Toria Edmonds-Howell is a friend and colleague in life whose hustle and glow I admire and respect. She stopped by the podcast to continue the ongoing conversation this season about ‘Everyday Black Matter’ film and giving Black women their flowers for how much of our lives are influenced by their love. Speaking of love and Black women joy, on this episode we both share our personal journey tea about reading the book All About Love by the one and only, bell hooks, and how we are trying every day to commit to a practice of (Black) love at home and at work. This episode is calm-kiki going, off of Toria’s energy. I inspire you to listen while sipping hot tea and journaling, aka writing to yourself. Process what love means, feels, and looks like to you, and where in this (crazy) world do you find space to just be. 

*Write to Black Matter podcast on insta (@iammylife_chaz) to share your tea about this episode and ill respond in the next show! Support this podcast! Here, @ChazAntoine or $ChaziB. 

Links for this episode

1. Support North24Home, Toria’s new business venture! 

2. Read: All About Love by bell hooks 

3. Watch: Everyday Black Matter Film and DONT TOUCH MY HAIR rva 

This is one of my most joyful episodes of this show thus far! I've longed to capture the vibe shared between my mentor and friend, Dr. T and I. Wherever we go together we are loud. Period. Dr. T is the main reason I decided to go to grad school and use books to curse out wypipo while on the clock. We’ve been making history together ever since our first meeting where she prepared me to "transcend" above and beyond all things cosmetic "diversity and inclusion." I selected Dr. T as one of the star guest for 1708 Gallery's Inlight 2020 Exhibition, becuz she's both a big part of Everyday Black Matter film and constructing the theories I'm building expertise on in my  Blackademic writing...listen to hear more on this. 

This episode is about love and the importance of holding space to just be with those who inspire you, who see you clearly, and who always have something to say that makes you show up at work the next day wit just a bit more step in your walk. I am so greatful for this Black woman. Honestly, truly pour a cup of whatever you're sipping on these days and get into this vibe. It's an episode for the gurls, the Aunty's, and Black Mama's too. 

Contribute to us/Donate to Black Matter production: 

@Tawnya-Pettiford-Wates (venmo)

@Chaz-Antione (venmo) 

****PS: Catch the unedited live-stream from Inlight 2020: Here.***

*music featured: "Conartistry beat" made/produced by Chaz Antoine, Johannes Barfield, and Wes Taylor. 

*Paired Reading for the Geeks: 

#Academiasoviolent, so let's celebrate by Anthony Williams 

-Let's Talk Reparations By Dr. T 

Friend to the show, Aurora Higgs, finally kikis with me for her own episode, and the tea is critical. Special shout out to EVERYONE who worked with Black Matter to make our Inlight 2020 project official AND cute. Big thanks to 1708 Gallery, the Valentine for hosting, and many many more Richmond sweeties. 

Also for y’all dying to *see us* that missed Inlight 2020, *click here* to watch the (unedited) episode that was live-streamed on Broad Street as part of our exhibition, “A Messy Year.” Black Matter podcast was live and lit during InLight to add more mess to the craziness that 2020 has been. And don’t forget as part of stepping up our tea for season 2 and launching ‘Everyday Black Matter’ film is reparations in practice. Dont just listen. Drop a coin! 

$AuroraHiggs $ChaziB, @chaz-Antoine

Music ft episode by/made in collab with Johannes Barfield. 

Tune in as we gear up for Inlight 2020 and talk about the theory and practice behind (and beyond) Black Matter media productions. Armond is a Blackademic in his own right and one of my mentors who helps me plot and strategize ‘how to survive and thrive in academia without repressing joy’. Grateful af for his work, his friendship, and his dedication to younger emerging scholar-artist like myself. 

Armond Towns is an assistant professor of Rhetoric and Communication Studies at the University of Richmond. His research interests include Black studies, media and communication philosophy, and political economy. When he is not reading and writing, he plays video games and drinks coffee. Follow Dr. Towns here. 

