Shows
Hello?! the PodcastI Can Change the World AND Take a Break (ft. Kési Felton)In this episode, we chat with Kési Felton, author of The Morning Always Comes Reflections on Being and Becoming and founder of Better to Speak. Please enjoy as we discuss black womanhood, the recent election, and advocacy.
Where to find Kési:
instagram.com/kesifelton
x.com/kesifelton
Where to find Hello?!:
https://beacons.ai/hellothepodcast
2024-11-1929 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastMakunde's Story – Bringing Awareness to Cameroon's Anglophone CrisisSince 2016, Cameroon has been engaged in a civil war between its Anglophone and Francophone populations, specifically between Ambazonian nationalists and the Cameroonian government. In this episode of The Podcast, Makunde Martin – executive director of Justice for Cameroon, a digital organizing platform focused on supporting on-the-ground efforts and engaging young Cameroonians and Black folks throughout the diaspora – provides an overview of the historical context of the Anglophone crisis and speaks to how more people can get involved. --Stay Connected with Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bettertospeak.org
2023-02-1733 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastChichi's Story – Using the Enneagram for Black Liberation“Am I worthy Of belonging? Am I loved just as I am? Am I safe to exist without worry? How do Black women return to our truest selves in systems that answer "no" to these three questions?”Join Better to Speak for its first author interview with Chichi Agorom, who wrote The Enneagram for Black Liberation to reframe an age-old human development system to explore how Black people, especially Black women, use our personality types as armor against systems of supremacy.--Stay Connected with Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagram
2023-02-1749 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastJade's Story – Leveraging Research to Improve Black EducationAt the time of this interview in 2022, we recognized 70 years since the start of the infamous Brown v. Board of Education case in the Supreme Court and celebrated the anniversary of its ultimate decision to rule segregation in U.S. schools as unconstitutional. In this episode of The Podcast, Kési is joined by Jade Jacobs and Dr. Linda Tillman – the Coordinator of Media and Communications and Advisory Board member, respectively, for the Black Education Research Center (BERC) at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College.The group discusses the history and legacy of Brown v. Board, wh...
2023-02-1750 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastLiz’s Story – Advocating for Health Equity in Black CommunitiesJoin Better to Speak’s founder Kési Felton, and Elizabeth Bolarinwa, creator of the Project Alafia Initiative, for a discussion on culturally competent public health content and learn how young Black folks looking to work in public or community health can create change in the spaces they occupy.--Find Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bettertospeak.org Find Liz + Project AlafiaInstagram--Learn More + Take Action: SHARE Research Study: Stopp...
2023-02-1721 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastFounder's Letter – The Annual Report 2022Before the year ends, take a look at Better to Speak’s second annual report to reflect on our progress and impact in 2022!Listen to the opening letter of this year’s annual report written and read by Better to Speak’s founder, Kési Felton.In the full PDF Report, you can expect to see…A recap of our 2022 Strategic GoalsProgram + project recapsCash flow statementA preview of our goals for 2023!READ MORE HERE: www.bettertospeak.org/annualreport-22Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/better-to-speak-the-podcast/donations
2022-12-3003 min
Better to Speak: The Podcast[REPLAY] Amina’s Story – Bridging the Gap for Women and Girls with ADHDThis episode is a REPLAY in honor of ADHD Awareness Month. --The Duke Center for Girls & Women with ADHD works to enable women and girls with ADHD, as well as their families, providers and communities – to better understand the unique needs of girls and women with ADHD. The Duke Center aims to help individuals seek and receive appropriate treatment, find supportive communities, and reach their full potential by closing key information and resource gaps.Check out Kési’s conversation with Amina Sesay, Project Coordinator at the Duke Center, as they discuss the l...
2022-10-1132 min
Better to Speak: The Podcast[REPLAY] Kési's Story – The State of the Young Black AdvocateThis episode is a REPLAY in honor of ADHD Awareness Month. --The first question every one of our guests answers is “What’s your story? How did you get to where you are today?”In the Season 3 premiere of Better to Speak: The Podcast, Kési (host and founder of Better to Speak) explores her own personal story on the show for the first time.This episode is dedicated to Audre Lorde (February 18, 1934 - November 17, 1992), whose works including “A Litany for Survival,” “Transforming Silence Into Language and Action,” and “Your Silence Will Not...
2022-10-1137 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastClarke + Naomi’s Story – Disrupting and Diversifying the Media IndustryNAL Media is disrupting the media industry with its new app, Brij. Brij connects creative professionals in the media industry to new connections and opportunities and democratizing pathways to success for marginalized creatives. Listen to learn more about co-founders Clarke Williams and Naomi Lilly, and their goals to transform networking and mentorship in the media industry as we traditionally know it.--Find Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bettertospeak.org Find NAL Media + BrijTwitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebookww...
2022-07-0533 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastMelly and Kae's Story – Glamorizing the Cultural WorkerThis June, we’re Celebrating Black History and Culture – specifically in honor of Black Music Month, Caribbean Heritage Month, as well as Pride Month. To further explore this, we spoke with Melly and Kae, co-founders of Eight88 Studios – an interdisciplinary production company, about their work to serve independent artists through a Queer Black Feminist lens. They offer artist management, currently managing three independent music artists as they journey through the beginning of their careers, video production and graphic design services, and are cultivating a working environment rooted in the holistic care of all artists: from the stor...
2022-06-141h 00
Better to Speak: The PodcastJada’s Story – Transforming Silence Into Action for Black Mental WellnessBetter to Speak is excited to announce our participation in the second-annual Mental Health Action Day held on Thursday, May 19 with more than 1,600 other leading organizations and leaders. Our intention as a partner organization for Mental Health Action Day 2022 will be to encourage Black youth and young adults, as well as other Black folks, to take their first steps towards mental health action with a focus on collectivism and connection. In this episode of The Podcast, we spoke to Jada Wesson, who is addressing those concepts through her Instagram page @BlvkPsych, to dig deeper into ho...
2022-05-091h 19
Better to Speak: The PodcastAmina’s Story – Bridging the Gap for Women and Girls with ADHDThe Duke Center for Girls & Women with ADHD works to enable women and girls with ADHD, as well as their families, providers and communities – to better understand the unique needs of girls and women with ADHD. By closing key information and resource gaps, the Duke Center aims to help individuals seek and receive appropriate treatment, find supportive communities, and reach their full potential.Check out Kési’s conversation with Amina Sesay, Project Coordinator at the Duke Center, as they discuss the lack of information about how Black women and girls experience ADHD, the Duke Center's current projec...
2022-04-2532 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastMonet’s Story – Archiving Black LivesIn this episode of Better to Speak: The Podcast, Kési (host and founder of Better to Speak) interviews Monet Lewis-Timmons, a Ph.D. candidate and African American Public Humanities (AAPHI) Fellow at the University of Delaware. Monet’s research focuses on Black women in the archive from the late 19th century to the early 20th century and uncovers the fragments of these archives to reveal the complexities of Black women's lives to make a larger intervention about Black women’s lived experiences across space and time. --Find Better to SpeakTwitt...
2022-04-0945 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastKési’s Story – The State of the Young Black AdvocateThe first question every one of our guests answers is “What’s your story? How did you get to where you are today?”In the Season 3 premiere of Better to Speak: The Podcast, Kési (host and founder of Better to Speak) explores her own personal story on the show for the first time.This episode is dedicated to Audre Lorde (February 18, 1934 - November 17, 1992), whose works including “A Litany for Survival,” “Transforming Silence Into Language and Action,” and “Your Silence Will Not Protect You” continue to guide Better to Speak’s mission and vision as its north star.
