In our season finale, we review Ryan Coogler's Sinners (2025). As Mississippi Hoodoos, we have to talk about the Mississippi and Hoodoo rep in this film. We get into Mississippi racial politics as well as whiteness and assimilation as vampirism. We discuss the need to let go of representational politics and learn to appreciate art for what is is rather than what we want it to be.

RESOURCES

 * "if you loved Sinners, read these books [https://youtu.be/ypFc73Ko1Rc]" Leah Nicole. YouTube.
 * Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809]by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
 * "SINNERS BREAKDOWN! Easter Eggs & Details You Missed! [https://youtu.be/O80E59y2KOY?si=Y8OdjgceD13ck0w8]" New Rockstars. YouTube.
 * Hess Love Instagram Post [https://www.instagram.com/p/DJPZnduxQ0Z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]
 * "The Story of Chinese Laborers and the Reconstruction South. [https://tnmuseum.org/Stories/posts/the-story-of-chinese-laborers-and-the-reconstruction-south]" May 2, 2022. Tennessee State Museum.
 * "Inventing the 'Model Minority': A Critical Timeline and Reading List [https://densho.org/catalyst/inventing-the-model-minority-a-critical-timeline-and-reading-list/]" Densho. 
 * Passing [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780142437278] by Nella Larsen

Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham]

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

About the Boy [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936823] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca.

Ep 57: Mississippi Saints and Sinners

In this episode we talk with co-authors Nyasha and Ms. Kenda about their picture book Saturday Magic: A Hoodoo Story. We discuss intentional and conscious ancestor veneration, overlooked Hoodoo rituals in contemporary Black culture as well as allowing Black kids to see themselves in stories. Nyasha shared her process when creating her tarot and oracle decks while Ms. Kenda talked about our ancestors using astrology and dreams for healing and guidance.

Nyasha Williams is a creator dedicated to healing, indigenizing, and liberation through creativity. With fifteen pieces of work published or in the publishing process, Nyasha advocates for diverse works of art, media, and literature that amplify unheard voices. Her tarot and oracle deck, "Black Tarot: An Ancestral Awakening" and "Elemental Alchemist," are testaments to her transformative artistry. Nyasha is the founder and creative director of Fire + Honey Press, a digital publishing honeycomb created toward collective liberation. You can find her on her website https://www.nyashawilliams.online/, Instagram at @writingtochangethenarrative and on The Creative Playground with Nyasha Williams on Substack. She lives on the stolen land of the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes in Colorado with her husband.

Kenda Bell, a beacon of wisdom, graces the world not only with transformative coaching but also literary brilliance. An Essence bestselling author, she penned For Every Love There Is A Reason and recently ventured into children's literature with Saturday Magic, a delightful collaboration with her daughter in love. In The Ethical Selfishness Journal: 12 Pathways Back To Joy, Kenda invites women to embrace grace and self-understanding. Urging self-accountability, mirror work, boundary setting, and self-forgiveness, she crafts a roadmap for profound self discovery. Her coaching blends disciplines like Feminine Power, Bagua™ Astrology, and GROW™ & SMART™ methods, woven into her unique Joy Factor Method.™ Email her at thejoyfactormama@gmail.com for regular astrological downloads.

RESOURCES

 * Saturday Magic: A Hoodoo Story [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780762485369] by Nyasha Williams and Kenda Bell-Spruill
 * Root Magic [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780062899590] by Eden Royce
 * "Ep 47: Dreaming a New Dream with Austen Smith [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-47-dreaming-a-new-dream-with-austen-smith/id1536994730?i=1000655138480]" Hoodoo Plant Mamas
 * "Ep 37: Dreaming in Color with Nancey B. Price [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-37-dreaming-in-color-with-nancey-b-price/id1536994730?i=1000605673580]" Hoodoo Plant Mamas
 * 8 Bill Mystery Pack/Ancestor Money [https://www.nyashawilliams.online/product-page/8-bill-mystery-pack-ancestor-money]
 * Shop Our Tarot Collection [https://bookshop.org/lists/tarot-oracle-decks-hoodoo-plant-mamas] on Bookshop
 * The Enneagram for Black Liberation: Return to Who You Are Beneath the Armor You Carry [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798889833048] by Chichi Agorom 
 * "Kendrick Lamar plays 'Not Like Us' six times at Juneteenth 'The Pop Out' concer [https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/music/kendrick-lamar-plays-not-us-six-juneteenth-pop-concert-rcna158017]t" by Daysia Tolentino. NBC News.

Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham]

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 



Ep 56: Saturday Magic with Nyasha Williams and Kenda Bell-Spruill

The honorary third member of Hoodoo Plant Mamas, Ghrey Mbenza is back to talk about the 1994 Ariel School UFO Incident in Ruwa, Zimbabwe. We delve into conspiracy, truth, and paranoia and the need for curiosity when exploring the unexplainable. 

Tasha "Ghrey" Mbenza (they/she/he), more recently known simply as Ghrey,  is a black, queer, and autistic occupational therapist who is passionate about helping people of all ages reach their highest potential by identifying and building on their strengths. Ghrey is especially passionate about self-advocacy work with individuals from queer, BIPOC, neurodivergent, and/or physically disabled communities. Ghrey’s special interests include holistic cooking with a focus on  creative plating, making music, attempting to DIY everything, and their newfound love for conspiracy theory deep dives. Ghrey’s career related special interests include mental health, emotional regulation, sensory processing, and self-advocacy skills specifically with children.

RESOURCES

 * "Ep 43: Understanding Neurodiversity with Ghrey Mbenza [https://open.spotify.com/episode/68qWqptxhvOI2RVICjpWw3?si=8b0dc2bf52b348f2]" Hoodoo Plant Mamas
 * "Ep 9: Stories From Our Mothers [https://open.spotify.com/episode/62qAA7VevbELtYQFVuIn1J?si=4e0dc9011b644197]" Hoodoo Plant Mamas
 * "Documentary explores the UFO sighting that changed the course of 62 children's lives [https://whyy.org/segments/documentary-explores-the-ufo-sighting-that-changed-the-course-of-62-childrens-lives/]" by Liz Tung. PBS.
 * "A 1994 UFO Sighting by Children Changed Lives. What If This Guy Made it Up? [https://www.vice.com/en/article/encounters-netflix-zimbabwe-ufo-sighting/]" by Nathaniel Janowitz. VICE.
 * "Children talk about witnessing the 1994 UFO landing at the Ariel School in Ruwa, Zimbabwe [https://youtu.be/q8pymWSKAPQ?si=q-CNal7i4ObTLGTv]" YouTube.
 * The Telepathy Tapes [https://open.spotify.com/show/1zigaPaUWO4G9SiFV0Kf1c?si=437a06fa101e47fe]
 * UFO TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@cocosongz/video/7483266918166695198?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc]
 * "Orcas Sink Another Yacht: Why Killer Whales are Attacking Boats [https://www.newsweek.com/orca-sinking-yachts-1930835]" by isabel Cameron. Newsweek.
 * Paradise [https://www.hulu.com/series/2b4b8988-50c9-4097-bf93-bc34a99a5b4f]. Hulu.
 * Our Oceans [https://www.netflix.com/title/81139969?source=35]. Netflix.
 * "Something strange is happening underwater, scientists stunned by mysterious marine events [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/new-updates/something-strange-is-happening-underwater-scientists-stunned-by-mysterious-marine-events/articleshow/118455903.cms?from=mdr]" The Economic Times.

Create your podcast today! [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham] #madeonzencastr

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

About the Boy [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936823] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca.

Ep 55: Alien Encounters, Conspiracy, and the Unexplainable with Ghrey Mbenza

In this episode, guest Julia Mallory returns to talk about how she's turned her life into art. We discuss believing in yourself, circumventing gatekeepers, and putting your work in the world on your own terms. Julia talks about how her creativity expands to other formats like reiki, and we discuss the necessity of creativity in surviving today's world.

Julia Mallory is committed to being a good steward of, and vessel for her ancestors' stories. As a storyteller, her foundational creative love language is poetry. She is the founder of the creative container, Black Mermaids, and a poetry editor for The Loveliest Review. Julia is also a visual artist and emerging filmmaker whose work has screened from Toronto to Iceland. Her latest loves include creating stop-motion animated collages and building TEN OH! SIX, a multi-generational community space for collective learning, connection, and creativity. Julia is the mother of three children and is from the Southside of Harrisburg, which she affectionately refers to as “the lil chocolate city that tries.” For more information, visit www.thejuliamallory.com. 

