Welcome to the Espresso Talk Today Podcast!
Where we go on an enriching journey through the heart of Black history, culture, and health. Our mission is to not just discuss but to connect, inspire, and illuminate.
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Episode 284: Gumbo, Grits, and Gathering: Black Food is Black History
In this Espresso Talk Today episode, we step into the rich, vibrant world of Black food spaces with the story A Taste of Home. This story is more than a sensory experience—it’s an exploration of how food connects us to our history, our culture, and our sense of belonging.
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Episode 283: A Seat at the Table: Conversations with Historical Black Figures
In this episode, Ama-Robin shares her journey into my dream where I sit with great Black figures like Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, and Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Together, we discuss the significance of Black history, and the importance of reclaiming our narratives and lighting the way for future generations.
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Episode 282: Black History Month Reflection: Symbols, Stories, and the Power of History
In this episode, Ama-Robin shares a deeply personal story about how this map, despite being ridiculed, became a source of strength and a reminder of the greatness of Black history.
While reflecting on the power of symbols, the lessons of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, and the importance of reclaiming our stories.
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Episode 281: Beyond "Rugged Individualism": The Power of Collective Core Values
in this episode, we discuss everything from Black Wall Street to the Black Panther Party, from HBCUs to our multigenerational families, we have built, protected, and uplifted each other through shared core values like unity, self-determination, and collective responsibility.
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Episode 280: Black Empowerment Starts Here: Living by Your Core Values
in this episode, Black empowerment educator Ama-Robin explores how our core values are challenged and undermined in a world that often questions our humanity.
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Episode 279: Stop Making Resolutions: Harnessing the Power of Core Values
In this episode, we’re ditching resolutions and diving deep into the transformative power of core values. Discover how values like resilience, unity, and freedom can ground and empower us, especially as Black individuals navigating racial chaos.
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Episode 278: An African American Christmas Poem
In this poem titled, "The Christmas Reunion Down in Martinsville," Augustus Hodges (1854 - 1916) presents an African American version of a Christmas poem.
Hodges was an American editor, writer, journalist, and political organizer. In 1876, He was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.
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Episode 277: Kwanzaa: Principles for Liberation and Believing Black People
In this episode of Espresso Talk Today, host Ama-Robin discovers the power of Kwanzaa as a celebration of Black culture, resilience, and liberation.
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Episode 276: Believe Black People: From Supportive Spaces to Standing Strong
In this episode of Espresso Talk Today, host Ama-Robin dives deeper into the #BelieveBlackPeople movement.
This isn’t just a hashtag—it’s a revolutionary call to honor and trust Black voices, celebrate our achievements, and challenge the stereotypes and biases that have silenced us for too long.
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Episode 275: #BelieveBlackPeople: More Than a Hashtag, It’s a Movement
In this episode, we break down what it means to believe Black people and why it matters now more than ever.
Today, host Ama-Robin, explores why believing Black people is essential—from recognizing everyday encounters with racism and bias to celebrating Black excellence that’s too often overlooked.
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Episode 272: Breaking the Silence: Rediscovering Black Explorers and Empowering Black Futures
In this powerful episode of Espresso Talk Today, host Ama-Robin shines a light on the incredible Black explorers whose contributions have been erased by the quiet force of racism.
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Episode 259: Why I Loathe July 4th in America
In this powerful and defiant episode, host Ama-Robin confronts the painful contradictions of celebrating Independence Day as a Black American such as the ongoing struggles for equal protection, voting rights, and justice, highlighting the contributions and resilience of Black Americans who have fought tirelessly to shape this country.
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Episode 252: My Unexpected Pilgrimage through Black History
In today’s podcast episode, Ama-Robin dives into what makes a pilgrimage more than just a trip by sharing her journey through America's most iconic museums and libraries. Retracing the steps of pivotal African American figures and explores key artifacts that shape the narrative of African American resilience and culture.
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Episode 245: Racial Battle Fatigue Is Real: Learn How It Can Affect Your Health
In this special podcast episode, the Espresso Talk Today team is joined by Professor William Smith who has conducted extensive study on this serious condition. He discusses the physiological processes leading to Racial Battle Fatigue, the symptoms, and healthy coping strategies to protect one's health. He also identifies unhealthy strategies that people use to cope but that often have dire consequences.
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Episode 244: From Past to Present: Embracing Our Role as History Makers Today
In this powerful final podcast episode of Black History Month on Espresso Talk Today, we dive deep into the heart of what it means to be a history maker. Guided by the wisdom of the courageous and brilliant philosopher and activist, Angela Davis, we explore how every one of us, through our everyday actions, contributes to making history.
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Episode 243: Black History is NOT Depressing!
In this podcast episode, host Ama-Robin shares her rejection of the "inferiorized" Black history that we have been taught and discusses the empowered history of resilience, resistance, and joy that is the true experience of Black America.
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Episode 242: Experiencing Black Joy: An Interview with Storyteller Gran'daddy Junebug
In this podcast episode, host Ama-Robin and the Espresso Talk Today team look back at an old interview with Master Storyteller, Mitch Capel, a.k.a Gran'daddy Junebug, to the show to discuss the importance of storytelling.
Subscribe to Ama-Robin’s Substack for uncommon stories, articles, ideas, and thoughts about racism and the chaos of living Black in predominantly white spaces. My goals are Black liberation and dismantling all forms of oppression.
Bold | Unfiltered | Unapologetic.
Ama-Robin’s Uncommon Conversations on Substack
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