The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Peace and blessings, family. Welcome to Soundtracks of Wisdom: The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine . I’m your host, Rakia Ari, broadcasting straight from the studio where the rhythms are heavy, the vibe is analog, and the lessons are eternal. Every single culture across this beautiful planet carries a map hidden wi...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Hey there, family. Welcome back. Pull your chair a little closer to the circle, slide your feet a bit nearer to the hearth, and just let the busy, demanding noise of the outside world fade away into the background for a little while. We’ve had a fast-paced week, haven’t we? So much pulling at our attention, so many...

Hey there, family. Pull up a heavy oak chair, slide closer to the hearth, grab your favorite warm mug, and let yourself settle in. Welcome back to Wednesday’s Chat Room —our weekly, mid-week sanctuary where we gather to take the quiet, solitary reflections from Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In and bring them into a warm, shared circle. If you look closely at our chat room graphic above, you can fee...

“Never work just for money or for power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night.” > — Marian Wright Edelman The Reflection Welcome back to the Short Story Corner & Wisdom Archives . Today, we are opening up the vault and traveling back to July 8, 2021. Five years ago, we highlighted a heavy-hitting truth from activist and children’s advocate Marian Wright Edelman. Looking at it today...

Hey there, Akua Projects family! Grab your favorite cozy drink, pull up a comfortable, overstuffed chair, and let’s take a beautiful, unhurried stroll down memory lane. If you’ve been following our cover art lately, you might have spotted our signature claymation-style explorer wandering through those gorgeous, lantern-lit cobblestone streets. There’s something so quiet, nostalgic, and deeply peac...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Hey there, family. Welcome to this week’s preview of Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In on the Akua Projects Podcast. I’m so grateful you’ve joined us for a few quiet moments today. Whatever your week looked like, right here, you don’t have to perform. You just get to be. Let’s take a collective, grounding breath. Inh...

Step inside the sonic sanctuary. 🎧✨ The soundboard is ready, the beat is set, and the vibe is purely magical. Today on Soundtracks of Wisdom, we are doing something deeply personal. Are you ready to honor the matriarchs? Drop a 🌻 in the comments if you’re tuning in today! The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider be...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Welcome to another episode of Soundtracks of Wisdom. This is the space where we pull from the crates of life, blending the rhythm of our shared experiences with the timeless melodies of our ancestors. Whether you’re tuning in from your morning commute, unwinding in your living room, or just needing a moment of peac...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Welcome to this week’s edition of Page to Panel , the visual companion to The Akua Projects’ Podcast. In this space, we bridge the ancient art of the oral tradition with the modern dynamism of graphic storytelling. This week, we are moving beyond the spoken word to explore the profound, multi-dimensional impact of...

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Chat Room. Let’s get comfortable, grab a cup of tea, and settle in. Wednesdays are for digging deep, and today, we’re talking about something profound, painful, and ultimately, beautiful. We recently came across a quote that stopped us in our tracks: “When a mother dies, the house becomes a shell, but her spirit is the wind that fills it.” It’s one of those sentim...

Welcome back to the Deep Dive Chat Room, Akua family. This Wednesday, we are pausing to reflect on a proverb that is as striking as it is deeply comforting: “A mother’s grave is like a marketplace; it is never truly empty of those seeking her.” 🛍️ At first glance, equating a resting place to a marketplace might seem unconventional. We typically associate graves with quiet stillness, finality, and...

Welcome back to the Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine Deep Dive . Following our Sunday Mental Health Check-In, we’re stepping into the “Chat Room” to unpack a proverb that feels like a warm hug and a profound truth all at once: “A mother is like a kernel; even when the fruit is gone, the seed remains to grow again.” In our community, we talk a lot about roots and resilience. This African proverb tak...

“The sun sets, but the warmth it gave the earth remains long after.” The Opening Reflection Welcome back to the Chat Room, everyone. After our Sunday check-in, many of us were sitting with the weight of transition and the people who have shaped us. Today, we are diving into a beautiful African proverb that reframes how we look at loss and legacy. When we lose someone—a mother, a mentor, a dear fri...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com There is something profoundly intimate about the way we build our lives. Like the sculpted clay of a stop-motion set, our journey is often a series of small, deliberate movements—molding our intentions, smoothing out the rough edges, and sometimes, tearing it all down to start over. Welcome to this week’s edition o...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Solitude of Guadeloupe (c. 1772 – 1802), often known as La Mulâtresse Solitude , is a legendary historical figure and a national hero in Guadeloupe. She is celebrated as a symbol of fierce resistance against the re-imposition of slavery by Napoleon Bonaparte. Early Life and Origins While many details of her life ar...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com “A mother is like a kernel; even when the fruit is gone, the seed remains to grow again.” Happy Sunday, Akua family. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. Feel the air fill your lungs and notice the ground beneath your feet. Today, as we lean into our weekly mental health check-in, we’re reflecting on a proverb th...

Welcome to the Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. I’m your host, and today we are traveling to the high, verdant plateaus of Ethiopia to explore a celebration that fundamentally redefines what it means to honor the matriarch. In many modern societies, Mother’s Day has evolved into a commercial flurry—a frantic weekend of last-minute bouquets, scripted greeting cards, and brunch reservations. But if...

Welcome to The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine Greetings, and welcome to our community here on SubStack. I am Rakia Ari , the creator and founder of The Akua Projects' . Our mission is to explore the intersections of history, culture, and the human experience through storytelling that resonates and informs. We believe that by looking backward, we gain the clarity needed to move forward with purpos...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com It takes a lifetime to build a reputation... and only a single syllable to burn it to the ground.

Pull up a chair, light a lantern, and let your imagination wander. ✨ To wrap up our week-long exploration of the Ashanti proverb, “One falsehood spoils a thousand truths,” we are bringing this ancient wisdom to life through a fable. Meet Kwame, a master weaver whose unshakeable reputation is put to the ultimate test when a royal commission goes wrong. It’s a story about pride, the weight of our c...

Let’s talk about it! Welcome back to the Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine’s Substack Chat Room. Pull up a chair, grab your favorite mug of tea or coffee, and get comfortable. Take a second to shake off the mid-week slump, roll your shoulders back, and just breathe. This is our dedicated space to gather around the metaphorical table, drop our heavy societal armor, and unpack the week together. Wedne...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Welcome to the Sunday Mental Health Check-In, a weekly segment from The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. Here, we intentionally pause the noise of our busy lives to center our minds, draw wisdom from our cultural roots, and prepare our spirits for the week ahead. Grab your favorite warm beverage, get comfortable, a...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Welcome to the latest installment of Soundtracks of Wisdom , a production by The Akua Project . We explore the deep-seated truths found in global proverbs, pairing ancient philosophy with modern rhythm to feed your soul and ground your hustle. The Feature: Staying Grounded In this episode, we draw inspiration from...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit rakiaari.substack.com Welcome back to The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. We’ve made it to the end of the week, which means it’s time to slow down, clear your mind, and settle in for our Friday Short. There is a unique kind of magic in getting lost in a narrative, and every Friday, we bring that magic directly to your speakers. In thes...