Episodes
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We are talking labor rights today with the organizers of Coffee Worker’s of The South United (CWOTS for short)- the first unionized coffee shop in Nashville (second in the state of TN)! Since 2020 there has been a massive uprising of working class folks calling out and disrupting the exploitation they receive by employers and the overall brutality capitalism inflicts to all that fall under this intersectional struggle. In discussion with organizers Paige McCay and Charley James, we touched on topics such as; how the structures of the service industry lends its hand to exploitation, the importance of seeing your constituents, the importance of intersectional uplift, and much more!
Those of us who have worked through this pandemic (important to note many have lost their lives because of this) we have taken on an immense amount of emotional and physical burdens. However, through folks like CWOTS and other labor rights organizations, solidarity and the revelation that capitalism does not define or quantify our human rights or rights to safety we can stand up, speak out, and organize against these systems of burden.
Connect with CWOTS here !
Stay tuned into my work here !
Contribute to the show through PayPal or Venmo (@ Safara _ Parrott )Support the Show.
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I have the joy and honor of being joined for episode 27 by yoga practitioner, author, and activist Jessamyn Stanley. Jessamyn is the author of 'Yoke' + 'Every Body Yoga' and is also the co-founder of The Underbelly. Raised in Durham, NC and brought up in the Baha'i faith , Jessamyn was no stranger to spiritual practices, but it wasn't until her introduction and dedication to yoga that she was able to come back into spirituality in ways she had never experienced before. Using the philosophies of these respective practices and her own deconstruction of her lived experience of being a Queer, Black, Fat person Jessamyn has been able to shed a radical light into the Western Wellness Industrial Complex and create and avenue of advocacy, validation, and self love for the folks who often fall forgotten and underserved in this industry.
We speak today about her relationship to challenging topics like imposter syndrome, shame, and self trust, and how yoga as a space of meeting yourself exactly where you are creates the space in which any and all things may be explored- leading you to new discoveries of what is sacred and what brings breathe to your life.
Find more about Jessamyn's work HERE
Follow The Underbelly + Jessamyn HERE
Support The Liberation Podcast HERE
Intro: 0:00-7:55
Convo: 7:55-63:00Support the Show.
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Missing episodes?
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Today I am joined by Ethnobotanist & Documentarian, Anthony B Rodriguez. Anthony is unique in his ancestral lineage of folks who admired and used plants- partnering that with Anthony's creative eye (and ears) for storytelling and digital media has resulted in Anthony's exploration into 50+ countries in search of rare species of banana, medicinal plants, and different permaculture practices. In our discussion we speak about his methods of documentations, accessibility to ethnobotany, its role as historian v. discovery, and the future of the study in relation to climate disruption.
Support Anthony's work : Anthony B Rodriguez Website
Podcast Website + Submission FlyerSupport the Show.
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Happy New Year !
For the first episode of the 2022 I am joined with community healer and educator, Ms. Pearl. Ms. Pearl is Montessori trained through Belmont University, a certified Permaculturalist received from Earth Activist Training, Life Coach, Cosmetologist and Reflexologist who has dedicated their passion for community work by finding and orchestrating Brooklyn Heights Community / Urban Garden.
Brooklyn Heights Community Garden (BHCG) is a .56 acre urban farm located on formerly vacant lots in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, a historically Black and low-income neighborhood that experiences food apartheid. Many of the residents in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood are elderly and on fixed incomes.
Ms. Pearl leads the garden to be a space of inclusive and intergenerational learning that not only services the folks who's hands are in the dirt, but also serves as a land steward that uses sustainable practices.
INTRO: 0:00-15:00
MORE INFO ON BHCG : https://www.brooklynheightscommunitygarden.org/who-we-are
DONATE TO BHCG:https://donorbox.org/healingintheheights-healing-hut
LIBERATION PODCAST SUPPORT: https://linktr.ee/liberationpodcastSupport the Show.
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For this episode I am joined by author and podcast host Patrick Farnsworth. Patrick's work on his show Last Born In The Wilderness serves as a long form interview based podcast that centers ecological collapse as the bases for investigating and providing diversified voices of the systems of oppression that pervades much of our day to day living. As a long time listener and observer of his work, I wanted to bring Patrick onto the show to give all of you a better introduction to who he is, and glimpses into his personal story and trajectory of his show of deep healing and finding deep connection to those around him. To support Patrick or I's work follow the links bellow!
Patricks work:
lastborninthewilderness.com
Liberation Podcast website + Patreon:
theliberationpodcast.comSupport the Show.
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After a long and much needed hiatus - we are back ! It has been a 8-10 week stretch of rest (due to an urgent and fairly traumatizing medical emergency with my dog) and necessary personal reorientation of which I give a good shed of light to in this episode. I practice some long term rest that allowed my the particular experience of being between vanishing and reappearing, and even more so the particular space in which I can ask my self where are the parts of me that have been left behind and how may we nourish them back?
Patreon & One Time Donations : https://linktr.ee/liberationpodcast
Intro: 0:00- 4:00Support the Show.
