Who Yo People Is

Florinda is an interdisciplinary artist, activist and educator that I’ve been art-family with since 1998. Here she talks about tending not only to her art, and her communities, but to her own mental, physical, spiritual health. A Texas gurl who calls Austin home, Florinda has worked with Salvage Vanguard Theater, the Rude Mechs, the Vortex, Paper Chairs, Theater en Bloc and Teatro Vivo in Austin, TX and the Ensemble Theater in Houston.

Influenced by nature, the earth, Spirit and early experiences with Douglas R. Ewart and Laurie Carlos. Mankwe says she found herself in Fred Anderson’s Velvet Lounge, which was filled with Black folk from all over the world. There she grew herself as a creative musician and composer - working to hear an expanded audio palette of color.  https://www.whoyopeopleis.com/season-3

In this conversation Renita speaks about being from Terry Mississippi/feeling the Angels, Ancestors, animal Life and Trees playing “all up in my head.” Renita talks about learning how to navigate Spirit, and growing towards her mission of advancing social and economic development in our communities through the creation and promotion of world-class art. More at: whoyopeopleis.com/season-3

Aimee speaks of being from Detroit, raised southerners that migrated there. A founding company member of Congo Square Theatre Company in Chicago, Aimee encourages emerging artists to build a Life and career centered in being kind, empathic, compassionate and Loving. She says, “Take a leap of faith, move towards what you want, what feels good - even if it is scary.”

https://www.whoyopeopleis.com/season-3

Sonja Parks has stayed true to her spirit by staying free, curious and expansively true to who she is professionally and in Life. After being an outsider - as a Black person in prominently White spaces - Sonja is dedicating her work to decolonizing artistic spaces. She wants to make certain that the “entire artist” is taken care of and respected. https://www.whoyopeopleis.com/season-3

Stacey Karen Robinson shares that her work is “about the emotional and Spirit-Life of Black FOLX.” She speaks about walking with the Ancestors - being an improvisor, stewarding what is coming through - while creating time, space and containers for listening, vesseling, and allowing during the creative process. At the end of our conversation you will hear Stacey’s performance of the excerpt from “bull-jean & dem dey back/Dreaming”. Visit: whoyopeopleis.com

Season 3 will drop soonsoon! Stay tuned for more...

Today we honor anthologized writer, regional theatre director, and Off-Broadway Obie Award winning performer Diane Rodriguez. Diane transitioned April 10, 2020 from cancer. May God Bless her Soul in Flight. May all the Love Beauty and Divine Blessings that she so Brilliantly and generously gave the world/carry her in Light with Love. I am SO grateful to have received Diane's support/encouragement and generosity, and that she made time for a conversation with me. You can Listen to episode 18 and receive her wisdom/and Glory.  More about Diane at: https://www.americantheatre.org/2020/04/10/diane-rodriguez-a-light-and-a-fire

Season 2 of "Who Yo People Is" has come to a close. THANK YOU TO/YOU - TO ALL who worked/supported/are a part of this podcast series. How PERFECT that/in closing - our very own Marine Mammal Apprentice/Alexis Pauline Gumbs reminds us, "We are powerful in what we say yes to and hold close." Now is a Divine Time to hold each other close/with Love, in Light, in Seeing, in Heart, in Virtual space, in Memories, in Prayer, with Intention. Alexis says, "one foot in the water one foot in the sand is where I hear the best." May we each find the space to Listen . . . and Receive.

As I Dream and Listen/I want to thank Season 3 donors!  See the list of donors and join in/if you can in helping$ to bring Season 3 to Life  HERE Stay tuned at http://whoyopeopleis.com

Wishing you/yours/and ALL safety-wellness-resource-Blessings-Beauty-and Love.

Till soonsoon!!

An academic guided by intellectual practices inspired by Black liberation and Love, Alexis is a 2020-21 National Humanities Center Fellow. She says she is a Marine Mammal Apprentice...one who is carrying on blood line traditions of listening to whales. Alexis says, "one foot in the water one foot in the sand is where I hear the best." Alexis speaks of coming from mental health and spiritual workers...shoreline people, oyster workers, church founders, freedom practicing people/and a grandmother who designed the revolutionary flag for Anguilla, and is founder of the Caribbean Mental Health Association. Always thinking about birthing, Alexis became a doula because her Mom (who is a therapist) is a doula - and she wanted to do mother-daughter doulaing. Early on in her academic career Alexis asked herself, "what is the best way for me to do my intellectual work in community...what is a way that I can understand how this work has been happening...and how can I make those histories more visible". When I ask her what her Soul's mission Work is, she says she is here to help us know that "we are Loved, infinity Loved. That we have access to all the Love". Alexis Pauline Gumbs is the author of Spill: Scenes of Black Feminist Fugitivity, M Archive: After the End of the World, Dub: Finding Ceremony and the co-editor of Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines. She was dramaturg for the world premiere of dat Black Mermaid Man Lady by Sharon Bridgforth, is the literary advisor for the Ntozake Shange Estate and the creative writing editor for Feminist Studies. Alexis, along with partner Sangodare, is in the midst of building the Mobile Homecoming Living Library and Archive in Durham, NC which sustains the lives and legacies of Black Feminist elders their legacy bearers and caregivers.

whoyopeopleis.com Alexis's website Mobile Homecoming Project Brillance Remastered  

Sangodare speaks of learning how to sermonize, study, have critical analysis, deep thinking about sacred texts/and how to have integrity as a spiritual leader - from her preacher father, and other preachers in her family. Creating energy and vibrational fields to open space for people to be more of who they are, Sangodare makes connections between the vocality of Black preaching styles, and Ifa oriki traditions and tonalities. Sangodare and her partner, Alexis Pauline Gumbs are actively visioning building an intergenerational assisted living, residential space. In addition to investigating sustainable models for collective economic practices and re-imagining collective wealth and investing - they are asking: what are the cultural practices, the sacred texts, the strategic plans, the songs, the welcomes and goodbyes - and how do we build trust.

Sangodare creates media and art for healing and transformation. Sangodare is an artist, filmmaker, composer and preacher. Along with primary collaborator, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Sangodare co-created Mobile Homecoming (a national intergenerational experiential archive project that amplifies generations of Black LGBTQ brilliance) and Black Feminist Film School (which facilitates access to and discourse about Black Feminist films and provides film production opportunities to those most under-represented in film and media fields). As artist in residence at UMN (2017-19) and visiting faculty in Film Studies at Lawrence University (2017-18), Sangodare shared Black Feminist Film School approaches through teaching, events and exhibition.

More about Sangodare and all dem Guests at: https://www.whoyopeopleis.com/season-2

Sangodare's website https://www.sangodare.com

Black Feminist Film School https://blackfeministfilmschool.wordpress.com

Mobile Homecoming https://www.mobilehomecoming.org