The Black Belt Belle

6 Episodes

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We All Failed Na'Ziyah: Fiction, Fact, Colorism, and Community in the Murder of Na'Ziyah Harris

2025-03-1202:38:26

Na'Ziyah Harris was a 13-year-old girl who was groomed, raped, and murdered by Jarvis Butts, a 42-year-old repeatedly convicted monster. Unfortunately, her story is not unique, but it is teachable tragedy in the ways that community, colorism, adultification, and generational curses all combined and contributed to this horrific act.Trigger warnings: Sexual assault, rape, grooming, murder, domestic abuse

Post-Inauguration Thoughts: Snowed In, Fed Up, and Where to Go Now

2025-01-2401:33:02

January is lasting 6 months, I'm snowed in, and Trump's in office. Needless to say, there's a lot going on...Tune in for my rant about Southerners and Snow days, observations of the first 5 days of Trump's presidency, and specific suggestions for where we go from here. I had some whiskey while recording it...I'd suggest you'd get a drink too...

Straighten Up and Fly Right: What the Rise of the Right Means for Natural Hair, Straight Hair Naturals, True Black Girl Magic, and Self-Love in the Time of Hate

2025-01-1402:00:43

Conservatives, Straight hair, and Self-hate OH MY! The natural hair movement has been stalled for a while now, but is the new political order the final bell's toll? On this episode, I discuss my observations about the rise of the straight-hair naturals, The "Gotta Be Me" Podcast controversy, the Red Pill manosphere's challenge to (Black) women, Tignon Laws, and so much more! Grab and drink and listen on wash day :)

Diversifying Black Femininity: Janet Jackson, The Stingettes, Sarah Baartman, and Sojourner Truth

2024-12-2941:59

I'm fast approaching forty, and I still have days where I'm questioning whether my outfit looks too masculine. I have spent years questioning what is femininity, and specifically, what is BLACK femininity and why does it look and feel so different from White femininity? Listen as I discuss a few pivotal moments in my childhood that molded and shifted my view of my own femininity. Along the way, we'll discuss Janet Jackson, The Stingettes, Sojourner Truth, and Sarah Baartman (The Hottentot Venus).

The Beyoncé Bowl, Plastic Off the Sofa, and The Stono Rebellion

2024-12-2731:31

I watched the Beyonce Bowl, and like most of the Beyhive, I have thoughts and theories. Tune in for my rambling string of consciousness as I focus on two things that really incited me to chorus. This "Unbuttoned" version of the Black Belt Belle pairs well with Episode 1 entitled "No Beyoncé, the Music Isn't Enough: We Need the Visuals"...and your favorite beverage of course!

We Need the Visuals, Beyoncé!: Surviving the Apocalypse, Afro-Futurism, Octavia Butler, and the Need for Black Utopias

2024-11-2801:11:24

Beyoncé told us "Shut the hell up about the visuals," and I am distraught! Follow along as I explore and expound on the missed opportunity for Afro Futurism and the BIGGEST criticism I have of Cowboy Carter that she could have fixed with a visual album. In this episode, I discuss how I use Beyoncé in my African American Studies course, and why I had such a vested interest in seeing the album visually. In the process, I discuss Octavia Butler, why Beyoncé's Blackbirds deserve justice, and why Afro-futurism needs a resurgence in popular American culture.

#box-pro-ellipsis-174431945496096{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}The Black Belt Belle

The Black Belt Belle