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I am joined today by Nashville musician, producer, and writer, Thad Kopec.
In his own words, Thad is a man who is “endlessly tinkering”. Thad, by all definitions (even though there aren’t any) is a space- maker. Inspired by magical realism + religious imagery and then partnered with his observational writing style and expansive production-any listener of his music is left feeling both drawn to themselves and the greater environment they inhabit.In this conversation Thad and I discuss his beginnings of creating music, how music is a tool to expand our understandings of reality, the role of observation, and much more!
To learn more about or even book Thad’s work follow these links-
website: https://www.thadkopec.com
instagram: @thadkopecPatreon + single donation linked here:
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=56469925&fan_landing=trueSupport the Show.
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Lagnajita Mukhopahdyay has joined me to kick off Season 3 of the podcast!
First and foremost, it is my and Lagnajita's desire that this conversation holds a safe space and a space of connection to any and all BIPOC who have found themselves within the duality of their lived experiences-our liberation is bound in each other, always.
If this name rings a bell, it's because she was the very first writer to be featured on The Liberation Podcast website. Today, however, she joins me in conversation to give us a closer glimpse into her story as a person of a diasporic history and how it has informed and continues to evolve her writing and poetic efforts. Paramount to her work is the exploration of what it means to be in a constant state of change and rebirth- how does one reorient while also leaving space for yourself and others to change.
**Correction: Lagnajita's poetry album "I don't know anyone here" **
Intro: 0:00-10:00
Interview: 10:00-61:00
Support the show on Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/user?u=56469925&fan_landing=true
Read Lagnajita's work : theliberationpodcast.com & lagnajitam.com
One- time Donations to the show :
https://www.theliberationpodcast.com/donateSupport the Show.
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New Season, still deeply contemplative and neurotic me !
It's Season 3 of The Liberation Podcast and boy oh boy do we have some new things happening. Today I discuss the announcement of The Liberation Podcast Patreon (one time donations available as well) , changes to the, and the introduction and my personal connection to this season's theme of : Space-making.
Thank you so much for your wonderful support and kind words. Please rate, review, and follow the show !
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=56469925&fan_landing=true
Venmo: @Safara_Parrott
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8xRXWFDsQc?_ga=2.6763186.1838438891.1627996328-1996055875.1627996328Support the Show.
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Today I am joined today by the ever inspiring Cole Arthur Riley! Cole is the creator and liturgist behind Black Liturgies (@blackliturgies), a project seeking to integrate concepts of dignity, lament, rage, justice, rest, and liberation with the practice of written prayer. Cole is also currently the Content and Spiritual Formation Manager for a center for Christian studies at Cornell University.
In this discussion, Cole retells how she came into her spiritual/liturgical practice and how it came in direct correlation with her studies of Black Liberation and Existential-esc philosophy. We also explore topics such as; concreteness v. malleability within faith practices, power of written prayer/pray language, and ancestral understandings of liberation.
I am boundlessly grateful for Cole and the space we were able to facilitate in our conversation. Follow the links below to support Cole's pressingly important work, and as always be sure to follow, rate, and subscribe to the show!
Black Liturgies:
- https://blackliturgist.com
-https://www.patreon.com/blackliturgies
-@balckliturgies : Instagram + twitterSupport the Show.
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For Episode 18, I am joined by Tik Tok creator and “Professional Good Vibes Dispenser”, Terrell Davis he/they (@mintybongwater). Terrell took a shot in the dark when it came to beginning his career as a plant parent Tik Tok creator, and since then has been able to create a virtual space of connection, intentionality, and community. Terrell and I speak about his major influences and beginnings of plant care & mindfulness practices, we also speak about the importance of boundary setting in the digital world and approaching content creation with sureness and intentionality.
Intro: 0:00-9:00
Interview: 9:00-55:00Keep up with Terrell’s content on Tik Tok, Instagram, and Youtube by following @mintybongwater & www.mintybongwater.com
Follow me on instagram : @safara___
Follow me on Medium: www.theliberationpodcast.medium.com
Support the Show.
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Contenting Warning: discussion of religious trauma & sexual violence.
Emily is BACK for another interview; this time we are devoting our conversation to her newly released book, #ChurchToo ! #ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse And How To Find Healing, is both a labor of love, and an educational tool. Emily not only gives you the facts and tools on the interworking of Purity culture but she is also facilitating a space in written word for people’s stories to be held in righteous dignity. In this conversation we deep dive into her book and speak about how higher educations complicity (and arguably intentional) mis education of consent/sexual education, sin leveling, complementariansm, and healing.
Order #ChurchToo: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506464817/ChurchToo
Instagram & Twitter: @emilyjoypoetry
Emily's website: www.emilyjoypoetry.comSupport the Show.
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Singer Songwriter Katie Pruitt is joining me for today for a full deep dive into her first full length-co produced & Grammy nominated album, Expectations.
