Living Through History (feat: Toya Coleman)

Summary

Gettin’ Grown | “Living Through History” (feat. Toya from Harlem)

Podcast: Gettin’ Grown (Loud Speakers Network)
Release Date: March 4, 2025
Guests: Toya Coleman a.k.a. Toya from Harlem
Hosts: Dr. Keia and Jade (“Cheska Lee”)

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Overview:

This energizing episode centers on legacy, preservation, and the everyday power of Black history. Keia and Jade are joined at the Kitchen Table by historian and podcaster Toya from Harlem for a spirited, reflective, and joyous discussion about the ways Black history lives around (and through) us. The trio emphasize the vital importance of everyday historical awareness, honoring lesser-known pioneers, celebrating each other’s milestones, and practical ways to nurture future generations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Celebrating Black Excellence: Recent Losses and Everyday Victories

• Opening (01:00–04:20): The hosts commemorate the passing of Roberta Flack, reflecting on her profound musical impact and the intertwining of Black History and Women’s History every day.
  • “She was born in North Carolina, grew up in Arlington…a DMV girly…studied at Howard. Classical. An HU Queen.” (Cheska Lee, 03:39)
• Regular check-in: gratitude, self-preservation, the balancing act of adulting, parenting, and community care.
  • “It’s self-preservation mode around here…Grateful, hard body T over here.” (Cheska Lee, 04:42; Dr. Kia, 04:47)

2. Black History in Everyday Life – Cooking, Dancing & Legacy

• Black History Month at School (05:00–12:50):
  • Dr. Kia’s approach to a Black History Month school talk: centering on food history, including cookouts and the origins of iconic American dishes rooted in Black culinary innovation (e.g., ice cream, mac and cheese, barbecue).
  • The social and historical value of cookouts and line dancing (Electric Slide, Tamiya dance), recounted with laughter and affection.
  • “All the classic American cuisine originated in communities of color to the tune of ice cream, mac and cheese, fried chicken…” (Cheska Lee, 07:29)
  • The importance of passing down culture, not just through stories, but through shared experiences and traditions.
• Parenting Triumphs:
  • Dr. Kia’s pride in her daughter, Noah, taking autonomy in caring for her braids—a marker of independence, self-care, and the passing on of essential cultural knowledge (13:06–14:58).

3. Community Triumphs and Millennial Self-Awareness

• Multi-generational celebration: Academic and personal milestones of nieces and nephews, reinforcing pride in Black children’s achievements in STEM, the arts, and culture (15:00–16:27).
• Realities of adulting: seeking silence, honoring rest, intergenerational parenting patterns, and relatable moments of parental exasperation (16:50–21:12).
  • “Parenting is a trip, boy. You just don’t even realize that you are full-throttle in the thing, and sometimes doing the things where you used to hate the things.” (Dr. Kia, 22:56)

4. Uplifting Black Historians: Kitchen Table Talk with Toya from Harlem

[Start: 27:51]

Introduction of Guest:

• Toya from Harlem – a historian, podcaster (“That Wasn’t In My Textbook”), writer, and advocate of everyday Black history.
• Her mission: make Black history accessible, relevant, and fun, especially for millennials and Gen Z.

The Vision and Journey (30:35–36:30):

• Raised in Harlem by Black teachers in Black-run schools, Toya discovered her upbringing was unique only after moving through majority-white spaces.
• The motivation: “archive Black history that was being erased in the name of gentrification.”
• Began as a hyperlocal blog (“Harlem and Beyond”) and evolved into a podcast where guests—always people of color—share overlooked history.

Making History Approachable (36:30–38:00):

• Toya’s strategy: Theme-based episodes (e.g., Black history of food, cowboys, cannabis, Barbie).
• Accessibility: “You don’t have to go in any order. Listen to what interests you.”
• Building connections between past, present, and future—“history is happening every second.”

Why These Histories Matter (40:15–41:51):

• For Black people’s self-esteem and forward movement: “We have survived and we’ve thrived. So, okay, this sucks, but we’re going to be okay.”
• The importance of learning how current struggles and activism fit into the larger historical context.

Mini History Lessons: The Origins of Black & Women’s History Months

• Black History Month – From Negro History Week (Carter G. Woodson, 1926) to a full month, first expanded by Kent University students and made official in 1971.
  • “Black History started out as a week…Carter Woodson is known as the father of Black History…First Negro history week was 1926…Then, in 1970, Kent University students expanded it.” (Toya from Harlem, 41:51–43:34)
• Women’s History Month – Starting as a week in 1978 California, made a full month by Congress in 1987.
  • “Started as a week in 1978…Jimmy Carter proclaimed Women’s History Week in 1980…By ‘87, it became a full month.” (Toya from Harlem, 56:09–56:51)

Black Futures: Elevating (Young) Unsung Pioneers

• Toya uplifts lesser-known contemporary Black women:
  • Alyea Eastman (Parkland shooting survivor and anti-gun violence activist)
  • Shanti Davis (climate change activist)
  • Dr. Patricia Bath (pioneering ophthalmologist, revolutionized cataract detection and laser removal at just 19)
  • “We always think about people like MLK…but there’s a lot of young people making change that get overlooked.” (Toya, 54:00–55:35)

The Importance of Everyday Archiving & Representation

• Toya describes her approach as inviting the community to learn together (“I’m like your librarian or your greeter…We are learning together” 44:50–45:45).
• The lack of Black women in the podcast history space.
• Critique of respectability politics: making it okay to show up as one’s authentic self in educational content (46:08–47:10).

Responding to Erasure & Banned Books

• In the face of banned books and curriculum erasure, Toya creates downloadable “green book”-inspired guides—beginning with a Black-owned cafe list in NYC—to keep history accessible.
  • “The move is to create your own resources—PDFs, guides. They can erase your website, but not your files.” (49:52–51:08)

Rebellion and Resilience: Inspiration from Black History

• Haiti’s revolution and its costs (61:12–62:03), and the foundational, youth-led activism of the Black Panther Party and Fred Hampton (21 at his assassination).
  • “The Black Panther Party was a national organization…they were really doing community self-care.” (Toya, 62:03–63:56)
• The real meaning of self-care: not simply an individual luxury, but a revolutionary act and a practice of community care.

Everyday History: Practical Learning Tips for Adults/Kids

• “Expose young people to documentaries, music, and history woven into their passions.” (67:40–69:38)
• Books, yes, but also films, television, museums, and singing/listening parties sometimes foster a deeper historical curiosity.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why cultural competence matters:
  • “You can’t pigeonhole us into one area…black contribution is infused in absolutely everything.” (Cheska Lee, 38:03)
• On self-preservation through history:
  • “Knowing the past…helps you combat some of the b.s. we’re dealing with right now.” (Toya from Harlem, 41:06)
• On archiving as resistance:
  • “Just try to create our own resources…they can erase your website but not your PDF.” (Toya, 50:36)
• On bringing history to young people:
  • “Making them watch A Different World now that it’s on Netflix…whatever they like, find Black history in that.” (Toya, 67:40)
• On music, culture, and passing down traditions:
  • “I realize now I have to be intentional about making sure [my daughter] knows the Electric Slide!” (Dr. Kia, 12:51)
• On self-care and community:
  • “Taking care of yourself, yes, but self care was not just about yourself. It was about taking care of community.” (Toya, 63:43)
• On owning your voice:
  • “How do you actually talk, though?…This is how history is. I’m gonna give you three facts. You look up the rest.” (Toya, 46:18)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tribute to Roberta Flack / Black History as Everyday Life: 01:00–04:20
• Black History Month School Speech Brainstorm & Food History: 05:00–12:50
• Line Dances, Parenting, Family Milestones: 13:02–16:27
• Parenting as Intergenerational Comedy/Drama: 16:50–22:56
• [Kitchen Table] Introduction to Toya from Harlem: 27:51–31:04
• Toya’s Origin Story & History Podcast Approach: 31:04–36:30
• Representation, Teaching, & Thematic Episodes: 36:30–41:06
• Why Black History (and Telling Our Own) Matters: 40:22–41:51
• Origins of Black & Women’s History Months: 41:51–46:04, 56:09–56:51
• Young Black Activists & Pioneers: 53:16–55:47
• Strategies Against Erasure & Censorship: 49:35–51:08
• Everyday Archiving (Listener Tips): 74:00–76:58
• Practical Tips for Raising Historically Literate Kids: 67:40–69:38
• Collective Joy – Book Fairs, Black-Owned Business Shoutouts: 70:13–87:24
• Celebrating Black Women’s Solidarity (Joy Ann Reid & Francesca): 79:37–83:33
• Petty Peeves (Work Meetings, Brain Fog): 88:10–92:31
• Takeaways & Sign-off: 93:35–94:15

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Episode Tone

• Warmth, humor, and camaraderie: The conversation is peppered with laughter, witty banter, and the familiarity of women who have built and maintained community.
• Affirming and unapologetic: Unfiltered language is used for emphasis—reflecting the podcast’s authentic and Black-centered tone.

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Takeaways & Action Steps

• Protect and retell our history, especially as it is actively being erased.
• Reframe and celebrate everyday victories as historical moments in our own lives.
• Make history approachable—through food, music, play, and curiosity.
• Preserve family artifacts (photos, stories) through intentional archiving.
• Model to young people the importance (and fun!) of honoring Black history 365 days a year.

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Where to Find More

• Toya from Harlem:
  • Instagram: @toyafromharlem
  • Podcast: That Wasn’t in My Textbook (thatwasntinmytextbook.com)
• Dr. Keia & Jade:
  • Gettin’ Grown
• Episode Resources:
  • Downloadable Black-owned business guides, recommended books/documentaries, and archival tips (see episode description on your podcast platform).

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Transcript

[Toya from Harlem]

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[Cheska Lee]

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[Dr. Kia]

Strumming my pain with his fingers Singing my life with his words Killing me softly with his song Killing me softly with his song Telling my whole life with his words Killing me softly Leave okay with his song. That was like a mix of the two.

[Cheska Lee]

I was trying to say, is this Roberta or Laura?

[Dr. Kia]

It was Roberta initially. And then I realized I went into Lauren and yeah, Praise the Lord.

