Black people in Philly kept telling me, "talk to Andrea", so I did! Andrea Walls hits the mic with this question during my interview episode with her as part my ‘Black joy stories in Philly’ section of this podcast and a warm conversation (and building friendship) grows from there…I came to Andrea’s work by attending the 2021 Black Joy symposium in Philadelphia and felt so many alignments with her approach to learning from and center joy as critical practice.This is a long conversation (imagine: it was edited down but we had A LOT to say) about healing, story-sharing, and doing work that embraces the nuance, complexity, and contradiction that is the human experience.  Activity: If you can, get a scoop of ice cream before u hit play and just vibe with us!   PS. Andrea’s favorite flavor last I checked is: salted caramel!!

Trigger: deep discussions about grieving while Black. Deep discussions about Black joy (theory and practice). 

Ways to support Andrea: 

Website: https://linktr.ee/phillywalls

https://www.museumofblackjoy.com/

Special thanks to Center for Media @ Risk at the Annenberg School for Communication at UPENN.

Dean Jackson for mentoring my work in Philly by providing all the contacts and connections I needed. And Jasmine Erdener on editing!

In the spirit of supporting Black businesses—which is always in style, this episode is about a Black AND Asian-queer owned (!!) spot in West Philly that warms our bodies (through food and freedom practice). @GoldenDragonPhilly is a simple aesthetic 'BIPOC vibes to the front' takeout food spot that does something we need more of in our Black hoods, shows Black and Asian solidarity in practice (.) I sat down with (the Black) co-owner, Chellie Faroul  for a full meal and critical kiki about…everything from meals to neighborhood development. Chellie a potter artist and all-around homie who knows neighborhood development and how to feed folks through accessibility and with good vibes.

For the academic girls this is a lovely oral history about a queer business that means business when it comes to making sure folks are eaten. I guarantee you will learn something from this episode about how to bring love to work

Disclaimer: This is a BLACK JOY(full) episode of Black Matter podcast. Click play and then click “pay” by following all the info below on how you can support this lovely spot in Black West Philly neighborhood. . Listen to us talk about Black excellence of being regular-degular Black people!

Website: https://www.instagram.com/goldendragonphilly/?hl=en

send coins to their cause via Venmo: @goldendragonphill 

Follow Chellie's work @ebiahpotteryco.

Relevant "readings" for this episode

1.  The Nap Ministry

2. "On Rihanna and Black Joy 

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*edited by Jasmine Erdener.

*supported by Center for Media @ Risk, at UPENN. 

*host: @chaz-antoine (Venmo) and $ChaziB (cashap) 

Back like we never left! This episode (and the next 3 to follow) are about capturing and archiving moments of (new) Black joy that I (chaz) and experiencing and learning from while I spend some time in Philadelphia for a short jig at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Meet my new friend, Jolie Garret. Jolie is a theater artist and Philadelphia's sweetheart, who was been such a welcoming spirit as I get my bearings in a new place and in a new chapter of life. We all meet that person at a local gay bar where we just feel like we've known each other forever...learn from their stories! 

*Also, for the gurls, be sure catch the extended tea at the very end of the episode! Jolie had some 'after dark' kiki about men to share! 

Non Black Folks: You like what you hear? Did you learn something? You want to support Jolie? Send him some love: Venmo: @Jolie-Garrett and Cashap: $JolieGarrett

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things mentioned in the episode that you might want to check out: 

1. Level Up Bar

2. Texas Wiener

3. Fences by August Wilson: 

music: All found on "freesound.org" 

song 1: Szegari "jazz-piano-orechesta"

Song 2: holizna Lofi "Jazz organ loop-95" 

song 3: Migfus22 "Jazz background music loop" 

Last song “loose Threads” by podcastAC

Please be advised this episode is about grief and healing. 

Whenever I am struggling with something personal people in my life tend to say to me, “but we are so proud of you”. Or more specific to this moment, we say “Just remember how proud of you your mother is, and keep going.” I want to take a pause from this narrative. For the ways it can reiterate to us, Black folks, to just keep climbing and we will be okay. I now have experienced more than a few instances in my life where climbing and achieving the success that this narrative is usually referring to has not saved me from pain, trauma, grief and guilt of achieving such things that those who got me here won't get to do. On this episode I unpack some of these feelings and more with my dear friend, Jackie. 

Jackie Lawrence is a Black woman from the South. She is a social worker by trade. Jackie is a dreamer, doer and a strategist when it comes to working with the community to assess socio-emotional wounds of oppression. She is also a new wife and mother. All of her identities are used for the highest good and mental wellness her self and her culture.

