The Melanin Sound Wave

In the final episode of 2024, I’m unpacking a pivotal and uncomfortable moment from my high school years—a day when my English teacher put me on the spot to explain whether white people should be allowed to say the N-word. I’ll share how I handled it back then, what I wish I’d said, and how I’d respond to a situation like that today. Let’s get into it!

In this episode of The Melanin Sound Wave , I’m catching up with my friend Aries, whose life is nothing short of inspiring. We chat about how we first met, reflect on the adventures we’ve shared while traveling, and dive into her experiences living in different countries. Along the way, we talk about the unique joy of experiencing life as Black women, the memories that keep us laughing, and why ex...

In this episode of The Melanin Sound Wave, I sit down with the founders of DSPRA SNDS, who are all about exposing their audiences to fresh, diverse sounds while creating an unforgettable, fun environment. We dive into what created the group, with each member sharing their unique role in making it happen—from curating playlists to organizing events—and how they balance their personal passions outsi...

In this episode of The Melanin Sound Wave , I share my candid thoughts on the recent election results and what they mean for our communities moving forward. I dive into the Blue Bracelet Movement—exploring both its intentions and how it can unintentionally cause harm if not used thoughtfully. For white allies, I offer a clear perspective on where your focus should be during this critical time. And...

In this episode of The Melanin Sound Wave , we dive into the unique experiences of dating as Black women who grew up in contrasting environments—one from a predominantly Black neighborhood, and the other from a predominantly White one. We explore how these backgrounds shape our perspectives on relationships, cultural expectations, and self-identity. Join us as we have a candid conversation about t...

In this special first episode back after quite the break, I’m sharing the story behind The Melanin Sound Wave —why I started this platform and podcast, and what drives my passion to empower and amplify voices of color. I’ll take you on a quick journey through my personal background, the community I grew up in, and the experiences that shaped my vision. Tune in to learn more about the heart of this...

On this week's episode, I sat down with Alexa Jay and talked about what we considered the stages black girls who grow up in white communities go through. Basing this all on our own personal experiences, Alexa and I talked and bonded over the many similarities we had growing up, even though we grew up on opposite sides of the country. Our purpose for this episode is to connect further with other bl...

On this week's episode, Xavier and I sat down with Kassidy King to discuss the trans experience with him and what that looks like, and how he has navigated the world. We talked about definitions of trans, being a trans father and what it is like, experiences and what it is like going to the hospitals or getting medical advice as someone who is trans, and so much more! Our conversation with Kassidy...

On this week's episode, Xavier and I sat down with Asakee Robinson to talk about homophobia and transphobia within the Black household. We talked about what it can look like inside the home, how it hurts and affects the children both inside and outside of the home, struggles faced but also ways to combat it, and so much more. Our conversation with Asakee included personal stories, experiences, and...

On this week's episode, Xavier and I sat down with Jetta Strayhorn to discuss black womanhood and how Jetta navigates being a Black woman and also nonbinary. We also discussed how nonbinaryism plays a role in Black womanhood, educating friends and family, what it feels like educating others, what it means to Jetta to be nonbinary and so much more! Our conversation with Jetta was fun and informatio...

On this week's episode, Xavier and I sat down with Malik Williams to discuss what it was like for him to be a professional dancer and a Black man while growing up and working in a White dominant profession and environment. We also discussed with Malik what a Black body is supposed to look like to fit into the beauty standards in the dance world, queer communities, and communities in general. We ta...

On this week's episode, and The Melanin Pride Wave's first guest, Xavier and I sat down with Obio Jones to discuss masculinity, queer visibility, what it is like presenting as a heterosexual man while queer, and so much more. We talked about if masculinity is overvalued in the Black community, if the Black community is more prejudiced towards homosexuality or more prejudiced towards those who expr...

Welcome back everyone! We are back with season 2 of The Melanin Sound Wave and are kicking off this season with some great and extremely important topics and conversations being had!  For this Pride month and these special episodes, I brought back a great friend and previous collaborator to help me with these episodes. As a heterosexual woman, it is not my place to try and explain or have these co...

On this week's episode, I sat down with Fatimata Cham to talk about a few different topics that Fatimata wrote about in her poetry. We talked about the hijab ban in France, colorism, and criminal justice in a slightly different way than normally done on these episodes! As mentioned, Fatimata is a poet, and on each of these topics, she has written a poem on and we would discuss the topic before and...

On this week's episode, I sat down with Kamryn Davis to talk about people of color representation in kids' movies and t.v. shows, talking about what we have seen in movies and the portrayal and most importantly why it is so important for the representation to happen. We talk throughout the episode about how important it is not just for people of color to see themselves in a positive light but also...

On this week's episode, I sat down with Catherine Volcy to talk about colorism, taking personal experiences, viewpoints, and examples of where we have seen it to have this conversation. Throughout the episode, Catherine and I talked about the root of colorism and where it stemmed from, why and in what ways has the black community enabled colorism to continue and become such a large issue, where we...

On this episode, I sat down with Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs to talk about the over-sexualization of black girls and black women that are seen in society and in media - being the entertainment industry or just the news. Throughout the episode, Cheyenne and I talked about how hairstyle and clothing are turned into something sexual and asked the question of who sexualized these things that should be seen...

On this episode, I sat down with Kara Roselle to talk about what our experiences were like growing up as minorities in predominantly white communities and how those experiences shaped and changed us. Throughout the episode, Kara and I pulled from and noticed many shared experiences that we had even though we grew up in different states and talked about how common our experiences are. We talked abo...

*Note from Ayanna - In one part of the episode, I mistakenly said the wrong name for an event that occurred. I said that Jackie Robinson after a game had scratched at his skin, wanting it to be white because of the way he was treated. It was not Jackie Robinson but another baseball player (not named) who was coached by the same person who had brought on Jackie Robinson. I apologize for that misinf...

On this week's episode, I sat down with Brianna Perry to discuss and talk about attitudes towards mental health in the black community and discuss why we believe they are the way they are. We talked about why mental health and therapy are perceived as a negative in the black community, where this attitude stems from, and advice for people who don't have the support system they need. Throughout the...

On this week's episode, we sat down with Alliyah Edwards to discuss what exactly is felony disenfranchisement and in what ways does it affect people who get labeled as a felon. We talked about what felons are no longer able to do in today's society (especially focusing on voting), how high of a percentage of African Americans are disenfranchised compared to non-African Americans, why that is, and...

On this week's episode, we sat down with Xavier Khalil to discuss how we have seen white supremacy create certain attitudes towards misogyny and homophobia in the black community. Within this episode, we discussed a range of topics, highlighting things such as Christianity, colonization, buck breaking, what we see today from members of the black community and how they treat black queer people, and...

On this week's episode, we sat down with Morgan Reece to discuss society's blindness towards missing and murdered black people. Within the episode, we talked about a range of topics and subjects that fit into this episode, using stories and information found. We talked about specific cases such as Quawan Charles, we discussed the alarming number of black trans people who are murdered every year, w...

On this week's episode and our first episode for Black History Month, we sat down with Adrian, Wanda, and Milan Lewis who are all in different parts of the entertainment industry. From singing, photography, modeling, and videography, the Lewis children were able to provide us with their opinions and insight on what they have seen in the industry. We discussed a range of topics connecting them with...

This week’s episode is our first of a new series we are going to start doing, where we sit down with you guys, our followers, and listeners and talk! This week, our followers who won our contest to be featured were Jess Hanon and Sonam -! We discussed the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and our thoughts on what happened before, during, and after this historical...