Black Feminist Rants

Welcome back to Black Feminist Rants! In the season 3 premier of Black Feminist Rants, host, LaKia Williams, discusses her recent experiences with reproductive health issues and how that has re-shaped her experience with Reproductive Justice, as well as some common misconceptions with the RJ framework. LaKia ends the episode discussing the problem with Activism Influencers and the pipeline from activist to celebrity/influencer. She mentions a Politico article that discusses the recent issues with Black Lives Matter, click the link if you would like to read the article in its entirety. 

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The season 2 finale of BFR features guest, Yemisi (Yemi) Miller-Tonnet a Reproductive Justice fellow, feminist book seller, and domestic violence legal advocate. On this episode Yemi and LaKia talk about anti-abortion tactics, the struggles of youth organizing, and more. Yemi also talks about her experience working at an abortion clinic and hihglights the importance of collective organizing. LaKia wraps this episode with her reflection on the progress of BFR, her appreciation for all of the supporters and thoughts on the transitions she's made mentally, emotionally, and physically during 2020. 

Follow Yemi on twitter @Yemisicombahee 

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BFR sat down with Maha Thomas the creator of the dark comedy, gothic show Blacklight whose main character is a sex worker. Maha talks about her experiences as a sex worker and as a socialist. We discussed the issues that can arise within social justice spaces and the importance of sex work stories being told by sex workers. If you want to support the work that Maha does watch the table reading for the pilot episode of Blacklight and follow blacklight on Twitter! 

BFR sat down with organizer and activist Jaaie Varshney and she shared with us her advocacy work around abortion access and menstrual equity.

In this episode LaKia discusses the exploitation that students face specifically from unpaid internships, universities that expect student leadership and activism labor, and her specific experience as a Resident Advisor (RA) for Tulane University. LaKia touches on how systems create competitive job markets that incentivize students and young people to seek internships, often times unpaid, so that they will be marketable in the job market. However, many low and middle class people can't afford to take an unpaid internship which widens the class divide that already exists. 

LaKia mentions the Medium article Stop Working for Free which talks more indepthly about how unpaid internships recreate class divides. 

In this episode LaKia sits down with her friend, scholar, and activist Sarah Jones to discuss their experiences navigating respectability politics as Black women. Sarah is a recent grad of Tulane University and has organized around Black liberation and reproductive justice on and off campus. Sarah and LaKia have both been active in white sex positive spaces that have impacted their comfortability showing up as their full selves. 

In this BFR episode LaKia sits down with recent college grad and Reproductive Justice Organizer, Tia Coleman. LaKia and Tia discuss Louisiana's upcoming anti-abortion constitutional amendment aimed at denying Louisiana residents the right to abortion. Tia has been mobilizing and educating young people across Louisiana on the importance on voting No on this amendment to safeguard our reproductive freedom. The conversation naturally progresses and LaKia and Tia begin discussing their experience as Black women in higher education, LaKia reflects on her time at a predominately white institution, while Tia touches on her memories at a historically black university. 

Follow BFR on Instagram @Blackfeministrants and Twitter @blackfemrants 

Follow Tia on Instagram @CrownedTia 

Join BFR for a discussion with Doula and Reproductive Justice Organizer, Aura Nicole. In this episode we discuss birth justice, doula work, and what it means to be a young Black person organizing for social and reproductive justice today. This episode is full of laughs and realness, where we talk about imposter syndrome, burnout, and working towards liberation while also being forced to work within white supremacy culture. 

Follow Aura Nicole on Instagram @Auranicole_ 

Follow BFR on Instagram @blackfeministrants and Twitter @Blackfemrants. 

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BFR is back for Season 2! Join Host LaKia for the season 2 premier brought to you by URGE! In this episode LaKia discusses the #FreeThePill movement, the importance of contraception equity and what young people have been doing on the ground to increase reproductive healthcare access to all! LaKia gets into the details of how a program she started called Big Easy EC came to fruition. Big Easy EC provides free emergency contraception (Plan B), condoms, and pregnancy tests to uptown New Orleans students. 

Be sure to follow BFR on Instagram @Blackfeministrants and Twitter @blackfemrants

Organizations Mentioned - Instagram Account: 

SisterSong: @sistersong_woc 

ReJAC: @rejacnola 

URGE: @urge_org

Big Easy EC: @bigeasyec 

WELCOME BACK TO SEASON 2 OF BLACK FEMINIST RANTS! In this short introduction Host LaKia Williams shares some BFR updates as well as updates on her personal life! Stay tuned for the Season 2 premier airing in a few short minutes!