I'm gigantically honored to talk with Ayasha Tripp on this week's episode. Ayasha is a Writer, Educator, Producer, Creative Activist, and I came across her in the stellar podcast, The Seeds You Sow which she hosts and produces here at the KUSF studio. In the myriad hats she wears, she always dons the urgency and importance of social justice that relies on a willingness to keep talking, listening, learning and in turn, changing our lives for the better. She's an extra special guest, because I'm not sure if my show would exist without her guidance back in the spring of 2018 where she led a 2 hour podcast workshop which influenced me to start my own show. And what draws me to Ayasha most is how she wears so many hats, as a podcaster, producer, activist, film, media and theatre savant, and all of which come around to highlight the value of writing, sharing, and being supportive of causes that create positive social change.
In our talk, she reflects on the impact of the storytellers in her family, the importance of reading writers like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and learning about the history of Oakland’s Black Panther Party, acknowledging these historical figures and movements as paving the way for her own artistic and academic endeavors. She also takes us through the ups, downs, middles, and any other directions taken in the ever-capricious relationship that artists have with the work that pushes toward their vision. Most importantly, she comes back around to her conviction for sharing stories in the first place, saying that she wanted to create “stories that empower...that encourage and start social discourse” as well as giving advice to “be brave and bold enough in order to really pursue what makes you happy.”
Roles, works, and ways to follow and support Ayasha in her various projects...
