In this powerful conversation, Dr. Rhon sits down with Tanasia Lea—Olympic-level triple jumper, equity consultant, birth doula, and mother—to explore what it means to live authentically at the intersection of ALL parts of who we are. 

Tanasia shares her journey from New Haven to Williams College, through the corporate machine, and into transformation work that centers psychological agency, vitality, and permission to be fully human. 

They discuss: 🔹 Navigating PWIs and white supremacy culture 🔹 The power of Africana Studies as a lens for understanding the world 🔹 Finding joy 🔹 The importance of surrounding yourself with people who trust you'll land well 

"Everyone has agency—it's exercising that agency that provides vitality." —Tanasia Lea 

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What does it mean to sit with the odyssey of Black history—and to carry it forward with rigor, spirit, and love? 

In this powerful episode of Stone Written, Dr. Rhon is joined by historian, cultural critic, and filmmaker Dr. Claudrena N. Harold, Edward Stettinius Professor of History and Associate Dean at the University of Virginia, and featured speaker for the 2025 Genna Rae McNeil Black History Month Lecture at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

From her early formation in Black institutions to her intellectual awakening at Temple University, Dr. Harold reflects on the beauty and majesty of African American history—and the joy that fuels her scholarship. Together, she and Dr. Rhon consider why Black history demands that we pause and dwell with it, not rush past it; how Black Studies remains both a struggle over definition and a space of boundless possibility; and how gospel music, creative form, and intergenerational lineage sustain Black freedom work across generations. 

At the heart of this conversation is a meditation on Dr. Genna Rae McNeil’s legacy. Dr. Harold shares how McNeil’s work—grounded in historical rigor and spiritual depth—inspired her McNeil Lecture, “Truth Is on the Way: Gospel Music, Black Liberation, and the Politics of Freedom in the Soul and Hip-Hop Eras.” 

This episode is part testimony, part masterclass, part love letter to Black Studies. It is about Du Bois and Aretha. It is about protecting the institutions that transformed us. And it is about being keepers of the tradition in a time when truth itself is contested. Most of all, it is a reflection on what Mother Genna Rae McNeil taught us: that truth is on the way—and that we carry it forward together. 

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In this essential Black History Month conversation, Stone Written host Dr. Rhon sits down with Dr. Joshua Myers, Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Howard University and author of Of Black Study, to reflect on what Black intellectual traditions offer in our current political moment. Recorded in December 2024 but strikingly resonant today, the episode explores Black Studies not as abstraction or nostalgia, but as preparation for living, struggling, and organizing through crisis. 

Grounded in the wisdom of ancestors such as June Jordan and Cedric Robinson, the episode interrogates the myths surrounding Black presence in the academy and calls for solidarity networks rooted in trust rather than transaction. Dr. Myers reminds us that Black Study lives everywhere—in our labor, our creativity, our relationships—and remains essential for navigating crisis toward collective liberation. 

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In a deeply intimate conversation, Stone Written host Dr. Rhon (@DoctorRMB) sits down with grammy nominated American jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon to discuss her new book and album, exploring how jazz improvisation, deep listening, and ancestral presence shaped her journey through loss.

They reflect on grief’s non-linear nature, the healing power of creativity and community, and the ways memory, music, and everyday rituals open pathways from sorrow to hope.

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On International Podcast Day (September 30th), Stone Written celebrates the power of storytelling at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History. Host Dr. Rhon shares seven lessons she’s learned since stepping into her role at UNC–Chapel Hill, from why “those who know, know” isn’t enough, to how platforms like this one help us tell our story before someone else gets it wrong. This episode is a brief but timely love letter to the stories that shape us—and to the people who make them worth telling.

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Host Dr. Rhon speaks with artist Mark Anthony Brown Jr. and curator Ming Joi Washington about The Book of Mark a solo exhibition at the Stone Center that explores spirituality, ancestry, and diasporic practices through photography, sculpture, and time-based media.

The conversation covers their collaborative process and trust-building, the influence of Black church traditions, tensions between artistic integrity and the market, and efforts to make art accessible. The exhibition opens September 2025 and runs through the fall semester.

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Stone Center Director Dr. Rhon Manigault-Bryant (@DoctorRMB) opens Stone Written Season 2 on the 21st anniversary of the Stone Center building. Reflecting on the Stone Center's legacy and Toni Morrison’s powerful lessons on centering Black life, Dr. Rhon speaks to the urgent need to secure sustainable funding to expand research programs, fellowships, and student support.

Tune in for a pithy, but powerful conversation on creating a future that honors Black scholarship, creativity, and community — and learn how your support can make that vision possible. Join us in building the future we’ve always deserved.  

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Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors.

On this final episode of Stone’s Senior Stories, we sit down with Evan Andrews, a senior from Winston-Salem majoring in Political Science and Peace, War & Defense with a minor in History. Evan is deeply involved in campus leadership, serving as the Basileus (President) of the Psi Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and holding past roles as Vice President of the UNC National Pan-Hellenic Council and leader in organizations like the UNC Black Pre-Law Association, Richard Epps Emerging Leaders Program, and Order of the Omega. His work with Democracy NC and Cheri Beasley’s Senate campaign reflects his passion for civic engagement and advocacy. In this conversation, Evan shares his thoughts on campus culture, Black UNC, Greek life, and the challenges of elitism and collaboration in student spaces.

Guest Host & Stone Written Assistant Producer: Melanie Cabrero

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors.

On this episode, Guest Editor Melanie Cabrero sits down with Krystal Lacayo, a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Urban and Regional Studies. Krystal is a powerhouse advocate, including her role as the Founder and President of HBUNC Media Group. She is passionate about holistic community development, blending sustainability, media, and social advocacy to create lasting change. We’ll discuss her journey as a student leader, her global perspective gained through study abroad, and her vision for the future of equitable and sustainable development.

Guest Host & Stone Written Assistant Producer: Melanie Cabrero

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors.

In this episode Guest Editor Melanie Cabrero sits down with Christopher Lee Williams, a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate who majored in Peace, War, and Defense with a minor in Entrepreneurship. As the Student Body Vice President, an advocate for financial literacy, and a leader in the Union of Black Men, Christopher dedicated his time at Carolina to service, mentorship, and institutional change. We discuss the state of the Black community at UNC, the importance of financial literacy for students, and the challenges of navigating leadership and advocacy in a changing political climate. Christopher also shares his thoughts on mentorship, the legacy he hopes to leave behind, and advice for students looking to step into leadership roles. Tune in for an insightful conversation about leadership, service, and creating lasting impact!

Guest Host & Stone Written Assistant Producer: Melanie Cabrero