Homegoings

We released this episode, “Black birth, laboring for justice,” back in October 2023. At the time, we felt this episode was crucial to make because Black women had the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States. The CDC actually called it a crisis. We checked back in with this crisis to see what’s changed in two years, and learned that maternal deaths have dropped — just not for Black women. So, we figured it’s time to press play on this. Again. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.This episode was mixed, scored and reported by Myra Flynn with support from our associate producer James Stewart and editing by Brittany Patterson. Myra Flynn composed the Homegoings theme music. “Mama Song” was also written by Myra Flynn with production from Tim Sonnefeld. Zoe McDonald and Elodie Reed are the graphic artists behind this Homegoings artist portrait. The CDC is working to help stop this crisis and save Black mothers. If you are in need of more information or help, give them a call at 1-800-232-4636. You do not have to navigate this alone.As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell you friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Our sister podcast Stitch Please is a sewing podcast that centers around Black women, girls and femmes, weaving threads of creativity, technique and passion with every episode. And in this episode we’re dropping into our feed, “Patchwork to Power,” renowned quilter Chawne Kimber sits down with host Lisa Wolfot to talk about how she strives to maintain a balance between aesthetic beauty and activist messaging in her quilts. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.This episode was created by Lisa Woolfork and Black Women Stitch with additional editing by Myra Flynn. Myra composed our theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions.We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned!To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Los Angeles native Shelley Bruce joins Myra Flynn as they discuss the devastating impact of the recent fires in L.A., particularly the Eaton fire that has destroyed so many homes and businesses, including many in the historically Black suburb of Los Angeles, Altadena. Together they discuss the systemic issues that have led to the fire’s disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.

***A heads up: This episode contains unbleeped swearing and covers sensitive material, including sexual abuse. Please listen with care.***In this episode, Vermont Public reporter Elodie Reed joins Huntington, Vermont resident and Lakota elder Beverly Little Thunder and her daughter, Lushanya Echeverria, at the movies. Together they watch the documentary Sugarcane, about the horrific history and intergenerational trauma of residential or boarding schools.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.This episode was mixed and reported by Elodie Reed, with additional editing by Myra Flynn, Mikaela Lefrak and James Stewart. Myra composed our theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie is also the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead so stay tuned!To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

For this intimate Homegoings Shorty, Vermonter Raph Draws asks host Myra Flynn a question that doesn’t have one right or wrong answer: “What does motherhood mean to you?” Myra sits down with her mother Martha Mathis and her daughter Avalon as three generations share the holidays and their thoughts about mothers and daughters.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.This shorty was reported, edited and mixed by Myra Flynn with support from our associate producer James Stewart. Myra Flynn composed our theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead so stay tuned!To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Vermonter Kiah Morris wants to know why Black folks have a history of carrying hot sauce in their bag. In this spicy Homegoings Shorty we dive right into it with Torrance, California, hot sauce maker Brittney McCray, and unpack how the Great Migration impacted the portability of this spicy condiment.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.This shorty was reported and edited by Myra Flynn and mixed by associate producer James Stewart. Myra Flynn composed the theme music and all other music is from Miles Hooper and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead so stay tuned!To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Don’t call it a rerun, call it a remix! In this remixed episode of ‘How do you cook YOUR greens?’ host Myra Flynn catches up with chef Harmony Edosomwan to see what’s new in her world of business — and her collard greens, since it came out last year. Along with a world-renowned chef and Myra’s mother, they explore how the history of a once undesirable food mimics the resilience, innovation and perseverance of a once considered undesirable people.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.This episode was mixed, scored and reported by Myra Flynn with support from associate producer James Stewart. Myra composed the theme music. All other music by Blue Dot Sessions and Jay Green. Brittany Patterson edits our show, and Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Here on the show, we ask a lot of our guests. We ask for their time, and a good amount of it, as most of these 40-minute Homegoings episodes are actually shaped after two-hour interviews! We unapologetically ask for their hearts. The things that make them beat, and the things that make them break. On a recent episode of the podcast Immigrantly (a show we consider a soul-sister in the world of race and identity), host Saadia Khan puts our own Myra Flynn in the hot-seat as an interviewee. This episode is personal, raw and If you’ve ever felt unseen or misjudged, this story will remind you that you’re not alone—and that it’s okay to embrace the contradictions that make you, you.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.This episode was produced and written by Saadia Khan with editorial review and sound design by Shen Yu. Haziq Ahmed Fareed edited the episode. Music for Immigrantly is created by Simon Hutchinson, the Homegoings theme is by me, Myra Flynn and all other music is from Epidemic Sound. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

