The ZAMI NOBLA Podcast

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Arlene is a community psychologist who recently retired from the CDC.  While there she worked as a behavioral scientist focusing on capacity building as it relates to HIV prevention.  She received her BA in Psychology from the University of Tampa, MA in Counseling and Human Development from Clark Atlanta University and PhD in Community Psychology from Georgia State University.  After beginning her public health work, she realized a need to augment her education and completed an MPH from Emory University.  Arlene is also a veteran and retired from the US Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  As a Black lesbian her work and adult life has included finding ways to show up in an authentic manner and make space for others to do the same.  Currently she works as a consultant on an HIV prevention project focused on encouraging Black women to view PrEP usage as an act of self-care, she is also growing a garden and a forest.

Kaila Adia Story, PhD is an associate professor in the Departments of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Pan-African Studies, as well as the Audre Lorde Endowed Chair at the University of Louisville. She is the author of The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On The Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity, which comes out this May. She is also the co-creator, co-producer, and cohost of Louisville Public Media's Strange Fruit: Musings on Politics, Pop Culture, and Black Gay Life, a popular award-winning podcast. Her research examines the intersections of race and sexuality, with special attention to Black feminism, Black lesbians, and Black queer identity.  IG: @doctressstory Facebook: Kaila Adia Story Threads: @doctressstory BlueSky: @doctressstory.bsky.social Website: www.doctressstory.com

Alexis Pauline Gumbs' Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde Book Reading Information: https://www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/survival-promise-eternal-life-audre-lorde-homecoming-celebration-alexis-pauline-gumbs-and   Book Reading Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/survival-is-a-promise-the-eternal-life-of-audre-lorde-tickets-938622193247?aff=oddtdtcreator   A queer black troublemaker, a black feminist love evangelist and a prayer poet priestess, Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs was the first scholar to research the Audre Lorde Papers at Spelman College, the June Jordan Papers at Harvard University, and the Lucille Clifton Papers at Emory University during her dissertation research. We are eagerly awaiting her forthcoming biography, Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde on August 20, 2024. https://www.alexispauline.com/   Alexis's work as a media maker and her curricula for participatory digital education have been activated in 143 countries.  Her digital distribution initiative BrokenBeautiful Press, her work as co-founder of Quirky Black Girls and her loving participation in the Women of Color Bloggers Network in the early 2000's established her as one of the forerunners of the social media life of feminist critical and creative practice.   Alexis has been honored with many awards from her communities of practice including being lifted up on lists such as UTNE Readers 50 Visionaries Transforming the World, The Advocate's 40 under 40, Go Magazines 100 Women We Love, the Bitch 50 List, ColorLines 10 LGBTQ Leaders Transforming the South, Reproductive Justice Reality Check's Sheroes and more.  She is a proud recipient of the Too Sexy for 501C-3 trophy, a Black Women's Blueprint Visionary Award and the Barnard College Outstanding Young Alumna Award.   From 2017-2019, Alexis served as visiting Winton Chair at University of Minnesota where she collaborated with Black feminist artists in the legacy of Laurie Carlos to create collaborative performances based on her books Spill and M Archive.  During that time she served as dramaturg for the award winning world premiere of Sharon Bridgforth's Dat Black Mermaid Man Lady directed by Ebony Noelle Golden.   Alexis is a 2023 Windham-Campbell Prize Winner in Poetry. Alexis's most recent book Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals won the 2022 Whiting Award in Nonfiction.   Alexis was a 2020-2021 National Humanities Center Fellow, funded by the Founders Award, and is a 2022 National Endowment of the Arts Creative Writing Fellow.      Original Photography of Alexis Pauline Gumbs by: Sufia Ikbal-Doucet   Graphic Design of cover art image by: Angela Denise Davis

This book party was hosted on May 27, 2023, at Charis Books & More in Decatur, Georgia. It featured esteemed writer Sharon Bridgforth in conversation with ZAMI NOBLA creative director Angela Denise Davis in celebration of bull-jean & dem/dey back.   You can view the YouTube video of this event at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6EcaVl7dxo   The ZNP previous interview of Sharon Bridgforth: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/zaminobla/id/21629876   Bull-jean & dem/dey back is a collection that unites two performance/novels centered on the southern-Black-butch-heroine, bull-jean. The Lambda Literary Award-winning bull-jean stories was first published by RedBone Press in 1998 and follows the journey of love rekindling throughout the lifetimes of bull-dog-jean. After a twenty-two-year hiatus, bull-dog-jean triumphantly returns in bull-jean/we wake. As the Narrator grieves the loss of their elders and seeks healing, they summon bull-jean for guidance. Be sure not to miss this inspiring event!   A 2022 Winner of Yale's Windham Campbell Prize in Drama, Sharon Bridgforth is 2020-2023 Playwrights' Center Core Member, a 2022-2023 McKnight National Fellow and a New Dramatists alumnae. She has received support from The Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, Creative Capital, MAP Fund and the National Performance Network. Her work is featured in Teaching Black: The Craft of Teaching on Black Life and Literature, Mouths of Rain an Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought and Feminist Studies Vol 48  Number 1, honoring 40 years of This Bridge Called by Back and But Some of Us Are Brave! Sharon has had the privilege of benefiting from support from the ZAMI NOBLA and Charis Books communities since 1998, when she toured with the RedBone Press edition of the bull-jean stories. In her new book, bull-jean & dem/dey back (53rd State Press) bull-jean returns in two performance/novels - both will be produced as main stage productions at Pillsbury House + Theatre in Minneapolis, MN in 2023. More at: https://www.sharonbridgforth.com  

Together We Heal: COVID-19's Mental Health Effects on Older Black Same Gender Loving Women Thursday, December 14, 2023 (ZOOM webinar)   Findings from a COVID-19 Community Research Study led by Dr. Tonia Poteat, and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and Mary Anne Adams, MSW, and ZAMI NOBLA: National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging   The panelist discussed the mental health impacts of the pandemic, shared their insights, and provided strategies for healing and wellness.   The panel was sponsored by BEAM Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective   Panelists: Dr. Tonia Poteat Dr. Dionne Bates Jowanna Tillman Edonna Koon Moderator: Mary Anne Adams   Jowanna Tillman and Edonna Koon Talk about Living the RV Life Release Date: 02/09/2020 https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/zaminobla/id/13073057   Dr. Dionne Bates Speaks on the Power of Words, Emotional Health, and Freedom Release Date: 08/15/2018 https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/zaminobla/id/6932186   Dr. Tonia Poteat on Deserving Research that Reflects Your Real Life Lived Experience Release Date: 12/05/2018 https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/zaminobla/id/7814816  

