Hoodoo Plant Mamas

For this very special season finale, Dani interviews Leah about her latest book, Apocalypse Still. We discuss themes, inspiration, and her writing process. We also get into the myth of the Black superhero, the difficult decisions we make to survive, and how Black folks deserve alternate endings. 

Leah Nicole Whitcomb is a community storyteller from Mississippi who writes about Black folks, love, and magic. She co-hosts the Hoodoo Plant Mamas podcast. Her writing has been featured in Sistories, Samjoko Magazine, and the young adult anthology, All the Ways a Heart Burns. A Courage to Write Grant recipient, Leah’s work has been supported by The deGroot Foundation, Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation, The Bereket Writing Community, Women of Color Writers Podcast, and the Women’s National Book Association. She is the author of Apocalypse Still.

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• bloom by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories Ed by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell
• "New Analysis Reveals Many Excess Deaths Attributed to Natural Causes are Actually Uncounted COVID-19 Deaths" by Jillian McKoy. Boston University School of Health. 
• "Black People Hysterically Await Superhuman Abilities During 'Negro Solstice'" by Jon Greig. Blavity. 
• "A Jamaican Love Story: Lover's Leap in St. Elizabeth" by Bailey Huebner. TheHub.News.
• Soul Talk: The New Spirituality of African American Women by Akasha Gloria Hull
• Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal
• When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narration Collection Ed by Norman R. Yetman
• The Dead Don't Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi, and Black TV Nerd Shit by Julian Randall
• "SAD FACE" by Dani Bee. Home & Other Obsessions.
• "Ep 14: Writing the Spirit" Hoodoo Plant Mamas
• "Ep 36: Writing as Conjure Work" Hoodoo Plant Mamas
• "Ep 47: Dreaming a New Dream with Austen Smith" Hoodoo Plant Mamas

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

In this episode we're joined by Austen Smith of ImaginationDoulas. We discuss the imagination as a colonial construct as well as the need to integrate dreaming into our spiritual and liberation practices. We go over the principles of their project, ImaginationDoulas, and talk about how to work with the Spirit of Creativity. This is a must-listen for all creatives!

Austen Smith is a spirit-forward visionary artist, writer, social researcher, and founder of Our Lunar Intelligence (OLi), a black-centered organization focusing on spatial justice and spiritual creativity. The ImaginationDoulas, an OLi project, uses ancestral reverence and dreaming as a methodology to restore the imaginations of systemically disempowered peoples. Learn more about Austen's work at www.ourlunarintelligence.org.

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• "The God in Me" Hoodoo Plant Mamas Podcast
• "The Chinese doctor who tried to warn others about coronavirus" by Stephanie Hegarty. BBC. 
• "Austen Smith on the role of daydreaming in your creative practice." by Danielle Buckingham. Black Joy x Reckon
• ImaginationDoulas Instagram

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

Is your spirituality rooted in a genuine desire to connect with the Divine or is it rooted in a sense of superiority over other spiritual traditions? In this episode we answer this as well as discuss spiritual insecurity, performing spirituality for others, and seeing ourselves as divine beings. 

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• Jeida K. Storey's Threads Post (storeytellingtarot)
• "Astrology Influencer MysticxLipstick Dead in Alleged Murder-Suicide After Troubling Social Media Posts" by DeMicia Inman. Yahoo!News.
• "Ep 45: When Your Soul Gets Weary" Hoodoo Plant Mamas Podcast
• "Finding Healing in Gospel Music" by Leah Nicole Whitcomb. The Rumpus.

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca.

In this episode, we discuss what happens when your spiritual practice changes. We get into struggling with your purpose when the world has gone to shit, integrating Hoodoo in all aspects of our lives, and the need to tap into local plant medicine. 

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• "Get your spirit right with podcast host and Osun Priestess Juju Bae" by Danielle Buckingham. BlackJoy x Reckon
• Banning Black Gods: Law and Religions of the African Diaspora by Danielle N. Boaz.
• "The magical science of Hoodoo with Hess Love" by Danielle Buckingham. BlackJoy x Reckon.
• Tatianna Tarot YouTube.
• "Magical Transitions" by Leah Nicole Whitcomb. Little Sunday Sermons.
• "'African American Herbalism' is both history and healing" by Danielle Buckingham. BlackJoy x Reckon. 
• African American Herbalism: A Practical Guide to Healing Plants and Folk Traditions by Lucretia Vandyke

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca

In this episode, we tackle US propaganda and how it's causing spiritual warfare. We get into the illusion of choice, media censorship, increased militarism, and how all of our oppression is interconnected.