[Cheska Lee]

Praise the Lord. How's everyone Hope everyone doing? Okay? Welcome back to this to the kitchen table where we discuss the test, the trials, the twists, the turns, temptations, and the taxes of adulting. The year of our Lord 2025.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh my gosh. We send great big giant love to the loved ones of Roberta Flack. A queen. Okay. A queen. She passed. As you're listening to this last week, I believe at. I believe at 88 years old, I don't have it right in front of me, but I believe she was 88. And you know, I Roberta, Donnie Hathaway was a. As much as I talk about Luther, as much as I talk about Stevie, Donnie was a great big giant. Part of my childhood. One of the first songs I sang all the time was Donny Hathaway and Roberta's Flex. You are my you are my heaven I believe you are my love you are my heaven you are the only. So that is one of my favorites. And then also as we are. Oh, this is Black History month. You know what? It's all the time. Be real black for me. You know, it is one of my. One of my absolute favorites. So we want to send big love to the loved ones of such a great big giant.

[Cheska Lee]

A pioneer family in this industry.

[Dr. Kia]

A pioneer, a Legend in a celebrator of black culture. You will be missed, Queen. And absolutely your contribution will never be minimized.

[Cheska Lee]

88.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay, I was right.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah. Grew up in Black Mountain North. Well, actually she was born in North Carolina, but grew up in Arlington. So a DMV girly.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, I didn't know that. You know, DMV used to be organically black and she.

[Cheska Lee]

She famously studied at Howard.

[Dr. Kia]

Look at that.

[Cheska Lee]

Classical An Hu.

[Dr. Kia]

Queen.

[Cheska Lee]

Exactly, exactly. We love that. And we will absolutely be being the Flack family in but you know, the legend, we honor her. Black History Month. Women's History Month. Roberta, we love you, girl.

[Dr. Kia]

We do. We do. And you know, it's always Black History Month, the Women's History Month over here.

[Cheska Lee]

I mean, every single time.

[Dr. Kia]

How you doing, sis? How you feeling?

[Cheska Lee]

I'm safe. I am safe. I have what I need. I'm grateful. Trying to keep myself grounded in that perspective and moving forward, keeping my head down, doing the things that I need to do to take care of myself and the communities that I'm called to.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

And connected to. You know, it's a. It's self preservation mode around here.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

Oh, in many, many ways.

[Dr. Kia]

But grateful hard body T over here. Okay, I don't have time for. No, I told you. At Noah's career day, they asked me, they were like, will you be this. This year's Black history speech speaker? And I was like, black History Month speaker. I was like, yes, anything. Black history. Yeah. And as you're listening to this, I did it on Friday. Cannot tell you right now how it went because it is not. It has not yet happened.

[Cheska Lee]

Yes. Now I would take 10 minutes time slot. I would pay money to see this. I would love to pull up.

[Dr. Kia]

Hello, kids. This. This here is Fred Hampton. He started the. He was one of the leaders of the Black Panther party. It's the reason why you niggas are eating free lunch. Tight.

[Cheska Lee]

Oh, my goodness. Hide your kids.

[Dr. Kia]

Can't wait. Hide your fucking kids. Jade's coming.

[Cheska Lee]

I mean, have you ever seen that video?

[Dr. Kia]

I love. I'm drooling. Have you ever seen that video where somebody has on one of those dinosaur suits, you know, with the short arms? The Tyrannosaurus Rex. And they coming to the birthday party and see all the kids are like, ah, that's.

[Cheska Lee]

That's how you gonna pull up to the Black History Month program? Program?

[Dr. Kia]

Dead ass.

[Cheska Lee]

Jade is on program, y'.

[Dr. Kia]

All.

[Cheska Lee]

We. We have got to be prayerful. No, it's going to be dope. I'm excited. I'M excited.

[Dr. Kia]

Pray for the kids. Pray for the kids.

[Cheska Lee]

It's going to be great.

[Dr. Kia]

We need this.

[Cheska Lee]

We love this. Are you going to do? I'm just curious, and I'm going to ask you how you're doing, but I am curious. Is there going to be a food theme given, you know what I'm saying? Like, are you going to go in there and talk about. Let's. Let's talk about rice in all of the ways that we are. Genius.

[Dr. Kia]

Well, he, you know, what do you want to. Hey, guys, you want to listen to some real life workshopping? Okay, so hold on. I'll tell you what the email says.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay, let's do it.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay. So it says, hold on, I'm about to pull it up. All right. Okay. I. This year's theme is our Voices, our Power, where we will highlight individuals who have spoken words of encouragement, written words of empowerment, and sung words of upliftment. So that's the theme, and I have eight to 10 minutes to talk on that theme. So I could incorporate food.

[Cheska Lee]

I think you absolutely could. You know, I'm a Stan, and I always mention Carla Hall's chasing flavor because it is. It is to me, just dope tv. And I know, given our guests and, you know, the show that we're, you know, y' all stay tuned to the kitchen table because we're doing a deep dive into history with one of our favorite historians. But there's so much to be told about how a black history is American history and so much that we need to be intentional about amplifying. And Carla hall very brilliantly reminded the world that all of the classic, quote, American favorites, American cuisine originated in communities of color to the tune of ice cream, Mac and cheese, fried chicken.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay. Barbecue, then high on the hog, you know?

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

Highlights all of the history of food. And they have a. A episode specifically dedicated to black cowboys.

[Cheska Lee]

This is what I.

[Dr. Kia]

In Cowboy Carter, I just feel, oh, I'm about to be a professor.

[Cheska Lee]

Why would the James Beard award winning chef not, you know what, have a central focus on the ways in which black like black contributions to food history, food culture. Like, come on. Retelling the narrative, re situating, you know what I'm saying? Let's, let's, let's. Let's get to the. Let's get to it.

[Dr. Kia]

Let's get to the rut. Let's go, sis. I'm about to put together. Y' all are about to get a presentation, you know what I'm saying? You're about to give me and I I'm gonna let them know in the beginning of this. I need y' all to listen to me. I. I curated this, Harry, Hear me. Your little adhd. I'm just saying, like, brains.

[Cheska Lee]

These. First of all, these little are hungry all of the time.

[Dr. Kia]

Hello.

[Cheska Lee]

You start talking about food, they're going. You're going to capture their attention and.

[Dr. Kia]

Right.

[Toya from Harlem]

You know what I'm saying?

[Cheska Lee]

Like, just, you know.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

Come on. Come on. It's going to be brilliant.

[Dr. Kia]

You know. You know what else I think I want to do?

[Cheska Lee]

What else is.

[Dr. Kia]

I'm going to ask. I'm going to see how many kids are there. You know what I'm saying?

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

I think that I want to end my presentation with the electric slide.

[Cheska Lee]

Oh. Because.

[Dr. Kia]

It'S electric.

[Cheska Lee]

That's.

[Dr. Kia]

I think I'm gonna end it with that. I'm gonna figure out a way to tie that into food.

[Cheska Lee]

I am.

[Dr. Kia]

I'm the history of the cookout.

[Cheska Lee]

No, no, seriously. And okay, because personally, I have been caught up in all of the line dancing crazes that have captured social media. There's a new Boots on the Ground line dance, that is. And you know, me and our good sis Felicia have been in the throes of heated conversation in the DMs about how we got to learn.

[Dr. Kia]

Hold on.

[Cheska Lee]

How we got to learn the Boots on the Ground dance. And you know that they have one for Luther. Oh. Oh, yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, it's all right. Yeah.

[Cheska Lee]

The Y N's have gotten together and created a line dance.

[Dr. Kia]

Shut the up, y'. All.

[Cheska Lee]

Better.

[Dr. Kia]

Scooby Doo.

[Cheska Lee]

Yes.

[Dr. Kia]

Yo, I knew you little were good for something. I did.

[Cheska Lee]

You know what I'm saying? You just give him time. Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Well, all right.

[Cheska Lee]

I like that.

[Dr. Kia]

And then there's a man today. I might finally learn the tamiya dance, actually, because now I found me a.

[Cheska Lee]

Solid 24 months, but I finally got it.

[Dr. Kia]

I found a tutorial that is actually a doable tutorial. And I'm determined. Seven years late to learn.

[Cheska Lee]

I mean, it's a thing.

[Dr. Kia]

When I hang out at you, I can't wait.

[Cheska Lee]

Listen. And all the girls that got it, you know, they look down their noses and. And it's fine, but listen.

[Dr. Kia]

And I will become such.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah. I mean, naturally.

[Dr. Kia]

Because class isn't egregious.

[Cheska Lee]

That line dance is pre calculus. And so everyone who has it, you know what I'm saying? You know, you get to be uppity about it when you get it.

[Dr. Kia]

I put it in the work. So, you know, right now, I don't Know shit. But, you know, wait till I do. Here.

[Cheska Lee]

I don't know where you're.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay. About to be obnoxious.

[Cheska Lee]

Give me some flowers.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay.

[Cheska Lee]

I earned these. Bright.

[Dr. Kia]

But I do love that. I love that they're like keeping line dances alive.

[Cheska Lee]

This is what I'm saying. So, I mean, there's absolutely a way, if you want to situate your. Your word, your presentation around the cookout as a, As a class, as a cultural cornerstone. That's the way. That's the way that we, we can close out with. With the Electric Slide. Make sure that the children know it. It's important.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, I'm gonna give them a demo. And it's not gonna be like the tamiya, you know what I'm saying? So they can do it. Okay. It's electric. You've got to feel it. So I love that he's gonna lead that part. I'm.

[Cheska Lee]

She is.

[Dr. Kia]

Let me make sure she knows it. But, you know, your girl can follow her.

[Cheska Lee]

Oh, yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

You know, it's funny how things come up and you realize, like, yo, did I teach this to you? To her?

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

And I, I, I think she has done the Electric Slide, but I don't think she's done it enough. So I now that I'm like, oh, I've got to be intentional about making sure that this is. Oh, my God, Sister.

[Toya from Harlem]

What?

[Dr. Kia]

I'm sorry. It's good things.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay. Because I got a little nervous.

[Dr. Kia]

Sis. What? We have to celebrate our girl because she's reached a milestone.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay. Which girl?

[Dr. Kia]

Noah. Sorry. Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

Asap. Noah, what's going on? What have we done?

[Dr. Kia]

She took out the majority of her own braids.

[Cheska Lee]

Wow. Wow. The growth.

[Dr. Kia]

Wait, the majority detangled as she went.

[Cheska Lee]

Yes.

[Dr. Kia]

And twisted chunks to make sure sections were section.

[Cheska Lee]

I know that you were so proud.

[Dr. Kia]

I know.