Helpful links

*Please know that Black Mental Health Awareness week is happening in Richmond, Oct 4-Oct 9. 

*Interview referenced in the show: The Urgent Need for Compassion ft: ALOK

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Primary Beat by Johannas Barfield 

*Special five-episode segment with members of the Black Student Coalition at University of Richmond.

Kayla Corbin is a Scholar and student activist, believer in all things liberation.

IG: @sistahh.girl

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Music and Produced By: Kavon Valesquez Thompson ( Mnli )  Instagram: @kavonmnli.

**Special five-episode segment with members of the Black Student Coalition at University of Richmond.

Shira Greer is a junior at the University of Richmond from Fairfax, Virginia and is majoring in American Studies. She is passionate about using education as a means to promote racial justice, and has worked with the UR Race and Racism Project, the Africana Studies Student Committee, and Black Student Coalition’s Protect Our Web initiative (www.protectourweb.com) to improve the Black student experience at UR. After graduating, she hopes to go into library, archival, or museum work to continue creating social change.

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Produced by: Kavon Valesquez Thompson ( Mnli )  Instagram: @kavonmnli, 

beats by Kevin Brown via freesound.org.

Special five-episode segment with members of the Black Student Coalition at University of Richmond.

Will Walker, Jr currently pursues the M.S.Ed in Higher Education and Student Affairs at Indiana University-Bloomington. Will is excited by the possibility of developing new theories, practices, and knowledge that will lead to the successful creation, sustainment, and promotion of social equity within American post-secondary institutions. In addition to this podcast feature, Will has published various editorials ( Forbes.com, Inside Higher Ed, UR Collegian) that address the issues and experiences of minority students in higher education. Additionally, Will has presented at several national educational conferences hosted by organizations such as NCAN (National College Attainment Network), SXSW EDU, and NACAC (the National Association of College Admission Counselors). Additional information about Will can be found at http://www.willwalkerj.com.

Twitter handle: @willbwalkerjr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willbwalkerjr/

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Music By: Kavon Valesquez Thompson ( Mnli )  Instagram: @kavonmnli.

*Special five-episode segment with members of the Black Student Coalition at University of Richmond.

TJ Tann is a recent graduate of the University of Richmond with diverse interests and experience. Passions include advocating for the betterment of underrepresented communities, research and production of scholarship in the realm of political science and American culture as well as a strong interest for entrepreneurship, business strategy and team building. While on campus he advocated and pushed for the advancement of Black students to feel comfortable on campus. In tandem, he also worked to build a business in college encouraging Black students not just feel comfortable, but also empowered to choose their own direction. He continues this ethos today as he works to build a hyper-local logistics company based out of Richmond. He is a Co-Founder of Relai, inc. working to re-imagine everyday logistics by empowering local businesses with within-the-hour delivery. Please feel free to reach out to discuss anything business or community building as he is always looking for ways to connect with new people.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracytannjr/

Website: www.relai.us

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Music By: Kavon Valesquez Thompson ( Mnli )  Instagram: @kavonmnli.

Special five-episode segment with members of the Black Student Coalition at University of Richmond. Hear these students share their story about who they are behind the critical work they are doing to make their college campus show up better for Black students and communities in Richmond. Special shout out to everyone who made these recordings possible because these conversations are critical kiki. 

Akeya Fortson-Brown: I am a young entrepreneur & activist looking to make material impacts in my community while also fighting for real and sustainable changes.

Follow Akeya @thehustlelabllc (IG & Twitter), Thehustlelabllc.com

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Music By: Kavon Valesquez Thompson ( Mnli )  Instagram: @kavonmnli.

This episode is CUTE! Rebecca Keel, my dear friend and fellow queer comrade (*AND Richmond 'top 40 under 40' classmate) sits down during the Inlight programming sponsored by 1708 Gallery, to unpack a critical theory and creative practice that I'm building to produce knowledge from the personal experiences of everyday Black lives that are often silenced. Conartisty (tm Dr. Chaz ho!) is about recognizing the alternative forms of knowledge that represent more than Black trauma and oppression, aka what can we learn  from folks like both of our Mother's who in many ways were Rebecca and my first access points into system subversion, and actively escaping oppression and shame placed on our life by state sanctioned violence. You need to listen and get to know us both by learning about the parts of our stories that academia and the nonprofit world etc don't always want us to talk about. It's necessary to value our full humanity. 

Of course as part of this season's programming we give our cashaps in the show! In case you miss it, drop  a coin below: @Rebecca-Keel-2 (venmo) and @Chaz-Antione(venmo). 

*You are bound to learn something from Rebecca because they are truely a spirit destined to live and teach Black queer freedom.