Ayana Explains It All

Ayana discusses comedian Lil Duval's viral tweet questioning the lack of political pandering to black men in the presidential election, and the broader issue of Black male voter apathy. Highlighting the varied responses to Lil Duval's query, she underscores the importance of civic engagement, the systemic challenges faced by Black Men (such as incarceration and disenfranchisement), and the misalig...

Standing against criticism, unraveling harmful myths, living my truth--it must be a day that ends in "y." *explicit content cause I cuss a lil bit

An "in your face" discussion of the subtle influences that shape our political landscapes and cloud our decision-making as voters. Turn your thinking cap from back to front and XYB--examine your biases. Sources used in the making of this episode: https://niemanreports.org/articles/how-implicit-bias-works-in-journalism/#:~:text=Journalism%20has%20not%20been%20immune,they%20treat%20every%2...

It's that time again! Time to dissect another of the US Supreme Court's strict constitutionalist rants, aka a court opinion, Grant's Pass, Oregon v Johnson, a decision that allows municipalities to criminalize homelessness. Or does it? What are the implications for the US homeless population? What are the solutions? And what shoes will your mayor wear to kick people off the streets? As...

In this riveting episode, we delve into the resurgence of racial injustices in the U.S. through legal channels, opinions and public policy, critiquing the belief in a post-racial society and emphasizing White Supremacy's lingering influence. We highlight significant legal and historical contexts, and also address recent lawsuits targeting programs designed to support racial minorities, arguing...

ADHD is like holding a galaxy in your mind where every star is a thought fighting for attention. 🌌 In this episode, I take you on my personal journey with ADHD and present stories from those navigating this same universe--my friends Victoria Rashid and Jerritt Terrill. Join us in this conversation as we embrace the whirlwind inside and explore "Living Vividly: The ADHD Experience Through Voi...

The big man on campus is a group of good trouble making students who shall not be moved. The kids are alright. Sources: "Freedom is a Constant Struggle" by Angela Y. Davis. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/04/15/punishments-rise-student-protests-escalate https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/diversity/2024/03/08/report-most-jewish-muslim-students-fearf...

Ramadan is the month Muslims burn away our sins and I've been known to keep some of that fire for the unwashed and "rent payment is late" opinions on the animal farm that is social media. It's the Holy Month, not the "Holier than Thou month," see you at sundown.

Or, how conservative Whites are are having a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" and want us all to suffer because of it. But when it comes to the US, they don't know her.

Black Excellence is a sign on a t-shirt and I'm buying two of them but not before I school you on why excellence is a double-edged sword in the Black community.

Until dating apps come with a coupon for a free therapy session, you'll settle for this podcast episode that'll help you find the greatest love of your life--YOU! Works used in the making of this episode: just one! "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brené Brown.

We all know Dr. King had a dream, but he had fears, fears that in the years since his death have been realized and embody the ugly parts of ourselves, infecting our communities and all facets of our society; injustices that he and thousands of others labored hard during the US Civil Rights Era to eradicate. These ghosts of the past haunt our present and make me question if we understand Dr. King a...

Muslims in the United States are burning our voter registration forms for warmth and revolution! But...woah...not so fast. We need some resolutions to go with our revolution. Works Cited: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/888

Just left Pound Town, turns out it's a place where you get beat with a sock full of coins by your unfulfilled hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow. *Sigh*

And it's their Diamond Anniversary! What do you give the couple that's been together for 75 years? Taxpayer-funded genocide, apparently.

It's been a year, with inflation, no Women's World Cup title and the fact that I'm still not a millionaire, I'm ready to put on the no vacancy sign and sleep for some months. Now there's a war, another war, a big one, and people are being obtuse or cruel about it and Google is right there. What has Palestine done to deserve what's happening? Sometimes, simply existing is enough. What's tea? Are YO...

A Bonus Episode! The one where I read Congress and the US down to the ashy white paint on The Lincoln's Memorial's knuckles.

You'll have to do it yourselves, misters. Take responsibility, take stock, take a chance, take a drive to your dad's house and slap him in the face for not raising you right. Works used in the making of this episode: https://loneconservative.com/2023/08/05/the-barbie-movies-lesson-on-masculinity/ https://www.happiness.com/magazine/health-body/male-loneliness-time-bomb-killing-men/ https://...

We are all gravitationally blessed, unfortunately, the floor wants to know why it can't catch a break from us walking to the kitchen for snacks. *I'm not a doctor, I'm a lawyer, that's not close enough to substitute anything in this episode for genuine medical advice. Consult a doctor for any and all things health-related.

Vote NO on Issue 1, Ohioans. That's it. Sources used in the making of this episode: https://www.commoncause.org/ohio/democracy-wire/background-on-issue-1/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gop-megadonor-pours-millions-into-effort-to-hinder-ohio-abortion-amendment/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-abortion-republican-ballot-measure-amend-state-constitution/ https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/07/oh...

Is that time again! That time of year when children are out of school, beaches are full and Black Women have to defend our choices. Works used in the making of this episode: "Beyoncé and the End of Respectability Politics." By Myles E. Johnson. The New York Times. April 16, 2018. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/opinion/beyonce-coachella-blackness.html. "Respectabili...

This one is heavy, like the weight of all the Black Women society subjugates.

US Olympic Gold Medalist Tori Bowie died during childbirth but what is not talked about is the epidemic that consumed her and her fetus--the epidemic of Black maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States. What killed her is killing more Black pregnant women than any other women in this country. It is a complex problem that requires all hands on deck to solve. Sources used in the making of...

On this very special episode of Ayana Explains It All, we hear from my favorite former high school freshman, my daughter. She regales us with stories of life in the 9th grade spot, feeling sometimes confident, and other times freshie. The transformative years of high school are not wasted on this one.

Summertime, summertime, sum-sum-sum of the time you should skip traveling to places where your race is an indignity to the state. I'm talking about Florida, a usual suspect in the denial of basic human rights, but the entire United States is guilty of denying that there's a "race problem" in the country of Washington and Lincoln, and then with a stubborn attitude, refusing to ame...