This interview was recorded in February 2024. Sangodare (Julia Roxanne Wallace) is a sweet space for transformation. Sangodare comes from a thick legacy of Black Baptist preachers and church leaders and currently activates Black Feminist sermonics at a weekly Sunday Service held by Mobile Homecoming Trust. As co-founder of Black Feminist Film School (2012), Visiting Artist in Film at Lawrence University (2017-18) and Artist in Residence at UMN-Twin Cities in the Art Department (2017-19), Sangodare brings a creative, evolutionary and love filled approach to filmmaking, composing, interactive design and preaching. As co-founder of Black Feminist Film School (founded along with Sista Docta Alexis Pauline Gumbs, APG) Sangodare created Ritual Screening, a film viewing technology that is interactive and grounded in Black Feminist practice and our non-linear reality. As co-founder of Mobile Homecoming with APG, a national experiential archive project, Sangodare amplifies generations of Black LGBTQ brilliance. Sangodare's most recent exhibition called Inherit Light: An Evolutionary Practice of Love Consciousness (including a month long gallery exhibition at UMN in 2018) engages Black southern preaching and singing legacies, sound, altars, sacred implements through sculpture and installations, film and nature. It also features small and large-scale ruminations on round sculpture and buildings - domes. The dome in Inherit Light is the multi-sensory and interactive sacred space where Sangodare's invocations and sermons are ignited through the site-specific exhibits of Inherit Light. Sangodare  (pronounced shahn-GO-dar-ay)   Sangodare's Website https://www.sangodare.com/   Mobile Homecoming https://www.mobilehomecoming.org/live   A Sweet Space for Growth & Transformation https://sangodare.podia.com/   Quirc https://quirc.app/

In February 2024, The ZAMI NOBLA Podcast sat down to talk with Kendra Bryant Aya and Cyndi Ixchele Aya about their internet creation, “This is US: Unscripted Sundays with Kindy.” The couple shared the joys and challenges of maintaining a digital presence and the sacredness of storytelling.    Kendra N. Bryant (s/hers) is a Black lesbian womanist, a fraternal twin, who enjoys reading, writing, singing, dancing & shucking & jiving to & about all things Black. She spends too much time theorizing about white America's hypocrisy; fangirls over Alice Walker; writes tankas & haikus; & trips the light fantastic to Kanye West, Aretha Franklin, & Lauryn Hill. When the spirit moves her, Kendra paints & collages, too. She endeavors to be a renowned poet. In the meantime, she works as an associate professor of English at North Carolina A&T State University. Read more about Kendra at drknbryant.com.   Cyndi Ixchele Aya (s/hers) is a queer Black woman and a mother of two sons who enjoys assisting people in developing tools and practices that promote their healing. She is a licensed clinical mental health counselor with 15+ years counseling experience. Cyndi Ixchele leans into non-traditional healing methods through her energy work as a reiki master, which informs the holistic approach she takes in supporting her clients' mind-body-spirit selves. She believes when people consider their whole selves, they are more likely to engage in healing practices that fully support their lived experiences. Read more about Cyndi and her practices at innerversations.com.   Follow them at the links below: Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@we.are.kindy   Instagram https://www.instagram.com/we.are.kindy/

Lana Williams is the Board Chair of ZAMI NOBLA (National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging). She is a Financial Coach, with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Her experience includes banking, mergers and acquisitions, investment advising, and bank industry consulting with some of the largest Fortune 500 companies.  Positions she's held include Regional Sales Manager, Senior Sales Consultant, and Project Manager.  As a Financial Coach, Lana helps clients develop healthy money habits. She educates and works one-on-one with them to create a financial plan that reflects their goals. Together they structure budgets, implement debt payoff strategies, and create savings plans. She also serves as an accountability partner, cheerleader, and support. Lana is a graduate of Florida A&M University and holds a bachelor's degree in Economics.  She has been an active volunteer most of her adult life.  In addition to her current role as Chair of the Board of Directors, Lana has previously served on boards including Forth Tuesday, and In the Life Atlanta both in the LGBTQ+ community in Atlanta, GA. She also served on the United Way Allocations Committee.  Lana is an avid traveler, and lover of music, theater, photography, and most recent, camping.   lana@lwilliamfinance.com 404.490.1872   Ebook: The Financial Detox https://payhip.com/b/W8B1g   Website https://www.lwilliamfinance.com/   IG https://www.instagram.com/lwilliamfinance   TickTock https://www.tiktok.com/@lwilliamfinance   YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@lwilliampersonalfinanceedu3863   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lwilliamfinance

Lynnette White and Sabrina Francis-White sat down with Angela to share how a Blind date turned into a Fairy Tale Come True. And to discuss what it takes to sustain 32 years of love, understanding and marriage. As they continue to plan their next adventure in life.

Mary Hooks is a 42yr old, Black, lesbian, feminist, abolitionist, pan-Africanist, mother, wife and a member of Southerners On New Ground and part of the leadership of the Movement 4 Black Lives.  Mary joined SONG as a member in 2009 and began organizing with SONG in 2010.  Mary's commitment to Black liberation, which encompasses the liberation of LGBTQ folks, is rooted in her experiences growing up under the impacts of the War on Drugs.  Her people are migrants of the Great Migration, factory workers, church folks, Black women, hustlers and addicts, dykes, studs, femmes, queens and all people fighting for the liberation of oppressed people. Mary Hooks believes that in order to reach a world that is free from fear and the safety and dignity of all people can be honored, Black people, oppressed people, and all those who are impacted by white supremacy must vision a new world, build our collective power, both locally and globally and take action.  She has been passionate about transformative organizing work that changes hearts and minds and has been at the forefront of combating racism, by taking on fights that impact the lives of Black and brown queer and trans people in the South, such as the work to abolish money bail, defunding police, re-imagining public safety and developing new organizers.  When she is not ripping the eyebrows off of white supremacy and injustice, you can find Hooks plotting, scheming, and dreaming, but most of all loving on her people.  “The mandate; to avenge the suffering of our ancestors, to earn the respect of future generations, and to be transformed in the service of the work. Let's get free ya'll!” - Mary Hooks   

The ZAMI NOBLA North Carolina State Chapter holds a monthly potluck. I took a road trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, to experience one of these gatherings and had the pleasure of interviewing one of their members, Marilyn McClain. Marilyn McClain's Bio: I Am a body Alchemist. One who is patient, grounded, wise, modest and who enjoys learning and teaching. My mind and soul are open. Love is my greatest tool. I use my inner strength and spirit to transform the lives of others through movement and visioning. I am a licensed physical therapist in the state of North Carolina. I have been practicing for 20 years.  I am certified as an instructor for Tai Chi for Immunity and Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention. There are many forms of exercise and I assist clients in discovering what resonates with their whole being. ZAMI NOBLA North Carolina Chapter info: https://www.zaminobla.org/chapters ZAMI NOBLA North Carolina Chapter Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1157415168054367 Janyce Jackson Jones (President- ZAMI NOBLA North Carolina State Chapter)  interview: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/zaminobla/id/17779127

