Shaping Freedom With Lisane Basquiat

What does it mean to leave a legacy when the people who shaped history are often left out of the story?

On this episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane Basquiat speaks with Dr. Margena Christian, journalist, author, media scholar, and former editor at Ebony and Jet. Through her book, It's No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown's Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, Dr. Christian shines a light on Motown's first female in-house songwriter and producer and the barriers she faced in a male-dominated industry.

Dr. Christian shares how Sylvia Moy helped shape Stevie Wonder's early career while fighting for recognition. She also reflects on her own journey through stage four ovarian cancer and how telling Sylvia's story gave her renewed purpose and hope.

Together, they explore the power of using your voice, setting boundaries, and preserving the stories of those who helped shape history. It's a conversation about resilience, recognition, and making sure important legacies are never forgotten.

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What if true freedom begins when we learn to give ourselves the same hope, grace, and care we offer others?

In this episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane Basquiat and Major, singer and songwriter best known for his hit song “Why I Love You,” explore the power of courage, purpose, and hope. Known as the “hope dealer,” Major shares lessons from his journey and how they have shaped the way he approaches life and relationships.

Together, Lisane and Major explore the importance of grace, empathy, and setting healthy boundaries while learning to recognize what is and isn’t ours to carry. They also discuss the dangers of burnout, the value of reciprocity, and why caring for others should never mean neglecting ourselves. Through their conversation, they reflect on how to live with greater intention, give generously, and make room to receive.

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What if freedom isn’t about chasing the biggest dream, but staying curious enough to recognize the opportunities you never imagined?

On this episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane Basquiat sits down with acclaimed television writer, producer, showrunner, and bestselling novelist Rasheed Newson. From co-developing Bel-Air to writing his latest novel, There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood, Rasheed has built a career by following curiosity rather than a master plan.

Rasheed opens up about the hidden bargains behind success, the difference between ambition and curiosity, and why the life you think you want may not actually be the one that makes you happy. He also takes us inside his vision of “Hollywood noir,” using historical fiction to restore Black queer lives that have too often been erased from the historical record.

The conversation also explores love and relationships beyond the fairy-tale ideal, how celebrity has shifted from mystery to accessibility, and why Rasheed believes today’s aspiring writers may need to rethink the traditional Hollywood dream altogether. For him, real success may be less about awards, fame, or a perfectly mapped-out future—and more about creating work that interests you while building a life you actually want to live.

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In this episode, Lisane Basquiat sits down with Tiffany Toney—actress, filmmaker, former professional athlete, author, and founder of the Watch Her Glow Foundation—for a powerful conversation about reinvention, ownership, body autonomy, and learning to trust yourself.

Tiffany shares how the discipline she developed as an athlete carried into acting and filmmaking, why she ultimately chose to create her own opportunities, and what it took to reclaim ownership of her work. She also opens up about her experience with breast implants, the health complications that followed, and the process of rebuilding her relationship with her body and self-worth.

Now, through her upcoming book Big Tits Almost Killed Me and the Watch Her Glow Foundation, Tiffany is turning her experience into advocacy by helping women access better education, support, and resources around breast health and recovery.

At its core, this is a conversation about betting on yourself, listening to your intuition, and refusing to let someone else define who you’re allowed to become.

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What happens when always pushing through becomes the very thing keeping you from slowing down and facing what you feel?

In this episode, Lisane sits down with Bahamian jazz trumpeter and composer Giveton Gelin to talk about his journey, his Haitian-Bahamian roots, and the pressure to keep moving forward even when something deeper needs attention.

Giveton opens up about becoming a “functional depressive,” staying busy to avoid dealing with what was happening internally, and learning to slow down, listen to himself, and live more intentionally. They also discuss his song I Solemnly Swear to Live, a personal vow to fully embrace each day and keep choosing life.

A conversation about the dark side of perseverance, the importance of self-reflection, and what it really means to give yourself permission to live.

