In this episode of The Unfolding: Presented by The Loveland Foundation Podcast, host Rachel Keener sits down with Jamia Wilson—activist, writer, editor, and Vice President at Random House—for a conversation about the transformative power of storytelling. Jamia speaks to how stories can liberate, build empathy, and reimagine power, while she and Rachel reflect on the wisdom passed down from their parents and ancestors—encouragement, community-mindedness, and joy.

Jamia also shares her perspective on self-care: setting boundaries as a way of honoring personal limits, embracing intentional rest, and creating rituals that replenish the spirit. Joy becomes a central thread throughout their discussion—not as something fleeting, but as resistance, healing, and connection.

The conversation touches on Jamia’s books A Year of Black Joy, which offers 52 practices for cultivating joy, and Make Good Trouble, inspired by John Lewis and the idea of activism rooted in joy. Together, Rachel and Jamia explore how curiosity, gratitude, and joyful defiance can shape not just personal growth, but collective empowerment.

This episode is an invitation to rethink the role of joy in your life—not as an afterthought, but as a force for resilience and community.

More about Jamia Wilson:

Jamia is an award-winning feminist activist, writer, speaker, and podcaster. She joined Random House as vice president and executive editor in 2021. As the former director of the Feminist Press at the City University of New York and the former VP of programs at the Women’s Media Center, Jamia has been a leading voice on women’s rights issues for over a decade.

Her work has appeared in numerous outlets, including the New York Times, the Today Show, CNN, Elle, BBC, Rookie, Refinery 29, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and The Washington Post. She is the author of This Book Is Feminist, Young, Gifted, and Black, Young, Gifted and Black Too, the introduction and oral history in Together We Rise: Behind the Scenes at the Protest Heard Around the World, Step Into Your Power: 23 Lessons on How to Live Your Best Life, Big Ideas for Young Thinkers, ABC's of AOC, and the co-author of Roadmap for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Advocacy, and Activism for All.

Jamia is passionate about mission-driven organizations and serves on the Omega Institute, Feminist.com, and Center for Reproductive Rights boards. She is also the co-host of the second season of the Anthem Award-winning podcast, Ordinary Equality.

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At The Loveland Foundation, we are committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls. Our resources and initiatives are collaborative and they prioritize opportunity, access, validation, and healing. Since our founding, the Therapy Fund has provided financial support for therapy to over 13,000 Black women, girls, and non-binary individuals across the country.

Links:

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