[Cheska Lee]

When you, when you cut that corner and saw her in that room sectioning her hair with a wide tooth comb, I know your soul opened up. I know.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, my God. Speaking of which. I said, cuz I popped in. I was like, what are you using to detangle? She goes, a wide tooth comb. Cuz you told me only use a wide tooth comb. And I was like, oh, my God. Let me tell you, the kids, my hard work.

[Cheska Lee]

The kids are going to be all right. That's how I know it. That's how I know it, sis. That's how I know it.

[Dr. Kia]

Three quarters of her head. I only did a quarter of the kids.

[Cheska Lee]

And you didn't even have to ask her. She was just in there. Getting it done, huh?

[Dr. Kia]

She wanted to do. The only thing I had to do was initially the show her the safe cut. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, let's. Let me show you the safe.

[Cheska Lee]

Don't get too zealous.

[Dr. Kia]

Do not you be. We all went through that, so hopefully you don't have to go through that accident.

[Cheska Lee]

You don't need that.

[Dr. Kia]

So I showed her the safe cut once. Once we got that down, three quarters of her head.

[Cheska Lee]

Wow. And this is. This is a milestone because this is how we know that she's growing up. The independence, the autonomy.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, God.

[Cheska Lee]

I love it. I love it. I'm very proud. I'm very proud. I'm very proud, I might say.

[Dr. Kia]

Is that not a my. That is a milestone.

[Cheska Lee]

That's why I say I might cash out for $10 on the strength Me, myself.

[Dr. Kia]

You know what I'm saying?

[Cheska Lee]

Here?

[Dr. Kia]

This is. This is from.

[Cheska Lee]

This is from my Takia. Going to get yourself some ice cream or something with that? You.

[Dr. Kia]

You deserve it.

[Cheska Lee]

You do. Exactly. You do. Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

Noah, this is from the Madam C.J. walker Mary. You know what I'm saying? You've been anointed.

[Cheska Lee]

Like, that's Auntie's baby right there. I know that's right.

[Dr. Kia]

You know, I need to put it in the group chat. Let me put it in the chat so I can.

[Cheska Lee]

So we all can applause. Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

And I love. I love the range of our celebrations. It's like our niece Micah just got first place of her science fair. Okay.

[Cheska Lee]

You know, I stood up wherever I was, I stood up in my seat, like, that's. That's my niece right there. Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

That's my sour patch. Okay. She's my sour patch, but that's my sour patch. You know what I put in the group chat?

[Cheska Lee]

Women in stem, Black Women in stem.

[Dr. Kia]

Women in stem black women in steam. Hello. Hello. I was like. Because your girl put in the hard work and you better go off niece. I was very proud of her. So from our niece getting first place in the science fair, to Noah taking out her braids, to our nephew Avery going to his first Beyonce concert, just we celebrate the milestones of the children. You know what I'm saying?

[Cheska Lee]

They're being raised up right. Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay. All right. I'm very way that they should. In the way that they should go. Hello. A quote.

[Cheska Lee]

That's it.

[Dr. Kia]

I did that Bible said. Yes, I did. Yes, it did. I'm proud of it. Thank you very much. That was a lot of me. How you doing? What's going.

[Cheska Lee]

No, no, I said we. We. I said I'm good. That was me. I need to check in on how you're doing. We know that Noah is. Oh. Every week, everything is. Everything's doing all right. How you doing over there?

[Dr. Kia]

I'm doing fine. I'm. I. You know, I am trying to keep my. Keep my head up.

[Cheska Lee]

Yes.

[Dr. Kia]

You know, and not. And same. Same thing every single week. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, we've been here before. We got this. And then, you know, keep it moving. So absolutely. They're going. They were. Started back school. They were out last week for the midwinter recess. So, you know, I. I always need to recalibrate.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

I'm back in that mode.

[Cheska Lee]

I mean, I'm sure you sat in silence when she left this morning after you dropped her off. You just rolled back in silence. I know. You didn't even cut no music on. I just want to breathe.

[Dr. Kia]

I didn't.

[Cheska Lee]

Lord, I didn't.

[Dr. Kia]

I was like. Let me pause GNX for a minute. For a moment. Kendrick, I'll be out to whack out those murals with you in a moment.

[Cheska Lee]

Yes. But I just need to. I did rest my understanding for just a moment. Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

When I got in the house, I just took my coffee and I sat down. I sat down for, like, you know, a good 20 minutes. And.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah, okay. That's how you know you're getting older. When you come to a place where you just need silence. You don't. And you just. You enjoy silence. It's like, my God, I'm just.

[Dr. Kia]

I don't realize how many tasks I complete in full and absolute silence at this. You. Like, it used to always be music on, and I still love music and.

[Cheska Lee]

Put it on same.

[Dr. Kia]

But I find myself oftentimes, like, I would have gotten through a whole, you know, sink full of dishes, and there has been nothing happening.

[Cheska Lee]

I remember. I remember, like, getting in the car. My mom would pick me up from somewhere, and I would get in the car, and it would be silent, and I'd be like, how you just riding in here and you ain't. What is wrong with you? I would just be like, girl, got you anything?

[Dr. Kia]

What you going through?

[Cheska Lee]

Riding in silence. Are you okay? And now sometimes I'll be halfway home before I realize I ain't even touched the button. I mean, I'm just in the car, subsumed in my own consciousness. I don't even know what's going on.

[Dr. Kia]

It's crazy when you flash back to memories yeah. And then you flash forward to present and how you are literally like that right now.

[Cheska Lee]

Absolutely.

[Dr. Kia]

So it all transparency. So I woke up this morning a total monster, right? Because let y' all know what it is. I woke up a monster because it was. I Woke up at 5:30. So side note, I woke up with my hand and my whole arm. I must have laid on it wrong. And it was numb. Like, really, like, it was. But it was like, so numb to the point where it was uncomfortable. And I'm like. And I'm doing all that at 5:30 in the morning. So I'm waving my hands in the air like a floaty inflatable arm tube, man. And doing the most. Then I can't fully go back. So I gotta wake up in 45 minutes. So, like, you know, that threw me off. And then, you know, Noah did not do the things that I asked her to do. And I didn't realize until this morning. So I woke up. I woke her up. I was like. I say good morning first, because we gotta set that tone. And then I said, when you get home, you put that damn iPad and that phone on the table.

[Cheska Lee]

That's it.

[Dr. Kia]

And you clean your room. Like, don't touch nothing until you touch everything in that room. Like, she's like, I know, I know, I know.

[Cheska Lee]

You know.

[Dr. Kia]

So, yeah, I'm, you know, I'm just trying to operate and live and exist in this day.

[Cheska Lee]

And I'm sure. Did you flash back to the time where your mama told you, bruh.

[Dr. Kia]

You know what I flash back to? When I used to be behind her back like a bitch. I was like, I know, Noah.

[Cheska Lee]

No, I mean, she. As soon as you turn the corner, child, she be sick of you.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, my God, here she come. Here she comes. I don't want to incite fear, though. I just, like, I don't want to inside fear. I just want her to, like, do the shit she's supposed to do. But she needs to know when I'm. When I mean business.

[Cheska Lee]

Do you say things twice?

[Dr. Kia]

Yes, nigga.

[Cheska Lee]

What?

[Dr. Kia]

Seven times. What do you mean? Because I don't.

[Cheska Lee]

No, like, a mom, like, I always noticed, like, what we talked about. I think we talked about this on the show before, but, like, when my mama would say things twice, that's how I know that she was, like, serious. Like, she would just. She'd be like, takiya, I'm not playing with you. And the same time you always be louder. It's that like, takia, I'm not playing with you. I'm not playing.

[Dr. Kia]

That's what it is with you.

[Cheska Lee]

I am not playing. It'd be like, girl, why are you saying it three times?

[Dr. Kia]

I. I do. I was like, how many? It's very. Dr. Uma. How many? How many times? How many times? How many times yesterday? How many times did I ask you over the last. Because I need to drive it gradually.

[Cheska Lee]

Louder.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah, I gotta try.

[Cheska Lee]

And every time. And my mom is, like, randomly loud. Like, the whole sentence won't be loud.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

But it would be two or three words in a sentence that she'll scream. Then she'll go back.

[Dr. Kia]

I talking spongebob, where they be when they. When they type and they be doing the. That's how I talk.

[Cheska Lee]

I am sick of having to tell you sick. Having to say this more than one time. I'm sick of it. Do you understand what I'm saying?

[Dr. Kia]

I'm tired.

[Cheska Lee]

They be like, girl, what.

[Dr. Kia]

And I'm laughing at you saying, I'm not playing. Because literally, this morning, when I told her, you get home, you put those. You put that iPad, you put that phone on the table. I am not. I am serious. Do you hear me? I am dead. The. Put it on the table.

[Cheska Lee]

I'm not playing. And don't touch it. It's either, I'm not playing with you or don't play with me, because toy is.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah.

[Cheska Lee]

And it cracks me up. Don't play with me, Ian. Don't. Don't play with me. Don't play with me. I'm not playing. Like, what? Don't stop playing with me now. Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Parenting is a trip, boy. Like, it's crazy, actually. Like, and. And you just don't even realize that you are full throttle in the thing. You know what I'm saying? And sometimes doing the things where you used to hate the things.

[Cheska Lee]

So.

[Dr. Kia]

You know, but that's what I gotta do. And which is why I like. I like I keep saying every single week. I cannot. I cannot be foggy. You know what I'm saying? Because, yeah, I gotta be extra mindful because I. I woke up this morning with a tingly arm on top of the fact. Just pissed me off. Just pissed me off. But I woke up with this tingly arm. And I'm like, that was uncomfortable. But the world is like a one great big, giant tingly arm. And so let me make sure that I don't allow that to impact, you know, how I'm raising this kid. You know? So I gotta be intentional with that. Make sure you all are checking out the links attached to the episode, please. There are updates as to what's happening in Sudan. There are updates as to what's happening in Gaza with the ceasefire, how those are not only being violated, but also the rebuilding that the people of Gaza are doing, you know, to try to get their lives back to some level of normalcy and ways that you can assist and donate in that rebuilding. But again, information on Sudan, information and resources on how you can continue to educate yourself. We want to make sure that that's never lost. And speaking of the history of the electric slide and so many other things, we have a fun kitchen table. We got a historian coming to the kitchen table. Yeah. So make sure you all sit tight for a second, grab your coffee, do whatever you need to do and come back because we're getting ready to talk to Toya from Harlem. So we'll see you all in a Mom, let me ask you something. Do you plan your vacation locations like based on the local language? If the answer was yes, fret not friend. With Babbel, language no longer has to be the barrier. This year speak like 2.0 you with Babbel, the language learning app that gets you talking. Babbel's quick 10 minute lessons, handcrafted by over 200 language experts gets you started speaking your new language in three weeks or whatever pace you choose. And because conversing is the key to really understanding each other in new languages, Babbel is designed using practical real world conversations. Spending months with private teachers is a vestige of a bygone era. Nothing screams these pockets are made for picking like holding a phone translation app to your face all day. Babel's tips and tools are inspired by the real life stuff you actually need when communicating. Like I cut off the tip of my finger, can you point me in the direction of the hospital? Or I heard there's a lady who makes fire food out of her home. Where can I find her? Matter of fact, me and my damies are planning a trip to Brazil and Babel is about to assist your girl in learning how to ask where to find the best moqueca churrasco in Coxinha, Babbel is becoming my aid in learning how to be greedy internationally. And I couldn't have asked for a better gift.

