Cocoa Butter and Communion

Hi Village! On today's episode, I am joined by my bestie, Jessica Brown, and on today's show, we are exploring our own relationship, cultural identities, some books, and the complexities of Black culture, as we know it (we are not finished, so episode 2 is in the works). We discuss supporting women, holding each other accountable, and the importance of relational integrity in the only way Jess and...

Hey Village! First things first, this spring I am welcoming the FIRST EVER Soul Story Journal Practice Co-Hort, and I want YOU to be a part of it. For more information, please visit:  https://www.groundedrootscollective.com/soulstorycollective   In this episode, I am chatting with Aneriz Barbosa Medina about being a first-generation student, navigating the intersections as a Puerto Rican and Afro-...

Heeyyy Village! In this episode, I am talking to the award-winning, best-selling children's book author, Dr. JaNay Brown-Wood. In this episode, we talk about her journey as an author; her insights on storytelling, navigating the publishing world as a Black author, and the importance of representation in literature. Y'all, her book has been placed upon a banned list. JaNay and I also chat about the...

Hey Village, in my Varnell Hill voice, "Did ya miss me?" I missed y'all. In this episode, I share the heart behind The Soul Story Journal: A Guide to Unbinding the Spirit, why it was created, what it holds, and how it invites reflection without urgency or self-fixing. I share about the beauty of remembering rather than performing, storytelling that honors the body, ancestry, and lived experience,...

Hey Village! Don't forget to preorder "The Soul Story Journal: A Guide to Unbinding the Spirit." With your preorder, you will receive a digital Soul Story Starter Pack that encourages you to begin your soul work before your journal arrives. Visit www.groundedrootscollective.com/store-2 to secure your copy today.  In the episode, I am continuing to explore liberation, and to do so, I share the mic...

Village! I wrote a guided journal, The Soul Story Journal: A Guide to Unbinding the Spirit. For more information, please add your email to my subscription list https://www.groundedrootscollective.com/subscribe . On a future episode, I will share more about the book's journey and how you can have one in YOUR hands! In this episode, I am reuniting with my favorite humid homies from my transformative...

In this episode of Cocoa Butter and Communion, I reflect on the challenges of the current times, particularly in light of the pandemic and its impact on personal and collective healing. I share a brief account of my own self-discovery and ancestral connection during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of incorporating spiritual practices into daily life. In this episode, I introduce the conce...

In this engaging conversation, I chat with my elder, Lakiba Pittman, to explore themes of identity, ancestry, and personal growth. We discuss our family ties and the importance of maintaining connections with family and ancestors. Luckily for us, Lakiba shares her journey of self-discovery through spirituality and the Black consciousness movement. Lakiba and I explore the intersections of spiritua...

In this episode of Cocoa Butter and Communion Village, we are exploring community and connection (two of my favorite topics). Regina Lawless is back, and we explore processing and navigating grief after the sudden loss of her husband, and the societal discomfort around death and mourning. She also reflects on her experience of opening up to new love while honoring her late husband, and how her rel...

Hey Village! Jessica is back for more conversation, laughter, and love. In this episode, we explore the evolution of club culture (I am not an expert, but Jessica might be). As always, you get a firsthand look into our friendship through our conversation about relationships, cultural critiques, raising children, true love, and growth.   Jessica is my platonic wife, my bestie, and my friendship sou...

Hey Village! I missed y'all, but I come bringing gifts. This episode, I am chatting with the beautiful Sylmia Britt, and we discuss the art of growth, all while maintaining joy. We share about liberating experiences like eating deviled eggs while watching Raheem DeVaughn sing his face off and self-acceptance, all while owning your essence and reinvesting in each other.   Sylmia has a background ro...

Hey Village! Happy Black History Month, all month long. In this episode, I chat with Regina Lawless, founder of Bossy and Blissful and Jasmine Nutt, President of A Seat at the Table Community Initiative about their event, Black Girl Glow, which is a space for healing and restoration, showcasing various activities that cater to the holistic well-being of Black women. In this conversation, we talk a...

Hey Village! My dearest, Chi-Chi Anyanwu, is back and of course a time was to be had. On this episode, we talk about emotional journeys in friendships as well as adjusting to the new around us. We talk about the complexities of friendship breakups but finding beauty and growth within those breakups; the importance of self-reflection and loving self first. Since the two of us are heading into the G...

Hey Village, Malikka is back and there is no introduction needed. In this episode we talk about Malikka's journey into badly edited books, cultural reflections, and relationships (hey, we've all dealt with some mess). Our conversation, as always, is dripping with humor (we funny), insights (we smart), and deep understandings of the complexities of identity and relationships (we hella deep). We tou...

Hey Village, its been a long time and I am entering into the space with a Timbaland beat. Happy December! For this episode, it is just me, checking in.  In this episode, I am reflecting on the tumultuous events of November, particularly the recent national election and the emotional toll that some of us feel. I discuss the need for the act of caring for yourself, and the challenges of resiliency i...

Heeyyy Village! This week, I had an engaging conversation with the lovely Jenée Johnson shares the importance of mindfulness in addressing trauma and promoting racial healing. Jenee emphasizes the need to reclaim joy and humanity through her Right Within Experience program, which aims to empower people of African ancestry through mindfulness. She emphasizes the need for a liberatory lifestyle root...

Hey Village! This week, I spend time engaging in conversation with Dr. Tiffany Mimms. Dr. Mimms shares her journey as a clinical psychologist and life coach, focusing on empowering professional women of color. Dr. Mimms reflects on her transition from psychology to coaching, emphasizing the importance of community and support for black women. She highlights the differences between therapy and coac...

Heeeyyy Village! Cocoa Butter and Communion is back and I am back with my lovely guest, Thee Marilyn Julia Brown! In this episode her and I discuss her progressive Catholic upbringing, the role of spirituality in therapy, cultural identity, and disordered eating and its impact on Black women. Our loving dialogue emphasizes the need for therapists to protect their peace while navigating chaotic tim...

Hey village! My Nia sister, Queen Royal is here! She is new to my village and I am glad that she is on the show sharing about her experiences globe trotting, by her doggone self. She shares about her experiences of living abroad, being a migrant-not an expat, and her reasons behind her reason to leave the United States. She shares about being treated as a Black woman in other countries and discuss...

Hey Village! This episode, I am chatting with one of my newest comrades, Dr. Cecile Gadson. We are Nia sisters from Costa Rica (we talk more about what that is on the episode)! Our conversation explores the experiences of Black women and girls, particularly in academic and professional settings and the need to address historical legacies of anti-Blackness and implement effective interventions to f...

Hey Village, the doctor will see us now. In this episode, I am chatting with Dr. Green to discuss the importance of sharing reproductive health information within our families and our communities. Dr. Green emphasizes the need for comprehensive sex education and the importance of understanding one's own body and how to address the anxiety about going to the gynecologist ("You're going to put what...

Imani Mitchell is back and it feels good to catch up! Her and I discuss quitting jobs (y'all, don't just go and quit your job and then put that on us) and the freedom that can come from it; navigating an artistic space, and ALL THEE AWARDS that she received from her dynamic production of Zora and Langston. Imani discusses the power in the diverse storytelling that go well beyond the narrative of B...

Heeyyyy Village! Y'all, it is SEASON 3 of Cocoa Butter and Communion! Village, I was acting like I was in the 4th grade, on summer vacation, eating up all the snacks... running up all the electricity. It felt good to break. I want that for ALL of us.  This episode is giving you the updates in my own life, including leaving my 9-5 job, and sharing about the importance of building community (in my p...

Hi Village! It's just me this week, chatting it up about mindfulness, listening to "Euphoria" and "Not Like Us," wrapping up the son's school year, starting my summer session, and transitioning into a new role in my life.  Enjoy the episode. Love y'all. 

Hey Village! Happy May! Happy pre-Mothers Day for y'all who celebrate yourself as mamas or you celebrate others as mamas.  One of my favorite people stops by and we ask ourselves, is being a helicopter mom such a bad thing? Or is it the epitome of loving your kids? My guest, Niambi Lewis, and I talk about raising our sons, the relationship we have with them, and becoming the mothers that we are pr...