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• "Meta is limiting how much political content users see. Here's how to opt out of that" by Rachel Treisman. npr.
• "Obama Administration Defends Israeli Airstrikes but Cautions Against Ground War." by Michael R. Gordon. The New York Times.
• "Countries bombed by the U.S. under the Obama administration." by Kevin Liptak. CNN.
• "We're In a Major COVID-19 surge. It's Our New Normal." by Jamie Ducharme. TIME. 
• "Biden Says the Pandemic is Over. Is It?" by Doug Most. BU today.
• "CDC Drops Five Day Covid-19 Isolation Despite Controversy." by Judy Stone. Forbes. 
• "The Biden administration once again bypasses Congress on an emergency weapons sale to Israel." by Matthew Lee. APNews. 
• "Majority in U.S. Now Disapprove of Israeli Action in Gaza." by Jeffrey M. Jones. Gallup. 
• Dayna Lynn Nuckolls (@PeoplesOracle) Tweet. March 18 2024. 
• Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. 2024
• Ninja Grill Social Media Exploitation TikTok (@naturally_nakeyta)
• "Ep 10: Celebrity Activism: Liberation or Profit?" Hoodoo Plant Mamas. April 2021
• "Democracy in animals: the evolution of shared group decisions." L. Condradt and T.J. Roper. 2007 Sep 22
• "House votes to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib over her Israel-Hamas rhetoric in a stunning rebuke." by Farnoush Amiri. AP

BOOKSHOP
https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

BE A PATRON!
https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @hoodooplants
Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE
Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas
Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

In this episode, we're joined by Ghrey Mbenza, a neurodivergent occupational therapist who works with marginalized communities. Ghrey talks with us about neurodiversity, what it means to be Black and neurodivergent, as well as the trauma and necessary healing work from growing up as undiagnosed Black neurodivergent kids.

Tasha “Ghrey” Mbenza (they/she/he), more recently known simply as Ghrey, is a black, queer, and autistic occupational therapist who is passionate about helping people of all ages reach their highest potential by identifying and building on their strengths. Ghrey is especially passionate about self-advocacy work with individuals from queer, BIPOC, neurodivergent, and/or physically disabled communities. His special interests include cooking with a focus on creative plating, recreating their favorite songs, and calculating service tips in their head. Her career related special interests include mental health, emotional regulation, sensory processing, and self-advocacy.

RESOURCES

• Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• "Country Black" Hoodoo Plant Mamas Patreon
• "Ep 12: Children are Divine" Hoodoo Plant Mamas Podcast
• "It's all fun and games for Seattle occupational therapist liberating Black clients through Play" by Jonece Starr Dunigan. Black Joy Reckon

BOOKSHOP
https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

BE A PATRON!
https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter: @hoodooplants
Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE
Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas
Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

After an extended hiatus, we're back. While Dani moved away from Mississippi, Leah moved back so we talk about loving, leaving, and returning to Mississippi. Dani visited Senegal, and Leah is publishing a book. 

RESOURCES

• SeaSalted Honey Residency
• "A Night at Fontaine's" by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• Pre-order Apocalypse Still by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
• "Episode 202: Reclaiming my Dream" Dreaming in Color with Nancey B. Price.

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

//SPOILERS FOR LONG DIVISION//

Mississippi author Kiese Laymon joins us for our season finale. We discuss the revised version of his novel Long Division, explore themes of freedom, language, and timelessness, and talk about creating art separate from the white imagination.

Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the Libby Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. Laymon is the author of Long Division, which won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, named a notable book of 2021 by the New York Times critics. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Barnes and Noble Discovery Award, the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year. Laymon is the recipient of 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard. Laymon is at work on the books, Good God, and City Summer, Country Summer, and a number of other film and television projects. He is the founder of “The Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative,” a program based out of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, aimed at aiding young people in Jackson get more comfortable reading, writing, revising and sharing on their on their own terms, in their own communities. Kiese Laymon was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2022.

RESOURCES

• Long Division by Kiese Laymon
• "We Need to Reckon with the Rot at the Core of Publishing" by Elaine Castillo. LitHub.

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

We're joined by Starr, founder of Reckon's Black Joy. In this episode, we discuss the highs and lows of healing, leading when you feel unqualified, and Black joy as our birthright.

Jonece Starr Dunigan (She/her/hers) is a journalist who gives the microphone to communities that are often ignored by mainstream media. Guided by empathy, her reporting centers the stories, movement work and voices of Black, brown and queer people. Her writing strives to amplify and empower readers instead of exploiting them of their traumas. Starr is also the founder of Reckon’s Black Joy (formerly Black Magic Project), a media brand under Reckon that’s highlighting the multiple ways we as Black people cultivate liberating joy in our lives.

RESOURCES

• "Blessings six years of Black joy have taught me." Jonece Starr Dunigan. Black Joy.
• Nolaskinsentials
• Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good edited by adrienne marie brown
• Diving with a Purpose

BE A PATRON!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca.

In this episode, we're joined by Veronica Agard as she discusses her educational project, Ancestors in Training. We think about what how to honor our ancestors, what we want to leave our future descendants, and how to best utilize our time here on Earth.

Veronica Agard (Ifáṣadùn Fásanmí) (she/her) is a poet, writer, community educator, and connector at the intersections of Black identity, wellness, representation, and culture. She experiments with creative healing modalities and puts theories learned into practice. She curated the Who Heals the Healer series and the conference of the same name and facilitates the Ancestors in Training educational project. Her initiatives are housed in her freelance platform, Vera Icon LLC. Described as living in the future, Veronica is guided by the past and carries out her dreams in the present.

RESOURCES

• Ancestors in Training Syllabus
• Ancestors in Training Bookshop
• Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
• Dani's Writing Residency in Senegal GoFundMe
• "The Science Behind Smudging." Uplift.
• "Are you ready to become your descendants wildest dreams? Ancestors in Training shows you how." Black Joy x Reckon

BE A PATRON!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca.