T.H.E. Celebration

Interfaith, Creative Writing, and Magic with Alex Sullivan

Poet and editor Alex Sullivan is studying the ways religion and and culture interact, with a focus on postcolonial and diaspora studies.  So it was no surprise when our conversation this week went into the areas of interfaith work, and big vocabulary words like intersectionality.

This is also Alex’s birthday week so we couldn’t resist talking about cool magic spells, and some really terrifying things like reading poetry OUT LOUD.

Alex has her BA in both Religious Studies and Social Science, and is currently doing her Masters at NYU’s Center for Experimental Humanities.  She edits for GSAS literary journal Caustic Frolic and believes there’s beauty in everything and she is always looking for it.

Check out this week’s beauty-full episode.

You can follow Alex on Facebook and Instagram.

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Environmental Justice and Racial Equity with Isoke Luqman

This week’s guest on T.H.E Celebration is Isoke Luqman,  founder and CEO of Gardens For Life. Her company is an Atlanta based organic, pesticide-free vegetable garden service that aims to create equitable and sustainable food networks in the city.

Isoke is a Racial Equity Fellow of Partnership for Southern Equity, a non-profit that advances racial equity and shared prosperity for all in the American South. The depth of the work she’s done allowed us to dive into discussions on environmental justice and the nuances involved with gentrification and environmental racism. We also talked about religion, race and the ways Gardens for Life has powerfully been using equity to create a more just society.

Isoke is a Geoscience graduate from Georgia State University, and her passion for the unique relationships people have with their environments really shines through.

You can follow Isoke on Instagram

Check it out!

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Poet, Actor, and Womanist Jessica Raquel

This week’s guest is our Expression Session feature -  poet, actor and womanist Jessica Raquel.

Jessica is a proud 2018 Florida A & M (FAMU) graduate. She is passionate about genuinely telling the narratives of Black Women through acting and poetry, and has performed in venues across the world - most recently at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.  

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During our time together Jessica shared about womanism, her wonderful experiences at her HBCU, the groundbreaking work they did in Edinburgh, and  having courage and purpose with the work we create.

Jessica also performed 3 inspiring poems during our interview - they will especially appeal to our lyricist followers.

And we’re excited to hear even more from her when she Features at Sunday’s Expression Session.

Her new album “Sample” is available on Soundcloud

You can also follow Jessica on Instagram

Jessica Raquel will be our feature on this week's edition of the Live and Online: Expression Session.  Register below! 

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Imagination, Identity and Representation with Michón Neal

Our guest this week is trailblazer and representation activist Michón Neal. In Michón’s own words ze is “ an autistic BlaQueer impossible alien Othergender Dragon what tattoos trees with the queerest most sinister ink and hurts all over, all the time.”

Michón shared on a wide range of personal topics with me; we talked about hir projects in the Metanoiac portal, Cuil Press and the importance of media representation, as well as the imagination and how it ties into trauma.

Michón is a Public Speaker and Accountability Counselor at Postmodern Woman, Sensitivity Editor and Founder at Cuil Press, and Trauma-informed Domme, Builder of Communities of Care and Educator at The Metanoiac Portal.

You can follow Michón via hir website or listen to hir podcast.

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Ditch the Drama and Entitlement with Cy Wakeman

In this week’s episode, I interview workplace drama researcher, international leadership speaker and consultant Cy Wakeman. Cy’s philosophy is grounded in reality,  and she’s helped organizations and individuals all over the world learn to ditch the drama and turn excuses into results.

We talked about how you can bypass your own ego and really see your privilege. We also discussed going beyond the Kumbaya part of diversity and inclusion, and really getting to the heart of the things that matter. I love how Cy brings together deep research and authentic experience to create steps, resources and tools you can use to remove the drama from your life and be an authentic leader.

Perhaps this is why Cy Wakeman was named one of the Top 30 Global Leadership Gurus in the world, and she is also a New York Times best selling author.

