The Being Black Podcast

For this week's episode of the Being Black and Creating Space series, we're talking to Priscilla. Priscilla O. Agyeman, MPH is the founder of Saddie Baddies®: a virtual safe space for Black and multiracial people to destigmatize mental health and initiate collective healing. Saddie Baddies® is dedicated to bridging the gap between mental health awareness and minority communities through digital discourse, workshops, virtual and live events, and creative collaboration.Join in as we talk to Priscilla about her lived experiences, the story of the saddie baddies, and her vision and hopes for the future!Resources:Follow Priscilla on instagram! Follow saddie baddies on instagram! Listen to the Soft Life Pod!Subscribe to my monthly newsletter at iamcamillesmith.com for sneak peaks on guests!Follow our Instagram!IG: @thebengblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

For this week's episode of the Being Black and Creating Space series, we're talking to Keith and Kree Reid. Brothers Keith and Kree are wardrobe creative directors and CEOs of, The Journi. Philadelphia's First Black-owned same day luxury wardrobe concierge service established in 2015. Servicing the Philadelphia area and luxury residential properties.Join in as we talk to Keith and Kree about their two-step journey to become stylists, the creation of The Journi, and their mindset on where they're going next!Resources:Follow Keith on instagram!Follow Kree on instagram!Follow The Journi on instagram!Subscribe to my monthly newsletter at iamcamillesmith.com for sneak peaks on guests!Follow our Instagram!IG: @thebengblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

For this week's episode of the Being Black and Creating Space series, we're talking to Britney Turner. Britney Turner is a multi-hyphenate who moved from Chicago to New York six years ago to pursue her dream career of working in fashion and beauty. As a curator of all things entrepreneurship and wellness, she loves to share tips with her audience on how they can become a more balanced boss by infusing the right mindset habits into their daily routine.Join in as we talk to Britney about her experiences being a creative, launching her businesses The Boss Up and Meraki, and the importance of mental health and wellness as an entrepreneur!Resources:Follow Britney on instagram, The Boss Up Inc., and Meraki!Subscribe to my monthly newsletter at iamcamillesmith.com for sneak peaks on guests!Follow our Instagram!IG: @thebengblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

For this week's episode of the Being Black and Creating Space series, we're talking to Tayo Kuku Jr. The Nigerian native began his career in Civil Engineering, but soon shifted his focus to follow his passion of photography— a medium through which he explores and celebrates human life and experiences via captivating imagery and visual storytelling.Join in as we talk to Tayo about his experience as a photographer, pivot from his 9-5 job to full time entrepreneurship, and advice he has for others trying to do a similar thing! Resources:Follow Tayo on instagram and twitter!Subscribe to my monthly newsletter at iamcamillesmith.com for sneak peaks on guests!Follow our Instagram!IG: @thebengblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

For this week's episode of the Being Black and Creating Space series, we're talking to Rashan Brown. Rashan Brown aka Rush (The Mic) is a Spoken-Word Poet, Actor, Public Speaker, Executive Producer, Educator and Founder of poetry me, please. PMP is a spoken-word poetry platform that provides a stage for poets across the world to showcase their talents through creative verbal expression. Since the founding of poetry me, please in 2021, Rashan has hosted NYC's largest poetry showcases with an average of 300 attendees and ranges over 400 on a bi-monthly basis.Join in as we talk to Rashan about his experience as a poet, as a Black man in the space, and starting Poetry Please and being an entrepreneur.Resources:Follow Rashan's Instagram and Poetry Me Please on Instagram!Subscribe to my monthly newsletter at iamcamillesmith.com for sneak peaks on guests!Follow our Instagram!IG: @thebengblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

For this week's episode of the Being Black and Creating Space series, we're talking to Coach Zha! Zha is the founder of @coachzha and @blackgirlspilatesclub. Zha created @blackgirlspilatesclub, a digital and live wellness community created to celebrate, invigorate, and educate Black womxn and girls on the art of Pilates. As a solidcore instructor and mat pilates instructor in training, Zha is ensuring Black womxn and Girls feel supported and seen in this space to be able to focus their efforts on training and not microaggressions.Join in as we talk about Zha's journey creating Black Girls Pilates Club, how she's gotten to where she is, and how she navigates the wellness space as a Black woman!Resources:Follow Coach Zha's instagram and Black Girls Pilates Club instagram!Subscribe to my monthly newsletter at iamcamillesmith.com for sneak peaks on guests!Follow our instagrams!IG: @thebeingblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

For this week's episode of the Being Black and Creating Space series, we're talking to Kevin Stephenson Jr.! He is a 26-year-old, travel and commercial photographer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has been able to make his journey full of limitless thinking and decisions.Join in as we talk about Kevin's journey from construction to photography, his recent transition to in front of the camera, and his work within the community!Resources:Follow Kevin on his personal instagram , agency instagram, and tiktok!Subscribe to my monthly newsletter for sneak peaks on guests!iamcamillesmith.comFollow our instagrams!IG: @thebeingblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