2022-02-1937 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastThe Power of Storytelling: Building Political Power Through CommunicationsPolitical and advocacy communications directly impact how Black communities perceive, understand, and navigate political issues and spaces. However, across media industries including communications, marketing, advertising, public relations, and even journalism, Black professionals still roughly make up less than 10 percent in each field.In this conversation with Elisabeth Bellevue, an alumna of Lincoln University and young professional studying political communications in her graduate program, listeners will:Hear about Elisabeth’s lived experience as a young Haitian woman and how that has influenced her politicsGet the basics about political communications concepts and strategies like ag...
2021-10-191h 13
Better to Speak: The PodcastThe Power of Community: Equity for Black Menstruators. Period.In the refreshed and revamped iteration of Better to Speak: The Period Project, Kesi is joined by Asia Brown, co-founder of 601 for Period Equity, and Lena Vann, founder of The Black Period Project. They are two young Black women who are HBCU students and founders of respective community organizations working to bring awareness to period inequity in the South and elsewhere. Listen in on the discussion to get their insights on how to better support Black menstruators, develop a gender-inclusive perspective of menstrual rights, and understand the larger societal issues that impact period injustice.
2021-07-2732 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastThe Power of Storytelling: Combating Disinformation in the Black Community w/ Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, Founder of the National Black Cultural Information TrustMisinformation and disinformation played and continue to play key roles in Black folks’ lives, historically our interactions with the media, in elections and with elected officials, and while navigating public health crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic.Continuing season two’s Volume One: The Power of Storytelling – this conversation with Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor dives into the specifics of how misinformation targets Black communities, the effects, and how Black folks can individually and collectively combat it.Find Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bettertospeak.org...
2021-06-1531 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastThe Power of Storytelling: Black Media and Archiving Black History w/ Angela Ford, Founder and Executive Director of The Obsidian CollectionHow can Black stories be uplifted to empower and honor Black history and humanity, rather than Black trauma and pain? How can Black storytellers remain connected to those histories while simultaneously drafting our collective and personal Black futures?These are all questions that Angela Ford, Founder and Executive Director of The Obsidian Collection, aims to address through archives of Black journalism and photographs. Season two’s Volume One – The Power of Storytelling – aims to cover how stories, words, and information are powerful tools to cultivate power in the Black community...
2021-06-0726 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastThe Power of Community: Addressing COVID Slide w/ Adeola Whitney, CEO of Reading PartnersResearchers and education advocates have shared that by the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students will be at least half a grade level behind. This statistic only worsens for students of color – particularly Black, Latinx and Indigenous students – and students in low income, rural, and/or public schools.This “COVID Slide” threatens to exacerbate already-existing educational inequities and keeps marginalized students at a disadvantage. Reading Partners, an early literacy non-profit, aims to mitigate this inequities through one-on-one literacy tutoring to underserved students – a mission that has only been solidified since the onset of the pandemi...
2021-03-0124 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastDare to Be Powerful: Happy Birthday, Audre Lorde!Audre Lorde. The self-described “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet.” Gamba Adisa. She who makes her meaning known. Today, February 18 is her 87th birthday, and because the entire premise of Better to Speak was created from her words – we want to take a moment to honor her life and legacy, and also use this space to announce season two of Better to Speak: The Podcast as well as “Better to Speak: The Organization” and our intentions for 2021.Learn more and take the pledge: www.bettertospeak.org/powerSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com...
2021-02-1807 min
Better to Speak: The Podcast#EndSARS and Youth Leadership in the Global Movement for Black LivesBetter to Speak: The Podcast is back for a special episode on the #EndSARS movement and youth leadership in the global movement for Black lives. Featuring writer and feminist Naomi Ndifon and #EndSARSDMV organizer Seun Babalola.“Nigerian youth are rediscovering their power, picking up the mantle of the cultural & political resistance that in the past helped snatch the country back from the jaws of military dictatorship" (source).The ongoing End SARS movement in Nigeria, aimed at dismantling the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (also known as SARS), has been spearheaded primarily by...
