Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 108 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Culture Wars and Politics: What We Must Do to be Free” Since Black folks arrived in the U.S., we have been under a cultural attack that requires our constant awareness and strategy. What we need to do, particularly in this election cycle, is be aware of how history informs the pr…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 107 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Sankofa: The Art of Reclamation” What do The Book of Clarence, Cowboy Carter, and the Black Arts Movement have in common? In this episode, I talk about the role of art (and Black literacy) in multi-layered communication. (the TikTok creator I referenced about the sonar pings is @…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 106 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"HBCUs, Public School Vouchers, and Opportunity Districts: Oh My!” Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think something nefarious is afoot and I just want us to be watchful and prepared. The bottom line is that I think we need to specifically be thinking about institution building…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 105 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Woman’s Work and Other Reasons to Give Praise.” This week is special, I just wanted to share some poetry with you in honor of Women’s History Month. This week’s poems come from Gwendolyn A. Mitchell and really share important ideas—especially for Women’s History.The reason that t…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 104 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Whose Life Story Are You Writing?” What do the films American Fiction, One Drop: The Bob Marley Story and Mea Culpa have in common? In this episode I want to share with you my ideas about how these three films in Black culture are a model for what more of us need to be thinking a…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 103 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"A Fan of Fani.” What do Usher Raymond’s half-time show have in common with Beyonce’s recent music release and DA Fani Willis’ time on the stand? In this episode I want to share with you my ideas about how these three events in Black culture are a model for what more of us need to…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 102 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Stop Making Stupid People Famous.” This week, I want to open with a James Baldwin quote that essentially asks us to reflect on what America is doing to us. That reflection is just what this episode of the podcast is about.If you mindlessly scroll social media as I sometimes (okay…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 101 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Tyrese, Really?” This week, I fought hard not to hit a full on rant. If you haven’t heard, Tyrese helped set the tone for Black History Month 2024 by publishing wishing he was born Latinx. (Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with being Latinx, the problem is in not ce…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 100 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"How This Podcast Came to Be.” This week, I want to share with you my long and winding road to my 100th episode of the podcast. Long story short, it’s taken me years to do what really should have only taken me a portion of that.I hope that in me sharing my story, you find some mot…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 99 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Rhetoric, Reality, and the Need for Community.” This week, I start with a special message about my struggles with procrastination and how that almost shaped this episode.Between Dr. Claudine Gay’s resignation, Dr. Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey’s untimely death, and Florida’s p…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 98 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Colonialism, Scarcity, and Tools for Liberation.” The world is a dumpster fire right now. If you are a person that believes in humanity, social justice, and equity life has been pretty rough lately. In this episode, I want to share with you how this season has plagued my joy and l…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 97 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Alien Self, Anti-Self, and MisEducation.” We’re in a whole mess with these Florida Education moves aren’t we? In this episode, we discuss the recent release of new middle and high school standards in the State of Florida. Without an understanding of how history for Black folks has…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 96 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Cornel is Running for What?!” Honey, I can’t believe that we have to talk about Brotha Cornel and a presidential bid all in the same breath. I’m disgusted; if you want to know why, tune into this episode and hear me out.I’ll be honest. This is probably not my best podcast. Quite f…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 95 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Living is an Artform.” Last week, I found out that my ex of seven years transitioned. Needless to say, it had a huge impact on my productivity and on my emotions. In this episode, I continue my conversation about mental health and how I’m managing to navigate my feelings.Now, don’…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 94 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Setting May Goals.” On this episode, I introduce mental health as the theme for the podcast during the month of May. Weekly, I’ll share with you one challenge or idea for you to consider during the week. My goal for this is to encourage you to think more deeply about practices you…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 93 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Let’s Stay on Code.” This week, I had a lot to get off of my chest regarding that coach’s behavior around our beloved HBCUs (sounds a lot like the last episode, huh?). Welp, as long as we put up with the cult of celebrity and don’t hold one another to code, I’ll keep making these.…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 92 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"He Ain’t SWAC.” This week, I had a lot to get off of my chest regarding that coach’s behavior around our beloved HBCUs. Before you listen, let me go on and say in advance that some feelings my get hurt with this episode. Listen, everything that glitters isn’t gold and everything f…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 91 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"I Ain’t Your Comfort.” This week, I want to tell you why I’ve been missing and touch on recent news and events. I’ve missed unpacking Black cultural and political ideas with you! If you’re on my email list, watch out for an email that asks for the best time and day for us to begin…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 89 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"The Problem with Some Black Christians.” Admittedly, this episode will probably bother you a little, but I’m okay with that.As a community, we’re really going to have to address our tendencies to be divided on issues where there should be no division..This is a thinking episode. I…

On the macro- and micro-levels, we fall victim to someone else's agenda when we seek their validation and valuation.In this episode, I share why as long as we seek to be validated by someone else, we'll fail to witness the genius of our people.I'll share how the terror attacks in Buffalo and Texas reveal anti-Black and anti-Latine violence as well …

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 88 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"The Hypocrisy Problem (or The Slap We Won’t Discuss.” Admittedly, this episode is all over the place—mostly because I have strong emotions about this. As a community, we’re really going to have to go after this “respectability politics” thing. In the aftermath of the thing we will…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 87 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Stop Expecting Black Deficiency” This episode is personal for me. I can’t help but wonder if Ryan Coogler would have had the cops called on him if a Black teller didn’t have a preconceived notion of what Black men were or how they were supposed to “behave.” I also talk briefly abo…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 86 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"War at Home and War Abroad” This is a pretty heavy episode. I hope that you find it informative, but also encouraging. The bottom line is that we have to be attentive to not only things going on abroad, but also the things that are happening right here, too.To be aware, and to rea…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 85 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Not During Black History Month!” This has to have been one of the worst Black History Months as of late. War, economic insecurity, HBCU bomb threats and more. But I’m not here to talk about the macro level stuff (although we should be paying attention to it). This week, I came wit…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 84 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Encanto for Black Women.” I have a new movie in my top five! Disney’s Encanto is an exceptional story about a young girl learning to celebrate her own unique magic. WARNING: This episode contains spoilers. If you have not yet watched the film, you may want to do it before listenin…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 83 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"A Chat with Kristina Hamlett.” In this episode I get to have a conversation with a dear friend and powerful writer: Kristina Hamlett.I met Kristina during a Digital Storytelling workshop at the University of Alabama a few years ago. She’s done a lot in the time since then that is …

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 82 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"The Thing About Kwanzaa.” Can I tell you how happy I am that we’ve made it to the end of another year? We get to celebrate our lives, our accomplishments, and our all.This week, there isn’t any news to share because I wanted to spend all of my time talking about culture, cultural …

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 81 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Be You Now.” Listen!!! Can I hit you with a word that Spirit gave me while I’m planning for my 2022 holistic success? Long story short: it’s time to go ahead a be who we want to be. No more waiting, babes.Can you believe the prosecutor in the Ethan Crumbly case is catching some he…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 80 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"You Deserve Fair Compensation.” After covering a few news stories that caught my attention this week, I want to remind you of your worth.Did you know that an Ohio school worker made a student eat of a trashcan and in South Dakota teachers were physically forced to compete for fund…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 79 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Declining Teacher Professionalism and the Rise of School Violence.” The Ethan Crumbly shooting in Michigan has me a bit reflective about the current role of teacher knowledge in US schools.On this episode of the podcast, I not only wonder about why the Crumbly’s were given a choic…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 78 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Omicron, Mutual Aid, and Web 3.” A couple of stories in the news made me think more deeply about of the work we need to be doing to secure our safety and liberation.I spend some time encouraging us to reconsider the existing economy from one initially designed to benefit directly …