In our first Homegoings Shorty we get to go "Goth" as we answer a question from DonnCherie McKenzie about where the community of Black goths might be hiding in Vermont.This shorty was reported and edited by Myra Flynn and mixed by associate producer James Stewart. Myra Flynn composed the theme music and all other music is from Miles Hooper and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead so stay tuned!To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Juan Coleman, a Black man who lives in Vermont, voted for Donald Trump in the past and is planning to vote for him again in this election cycle. And he’s not alone. Though we won’t know the actual numbers until the election, there is an uptick of Black voters aligning with the GOP, Black men in particular. Why? In this season finale, we speak with Juan about his concerns for the Democratic party, and hear from CNN national politics correspondent Eva McKend about the history of the Black vote, and how no demographic is a monolith.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn, with support from associate producer James Stewart. The episode was edited by Brittany Patterson with help from Jane Lindholm and Elodie Reed. Myra Flynn composed the theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.Thank you for listening to season two. Stay tuned for more content as Homegoings: Shorties are starting soon! As always, you are welcome here.To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

How do you talk about Black death, in the media, in a way that is consistent, and intentional? How do you memorialize and humanize Black grief without perpetuating trauma? Here on Homegoings, we believe the answer is, and always has been, art. In this episode, we revisit some of the very first episodes of Homegoings, and embark on a quest with Vermont-based musicians to find out: Does grief have a sound?Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.This episode was mixed by associate producer James Stewart. Myra Flynn reported and edited this episode. Myra also composed the theme music. Other music by Rough Frances, Rivan Calderin, the Listen Up Project and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

***A heads up: This episode contains strong language, unbleeped swearing and explicit adult content*** In our fourth and final episode of the special series “Stereo-anti-types,” we tackle one of the most “biggest” stereotypes out there about the Black body today: the myth of the big Black penis. Host Myra Flynn speaks with Black men, including a porn star, about how this myth affects their lives and their profession, and a female sexologist who knows a lot about the origin of this stereotype that plagues Black men. A heads up that this episode is explicit, and maybe even hard to listen to. But here on Homegoings we believe most of the important stuff usually is.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.This episode was mixed and reported by Myra Flynn with help from associate producer James Stewart. Jane Lindholm edited this episode with help from James Stewart. Myra Flynn composed our theme music. All other music by Jay Green, King Noire and Blue Dot sessions. Zoe McDonald is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Dianne Bondy is a yoga teacher and social justice activist who works to make wellness accessible for everyone – no matter their shape, size, level of ability or ethnicity. In this episode Laura Cathcart Robbins, host of the podcast The Only One in the Room, speaks with Dianne to unpack the world of wellness, and the many barriers to it.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.The Only One in the Room is hosted by Laura Cathcart Robbins and produced by Calin Bean and Scott Slaughter. This episode of Homegoings was mixed and edited by associate producer James Stewart. Myra Flynn composed the theme music and all other music comes from Blue Dot Sessions.See you next week for the next episode of our special series Stereo-anti-types. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

“Stereo-anti-types” is a special series from Homegoings examining some of the most troubling, most profound and most dangerous stereotypes that apply to Black men. In part three of the series, “The myth of the stupid Black person” host Myra Flynn speaks with Tinotenda Charles Rutanhira, who came to the United States as a refugee from Zimbabwe. When he arrived, he already had a bachelor’s of commerce in business and information systems from Rhodes University in South Africa, and went on to more schooling in the U.S. to obtain a computer science degree. And still — no one would hire him.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn with help from our associate producer James Stewart. Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. edited this episode and Myra Flynn composed the theme music. All other music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Zoe McDonald is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you next week for part four of “Stereo-anti-types,” a special series from Homegoings.To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