RESOURCES

 * Survivor's Guilt [https://www.wordupbooks.com/WU9781647137625] by Julia Mallory
 * Breathe [https://www.blackmermaids.com/product-page/breathe-paperback] by Julia Mallory
 * "Belle's Boy [https://www.sistories.org/ad4a2a0b-dae6-4cbe-a716-4cbbadc927c2]" by Julia Mallory
 * "You are the Second Person [https://www.guernicamag.com/you-are-the-second-person/]" by Kiese Laymon
 * The Salt Eaters [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780679740766] by Toni Cade Bambara

Create your podcast today! [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham]#madeonzencastr

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

About the Boy [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936823] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

Ep 54: Making a Creative Life with Julia Mallory

Hey y'all! Hoodoo Plant Mamas is back! For our season 9 premiere, we tackle the clairs---what they are and our experiences with them. We get into what Toni Morrison called the "discredited way of knowing" as well as the ethics and burden of ancestral knowing.

Create your podcast today! [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham] #madeonzencastr

RESOURCES

 * Leah Nicole YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@leahnwhitcomb]
 * About the Boy [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936823]. Leah Nicole Whitcomb.
 * The Book of Juju [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781454951285]. Juju Bae
 * Sensual Faith [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780593443217]. Lyvonne Briggs
 * Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809]. Leah Nicole Whitcomb
 * The Telepathy Tapes [https://open.spotify.com/show/1zigaPaUWO4G9SiFV0Kf1c?si=4724197c1dab464c]. Ky Dickens.
 * "Unmasking the Meaning and Marital Disputes Behind Mumbo Jumbo [https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/05/31/317442320/unmasking-the-meaning-and-marital-disputes-behind-mumbo-jumbo]." By Lakshmi Gandi. NPR.

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

About the Boy [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936823] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca.

Ep 53: Navigating Ancestral Knowing

Our mini season has come to a close. In this episode, we recognize Black Speculative Fiction Month and the contributions Black creatives have made to the speculative fiction genre. We get into how Black horror reflects our deepest fears and how sci-fi is both pessimistic and optimistic about Black futures.

Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham]

RESOURCES

 * "The Argument of 'Afropessimism': Frank B. Wilderson III sketches a map of the world in which Black people are everywhere integral but always excluded [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/07/20/the-argument-of-afropessimism]" by Vinson Cunningham. July 13, 2020.

Books

 * Apocalypse Still [https://a.co/d/7hRbMSx] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
 * The Wishing Pool and Other Stories [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781636141794] by Tananarive Due
 * Let the Dead Bury Their Dead: And Other Stories [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780063325258]by Randall Kenan
 * Let's Play White [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781937009991] by Chesya Burke
 * The Black Girl Survives in this One: Horror Stories [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781250871657]Edited by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennel
 * The Sound of Stars [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781335406699] by Alechia Dow
 * The Kindred [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781335428608] by Alechia Dow
 * Song of Salvation [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781335453723] by Alechia Dow
 * "You Will Know Your Tribe by Their Joy [https://www.instagram.com/p/CO1KpJgn_p9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==]" by Julia Mallory

Movies/TV

 * Are You Afraid of the Dark? [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0CC6KH3XN/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r]Amazon Prime
 * Candyman [1992] [https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/movies/horror/candyman/00f6fade-22d4-372a-85db-5ca532ad5f39] Peacock
 * Bones [2001] [https://tubitv.com/movies/465367/bones?start=true&tracking=google-feed&utm_source=google-feed] Tubi
 * The Skeleton Key [https://tubitv.com/movies/630864/the-skeleton-key?start=true&tracking=google-feed&utm_source=google-feed] Tubi
 * Sugar Hill [1974] [https://tubitv.com/movies/100021314/sugar-hill?start=true&tracking=google-feed&utm_source=google-feed]Tubi
 * Abby [https://watch.plex.tv/watch/movie/abby?utm_content=5d7768bd308bca0020331822&utm_medium=deeplink&utm_source=google-catalog] Plex
 * Scream, Blacula, Scream [https://tubitv.com/movies/437645/scream-blacula-scream?start=true&tracking=google-feed&utm_source=google-feed] Tubi
 * Mr. Crocket [https://www.hulu.com/movie/c8bde9de-d937-4fca-b56c-50ba25be5c53] Hulu
 * Bite Sized Halloween [https://www.hulu.com/watch/12c31de4-16b1-4387-82a2-69bdb508af7b] Hulu
 * The Blackening [https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0C5B4FQMS/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r] Starz
 * Cuties [https://www.netflix.com/title/81111198] Netflix
 * They Cloned Tyrone [https://www.netflix.com/title/80996324?source=35] Netflix
 * "Space Traders" - Derrick Bell (1994) [https://youtu.be/UpOJzIvmCCk?si=xyHhTysoZ_v1POLU]YouTube

