Firsts Over Forty

In this episode, I discuss the future of the Firsts Over Forty podcast and the launch of my new TV show, For the Culture with Christina Steed premiering on September 13th at 7 p.m. on CAN-TV. For more info, visit www.christinasteed.com.

For this Women's History Month episode, I reflect on the importance of mentorship with women (even though I've never had a formal mentor) and mastermind groups of women that help each stage of my development - I've had plenty of those, thank God. Diverse relationships with women over the years, from our teen stage to our "big age" adult era, are very important for our individual growth and development. Treasure them.

As I wrap up my Black History Month series on ancestry and legacy, I talk about my great, great aunt Ethel Goode Franklin. She was a chef, chauffeur to stars, writer, playwright, actress, drama club leader, and then a bed and breakfast owner. And a Boston Red Sox fan. She owned a home in Ogunquit, Maine that hosted the Black middle class who "summered" there as well as Black artists such as Langston Hughes and Marian Anderson. Learn more about how she inspires me today and how I will continue to speak her name.

Can homes tell a story? I think homes that have been around since 1892 certainly can. Especially if they were a museum visited by thousands, a location of a Black creative renaissance, a home for Pullman Porters, and owned by one of the most successful building contractors of early Chicago. Come hear about the history of the Griffiths-Burroughs home from me, its current steward.

Dr. Margaret Taylor Burroughs was an artist, teacher, poet, institution-builder, and community organizer who changed the south side of Chicago with all she accomplished. Founder of the South Side Community Art Center, The DuSable Museum, the Lake Meadow Art Fair, and so on...she did a lot during her 90-plus years on Earth. I'm sharing a bit of her legacy. You will want to learn more on your own after this episode!

Season 2022 kicks off with a story about how synchronicity and ancestral power led to my co-ownership of the first Black history museum in the country. This year we are going to have our "Night at the Museum" experience after years of hard work and I wanted to talk about the creative Black women who made it happen - all from another realm. Come with me on this journey of Black History in the making.

For Women's History Month, I had a chat with my colleague, tea entrepreneur, friend, and little sis, Aquinas "Queenie" Early. PR pro extraordinaire and founder of Deeply Rooted Teas, Queenie shares her lessons and revelations upon becoming a newly minted member of the finest 40 club. 

It's Black History Month and there are so many great aspects of Black life and culture to learn about. This month, I'm spotlighting the Black Introvert movement, led by Jeri Bingham of Hush Loudly. She is launching the first Black Introvert Week in February 2021 and has some great info to share, events, and online panels dedicated to introversion and how this group is truly representative of some of our greatest leaders now and throughout history. 

In this first episode to kick off 2021, I invited my BFF Robin Harris to chat about the importance of friendships, especially during this socially distant time. We talk about how really good friendships feel safe, loving, and like a sanctuary to weather the storms of life. Tune in and listen to two good girlfriends just chatting it up.

This year had been a year. In this episode, I asked questions of myself that you may find helpful as you prepare for 2021. Who knows what's in store, but we can all have something to look forward to in 2021. Cheers!

References:

www.susannahconway.com, Unravel your Year 2021