For this week's episode of the Being Black and Creating Space series, we're talking to Alexa Moore! She is a travel content creator, blogger, and social media strategist based out of the Washington, DC area. She's traveled to almost 50 countries. She created her blog and social media platform, Lilmsawkward, in 2019 to encourage her audience of over 120,000 followers, primarily women of color, to travel the world.Join in as we talk about Alexa's journey as a world traveler, her experience as a solo traveler, and how she's managed to become a travel content creator!Resources:Follow Alexa on her instagram and tiktok!iamcamillesmith.comIG: @thebeingblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

For this week's episode, we're kickstarting our Being Black and Creating Space series where we talk to Black creators and creatives shaking up the fields they're in! We're starting with Fola Amudipe aka @folahontas! She is a Los Angeles based digital creator, storyteller, and educator passionate about bridging communities through the promotion of healthy hair care and culturally enriching budget-luxury travel experiences.Join in as we talk about Fola's journey as a creator, how she got to where she is, always betting on yourself, and more!Resources:Follow Fola on her instagram, tiktok, youtube, and pinterest!Sign up for her Bali trip here!iamcamillesmith.comIG: @thebeingblackpodcast @iamcamillesmith

Esther Olu is an R&D formulation scientist, esthetician, educator, and science communicator who is a passionate advocate for dispelling misinformation within the beauty industry and continually striving to make a difference in the lives and skin health of many. She has helped bring creative cosmetic innovations from the lab to the shelves of retailers you know and love. Her expertise has been featured in many publications, such as Vogue Business, Sunday Times, the Financial Times, and more. She graduated from UC Riverside with a dual degree in Chemistry and Media & Cultural Studies, and more recently, her third degree with honors from the University of Cincinnati with a Masters in Pharmaceutical Science with an emphasis on cosmetic science.

Sarah Adewumi is a proud alumna of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore where she obtained her Bachelors of Science degree in Aviation Science while serving as the 51st Miss University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Information Systems at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland College Park. She is also the founder of ‘Next Gen in STEM', whose goal is to empower and promote the education of the next generation of leaders in the STEM industry.

In this week's episode, I welcome Julian Sass, a biomathematics and statistics PhD candidate at Duke University. We talk about his educational background, his journey into skincare, and some product recommendations you won't want to miss! You can follow Julian @scamander14 on Instagram and twitter!

In this episode, I talk to Praise Asalu about his experience as a model, content creator, and full time college student. We talk sneakers, fashion, and everything in between. Follow @king.asalu on instagram and tiktok!

Happy Black History Month! We are kickstarting the month with Cass Foley! Cass is a lifestyle and tourism content creator based in Philadelphia. She highlights everything from dining at restaurants, local experiences, unique travel stays, health and wellness recommendations, and more! Follow her on @cassandthecity for more recommendations and experiences!

TRIGGER WARNING: In this episode, we talk about sensitive topics including suicide and experiencing homelessness. If these topics are sensitive for you, please be mindful.This week, we're welcoming Nafees Norris a 27 year old North Philadelphia native to the podcast! He has quite the journey to end up as a scientist at a top 10 pharmaceutical company! Follow him on social media @nafeesnorris to keep up with him!

In this episode, I welcome back N'Dea to the podcast to talk about how our friendship has grown, our 2021 Engineering gala, and our plans for 2022!

On this podcast, we talk about what it means to be Black in every space we find ourselves in... come join in on the conversation!

This episode I welcome my mother to talk about her journey as a 2 time breast cancer survivor. This episode is very sensitive to me because it was a very emotionally draining experience, but I am so happy to have such an informative episode to round out Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you or someone you know is going through their journey now, please do not hesitate to reach out to my mom and the organizations described in the episode!

In this week's episode, I welcome Joshua Meekins, a creative that does a little bit of everything! We talk about his journey as a young creative finding his way with few people to look up to. Joshua has been a big part in making me comfortable in this new creative space I'm in, and he drops plenty of gems on how you can get comfortable too!

We are back, and this episode is NEEDED! I talk to Niayla-dia Murray, a current 2L student at Drexel about our hair journeys, hair discrimination in the academic and professional space, and tips we have for other naturals starting their journeys! Follow @thebeingblackpod on Instagram to keep up with guest highlights, new episodes, and more!

As I was going through some files, I found the original voice note that I sent to my friends explaining what I wanted The Being Black Podcast to be. It all started as an IGTV on my instagram (@iamcamillesmith). I recorded this on December 9th, 2020, and everything is coming to fruition right in front of me. Thank you for your support.

