Blackbelt Voices by Blackbelt Media LLC

05.08.2024

Brené. Beyoncé. Belonging.

We're back in the saddle! In this episode, Adena and Kara discuss the relaunch of Blackbelt Voices as a platform for authentic storytelling. After completing a Social Impact Storytelling program at Georgetown University and a fellowship with Solutions Journalism Network,...

10.05.2022

Michael Harriot: The King of Breaking It Down

Adena and Kara talk to writer and self-proclaimed Wypipologist Michael Harriot. The South Carolina native is well known for his wit, cultural commentary, and gift of mixing humor and historical context. In this episode, Michael breaks down the discipline of...

04.27.2022

Turn to Your Neighbor: La'Twana Scott - El Dorado, Arkansas

La'Twana Scott, the owner of Sweet Mama T's in El Dorado, Arkansas, developed a reputation as a great cook at an early age. The El Dorado native enjoys cooking for people and got her start from helping her mom as...

03.09.2022

SOUL FOOD - Farm to Table: The Table

On episode 37 of Blackbelt Voices, we continue our conversation about Black food, this time focusing on barbecue. Guest Michael “Mike D” De Los Santos of North Carolina walks us through his journey of becoming an expert on the topic,...

02.23.2022

Black Food Culture: Gerald Harris on the sustainability of Black farmers in North Carolina

In episode 36 of Blackbelt Voices, Adena and Kara continue the conversation about Black food culture – this time from an agricultural angle. Our guest, Gerald Harris, along with his partners Derek Beasley and Gabrielle E.W. Carter (who was featured...

02.11.2022

Black Food Culture: Dr. Ashanté M. Reese on her book, Black Food Matters

We’re starting a new series of episodes about Black Food Culture, which is a very broad topic to tackle. It can be fun, but it is also deep. Ashante Reese, Ph.D. is a writer, teacher, and anthropologist who works at...

01.26.2022

Turn to Your Neighbor: Jennifer Williams - Cleveland, Mississippi

Jennifer Williams of Cleveland, Mississippi, always knew she wanted to be a teacher. When she was a girl, her favorite game was playing school. Though she chose to study computer information systems in college, she remembers eagerly wanting to help...

01.12.2022

The Cost of Racism: Tim Lampkin on building community wealth

On episode 33 of the Blackbelt Voices podcast, we are continuing our discussion on the Cost of Racism. This week we’re focused on building community wealth with Tim Lampkin, the CEO and founder of Higher Purpose Co., which is a...

12.29.2021

Turn to Your Neighbor: Cheryl Hampton - Marianna, Arkansas

Cheryl Hampton grew up on a farm in Marianna on the same property where her great-great-grandfather lived. He grew lots of vegetables in his garden including sweet potatoes, greens, and okra. Cheryl still lives and gardens on the property today....

12.15.2021

The Cost of Racism: Darrin Williams on economic equity and wealth building

Episode 31 of the Blackbelt Voices podcast begins a new series of episodes called the Cost of Racism. During the next month, we’ll dive into the ideas of economic equity and building wealth for Black communities. Today’s guest is Darrin...

12.01.2021

Turn to Your Neighbor: Amanda Hunter - Mayflower, Arkansas

This Turn to Your Neighbor segment features Amanda Hunter, a registered nurse who lives in Central Arkansas. Amanda is very interested in exploring her family tree. She wanted to see how far she could go back into her family’s history...

11.24.2021

Preserving Our History: Nicka Sewell-Smith on genealogy and family history

Happy Thanksgiving, Blackbelt Voices fam. In this week’s episode we’re talking about genealogy. It is part of the “Preserving our History” series. For Nicka Sewell-Smith, learning about her family history is much more than a hobby. She has more than...

11.10.2021

Turn to Your Neighbor: Albessie Thompson - Twin Groves, Arkansas

The Ozark Foothills African-American History Museum would not have been possible without the work of Albessie Thompson. Born and raised in Twin Groves, Arkansas, Thompson has worked tirelessly for the past 30 years to preserve the history of her hometown.

