Conversations from the Diaspora

(Part 1) In this episode, I discuss with my mom some of the changes she’s noticed in our hometown since we came to this country in June of 1996 until now.  She shares her experiences being an immigrant in this country and raising children.  [Raw cut : recorded in the car while sitting in the parking lot]. Leave us a voice message: anchor.fm/bldgafricasfuture/message Like us on Facebook:...

In this episode, I had the opportunity to speak with two lovely sisters, Yar and Amek, and we discussed what it means to find your voice as an African woman. In the process, we highlighted so many of our similar experiences as African women even though we are from different parts of the Continent and different ethnic and cultural groups. We talked about why women are pressured into marriage once t...

This was a segment from a social justice seminar we had in our church’s young adult group that I was honored to be one of the panelists. I will post the video link here once it’s made available. I discussed the origin of African immigrants to the United States, the need for unity amongst members of the diaspora as it relates to tackling the issue of racism, and the civil rights movement and the ro...

In this episode, I'm joined by Janet Adeola Jamesy who was born in Nigeria, raised in the U.S., and now lives in the U.K. with her husband and small children. We discuss the differences in her experiences giving birth in the U.S. and in the U.K. and on raising her children in the U.K. She also discusses the importance of taking care of your mental health during and post-pregnancy (and in general)....

In this bonus clip from the conversation On Identity and Sense of Community in the African Diaspora, we talk about the significance of Biafra, self-determination, and statehood.  If you would like to make a contribution to the cause, you can do so here: https://www.ipobinusa.org/donate. To learn more about the Biafran Restoration Movement, https://www.ipobinusa.org/ourstory. For FAQs, https://www....

In this episode, I'm joined by Dessay Gray-Brown. We discuss what it means to be an African in America, especially at a time like this, with police brutality and the rise of racial tensions under the current administration. We also discuss perceptions of the American dream for family members back in our respective home countries and how the realities are different. We highlight the importance of p...

In this episode, I'm joined by a friend of mine, Tise Karunwi. She's a loving wife, a mother to two handsome boys, and she's a nurse. We discuss the very important issue of black maternal mortality in the United States. According to the CDC, black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women. This is partly why the maternal mortality rate in the U...

I am joined by another one of my good friends, Azubuike Nwadei, and we will be discussing identity in our community as African-Americans, as Nigerian-Americans, as Igbo-Americans, and as Biafrans.  We discuss what each of these hyphenated identities means to us at different points of our lives, the concept of home, our experiences growing up - good or bad - that shaped us and our interactions...

In this episode, I discussed the issue of underaged child labor in Africa with a specific focus on domestic workers or house helps as they are commonly called. Like many developing countries in the so-called global South, there are a number of issues that plague countries in this region, and in societies that are traditionally patriarchal, women and children seem to suffer the most. The system of...

How's everyone doing? I know we have been home for a month or more now due to COVID-19. Hope that you all are safe and in a good place mentally. What are you doing while quarantined? I apologize for the poor sound quality in a previous episode and for not posting anything in almost a month! In this clip, I revisit some of the questions I asked in a previous episode to give the listeners a chance t...

**I apologize for the poor sound quality. Promise to work on improving this for subsequent episodes.**  In this episode, I'm joined by my friend, Toynia Edmond, and we discuss how we identify as black Americans in the diaspora and our differences and similarities from the Black American and Nigerian-American perspectives. Some of the topics we discussed were what home means to us, how we relate wi...

In this episode, my best friend of over 15 years, and I talk about our experiences growing up in African homes, particularly from the point of being the eldest and being girls.  Gloria can be followed on IG: @sweet_n_glo.  Leave us a voice message: anchor.fm/bldgafricasfuture/message Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buildingafricasfuture Join our Facebook group: https://www....

I briefly discuss what my vision for the podcast is and what Building Africa's Future is all about.