This week's episode I talk with Camille Bethune-Brown, a disabled Mixed- Race Black woman currently based in Southern California and Washington D.C that is both a historian and curator. She works at the intersection of race and disability studies, and is an expert of late 19th and 20th century African American culture and historiography in relation to the emergence of museums and memory-making. We talked about her work with @AntiRacismDaily and her current position as an executive curator. Follow @curatingcamille, @iamcamillesmith, and @thebeingblackpod to keep up with us!

Starting off Season 3 of The Being Black Pod by sharing my vision for the show moving forward. This sets the tone for the remainder of the season. Follow @iamcamillesmith and @thebeingblackpod to keep up!

To end season 2, I welcome Chayla Sherrod, a Villanova Alumni from Bridgeport, CT, that currently attends Penn Law. We talk about her experiences as a Fulbright Scholar, her application process, and how her transition back to the states was. Chayla holds a very special place in my heart, and I am sure after this episode she will in yours too!This episode is sponsored by @womenwhoengineer! Follow them on instagram for a daily dose of women kicking ass.

Dayo and I talked about the Enneagram, a type of personality test. Dayo runs @theblackenneagram which aims to bring the Enneagram to the Black community. We talked about our types, why Dayo feels it is so important, and advice she has for other black creatives. Follow @thebeingblackpod and @theblackenneagram on Instagram to keep up with us!

In this week's episode, Alexis and I explore our experiences with code switching. We reflect on where we feel the need to code switch, when, and why we do it. This was a very interesting episode for me because until college I didn't have the vocabulary to identify what I had been doing my entire life. I am sure you will enjoy this episode. When do you feel the need to code switch the most? Follow @thebeingblackpod on instagram to chat about it!Thank you to @womenwhoengineer for sponsoring this episode! Follow them on instagram!

This week I talked with Montay, a Temple University and University of Pennsylvania graduate, about family dynamics within the Black Community. This conversation covered his upbringing in Philadelphia with his grandmother, things he has learned through his schooling in social work, and what we want to continue to do if/ when we decide to have kids moving forward. Head over the Montay's youtube (Tay Loso) and subscribe! Follow @thebeingblackpod on instagram!

This week, I welcomed Fredrick Lewis, a student at the University of Houston , to talk about how we both have had to unlearn whitewashed history. I found this topic to be very interesting because we both had distinct events that we could look back on that we realized something we were learning was not adding up. Fredrick is such a cool person and I encourage you to follow him!Be sure to follow Fredrick on instagram (@fredricklewis_) and tiktok (@fredrick_lewis1) where he talks about "Hushed Conversations" and "Things we should have learned in school but didn't"

This week I welcome by restaurant partner in crime, Chidinma Chioke, to talk about her experience being Black and African. This was a very cool conversation not only because we talk about the unspoken dichotomy between Black Americans and Africans, but we talk about the endeavors we have both faced with "gatekeepers" of Black culture. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too!

As a special Women's History Month Episode, I have welcomed 3 black woman to talk about their experiences! I welcome back N'Dea Irvin-Choy, a biomedical engineering PhD student, and I welcome Kristen Bush, a Master's in Energy Systems student, and Nettie Brown, a biomedical engineering PhD student. We talked about our favorite black woman figures, the importance of representation, and the unique struggles black women tend to face. I absolutely loved talking to these ladies, and I know you will enjoy listening just as much!This episode is sponsored by @womenwhoengineer, the epicenter for women in or aspiring to be in engineering. Follow them on Instagram for a daily dose of women kicking ass!Follow them on social media!:N'Dea Irvin-Choy: @bmekweenKristen Bush: @the.curly.engineerNettie Brown: @nettiebssciencetea

This week, I welcome Ciara Harris, an actor currently playing Alana Beck and understudying Zoe Murphy in the First National Tour of Dear Evan Hansen. During our conversation, we talk about the importance of representation, things that actors of color face that we may not think about, and the work the musical arts industry still needs to do to be inclusive of all actors. Ciara has a podcast of her own that I urge you to listen to: https://www.queenmadeoflight.org/queen-made-of-light-the-podcast Follow her on IG: @ciaraalyseharris Follow her podcast on IG: @queenmadeoflightthepodcast

In this week's episode, I welcome Tyla Christmas, a skincare enthusiast to talk about figuring out skincare. We talk about where her love for skincare came from, the importance of consistency when taking care of your skin, and that everyone needs to be wearing sunscreen! I really enjoyed talking to Tyla, and hope you enjoy it too! Social Media: Tyla: @tyla_inaaani https://linktr.ee/TylaRX Camille: @iamcamillesmith https://linktr.ee/iamcamillesmith

In this episode, I kick off Season 2 alone to talk briefly about my thoughts on the current spike of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. I also give updates on what the next season will look like and what I hope those watching can do to help me grow! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss weekly Being Black episodes every Friday at 5pm EST!

