Blackbelt Voices
The Blackbelt Voices podcast tells stories from and about Black folks down South that honor our history, celebrate our culture, and shape our future. Through first-person narratives and in-depth conversations, hosts Adena J. White, Kara Wilkins, and Katrina Dupins share the experiences of Black Southerners living in, loving, and reconciling with the region we call home.
Music: Prentice Dupins Jr.
Logo Design: Kara Darling Creative
- Update frequency
- every 14 days
- Average duration
- 29 minutes
- Episodes
- 48
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2024
Choosing AR 103 with Dr. Karama Neal: Shamim Okolloh's Journey from Nairobi to Little Rock
Choosing Arkansas with Dr. Karama Neal shares stories of those who chose Arkansas as their home. In this episode, Dr. Neal talks to Shamim Okolloh. Shamim was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and came to the …
Choosing AR 102 with Dr. Karama Neal: California native Jean Block builds a life in Arkansas
Choosing Arkansas with Dr. Karama Neal shares stories of those who chose Arkansas as their home. In this episode, Dr. Neal talks to Jean Block, the CEO of the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority.…
Choosing AR 101 with Dr. Karama Neal: Welcome Home, Samantha Evans
Choosing Arkansas with Dr. Karama Neal shares stories of those who chose Arkansas as their home. We want to help you make the Natural State your natural choice. On today's episode, we talk to Samanth…
Introducing "Choosing Arkansas" with Dr. Karama Neal
Dr. Karama Neal, principal of Neal Firm, aspires to help Arkansas achieve its full potential as a place where Black people can thrive. Achieving this potential requires not only the engagement of cur…
Growing Together Part 2 of 2: Urban Farmers Cultivating Community in Little Rock | Gabriyel El-Bey and Laverne Davis
This is part two of our dive into urban agriculture. We’re talking about how Black farmers and growers are creating solutions to the lack of healthy food options in their communities. Be sure to list…
Growing Together Part 1 of 2: Urban Farmers Cultivating Community in Little Rock | LeRoi Emerson
This two-part episode of the Blackbelt podcast explores how Urban Patchwork, a Little Rock-based nonprofit network of farmers and backyard gardeners, aims to build a sustainable local food economy an…
Brené. Beyoncé. Belonging.
We're back in the saddle! In this episode, Adena and Kara discuss the relaunch of Blackbelt Voices as a platform for authentic storytelling. After completing a Social Impact Storytelling program at G…
Michael Harriot: The King of Breaking It Down
Adena and Kara talk to writer and self-proclaimed Wypipologist Michael Harriot. The South Carolina native is well known for his wit, cultural commentary, and gift of mixing humor and historical cont…
Turn to Your Neighbor: La'Twana Scott - El Dorado, Arkansas
La'Twana Scott, the owner of Sweet Mama T's in El Dorado, Arkansas, developed a reputation as a great cook at an early age. The El Dorado native enjoys cooking for people and got her start from helpi…
SOUL FOOD - Farm to Table: The Table
On episode 37 of Blackbelt Voices, we continue our conversation about Black food, this time focusing on barbecue. Guest Michael “Mike D” De Los Santos of North Carolina walks us through his journey o…
Black Food Culture: Gerald Harris on the sustainability of Black farmers in North Carolina
In episode 36 of Blackbelt Voices, Adena and Kara continue the conversation about Black food culture – this time from an agricultural angle. Our guest, Gerald Harris, along with his partners Derek Be…
Black Food Culture: Dr. Ashanté M. Reese on her book, Black Food Matters
We’re starting a new series of episodes about Black Food Culture, which is a very broad topic to tackle. It can be fun, but it is also deep. Ashante Reese, Ph.D. is a writer, teacher, and anthropolog…
Turn to Your Neighbor: Jennifer Williams - Cleveland, Mississippi
Jennifer Williams of Cleveland, Mississippi, always knew she wanted to be a teacher. When she was a girl, her favorite game was playing school.
Williams is teaching future teachers at the Cleveland Ca…
The Cost of Racism: Tim Lampkin on building community wealth
On episode 33 of the Blackbelt Voices podcast, we are continuing our discussion on the Cost of Racism. This week we’re focused on building community wealth with Tim Lampkin, the CEO and founder of Hi…
Turn to Your Neighbor: Cheryl Hampton - Marianna, Arkansas
Cheryl Hampton grew up on a farm in Marianna on the same property where her great-great-grandfather lived. He grew lots of vegetables in his garden including sweet potatoes, greens, and okra. Cheryl …
The Cost of Racism: Darrin Williams on economic equity and wealth building
Episode 31 of the Blackbelt Voices podcast begins a new series of episodes called the Cost of Racism. During the next month, we’ll dive into the ideas of economic equity and building wealth for Black…
Turn to Your Neighbor: Amanda Hunter - Mayflower, Arkansas
This Turn to Your Neighbor segment features Amanda Hunter, a registered nurse who lives in Central Arkansas. Amanda is very interested in exploring her family tree. She wanted to see how far she coul…
Preserving Our History: Nicka Sewell-Smith on genealogy and family history
Happy Thanksgiving, Blackbelt Voices fam. In this week’s episode we’re talking about genealogy. It is part of the “Preserving our History” series. For Nicka Sewell-Smith, learning about her family hi…
Turn to Your Neighbor: Albessie Thompson - Twin Groves, Arkansas
The Ozark Foothills African-American History Museum would not have been possible without the work of Albessie Thompson, the subject of this Turn to Your Neighbor segment. Born and raised in Twin Gr…
Preserving Our History: Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
Blackbelt Voices continues its focus on “Preserving our History” with a closer look at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, a 35,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art museum on 9th Street in Little Rock.…