Graves to Gardens Podcast

For the second episode of the season I'm bringing you guys another exhibition story. This time we're in Philly visiting Mural Arts Philadelphia's exceptional exhibition, End the Exception: Abolish Slavery in Prisons. While the exhibition just ended you can still visit their website to engage with the work they shared over the last two weeks. This exhibition focuses primarily on prison labor and drawing the connection to legalized slave labor protected by the exception clause stated in the 13th Amendment. To find out more about #EndTheException you can check out the movement's website here.

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In today's episode I will be looking primarily at one single case study, Basquiat's Defacement - The Untold Story, brought to the Guggenheim Museum in 2019 by curator, author and activist Chaedria LaBouvier. The purpose of this episode is to examine the ways that black artists engage with issues of injustice (specifically as it relates to racist police violence) be voice their opposition of it. You can find Chaedria on Instagram. You can also read up on the exhibition as well as the racism she spoke of while working with the Guggenheim in an article published by Essence.

From today's episode I ask two things of you. 1) That you sign the petition for Brittney Griner's release back to home. And if you would like to learn more about the details of this story you can read this article or check out this video by CNN and another by Fox News. 2) My second call to action is to join me in 40 days of prayer over the injustices and radicalized violence that continues to plague our country. Thank you guys for tuning in and I can't wait to rejoin you all in the next season!

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In today's episode I'm joined by Skyler Rich, the Founder and current Director of Operations and Marketing for the company For Everyone Collective. Skyler and I speak about everything from the evolution of the collective to what they envision for the future of their company and so much more. I really love For Everyone's approach, their use of cool clothing to tell stories about moments in history and share abolitionist ideas. They're intentionality with sparking a conversation or a thought around what a world without prisons could potentially look like is what makes the work they're doing so important.  

Be sure to follow For Everyone Collective on Instagram and also check out their website. Don't forget to like, subscribe and share this episode with a friend.

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For today's episode I'm joined by the producer and host of the Brazilian POV podcast. We discuss her podcast in length as well as her background in law. As someone who has studied law in Brazil, Ana has a lot to share with regards to the system of policing in Brazil and their current political climate. You may notice some of what she shares eerily resembles that of the U.S. The good news is, sometimes similarities brings greater solidarity. 

Ana recommended two episodes for you guys to check out. They are: the hypersexualization of Brazilian women and a deeper dive into Brazilian politics. Make sure you guys listen and make sure to follow her on Instagram too! Make sure to like this episode, subscribe and share with a friend. 

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In today's episode I'm joined by Kerishma Nara, the founder of the candle company, Wisteria and Ivy. Kerishma creatively uses their candle company as a way to engage in many activist groups and collectives that they otherwise could not have. In the age of the global pandemic, connecting with organizations and groups have been tough and Kerishma found a way to remain in solidarity with groups while feeling confident that they are not compromising their health. Their approach? Melt down old candle wax to create a new product that can be sold and then donated all of the proceeds from that sale to the organization of the buyer's choosing. Best of all, these are some of the cutest candles I've come across!

Be sure to shop Wisteria and Ivy on their Etsy shop. I also urge you to check out the list of organizations they are donating to and familiarize yourself with at least one; follow them on social, check out their website and learn how you can get further involved. And as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our website and share this episode with a friend!

Welcome to our Juneteenth Special! This episode features a panel discussion that was held at Parson School of Design and put on by the Joseph and Gail Gromek Institute for Fashion Business. The Director of the Gromek Institute, Abrima Erwiah, hosted the first of many panel discussions. In today's discussion you'll hear from Olivier Rousteing - Creative Director of Balmain, Victor Glemaud - Founder of IN THE BLK, Brandice Daniel - Founder of Harlem Fashion Row, and Tara Donaldson - Executive Editor at WWD. 

I was invited by Abrima to attend this event and at the end to join the panelists on stage to ask a question. Once the discussion ended I was invited to join the panelists backstage to ask follow up questions. In this incredibly insightful conversation we can all learn a lot from what these leaders in fashion had to say about the role that diversity in the industry plays on a larger scale. 

As my call to action this week, I ask that you support the Black in Fashion Council by donating to their organization and also following them on Instagram. I also wanted to direct you to The Fashion and Race Database to discover more influential people of color in the industry. Finally, in honor of this Juneteenth special, I couldn't go without mentioning The Juneteenth Foundation. You can donate to their cause or if you are in the DC area, get involved with their volunteer program.  

As always, make sure to follow us on Instagram and be sure to check out our website. Don't forget to like, subscribe and share this episode with a friend! 

In today’s episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Sari Baez, the VP of Sales and Marketing for the streetwear brand Diplomacy Worldwide. Sari and I discuss the social movements Diplomacy has connected itself with along with some of what to expect from Diplomacy in the the future.

As a way to further engage yourself beyond the listening experience, make sure to shop Diplomacy Worldwide and support the brand by following them on Instagram. You should also follow Sari on Instagram to stay connected to all that she is doing. My final call to action would be to become familiar with The Bail Project. As you’ll hear in today’s episode, Diplomacy did a capsule collection where they donated proceeds from that collection to The Bail Project and so further knowledge and involvement with them is definitely encouraged. 

You can follow us on Instagram and also on our website. And be sure to like and subscribe to the channel so you’re notified when new episodes are released!

In today's episode I'm joined by Loriel and Anthony Alegrete, co-founders, of the California-based fashion & lifestyle brand 40Tons. This social impact brand began as a way for Loriel and Anthony to support their friend and co-founder, Corvain Cooper pay for his lawyer fees as he fought for his freedom while serving a life sentence for weed distribution. Now, Corvain is home and the brand has grown so much since its inception. In this episode we talk about it all: from the early stages of 40Tons, Anthony and Loriel's personal connection to this work, to future plans for the brand. 

Make sure to shop their website here and use our special discount code G2G20 for 20% off of your purchase. And for those of you interested in attending the career conference they will be hosting in Trenton, NJ on August, 13th you can signup for the event here. Finally, for anyone who would like to support those behind bars in the form of sending stamps or writing letters, you can connect with Letters for Change to do so.

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Today, I am joined by fashion and social media expert Chrissy Rutherford. After a little over 8 years working at Harper's Bazaar, Chrissy has now shifted into the next phase of her career as a digital content creator for brands like Tiffany & Co., Jimmy Choo, Saks Fifth Avenue, and more. She also manages her newsletter FWD Joy as well as co-leads an anti-racist consulting firm called 2 Black Girls Consulting for fashion brands and influencers that she started with co-founder Danielle Prescod.  

In today's conversation we took it back to a foundational issue. We discuss racism within the fashion industry, explore the impact racism in fashion has on a larger cultural scale, as well as what needs to be done in order to dismantle it by looking at the work that she is currently engaged in. Two really important resources she shared in today's episode were an article on the impacts of representation and the work of writer and social justice educator Ericka Hart, M.Ed. Please be sure to not only check out these resources but to also follow Chrissy on Instagram and subscribe to her newsletter to stay updated on all the incredible work she is doing.  You can follow us on Instagram here and subscribe to our website as well. Make sure to give this episode a like, subscribe and share with a friend!