I met Katie at a local Musicians for Change event where she was singing and playing guitar with fellow local musicians sharing a space of communal peace and collaboration. In our discussion we navigate the different stories, and at times difficult experiences, that are displayed in tracks like Normal, Expectations, & Georgia and how sometimes you need to leave home and find a community that also shares in these experiences, and in result emboldens you to live authentically and be confident in having difficult conversations or facing past traumas.
Support Katie's music and stay plugged into her work by following the links below:
website: katiepruitt.com
instagram: @katiepruittmusic
Support the Show.
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We are back this week with a cozy catch-up conversation with photographer, videographer, and friend, Josh Nachoz. Originally from Ohio, but now Nashville resident, Josh started his photography career out as many people of our generation did-on a flip phone. Through this flip phone Josh connects with his driving passion of photography and how to capture the essence of his environments and the things that influence him. Along with his skate photos/videos, Josh has shot for artists like Isaiah Rashad, Jessy Wilson, Reaux Marquez, Kaash Paige, and many others. This conversation at the heart is two friends catching up, sharing stories, and speaking about the experience of being a young creative (especially in these sometimes frightening or unsettling times).
Support Josh’s work in the links below! Also be sure to follow my new Medium page also linked below.
Josh Nachoz links:
featured work: theliberationpodcast.cominstagram: @jashnachoz + @joshnachoz2
twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/itsjoshnachoz
Follow me on Medium:
https://www.liberationpodcast.medium.com
Support the Show.
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Today I am joined by Executive Director and Co-Founder, Akua Naru and Azmera Hammouri-Davis.
theKEEPERS Collective mission is to serves as the first digital archive of Black & Latin female/fem identifying Hip Hop artists. This collective is not only the first of its kind but it is also a transnational effort.
Today we focus on the cultural effect of the systemic silencing of female/fem voices and how Akua and Azmera are using this collective as a method of transformation for how female voices are respected, cherished, and honored in both the industry and everyday life.Intro: 0:00- 9:00
theKEEPERS: 9:00- 50:00
outro: 50:30-53:30
Support theKEEPERS Collective here: https://www.followthekeepers.com + @followthekeepers
Akua Naru: https://www.akuanaru.com + @akunaru
Azmera Hammouri-Davis: https://www.azmerarhymes.com + @azmerahymes
Follow me on Medium: theliberationpodcast.medium.comSupport the Show.
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Support the Show.
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This episode I am joined by the inspiration that is Curry (she/they)! We are talking HAIR yall, and not just any hair....we are talking Black natural hair. Curry is a Black creative that has been using their knowledge and passion for Black hair to create a platform of education that dismantle the intersection of racism and the hair industry. In this conversation we discuss their journey of becoming a master hairstylist, their vision and philosophy of the salon industry, and finally how conversations like this and her Black Beauty School is a way to end the cycle of systemic racism within the hair industry.
Links to Curry's website and Instagram:
website: bespokecurry.com
Instagram: @bespokecurry , @beadandcowrie , @beadandcowriejewels
Intro: 0:00- 10:30
Interview: 10:40-65:00
Outro: 65:00-68:00Support the Show.
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Oh baby am I excited for this episode! I am joined by long time jazz broadcaster, bassist, frontman, and improv enthusiast, Greg Bryant. Greg is a Nashville native now living in NYC who I had the great pleasure seeing perform with his group, The Greg Bryant Expansion. I knew someday I needed to speak to this guy and luckily a year later I started a podcast and he was kind enough and gracious enough to join me in a conversation.
Today we discuss Greg's dedication to connecting folks to the essence of what music is trying to evoke and vibrate. We also discuss the long history and point of debate within the community of what should we call Black American Music (aka Jazz)? Greg also details the different experiences in both playing in his own fronted group as well as backing for other creative persons.
Linked below are videos of Greg's group, The Greg Bryant Expansion - also found on theliberationpodcast.com
Intro: 0:00-6:00
Links:
Without The Guilt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGTKSmBtxjs&feature=emb_title
Reconciliation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaaxyaVsaPk&feature=emb_title
Passport
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/3/#inbox/KtbxLvhGJnCgbQsBdDSzcQcNPJjHDQdLrL?projector=1Support the Show.
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I am joined for this episode by the wonderful Tamarya Sims (she/they) as the first guest of the 2021! Tamarya is a North Carolina based educational farmer, herbalist, ecologist, beekeeper, and small business owner who speaks with me about their journey into this career and their dedication to educating black and brown children about all things nature.
Linked below is Tamarya's instagram and link tree.
instagram: @plantswitht & @soulfullsimonefarm
linktr: linktr.ee/plantswithtSupport the Show.
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WE ARE IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS!...and what better way to celebrate than to talk about the internalizing of rigid resilience and its overall affect on how we see ourselves and how we adopt behavior to perform some kind mold of adulthood. I speak about how to open up this rigid definition of resilience by participating in what I call "child play" or "child pleasure". Allowing ourselves small acts of resilience in our day to day actions that dismantle performative adulthood and allow space and nourishment towards our higher self.
Intro: 0:00 - 8:30
Aaron Worley & Chris Simpson Art Show: https://m.facebook.com/events/1069668816872185?__tn__=%2Cg#_=_Support the Show.
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