Welcome to the (AfAm) House

Listen to Black Yalies talk & answer: Who is your favorite Black Woman historic figure? What do you love about Black Women? How have Black women supported/inspired you? What's one thing Black women need to hear more? For more episodes like this, check out "Welcome to the (AfAm) House," an exclusive podcast brought to you by the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale: https://afam....

What does it mean to be a Black feminist today—and how does that shape conversations around reproductive justice? In this episode, we center hood feminism through a discussion on abortion rights, bodily autonomy, and the lived realities of Black women. Joined by Assistant Director of the House Sydney Feeney and Professor Alana Edmondson, a doctoral candidate in English at Yale whose work explores...

In today’s episode, in honor of Black History Month and inspired by the CROWN Act, Naomi Obasa '29, Steven Shepard '27, Aby Haile '28, and special guest Hailey Love '27 (from Coily Curly) discuss their personal hair journeys and their experiences wearing natural hair on campus. For more episodes like this, check out "Welcome to the (AfAm) House," an exclusive podcast brou...

"In today’s episode, in honor of Black History Month and inspired by the CROWN Act, Naomi Obasa '29, Steven Shepard '27, Aby Haile '28, and special guest Hailey Love '27 (from Coily Curly) discuss their personal hair journeys and their experiences wearing natural hair on campus." For more episodes like this, check out "Welcome to the (AfAm) House," an exclusive podcast brought to you by the Afro-A...

What does love look like for Black students today? During the packed weekend of the Black Solidarity Conference at Yale, we sat down with students from universities across the country to talk about romance, relationships, situationships, self-love, and everything in between. From navigating PWIs to finding softness in spaces that demand strength, this episode holds honest, funny, and deeply person...

Are you ready to elevate your life this year? Join the Welcome to the (AfAm) House podcast team for our first episode of 2026 as we explore vision boarding and visualization practices, unpacking how intention, clarity, and self-alignment can help you design the life you want and become the person who can carry it forward it in the year ahead.

In this episode, listen to Naomi Obasa (New Host, Class of 2029) give an authentic look into her first semester at Yale! For more episodes like this, check out "Welcome to the (AfAm) House," an exclusive podcast brought to you by the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale: ⁠https://afam.yale.edu/ ⁠

In this episode of Welcome to the (AfAm) House , Aby Haile (MY '28) sit down with Reem Kahin (MY '27) and Gumana Elrufai (ES '29) for a powerful, urgent conversation about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and what it means to carry that reality while navigating life on campus. Together, the trio explores the history and human cost of the violence, the emotional and political weight borne...

At the intersection of African and Latin American heritage lies Afro-Latinidad — a vibrant, complex identity that challenges monolithic understandings of race, ethnicity, and belonging. In this episode, the House’s host, Aby Haile , sits down with Myah Salazar (MY ’28) and Sebas Perez (MY ’28) to unpack what it means to be Afro-Latinx at Yale. Through their Dominican and Cuban identities, they dis...

Tune in for the first episode with Aby Haile (new host) and Steven Shepherd for honest takes, relatable chaos, and a discussion of hot topics in pop culture.

Join us for a recorded conversation with a Yale student, Elias Theodore, running for Ward 1 Alder-ship as they share their platforms, visions, and responses to critics about Yale’s role in New Haven politics.

Join Selena and Titi as they discuss finals season at Yale! Topics mentioned in this episode: Time management, rigor of finals, and mental health resources!

In this episode, we sit down with author and professor Elias Rodriques to discuss his debut novel, All the Water I’ve Seen Is Running—a hauntingly beautiful story of memory, grief, identity, and the complexity of returning home. Set in rural northeast Florida, the novel follows Daniel, a queer Jamaican American man grappling with the loss of a high school friend and the unresolved emotions of his...

In this episode of Welcome to the House, hosts Selena Williams (Yale College – Trumbull '28) and Steven Shepherd (Yale College – Branford '27) sit down with Sydney Feeney, M.S., the Assistant Director of the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale, as she embarks on her first Black History Month in this role. Born and raised in New Haven , she shares her journey from growing up in the city t...

