Juneteenth represents a moment in time when freedom was delayed for a large group of people. In times where society is pushing back against injustice, how do we create space to celebrate and acknowledge victories? How do we build the capacity to connect with our inner selves and with those around us? How is art a perfect medium for healing and reciprocity?  We sat down with Jen Bloomer artist, activist, facilitator, and the founder of Radici Studios to learn more about art as a community healing experience.


Join Amber and Jen on June 19th, 2021 for a virtual celebration of Juneteenth as a collective exploration of freedom, liberty, and liberation. Don’t miss it! Register now:  https://radicistudios.com/workshops

"Teaching through Real-World Problems"

14 Days In.....Dean Geronimo and Marc Lee have a "front porch" conversation about current events.

#9 will be engaging us in more great conversation today......and then we will follow with the Roundtable......

How is it that a plant that is so ancient with origins in Africa and Asia still persist in modernity? How can it be both a musical instrument and bowl...a water vessel and medicine? It persist because it is not just one thing and it has been cultivated to adapt to the needs of the user. The artist, the fisherman and the medicine woman all know that the calabash is more than a hollowed out shell. It is evidence of the beauty, power and healing in the mundane should you open your eyes wide enough to see what's in front of you. Dr. Sunyatta Amen, the owner and operator of Calabash Tea and Tonics knows that our plant world holds the same power and as a trained 5th generation herbalist, she is committed to cultivating healing through ancient African and Caribbean technologies. She is a quintessential market woman shapeshifter who has learned from the adaptability of the calabash gourd of Africa how to adapt, taking the shape necessary to heal her people and community with beauty, resilience and practicality---just like her ancestors.

Dr. Amen is the founder and Tea-EO of Calabash Tea & Tonic in Washington D.C. Amen is a Cuban/Jamaican 5th generation master herbalist, naturopathic doctor, and vegan chef. She grew up vegan, the daughter of activists (her mother was a Black Panther) that owned a health food shop, Pyramid Tea & Herbal, in New York City. This was the prototype for Calabash Tea & Tonic and where she learned the medicinal value of global teas, foods, and spices. Later, she would study biology and other sciences, combining her ancestral and western knowledge that she now uses to help heal city dwellers. Calabash’s extensive tea menu is the result of Amen’s schooling and the time-tested formulas belonging to her Jamaican grandmother. In this episode, she shares with us her journey as a healer, business owner and community activist.

We will be joined by Wafeeq, a long time friend and comedian here in the area....Join us as he tries to find Popeyes in the midst of protests.....

All music used by permission

 

The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs, known to their friends as Kendra and Zack Harding, began gig-swapping as solo artists in 2014. They bonded over these shared gigs, their common love of dogs, and an enthusiasm for hiking. They decided to tie the knot in the fall of 2015. The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs officially formed in early 2016, and they’ve been bringing songs of joy, pain, and dogs to audiences ever since.

 

Combining their unique backgrounds that range from classic rock to classical guitar, they create a blend of original music with deep roots in the past and a contemporary twist here and there.

This week on Just, Rob and Jes interview Josephe Feathersone, Vice President of Programs at the Durham Children’s Initiative about kids returning to school and the impact of the pandemic on learning and education. He shares stories of resilience and explains why he picks up every penny he sees.

Join my guest host Alan Hennessy as he talks Connection, Marketing, Public Relations, and so much more, with our guest, Wendy Glavin.