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[Dr. Kia]

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[Toya from Harlem]

I'm in.

[Dr. Kia]

Gimme five.

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[Toya from Harlem]

Ready.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

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[Cheska Lee]

Let's go.

[Toya from Harlem]

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[Cheska Lee]

Hey y'.

[Dr. Kia]

All.

[Cheska Lee]

Welcome back to the Kitchen Table. And I know that y' all are sick of us because we say the same thing every week, but we mean it. Okay, so we do. Yes. We have another amazing guest at the Kitchen Table and I for one am very excited. You know, given the context and the time times that we are all negotiating as a people, it is critical for us to sort of have, you know, a clear understanding of what is going on. In order for us to understand what is going on, we have to see things through the lens of history. And our history is so rich, but it has been censored in very significant ways. So I'm excited to welcome to the.

[Dr. Kia]

And compromise on a daily yes, for sure.

[Cheska Lee]

I'm excited to welcome to the Kitchen Table someone who can help us with that. Our our guest. Her name is Toya Coleman, AKA Toya from Harlem. She is a historian, a podcaster, a writer, a speaker, a plant mom, and a tattoo enthusiast. We'll have to get into that a little bit later, but she is the founder of Toya from Harlem, which is an online destination for millennials of color to learn the history of our everyday surroundings, to explore art created by black folks, and to find cultural Events in Los Angeles and in New York City. She has studied African American studies and later later has gone on to complete her master's in public administration as a National Urban Fellow from Baruch College. In 2020, she launched that Wasn't in My Textbook, a bi weekly podcast that highlights the history of textbooks that have either been overlooked or rewrote by the others. So I'm excited to welcome our sister, another native New Yorker, to the kitchen table. Everybody say, hey, Tatoya from Harlem. Hey, Toya. Hey. I'm so excited.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, we're so excited to have you. Look at this multifaceted rich.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

I was just telling the ladies before the show, so fun fact, I know Toya in real life and I, I knew, I knew she was, I'll say she's, you know, she's learned, you know what I'm saying? As we like to say, she's, she's an educated lady, but I, I honestly had no clue what she did. Well, you know, because we, we'll be at the cookouts and we'll drink and, you know, our, you know, our trees. We'll have our meats and. Well, I'll have my meats and then I, you know, I, I don't know. I don't know. So when she was pitched for the show, I was very excited. So, Toya, we want you to tell the people, introduce yourself to the people in the way that you want to.

[Toya from Harlem]

I mean, that intro is perfect. I don't even know what I'm missing, but perfection. I think I'm always. Now that I just moved back to Harlem because I was five years in la, I just moved back in October. I'm very, like, prideful of being like, I'm, I'm, I'm a unicorn. Like, I'm a Harlem girl that's still in Harlem. So I'm really proud of that. I'm trying to think of additional things that you haven't already highlighted and, you know, I think I just started.

[Dr. Kia]

You keep your ketchup in the cabinet or the fridge?

[Toya from Harlem]

I like my ketchup.

[Cheska Lee]

Room temp same. Ah, that cold ketchup. I know it divides many households, but I, yeah, I mean, I might be icicles in it, but yeah, I, I.

[Toya from Harlem]

I feel like it brings down the temperature of the food if it's, it does.

[Cheska Lee]

It doesn't. Makes the hot fries lukewarm and nobody needs that. Nobody.

[Toya from Harlem]

It makes the burger weird. You know?

[Cheska Lee]

That's right.

[Toya from Harlem]

All of.

[Dr. Kia]

See, I just learned something new about.

[Cheska Lee]

I know and all of the refrigerator people get all antsy about the label that says refrigerate after opening. Be like, girl, have you died? You've not.

[Dr. Kia]

You're still here.

[Cheska Lee]

No, all is good.

[Dr. Kia]

I am a cat. I am. I'm a ketchup in the fridge, girl. But I also grew up a ketchup in the cab, girl. So, you know. Yeah, cool. But I. That was an icebreaker. I just wanted you to tell us something that you didn't think.

[Toya from Harlem]

But now that. Okay, but now that we're talking about it, I think I might be seasonal because I don't mind a cold ketchup in the summer. Like, you know, it's like. It's like water. I think people who like when it's cold, some people like room temperature. And then when it's summer, they like cold water. I mean, I'm old. I love cold water all year round. But I think when it comes to ketchup, I don't mind it being cold. When it's hot or we're, like, grilling outside, I don't really mind it that much.

[Cheska Lee]

That's fair. I'm not gonna turn it down. Like, if you keep your ketchup in the fridge, I'm not gonna be like, ew, I don't want it. I'm just saying, as far as my house, the ketchup is not in the refrigerator. But I understand. And as far as the water goes, I drink water faster. Like, I feel like I drink water better if it's room temp. But I love my. My drink cold. Like, if I'm. If I'm going to have some lemonade or some ice tea or something, I'mma put some ice cubes down in that. But if I'm just drinking water, like in my Stanley here, very much room temp.

[Dr. Kia]

Very much. Really?

[Toya from Harlem]

In the stainless steel. Interesting. Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

I know, I know. Rebellion.

[Cheska Lee]

I just drink it. But I feel like it.

[Dr. Kia]

It. It is.

[Cheska Lee]

I drink more of it. If it's too cold, I don't. Yeah, quickly, you see. Oh, yeah. We're way off topic, but this is.

[Dr. Kia]

I. I do that. I have a problem with taking people on roads.

[Toya from Harlem]

I like to go on. My ADHD will go with you. I was just saying that, you know, I have a lot of pride around being a Harlem girl still in Harlem. And then just growing up in Harlem, that's kind of what inspired me to do what I do today. Because I went to black schools by black people in my neighborhood and both, like, elementary school and middle school, and I feel like those early roots of learning about myself 365 really promoted me into being, like, this historian who's, like, really passionate about learning about all people who are put in the margins. 365. Not just when our months roll around.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah.

[Toya from Harlem]

So. And I think I was kind of isolated in that, Like, I think growing up in Harlem in the 90s, early 2000s, when it was much more black now. Exactly. Blacker.

[Dr. Kia]

Yep.

[Toya from Harlem]

I think I thought, for some reason I thought that everybody, at least everyone in New York, I think I thought was. Had black teachers at least, and was having a similar experience. And I think it wasn't really until, like, college, when I went to, like, a pwi, and then it wasn't really until also, like, Covid and, like, when people started talking about, you know, people started really looking into history, and we saw this, like, revolution that way that I was like, oh, okay. Like, this is a very unique experience, and I want to recreate that through, like, I started out with a blog called Harlem and Beyond. So I wanted to kind of just archive black history that was being erased in the name of gentrification. And then once Covid hit, I was like, okay, let me transition to a podcast. People aren't really reading anymore, and I wanted to interview people. And so, no offense. And then, yeah, then I started doing the podcast to kind of recreate my education because, like, everyone who comes on the podcast are people of color, experts in their fields. And I was just like, okay, let me try to recreate my elementary and middle school experience of having people who look like me teach me. I mean, it's more adult because I curse and all that other stuff, but I was just like, I want to, you know, I want to recreate this experience for people because a lot of people didn't have that big fat.

[Dr. Kia]

So let me ask you a question with the podcast, because there's so much history, there's so much out there, and we'll get into some of it. But how do you organize that? Like, how do you choose what you want to share? I follow this page called the Humanity Archive. I don't know if you've seen it, and I wanted to ask you about that, by the way, but I follow that page, the Humanity Archive, because. Because there are very interesting facts that come up. And then I know that there's a PDF that's attached to it you can buy to get, you know, in depth, things that are not in our textbooks. So how do you choose and decipher what you want to share, how you want to share, so forth and so on?

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah, I think it's a little random. We already hit on my adhd. I think it's a little random. I've been trying to. Right now I'm rolling out a new season, so there's old episodes still out, but I'm trying to do, like, themes. So my last little theme was summer. And then under summer, I was like, okay, I'm gonna do the history of oysters, the black history of surfing. I did. Oh, I did the history of cowboys. And that was before Cowboy Carter came out.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay, okay.

[Toya from Harlem]

And so I did. So now I've been trying to do little series. It also kind of goes with the calendar. Even though, you know, we know black history is American history and, like, other people's history is important, sometimes I do try to correct coordinated with things that are going on or even pop culture moments. So when Barbie came out, I was like, okay, I'm gonna do a history of Barbie with an emphasis on, like, black Barbie. So just like, when 420 came, I was like, oh, let me do a history of cannabis episode and talk about, you know, reparations and, like, prison and how they've impacted black people. So it really depends. I'm trying to be more organized and have themes, but it's also very random. And I think that allows people to, like, listen to an episode. Because today I, like, ran into someone. They're like, oh, you have a podcast. What episode should I start with? And I was like, whatever topic you want. Like, you don't have to go in any order. So I think that kind of keeps it. But I think I'm trying to implement series because I think that will keep people's attention or, like, put it all together. So right now I'm working on, like, A History of Play is going to be the theme, and talk about, like, the history of spades, the history of Double Dutch. Like, I'm trying to group things together.

