Writing Black Joy

This week I am joined by Ber-Henda Williams - a poet, Visionary + Empath coach, and the founder of a leadership organization for girls. She is the author of ‘Memoirs of the Human Experience and Everything In Between, Vol. 1’ - a memoir told through poems, preludes and essays.

Ber-Henda supports empathic creative visionary empaths to find their voice, embrace feminine power, and create mission-based businesses in service of social transformation, justice and equity. When she is not doing that, she runs a girl’s leadership program, The Power of Girlhood for girls 8-18. Además, ella es una poeta bilingüe. (She is a bilingual poet). She believes feminine empaths are here to disrupt the patriarchy and oppression with their mission-based businesses.

You can listen to our conversation below, and click here to see Ber-Henda reading a piece that she wrote in Spanish and English, and click here to learn more about Ber-Henda.

And take a listen to her podcast Soul of a Lead(her) here!

And you can learn more about me at https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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Today I have with me one of my dream podcast guests - Greg Edwards. 

Greg Edwards is a fearless comedian from Virginia. Greg moved to San Francisco in 2001 and became a fixture on the Bay Area comedy scene. Greg is known for his distinctive voice, awkward views and social commentary. He's performed at Jamie Foxx's Laffapollozza, SF SketchFest, SF Burrito & Comedy Fest, Riot LA, and clubs and colleges all over California. Greg was awarded the prestigious Dan Crawford Award from the San Francisco Punchline in 2009 and moved to Los Angeles in 2010.  Greg has performed at the Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, The Hollywood Improv, The IceHouse, & all the popular independent shows in LA.

Greg has worked with Dave Chappelle, Paul Mooney, Patrice O'Neal, Damon Wayans, Bill Burr, Charlie Murphy, Maria Bamford, Jim Jeffries, Harland Williams, Bill Bellamy, Deon Cole, W. Kamau Bell and many more outstanding comedians. Most recently, Greg stars as "Sparky Sweets PhD" of the critically-acclaimed web series THUG NOTES, Greg was also in season 1 of Comedy Central's Corporate and also was in Comedy Central's Black Depression video "Demetrinox".

Greg has been in Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, The International New York Times and has been on BET, Comedy Central, interviewed on the Tavis Smiley show on PBS & has recently released 3 independent comedy albums Gregarious, Fuck you Greg & Dopamine.

Greg and I talked about:

I even got to give Greg some encouragement on his current creative project - that you might find useful if you are working on anything!

And we spoke about my blog post about the 6 Thinking Hats for writing.

Greg also mentioned Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey and you can learn more about it here.

And you can learn more about me at https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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Welcome back to Writing Black Joy, and today I have with me one of my dream guests - Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts. She is an incredible author, so let me tell you about her.

As a writer and thought-leader, Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts offers those who read her work and hear her speak an authentic experience; an opportunity to explore the intersection of culture, identity, and faith/spirituality at the deepest levels. 

She is the founder of HeARTspace, a healing community created to serve those who have experienced trauma of any kind through the use of storytelling and the arts. Tracey has Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Business Administration degree from Montclair State University, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Fairleigh-Dickinson University. 

She is a former Assistant Professor of English and Black Studies at the Community College of Philadelphia. As a writer, Tracey has published eighteen books including several collaborations with numerous high-profile authors. In 2021, Tracey became one of 20 writers who contributed to the groundbreaking book, You are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience edited by acclaimed researcher, Brene Brown, and founder of the MeToo Movement, Tarana Burke. 

Her most recent publication is the critically-acclaimed book, Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration (Gallery/Simon and Schuster) which has received rave reviews from celebrities like Kerry Washington, literary writers like Kiese Laymon and Deesha Philyaw, and media outlets like Good Morning America, Essence Magazine, and USA Today. Her forthcoming book, Then They Came for Mine: Healing from the Trauma of Racial Violence, examines the source and impact of racial violence against Black people in all its forms and offers a blueprint for the way the Christian Church can help facilitate healing. 

Tracey has spoken on a number of platforms around the country on topics related to race/social justice, education, faith/spirituality, and wellness. Additionally, Tracey's freelance work has been published in print and online publications such as Oprah Daily, The Washington Post, Essence Magazine, The Guardian, The Chronicle for Higher Education, Ebony Magazine, TheRoot.com, and more.

Tracey and I talk about:

And so much more. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

You can find out more about Tracey at https://www.traceymlewis.com/

You can learn more about me at https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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This week we have with us Ayesis Clay - poet and playwright extraordinaire and so much more. Find out why she never actually considered herself a playwright - despite the fact that she has been writing plays since she was in primary (elementary) school, and hear her read from a current work in progress - A Million Tiny Ways.

 Ayesis Clay is a master teacher, multidisciplinary theatre artist, and educational consultant. She has developed theatre arts curriculum for Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, and many local and regional theatre companies. She served as a leader of the Prince George’s County Theatre Advisory Board where she developed and facilitated pre-service workshops while mentoring both new and seasoned teachers.