10.27.2021

Preserving Our History: Mosaic Templars Cultural Center

Blackbelt Voices continues its focus on “Preserving our History” with a closer look at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, a 35,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art museum on 9th Street in Little Rock. The museum, which is a part of the Department of Arkansas...

10.13.2021

Preserving Our History: American Reckoning

American Reckoning is a component of PBS FRONTLINE's Un(re)solved multi-platform initiative investigating unsolved murders that happened in the Civil Rights Era. We sat down with filmmakers Yoruba Richen and Brad Lichtenstein who are working on a documentary about the events...

10.06.2021

Season 3 Preview

Blackbelt Voices is coming back for our third season in mid-October. We can’t wait for you to hear from our fantastic guests. They’re telling stories from and about Black folks down South that honor our history; celebrate our culture; and...

02.24.2021

Nevertheless, she persisted: Women of Color Business Owners

In this episode, Adena and Kara talk to Kristy Carter, author and principal investigator of a newly released study about women of color business owners and entrepreneurs in Arkansas. The research was conducted by the University of Central Arkansas and...

02.17.2021

Equity in Education: Moving Beyond Window Dressing

On Episode 22 of Blackbelt Voices, Adena and Kara have a conversation with Candice Barnes, Ed.D., an associate professor and distinguished equity fellow at the University of Central Arkansas College of Education. They talked about moving closer to diversity, equity,...

02.10.2021

Living History: Driving the Green Book

Three people, from three backgrounds and generations, take a road trip using The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. Adena and Kara have a conversation with Alvin Hall and Janée Woods Weber about their living history podcast called Driving...

02.01.2021

What is a History Teacher Supposed to Teach?

Happy Black History Month. February 1 marks the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing a resolution that would later become the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On this episode, Adena and Kara address some eyebrow-raising legislation aimed at restricting...

12.31.2020

Goal Setting, Job Hunting, and Protecting Your Peace

Blackbelt Voices wraps up 2020 with tips on setting goals, job hunting, and protecting your peace. Kara and Adena talked to Leigh Oliver, a talent acquisition coordinator in Nashville who gave us a glimpse into the mind of a...

12.23.2020

COVID-19 Vaccine: Addressing Concerns

COVID-19 ‌has‌ ‌dominated‌ ‌headlines‌ ‌nearly‌ ‌the‌ ‌entire‌ ‌year‌ ‌–‌ ‌and‌ ‌has affected‌ ‌life‌ ‌for‌ ‌every‌ ‌single‌ ‌one‌ ‌of‌ ‌us.‌ ‌‌And‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌images‌ ‌of‌ ‌people‌ ‌receiving‌ ‌much-anticipated‌ ‌vaccinations‌ ‌last‌ ‌week,‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌glimmer‌ ‌of‌ ‌hope‌ ‌for‌ ‌some‌ ‌return‌...

11.25.2020

Addressing Racism in the Newsroom

Adena and Kara talk to broadcast journalists Brittany Noble and Lisa Benson, who share their experiences with racism in the newsroom. This episode's Turn to Your Neighbor segment features newspaper reporter Stephen Simpson.

11.11.2020

Storytelling for Social Change

Adena and Kara talk about media and storytelling with Cierra Hinton, executive director of Scalawag and director of network-building and strategy at Press On Media. You will also *finally* hear the story of how Blackbelt Voices came to be. The...

10.21.2020

Voting and Civic Engagement

Adena and Kara talk to the founder of a nonprofit that works to build political power among Black voters and end voter suppression. In 2016, Charlane Oliver and a group of friends sat in a Chili’s and pitched in a...

10.07.2020

Social Justice in the South

On this episode of Blackbelt Voices, we’re exploring the facets of public policy and how it affects societal norms with Tamika Edwards. Plus, Gennie Hirschy shows real-life connections that may serve as motivation to stay informed and engaged in local...