***A heads up: This episode contains strong language and unbleeped swearing*** “Stereo-anti-types” is a special series from Homegoings examining some of the most troubling, most profound and most dangerous stereotypes that apply to Black men. In part two of the series, “The myth of the scary Black man” host Myra Flynn speaks with Kris Brown, a 6-foot-2, former drug dealer who was nearly fated to become a life-long statistic in the prison system, until his life took a turn that surprised even him.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.This episode was co-reported by Myra Flynn and our associate producer James Stewart, with help from data journalist Corey Dockser. James also mixed this episode. Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. edited this episode and Myra Flynn composed the theme music. All other music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed, Zoe McDonald and Laura Nakasaka are the graphic artists behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you next week for part three of “Stereo-anti-types”, a special series from Homegoings.To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

***A heads up: This episode contains strong language and unbleeped swearing*** “Stereo-anti-types” is a special series from Homegoings examining some of the most troubling, most profound and most dangerous stereotypes that apply to Black men. In this first episode, host Myra Flynn and colleague Bryant Denton get up close and personal with podcaster Pendarvis Harshaw and comedian Marlon Fisher to tackle the myth of the deadbeat dad. Both of these men have bucked societal bias and are anything but deadbeat – but as you'll hear, it wasn't always easy.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.This episode was mixed and reported by Myra Flynn and Bryant Denton with help from associate producer James Stewart. Myra composed the theme music with other music from Blue Dot sessions. Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. edits the show with help from Jane Lindholm, Corey Dockser and Liam Elder Conners. Elodie Reed, Zoe McDonald and Laura Nakasaka are the graphic artists behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you next week for another episode of “Stereo-anti-types”, a special series from Homegoings.As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Back in January, host Myra Flynn sat down with Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. in front of a live audience at Vermont Public studios to practice what we do best here on Homegoings: They had a very candid conversation. Together they broke down the realities of what it’s like to be a Black podcaster in a “Post-Floyd era,” the differences in African and American Blackness, and their push-pull relationship with the ever mercurial New York City. They asked each other, well — just about anything and everything. That fruitful night became a two-part video series and now, this revealing podcast episode.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.This episode was reported and edited by Myra Flynn and mixed by associate producer James Stewart. Myra composed the theme with other music from Miles Hopper and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

There’s some irony in freedom because freedom is inherently unfree. It’s something to be defended, fought for, stood up for. It’s been hard-won in a lot of our history. It’s also elusive. Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes, it isn’t even an option. So, what is freedom? How do you know when you have it? What does it sound like? How do you get more of it? This episode works to create some cognitive dissonance, on purpose, between the sounds of freedom and the reality of it. With the live sounds of Independence Day, and a candid conversation with Speech, lead MC and singer of the band Arrested Development. He is fighting for freedom in his own way. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn, with help from associate producer James Stewart and data journalist Corey Dockser. The episode was edited by Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. and featured field reporting by Nathaniel Wilson and Bryant Denton. The music was composed by Myra Flynn; other music by Arrested Development, the band Gumbo and Blue Dot Sessions. Zoe McDonald is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

***A heads up: This episode contains strong language and unbleeped swearing as well as discussions of sexual abuse***In part two of “Stories from the spotlight,” we continue our deep dive into the problematic nature of the music industry, the roots of misogyny in hip-hop, and unpack what it takes to stay safe, healthy and true to yourself as a female musician of color.Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.If you or someone you know is facing the trauma of sexual abuse, you do not have to navigate it alone. Help is available. National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE online.rainn.org. This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn, with help from associate producer James Stewart and edited by Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. The music was composed by Myra Flynn and Kiran “Madame” Gandhi. Other music by Jay Green and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

***A heads up: This episode contains strong language and unbleeped swearing as well as discussions of sexual abuse*** Fame, or the idea of it, is deeply woven into our society. It’s currency — people knowing you, knowing your name, knowing your art — can be priceless for an artist. Something to spend your whole life seeking. But fame also comes at a cost, and for young women of color in the music industry, and those costs have names. They are: financial devastation, mental health challenges, violence and sexual assault. In this two-part episode of Homegoings, we’ll pull back the curtain and hear from three female musicians and an expert about what it means to be ambitious, broke and brown and Black in the music industry. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here.If you or someone you know is facing the trauma of sexual abuse, you do not have to navigate it alone. Help is available. National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE online.rainn.org. This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn, with help from associate producer James Stewart and edited by Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. The music was composed by Myra Flynn and Derick Rice. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!