Stephanie Anne Johnson is a second-generation theater practitioner. Her mother Virginia Johnson (Green) worked with The American Negro Theatre In N.Y. ​Johnson has been a lighting designer for over forty years. Nationally she has done designs for La Mama Theatre (N.Y.), Telluride Repertory Theatre (Colorado), The Arizona Repertory Theatre, The National Black Theater, and The Apollo (N.Y.). Locally, she has worked with Cultural Odyssey, Rhodessa Jones, Afro Solo, Ubuntu Theatre, African American Shakespeare Company, The Aurora Theater, Shotgun Players, The Marin Theatre Company, and many other groups. Her design work has also been seen in India, The Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Canada and France. She was awarded a Gerbode Design Fellowship in partnership with Cultural Odyssey of San Francisco in 1998. Photographs of Ms. Johnson's designs were included in the show Onstage: A Century of African American Stage Design which was presented at The N.Y. Public Library For The Performing Arts in 1995. Stephanie also has written, directed and performed in theater presentations.   Stephanie's One-Woman Show: "Every 21 Days Cancer & Yoga & Me " July 21, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTEprQN0sRE Stephanie's Website: Light Essence Design https://www.lightessencedesign.com/?fbclid=IwAR1PRWIoov_uuprv1a3L-zGK7xARGG_yAGb3QbNs43-G1ay16pJoOjmLOxA

M Shelly Conner, Ph.D.,  is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Central Arkansas. Her multi-genre writings examine culture through a dapperqueer womanist lens and include publications in Crisis Magazine, the A.V. Club, NBC News, and the Grio. Her debut novel "everyman", is currently available in hard cover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.  Shelly is repped by Beth Marshea at Ladderbird Agency. Her website: http://mshellyconner.com/m Buy the book: https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/everyman-dat0.html#541=94

The ZAMI NOBLA Podcast celebrated four years of serving as a sound source for Black lesbian herstory in August 2022. This episodes celebrates that achievement with excerpts from various episodes. Links to each episode can be found below. Kamilah Aisha Moon Talks about the Human Business of Poetry https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/kamilah-aisha-moon-talks-about-the-human-business-of-poetry   Cynthia Mckinney Takes on Heart Atttack Hill & Loses 52 Pounds https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/cynthia-mckinney-takes-on-heart-atttack-hill-loses-52-pounds Cheryl Clarke Takes us to School https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/cheryl-clarke-takes-us-to-school Deidre McCalla is no 9 to 5 Singer Songwriter https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/deidre-mccalla-is-no-9-to-5-singer-songwriter Jillian Ford Talks Shop on Education, Innovation, and DeColonized Classrooms https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/jillian-ford-talks-shop-on-education-innovation-and-decolonized-classrooms Joi and Jane Mitchell Talk about Work and Residency Abroad https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/joi-and-jane-mitchell-talk-about-work-and-residency-abroad Jowanna Tillman and Edonna Koon Talk about Living the RV Life https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/jowanna-tillman-and-edonna-koon-talk-about-living-the-rv-life Rev. Maressa Pendermon Speaks on Normalizing Grief and Creating a Toolbox for Emotional Well-being https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/rev-maressa-pendermon-speaks-on-normalizing-grief-and-creating-a-toolbox-for-emotional-well-being Black Lesbian Comic Karen Williams Gets Serious About the Business of Being Funny https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/black-lesbian-comic-karen-williams-gets-serious-about-the-business-of-being-funny Ericka Huggins on Mothers, Mindfulness, and Meditation https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/ericka-huggins-on-mothers-mindfulness-and-meditation Trey Anthony Shines her Limelight on Love, Living Out Loud, and Vulnerability https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/ep-002-trey-anthony-shines-her-limelight-on-love-living-out-loud-and-vulnerability Dr. Tonia Poteat on, "Deserving Research that Reflects Your Real Life Lived Experience https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/dr-tonia-poteat-on-deserving-research-that-reflects-your-real-life-lived-experience Michelle Elizabeth Brown Talks about Podcasting, Poetry, and Pride https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/michelle-elizabeth-brown-talks-about-podcasting-poetry-and-pride Dr. Lourdes Dolores Follins On Black LGBT Health, Yoruba Spirituality, and Therapy https://zaminobla.libsyn.com/dr-lourdes-dolores-follins-on-black-lbgbt-health-yoruba-spirituality-and-therapy

Dr. Moya Bailey is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at Northwestern University. Her work focuses on marginalized groups' use of digital media to promote social justice and she is interested in how race, gender, and sexuality are represented in media and medicine. She is the digital alchemist for the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network and the Board President of Allied Media Projects, a Detroit-based movement media organization that supports an ever growing network of activists and organizers. She is a co-author of #HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice (MIT Press, 2020) and is the author of Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women's Digital Resistance (New York University Press, 2021). Visit her website: https://www.moyabailey.com/  

This interview was recorded via video conference on  October 29, 2021 by Angela Denise Davis. Gaye Adegbalola talked about her early years in Virginia, college life in Boston, and her career as a Blues musician, griot, and activist. Gaye Adegbalola's website: https://adegbalola.com/ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GayeAdegbalolaMusician/ Gaye Todd Adegbalola, a Blues Music Award winner, is best known musically as a founding member of Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women (1984 – 2009). The group recorded exclusively with Alligator Records. Additionally, she has 6 recordings on her own label, Hot Toddy Music (Todd is her family name). Gaye was born and raised in Fredericksburg, Virginia where she sat-in, picketed and protested its racism. She graduated as valedictorian of the then-segregated Walker-Grant High School, went “ up North” to Boston University to finish with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked as a technical writer for TRW Systems, a biochemical researcher at Rockefeller University, and a bacteriologist at Harlem Hospital. She has a Master's degree in Educational Media (with a concentration in photography) from Virginia State University.

Angela interviewed Dr. Emilie M. Townes on October 12, 2021, via video conference. Townes talked about growing up in Durham, North Carolina, her formative years in theological education and parachurch work, and the necessity of having a robust hope. Emilie M. Townes, an American Baptist clergywoman, is a native of Durham, NC.  She holds a DMin from the University of Chicago Divinity School and a PhD in Religion in Society and Personality from Northwestern University. Townes is the Dean and Distinguished Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, becoming the first African American to serve as its dean in 2013.  She is the former Mellon Professor of African American Religion and Theology at Yale University Divinity School where she was the first African American and first woman to serve as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.  In 2008, she was the first African American woman to serve as president of the American Academy of Religion and recently served as President of the Society for the Study of Black Religion from 2012-2016.  She taught on the faculties of Union Theological Seminary, NY and Saint Paul School of Theology. She is the editor of two collection of essays, author of four books including her groundbreaking book, Womanist Ethics and the Cultural Production of Evil.  She is a co-editor of two books. Townes was elected a Fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009. 