In this episode of the AfAm House's student-run podcast, hosts Steven Shepherd and Selena Williams sit down with two special guests— Jesse Mullins and Lauren Grant From adjusting to new classes and balancing busy courseloads to coping with New Haven’s winter weather, we’re diving into the highs and challenges of starting the semester strong. We also chat about the upcoming housing draw, share...

In this episode the host, Steven Shepherd (BF '27), is in discussion with two families. Isabella Green (SM '28) and Marissa Chapman (SY '28) are joined by their parents Luis A. Chapman and Tiffany Brown to discuss the admissions and application process, college transition, camp yale experiences, and prospectives majors. This episode is intending to shed light on current campus life and to provide...

In this episode, we explore what it means to cultivate and maintain Black spaces at a predominantly white institution like Yale. Steven Shepherd (BR ‘27) Featuring Dean Timeica Bethel (JE ‘11) of the African American Cultural Center, Aubrey Vaughn from Detroit (BR ‘27), and Keith Pemberton (BR ‘27) from North Carolina, we dive into their experiences navigating Yale’s PWI environment. Together, we...

For this episode of Welcome to the AfAm House, we present a Middle-Ground inspired episode in which we discuss different dialogues with 2 current first-years and 2 current seniors. We spoke with Dani Doss '24, Zada Brown '24, Hunter Robbins '27 and Miles Kirkpatrick '27 about their experiences at Yale and asked their opinions on certain statements. You can keep up with them by foll...

Happy Black History Month!  In this episode of Welcome to the AfAM House newest podcast team member, Steven Shepherd speaks with three fashion-forward Yale first year students, Christian Daniels ‘27, Marame Diop ‘27, and Kellsie Lewis ‘27 about fashion while in college and some of their fashion hot takes. Diop and Lewis are also cofounders of a  new fashion group called FLY (Fashion Lifestyle at Y...

In this episode of Welcome to the AfAm House, we speak with Pennsylvania State Representative Chris Rabb ‘92 about his experiences as a Yale undergraduate in the 80s and 90s as well as his family genealogy. Representative Rabb is a descendant of the Livingstons— a wealthy slave owning family for which one of Branford College’s courtyards is named after. In this episode, we untangle race, family ge...

For this episode, we spoke with Malachi Beasley, Anaiis Rios-Kasoga, and Caleb Dunson about their work as Black creatives and what it means to be a Black artist at Yale and in the world at large. You can keep up with their work by following their Instagram @_malachibeasley, @anaiisrioskasoga, and @caleb.dunson.  

In this episode, we speak with Assistant Dean of Yale College Risë Nelson about her tenure as Director of the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale. We discuss her journey to Yale, how she ushered in a renaissance at the AfAm House, and her plans for the future as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Yale University Library.

In this episode, Welcome to the (AfAm) House speaks with professional basketball player Damen Bell-Holter. Damen Bell-Holter was raised in Hydaburg, Alaska and has played for both Fortitudo Agrigento of the serie A2 and the Boston Celtics. Listen in to hear Bell-Holter's reflections on being Black and Indigenous, redefining the concept of masculinity, and lessons he has learned over the course of...

Happy Black History Month! For this month's episode, we spoke with the Yale Sr. Associate Athletic Director Nathalie Carter as well as two Black student athletes, Laila Booker (women’s soccer) and Audrey Leak (women’s volleyball) in order to get insight into their experiences as Black administrators and athletes within the world of athletics at Yale University, as well as how they are working to i...

Happy Indigenous People’s Month! It is important that we uplift and support Indigenous peoples and Indigeneity across the world not just during the month of November but year round. You can support Dr. Ifunanya Nwanonyiri by listening to her podcast “Ọjị Abịala: An Igbo podcast” on Spotify and Soundcloud , and you can also keep up with the podcast by following their Twitter and joining their Clubh...