Front porch with wooden boards and meshed screen housed conversations, revelations, and remarkable storytelling that shaped my world as a young girl child growing up in Wilcox County, Alabama. My mind fancies soul-stirring memories of the gathering of Black women who sought solace on my grandmother’s small porch and the scattered oak trees in the barren yard that danced to the rhythm of the wind. Paint rusting on the rocking chairs as my grandmother, women-relatives, and sister-womenfolk from our small town rocked, hummed, and bared their souls. I remember the inflection in tone and the power and deep affection delicately wrapped around their voices as they shared their stories. My grandmother’s front porch served as a safe haven for a community of women who shared their lived and learned experiences—soul stories that fostered glimpses of freedom, healing, and survival. Those rich narratives told by Black women—who were uniquely similar—are forever embedded in the basement of my mind and etched in the art of my own form of soul-searching storytelling.

By C. Imani Williams

Air Media.org is hosting a Full Spectrum National Storytelling Intensive in Brooklyn, New York, from Dec. 14-18. The conference is of interest to storytellers, artists, mid-level journalists, and those with backgrounds in technology and multimedia. I wanted to know more about the opportunity and who would be sharing information that addressed where and how this new thing can help empower Black people.

A few weeks ago, I attended Take Root 2015 in Norman, Oklahoma, a conference designed to address reproductive justice issues in Republican states. As part of the conference, attendees were able to attend a variety of workshops, some of which included “Reproductive Justice and Faith Communities,” “Native American Women Addressing Injustice,” “Pregnancy & Prison in Appalachia,” and “Trans* Health Matters.” A workshop that I found to be particularly interesting was one about storytelling and the importance of women sharing our stories. The women who organized and led the workshop had been working on a variety of projects that were all centered on transforming the culture of stigma around abortion and other stigmatized reproductive experiences through storytelling. They believed that if individuals shared their stories about their reproductive experiences, then this could not only help others who possess negative attitudes have a better sense of understanding, but also lead to societal change. This change would include an elimination of the extreme judgment surrounding a variety of reproductive experiences, especially abortion.

by Lyndsey Ellis

May 19th marks what would’ve been the 84th birthday of an extraordinary writer that was taken from us way too soon. Lorraine Hansberry, the first black woman to have a play grace the Broadway stage, is widely known for her contribution to African-American culture during the 20th century. Her work helped call attention to the social inequality and economic ills looming over blacks’ shoulders at the time.

by Neisha Marie

A friend of mine once swore never to tell her whole story to another person. She wanted to ensure her own words could never be used against her. While others might have recoiled at such an admission, I did not. I understood completely because I too had sewn parts of myself closed never to be revealed to another person.