Angela sat down with Sharon Bridgforth on October 8, 2021, to record this interview via video conference. Bridgforth talked about her formative years, her pathway to healing, intergenerational mentoring, and her life as a touring artist in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharon Bridgforth's website https://www.sharonbridgforth.com/ Twin Cities PBS did a special on Pillsbury House Theatre - who GRACIOUSLY chose to feature "dat Black Mermaid Man Lady/The Show!!!" The special premiered on 7/10/21. https://www.datblackmermaidmanlady.com/the-show A Doris Duke Performing Artist, Sharon Bridgforth is a writer that creates ritual/jazz theatre. A 2020-2023 Playwrights' Center Core Member, Sharon has received support from Creative Capital, MAP Fund, the National Performance Network and is a New Dramatists alumnae. Sharon served as a dramaturg for the Urban Bush Women Choreographic Center Initiative's Choreographic Fellowship program and has been in residence with: Brown University's MFA Playwriting Program; University of Iowa's MFA Playwrights Program; The Theatre School at DePaul University; allgo, A Texas Statewide QPOC Organization; and The Department of Performance Studies at Northwestern University. Widely published, Sharon author of the Lambda Literary award winning, the bull-jean stories, and her performance piece, delta dandi, is published in solo/black/woman: scripts, interviews and essays. Sharon is grateful to say that she has been supported by the Zami community since 1998 - when she and RedBone Press Founder and Editor, Lisa C. Moore were first out on the road with the bull-jean stories.  

This interview was recorded by Angela Denise Davis on October 14, 2021, via video conference. Deidre McCalla sat down with Angela to talk about McCalla's early life in New York, her start in music, the herstory of her place in the women's music movement, and the way the COVID-19 pandemic changed her life. The music heard in the interview was used courtesy of Deidre McCalla. You can enjoy the full tracks on YouTube at the following links: Walk Me Down to the River https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZEY7idOCAc I Do Not Walk This Path Alone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhNnJx6Cd58 Deidre's website: https://deidremccalla.com/ Photo used in episode art: Irene Young   Playing For Keeps is an apt title for the latest cd from singer/songwriter Deidre McCalla. From the moment Deidre takes the stage, her engaging presence and irresistible blend of folk, country, rock, and pop seize the listeners by the heart and won't let go. Deidre McCalla came of age in the fiery blaze of NYC's folk heyday - a time when Greenwich Village clubs were filled with the likes of Dylan, Baez, and Ochs; a time when Motown ruled the top of the charts and the streets of America screamed with anger and civil unrest. Her first album, Fur Coats and Blue Jeans, was released when Deidre was 19 and a student at Vassar College. With a theater degree tucked under her belt and an acoustic guitar tossed in the back of a battered Buick station wagon, Deidre McCalla hit the proverbial road and never looked back. Deidre later majored in jazz guitar at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and released three albums with the pioneering women's music label Olivia Records. The Miami Herald affectionately dubs her a "dreadlocked troubadour." From Maui to Maine, college coffeehouses to Carnegie Hall, Deidre McCalla is a much beloved performer in both folk and women's music circles and has shared the stage with a long list of notables that includes Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman, Holly Near, Odetta, Cris Williamson, and Sweet Honey in the Rock. With five critically acclaimed albums to her credit, Deidre McCalla remains the ever seeking road warrior, her words and music chronicling our strengths and weaknesses and celebrating the power and diversity of the human spirit. A single parent residing in Georgia with her son, Deidre has taught Performance at Warren Wilson College's Swannanoa Gathering. Deidre's work has been published in Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology, The Original Coming Out Stories, and Chrysalis: A Feminist Quarterly, and she is featured in The Power of Words: A Transformative Language Arts Reader. Deidre is a proud member of AFM Local 1000 and the North American Folk Alliance.

On August 19, 2021, Angela sat down with Sherri Jackson to record her story about living in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic as a healthcare professional. Jackson is a healthcare provider,minister and activist. She has a wide range of LBGTQ.and AIDS organizational involvement. She has been a volunteer with the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club-Health Committee,and the Chicago Department of Public Health.She has been a board member of Horizon Community Services (1996-2000) was a Human Rights Campaign Congressional Action Coordinator (1997-1998) was with Chicago Black Lesbian and Gays(1996-2000} as Corresponding Secretary and program chair. Was on the board of the Lesbian Community Cancer Project, among many group involvements. Jackson also volunteered as a Chaplain for the Night Ministry in Chicago. As well help organize various events at places of worship centered around women and LBGTQ individuals.  

Melodie J. Rodgers is the Founding Editor of SOREN LIT. Her creative writing and photography has appeared in Johns Hopkins University's Doctor T. J. Eckleburg Review, G.R.I.T.S. - Girls Raised In the South: An Anthology of Southern Queer Womyns' Voices and Their Allies, Future is Fiction, Underground, CIEE Brazil Poetry OnFilm project, and many others. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte. Melodie is a Black and Southern writer who lives with her hubby and warrior child beneath the sleepy magnolia trees of Stone Mountain, Georgia. Check out: SOREN LIT website: www.sorenlit.com Follow Melodie J. Rodgers on Clubhouse, Twitter: MelodieJRodgers, and Instagram: themelodiouslife

Our guest today is the Black lesbian feminist writer, Cheryl Clarke. She is the author of Narratives: Poems in the Tradition of Black Women (1982), Living as a Lesbian (1986, reprinted in 2015), Humid Pitch (1989), Experimental Love (1993), and By My Precise Haircut (2016).  Since 1979, she has written for and edited numerous publications, including the iconic feminist anthologies, This Bridge Called My Back: Writings By Radical Women of Color (Moraga and Anzaldua, eds., 1980), and Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology (Smith, ed., 1982). Most recently her work appears in Mouths of Rain: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought (Jones, ed., 2021) Since 2013, she has been a co-organizer of the annual Hobart N. Y. Festival of Women Writers. She received her Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University. And after 41 years of service there, on the New Brunswick (N.J.) campus, she retired in 2013. This interview was recorded by Angela Denise Davis via a ZOOM online video on June 23, 2021. You can view a short clip of Dr. Clarke reading the poem she recited at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbgJhSTbR9E Visit ZAMI NOBLA online at https://www.zaminobla.org/.

Joyce Penalver is a retired therapist in Vallejo, California. She was instrumental in forming social clubs and newsletters serving Black lesbians in the Greater Bay Area. We recorded this interview with her in February 2020 before the nationwide lockdowns prompted by COVID-19.