Cy is giving away copies of her books to THE Celebration followers.  To enter the competition - listen/watch the interview and post your favorite quotes from it on social media. Then tag myself and Cy, and I’ll select 10 lucky winners!  

You can follow Cy on her Website, Instagram, Facebook or Listen to her Podcast.

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If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

A Hilarious and Deep Convo With Actress & Comedienne Travina Springer

On this week’s episode I interview actress, comedienne and my good friend Travina Springer. Travina is hilarious, so we spent most of the interview cracking up. But that didn’t keep us from really exploring our inner lives - in between my learning how to say the word comedienne, we talked about loving yourself, our creator, and Travina's 'love' of being single.

I am a huge fan of the way Travina authentically uses social media to story tell.  She shared her insights and reflections on how she is able to show glimpses of her life on social media without letting it become overwhelming.

She also shared her origin story of becoming an actress and comedienne.

Travina’s stand-up is featured on the reboot of BET's Comic View, while her recent acting roles include Life in Pieces, Unfair & Ugly, and Booty Candy.

If you like your interviews to have both heart and humor, you'll enjoy this episode a lot - check it out.

Travina likes making new friends so you can follow her everywhere (on social media, not real life, please) @travinaspringer.

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Waiting on the Bus with Dennis Amadeus

Dennis Amadeus is a writer, educator, performance artist and community organizer. With his passion to teach and inspire young people, Dennis has travelled across the nation performing and conducting art-based workshops.

Led by his activism, Dennis has also organized community fundraisers and book drives to support many causes, including  sending 1000 Books to Swaziland, Africa to build a community library.

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In this episode we talked about about feminism, activism and growth, and Dennis told the story of how he connected with his purpose and Faith. Dennis also performed two new poems and the title track from his new poetry album ‘Waiting on the Bus’ - which is out now.

Listen with faith and purpose to Dennis’ latest feature performance in THE Celebration.

You can also follow Dennis through his site, and  on Instagram and Facebook.

Dennis Amadeus will be our feature on this week's edition of the Live and Online: Expression Session.  Register below! 

If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

Fashion, Creativity and Trans Representation with Cielo Oscuro

Cielo Oscuro aka Kiki from Kiki and the Mxfits is a non binary trans femme based in South Central Los Angeles.

Cielo’s focus on style means that she’s been able to shine a spotlight on QTPOC from different social and economic backgrounds, and created a more inclusive space in mainstream fashion.

Cielo’s short film about being Trans in High School - Kiki and the Mxfits - went viral, and re-ignited some much needed conversations about making High School safe for Trans youth.

In this week’s episode, we talk about her own experiences as a Latinx Trans youth, fashion, creativity, representation and the importance of QTPOC being visible in society.

You can follow Cielo on Instagram and also help with their transition here too. 

Check it out!

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Know Thyself with Yogini Koi Core

Koi Core is a Woman of Color and a dedicated Yogini, who absolutely believes that representation in Yoga matters

In this week’s episode we have a deep and spiritual conversation about yoga, connectivity, community, misconceptions and being your better self.

Settle into a comfortable position of strength as you enjoy this week’s episode of THE Celebration.

You can follow Koi Core on Instagram

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If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.

You are Worthy: Nonprofit Founder Brittany Chung

In this week’s episode I interview Brittany Chung, the CEO and Founder of the nonprofit Elevation Society. Elevation Society works to unite humans to solve issues like bullying, depression and suicide, through showing every individual their life is worth living.

During my interview with Brittany I learned that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people between the ages 15-24.  I always knew that talking about bullying and suicide was important, but this really emphasized for me the urgency of this conversation. Elevation Society has also helped  girls who were saved from sex trafficking, elderly, homeless, children in hospitals, domestic violence victims, orphans, children and adults with special needs, and so many more.

Dive into this important and inspiring conversation with Brittany Chung, for another formidable episode.

You can follow Brittany on the Elevation Society website and on Instagram

 

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If you'd like to learn more about T.H.E. Celebration Academy.  Here's 30 days of Free Membership.