10.03.2020

BONUS: Register to Vote

The election is one month away. Please make sure you're registered. If your plan is in place, send this as a reminder to your friends. Deadlines are approaching quickly. Here are a few resources that will get you started. https://votesaveamerica.com/be-a-voter/https://govotear.org/...

09.26.2020

BONUS: Get Counted!

Adena and Kara want to remind you to not underestimate the importance of the census. There’s a lot riding on those numbers and we don’t get another chance until 2030.There are only four days left to fill out the 2020...

09.23.2020

Fighting for the South

Political organizers Tristan Wilkerson and DeJuana L. Thompson talk about what led them to start Think Rubix, a social innovation consultancy with branches across the country. They work with nonprofits businesses and government to create equitable solutions.Tristan and Dejuana give...

06.11.2020

A movement we should sustain

For the past 16 days, protesters in every state and around the world are demanding change and speaking out against systemic racism and police brutality that disproportionately affects Black Americans. As the protests have become mainstream, many major businesses and...

06.04.2020

Rioting in American History

As the U.S. begins to slowly reopen the economy and gain some sense of normalcy during a pandemic, we find ourselves in familiar territory – a police officer has killed a Black man, leading to protests in the streets. We...

03.04.2020

The truth always comes out (Part II)

In the early morning hours of May 6, 1960, Marvin Leonard Williams died in police custody at the former Faulkner County jail in Conway, Arkansas. He was arrested the night before — the same night his parents and siblings lost...

02.26.2020

No, your brother was murdered (Part I)

In the early morning hours of May 6, 1960, Marvin Leonard Williams died in police custody at the former Faulkner County jail in Conway, Arkansas. He was arrested the night before — the same night his parents and siblings lost...

02.19.2020

Talent needs opportunity

Talent is there; they just need an opportunity. Executive director and lead maker of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, Chris Jones, Ph.D., talks to hosts Adena and Kara about his life experiences and his passion to help people realize their...

01.17.2020

(Natural) heads held high

It's not just hair. Katrina, Kara, and Adena untangle the cultural significance of Black hair with returning guest Dr. Karama Neal and her 13-year-old daughter, Ayoka. We explore generational shifts in hair styles and hair acceptance.Links to what we discussed:Diane's...

12.31.2019

Pique your interest in the past

We continue our conversation with Dr. Brian K. Mitchell, assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dr. Mitchell talks about the importance of sharing family history – both the happy times and the tragedies. We...

12.12.2019

Hundreds of white men carrying guns

In October 1919, more than 200 Black sharecroppers were killed in a horrific act of racist violence in Elaine, Arkansas. Dr. Brian K. Mitchell, assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has done extensive research...

11.21.2019

A place to call home

Dr. Karama Neal is goals. She is president of Southern Bancorp Community Partners and has also launched independent projects that promote equity of opportunity for all people. We discussed a few of her projects: The Arkansas Heir Property Act 2015,...

10.23.2019

Finding color in design

Carmeon Hamilton is a Memphis-based interior designer and social media influencer. As owner of Nubi Interiors, Carmeon provides design services and plant consulting to clients. In this episode, she offers practical design tips and shares how she centers her Black...

10.09.2019

Know your status

When Latunja Sockwell was diagnosed with HIV in January 1997, there weren’t a lot of treatment and resource options. Today, she’s using her experience and compassion to help pave an easier path for others.Visit blackbeltvoices.com for a full summary of...

09.25.2019

Are you in that number?

The 2020 Census is approaching, and Blackbelt Voices co-host Kara Wilkins is schooling us on why it’s a big deal. Listen to learn why Black communities are particularly vulnerable to being undercounted and what we can do to help make...

08.28.2019

Blackbelt Voices Trailer

The Blackbelt Voices podcast propagates the richness of Black Southern culture by telling the stories of Black folks down South. Through first-person narratives and in-depth conversations, hosts Adena J. White, Kara Wilkins, and Katrina Dupins share the experiences of Black...

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