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What happens when the unspoken rules of a family force a child to carry secrets they never agreed to keep?

In this episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane Basquiat catches up with repeat guest Phill Branch , an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, storyteller, and founder/creative director of the Baltimore Story Fest. In an intimate, candid conversation , Lisane and Phill dive into his memoir, The Double Dutch Fast.

Phill reflects on growing up as a young Black boy in Newark, New Jersey , under the watch of a father with rigid models of masculinity . He opens up about the emotional labor children often absorb when adults haven't processed their own pasts , the weight of conditional love , and how he developed a protective instinct to observe and speak truth even when it made others uncomfortable . Lisane and Phill explore how we perform our lives versus truly living them , the myth that we have to be "superstars" just to be worthy of acceptance , and the shift from "trying to prove" to simply being present.

They also discuss the complexities of parenting—how we often parent in direct contrast to what we lacked growing up , and why freeing our children means doing the internal work ourselves so they can start with a blank canvas.

This is a grounded, deeply human conversation about breaking silence , redefining success , and realizing that when one person does the work, the entire world around them changes.

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What does it take to carry a historic legacy forward without being crushed by the weight of expectation?

In Part 1 of this special two-part episode of Shaping Freedom, host Lisane Basquiat sits down with Kenneth B. Morris Jr., Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, and Teri Ijeoma . The conversation turns into an unscripted celebration when the room receives live news that Teri’s book, A Risk Worth Taking, just debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list .

Together, they reflect on the responsibility of honoring the past while making space for new possibilities. They explore what it means to inherit history, find purpose in your own journey, and discover that freedom often begins with choosing how you'll carry your story forward.

This is a thoughtful conversation about legacy, identity, and the quiet courage to shape a future that reflects who you truly are.

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What does it take to carry a historic legacy forward without being crushed by the weight of expectation?

In Part 1 of this special two-part episode of Shaping Freedom, host Lisane Basquiat sits down with Kenneth B. Morris Jr., Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, and Teri Ijeoma . The conversation turns into an unscripted celebration when the room receives live news that Teri’s book, A Risk Worth Taking, just debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list .

Together, they reflect on the responsibility of honoring the past while making space for new possibilities. They explore what it means to inherit history, find purpose in your own journey, and discover that freedom often begins with choosing how you'll carry your story forward.

This is a thoughtful conversation about legacy, identity, and the quiet courage to shape a future that reflects who you truly are.

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What happens when the story you've told yourself about your family isn't the whole story?

In this episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane Basquiat sits down with relationship educator Tania Khazaal for an honest conversation about family estrangement, generational healing, and the courage it takes to see the people we love and ourselves with fresh eyes. Drawing from her own experience of cutting off contact with her mother before ultimately rebuilding that relationship, Tania shares why true healing didn't begin when she walked away, but when she started looking inward.

Together, Lisane and Tania explore the tension between personal accountability and parental responsibility, the stories we create from childhood experiences, and why healing doesn't require excusing the past. They discuss the pressures facing today's families, how social media and therapy culture have shaped the way we talk about trauma, and why learning to communicate with empathy can change the trajectory of a relationship.

This is a thoughtful conversation about breaking generational patterns, embracing nuance over blame, and discovering that freedom isn't found in waiting for someone else to change. It's found in changing how we choose to show up.

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In this episode of Shaping Freedom, Lisane Basquiat sits down with Pulitzer Prize finalist Lee Hawkins and Emmy Award-winning producer P. Frank Williams for a powerful conversation about generational trauma, financial literacy, identity, and the stories we inherit.

Together, they explore how history shapes the way we parent, work, build wealth, and define success. They discuss why emotional healing is just as important as financial education, the courage it takes to ask difficult family questions, and how changing one generation can transform the next.

This conversation is an invitation to stop surviving, start healing, and create a new legacy rooted in freedom, purpose, and possibility.

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