[Cheska Lee]

I love that. I like that it makes it. I think what makes that so special is that it really does sort of demonstrate that we are everywhere. Right? You can't really pigeonhole us into one specific area, one specific genre, one specific discipline. Like, you know, there is sort of a root of black culture, black contribution, black innovation, black culture, black lifestyle, infused in absolutely everything. So I love that, and I'm grateful given sort of, you know, what you said, because I think that needs to sort of, you know, we need to put a pin in that. Because the truth is. And I grew up. I grew up in White Plains. I lived in Harlem. Later on in my Adult life. And then I transitioned here to the dmv. And so I understand the distinction between living in spaces that. That were sort of deeply black and spaces that were not. And so, especially coming to D.C. a lot of conversation that I have with D.C. natives is helping them to understand that, like, Harlem, there are not a lot of people who get to be taught by black teachers and get to sort of understand what we learn in our everyday, sort of standard US American education through the lens of black life and culture. That is a gift. That's a flex that a lot of black people don't necessarily are not necessarily aware of. And so I think what you're doing is super special. And I think that can be probably said of other spaces that are. You know, I'm thinking about Houston. I'm thinking about, like, Jackson, Mississippi, other places that are uniquely black. Right. And the surrounding areas that are not. You know what I'm saying?

[Toya from Harlem]

So New Orleans.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

So exactly.

[Cheska Lee]

Exactly what you're doing is. Is particularly awesome. And I would love to hear if you could speak to why it's so important. Like, why do you think it is important for us to highlight the history and contributions of sort of black culture, Black history as American history, especially in a time where that kind of thing is under attack. What makes these conversations so. So useful?

[Toya from Harlem]

I think it's useful mostly for, like, us to, like, uplift us. I think history, like, knowing the past. But, like, what I talked about earlier is, like, I also talk about future and current things as well, because history is happening this very second. We're making history every day. So I'm like, okay, I want to blend both the past and the present so that we can feel uplifted. I think the more you know about yourself and about how you could contributed to everyday things, it just helps you combat some of the. That we're dealing with right now, right? To be like, we've been here before, historically speaking, and we have survived and we've thrived. And so, like, okay, this sucks, but we're gonna be okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's been my recent mantra. You know, Kia's is I'm safe, and I have what I need. And I've been telling myself literally every day, all right, like, they, you know, it's been. It's been worse. So it's been worse in a different way. You know what I mean? And it's been bad in a different way. And so if. If our ancestors can do it, we can do it. I want to ask you toya, can you bring a little bit of your expertise here to the show. We always. We're talking about why. Why it's important to share Black history, you know, and who you are. Can you tell us the origins of Black History Month? How did that even start? Give us a little lesson.

[Toya from Harlem]

Oh, a little lesson. Okay. So Black History started out as a week initially, and it was like Negro History Week. And there was a couple years ago. A couple years ago, it was like. I think it's like 50 years ago. So, okay, it started out as a week, and Carter created that. He's known as the father of Black History Month. Yeah. Carter Woodson is known as the father of Black History Month. And so it started out as a week, and then from there it a school, Kent University, they were. Their Black Student Union, they wanted to expand it from a week. Let's. The educators and the students were like, we want to expand it from a week. And that was 1970, when they did that, and they practiced it at their school. But then by a year later, it was implemented into law. And their first celebration of Black History Month was longer than a month, to quote Bobby and Whitney. And it lasted, I think, for like.

[Dr. Kia]

Or ancestors.

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah. And it was, like, from January 2nd to February 28th, the first black History Month. And then from there, it was put into law, and that's how we got Black History Month.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah, thank you very much.

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah. And then. Oh, also I would just like to say, okay, the first Negro history week was 1926.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, 20. Okay, 1926. And then when it became a month, win.

[Toya from Harlem]

I believe it was 1971. It was practiced first as a month by the university in 1970, and then a year later, it was implemented into law.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay, see, this is the kind of stuff. This is what our kids need. We didn't even. I know we learned about Black History, but we didn't even learn the or. I don't remember learning the origin of Black history, like, how that even began. It was just Black History Month.

[Cheska Lee]

I know you talked about the ways in which you highlight history around certain themes. What brought you to do this in this way? I know the podcast you shared wanting to sort of have evolution, you know, evolve from the blog, but what prompted you to take up this space? And why do you feel like you do it in a way that's not already being done?

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah, that's a great question. What prompted me specifically? Specifically? Well, I think I said that, right? Is. Was when I went to grad school. I went to grad school, and I was like, you Read like, I was a national urban fellow and a part of that program is getting your master's in 14 months. And part of it is like, you go work as a part of that, you take classes online. And so I basically was. I worked at the Miami Foundation. I moved to Miami for eight months and I was already living in Harlem. And I came back and I did not recognize my neighborhood. And I was like, I was like, things just had checked so quickly. Happened so quickly.

[Dr. Kia]

Right.

[Toya from Harlem]

And it was at the rise of the blog, of course, Course. And I was like, oh, before some white girl comes here, some white transplant comes up in here, it's like, oh, let me tell you all the hot spots. I'm gonna do this. And I'm the perfect person to do this because I'm born and raised here. I have roots here. And I think what, what I try to say is like, you know, I'm like your librarian or your greeter. Remember when you have store greeters? You know what I mean? I don't myself as an expert. We are learning together. So it's like, come to the podcast and we will go look up the book together and we learn together. It's a two way conversation. I have made mistakes. People have been like, oh, you need to add this. And I'm totally open. I don't want to say I'm an authority on anything. And I think that is what makes me uniquely different. And when we think about history, even now, like history podcast, mostly white men historians, mostly white men. I'm one of the few, I think black women who are doing history. There's a lot of good historians. There's a hoochie historian who I'm have on my podcast. She's amazing. There's a couple of us out there.

[Dr. Kia]

Hoochie historian.

[Toya from Harlem]

Go look her up on Instagram, her stuff. I just got her coloring book. It's fire.

[Dr. Kia]

Wait a minute.

[Toya from Harlem]

And I was raised by, you know, hoochies. My cousin, then my mama. You know what I mean? So I have a love.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah.

[Toya from Harlem]

And so I think just like having that mindset that we're learning together, I'm not an authority. And there's not a lot of black women doing this. There's not a lot of black women who are like tatted or like, you know what I mean? Like, I'm just like, I'm going to be myself. And a lot of times I have to even like reprogram my mind. Like I'm writing my podcast scripts and I'm like, okay, girl, this is not a thesis like, you don't have to have three points. How do you actually. Like, I write it, and then I have to go back and be like, how do I actually talk, though? Like, because that's how I want to present it. I think, you know, respectability, politics, and all this stuff has really come into our mind, even subconsciously. And I'm like, no, like that. This is how I talk. This is how history is. These are. I'm gonna give you three facts, and that's it. Like, you look up the rest. I don't have to, like, yeah, prove. You know what I mean? Like, myself in that way.

[Cheska Lee]

It makes me think of, like. Like, right now, all that's happening in a major sort of strategy of what's happening currently is this erasure and the retelling of stories, the retelling of the crafting of a narrative to suggest that certain things didn't happen or that, you know, things are a certain way. And it is so critical. And that's why I think what you're doing is so powerful, because that's the strategy, that retelling history is a way that they erase things. It's a way that they sort of avert accountability. But we stand ten toes down on. We know what happened. We were there. This is our truth. You can't take it. You can't change it. You can't hide it. You can't package it in ways that make you comfortable. This is the. These are the facts. This is what we know. This is our experience. And I love that you are creating space and making it cool for people to do that, because I feel like moving forward, we're going to have to be doing a whole lot more of standing 10 toes down. And like. No, no, no, no, no. I know that's what you said, but this is what actually is. So shout out.

[Dr. Kia]

Exactly.

[Cheska Lee]

I love that.

[Toya from Harlem]

Thanks. And I.

[Dr. Kia]

Speaking of which. Oh. Oh, my bad.

[Toya from Harlem]

I was gonna say just piggybacking off of that. Like, you know, I look at, like, the band book list, like, all these things that are happening. Like, you're saying, I think this is the time to do it. And I think representation. We talked about, like, teachers that look like us. I'm like, okay, I want people to see. I want little men and women and they and thems or. Or even people my age. Just me. And be like, oh, I can do that, too. Like, I'm not the only historian. Like, or people who are interested in history. If you want to do it as well. Like, the more the merrier. And I think it's important to like represent that for people to see themselves in current day. Like digital content creation or digital storytelling. Storytelling, all that. Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

With everything switching up in the way that it is and with what you do, have you thought about ways that you want to amplify our history in ways to combat what's happening with the administration, with. With this, this government in general, with this country? How do you combat that as a historian in telling the truth? And what ways have you thought about maybe having to pivot with sharing that information?

[Toya from Harlem]

Like pivoting for. Just because they're like banning things kind of.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes, because they're banning things. Because they're erasing things. Aren't they trying to erase the, like erase whole records?

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah, they're erasing actual records.

[Cheska Lee]

Like that being swept.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah, right.

[Toya from Harlem]

I think so.

[Dr. Kia]

How do we, how do we work with that?

[Toya from Harlem]

That's crazy. Yeah, I honestly, it's like a new thing, you know, I'm still trying to figure that out. The one thing that I am working on right now is kind of doing a green book for New York City. Like a black owned a list. I did a cafe list that's like free, downloadable. If you're listening, you want to do that. It's like all the black owned cafes in New York City. And so then from that, from doing that and the reception that I got from that, I was like, okay, maybe I need to expand and do this for all of New York as much as I can, because there's a lot. But that's just one way that I'm doing it, I think kind of like creating our own resources in history. So then it's like you can't really erase my personal PDF, but you could probably always erase my website, you know what I mean? Or like.

[Dr. Kia]

Right, right.

[Toya from Harlem]

So just trying to take things offline or off platforms where people can use resources. I know you said like the archive, the humanity archivist. I think he has a couple of PDF documents. I know a lot of historians are like making a lot of resources for people. So I think that's the move is just to own your own things and to have stuff that people can. You can either share via email or if you do have a website and it stays up, they can go to your website. But I think I haven't really thought beyond just the guide right now. But.

[Cheska Lee]

Morning.

[Dr. Kia]

Your message.

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah, you know what I mean? Getting your royalties. But yeah, yes.

[Cheska Lee]

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[Cheska Lee]

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[Toya from Harlem]

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[Dr. Kia]

Can you share with us some. Some some lesser known black pioneers, innovators, leaders that you've learned about in doing this work?

