Stone Written

In this episode of Stone Written, Dr. Rhon sits down with Kara Endsley, the Sonja Haynes Stone Center's first full-time Philanthropy Officer, for a candid conversation about fundraising, legacy, and the urgent work of securing the Stone Center's future.  Kara brings over 30 years of fundraising experience — and a deeply personal connection to this mission. Together, she and Dr. Rhon pull back the...

In this episode of Stone Written, host Dr. Rhon sits down with Dr. Donovan Livingston — educator, poet, MC, Chapel Hill Poet Laureate, and UNC alumnus who initially struggled to make it through. Now back at Carolina as Teaching Assistant Professor and Director of College Thriving, Dr. Livingston reflects on the full-circle journey from undergraduate to community leader and scholar.  They dig into...

This episode features Jaha Nailah Avery, UNC law school alum turned griot and professional storyteller. Jaha shares her journey from practicing law to freelance writing for outlets like Vanity Fair and The New York Times, explaining how she left a lucrative tech career to pursue meaningful storytelling work. She discusses her books, including Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories...

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Rhon sits down with Tanasia Lea—Olympic-level triple jumper, equity consultant, birth doula, and mother—to explore what it means to live authentically at the intersection of ALL parts of who we are.  Tanasia shares her journey from New Haven to Williams College, through the corporate machine, and into transformation work that centers psychological agency, vitalit...

What does it mean to sit with the odyssey of Black history—and to carry it forward with rigor, spirit, and love?  In this powerful episode of Stone Written, Dr. Rhon is joined by historian, cultural critic, and filmmaker Dr. Claudrena N. Harold, Edward Stettinius Professor of History and Associate Dean at the University of Virginia, and featured speaker for the 2025 Genna Rae McNeil Black History...

In this essential Black History Month conversation, Stone Written host Dr. Rhon sits down with Dr. Joshua Myers, Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Howard University and author of Of Black Study, to reflect on what Black intellectual traditions offer in our current political moment. Recorded in December 2024 but strikingly resonant today, the episode explores Black Studies not as abstracti...

In a deeply intimate conversation, Stone Written host Dr. Rhon (@DoctorRMB) sits down with grammy nominated American jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon to discuss her new book and album, exploring how jazz improvisation, deep listening, and ancestral presence shaped her journey through loss. They reflect on grief’s non-linear nature, the healing power of creativity and community, and the ways memory, mu...

On International Podcast Day (September 30th), Stone Written celebrates the power of storytelling at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History. Host Dr. Rhon shares seven lessons she’s learned since stepping into her role at UNC–Chapel Hill, from why “those who know, know” isn’t enough, to how platforms like this one help us tell our story before someone else gets it...

Host Dr. Rhon speaks with artist Mark Anthony Brown Jr. and curator Ming Joi Washington about The Book of Mark a solo exhibition at the Stone Center that explores spirituality, ancestry, and diasporic practices through photography, sculpture, and time-based media. The conversation covers their collaborative process and trust-building, the influence of Black church traditions, tensions between arti...

Stone Center Director Dr. Rhon Manigault-Bryant (@DoctorRMB) opens Stone Written Season 2 on the 21st anniversary of the Stone Center building. Reflecting on the Stone Center's legacy and Toni Morrison’s powerful lessons on centering Black life, Dr. Rhon speaks to the urgent need to secure sustainable funding to expand research programs, fellowships, and student support. Tune in for a pithy, but p...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. On this final episode of Stone’s Senior Stories, we sit down with Evan Andrews, a senior from Winston-Salem majoring in Political Science and Peace, War & Defense with a minor in History. Evan is deeply involved in campus leadership, serving as the B...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. On this episode, Guest Editor Melanie Cabrero sits down with Krystal Lacayo, a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Urban and Regional Studies. Krystal is a powerhouse advocate, including her role as the Founder a...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. In this episode Guest Editor Melanie Cabrero sits down with Christopher Lee Williams, a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate who majored in Peace, War, and Defense with a minor in Entrepreneurship. As the Student Body Vice President, an advocate for financial literac...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. In this episode Guest Host Melanie Cabrero sits down with Brooklynn Barnett, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Biology with a minor in Health & Society. Brooklynn will soon take the next step in her journey at the #1 pharmacy school in the nati...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. On this episode, Melanie Cabrero sits down with Nia Satterfield Brown, a recent graduate of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media with a dual focus in EXSS Sports Administration and a minor in Hispanic Studies. Nia is a force in sports media, hav...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. On this episode, Guest Host Melanie Cabrero sits down with Nigel Parker, a Morehead-Cain scholar and UNC grad majoring in Management & Society with minors in Philosophy, Politics, & Economics and History. Nigel is dedicated to fostering understan...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. In this episode, Guest Host Melanie Cabrero sits down with Joann Obioma, a powerhouse leader at UNC-Chapel Hill. Joann shares her journey of finding her voice as a first-generation student, navigating a predominantly white institution, and transforming sel...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. In this third episode of Stone's Senior Stories, Guest Host Melanie Cabrero sits down with Connor Barnes, a graduating senior from Frederick, Maryland. Connor is a content creator who has built a personal social media presence with over 100,000 followers...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. In this second episode of Stone's Senior Stories, Guest Host Melanie Cabrero sits down with BJ Tillman. From founding a nonprofit that has registered thousands of voters to crafting economic policy with senators, BJ Tillman has made her mark on UNC and b...

Stone Written Podcast proudly presents "Stones Senior Stories," a 10-episode series celebrating the inspiring journeys of our graduating seniors. In this first episode of Stone's Senior Stories, Guest Host Melanie Cabrero sits down with Julian Taylor, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill and co-founder of TransparUNCy, an organization dedicated to educating students about the political forces shaping publi...

Join Dr. Rhon as she hosts a riveting discussion with directors Danielle Hiraldo, Heidi Kim, and Josmell Pérez, leaders of key academic and community engagement centers at UNC-Chapel Hill. Delving into their roles, challenges, and victories, this episode highlights how these centers serve as vital support systems for students, faculty, and communities amidst shifting political and educational land...

In this engaging episode of "Stone Written," join host Dr. Rhon as she welcomes two remarkable guests, Dr. Cassandra Denise Caldwell and Laura Anderson Wright to discuss the enduring impact and future potential of the Sonia Haynes Stone Center at UNC Chapel Hill. Both alumni of the university, they reveal personal stories of inspiration, connection, and the crucial role of philanthropy in sustaini...

In this episode, Dr. Rhon takes a deep dive into a broader American historical narrative and UNC-Chapel Hill's place within it. She considers: are we returning to "The Great Resegregation"?   This episode confronts the realities of historical regression; its chilling effects on the learning spaces of higher education; and the long-term impact on academia’s role as a place for critical thought. Dr....

In this engaging episode of Stone Written, Dr. Rhon sits down with the Honorable Dean Patricia Timmons-Goodson to explore her inspiring journey through a remarkable public service career. As one of the first African-American women on North Carolina's Supreme Court, Dean Timmons-Goodson shares her profound insights into justice, history, and the importance of remaining grounded through life's chall...

"What do you do when you feel as if the world is on fire?"  Join Dr. Rhon as she engages this idea while reflecting on a viral essay she penned in 2016 titled "An Open Letter to White Liberal Feminists." The piece, initially published during the aftermath of Donald Trump's first election, resonated deeply, sparking a conversation on race, feminism, and politics. In this episode, Dr. Rhon draws par...