Sherita are  modern-day QueenMothers who demonstrate not only the centrality  of Black women in the movement for emotional emancipation and the complete liberation of people of African ancestry, but the sheer power of Black sisterhood. 

Knowing our history is knowing ourselves; it is how we become more of ourselves.In this episode we explore Black love and Black humanity through a set of love letters exchanged between a young Black man and Black woman captured in Dear Mary, Dear Luther: A Courtship in Letters  by Jill Marie Snyder.  Snyder is the daughter of the young couple, Mary and Luther, and through the story of her parent's romance and courtship, she captures the truth of Black people, relationships, and the family. In this interview we continue to dismantle the lie of White superiority and Black inferiority by unearthing and illuminating the narratives of Black men and women in their own words.

"Black love, provide the adequate electric for what is lapsed and lenient in us now. Rouse us from blur.  Call us." –Gwendolyn Brooks "Love is both a noun and a verb....When we are in close proximity, love multiplies....When we come together our natural selves come through." –Dominic ColemanWhat does it mean to love?  What does it mean to be loved?  What does it mean for Black people to love each other?  The journey towards emotional emancipation is a journey of courage fueled by love. Join us in this discovery of Black self-love, individually and collectively, with a husband and wife team of  Emotional Emancipation Facilitators. Kia Lanae and Dominic Coleman are a modern-day renaissance couple! As certified emotional emancipation facilitators and community-oriented entrepreneurs, they have partnered with multiple community organizations and initiatives over the past 20 years, particularly those that empower and uplift the African American community and spirit. By trade, Dominic is a licensed general contractor and Kia is an empowerment speaker, writer, artist, and creator of “Edify Newsletter” whose mission is to inspire, uplift, and honor the African Diaspora. For more information visit edifynewsletter.com.

We dedicate this episode to the late Ms. Cicely Tyson. We continue our conversations with Dr. Kelley Page Jibrell who is a recent doctoral graduate of African Studies and Adjunct Professor of International Business at Howard University. She is also a global strategy consultant with Sachem Global, LLC, and has worked in every region in Africa and across 25 countries worldwide. Dr. Jibrell is also known as QueenMother Akua Kalia Adayé of the Royal Brong Kingdom in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. 

"We all have a contribution and a legacy." –QueenMother Akua Kalia AdayéIn this episode, we engage with Dr. Kelley Page Jibrell who is a recent doctoral graduate of African Studies and Adjunct Professor of International Business at Howard University. She is also a global strategy consultant with Sachem Global, LLC, and has worked in every region in Africa and across 25 countries worldwide. Dr. Jibrell is also known as QueenMother Akua Kalia Adayé of the Royal Brong Kingdom in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. Part two of our conversation with QueenMother is forthcoming.

In episode five we talk with Dr. Nikitah Okembe-RA Imani, Professor of Black Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, about becoming "we" people. How do we shift from the Western perspective of "I am" to the African perspective of "we are"? Join us on CHNConnect to continue this conversation as we connect, learn, heal, and grow together in the spirit of Ubuntu.

In this episode, we engage in a healing discussion with Dr. Cheryl Tawede Grills, Professor of Psychology at Loyola Marymount University and Past President of the Association of Black Psychologists and Dr. Taasogle Daryl Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University, and also Past President of the Association of Black Psychologists. What is the African perspective of healing? How does African philosophy apply to emotional emancipation?  Our cultural conversation with Dr. Grllls and Dr. Rowe is a recording from our annual celebration Community Healing Days celebration, October 16-18, 2020. We dedicate this episode to the life and legacy of Nana Dr. Patricia Newton "Nana Pat" who worked tirelessly for the emotional emancipation of people of Black African ancestry.

In episode three we engage with Dr. Lisa Ncube, Assistant Provost of Institutional Assessment and Professor at North Park University in Chicago. Dr. Ncube is also the author of the often-cited article "Ubuntu: A Transformative Leadership Philosophy." What an incredibly healing experience as Dr. Ncube guides our listeners in the ways of Ubuntu so that we, people of Black African ancestry, can start to reclaim our humanness. We no longer need to search for our belonging because we are the sons and daughters of Africa. Nothing and no one can sever us from her. 

Enola G. Aird, Founder and President of the Community Healing Network (CHN), joins us in this second episode of Breathe, Baby, Breathe: The Fresh Air of African Values. From the origins of CHN to the final vision of a world where Black people have moved from surviving to thriving, we embark on a wonderful and deep conversation regarding the racially-charged times that surrounds us in 2020 as well as the steps Black people must take to move forward and reclaim their rightful place in the circle of humanity. The work of emotional emancipation from the lie of White superiority and Black inferiority is essential for non-Black people as well. As Enola asks, "Who will welcome us back into the circle of humanity?" 

Our first episode of Breathe, Baby, Breathe is a recording of our Africa Day Virtual Retreat: Breathing the Fresh Air of African Values, held on Monday, May 25th. It was a time to lift our collective spirits and ground ourselves by remembering who and whose we are as the children of Africa. We invite you to sit back, open your mind and your heart, and breathe...Listeners' note: we were unable to remove approximately 90 seconds of the background noise that occurs during President Aird's opening remarks. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.