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca.

Ep 52: Black Speculative Fiction Month

What happens when divination leads you astray? In this episode, we discuss our relationship to divination tools, how Tarot is an ever changing forecast and how the Bible is not law. We also get into the life and work of Fannie Lou Hamer and how the discourse surrounding this year's election disrespects her legacy.

RESOURCES

 * "Does Everyone Have a Soulmate? No. [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6aB2md7u57Dszq4VzrAneK?si=J93NEhBRQ6KGkfgZNUIdtg]" A Little Juju Podcast. 
 * Tarot by Bronx [https://youtube.com/@mindbodybronx?si=j-R3-ATs5VnObW8v] YouTube
 * The Songs My Mother Taught Me [https://open.spotify.com/album/7Gs0MIZVU6Q35AcvQjmDTj?si=_vmspO28S2Szgp2J9l9zJg] by Fannie Lou Hamer
 * "On this day in 1963 [https://mississippitoday.org/2024/06/09/on-this-day-in-1963-fannie-lou-hamer-was-jailed-and-beaten-for-defying-segregation-on-bus/]" by Jerry Mitchell. Mississippi Today. 9 June 2024.
 * "Tell It On the Mountain: Fannie Lou Hamer’s Pastoral and Prophetic Styles of Leadership as Acts of Public Prayer [https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=utpp]" by Breanna K. Barber. 
 * "Fannie Lou Hamer [https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/fannie-lou-hamer]" Biography Edited by Debra Michals. National Women's History Musuem.
 * "Martyrs and Matriarchs: Women in Early Christian Apocrypha [https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=rel_sum]" by Robert Wilf

Create your podcast today! [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham]#madeonzencastr

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809]by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

bloom [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798869310071] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

About the Boy [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936823] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

Ep 51: Divination as Tools, Not Law

CONTENT WARNING // STORIES OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT

In this episode, Dani and Leah discuss their journey of coming into their sensual selves. We talk about how traumatic puberty was for us as Black girls living in the Bible Belt, separating compulsory heterosexuality from desire, and having to stitch together our sexuality in our twenties. We highlight the life of Mather Catherine Seals, the Temple of Innocent Blood, and the inspiring work she accomplished in her short life.

RESOURCES

 * African Goddess Rising Oracle: A 44-Card Deck and Guidebook [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781401963101]by Abiola Abrams
 * "A Night at Fontaine's: A Spicy Romance Short [https://a.co/d/4gnMOAl]" by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
 * Conjuring the Calabash: Empowering Women with Hoodoo Spells & Magick [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780738773711] by  Mawiyah Kai El-Jamah Bomani 
 * "Mother Catherine Seals And The Temple Of The Innocent Blood [https://www.wwno.org/podcast/tripod-new-orleans-at-300/2016-12-01/mother-catherine-seals-and-the-temple-of-the-innocent-blood]" by TriPod : New Orleans at 300
 * "Mother Catherine [https://short-stories.co/@zoranealehurston/mother-catherine-7e4vkp0kzd06]" Short Story by Zora Neale Hurston

Create your podcast today! [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham] #madeonzencastr

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

bloom [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798869310071] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

About the Boy [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936823] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

Ep 50: Discovering Our Sensual Selves

Hey y'all. We're back with our season 8 premiere. This season we're planning on dropping a new episode every week of Hoodoo Heritage Month discussing a theme and a historical Hoodoo that you may not know about. 

In this episode, we discuss the violent effects of colonialism on our bodies, imagination, and relationships. We touch on the current political climate before getting into the  life and work of Father Divine and the need to use Black mysticism to navigate through the destruction of colonialism. 

