Blk + In Grad School

In the final part of the mini-series FLOWERS, learn about the remarkable journey of Brandon Taylor, an American writer whose path took unexpected turns from biochemistry to the bestseller lists. From his days at Auburn University Montgomery to his pursuit of graduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Iowa, Taylor's story is one of resilience and reinvention. Tune...

In the next episode of the FLOWERS mini-series, we give flowers to Isabel Wilkerson. Inspired by Ava DuVernay's latest film, "Origin," I discovered the compelling narrative of Wilkerson's life and work. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, Wilkerson's storytelling prowess illuminates the human condition and our nation's history like no other. From past to present, Wilker...

In the second installation of the mini-series FLOWERS. In this episode, we give flowers to designer, artist, and educator Curry J. Hackett. He is a Virginia native gaining global recognition for his work which braids Black aesthetics, kinship with nature, and pop culture into surreal scenes of Black Joy. Listen and learn more about an up-and-coming powerhouse in art and architecture.

This episode is part one of a mini-series, FLOWERS: An Ode to Modern Black Scholars Explore the captivating work of Professor Tressie McMillan Cottom, a renowned cultural critic, sociologist, and award-winning writer. Her insights challenge conventional wisdom and reshape our understanding of society. Allanté uncovers the breadth and depth of her intellectual contributions; from dissecting societa...

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW! This is a very special episode of the podcast, where Allanté is celebrating her 34th birthday and the first anniversary of defending her dissertation (aka her Doctorversary). She shares with you 34 reflections on the past year, both personal and professional, that have helped shape her into Dr. Whitmore. Reflecting on the past year has been a great opportunity to recognize...

In this week's episode, Maximizing Your Professional Network in Grad School, I share my insights and some tips on how to build meaningful professional relationships during your graduate school journey. You'll hear: Why professional relationships are important Where to go to meet your professional people (in person and virtually) How to follow up with them after the initial connection. Resources Me...

In this episode, hear from Angela Crumdy, Ph. D., a Provost Postdoctoral Fellow who is currently researching the social lives of Black women primary school teachers in Latin America and the United States. Angela is also the creator behind the Instagram page, Grad Girl Wellness. We discuss wellness barriers you may encounter on your grad school journey as well as the coping mechanisms and strategie...

Happy 2023! On this new episode listen to Allante's reflections on life in 2022 and life after grad school. Big thanks to Tyler The Creator for this week's musical inspiration--hear what song (is it really a song?) is selected for the Lesson From The Trap. If you are also in a reflective mood for the New Year, follow along and fill out these three questions on this journal page created for grad st...

Happy [Early] Valentine's Day!   Blk + in Grad School is returning with the grad school love story. Meet Dr. & Dr. Grimes two love-birds who met in graduate school. In this week's episode, they share their paths to the doctorate degree and then to each other. It's a love story like no other as they managed to both finish and defend their dissertations, wed, and secure jobs (at the same univers...

Meet Latoya! She’s a mom, manuscript editor, and recently finished her MA in Humanities. In 2020, she retired from the military then started her graduate program. Juggling her own classes, homeschooling, and her business Latoya realized she needed more support to get to and through her grad school journey. She joined The Scholar Circle (TSC) in 2021 and in this episode she shares her experience in...

It's NOT a rewind! Took a small break from writing my dissertation to bring this episode. Press play for a Lesson From The Trap, a quick update on my life and of course what's been working for me as I write for my life! If you're noticing that you're experiencing dips in motivation that are impeding your progress, definitely give this episode a listen. Listen in and if you're up for it -- sign up...

This episode gets straight to the point by digging deep into a problem we all face at one point or another in our grad school journey - writer’s block. It doesn’t matter if you love writing or hate it; writer’s block will come kicking in your door and live in your brain rent-free for as long as it wants. Enter Dr. Lacy, founder of Qual Sisters . Qual Sisters is a writing and coaching platform deve...

*SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT*You're invited to join Allanté for a special conversation to help prospective grad students Settle the Score! She is continuing the conversation to help empower and support you in fulfilling your goal of getting to grad school. Join Allanté along with a panel of her peers for this session hosted by the GRE®. They will be sharing tips and best practices on how to prepare a str...

