The Nancy Ruffin Show

In this week's weekend rewind Nancy recaps the Boricua x Morena colorism and sisterhood event, a mask removal conversation about race, colorism, and how we identify that she co-hosted with Stefanie, The Life Architect and Cythia Branch. She shares some of the highlights of the event as well as her opinion on why men must also be included in these conversations. In this episode, Nancy also talks about leadership and what makes an effective leader, and she also makes an announcement about the direction of  the podcast. Listen. Subsribe. Share.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In the United States, an average of 20 people experience intimate partner physical violence every minute. This equates to more than 10 million abuse victims annually.1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts such as injury, fearfulness, posttraumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc.On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines nationwide receive over 20,000 calls. Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime and is most common against women between the ages of 18-24.

In this week's episode Nancy chats with actress, author, & domestic violence survivor and activist April Hernandez to discuss career, family, and how she survived intimate partner abuse. At the age of 16 April found herself in an abusive relationship that she managed to hide from her family, friends and everyone close to her. During the conversation April discusses how she was able to finally leave, how her faith in God saved her, and she offers pointers for parents on what to look for and how to begin the conversation should they suspect their child is being abused. If you or someone you know are being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or www.TheHotline.org

 

To connect with April find her on Instagram @

You can purchase her book Your Voice, Your Choice on Amazon, here.

In this episode, Nancy sits down with former editor of the iconic The Source Magazine, Kim Osorio, to talk about her time at The Source, the infamous law suit, her thoughts on the #MeToo movement, and how she has been able to sustain her 20+ year career in the hip hop and entertainment industry. From career, to family, to navigating life's up and downs, Kim shares some insight on what it's like to be a modern day renaissance woman. Listen. Subcribe. Share.

Connect with Kim on Instagram @kimosorio1

Many of us have dreams, but not too many would leave home at the age of 19, move to a new city alone, and relentlessly chase their dreams like Jessica did. In this episode Nancy chats it up with professional dancer Jessica Castro. Jessica shares her story on how she turned her dream of dancing into a professional career that landed her on tour dancing with some of the biggest celebrities of our time like Beyonce, Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Ricky Martin, Fergie, Shakira, and Janet Jackson.  If you've ever doubted yourself, your talents, or questioned whether you're on the right path, tune in to hear Jessica's inspiring story of determination, commitment, and resilience. She is proof that you're never too old to chase your dreams.

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Connect with Jessica on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/iliajessicacastro

The 22nd Urbanworld Film Festival kicked off in NYC this week and Nancy was there covering all the red carpet highlights. In this episode Nancy talks about her experience at the Urbanworld Film Fest, she shares some of her best moments from the festival, she discusses the highly anticipated The Hate You Give and what the festival experience taught her about herself. If you've ever struggled with a negative inner voice, this episode is for you!

For all the festival highlights visit our YouTube page here.

So many people never start on their life plans simply because they believe that they should have started earlier. The biggest lie we tell ourselves to keep from pursuing our dreams is that we're too old. In this episode, Nancy dismantles the belief that success has an age limit and why you're never too old to be who you might have been. If you're finding yourself at a crossroads in life, unsure of what you're next step should be, or if you're just tired of living your life for others then this episode is a must listen! Listen. Share. Subscribe. And if you love it, please leave us a 5 star rating and a review.

Preview to Episode 94 of The Empowerment Hour. Listen now on Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio.

September is National Month for Renters and this week on The Empowerment Hour we are raising awareness and placing a spotlight on a very real problem affecting a large number of Americans. Imagine working, sometimes more than one job, and you still can’t afford to pay rent every month. This is the reality for 25 million Americans impacted by the housing-affordability crisis. 11.4 million households pay more than half of their income on rent making it difficult for many to pay for other basic needs like groceries and health care. In this episode, Nancy chats with Ali Solis, CEO and President of Make Room, a national advocacy non-profit based in Washington, D.C. Ali talks about the work she and her team at Make Room do  to elevate affordable housing on the national agenda. She shares insight on why she's passionate about this work and what we can do individually and collectively to bring awareness to the affordable housing crisis in this country.

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Also in this episode, Nancy chats with Lola Lovenotes, a local NYC artist about being 1 of 11 artists chosen to participate in Make Room's art exhibit called "The Doors of Make Room". Make Room commissioned 11 artists from across the country to present a one-of-a-kind fiberglass public art project. The 11 fiberglass doors will be showcased in 11 different public and private spaces and high tourist/traffic locations in Washington, D.C. September 13-28. Lola talks with Nancy on what inspired her art for this project, how she's personally been affected by the housing crisis, and the message she hopes to convey through her art.

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To learn more about Make Room visit https://www.makeroomusa.org/

To connect with Lola find her on Instagram/Facebook @lolalovenotesnyc.

As Labor Day comes to a close and the summer unofficially ends, Nancy sits down with teacher/blogger Eileen Carter Campos to talk about the best ways to prepare for getting our kids back to school. Eileen shares some of her tips as a teacher and mom to ensure all children have a productive school year. Eileen also dishes on her popular Mommy Teaches blog, how she got started as a blogger, the importance of keeping it "one hunnid" and why she is so passionate about the work she does.

Also in this episode, Nancy goes in on self-awareness, accountability, why you're the only one responsible for your life and what you need to shed, release, and let go of to prepare for the next season/phase in your life. Subscribe. Listen. Share.

 

To connect with Eileen, follow her on all social platforms at @mommyteaches. Also, make sure to listen to her Mommy Teaches podcast on Anchor. Visit her website at www.mommyteaches.com or email her at [email protected]

This week Nancy is chatting it up with award winning slam poet and NY Times Best Selling Author, Elizabeth Acevedo. 

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Elizabeth Acevedo has been empowering Afro-Latinas for years by bringing attention to the various experiences of women of color through her powerful words in poetry and continues to do the same in her best selling book, The Poet X. The Poet X is the coming of age story of 15 yr old Xiomara Batista and highlights some of the challenges young women face as they begin to transition into womanhood. In the episode Elizabeth discusses The Poet X, what inspired her to write it, how the manuscript got discovered, and how she decided what agent and publishing house to sign with. She also gives us a sneak peek at her next novel, With the Fire On High.

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Additionally in this episode, Elizabeth shares how she handles rejection when it comes to her work, how leaving NYC helped to strengthen her voice, and she shares tips and advice for writers who want to get published.

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To learn more about Elizabeth or to connect with her visit her website: www.acevedowrites.com or connect with her all her social media platforms at @acevedowrites.

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