RESOURCES

 * "Nikki Giovanni on the importance of self love | Generational Anxiety [https://youtube.com/shorts/ZStotsgCr9Y?si=u7FLRlysh2NgtyZw]" ALLARTSTV. YouTube.
 * "Ep 47: Dreaming a New Dream with Austen Smith [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cXkRIt1y6iDr29kQyPo3W?si=b57026819663401c]" Hoodoo Plant Mamas.
 * Loving Corrections [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781849355544] by adrienne maree brown
 * September Patreon Minisode: Loving Corrections [https://www.patreon.com/posts/minisode-loving-112177077?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link]
 * Father's Kingdom [https://www.fatherskingdommovie.com/] documentary

Create your podcast today! [https://zencastr.com/?via=danielle-buckingham] #madeonzencastr

BOOKSHOP

https://bookshop.org/shop/hoodooplantmamas

Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809]by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

bloom [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798869310071] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

About the Boy [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936823] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb

BE A PATRON!

https://www.patreon.com/hoodooplantmamas

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @hoodooplants

Instagram: @hoodooplantmamas

DONATE

Paypal: paypal.me/hoodooplantmamas

Cashapp: cash.me/$hoodooplantmamas

This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

Ep 49: Moving Through Black Mysticism and Imagination

For this very special season finale, Dani interviews Leah about her latest book, Apocalypse Still. We discuss themes, inspiration, and her writing process. We also get into the myth of the Black superhero, the difficult decisions we make to survive, and how Black folks deserve alternate endings. 

Leah Nicole Whitcomb is a community storyteller from Mississippi who writes about Black folks, love, and magic. She co-hosts the Hoodoo Plant Mamas podcast. Her writing has been featured in Sistories, Samjoko Magazine, and the young adult anthology, All the Ways a Heart Burns. A Courage to Write Grant recipient, Leah’s work has been supported by The deGroot Foundation, Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation, The Bereket Writing Community, Women of Color Writers Podcast, and the Women’s National Book Association. She is the author of Apocalypse Still.

RESOURCES

 * Apocalypse Still [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798989936809] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
 * bloom [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9798869310071] by Leah Nicole Whitcomb
 * The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781250871657] Ed by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell
 * "New Analysis Reveals Many Excess Deaths Attributed to Natural Causes are Actually Uncounted COVID-19 Deaths [https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2024/new-analysis-reveals-many-excess-deaths-attributed-to-natural-causes-are-actually-uncounted-covid-19-deaths/]" by Jillian McKoy. Boston University School of Health. 
 * "Black People Hysterically Await Superhuman Abilities During 'Negro Solstice [https://blavity.com/black-people-hysterically-await-superhuman-abilities-during-negro-solstice]'" by Jon Greig. Blavity. 
 * "A Jamaican Love Story: Lover's Leap in St. Elizabeth [https://thehub.news/a-jamaican-love-story-lovers-leap-in-st-elizabeth/]" by Bailey Huebner. TheHub.News.
 * Soul Talk: The New Spirituality of African American Women [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780892819430]by Akasha Gloria Hull
 * Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal [https://www.adultswim.com/videos/primal]
 * When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narration Collection [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9780486420707] Ed by Norman R. Yetman
 * The Dead Don't Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi, and Black TV Nerd Shit [https://bookshop.org/a/93534/9781645030263]by Julian Randall
 * "SAD FACE [https://substack.com/home/post/p-144155598?source=queue]" by Dani Bee. Home & Other Obsessions.
 * "Ep 14: Writing the Spirit [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7wMgtcTw8cz3MRxrCYjmaj?si=5f86e7c093054863]" Hoodoo Plant Mamas
 * "Ep 36: Writing as Conjure Work [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3SmOkJOLUwwLO4jYgUIpGH?si=17d3d07d05814048]" Hoodoo Plant Mamas
 * "Ep 47: Dreaming a New Dream with Austen Smith [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cXkRIt1y6iDr29kQyPo3W?si=b94956c39e64455d]" Hoodoo Plant Mamas

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This podcast was created, hosted, and produced by Dani & Leah.

Our music was created by Ghrey, and our artwork was designed by Bianca. 

Ep 48: Apocalypse Still with Leah Nicole

A biweekly podcast where writers Leah Nicole and Dani Bee discuss Black spirituality, community, and culture.