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah, I feel like there's so many. I know. I feel like I did a c. I did a series like two years ago with a company highlighting like Black Young Black Pioneers. Because I think when you think about like black, what they call it Black Futures Month, when you're kind of focusing on things happening currently or people who are doing stuff now for the future. So those are some of the people that I come to think about and I think about a Lot of new activists. So there's like Aaliyah Eastman and she was a survivor of the Parkland shooting. And so she created a non profit against gun violence. And she's been like, really recognized by different organizations. Like she got like a national action network from like MLK Youth Award, like all different types of stuff. So I just think about young people that we don't know because we always think about like a Martin Luther King or. Or someone of that age. Right. Because I would have mentioned them as lesser known, but we always think about like, older people. There's also a woman, a young lady, I think she's only like 19, named Shanti Davis. And she's like doing a lot of stuff with lawmakers and climate change, which we have experienced at the beginning of this year. And so she's leading. She's an organizer of like the Sunrise movement. She's done a rally at the Texas Capitol, really focusing on, like, the effects of climate change and how, you know, it's really going to affect the younger generation the most. It's affecting us too. But I think there's just a lot of young people who are trying to make change that get overlooked because they're young or, you know, they're at the beginning of their career. So those are like the two people that I think about. And then the old person, an old person, an older person that I think we don't know. Sorry. Is a woman named Dr. Patricia Bath. She created a system that allows. That now allows us to early detect cataracts and remove it with lasers. And so. And she did that when she was only like 19 years old. And she really changed the game.

[Cheska Lee]

I love this and I love that all of the people that you named were women. Because I think as this episode will air, we will be heading into Women's History Month.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes, we will.

[Cheska Lee]

And so, given what you do, I don't know how much we think about the origin of Women's History Month. I know that it's not something that we've had for a long time. I think the notes say it's only 44 years old. If you have any information about how Women's History Month was established, you know, can you share any of that?

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah, I think similar to Black History Month, Women's History Month started the same way, like as a week, and that was in 1978. And I believe it started, like, in California. It was like an education task force of women.

[Dr. Kia]

That makes sense.

[Toya from Harlem]

We're like, we're gonna do Women's history week in 1978. And it was the week of like March 8th. That was like a very short week. And then some women later on, I think. Well, then from there, In February of 1980, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed March 8 the Women's History Week. And then not until March 1987 did Congress actually vote for it to be an entire month.

[Cheska Lee]

Crazy.

[Dr. Kia]

Because our contributions, again, like, you know, like black people are limited to 30 days, sometimes 31. You know what I really love in asking you about the lesser known, lesser known, you know, kind of facts that you can share with us? I love that you named young people because once upon a time, Octavia Butler was fresh on the scene. You know what I mean? Like, once upon a time, Audre Lorde was fresh on the scene, Nikki Giovanni and so forth. And so I love that you are finding people on the ground today who are doing things and writing about them and letting the people know about them. Because at. In, in the future, that is going to be history and these people are going to, are going to be. Need to be known for the work that they've done and the things that they've shared and the contributions they've made to our community. So I think that's so important. Key and I are going to have some upcoming conversations with younger generations because I, we, we feel like there's a way for us to come together and use unify, because there is a big divide online. You know, lots of generational awards. So I love that you're listening. There's so many generational wars. They're like, ah, you all are your jean jackets. And I'm like, you all are your lazy. So, you know, I think there is a way for us to have these conversations. And I love that you're highlighting young historians as well and young people who are making change that we're going to need to know about in the future.

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

What's one of your favorite facts that you have have come across in doing this work?

[Toya from Harlem]

Favorite fact. That's so hard.

[Dr. Kia]

I know that's like people, what's your favorite thing to cook? I'm like, ah, that's my least favorite question. I can tell you that.

[Toya from Harlem]

I don't, I don't know if I have a favorite fact. I have like something like when I.

[Dr. Kia]

Think about or maybe like one that surprised you?

[Toya from Harlem]

Okay, one that surprised me. That's like, you're gonna be like, this has nothing to do with anything. Toya is like that Barbie's full name is Barbara.

[Dr. Kia]

What?

[Cheska Lee]

There was a documentary.

[Dr. Kia]

I never knew that a black girl.

[Cheska Lee]

Did a Documentary of, like, the history. I can't think of her name. I watched it, though. So you knew that there's a young black woman that did. Yeah, well. And just sort of understanding the contributions of black women to sort of the evolution of Barbie. So it's like, you know, the first person to style Barbie was black.

[Dr. Kia]

And, you know, and the person who.

[Toya from Harlem]

Created Barbie is Kitty. I think it's Kitty Black Perkins. She created black Barbie after the image of Diana Ross.

[Cheska Lee]

Yes.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay, okay, okay. That makes sense. You know, I have. I'm gonna leave that alone, but you can share. No, no. It's an intrusive thought. That doesn't need to be. That doesn't need to be broadcasted.

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

We are living in a precarious time, Toya. We're living a precarious time. It's challenging to find the motivation to fight and push back against everything. Can you share some history of, like, maybe some of our re. Rebellious individuals from the days of y. Just to kind of inspire our audience that we. We don't have to just sit here and let them continue to erase us.

[Toya from Harlem]

Oh, that's a good one. You know what? Today when I went. I went to a cafe in Harlem talking to a black man, and we just started talking about the Haitian revolution. And so obviously that's a. That's a revolt. And that was very violent, but necessary for the time. So I think about that because I don't think. And we were talking about, like, I don't think a lot of people learn about the Haitian revolution and like, Toussaint and just how they match the energy of their slaveholders to get their freedom. And, you know, we think about Haiti now as this place that's has a lot of climate issues and economy issues, and a lot of that is the result of them being the first black republic and like, you know, colonizers being upset about that and ruining their resources and their ability to support, sustain themselves. But I think about the Haitian revolution, which is not a person. So I don't know if I answered your question, but.

[Dr. Kia]

No, that. I think that. I think that's actually an important one to highlight because even, you know, on a weekly basis or, you know, at this point, you know, I discuss on in a broad spectrum what's happening in the world, and Haiti and Haiti is very much a part of that. I don't think it's in the conversation directly all the time, the way that it needs to, to be. But they continue to, for lack of a better phrase, pay the price for what white people have continued to do to them and what whiteness has continued to do to them. And so I think the resilience of the spirit of Haiti is something that is absolutely important for us to take with us. And I thank you for refreshing us on that. And. And it, it incites us to go and kind of do our own research on it as well, which I think is a really important aspect of the work that you do.

[Toya from Harlem]

I think another one that people know that I think is like very necessary is even like the Black Panther Party. And that brings us back to the conversation about like young black pioneers. Like, people don't realize those were young people. Like they were 20, 21, 22, you know what I mean? Like organizing breakfast programs, protesting, taking up arms. Not to say that that's what I'm encouraging to do, but I'm just saying, like, when we think about the que. You know, the question that you asked me, which was great, it's like, okay, what are some examples of us rebellion? Like that is one. Like the Black Panther Party was a national organization and was like, we were like one band, one sounds. You know what I mean?

[Dr. Kia]

Yes, very much so.

[Toya from Harlem]

And so I think we overlook them in some ways in terms of what they actually did. Instead of just like the aesthetic, which was fly, but just like looking at like, yes, it was, you know, just like how they had like a 10 point program and they were really doing like community, I don't want to say policing, but like community self care. And I was recently just talking to someone about like the history of self care and how even like the women of the party really introduce self care. Like we talk about self care now as, you know, like a luxury experience. But a lot of the women started in the 70s, really kind of revolutionized self care because they were like being in prison and stuff like that and like held in confinement. So they started meditating, they started doing yoga, and then they started implementing that in the community, amongst each other and even like taking care of each other. Like self care was not just about yourself, but like taking care of community at the same time. So I think just thinking about the Black Panther Party and the layers of their contribution that still affect us today and like how we look at self care or how we look at, you know, coming together.

[Dr. Kia]

I love that because we talk about self care all the time on this show and to know some. Some of the origins and of our ancestors who were doing things like that and implement, implementing them in ways to continue to care for themselves in the midst of what was going on around them is something that we absolutely need to take with us, especially now.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

Fred Hampton was, what, 21 when they killed him?

[Toya from Harlem]

I believe so, yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

21 years old. They were threatened. Their work that you spoke about was so imperative in the community that they were threatened by a 21 year old. We look at 21 year olds now call them Y N's.

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

So that is something to absolutely keep in mind. I'm sorry, Kia.

[Cheska Lee]

No, I was just gonna say, I mean, this has been such a rich conversation, but I. We were talking about as we were preparing to record, like, you know, getting grown as a space where we fully acknowledge and amplify that we are more than what we do. So I want to open up the conversation a little bit to sort of just allow, you know, help us to get to know Toya a little bit better beyond the great work that she is doing. So you said that you were born in Harlem and you spent some time in la. What were you. What. What prompted your transition to the other side of the country?

[Toya from Harlem]

Okay, well, it's a combo.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay.

[Toya from Harlem]

It was love at the time.

[Dr. Kia]

I knew from that tone. I said it was a nigga, but.

[Toya from Harlem]

It was also a change. It was also the change of, like, I've always wanted to live in la, but, you know, the nigga helped accelerate that. And I wanted like a change of pace. You know, I think when you're on the coast, there's this like, LA west coast lore. You know, you like palm trees and rollerblading on the boardwalk. So. And I wanted, like, you know, the change of pace. At the time, I was smoking weeds. I was excited about that and the weather. I was. I feel like I had the worst case of seasonal depression right before I left and, like, to the point where I had to be medicated. And I was like, okay, I can't do this no more. Like, I can't do this. So that also motivated me. And that was like my first winter after when I went to, like, Miami. So I was like, okay, there's a difference in my personality in terms of when I'm in the sun and when I'm not. But I didn't really want to be in Miami because that humidity was killing me.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, yeah, because sometimes you can't even breathe.

[Toya from Harlem]

I used to step out of my apartment and I felt like I was like in a heated yoga studio. Like, I would go outside and be like, why does it feel like that?

[Dr. Kia]

What am I swallowing? Why does the air feel thick? Yeah, what is this? Oh, man. Toya, we are so grateful for you coming through and sharing some of your expertise. I want to leave you with one more question.

[Toya from Harlem]

Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Before we roll out of here. Okay. So as a person who was raising a young person, and also, we are all community, so we are all raising everybody's young people at this point, and with them continuously, as we have brought up several times, continuing to try to erase our history. And they are infiltrating into schools and programs and so forth and so on, doing every desperate grab that they can to minimize who we are. How would you. How would you recommend somebody like myself or even Kia with a. With a niece or whoever, educate our young people and share tidbits with them and get them excited about learning about their own history?

