How can Black women create a healing culture for ourselves? From stress, to lack of access to healthy foods, to access to healthcare, to lack of understanding, to lack of support, it’s a fact that being a Black woman in America can kill you. The healthcare system has given up on us which is why it's crucial that we don’t give up on ourselves. We are building our own health support systems, slowly but surely. Join us as we unpack our current state and talk about healing where it starts, with us. Khyla, Amber, and Sharon sit down with radical writer, editor, and storyteller,Nicole Shawan Junior to discuss healing through writing, and accountability for America's trash and violent medical establishment.

You can learn more about our Special Guest for this week Nicole Shawan Junior, here.

Nicole Shawan Junior (Smith College BA | Pace University MST | Temple University JD) was bred in the bass-heavy beat and scratch of Brooklyn, where the cool of inner-city life barely survived crack cocaine’s burn. She is a black, queer and poverty-born counter-storyteller. Her writing appears or is forthcoming in Lambda Literary's anthology Emerge, Roxane Gay’s Medium platform Gay Mag, ZORA, The Feminist Wire, SLICE, Color Bloq, CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action, Inkwell Black, and more. A Hedgebrook Writer in Residence, as well as alumna the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Hurston/Wright Foundation’s Writers Week, Lambda Literary's Emerging Queer Voices Writer's Retreat, Tin House, and VONA. Nicole has received fellowships from various arts organizations including New York Foundation for the Arts, Esalen, Show us Your Spines RADAR, and more. She is the Senior Nonfiction Editor at Raising Mothers: A Literary Magazine, the Associate Nonfiction Editor at SLICE Magazine, and serves on Sundress Publications' Editorial Board. Nicole is the founder and Executive Director of Roots. Wounds. Words.: A Literary Arts Revolution, which centers the literary arts needs of BIPoC storytellers.

Facts and figures !

After The Wake is Sponsored by Fit 4 Dance Studio in Brooklyn NY. YOU can get a free class with code F4DLove (case sensitive).

After The Wake is produced by Amber Worsley and in collaboration with the Nu Africa Foundation. (@Nuafricafoundation)

After The Wake is hosted by Khyla Jay (@Virgocrush_), Amber Worsley (@Not_therealamberworsley), and Sharon WIlson (@Unicornqueen021)

Lead Editor: Nile Ferrel (@Nuafricafoundation)

Co - Producer: Jemiece Raphael (@jemiece)

Cover Artist: Jah’China De Leon (@sunny_mind_state)

Sound Engineer: Josh Wilcox of Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. (@Brooklynpodcasting)