Gettin’ Grown – “The Power of Water” (Feat. Tara Roberts)

Date: April 1, 2025
Hosts: Jade and Keisha
Guest: Tara Roberts (National Geographic Explorer, author, storyteller)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jade and Keisha welcome Tara Roberts—a National Geographic explorer, award-winning podcaster, and author—to the Kitchen Table. They discuss Tara's remarkable journey from Atlanta to the depths of the world’s oceans, where she documents Black scuba divers and the search for slave shipwrecks. Together, they explore Black history, the significance of water, storytelling, women’s legacy, and how purpose often finds us when we least expect it.

Main Themes & Purpose

• Intertwining of Storytelling, Purpose, and History: Tara’s journey is a testament to how our curiosities and discomfort can guide us to fulfillment and meaningful impact.
• Visibility of Black Aquatic Legacy: Shining a light on the little-known history of Black divers and the vital role Black people have played in maritime history.
• Healing through Recognition: The act of naming, remembering, and honoring ancestors lost to the Atlantic as both a personal and collective healing process.
• Women in Adventure and Scholarship: Black women as trailblazers in aquatic archaeology and storytelling—redefining cultural narratives.
• Following the Call: Practical advice on listening for and leaning into your life's purpose, often found in moments of discomfort or curiosity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening: The Joys & Trials of Adulthood and Black Womanhood

• Jade and Keisha swap stories about recent music events, cultural flubs (Emily King and Alicia Keys not knowing “Angel” at Anita Baker’s concert—[04:00]), and the ongoing effort to show up for community and global justice (campaigning for Sudan and Gaza, organizing dinner parties for Black community—[08:38]).
• “I have to put my figurative money where my mouth is…” – Jade [08:41]

2. Introducing Tara Roberts ([16:07])

• Jade beams introducing Tara: “Tara Roberts is a storyteller, adventurer, and traveler…who reports on shipwrecks that once carried captive Africans during the transatlantic slave trade... National Geographic Explorer of the Year!”
• Tara’s response to her bio: “It’s so crazy when you hear, like, it all spoken out, like, okay, I know. That's so crazy.” – Tara [16:23]

3. Tara’s Roots and Childhood Inspiration ([17:10])

• Raised by her mother Lula, a reading teacher, Tara fell in love with books and imagined adventures as an escape and future possibility.
  • “Books took me around the world... gave me this love of adventure and fantasy.” – Tara [18:13]
• Discussing favorite childhood books, like A Wrinkle in Time and the Taran Wanderer series, and reflecting on the lack of Black representation in these genres.
  • “I used to dream at night that Mrs. Whatsit would come and knock on my door and invite me to help save the universe.” – Tara [19:34]

4. Finding Purpose Through Discomfort ([23:38], [54:55])

• Tara’s career detour into nonprofit work gave her stability but left her unfulfilled. In 2016, seeking more meaningful work around race, she visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture and encountered a life-changing archival photo of a group of Black women in wetsuits ([29:14]–[31:07]).
  • “It was almost like the women, to me, they looked beautiful—afros, braids. They were laughing. There was something so free about them... they reminded me of little Tara who used to dream of adventure.” – Tara [32:04]
• She learned about Diving with a Purpose, an organization committed to finding and documenting slave shipwrecks.
• Accepting the invitation to join and train with them, Tara left her nonprofit job, guided by a powerful sense of calling.
  • “Purpose is something that finds you… sometimes it will come and get you.” – Keisha [54:55]
  • “Lord, make me so uncomfortable that I have to change.” – Tara citing Iyanla Vanzant [56:30]

5. Black Aquatic Legacy & Debunking Myths ([37:48]–[38:52])

• Tara shares surprising and affirming history: Black people invented the freestyle stroke, and African divers were renowned worldwide centuries ago.
  • “The idea that we're not connected to the water is false.” – Tara [38:52]
• Jade recounts her great-grandfather as the only Black swimmer on his Boston swim team, emphasizing generational pride.

6. Training, Community, and the Rigors of Scuba ([44:10]–[49:39])

• Tara joins Underwater Adventure Seekers, the oldest Black diving club in the US (founded in the 1950s), describing the intensity and camaraderie of the training and community.

