La'Keisha Gray-Sewell

Move Beyond the Block Podcast

Society EN ↓ 7 episodes

This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a gathering place. A sacred table. A return to ourselves. Hosted by La’Keisha Gray-Sewell—writer, storyteller, liberator, and lifelong advocate for Black girls and the women they become. In each episode, we explore the emotional, cultural, spiritual, and historical blocks that shape our lives—and the practices, stories, and ancestral wisdom that help us rise beyond them. Here, we honor truth-telling. We center wellness. We uplift Black herstory. And we speak life into the brilliance of Black women everywhere. For those searching for conversations that nourish, c...

Author

La'Keisha Gray-Sewell

Episodes

Stacey J- Digital Women Society 20.05.2026 24:45

Overview This episode is a real one — raw, fast-moving, and full of life. La'Keisha Gray-Sewell sits down with her longtime friend and fellow Chicagoan, Dr. Stacey J. Golar, for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, community, resilience, and the tools available right now for women who are ready to move. Recorded on the fly (the second take of a session that was lost to technolo...

She's Growing Something: Aliyah Collins, Eco Healing, and the Future of Environmental Justice 14.04.2026 40:49

In this episode, host La'Keisha Gray-Sewell sits down with Aliyah Collins — scholar, organizer, and founder of the Eco Healing Project — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to reclaim our relationship with the earth. Aliyah traces her path into environmental justice through a personal storm: a high-category tornado that swept through her HBCU campus days before COVID lockdowns...

Move Beyond the Block: Sheri Lewis, PhD. Emancipating Black Girlhood 02.04.2026 1:28:38

In this episode of Move Beyond the Block, the host introduces Dr. Sheri, an assistant professor at Michigan State University focusing on African American and African Studies. Dr. Sheri shares her journey in African American education, her academic background, and her passion for supporting black girlhood. She recounts attending the National Women's Studies Association conference where she fir...

Move Beyond the Block: Jessyca Dudley, Reparative Philanthropy 02.04.2026 33:51

In this episode of Move Beyond the Block TV, host Lakeisha welcomes Jessica Dudley — a public health practitioner turned philanthropic strategist and founder of Bold Ventures — for a grounded, honest conversation about what it actually means to shift power in philanthropy. From her roots in reproductive health work with young women and girls of color, to directing over $50 million toward BIPOC org...

Valentunes-Episode 3 16.02.2026 1:11:57

In this Valentine's Day episode, host La'Keisha Gray-Sewell sits down with her husband of over three decades, DJ B-Syde (Barry Sewell), for their first public conversation together. The title "Valentunes" reflects how music has been the soundtrack to their love story—from the Art of Noise and Janet Jackson playlists that set the mood in their early days to the Blue Light Groove...

Move Beyond the Block: Essence McDowell Invisible Giants 03.02.2026 1:17:24

This episode features a conversation with Essence McDowell, communication strategist, organizer, and co-author of Lifting as They Climb: Mapping a History of Trailblazing Black Women in Chicago . The discussion explores the practice of preserving Black women's history, the relationship between place and memory, and the necessity of healing within organizing work. McDowell shares her journey f...

The Return 21.01.2026 37:17

Welcome to the first episode of the new season of Move Beyond the Block! This episode delves into the host's personal journey of overcoming the blocks that prevent Black women, Black girls, and Black people from shining and achieving liberation. The host reflects on past iterations of the platform, the challenges faced, and the transformative power of community, intrinsic technology, and crea...