In August 2020, Verlena L. Johnson was featured in ZAMI NOBLA's virtual art show, Cocktails, Tea, and Art. This interview was recorded remotely a few days before the show. Verlena L. Johnson was born and raised in the Midwest (Wisconsin and Illinois), but also briefly lived in New York City, Ealing England, Oakland, Long Beach and most recently Los Angeles.  She earned a Master's Degree in Afro-American Studies (emphasis: Art History, 1996) from the University of Wisconsin — Madison and a Master's of Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Sculpture, 2001).  She has also studied wood carving with master Ghanaian woodcarvers and at both Penland School of Craft and Haystack Mountain School of Craft. Her M.A. thesis, “The Image Text Composite in the Art of Faith Ringgold: Form and Narrative” explores Ringgold's art using WJT Mitchell's Picture Theory to examine the meaning created by Ringgold combining images and text.  It also examines Ringgold's "Picasso's Studio," as a meta-picture or a picture about pictures, specifically focusing on Black female subjectivity.  Thesis Advisor: Freida High Tesfagiorgis. She has exhibited her work in Chicago (IL), Madison (WI), New York (NY), Oakland and Los Angeles (CA), amongst other places.

Reverend Elder Janyce Jackson Jones was one of the artists showcased in August 2020 at ZAMI NOBLA's visual art exhibit, Cocktails, Tea, and Art. She discovered her passion for art upon retiring to coastal North Carolina after 21 years of dedicated service to her church and social justice causes in Newark, New Jersey. She since has experimented with and been inspired by several techniques and styles, finding what she calls “Creative Happiness” in the process of pouring paint onto canvas to create abstract, vibrantly colored, soul-stirring works of Fluid Art. Online galleries of her art can be found at the following links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janycejacksonjones/?ref=page_internal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/artbyjanyce/ Prior to retirement, Reverend Janyce served as the Co-Pastor of Newark's Unity Fellowship Church (UFC), an inclusive, nondenominational, social justice-oriented ministry. Prior to that, she helped to found Liberation in Truth UFC, also in Newark, serving for eight years as its Pastor and Executive Director of that church's Liberation in Truth Social Justice Center. Under her leadership, that Center provided spiritual, social, and mental health programs and services, classes, support groups, meals, and HIV/AIDS education and prevention services to the greater Newark area including the LGBTIQ community. Reverend Janyce currently lives in the Wilmington, North Carolina, area with her spouse, Valerie Jones, and their dog Buster. Ever the activist, she continues to volunteer and support her intersecting communities of affiliation, working at the local senior center and serving on the boards of the Frank Harr Foundation, SAGE Wilmington, and the local branch of the NAACP.

Lorraine Lane was a guest artist for our virtual art show, “Cocktails, Tea, & Art,” in August 2020. In this episode, she talks about how to make a great cocktail, how she came to love bourbon, and the challenges of operating a restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lorraine came into the Food Industry on the pathway of love for Deborah VanTrece. Lorraine is Deborah's business partner and wife. She serves as the Bar Director for Twisted Soul.  The libations at Twisted Soul have been recognized in local papers and social media outlet. Lorraine has reintroduced moonshine to the local base and her infused cocktails are changing the way people view moonshine. Lorraine has been a leader in the Job Corps program for over 20 years. She is an Executive Director for Adams and Associates and oversees the operations of four Job Corps facilities across the US. She has been acknowledge for her ability to turn under performing facilities into top performers resulting in thousands of young adults graduating and making significant improvements in their lives.

This is a file from our archives. On August 31, 2020, ZAMI NOBLA in Partnership with the Southern Unity Movement sponsored Working Cross Differences: The Black LGBTQIA Health/Wellness Public Forum as part of Atlanta Black Gay Pride. This audio clip is from a conversation with Dr. Lourdes Dolores Follins and Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, moderated by Dr. Kofi Adoma. The first voice you hear after the musical selection is Dr. Adoma followed by Dr. Follins. For more information on the speakers please visit their respective websites: Dr. Kofi Adoma https://radicalwellbeingcenter.com/staff-members/amorie-robinson Dr. Lourdes Dolores Follins https://lourdesdfollins.com/publications-and-videos/ Dr. Jonathan Mathias Lassiter http://www.jonathanmlassiter.com/  

In February 2020, Angela Denise Davis interviewed Mary D. Watkins at her home in Oakland, California. Watkins was gracious in her recounting of major life events and her work as a composer and musician. Trained in classical music at Howard University, Watkins has composed three operas and has written for symphony orchestras, chamber and jazz ensembles, film, theatre, dance, and choral groups, in addition to being a popular recording artist for Olivia records in the 1970s. Watkins' recent recordings include Prayer for Peace, a meditational CD, and Recorded Music of the African Diaspora (Albany Records, 2010: Center For Black Music Research; department of Columbia College in Chicago, IL). Visit her website for more information: https://marydwatkins.com/ As promised, here is a link to the sublime performance of Melanie DeMore and Mary Watkins performing the composer's arrangement of "We Shall Overcome" at the Sister Comrade gathering in Oakland, CA. “We Shall Overcome” Mary Watkins and Melanie DeMore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xtKgvYchzI   Music clips in this episode are courtesy of Mary Watkins.

Dr. Wilhelmina Perry (85) was interviewed by Angela Denise Davis from her home in June 2020. She talked about growing up in Harlem, her 30-year partnership with Antonia Pantoja, radical activism, and life during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a community activist, social work educator, spiritual leader, homeless youth and marriage equality advocate, author, and the co-founder of LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent. Dr. Perry holds a masters in social work and a doctorate in human behavior and leadership. She has been a social work professor, administrator of not- for- profit institutions, and community educator. In 2002, she became a member of The Riverside Church and shortly thereafter would become the convener of Marantha, the LGBT ministry. Dr. Perry was a co-founder and Vice President of the Interfaith Task Force for Homeless LGBT Youth.  Under the work of the Task Force, three shelters were opened in local churches. Dr. Perry has been an advocate for LGBT same-gender loving people as well as for marriage equality. She held the position of convener of the Round table People of Color under Empire State Pride Agenda. In 2010, this group reformed itself as an independent organization and would become the LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent. Dr. Perry served as Administrative Coordinator until 2018 when she was voted the Founder Emeritus. Dr. Perry was honored in 2013 with an award from Harlem Pride.  She became a Purpose Prize Fellow in 2014. In 2014, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from LGBT Kwanzaa Community of NYC, Inc.  In 2016 she received the Regina Shavers Legacy Award from Griot Circle, Inc. the oldest organization for LGBT seniors. In 2019, she received the Parity Award. She has received numerous awards and recognitions. Dr. Perry has contributed many articles on LGBT youth, same-gender families, “coming out”, clergy and attitudes towards LGBT people and President Obama's support of marriage equality.  These articles have appeared in Caribbean Life, The Daily News, The Amsterdam News, Huffington Post and The Positive Community. Collections by Michelle Brown interview with Dr. Wilhelmina Perry February 22, 2018 https://podbay.fm/podcast/1209679697/e/1519344000  