2020-11-1733 min
Better to Speak: The Podcast[REPLAY] Your Silence Will Not Protect You. Vote 2020.Young people are often lectured by older generations on why we should vote and blamed for undesired election outcomes. But what is the true benefit of voting in a system that consistently does not work for marginalized communities, and how should we navigate it when the candidates and ballot measures aren't good enough? Join Kési Felton, Founder of Better to Speak, in episode one of The Podcast as we explore those topics and the journey of the Black vote more broadly.----Find Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bette...
2020-10-2714 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastFUBU: Netflix’s ‘Self Made’ and How to Tell Black Stories Better w/ A’Lelia Bundles, Author of ‘On Her Own Ground’Netflix’s limited series ‘Self Made’ starring Octavia Spencer as Madam C.J. Walker ignited social media dialogue around the role of entertainment media in telling Black stories with historical accuracy. While the series introduced a wider audience to Madam Walker’s story and inspired some to learn more about her off-screen, historians -- including Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles -- were left disappointed by sensationalized storylines.In the season one finale of Better to Speak: The Podcast Kési Felton, host and founder of BTS, interviews Bundles -- journalist, author, historian, and Walker Family...
2020-10-0837 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastAntiracism: Doing the Work Beyond Black Squares w/ Christine Platt of American University’s Antiracist Research and Policy CenterBlack Lives Matter protests and stay-at-home quarantine mandates gave folks the opportunity to listen, learn, and take action. Trends like #BlackOutTuesday showed that more people were paying attention to the issue of systemic racism. However, as those trends fade, so has the work to dismantle racism -- with some settling for the title of “not racist.” But in the words of Dr. Ibram Kendi, “The opposite of ‘racist’ isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘antiracist.’” Well, what exactly does it mean to be an antiracist? The President’s ban on federal antiracism trai...
2020-10-0129 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastHoward Students Redefine the Sustainability Movement w/ Rachel Clark of Waves of Change HBCUWhile environmental racism disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities, we are also the same people who are excluded from conversations on how to save our planet and create more sustainable communities.Rachel Clark is working to change that narrative through her organization Waves of Change HBCU, Inc. which started on the campus of Howard University. Through community service events and education, she aims to position HBCU students and institutions as the leading voices in the fight to end environmental racism and address climate change.Rachel joins Kési Felton, f...
2020-09-2626 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastCommunities Over Cages w/ Marilynn Winn of Women On the RiseThis week we speak with Marilynn Winn, executive director of ATL-based Women On the Rise GA which was founded in 2013 for formerly-incarcerated women of color and women targeted and/or impacted by the criminal legal system. This episode is a follow-up to “Abolition, Art, and Activism” where we spoke with Chicago activist ThoughtPoet about the organization BYP100 and the movement for police abolition. Marilynn Winn joins host and Better to Speak founder Kési Felton to discuss the aftermath of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks in Georgia...
2020-09-1825 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastMental Wellness During the Dual Pandemic w/ Jardin Dogan of Black Folx TherapySeptember signifies National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. However, dialogue around mental health in the Black community specifically is still stigmatized, suicide rates among Black youth continue to rise, and especially in the midst of the “dual pandemic”-- of systemic racism and COVID-19-- how are we working to address Black mental health and the various social factors that negatively impact it?Jardin Dogan, M.Ed., Ed.S.-- Ph.D. candidate and creator of @BlkFolxTherapy on Instagram-- joins Better to Speak founder Kési Felton to discuss the intersections of racial trauma and mental wellness, with...
2020-09-1035 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastEducation As a Site of Liberation w/ Evalaurene Jean-Charles of Black On Black EducationIn honor of the 63 years that have passed since The Little Rock Nine first integrated Central High School in Arkansas, this week's episode of The Podcast explores the idea of transforming education from a site of oppression to one of liberation for Black students.Better to Speak founder Kési Felton is joined by Evalaurene Jean-Charles, founder of digital content platform and podcast Black On Black Education, to discuss their work to support Black students and how that looks in the context of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and calls for the dismantling of systemic ra...