Episode Reads

1. The Undercommons 

2. Love Craft Country

3. The Homeplace:  A Site of Resistance (essay) by bell hooks. 

4. Antonio Gwamchi: The Prison Notebooks: 

5. In the Wake by C. Sharp

*All beats made in collaboration with Johannas Barfield

*special thanks: Wes Taylor and 1708 Gallery, Inlight 2020 crew! 

Keep listening! Also s/o to Dr. T for the voice over you'll hear in this episode. -Black Matter. 

To keep up with this kiki, check out the film(!): Everyday Black Matter. 

*All beats featured in this episode by Johannes*

Johannes and me meet for the first time in person to unpack his Blackademic work and our collaboration on Everyday Black Matter film. If you haven't watched the film yet; DO IT. This is one of many "talkback" kikis we'll host on this platform. Johannes is the lead musician on the film. After (virtually) working together to create a type of Black Matter we both vibe wit, I had to bring him on the podcast! *Special guest Aurora Higgs drops by to kiki about her scene in the film using Johannes's beat. Tune into *part 1 AND part 2*... It was too much tea for one ep.

PSA: Ally and Comrades. Drop $AuroraHiggs and/or $JohannesBarfield some love for their work on Everyday Black Matter film [$$], cause we been out here and we need reparations now. 

Episode Reads

*All beats featured in this episode by Johannes*

Welcome back gurlz! On this episode, the muva-fuck-in openin act of season 2 (!) is here! The one and only, Chelsea Lemore! Radia host and Single In The City Podcast creator & host + newest addition to 'Real Housewives of Richmond' is here! This season opener episode brings you nothing but raw and real kiki from my home office. We're spilling community tea and unpacking Everyday Black Matter film (our new film project, link below). 

Chelsea is one of my favorite Richmonders and bishh tune into this episode to find out exactly why. It’s a critical kiki. Periodt. 

Oh’ and y’all BETTER show the podcast and our new film some love cuz I'm working hard during this crazy ass year. Share the episode link. Drop Dr. Chaz a coin [ $ChaziB, @Chaz-Antoine] (And, yes, we’re done with grad school hoe! Put some respect on my name). 

***Episode Paired 'Reads' 

Join Felix d’Eon, (and the gurlz) for a cute kiki about art, theory, and living how we wanna live through our creative practice. 

@FelixDeon's interdisciplinary career as an artist and maker is extraordinary, unapologetically sexy, and remixes "traditional" notions of representation (aka we're here, we're queer). He and his artsy-crew parade the streets of Mexico city and worlds beyond, pushing queer-erotica to the center and cultivating space where we can be, just Be. Felix is down for a Black Matter kiki & given the current moment where just having a kiki around the table wit the gurlz feels far away, wrapping season 1 has been about celebrating memories and love between my friends and myself. Re-listening to this convos from last year Spring break inspires me to keep the joy up and find new ways to stay close wit friends because we give each other live in darkness. Hit PLAY. SUBsCribE. ShaRE. POST a review. 

music; (1). Intro/ "Black Matter Main Beat" produced by @Aureliobabbit & @Gersonbonilla, (2). "Realism" By Text Me Records/GrandBankss, (3). closing beat: "Come On In" by Silent Partner.

****Somethin More: Suggested Reading----For the geeks listenin! pair with this EP: Black Looks: race and representation by bell hooks +More on felix

Since we’re home a lot more (you better be!) waitin out COVID19, I've been missin brunch and kiki wit the gurlz! Soo, this episode is a compilation of 2 kitchen table talks wit reoccurring cohosts, muva madison moore and sis kadeem fyffe. Plus a surprise new guest, Chris Brown! (Not that one but just as cute!)...He's a sweet Black queer aspiring model-and-zaddy in training who we met out at the gay bars in Orlando and drunkenly invited to chosen family thanksgiving (2019). Hope this episode brings you joy and makes you reminisce the good times with ya gurlz, shooting the shit, pre-corona. This is Black Matter episode 8 Betches!!!

Cohost; Chaz Antoine (host), madison, kadeem, and Chris! 

*****Music shout-outs (in order)*****