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 75 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Media Literacy, Discernment, and High Expectations.” In this episode I share some strategies for responsible media intake as well as reveal a revelation I received in a dream/ vision last week. All in all, I think these things are pretty relevant for where most of us find ourselve…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 74 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"A New Definition of Family.” A couple of stories in the news made me think more deeply about how abusers often groom their victims so that the victim is less likely to seek prosecution and justice.I think such grooming happens not only by the predator, but also by the seemingly “i…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 73 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Can I Love on You?” I’ve been reviewing some past episodes and it lead me to the conclusion that I haven’t done completely right by you. Can I make it up to you with this one?I’m giving you some free game, issuing a challenge, and sharing some of my latest research findings with y…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 71 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Losers Like Loss.” Listen when I tell you ain’t no one in the world that celebrates a loss like a loser. In this episode, I do my best to unpack and reflect upon the many social media celebrations at a well-known track start’s recent loss. From harsh headlines to unwarranted criti…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 70 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Black Memory is Short.” So about 42,000 fell for a good ole trick in Atlanta this past week. Tune in and let me tell you why it left me with a nasty taste in my mouth, but here’s the short answer: I think some of us have woefully short memories. That’s dangerous in my book.After g…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 68 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Space Colonizers.” There is something unholy and unnatural about the billionaires’ race into space. In this episode, I tell you what so off-putting about it to me.I’ll also try and point your direction to how we must begin to pay more attention to the growing partisan-politicizati…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 67 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Every Old Person Ain’t Your Elder.” I’m about tired of some of these gate-keeping, respectability folks and I share with you why in this episode.You might have heard me say before that history holds the keys to our tomorrows and our todays. In this episode, I show you how I use hi…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 66 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Finding What You Seek.” When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to tell me that you will always find what you’re looking for. This week, the advice hit a bit differently for me and I want to share that with you.We’ll also talk (just a little) about this Critical Race Theory …

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 65 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Lessons from Tulsa.” Buckle up; I’m on my soapbox in this one.From instructions on how to learn about and celebrate Juneteenth, to lamentations about how Tulsa is currently being (mis)remembered, I’ll share with you my musings about freedom in this current era.After you tune in, l…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 63 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"A Tribute to Dark Man X.” I had to make some scheduling adjustments to today’s episode. Originally, today was supposed to be a Midlife Musings episode with Brandon, but instead word about DMX’s death moved me to upload this episode.Shortly after recording, I learned about the lync…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 62 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Classic Love Songs are Good Medicine.” Listen, please do me a favor, if you can find any videos from last night’s Verzuz between Earth, Wind, and Fire and The Isley Brothers, do yourself a favor and go watch! If you weren’t there in real time, you missed a real treat. Soul music w…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 61 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Turning Inward Together.” Listen, please do me a favor, if watching trials like that of Derek Chauvin bring you stress give this episode a listen. I want us to be consciously aware of how those images either add to our well-being or subtract from it. Our holistic health and wellne…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 60 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"The Puppetmaster.” Today’s episode will hopefully remind you we need to be consciously aware of the ways we are often manipulated by the media. We’ll spend some time discussing the “model minority” myth and what it has to do with Anti-AAPI racism. (The article I reference by Au an…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 59 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"A Woman’s Worth.” Honey!!! Happy International Women’s Day! Today’s episode of the podcast is all about women and the work they do to make this world a better place.I’ll share one of my favorite stories of the orisa Osun and how it allows us to see the critical nature in divine ef…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 58 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Activism as a Life Purpose.” I’ve been thinking long and hard about what I want my mark on this world to be. Some of the reason that I think that I’m here is to be a teacher. But, even in that, I believe my ultimate responsibility is service to community. I’ll do my best to explai…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 57 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Black Love is Black Liberation.” Honey!!! After a weekend of Black movies, Akoma and Black Love, I’ve got plenty to talk about.In this episode I’ll try my best to sum up my emotions about “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Let me just tell you, it had me all up in my feelings! If ther…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 56 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Black Luxury and Educational Autonomy.” In this episode I provide some updates regarding our February book club onKeenga-Yamahtta Taylor’s How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective. Our first book discussion will be held on February 17,2021 at 9:00pm EST. D…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 55 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"2021 is Here—Now What?” In this episode I explore the idea that while 2020 was a year that caused us to see things we’d previously (either) not seen (or tried not to see), 2021 is asking us what we’re now going to do with that vision.I’ll also share with you about my plans for Bla…

Hey ya’ll hey!Thanks for tuning into Episode 54 of Tellemtiptoldyou—"Faith to Start the New Year.” Ya’ll this one was fun to record. I got to finally sit down with one of my besties, Brandon Simmons, to do some mid-life musings (you’ll catch that reference once you tune in). Needless to say, over 25 years of friendship ended up in an episode that w…