In honor of Insecure's #SeasonByeve this week's rewind comes from the archives way back in 2018 when Blk + in Grad School collaborated with WokeSTEM for “Hella Intersections: The Digital Insecure Kickback”. This isn't your typical Insecure chat. It was a really dope, really big kickback talking about INSECURE...and not just the #basic stuff, but the intersectionality of the narratives that the sho...

*IT'S A REWIND* Meet Alana, a social worker that balanced her coursework and full-time work while in grad school with very intentional self-care. During a conversation inside Blk + in Grad School's private community, The Scholar Circle , Alana brought up the topic of rest and how it differs from restoration. In this week's episode, we dive into these two different types of self-care and practices...

This episode is formally called Emotional Rollercoaster because sometimes grad school can leave you feeling like a Mr. Krab’s meme. In Allanté's journey, November definitely had some twists and turns, and with it came a range of emotions. In this episode, she shares an update about everything that has gone down, from a guilt-free personal trip to the internal struggle of combating negative self-ta...

"I know there's always rooting before blossoming." - Tracy G.   This affirmation is a whole word, which inspired this week's episode on setting your goals. If you're a scholar, rooting is the planning and blossoming is the goal achieved. That goal could be a paper, a research project, building your network, etc. Setting a goal in our heads may be as easy as writing that goal down however the...

Moving to a new city can be hard, so is finding a place with all your personal comforts. Don’t worry though, Allanté’s got your back! Preparation is your friend so the first step is getting ahead of the curve and really understanding your needs and wants. Listen in this week for the 6 critical steps to success as you prepare to step forward into your new city. If you want advice and insight into f...

If you’re used to using social media solely for your personal enjoyment with memes, quotes and the like, it’s a different ballgame when it comes to using it as a rising thought leader (that’s you!). This episode explores some of the ways you can navigate the Twitterverse, with some practical tips on handling clapbacks and finding your community. Listen in for advice to find your people--fellow gra...

Issa Rewind! Enjoy a quick update from Allanté and a list of communities to support you along your journey. Grad School doesn’t usually come with a course on how to navigate all the things that come along with it. These things are often described as the “hidden curriculum” — things you’re just expected to know or somehow learn on your own—or else. Sometimes these topics are addressed briefly durin...

**LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. This episode is a long one and unlike my other episodes, but I promise it’s a good one and you won’t regret listening!** Our Grad School Success Summit live episode gets realer than real with my featured guest and homegirl, Kalyn . Kalyn is a digital media scholar with a B.A. in English from Old Dominion University (HBCU’s stand up!), and an M.A. in Organizational...

The 4th Annual Grad School Success Summit is happening now, but don’t fret, you can still register to attend! It’s a FREE networking event created for grad students of all disciplines to get the tools and resources to help them flourish on their journeys! The third episode of the mini-series takes us to the 2019 Grad School Success Summit with Dr. Fatimah. CEO of Beyond the Tenure Track , Dr. Fati...

We’re less than a week away from the 4th Annual Grad School Success Summit . Are you registered yet? The second episode of our mini-series takes us back to 2018 when I hosted the first Grad School Success Summit. (Shoutout to my OG listeners who remember my early days!) Dr. Autumn, who was in the second year of her doctoral program at the time, presented on establishing connectivity and community...

To kick off the 4th Annual Grad School Success Summit , I’m starting a three-part mini-series that recaps our most popular episodes and gives you a preview of what you can expect in this year’s amazing session line-up. This first episode gets straight to the point by digging deep into a problem we all face at one point or another in our grad school journey - writer’s block. It doesn’t matter if yo...

Meet Dr. Ijeoma, a public health historian that doubles as a lifestyle blogger and entrepreneur! Dr. Ijeoma holds a Ph. D. in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University and spends her time researching the medial construction of diseases, running her lifestyle blog, Ijeoma Kola , and mentoring Black women pursuing doctoral degrees as the founder and executive director of her non-profit, Cohort...