Homegoings

Dr. V is a felon and a former stripper. In April of 2002 she was charged with theft and spent some time in prison. That journey led her to a life of hardship and consequences that still follow her today. But she owns her past. She embraces it. She’s even figured out how to use it – not only as a springboard toward a better life, but as a business model to land her where she is today: Helping other people do the same.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was hosted and reported by Myra Flynn. Our producer/director is Mike Dunn and Aaron Edwards is our story editor. Myra composed the theme music with other music by Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed, Kyle Ambusk and Kaylee Mumford are the graphic artists. Check out Elodie’s work in this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

Thank you for listening. You can see a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel.

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Aman Itomi makes big, bold and noticeable jewelry worn by celebrities and gracing the covers of magazines. His nickname in his community of makers is “The Basquiat of metal.”  But now Aman is bracing for uncertainty and scarcity as Trump’s tariffs on metals go into effect — again. In this episode, Aman shares how he’s preparing.

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Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public: https://www.vermontpublic.org/

Marjani Forté-Saunders is a mother, choreographer, performer, community organizer and three-time Bessie Award winner. In this episode, Marjani speaks about the score a dancer’s body keeps, both on and off the stage. It’s a journey of acceptance, fearless expression and hard personal truths.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was hosted and reported by Myra Flynn and edited by Aaron Edwards, with production support from Peter Engisch, Mike Dunn and our associate producer James Stewart. Myra composed the theme music with other music by Everett Asis and Blue Dot Sessions. Kaylee Mumford is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

Thank you for listening. You can see a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel.

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Kiran ‘Madame’ Gandhi gained notoriety as a drummer who toured the world drumming with superstar M.I.A., and as an activist — who ran the London City Marathon free bleeding while menstruating. In this episode, Kiran talks about leaning into the multidimensionality of our humanity and viewing our traumas as superpowers. In the end … we have no other option.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was hosted and reported by Myra Flynn and edited by Aaron Edwards, with production support from Peter Engisch, Mike Dunn and our associate producer. Myra composed the theme music with other music by Kiran ‘Madame’ Gandhi, Blue Dot Sessions, and UPM. Kaylee Mumford is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

Thank you for listening. You can see a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel.

To continue to be part of the Homegoings family:

Toussaint St. Negritude is a poet, teacher and musician who has chosen his own path and his own name. In this episode, Toussaint speaks about fierceness as a survival tool for Black queer men, like him, who were out and gay in the 1970s.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was hosted and reported by Myra Flynn and edited by Aaron Edwards, with production support from Mike Dunn and James Stewart, our associate producer. Myra composed the theme music with other music by Toussaint St. Negritude and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

Thank you for listening. You can see a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel.

To continue to be part of the Homegoings family:

What is jazz? And who gets to call themselves a jazz musician? In this episode, host Myra Flynn sits down with renowned musicians Nicole "Lady" Wray, Adi Oasis and Melanie Charles to unpack how they are redefining the landscape of jazz on their own terms.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was hosted and reported by Myra Flynn, with production support and direction from Mike Dunn. James Stewart is our associate producer and Peter Engisch was our sound designer. Myra composed the theme music with other music by Melanie Charles, Adi Oasis, Nicole “Lady” Wray and Blue Dot Sessions. Kaylee Mumford is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

Thank you for listening. You can see a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel.

To continue to be part of the Homegoings family:

We released this episode, “Black birth, laboring for justice,” back in October 2023. At the time, we felt this episode was crucial to make because Black women had the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States. The CDC actually called it a crisis. 

We checked back in with this crisis to see what’s changed in two years, and learned that maternal deaths have dropped — just not for Black women. So, we figured it’s time to press play on this. Again. 

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was mixed, scored and reported by Myra Flynn with support from our associate producer James Stewart and editing by Brittany Patterson. 

Myra Flynn composed the Homegoings theme music. “Mama Song” was also written by Myra Flynn with production from Tim Sonnefeld. Zoe McDonald and Elodie Reed are the graphic artists behind this Homegoings artist portrait. 

The CDC is working to help stop this crisis and save Black mothers. If you are in need of more information or help, give them a call at 1-800-232-4636. You do not have to navigate this alone.

As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family:

Our sister podcast Stitch Please is a sewing podcast that centers around Black women, girls and femmes, weaving threads of creativity, technique and passion with every episode. And in this episode we’re dropping into our feed, “Patchwork to Power,” renowned quilter Chawne Kimber sits down with host Lisa Wolfot to talk about how she strives to maintain a balance between aesthetic beauty and activist messaging in her quilts. 

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.

This episode was created by Lisa Woolfork and Black Women Stitch with additional editing by Myra Flynn. Myra composed our theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned!

To continue to be part of the Homegoings family:

Los Angeles native Shelley Bruce joins Myra Flynn as they discuss the devastating impact of the recent fires in L.A., particularly the Eaton fire that has destroyed so many homes and businesses, including many in the historically Black suburb of Los Angeles, Altadena. Together they discuss the systemic issues that have led to the fire’s disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.

***A heads up: This episode contains unbleeped swearing and covers sensitive material, including sexual abuse. Please listen with care.***

In this episode, Vermont Public reporter Elodie Reed joins Huntington, Vermont resident and Lakota elder Beverly Little Thunder and her daughter, Lushanya Echeverria, at the movies. Together they watch the documentary Sugarcane, about the horrific history and intergenerational trauma of residential or boarding schools.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.

This episode was mixed and reported by Elodie Reed, with additional editing by Myra Flynn, Mikaela Lefrak and James Stewart. Myra composed our theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie is also the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead so stay tuned!

To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: