Homegoings

Bobby Hackney Jr. grew up thinking he knew his dad’s musical story. Years later, a song at a party changed that—revealing that his father, Bobby Hackney Sr., had been part of Death, a 1970s Detroit band now recognized as an early force in punk. In this episode, father and son sit down to talk about music, family, and what it means to discover a story that was always right there. Homegoings is a pr...

In 1964, Sam Cooke released a song that captured both struggle and hope with unusual clarity — offering not just expression, but a shared sense of identity and momentum. And it wasn’t an isolated moment. From the Vietnam War to the Arab Spring, art has repeatedly shaped how events are seen, felt, and, at times, acted upon. The power of a picture, the weight of a song, the bravery of a book — these...

Mactar Mbaye loves real estate. He lives in Montreal, and he is working at his dream job — as one of the hosts of HGTV Canada's Hoarder House Flippers, along with his three brothers. While Mactar’s journey from real estate nerd to broadcast television was built on the chaotic spectacle of hoarding — messes he could sort, stack, and clear away — another, far more complicated moment in his life prov...

We’ve been paying close attention to national and local coverage of recent protests, marches, and rallies — and frankly, some folks seem to be missing from those spaces. Black folks. So here on the show, we launched a mini-series to ask a direct question: If some Black people aren’t out in the streets, what are we doing instead? This is Part Two. It features a conversation with Lisa Woolfork — a s...

While there isn’t any racial data published yet for 2026 protests, many reports from 2025 protests like Hands Off and No Kings described crowds that were mostly white and middle-aged. .So, here on the show, we’ve launched a mini-series to ask: If some Black people aren’t out in these streets, what are we doing instead? This is Part One, and it includes a conversation with political consultant Tami...

As you know, Homegoings is a show that invites you to eavesdrop on candid conversations with people who will challenge what you think you know. And this time — we were the ones having that candid conversation. In this episode, host Myra Flynn and producer/ director Mike Dunn reflect on the hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, often beautiful and deliciously bizarre moments on the show in 2025.  Hom...

Musician Denitia Odigie has spent her career moving effortlessly between soul, folk, R&B, jazz, indie rock, and pop—earning a reputation as a truly genre-defying artist. But these days, Denitia has chosen a genre: Country music. And she’s hitting the scene full force. In this episode, Denitia opens up about why she chose country, how she stays authentically herself, and what it’s like to step...

Cailin Marcel Manson is a conductor, baritone opera singer, and longtime vocal studies teacher who’s performed on some of the world’s biggest stages — from the Conservatoire de Luxembourg to Carnegie Hall. In this episode, we talk with Cailin about what it means to command a space long dominated by white men — armed with Black skin, a bit of Philly swagger, and a corset. Homegoings is a production...

Nichole Hill is the award-winning showrunner and creator of Our Ancestors Were Messy , a 2024 Official Tribeca Audio Selection. Through her show, Nichole is pulling the rug out from under the pedestal we tend to put figures in Black history on. To her, people like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston were huge contributors to Black culture. But...they were also just people . Sometimes messy peop...

One night at a lesbian bar in New York City changed everything for 20-something Tiq Milan. A stranger handed him a flyer for a party celebrating something he’d never heard of before — transmasculine top surgery. In that moment, Tiq realized: “Ah! This is who I am.” After spending half his life living as a woman, Tiq transitioned at 22 and became the man he always knew himself to be. Homegoings is...

In 2019, artist Rigoberto Gonzalez painted a large-scale painting depicting immigrants crossing the border in south Texas. That painting grew popular. Won an award, traveled the world, even got to hang in the Smithsonian. Now, he couldn’t show his work there if he tried. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here . This episode was hosted and reported by executive producer,...

Comedian Margaret Cho is back on tour with her bold, unapologetic take on the state of society. In this episode, we sit down with her to talk comedy, culture, and her new national tour, Choligarchy . A tour she describes as a comedic blueprint for a better future.  Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here . This episode was hosted and reported by Myra Flynn. Our producer/...

In August of last year, Vermont Public, our organization, got a new CEO, Vijay Singh. He came to VP by way of two public radio stations in California and while this is Vijay's first time being a CEO, he has had a hand in leadership, and ushering companies through times of deep change. A skill that’s currently being tested as over a month ago, Congress voted to rescind more than $1 billion in feder...

Back in February, Homegoings hosted a live event at Vermont Public studios that featured a conversation with sexologist Tyomi Morgan in front of a live audience. In this episode, we share highlights from that night and dig right into that tricky space where attraction meets fetishization, racial curiosity turns into racism, and how to overcome societal tropes, barriers and nasty stereotypes associ...

In 2015, theatre director Jarvis Antonio Green founded JAG Productions, a theatre company that served as an artistic sanctuary for Black creatives in American theatre. Last year after losing venues and revenue, JAG took a final bow and closed its curtains for good. Soon after, Jarvis suffered other losses and heartbreak in his personal life that led to him uprooting his home, his craft and in a lo...

U.K. based Karen Arthur refuses to become invisible as she ages. On the contrary, she's brighter, bolder and more vibrant than ever. And she wants that confidence for other women who are aging – especially Black women. So, as host and founder of the podcast “ Menopause Whilst Black ” Karen is opening up a long-overdue conversation about the intersectionality of racism, aging and menopause. In this...

***A heads up: This episode discusses sensitive topics like suicide and self-harm*** Joseph Awuah-Darko is a 28-year-old Ghanaian artist who announced last year that he was moving to Amsterdam to pursue what in the Netherlands is called “termination of life on request,” or euthanasia, amid a long struggle with bipolar disorder. That announcement shook the Internet. Joseph’s followers have reacted...

Marc Pierre is a Haitian American father currently living in Birmingham, Alabama who responded to the crushing anxiety of being Black in America with a child on the way – by writing about it. Marc wrote letters to his son Myles even before he was born. Today, he shares them on Substack with over 4,000 subscribers from around the world, many of them fathers – who come for the joy and stay for the v...

We're talking soul-to-soul, and you're invited. In every episode, host Myra Flynn invites you to eavesdrop on candid conversations with people who will challenge what you think you know. Check out our latest episodes now on YouTube. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here . Thank you for listening. You can see a video version of this episode on our YouTube channel . To c...

Josh Lo is a husband, father and former pastor at a multi-ethnic, non-denominational Christian church in Southern California. (Emphasis on former). In this episode, Josh shares his calling to ministry, his life in the church and how what he witnessed there — the complicated intersection of power and religion — shifted his perspective entirely. He found himself turning away… not from God completely...

Dr. V is a felon and a former stripper. In April of 2002 she was charged with theft and spent some time in prison. That journey led her to a life of hardship and consequences that still follow her today. But she owns her past. She embraces it. She’s even figured out how to use it – not only as a springboard toward a better life, but as a business model to land her where she is today: Helping other...

Aman Itomi makes big, bold and noticeable jewelry worn by celebrities and gracing the covers of magazines. His nickname in his community of makers is “The Basquiat of metal.”  But now Aman is bracing for uncertainty and scarcity as Trump’s tariffs on metals go into effect — again. In this episode, Aman shares how he’s preparing. Subscribe for more Homegoings videos: https://www.youtube.com/@Homego...

Marjani Forté-Saunders is a mother, choreographer, performer, community organizer and three-time Bessie Award winner . In this episode, Marjani speaks about the score a dancer’s body keeps, both on and off the stage. It’s a journey of acceptance, fearless expression and hard personal truths. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here . This episode was hosted and reported b...

Kiran ‘Madame’ Gandhi gained notoriety as a drummer who toured the world drumming with superstar M.I.A., and as an activist — who ran the London City Marathon free bleeding while menstruating. In this episode, Kiran talks about leaning into the multidimensionality of our humanity and viewing our traumas as superpowers. In the end … we have no other option. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Pub...

Toussaint St. Negritude is a poet, teacher and musician who has chosen his own path and his own name. In this episode, Toussaint speaks about fierceness as a survival tool for Black queer men, like him, who were out and gay in the 1970s. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here . This episode was hosted and reported by Myra Flynn and edited by Aaron Edwards, with producti...