She Shall Speak Series

Happy Juneteenth!! 🤎 Honoring the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas, on June 19th, 1865-- hence marking the end of slavery in the United States-- Juneteenth is a celebration of Black freedom, jubilance, and community. Join our founder and host, Denia, as she reflects on what this day means as we strive to rest while advocating for change. We hope that you will walk...

Hey sis! Tune in to hear from our founder and host, Denia Smith, on where she's been throughout 2023 and the lessons she learned along the way. From navigating college to prioritizing her well-being amidst academic and pre-professional opportunities, we discussed the importance of expressing honesty, admitting vulnerability, and embracing the beauty of becoming. 🤍   ABOUT SHE SHALL SPEAK:  Sh...

From bus boycotts to the frontlines of #BlackLivesMatter, Black women have always been at the forefront of resistance movements for centuries… and we often face varied challenges in these spaces. Today on #DearBlackGirl… we talked with Kayley Chery, a STEM and educational equity activist based in Manhattan, New York. Together, we explored what it's like to navigate the grassroots organizing wo...

Dear Black Girl…  Never forget that YOU have value!  This is the message that Tabitha Willis wants to share with the world. Hailing from the Chicagoland area, Tabitha shares her journey toward embracing her passion for both STEM and advocacy while persevering through the challenges posed by being one of the few Black women in such spaces. We talked about her leadership journey, finding role models...

How can you define yourself beyond the confines of how others define you? Growing up Black and disabled in Hartford, Connecticut, Kayla Kelly (they/them) often faced pushback from peers and educators positing that they couldn’t be a leader or scholar. Tune in today to learn how Kayla reclaimed the power of their story and used it to serve their community through their grassroots organization, Heal...

Have you ever struggled to respond to the following: "How are you doing… really, though?" Acknowledging one's emotionality and mental wellness can be challenging at times, especially for entrepreneurs and leaders. Today, we talked with Olamide Olowe, founder, and CEO of Topicals, to discuss her journey toward wellness and self-love as a successful entrepreneur. We talked about her jo...

How can you be your most authentic self in rooms where you feel compelled to change? Being the only Black women in the room is never easy. This week, we talked with Fatimata Cham, an activist, poet, and gender equality activist, to explore how to #BeBrave in all areas of life. We discussed her journey growing up in the Bronx, New York, discovering sisterhood in college, and how she uses her voice...

How do you deal with failure? Do you preserve amidst such adversities? Do you feel hesitant or anxious about applying for future opportunities? Failure is never an easy feat to overcome– and it’s okay to admit that! This week, we talked with Jordan Ashley Greene, a nationally recognized learning differences advocate, author, and speaker, to discuss what it means to #FailForward. We talked about he...

New Year, New Series! 🎉✨ We are soo excited to announce the beginning of #DearBlackGirl…  a visual anthology capturing the voices of Black women and girls reflecting upon their younger selves, embracing who they are, and pondering upon who they may be in the future. Tune in as our host Denia Smith (she/her) provides an update on where She Shall Speak has been and shares more information about ou...

Welcome back to The She Shall Speak Series! Today, we are featuring another episode in our HERstory series: a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in today to learn more about Adriana Santiago, a queer, Latina, bi-racial, hard-of-hearing student-athlete who uses their platform to invoke change on the loca...

Welcome back to The She Shall Speak Series! Today, we are featuring another episode in our HERstory series: a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in today to learn more about Maya Dummett and how she pursues her passion for politics and computer science!  Maya Dummett is a rising First-Year at Harva...

Welcome back to The She Shall Speak Series! Today, we are featuring another episode in our HERstory series: a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to learn more about Kynnedy Simone Smith and her journey to activism,  entrepreneurship, and STEM!  A native of Northeast Ohio, 19 yr old Kynnedy...

Welcome back to The She Shall Speak Series! Today we will be featuring another episode in our #HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are enacting positive social change in their communities. Tune in to hear more about Alliyah Logan, how she became inspired to become an activist, and how her intersectional identity as a Black woman influences her work. Learn mo...

Welcome back to The She Shall Speak Series! Tune in today to learn more about Blessing Amhodu, an educator from Nigeria whose work focuses on children's development and teachers' effectiveness through the use of creative and innovative techniques for teaching. Blessing is the co-founder of the MCI initiative where she has trained over 25 individuals on how to be effective teachers. Additionally, B...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the tenth episode of HERstory, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in today to learn more about Nyasha Chivonivoni, a second-year student at the University of Cape Town, the top university in Africa, situated in South Africa. She is...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the ninth episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to learn more about Bethel Kyeza and her experience advocating for gender equality and girls' education in the United Kingdom and beyond!  Bethel...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the eighth episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to hear Kayla Austin-- an activist, author, inventor, and creative-- discuss her advocacy journey, her experience at Howard University, and advice she...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the seventh episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to learn more about Ayonnah Tinsley, a student at the University of Southern California, who's passionate about education and innovation.  Ayonn...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the sixth episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to learn more about Elizabeth Nyamwange, a high school junior who uses her passion for computer science and gender equality for social good.  Eliz...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the fifth episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to hear us discuss Laila Sabreen's new novel, You Truly Assumed and her message for young writers. Learn more about Laila and You Truly Assumed below!&...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the fourth episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to hear us discuss Amina's advocacy journey, future plans, and her advice for gender equality activists. Learn more about Amina below!  Amina Sal...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the third episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Today, we will be talking with Ssanyu Lukoma! Ssanyu Lukoma is a teenage entrepreneur, author, and public speaker.  In 2018, at 13 years old, she founded...

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the second episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Today, we will be talking with Deborah Olatunji! ​​Deborah Olatunji (she/her) is a 19-year-old Nigerian-American storyteller, writer, and visual artist from D...

In honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, we are starting our “HERstory” series! “HERstory” aims to amplify the narratives of young Black women and girls who are catalyzing change in their communities. Our goal is to celebrate the strides of these young trailblazers and use their stories to inspire others to become a force of positive social change. Our first guest for "HERstory"...

Welcome to the She Shall Speak Series! Join Denia (she/her) as she discusses the origins of the podcast, its intentions, and goals!