[Toya from Harlem]

That's a great question. I just finished watching a Luther Vandross documentary, and so I feel like. I feel like documentaries, like, you know, I think we always think about, like, books, which is. Yeah, like, definitely books, but I'm, like, also just challenging them with, like, documentaries, making them watch A Different World that's on Netflix now with you, like, just. Just letting them see the things that we grew up on or like, our parents grew up on a. Learning about music, artists, or whatever their interest is, because people have different interests. So if, like, your daughter's interested in music or sports, like, finding stuff that has black history in that genre. You know what I mean? I think. And also doing different mediums, like, you know, doing the documentaries, going to the museums, like, because I think that education, what we've learned, especially, like, I think after us, is like, okay, people learn differently. Some people are visual learners. Some people like movies. Some people like this. And I think we have to, like, implement that with younger people. We were forced to sit down and read a damn book. But, yeah.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah. Yes, we were. Yes, we were.

[Toya from Harlem]

But I think that what we can. I feel like what we're doing as a. As young millennials and, like, parents and aunties and uncles is really trying to break that. And that's even how we teach them. And so I would just say try to figure out what your little one likes and how they learn. Like, they want to go to the science museum. Okay. Can you pull other scientists that look like them and stuff like that? I would just. That would be, like, my thing. And, like, definitely watch Duluth, the Vandross documentary, definitely.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, I already. Noah. I made her watch it. And then we listened to. Listened. We do a listen to an artist, you know? You know, and then that's. So music is a. That's a great way. And I love that you brought that up because it. It does vary from kid to kid. Right. So just sparking that interest so that it. It piques them to go and dig a little bit deeper. I love.

[Cheska Lee]

I love that continuing to talk about it, like, I think that's key. And I'm that auntie. I'm that auntie. Like, well, you know.

[Dr. Kia]

Exactly.

[Cheska Lee]

Well, you know, now I know what they're teaching in that book, but did.

[Toya from Harlem]

You know.

[Cheska Lee]

That John Lewis was actually the congressman? Like, that's me. Let's get down to the fact. Okay.

[Toya from Harlem]

That just reminded me of. Remember those green Quest cars we used to have?

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah.

[Toya from Harlem]

For some reason, I don't know why, because everything was like, did you know.

[Dr. Kia]

Grand Quest cards and Scholastic. Scholastic magazine, they don't do that no more.

[Toya from Harlem]

They don't have Scholastic Book fairs, do they?

[Cheska Lee]

I don't think so.

[Toya from Harlem]

That hurts.

[Dr. Kia]

No. I don't know, though.

[Cheska Lee]

I'm sure that they will correct us other. The. The elementary educators of. Of. Of. Of at the kitchen table will be like, yay or nay. But I don't know. I. It's been a long time. The kids, if they are having them, the kids do not go up for them like we used to. Because I remember the book fair was all that I could talk about. But I don't hear the sister.

[Dr. Kia]

Let me tell you. I was. And I was trying to spend every last quarter.

[Cheska Lee]

A little bit of book money was going into it.

[Toya from Harlem]

There was no change left over.

[Cheska Lee]

That's what I'm saying.

[Dr. Kia]

The big Clifford. It was always a Clifford exhibit.

[Cheska Lee]

Red cabinets, lockers. They would roll out into the hallway.

[Dr. Kia]

I used to get so hyped for the book fair. I'm getting a pencil, I'm getting a couple bookmarks, and then I'm getting myself a couple of books. I'm going up, I'm balling out. Do you hear me?

[Toya from Harlem]

I don't even remember my mom telling me. No. I feel like that was the only time that she would let me blow a bag. Like, she was like, okay, whatever you want.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah. Oh, I get a 20. I get a 20 spot. And let me tell you something. A 20 spot takes you far to Scholastic Book.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay, so now we need to bring that back.

[Dr. Kia]

If they don't have it anymore. Anymore, maybe we need to hit up Scholastic and be like, can we. Can we band together? Or what side of the table are you all on? Because I don't know where they at either.

[Toya from Harlem]

That's. That's the part. That's the part right there, dear.

[Dr. Kia]

I don't know what you all believe in. Toya, tell the people where they can find you. Is there anything you want to leave them with? Is there anything you want to share before we roll out?

[Toya from Harlem]

Yeah, you can find me all over the interwebs as Toya from Harlem or you can look up my podcast name that was in my textbook. I do a lot of cross promotion and then I have a website for the PODC that wasn't in my textbook.com and I have a free guide if you go to any of those sites. I have a free guide of black owned cafes in New York City and by the time this comes out, my black owned guide to New York City will be available.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes. Thank you so. And all of that will be found in the description box wherever you're listening. I know visually if you're watching this there will be a link on the screen but if you are just listening, go to the description box, go to our socials and click the bio and you'll be able to find all things Toya from Harlem. Toya, we're so grateful for you coming through and sharing some of your tidbits here on the show. Yeah, I'm so glad. Thank you for the work that you do.

[Toya from Harlem]

Thank you all for the work that you do. I'm happy to sit at the kitchen table.

[Cheska Lee]

You're welcome anytime you're gonna have to come back and yes, you are.

[Toya from Harlem]

Am I welcome with my warm ketchup and my cold water?

[Cheska Lee]

Well, you know, I also. So we'll have.

[Toya from Harlem]

Okay, okay, okay. Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah, so will my grandmother. So y' all are good.

[Toya from Harlem]

Why grandma had to catch a straight.

[Dr. Kia]

Cuz she's the one who keeps that cab she keeps right in the cabinet. You all check that out and stay tuned for the next segment. We'll see you all in a minute. Honestly, truly. All right, you all, you know we love hearing from from you and I know we don't always get a chance to get to it, but we want to do better about that this year. So make sure that you are hitting us up with your honesty box questions and so forth.

[Cheska Lee]

Your.

[Dr. Kia]

I know that's right. All of that. Share with us. Talk to us at hello Getting grown co. And with that being said, we got an email. I don't think it needs a a pseudonym but because it's fun to do things that we should create one. Okay, so sis, give me a pseudonym.

[Cheska Lee]

Let's do Cheryl Lee Ralph.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay, Cheryl Lee Ralph and Cheryl Lee Ralph told us that this does not have to be read on the show. But as I read it, I thought it important to share this information because again we are community. So Cheryl Lee Ralph, thank you for writing in real name Antonio and Sherily Ralph says all right. I do want to share the whole email though. Hope you're both doing well. This is where they say this. It doesn't have to be read on the show but they're dedicated to black folks. Preservation of history. And we are too so we're gonna make this public. You've both mentioned the preservation of family artifacts, particularly photos. I've been my family historian for quite a while, a feat at almost 33 and and I'm currently a PhD candidate in the US in history and public history. Shout out to Howard. So I have a few tips. I'm not an expert nor do I want to be liable. So these are suggestions. Okay so we want to make sure they said that suggestion. We want disclaimer on there. Okay. These are not long but it's always nice to share. Get a flatbed scanner for photos which you can find photo for under a hundred dollars.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

You can scan at various DPI and multiple photos simultaneously, saving them as different files. Store these photos in a place that doesn't experience drastic temperature changes. Somewhere dry and cool works phenomenally. As a child of the 90s we all remember the photo albums with the sticky plastic. Don't use that.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Get the PVC free and acid free sleep sleeves to store your photos. It will help them to last longer. Store them in a place such as Google Drive, the cloud, flash drives, etc it will make them easier to share. I'd also say host a zoom call and have family members help identify folks. My almost 92 year old grandfather is my last grandparent left and his memory surpasses us all. He's also helped me identify folks in photos that would have never been discovered. I love that if you're writing on the back of the photos, use a soft pencil, no ink or use software like Tropy T R O P Y where you can tag folks in photos. Thank you so so so much. She goes, I apologize. They said I apologize for the long email. In the words of Monique, my sweet babies, I love us for real and I and we do too. So even though you said thank you Charlie Ralph. Yes, thank you Cheryl Lee Ralph. That was. That's actually very helpful. Those are very helpful tips and I think it also fits into the theme of this episode as we're talking about history and how important history is. You know, archiving and being able to preserve that as best as possible is very important to that. So thank you for sharing those and make sure again, like we said before, you're sending your honesty box questions and so forth and so on etc. Yeah, hello.

[Cheska Lee]

For sure. You've prompted me to ask my family if we have a historian. I'm scared to ask though because they're gonna be like no girl, why don't you do it? No.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh no, it's me. It's fully me and I. And you know that's a loose, fast and loose term. So you know, as I'm trying to get things together and like this is a very great big undertaking in archiving your family history, tools and tips like these are really helpful so we're really grateful for that. And with that being said, let's head on into the I know that's right SL self care segment.

[Cheska Lee]

Y.

[Dr. Kia]

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[Cheska Lee]

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[Toya from Harlem]

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[Dr. Kia]

I deserve.

[Cheska Lee]

My I'm gonna do. I know that's right this week because, you know, you all have made me proud to be a black woman. I'm always proud to be a black woman. But I just feel like, you know, this week, this weekend past, I have just loved how black women say stand up for one another. We don't play around. We don't allow any of all, any, anybody to have their names, our names in their mouths. Talking crazy.

[Dr. Kia]

Hello, good morning.

[Cheska Lee]

Exactly. And even, and I love that even in instances where we do need to talk about accountability or have, like, real criticisms, it very much gives the energy like, that's my sister and I can talk about her, but you keep your, you keep your trap shut. You keep your mouth shut. Talking to me crazy. That's what it gives. And shut up when you're talking to me. I'm really. Shut up when you're talking to me. Shut up right now. And I love that about us. And I'm speaking specifically about just seeing how black women have been rallying around Joy Ann Reid. We know Joann Reed has been a longtime contributor to msnbc. Her show, the Readout has been a space where, you know, Joy has called people to the carpet and spoken truth to power and leverage her platform to elevate and amplify information in ways that help us as a people and us as a society globally. And MSNBC has canceled her show. And it's just been awesome to sort of see the outpouring of support. Black women have been rallying around Joy, telling her how much we love her, how much we need her, how much we support her, how much no matter what, we're going to have her back. We're going to ride for her. And so that has done me. That's done my heart so good. And also, we also want just the way that black women have rallied around Francesca Ramsey, AKA Cheska Lee. I don't even want to give that fan base.

[Dr. Kia]

Son of Scientologists, we're not.

[Cheska Lee]

Gonna have, we're not gonna give that, no, no air time. But you know that we still say very loudly and, and very purposefully that Ceskely has been one of the front runners, you know, one of the loudest and most vocal people holding society accountable, talking very plainly about racism and anti blackness Centering and amplifying black culture and the contributions of black people, trans people, queer people. Just, you know, all of the ways that she's been a fierce advocate in the digital space and just a pioneer of content creation, and she was attacked over the weekend. And to just see all the black women on my timeline was like, hey, a. Easy on, easy on Cheskali. We not gonna do that. Okay? We not gonna do that. And that just did my heart proud. I just love it. I love us. We don't play about ours. That's what we should be doing. Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah, that's what we should do.