Brenda Joyce Crawford has been in the thick of social justice work for over five decades. She's an unapologetic butch woman who comes from a blue collar working class background in the U.S. South. A great deal of her career has been spent promoting values-based leadership in order to create safe and welcoming environments where the richness of the information that resides within all communities can emerge and be appreciated and included in the planning or change processes. She has worked with such group Brenda Joyce Crawford has been in the thick of social justice work for over five decades. She's an unapologetic butch woman who comes from a blue collar working class background in the U.S. South. A great deal of her career has been spent promoting values-based leadership in order to create safe and welcoming environments where the richness of the information that resides within all communities can emerge and be appreciated and included in the planning or change processes. She has worked with such groups as Mental Health Consumer Concerns and Progressive Research & Planning for Action, and has won numerous awards for her community work and her work supporting those with experiences of alcohol and substance abuse, including the California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition for Front Line Work, and Certificates of Recognition and Appreciation from Congresswoman Barbara Lee and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. Crawford now lives in Vallejo, California and does work focusing on cannabis justice via the organization Senior-Cann, a cannabis education and healthy living membership for seniors that seeks to break the stigma associated with medical cannabis and aging. s as Mental Health Consumer Concerns and Progressive Research & Planning for Action, and has won numerous awards for her community work and her work supporting those with experiences of alcohol and substance abuse, including the California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition for Front Line Work, and Certificates of Recognition and Appreciation from Congresswoman Barbara Lee and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

Lisbet Tellefsen is an activist, publisher, producer and archivist that has served the Bay Area's LGBT community for over 3 decades. In 1989 she co-founded Aché: a Black Lesbian Journal —which served as an cultural, political and social nexus for LGBT communities of color both nationally and internationally. As a producer her production credits include over 50 events ranging from drag king shows to the landmark 2006 production “Sister Comrade” celebrating the lives of Black lesbian icons Audre Lorde and poet Pat Parker. She was a co-founding committee member of the Sistahs Steppin' in Pride Festival & Dyke March which ran for 10 years in Oakland, CA. A former board member of the GLBT Historical Society, during her tenure helped oversee the opening of the GLBT History Museum in San Francisco's Castro district where she co-curated the exhibitions: “From Feminists to Feministas” (2017), and “Angela Davis OUTspoken” (2018). In 2012 the Lisbet Tellefsen Papers—including the Aché journal archives, were acquired by Yale University and in 2018 were featured in “The Art of Collaboration” exhibit at Yale's Beinecke Library. These days her primary work is as an archivist and collector. As an archival consultant she has worked on numerous projects including the documentary films “Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” and “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners”. Her collections have been exhibited most recently in “Get With the Action: Political Posters from the 1960s to Present” at SFMOMA (2017-18); “All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50” at the Oakland Museum of CA (2016); and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) where a dozen pieces from the Tellefsen collection were included in their inaugural 2016 exhibit. Over 100 objects from her collection now reside in the permanent collections of SFMOMA, the Oakland Museum of CA, and the Smithsonian NMAAHC. Currently she is working on an Angela Davis retrospective opening in the Fall of 2020 at the Zimmerli Gallery at Rutgers then traveling to the Oakland Museum of CA in 2021.

Lourdes Dolores Follins's Biography Dr. Lourdes Dolores Follins is a Black, queer femme psychotherapist and writer. As a therapist, researcher, and organizational consultant, she has worked with adolescents and adults of color who are marginalized because of their ethnoracial background and gender and/or sexual identities for over 25 years. Her clinical and research interests are the resilience and resistance of LGBTQI people in the African diaspora; using EMDR to emotionally liberate people of color; and health disparities faced by LGBTQI people of color in the U.S. She has published several academic articles and book chapters and spoken internationally about the factors that impact the health of LGBTQI people of color. Lourdes Dolores's co-edited, award-winning book, Black LGBT Health in the United States: The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation was published in 2017. She is working on a memoir about her relationship with her deceased mother. Lourdes Dolores can be reached at www.lourdesdfollins.com

Angela interviewed Ericka Huggins at her home in Oakland, California in  February 2020. Huggins, an educator, Black Panther Party member, former political prisoner, human rights advocate and poet, generously shared poignant parts of her life. For 40 years Ericka has lectured in the United States, and internationally, on Restorative Practices and, the role of spiritual practice in creating social change.  Ericka speaks on campuses, and in community, about the importance of inclusive grassroots movements. Ericka was professor of Sociology and African American Studies from 2011 through 2015 in the Peralta Community College District. At Merritt College, home of the Black Panther Party, she co-created and taught a course titled, “The Black Panther Party-Strategies for Organizing The People”. Currently Ericka is a facilitator with WORLD TRUST leading conversations about Race and Gender Equity. In addition, she also facilitates workshops for Women on Radical Self Care.

This episode is a conversation with sister podcaster, Michelle Elizabeth Brown, who lives in Detroit, Michigan. In addition to being a podcaster, Michelle is a public speaker, poet, author, and activist. She is a force for change! She was born and raised in Detroit graduating from Cass Technical High School then went on to attend Wayne State University.  Through her career, creative endeavors, and volunteer work, she has used her strength to assist, inspire, and move people and organizations to be the best they can be. Mixed with her desire to help others she also finds her dedication to uplifting those often left on the fringe of society: especially women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. Michelle has worked as a consultant to small businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals in the areas of accounting, business management, and marketing. The force within Michelle is her voice, and as a public speaker and activist, she has used her voice to educate, inform, and uplift diverse groups of people in a variety of areas.    You can find Michelle's podcast, Collections by Michelle Brown at the following links: Official website https://www.collectionsbymichellebrown.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CollectionsbyMichelleBrown Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/user-23922431 Collections by Michelle Brown Interview with Mary Anne Adams https://soundcloud.com/user-23922431/cbmb-mary-anne-adams-interview   Collections by Michelle Brown Interview with Angela Denise Davis https://soundcloud.com/user-23922431/angela-denise-davis-ukelele-griot

Benae Beamon is from North Carolina, where she started dancing and joined the acclaimed North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble under the direction of Gene Medler. She went on to earn a BA from Colgate University and an MA from Yale University and is currently completing her PhD at Boston University in Religious Studies. Her scholarship and art focus on black queer and trans populations and the ethical value of black artistic expression. She continues to create artistic work, through dance, both as a solo artist and with Subject:Matter, a Boston based tap dance company, under the direction of choreographer, Ian Berg.   Nikki Young is a black queer ethicist who uses scholarship and teaching to generate, cultivate, and feature liberative ways of being. A graduate of UNC-Asheville (BA), Candler School of Theology (MDiv and ThM), and Emory University (PhD), Nikki focuses her work on race, gender, sexuality, family, and ethics and is particularly interested in the impact of black queerness on moral reasoning. She currently contributes her time and skills to Bucknell University's departments of Women's and Gender Studies and Religious Studies and has published two books, Black Queer Ethics, Family, and Philosophical Imagination (2016) and In Tongues of Mortals and Angels: A De-Constructive Theology of God-Talk in Acts and Paul (2018). Nikki is now working on a new manuscript tentatively titled We Plead the Blood of Freedom: A Transnational Ethics of Black Queer Fugitivity.