This week, I welcome a close friend of mine, Myah Massenburg. Myah is a master's bioengineering student at Syracuse University, and her and I were the only black woman in the chemical engineering graduating class of 2020. During our conversation, we talk about our unique experiences as black woman in engineering, the differences she sees between her undergraduate and graduate studies, and her experiences as a D1 volleyball player on top of her studies. This is an episode you will not want to miss.

In this week's episode, I welcome Anthony Dongfack, a graduated senior from Boston University to talk about navigating the corporate world. Although we are both new to this space, we spoke about our experiences looking for jobs, going through the interview process, and the importance of growing and sustaining your network. This episode is perfect for black people looking for jobs. Be sure to follow @yourgoldengoals on Instagram to ensure you are doing what you can for yourself professionally! Also check out their linktree: https://linktr.ee/yourgoldengoals

This week, I welcomed Madisen English, a Content Creator and Blogger based in Charlotte, NC with a focus on natural hair, clean beauty, and wellness. She enjoys sharing safe beauty products and tips/tutorials that can help women of color achieve healthy natural hair and clear skin. We talked about being black in the creative space, her experience as a black creator, and her advice for up and coming creators.

In this week's episode, I welcome N'Dea Irvin-Choy, a PhD candidate studying biomedical engineering at the University of Delaware. We talked about what it is like being a black woman in a room, the differences between undergraduate and graduate school, and advice we have for perspective engineers! This episode is very near to my heart because as a black woman that went through engineering without an sort of role model that looked like me being able to talk to N'Dea was very special and I hope it is just as special to you!

In this week's episode, I welcome Sanaa Barnes, a junior at Villanova University studying English! She is a two sport D1 athlete. We talked about how colorism has affected us in the classroom, in social settings, and in our love lives. We talked about the intersections we saw between complexion and hair type, and our experiences with colorism within our own community. It is our hope that this conversation brings light to parts of colorism that can be damaging to brown skinned but specifically darker skinned people and encourage us as a community to stop perpetuating Eurocentric beauty standards!

In this week's episode, I welcome Taylor Roberts, a Columbia University graduate that is now pursing her Juris Doctor degree. She hopes as a lawyer she will be able to advocate for her communities and diversify the legal field. We talk about the importance of representation, the true meaning of allyship, and the necessity of reaching out to the communities you want to help. I really enjoyed talking to Taylor about her experiences, and I hope you enjoy listening just as much!

In this episode, I welcome Aaron Sykes, a recent 2020 chemical engineering graduate from Villanova University to talk about Being Black navigating mental health. During our conversation, we talk about our mental health journeys, differences we see between our generation and our parents, and finding the balance between being grateful and protecting our personal health. This episode will be the first of many on mental health, and I am very happy I could start this conversation with Aaron!

In this episode, I welcome Danielle Burns! Danielle also know as Danni B received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science concentrating on intersectionality, and now is pursing her Masters in Political Science focusing on International Relations. Once she receives her Masters, she plans to attend law school and practice civil rights law. Danni and I talk about the recent insurrection that occurred in the United States on January 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. We talked about our emotions, blatant double standards, and where the United States should go from here. I deeply enjoyed our conversation, and I think you will too!

In this episode, I welcome Richard Annan, a recent 2020 Villanova graduate hailing from Delaware. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Entrepreneurship. During our conversation, we talk about our experiences within white spaces, 'code switching,' and how we all need to steer away from the "color blindness" approach and challenge ourselves to create friendships and relationships with the awareness of the different experiences we will all have due to race and many other factors.

In today's podcast, I explain why I am making it, what I will be talking about moving forward, and the goal I am trying to accomplish! I started an IGTV series, Being Black w/ Camille Smith, on my Instagram (@iamcamillesmith) back in July 2020 that I will be dedicating these podcasts to. It is my hope that these episodes can provide insight into some of the black experience, and ultimately through storytelling encourage empathy!I will be posting podcasts every Friday at 5pm EST. I also have a YouTube Channel (iamcamillesmith) that will have the same audio content with a video!Follow me on instagram (@iamcamillesmith) to keep up with guests!Disclaimer: All the stories told during these episodes are personal stories that should not be used to represent the entirety of the black community. It is my hope that these episodes will give insight into how being black has shaped our experiences, and as I bring on more guests, more perspectives will be represented. I want to give black people a safe space to share our common experiences, and I hope non-black people can benefit from listening to conversations they otherwise may not hear. You may hear people that you know in these videos. Because they were willing to speak about certain topics on the show, does not give you free reign to speak to them about it at any time. Please be respectful. This show aims to elicit empathy and compassion for other people, specifically black people.