Combining her extensive background in theatre and education, Ayesis founded Sculpted Clay Productions, where she uses innovative theatre-infused residencies and professional development workshops to help schools create trauma-sensitive, social-emotional focused learning environments for teachers and students.

You will want to listen to Ayesis’s interview - we go deep and it is a wonderful conversation! Listen below.

And you can hear Ayesis read an excerpt to “A million tiny ways” as well as learn more about her.

And you can find out more about me at https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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Today I have with me Soribel Martinez and let me tell you she is a powerhouse. Her personality is infectious and we had an amazing conversation about her book Unbreakable. Let me tell you a bit about her.

Soribel Martínez is a Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist, is the CEO of SMPSychotherapy and Counseling Services, business coach and consultant, public speaker, adjunct professor of Psychology at Post University, a Doctor of Social Work candidate at Walden University, and the founder of JC's Precious Minds Foundation

Soribel has faced her share of challenges as a Dominican-American immigrant, from navigating school in her second language, recovering from religious trauma, losing a child, facing multiple brain aneurysms, and all of the usual heartbreak women face.

In Unbreakable, Soribel guides you to reconnect with your Creator, figure out exactly what you want, and then take massive, inspired action toward your goals.

Soribel and I discuss

And so much more

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

You can find out more about Unbreakable at https://book.soribelmartinez.com/

And you can learn more about Soribel and get onto her waiting list here! https://soribelmartinez.com/

And you can find out more about me at https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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Today I am joined by Dr Davia Shepherd - a fellow writer from the Caribbean, who also shares my love for collaboration. Here is a bit about Dr Shepherd.

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd is the author of Grow Smarter. And she is also a Mom, a sister, a daughter and a wife. And, she hosts and coordinates a women’s collaboration club: Ladies Power Lunch.

She helps her patients feel better every day, but the one thing that she is most passionate about, and that gets her out of bed in the morning is supporting women in business to live their optimal lives through growing their visibility, reach, impact and income. She is a beacon for beacons. 

At her intuitive core, Davia has always known, even as a child, that when we all pull together, we can achieve unbelievably amazing results; whether we are talking about health, relationships, finances or even our careers. Her focus especially in this time is to connect us with each other and with our true inner amazing selves, so that we may live the lives we have the potential for. 

Her best selling book “Grow Smarter…collaboration secrets to transform your income and impact” is focused on providing us with a framework for using the power of collaboration with fellow entrepreneurs to grow our businesses even during unusual times. 

She invites you to connect with her through LPL’s monthly workshops and Facebook Community, LPL Summits, LPL Retreats or working with her one on one to make quantum leaps in your impact and income.

Davia and I talk about:

And so much more!

Find out more about Davia's work at:

www.ladiespowerlunch.com. 

And you can order her book on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk or search for it in the closest amazon marketplace to you!

And you can find out more about me at https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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Today I am joined by Martinus Evans. Martinus is a brilliant storyteller - and it may or may not be because he has the best stories. Either way - you're gonna love this conversation and you're gonna love his book!

Martinus Evans has run over eight marathons since his doctor told him to “lose weight or die” in July 2012. Since then, he’s also coached hundreds of runners and founded the Slow AF Run Club, a community of over 10,000 members worldwide. He is also the author of the book Slow AF Run Club: The ultimate guide for anybody who wants to run.  When he’s not running races around the world, he enjoys speaking passionately about issues related to size-inclusivity, mindset, DEI and mental health.

This conversation was so much fun! Just a note that there is a tiny amount of swearing here, so if you have kids around, slap in some headphones. 

Martinus and I talked about:

I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Grab his book below!

https://slowafrunclub.com/preorder/

And you can find out more about me at https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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Season 3 is here and this is episode 1 - and it’s a solo episode! Today is all about telling you about the Writing Black Joy project as a whole, how I have been relating to it and thinking about it, and what is next for Writing Black Joy - both in this season, and in the future.

One person I talked about in the episode but couldn’t for the life of me remember her name was Mollie Chen. She was the business coach I spoke to before I decided to start this project! Thanks Mollie it would not exist without you! 

In addition, here are some of the links I mentioned:

My mailing list

Rosemarie Callender and her podcast - Podcast to Amplify

The Writing Black Joy website

My latest book - Wellbeing for Dentists

And feel free to email me on [email protected]

See you next week!

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This week's guest is Cedric Scott who is the founder and creative behind ancient baby brand. Cedric was and continues to be an educator, and he is also a writer, poet, chemist and entrepreneur as well as a husband and father. 

If you want to support us you can join our Patreon community over at https://www.patreon.com/safiyarobinson

You can find Cedric at https://ancientbabybrand.com/

You can follow me on Instagram on https://www.instagram.com/safiyarobinson77/

If you want to know about working with me, go over to https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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This week's guest is Kellie Richardson, who is a writer, poet and author. Kellie also spent 2 years as the poet laureate of Tacoma Washington. In 2017 - 2019. 

If you want to know about working with me, go over to https://www.safiyarobinson.com/

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