7. Honoring Ancestors and Shifting Narrative ([67:46]–[80:11])

• Moving from wanting just adventure to realizing the gravity of the mission: honoring the 1.8 million Africans lost in the Middle Passage, many unnamed and unacknowledged ([71:04], [71:57]).
  • “Who's honoring that? Who's acknowledging that number?” – Tara [71:51]
• The transformative instruction to “speak their names” from her mother’s pastor reoriented her storytelling to include the spiritual aspect of healing—personally and communally.
  • “By speaking their names… we can help put them to rest.” – Tara [75:57]

8. Highlighting Black Women’s Legacy in the Field ([58:24])

• Tara recounts diving and connecting with nearly all the Black women in that life-changing photo.
• Inspirational stories, like that of Ayanna Flewellen, co-founder of the Society of Black Archaeologists, who sees “the water as home—a body that is fluid, constantly in motion, changing.” – Ayanna via Tara [62:41]

9. Spirituality, the Ocean as Feminine, and Cosmic Perspective ([64:05]–[66:26])

• The ocean’s feminine, mysterious, and boundary-setting energy; respect for the unknowable.
  • “The ocean feels so decidedly feminine to me… it’s changeable, powerful, moving…” – Tara [64:29]
  • “There are parts of the water we cannot explore… it’s not your business.” – Jade [65:03]

10. Transformative Finds & The Healing Power of Acknowledgment ([91:00])

• Tara recounts a profound event: returning soil from Mozambique to the site of a slave shipwreck in South Africa to allow ancestors' spirits “to touch home,” after which the sea calmed and the sun emerged.
  • “The ancestors were put to rest… because they just needed to be acknowledged and honored.” – Tara [97:25]

11. Storytelling, Youth, and Imagination ([82:01]–[88:17])

• Discussion of the role of Black storytelling in YA fiction, recommending Eden Royce’s and Justina Ireland’s work.
• Hope for Tara to turn her real-life stories into works for youth, continuing the fantasy tradition she longed for as a child.
  • “There’s so many interesting ways to pivot our history and information to appeal to the young people and continue to tell those stories in ways that they want…” – Jade [86:57]

12. Advice for Finding Your Calling ([100:55]–[103:32])

• Reassurance for listeners searching for purpose: discomfort is a sign to seek change; follow your curiosity and where you feel “the lightness.”
  • “Sometimes the next step is not clear… but my tip is the universe speaks through your feelings. When you feel the lightness, that’s the only thing you need to listen to.” – Tara [102:47]
• “If I can do it, so can you.” – Tara [108:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [19:34] Tara: “I used to dream at night that Mrs. Whatsit would come and knock on my door and invite me to come help save the universe.”
• [32:04] Tara: “They reminded me of the little Tara who used to dream of adventure.”
• [38:52] Tara: “This idea that we’re not connected to the water is false.”
• [40:51] Tara: “...these women are on real life quests to change the world.”
• [56:30] Tara (citing Iyanla): “Lord, make me so uncomfortable that I have to change.”
• [62:41] Ayanna (via Tara): “I think of the water as home… this body that is fluid, constantly in motion, and changing.”
• [64:29] Tara: “The ocean feels so decidedly feminine to me. It’s changeable, powerful but steady…”
• [71:57] Tara: “Who’s honoring that? …when you think about that amount of loss of life, this is something for not just the US. The world needs to acknowledge this.”
• [97:25] Tara: “...the ancestors were put to rest. And they were put to rest because they just needed to be acknowledged and honored.”
• [102:47] Tara: “As soon as you feel the lightness… your body’s like ‘Ooh, that’s the sign. That’s what you listen to.’”
• [108:10] Tara: “If I can do it, so can you.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [16:07] – Tara Roberts Introduction and Background
• [23:38] – Tara describes her moment of transition and the museum photo
• [32:04] – Tara reflects on seeing herself and possibility in that image
• [37:48] – Black aquatics history and invention of swimming strokes
• [54:55] – Discussion on pursuing purpose and letting it find you
• [62:41] – Ayanna Flewellen’s explanation of water as home
• [67:46] – Honoring ancestors, speaking their names, and shifting the narrative
• [91:00] – The Mozambique soil ceremony: a story of healing and acknowledgment
• [100:55] – Advice for listeners searching for personal calling
• [108:10] – Tara’s empowering closing words

Resources & Guest Info

• Tara Roberts’ Podcast: Into the Depths (streaming everywhere)
• Book: Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging (2025)
• Organizations Mentioned: Diving with a Purpose, Underwater Adventure Seekers, Society of Black Archaeologists

Final Thoughts

This episode blends laughter, sisterhood, and deep wisdom, inviting listeners to reflect on legacy, adventure, purpose, and healing. Whether through history, storytelling, community work, or finding your own “lightness,” the message is clear: everyone can contribute to the ongoing project of honoring those who came before and moving towards a more just, connected, and imaginative future.

To learn more:

• Check the episode description for Tara Roberts’ book, podcast, and social links.
• Support Black storytelling, adventure, and history—seek out the recommended books and organizations.

“If I can do it, so can you. That’s it.” – Tara Roberts [108:10]