2020-09-0326 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastAbolition, Art, and Activism w/ ThoughtPoet of BYP100Defunding and abolishing the police has become part of mainstream dialogue since George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis in May. This topic, though older than most folks recognize, has caused a lot on controversy for many reasons in local communities as well as nationally as we inch closer and closer to the Presidential election in November. On this week's episode of the podcast, host and founder of BTS Kési Felton explores what it means to abolish the police and brings on Chris "ThoughtPoet" Brown-- photographer, writer, and BYP100 Chicago member-- to g...
2020-08-2727 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastRest as Resistance w/ Tricia Hersey of The Nap Ministry"Naps help you wake up to the truth of who you are." A perfect and succinct quote from this week's interview with The Nap Bishop-- founder and curator of The Nap Ministry, Tricia Hersey. In this week's episode of The Podcast, Better to Speak's founder Kési Felton chats with Tricia to discuss the impacts of grind culture on Black folks and the act of "rest as resistance."----Find Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bettertospeak.orgFind The Nap M...
2020-08-2029 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastGood Trouble and Finding Your Voice in the Movement w/ Angela Saxton of Bet On UsHow does one find their voice in the movement? What is a "political home" and what does it mean to have one?After a three-month hiatus, Better to Speak: The Podcast returns! Founder Kési Felton is joined by Angela Saxton of Bet On Us and the Working Families Party to discuss tangible next steps for young Black folks to find a political home in the movement for Black liberation.----Find Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bettertospeak.orgFind Bet On Us/Working Families Party...
2020-08-1344 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastCOVID-19 Part Two: Black People and The Myth of Going "Back to Normal" w/ Mercilla Ryan-Harris of BLK HLTHJoin us for our special two-part edition of Better to Speak: The Podcast as we discuss the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. In part two, host and founder of Better to Speak Kési Felton discusses the political implications of the coronavirus pandemic, and is joined by Mercilla Ryan-Harris, a public health professional and co-founder of BLK HLTH, to discuss the specific impacts of the pandemic on the Black community.---Find BLK HLTH: Twitter | Instagram | Facebookwww.blkhlth.com...
2020-05-1322 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastCOVID-19 Part One: Young People and Collective Care w/ Tassika LloydJoin us for our special two-part edition of Better to Speak: The Podcast as we discuss the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.In part one, host and founder of Better to Speak Kési Felton talks with Tassika Lisa Lloyd, award-winning digital communications expert and sociologist, to get a better idea of the factors that are specifically affecting young people's ability to fully understand the gravity of the coronavirus pandemic and adhere to "social distancing" recommendations and guidelines (the messaging of which may not be as effective as we've been lead to believe).
2020-03-2435 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastYour Silence Will Not Protect You. Vote 2020.Young people are often lectured by older generations on why we should vote and blamed for undesired election outcomes. But what is the true benefit of voting in a system that consistently does not work for marginalized communities, and how should we navigate it when the candidates and ballot measures aren't good enough? Join Kési Felton, Founder of Better to Speak, in episode one of The Podcast as we explore those topics and the journey of the Black vote more broadly.----Find Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bette...
2020-03-0614 min
Better to Speak: The PodcastWhere Are the Black People? And Other Thoughts On the 2020 Election.What should we really mean when we discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion in politics? Join Kési Felton, Founder of Better to Speak, in the first official reboot episode of The Podcast as we discuss how we can do better to ensure more of us feel like our stories are heard and represented in this upcoming election.----Find Better to SpeakTwitter | Facebook | Instagramwww.bettertospeak.orgSources:Caucus vs. Primary: What's the Difference? (USA Today)CAMPAIGN 2020: DNC Chair Tom Perez Defends Lack of D...
2020-01-2216 min