During these uncertain times, it is important to have accurate information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Our guest, Dr. Tonia Poteat, fielded questions for a webinar sponsored by ZAMI NOBLA on March 22, 2020. This is a recording of that event.   Tonia Poteat, PhD, PA-C, MPH, is Assistant Professor of Social Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as core faculty in the UNC Center for Health Equity Research. After completing her PhD at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Poteat served for two years in the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator as the Senior Advisor for Key Populations. Since returning to academia in 2014, Dr. Poteat's research, teaching, and practice have focused on HIV and LGBT health disparities with particular attention to the health and well-being of transgender communities. Her current work attends to the health consequences of stigma based on multiple marginalized identities. Dr. Poteat is a certified HIV Specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine and has devoted her clinical practice to providing medically appropriate and culturally competent care to members of the LGBTQ community as well as people living with HIV. In 2018, she was selected for the Simmons Scholars Program which provides support for underrepresented faculty in medicine.   Dr. Poteat was featured in an earlier ZAMI NOBLA podcast episode which you can find at this link, http://zaminobla.libsyn.com/dr-tonia-poteat-on-deserving-research-that-reflects-your-real-life-lived-experience

We interviewed Jowanna Tillman and Edonna Koon in the summer of 2019. They shared how they came to the RV life and what sustains them as they travel and work across the United States.   This travel loving couple started full time RVing in early 2018. They are always up for an adventure.  Edonna is a retired Marine who has a passion for science.  Jowanna, who  used to work in higher education, has a passion for healthy living.  I hope that you follow them on their journey into nomad living.   Check out their blog and FB page below:   Blog http://www.jodochasingrainbows.com   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jodochasingrainbows  

What is it like to live and work outside the United States? In this episode, Joi and Jane Mitchell tell us about their experiences living abroad in Korea and the UK. We also talk about shifts in careers, national identity, and culture. Dr. Joi Mitchell is Originally from Detroit, Michigan. She received her bachelor's and master's degree from the AUC center. She also holds a Ph.D. from Capella University. Her first career was a psychotherapist specializing in LGBTQ issues. In 2015, she transitioned to work full time as a school counselor for the Department of Defense, where she worked 3 years in South Korea. She currently works at Lakenheath Middle School in the UK. Jane Mitchell is originally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She is an Army veteran where she was a behavior science specialist. Upon leaving the military, she worked for the United States Postal Service for 18 years. Currently, she is a certified personal trainer in the UK doing in person and online training. You can find her at Fitforlife by Jane on Facebook. Joi and Jane have been together for six years, and have been married for four years.

In August 2019, we interviewed Sheila Alexander-Reid at her home in Washington, D.C. Reid is the Director, Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs, and Founding Member, Women in the Life Association. She talks about the origins of Women in the Life, her work in the Mayor's Office, and the preservation of black lesbian herstory.   Sheila Alexander-Reid has been a vital part of the LGBT community for well over 20 years. She started as a party promoter back in the late 80's/early 90's with two other friends and called themselves VTR. In 1993, Sheila ventured out on her own and starting throwing Black lesbian parties under the Women in the Life brand. Filling up local party venues such as Tracks and Hung Jury to capacity, the popularity of her parties quickly gained momentum in the community. A stickler for quality and details, Sheila developed a strong following that's still present to this day.   Moved by the death of her close friend and LGBT activist, Wanda Alston in 2002, she started a nonprofit organization, the Women in the Life Association.  Sheila now wanted to use the same resources and drive she used to pack parties to address social justice issues for Lesbians in DC. She did this with cultural programs such as the popular Open Mic series, empowering movies screenings, and the Wanda's Will Project, which helped raise awareness about the importance of having a written will, specifically, if you're in a long-term relationship.   Sheila started as an advocate for the DC lesbian of color community, but grew to be a voice for the entire LGBTQ community while serving on the board of organizations such as SMYAL, and the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, a political LGBT organization instrumental in securing Gay Marriage for the District. Sheila's charisma and outspoken nature enables her to “reach across the aisle” so to speak when it comes to race related issues in what many consider a racially segregated LGBT community here in DC.   Sheila has always worked hard to bring both visibility and awareness to the issues facing the LGBTQ community including transphobia, the stigma of HIV/AIDS, the isolation of older LGBTQ adults, and the impact of youth homelessness.  From her printed magazine in the 1990's, to her position as producer/ host of WPFW's Inside Out, the only LGBTQ FM radio show in DC, to her current position as Director of the Mayor's Office on LGBTQ Affairs, she's become a prominent and vocal change agent for our community.   In a 2008 Washington Post article, Sheila was asked what she'd want written on her grave stone. Her response was simply, "She tried to make a difference. “   Years later, it is clear that she has indeed made a permanent and positive difference in improving the lives of the often marginalized LGBT community here in the District.     Women in the Life Association website http://womeninthelife.org/   Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/womeninthelife/   Black Lesbian Resistance and Resilience by Sheila Alexander-Reid, was originally published in the online publication, The Feminist Wire, on February 18, 2019. https://thefeministwire.com/2019/02/black-lesbian-resistance-and-resilience/   D.C. Public Library to digitize Women in the Life Magazine Washington Blade https://www.washingtonblade.com/2019/05/09/d-c-public-library-to-digitize-women-in-the-life-magazine/   WAMU 88.9FM - Aging LGBTQ Adults Await Planned Housing Development in DC https://wamu.org/story/17/06/27/aging-lgbtq-adults-anxiously-await-planned-housing-development-d-c/   Tagg Magazine - Annual Enterprising Women of the Year Issue https://taggmagazine.com/2017-enterprising-women/

We are back with our latest, a reflection from our host and producer, Angela Denise Davis. This episode is a recording of a talk she gave at The First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta this past summer. We also share a meaningful out-take from a previous interview with one of our guests.

This is the third in a four episode series on lesbian couples. Today, we talk about the process of creating physical emotional, and familial space in our lives. Creating space in a lesbian relationship can be especially challenging when a couple has different ethnic backgrounds as do our guests today.   Deepali Gokhale is a queer South Asian daughter, sister, friend, co-pilot, parent, mechanical engineer, custom software developer, solar real estate investor, and former community organizer for a plethora of social justice causes. Her life's mission is to live each day with joyful self-care, as an authentic loving presence, an adventurous amateur, and an accountable leader in order to responsibly participate in creative resolutions with competent confidence.   Tishana Trainor is a queer Black mama that loves anything analog, including self-care, crochet, and journaling. She firmly believes in including rest in planning hard work, and refuses to pour from an empty cup. She works as a software engineer in the DC Metro Area.   Deepali and Tishana co-pilot their life together in Alexandria, VA.

Grace Queen Tribling, a native of DC, talks candidly about her becoming a lesbian in her late 30s. She also share some highlights on her relationship with her mother and life in rural Georgia.