[Cheska Lee]

And I'm just proud. I'm always proud to be a black woman, but I am. You know, y', all, we just doing. We're doing what we're supposed to do. We continue to be exemplars.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

And I don't care, you know. You know, even if they don't pay us no mind, we continue to do what we know to do. That is right. And I just love it. And I love us for real. And I. I want to thank y' all for doing what you're supposed to do. I want to acknowledge that you're doing the right thing. You're doing good things. And, you know, shout out to. Shout out to Joy Reid. Shout out to Cheskali. Thank y' all for all of the ways that you see and show up and have. And speak out on our behalf. We speak your name. We love you here getting grown. We also got your back.

[Toya from Harlem]

Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

Make sure.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, yeah. I don't even. I don't even see none of that going online. But let me tell you something. Your daddy wrote walking by. You did not. Okay. You did not. Okay, easy. All you did was come from his chocolate salty balls. Okay? And that's a song that he sung so you can go to Middle Earth.

[Cheska Lee]

That's enough of that.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay.

[Cheska Lee]

No, I'm not talking throughout.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, I know, I know.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah, that's enough out of you, sir. Thank you so much.

[Toya from Harlem]

I know that's right.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah, you shut up when you're talking to us.

[Cheska Lee]

But yeah, that's my. I know that's right. I love us for real. Please, Period. Yeah, right now shut up when you're talking to me crazy. Don't do that. I know that's right.

[Dr. Kia]

Well, I also. So instead of me sharing a self care or. And I know that's right. This episode, I'm going to share a listeners. I know that's right. Because like I said, we love hearing from you. All you Know what I'm saying? So when you share, we want to amplify. And so the email says, hi, chef Jade and Dr. Kia. My name is Amber Jackson and I am a long time listener. Thank you both for all you do and for being vulnerable with us every week.

[Cheska Lee]

Thank you for listening.

[Dr. Kia]

I am tired of waiting for others to celebrate my wins. Okay. I know that's right. I know that's right. So I'm doing it myself. I'm from Chicago and live in Providence, Rhode Island. She said, enough said. Enough said. For sure, girl. We understand Middle Earth. I own a tea company called Black Leaf, which I launched as an e commerce business in 2019. After moving here and struggling to find community, I decided to use my degrees in food science to create a line of loose tea blends that are unique, delicious, and encourage togetherness. I open. Okay. Women in Steam. I opened the Black Leaf tea Cafe in October 2023, where I sell my package product, specialty tea mocktails and lattes and host community events. 2024 was a year. I was on the Jennifer Hudson show in February. Yes. Okay. I love that little hallway. I love that hallway. Featured in Vogue magazine in June. And. Okay. And I'm not even going to read that. You know why? And in essence, in December, to close out the year, I was awarded a grant as a recipient of the Hynes Black Kitchen initiative.

[Cheska Lee]

Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Gang. Gang Squad. Squad. Yeah. She got. She got her cast iron skillet. They owe me a second skillet. Anyway, I also owe you both a huge thank you. I. I've been waiting on that goddamn skillet. I enrolled in school for another master's degree after eight years of being out of school. I am in the gastronomy department at Boston University, focused on food history and culture, and was inspired to do so after your episode with Dr. Psyche Williams Forson. I love this program. My final project for my food history class will be a series of dinner parties. Oh, my God.

[Cheska Lee]

I want to be a part.

[Dr. Kia]

One will be focused on the literary and artists salons of Harlem in the 1920s, and the others will be focused on makers. Again, thank you both for being a constant inspiration and I wish an overflow of blessings for your future. I've also included some pictures. That's from Amber Jackson. Amber, I know that. That's right. I love that so much. Let me tell you something. Finding black owned tea companies has been one of my favorite things over the past five years. From Brooklyn Tea to Minty Bong Water. I love him. His name is Terrell, which is also a good Sturdy Black name.

[Cheska Lee]

But you know, I love a sturdy black name.

[Dr. Kia]

I love a good sturdy black name. So Brooklyn, Brooklyn Tea, Minty Bong Water. Who? And then now we we've got Black Leaf Tea. I'm just so. I'm so. I'm so excited about this. Amber. Thank you so much for sharing. That is a huge. I know. That's right. You should celebrate yourself. We are gonna have these links in the description box or wherever you are listening as well so you all can support Black Leaf Tea and support Amber as she continues on doing amazing, amazing things for the community. I love how community based this is. So yes. Thank you so much Amber. And make sure you all are sending us your. I know. That's right. We would love to hear from you as well. Again, hello@gettinggrown co and we're gonna close this out and head on over to our petty peeves.

[Cheska Lee]

And I want to be very responsible.

[Dr. Kia]

Of the things I say to my sister because everybody know I can be real petty pe to the tty.

[Cheska Lee]

All right, let's get to the mess. Mine is very direct and straight unto the point. So I might have said this before but it bears repeating because it just keeps happening. So the meeting times. You know, if the meeting at work begins at 4:15, there's always somebody who starts the meeting at 4:13. 4:12. 4:13.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Cheska Lee]

And let me tell you how petty I am. I might be sitting at this desk ready to go, but I'm waiting until 4:15.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

I'm not going to jump in the call. Because you decided to start it early. No, because the meeting starts at 4:15. And so if I need to take that last 120 seconds to take a deep breath and close my eyes and call on Jesus so that I can go into this meeting and do it at have to do that is my prerogative. That is my choice. That is my business and that is what I will be doing. So if the meeting starts at 4:10, you can expect me to be there at 4:10. I don't care if you. If you need to start it at 407 for whatever reason, that is not my business and I will not be there. I will sit here and wait. I will watch until the clock is changes until 4:10 to click join. And that is my petty peeve. So if you are the person that starts early and you want to have that, you know, pre meeting banter. Oh, that's. I don't want.

[Dr. Kia]

I don't want pre or post meeting banter.

[Cheska Lee]

If I'm Being honest, I don't either.

[Dr. Kia]

I don't want any of it. All right, guys, have a good day.

[Cheska Lee]

And I know. I think. Yeah, yeah. And I'm gonna come in, I'm gonna speak, and I'm gonna say hello and ask everyone how they're doing. But listen, don't icebreaker me. Don't expect me to engage in your icebreakers. I don't want to. I don't care to tell you what my favorite ice cream flavor is or what I'm most looking forward to about the spring equinox. Don't ask me, because we are here to talk about what we are here to talk.

[Dr. Kia]

Or whether or not I keep my ketchup in the fridge or the cabinet.

[Cheska Lee]

Yeah. And what. And what I did over the weekend. Or. Or. Girl, girl. Girl.

[Dr. Kia]

I'm not telling you, so it doesn't matter.

[Cheska Lee]

Listen, you can call me sour and angsty. That's your right. I'm just telling you that. As for me, we're gonna get to the agenda.

[Dr. Kia]

Yeah. No.

[Cheska Lee]

And I'm gonna be pleasant and sweet and kind, but I'm not going to sit around here and, you know your meeting openers. Save it for dating. I don't need it. That's not for me.

[Dr. Kia]

No, you can come.

[Cheska Lee]

We don't need a meeting opener. This is a standing weekly meeting. We don't need to have an icebreaker. The ice has been broke. I've been meeting with y' all for months.

[Dr. Kia]

Come in like Charlotte with a salutations and keep it.

[Cheska Lee]

What's your petty.

[Dr. Kia]

Okay. It's my mind. I hate when I make a note to do something and I don't do it. It's a great giant inconvenience and sometimes a consequence.

[Cheska Lee]

Man.

[Dr. Kia]

Brain fog. Brain fog is my petty peeve this week. Actually. Might not be. It's one of life's greatest enemies.

[Cheska Lee]

It might not be too late.

[Dr. Kia]

It may not be too late, but we're. I'm sparing.

[Cheska Lee]

I was sitting next to you. I thought you were sending the email. I didn't know you were making a note.

[Dr. Kia]

I was sending it, and then I didn't send it.

[Cheska Lee]

Yikes.

[Dr. Kia]

Oh, yeah. Well, yeah.

[Cheska Lee]

All right.

[Dr. Kia]

It'd be like that. Okay, so, yes, my brain fog is my petty peeve this week, you know, because sometimes it comes back to bite you in the ass, and you got to figure out ways to do better. I mean, I still, you know, I stand by my. By all.

[Cheska Lee]

I know.

[Dr. Kia]

I know, but also. Yeah, but, you know, we. But yes. So, yes. Brain fog. I know, we are all experiencing it in a very real way. And it is.

[Cheska Lee]

Yes.

[Dr. Kia]

The great enemy.

[Cheska Lee]

There's a lot of things that we have to sort of hold space for on. On our minds, and sometimes things just fall through the cracks.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes. That's where we are. Yeah, yeah, do so.

[Cheska Lee]

That's true. All right.

[Dr. Kia]

Well, all right.

[Cheska Lee]

Live and direct.

[Dr. Kia]

Petty peeve that just came off the dome.

[Cheska Lee]

Wow. Okay.

[Dr. Kia]

Well, with that being said, we are so absolutely, very grateful for you all coming through. Absolutely great every single week and supporting us. Thank you so much to Toya from Harlem for coming through, dropping some jewels and some gems and ways for us to go and kind of, you know, broaching that interest for us to go and become our own historians of the things that interest and tantalize us and, you know, pointing out the. The reasons why it's so important to do this with our younger generation because we got to keep this information going. So thank you, Toya, for coming through and sitting with us at the kitchen table and says, take the people out, out and tell them what to do.

[Cheska Lee]

Make sure that you are keeping your mind moisturized and free of brain fog.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes. Yeah, yeah.

[Cheska Lee]

Do that by attending to your business and your business alone. You want to make sure that you're moisturizing your insides by drinking just as much water as your body can sustain, whether your preference is room temp or ice cold.

[Dr. Kia]

Yes.

[Cheska Lee]

It's your world.

[Dr. Kia]

Sorry. Do what you want to do.

[Cheska Lee]

And finally, and most importantly, you want to moisturize your skin because your black will crack if it's dry.

[Dr. Kia]

We love you.

[Cheska Lee]

Yes.

[Dr. Kia]

For real. Our babies. Bye.

[Cheska Lee]

Bye.