The author of Starshine & Clay (2017), featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" as a collection that captures America in poetry, and She Has a Name (2013), a finalist for both the Audre Lorde and Lambda Literary Awards, Kamilah Aisha Moon's work has been published widely, including in Best American Poetry, Harvard Review, Poem-A-Day, PBS Newshour, Buzzfeed and elsewhere. A 2015 New American Poet who has received fellowships to Vermont Studio Center, Hedgebrook and Cave Canem, she has featured nationally at conferences, festivals and universities including the Library of Congress and Princeton University. She holds an M.F.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Agnes Scott College.

KAREN WILLIAMS, COMIC, EMCEE, HOST, DIVERSITY TRAINER, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER AND HUMOR EDUCATOR   Karen Williams has the unique distinction of being the nation's first openly lesbian black comic to include specifically lesbian material in her act. Her solo comedy special "I Need a Snack" filmed live in Hollywood ~ and produced by Andrea Meyerson of AllOut Films ~ is a LOGO TV favorite and available on DVD.   Karen Williams is a featured comic performer with Olivia Travel cruises and resorts for lesbians since 1990, logging over 200 cruises and resorts.   Karen's been a ghostwriter at Columbia Pictures, and her humor writings appear in numerous anthologies, including Joke Stew (Andrews McMeel Publishing), Revolutionary Laughter (Crossing Press), Out in All Directions (Warner Brothers), and Out, Loud & Laughing (Random House).
   For comedy bookings, humor workshops, diversity trainings, celebrity wedding officiant requests, college, university and Artist-in-Residence inquiries:   Karen Williams, M.Ed  HaHA Institute www.hahainstitute.com hahainstitute@gmail.com

Dr. Annise Mabry has been a homeschooling mom for over eight years. She founded an alternative diploma program, Tiers Free Academy, and she empowers parents to understand their legal rights within the homeschool laws of their states. She is the President of The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation and continues to serve on the leadership board of the Newton County Homeschool Cooperative. Dr. Mabry was the youngest serving and first African-American female Dean of Graduate Studies for DeVry University. She has been focused on assisting parents in navigating the final years of high school and transitioning teens out of the public school system into homeschool. Benae“Benny” Ingram is a clinical instructor of radiology at Emory Decatur Hospital. After more than 30 years in the radiology field, she continues to be very passionate about her work. She brings compassionate patient care skills to any clinical setting and has worked in various healthcare organizations in Texas, Massachusetts, and Georgia.

Dr. Annise Mabry has been a homeschooling mom for over eight years. She founded an alternative diploma program, Tiers Free Academy, and she empowers parents to understand their legal rights within the homeschool laws of their states. She is the President of The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation and continues to serve on the leadership board of the Newton County Homeschool Cooperative. Dr. Mabry was the youngest serving and first African-American female Dean of Graduate Studies for DeVry University. She has been focused on assisting parents in navigating the final years of high school and transitioning teens out of the public school system into homeschool. Benae“Benny” Ingram is a clinical instructor of radiology at Emory Decatur Hospital. After more than 30 years in the radiology field, she continues to be very passionate about her work. She brings compassionate patient care skills to any clinical setting and has worked in various healthcare organizations in Texas, Massachusetts, and Georgia.

Martina Downey is an executive with more than 35 years of experience in the college publishing industry. She is a singer/songwriter/recording artist who enjoys singing, writing, speaking, theater, opera, and fine dining. She has served her community through active leadership. Martina is a healer at Harriet's Apothecary and has been a member of Kitchen Table Giving Circle, African Asian Latina Lesbians United, Unity Fellowship Church, and Lavender Light Gospel Choir. Tawanna Sullivan is a publishing professional with over twenty years' experience licensing international and domestic rights. She was raised in Baltimore with a solid foundation in the Baptist church and 80s horror movies. Her collection of previously published short stories, The Next Girl & Other Lesbian Tales, features work across various genres. She is one of the founders of Kuma2.net, a website that encouraged black lesbians to write erotica. Currently, Tawanna is working on her first mystery novel and finding new ways to make her wife laugh. To catch up with Tawanna's writing and other projects, please visit her at:  http://www.tawannasullivan.com   KUMA is no longer actively maintained, but you can still read content at http://www.kuma2.net. Martina's music can be purchased on iTunes or visit her website for more information at http://www.martinadowney.com. Closing song, "Catch the News" courtesy of Martina Downey Episode cover art by Odera Igbokwe

The ZAMI NOBLA Podcast explores vision loss and intersectionality with Tracey Williams Sullivan, J.D.  Tracey, better known as Trey is a retired law professional with a specialty in the area of commercial insurance technology risks. She was raised and educated in a Chicago suburb, but she practiced most of her career and advocacy involvement while living throughout the United States. She has settled into the Atlanta area where she spends her time traveling, learning new skills and hobbies as an aging, visually impaired person, and advocating for equality at every opportunity. Trey also enjoys mentoring fellow blind/visually impaired people in guide dog handling as well as state and federal rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Pat Hussain recounts her childhood in segregated Atlanta and her involvement in various social justice groups, especially her role in the creation of SONG (Southerners On New Ground). Hussain (b. 1950) was born and raised in Atlanta, where she attended segregated schools until high school. She came from a middle class family and was a debutante, but then joined the Marines when her brother came back from Vietnam psychologically damaged and feeling a failure. She married men twice before coming out as a lesbian in the early 1980s. She helped organize the first GLAAD chapter in Atlanta (when GLAAD was just forming), and had just been working for the Gay and Lesbian Task Force organizing the first March on Washington when she attended the Creating Change 1993 conference that led to the founding of SONG, of which she was the first co-director (with Pam McMichael). Biography taken from an interview of Pat Hussain by Lorraine Fontana for Sinister Wisdom. http://www.sinisterwisdom.org/SW93Supplement/Hussain

Jillian Ford is an associate professor of social studies education in the Secondary and Middle Grades Education department at Kennesaw State University. Ford earned her Ph.D. in educational studies from Emory University in 2011, her dissertation was titled Political Socialization and Citizenship Education for Queer Youth.  Her community engagements, pedagogies, and research projects center the intellectual and pedagogical possibilities inherent in creating a more just world.  Theoretically and pragmatically, Ford draws heavily on womanist frameworks.  A firm believer in embodied learning, she is currently exploring yoga as a way to enhance critical thinking, imagination, and wonder in her students and herself.  Her published work has appeared in the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, Journal of Lesbian Studies, Multicultural Education, and several edited volumes.  Ford can be reached at teachliberation@gmail.com

Cynthia McKinney, 54,  is a native of Arkansas. She is the youngest of five children. After growing up in Arkansas she relocated to Indiana and lived and worked there for six years before moving to Atlanta. She went back to school and completed her bachelor's degree in English with a minor in African American Literature in 2009. She also completed coursework for a graduate program at Georgia State University in African American Studies. She has been employed by the Federal Reserve Bank as a Business Analyst for 19 years. Her interests include live theatre performances, reading, and traveling.