This Womanist Work Podcast

In this episode of This Womanist Work, we are joined by guests Pastor Cynthia Layton and Rev Dr. Vanessa Monroe. They discuss the impact of Womanist Theology on their personal and professional lives, highlighting the importance of Black women in faith spaces and leadership positions. Kendra and Kelli dive into their spiritual practices, while their guests share the challenges they face as Black women pastors, and their commitment t...

In their Season Two debut episode, hosts Kelli King-Jackson and Kendra Ross are back together again for an with Kendra's cousin Keisha Cook and Kelli's aunt Deborah Santana. In this episode, they explore the nuanced journeys of spiritual deconstruction, the richness and challenges of the Black church, and the importance of grounding in one's faith while embracing personal evolution.

As Deborah and Keisha share their s...

In this season two trailer of the This Womanist Work podcast, hosts Kendra Ross and Kelly King-Jackson invite listeners to join a journey that intertwines spirituality with politics and pop culture. 

The season focuses on the role of Black women in theology, exploring their historical contributions and contemporary influence. Throughout the season you'll hear a blend of raw faith journeys, emotional moments, empowering conversa...

Recorded live over a beautiful, catered dinner at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, your hosts Kelli King-Jackson and Kendra Ross gathered with special guests to honor the sacred work of mothering. With laughter, a few tears, and lots of love, we kicked off Season Two exploring the beauty and complexity of motherhood and daughterhood.

This conversation holds multitudes: the joy and ache of mothering, the ways trauma shows up and gets t...

In our season one finale episode, we are joined by Watering Hole Media's Chief Executive Officer, Ashley Allison. Ashley helps us break down steps for navigating life post-2024 general election. She encourages us to become clear and fortify our beliefs so we can stand ten toes down when needed, especially in our day-to-day interactions. She also calls on us to lean on the fact that our ancestors survived times such as this. We...

Now that we are past the election and getting ready for the holiday season, we are returning for our full episode with Mama Sheryl! Sheryl Thomas-Washburn joins Kelli and Kendra to share more about how she got to where she is today. Mama Sheryl is Meg's mom, and she brings a whole lotta recipes for us to take with us. She starts by sharing her journey from a Christian Baptist church to her spiritual awakening; she shares tips ...

Kelli and Kendra continue their conversation on Black women's reproductive health. This week they are joined by Regina Townsend, founder of The Broken Brown Egg. This organization exists to empower, inform, and advocate for those questioning or experiencing the impact of infertility, with an emphasis on the Black experience of it. Regina shares her fertility journey, how she started the Broken Brown Egg, how she's feeling...

Good Sis of the Pod, Dr. Chiyah A. Lawrence is back with Kendra and Kelli to discuss something we don't often discuss openly: reproductive health and the challenges Black women face. You'll hear each of them describe their experiences of navigating over the years, how it's impacted (or not impacted) their confidence as a woman, and Kendra even realizes in real time how much she has dealt with these challenges over th...

The pod is podding! Kendra and Kelli share their reflections one week after the general election of 2024. Joined by their producer and digital media manager, Leatra and Meg, the hosts share their feelings immediately following the election and what they hope this means for our society going forward. Find your community, Black women, for such a time as this. This Womanist Work is a great place to start! 

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Black women-- we see you, hear you, and share your concerns post-election 2024. This week, Kendra and Kelli are joined by Roshida Dowe and Stephanie Perry, co-founders of ExodUS Summit. This organization hosts virtual and live events and workshops that show Black women ways to plan their ExodUS while fostering community. Roshida and Stephanie tell us where their go-to location would be if they had to make a quick escape from the Un...

In this extended bonus episode, Kelli and Kendra are joined by Sheryl Thomas-Washburn, AKA Mama Sheryl, who highlights her JEDI-B (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging) work experience and gives us an overview of her consulting work with Tomia LLC. They cover related topics such as white fragility and the discomfort of change. Specifically, why it is necessary. Tune in next week to hear more from Mama Sheryl in our ...

Kendra and Kelli cover it all this week-- from The Church (and politics!) catering to entertainment purposes these days to a mighty read from Kendra towards Donnie Swaggart regarding his recent words condemning the Black Church. The nerve! Kelli also shares updates on her office renovations, and Kendra gives a shout-out to her friend, WNBA All-Star Kym Hampton, who was honored at the New York Liberty's recent championship para...

Sign us up for the Christian Jubilee because we are getting into it on this episode! Our guest, Denele Biggs, takes us on a journey exploring critiques of the church and its exclusion of certain community members. She also shares her healing journey after a painful response from the church when she sought support, and the women share ways they've experienced church at musical performances (shout out to Beyonce and Kamasi Washi...

Kelli and Kendra are taking a much-needed break from recording new episodes this week, but we want to give you a glimpse into where they started on their podcast journey. Hop into the way back machine with us as we listen to their first episode, recorded with friend of the pod, Dr. Chiyah A. Lawrence, back in February 2024. This week, they discussed everything from Dr. Kia Conerway's speech at the Black Baptist Convention to U...

Make sure you grab your church hanky for this episode! This week's guest, Tanika Harris, takes us on a journey as she shares her experiences as a church girl throughout the years, describes what it means to be a recovering people pleaser, and offers some loving critiques for the Black Church. She even closes us out in a beautiful prayer that will surely have YOU feeling the holy ghost. 

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In this bonus episode, hosts Kelli and Kendra unpack the Black tax they referenced at the end of Episode 3- "You ARE That Man" (click here to listen to the last full episode if you haven't heard it yet). You'll also hear Kelli talk about how impactful Melissa Harris-Perry's research on the Black tax has been for her over the years, Kendra gives a shout-out to Ramit Sethi's work on living a rich life, a...

This week, This Womanist Work hits the road! In this episode, Kelli and Kendra are joined by their good sis Dr. Chiyah A Lawrence, who co-created the vision and visuals for the podcast, their producer, Leatra, and their social media manager, Meg, in person in Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard. From the (not) "Eco-Lodge" in Martha's Vineyard, these three reminisce about where they started with creating this show, catc...

Welcome to This Womanist Work, a podcast for former church girls who woke up one day and realized that life was bigger than what Big Mama and the Bible say.  

In this episode, Kelli and Kendra discuss succession planning in personal, professional, and political spaces, how Black women are leading the charge on staying ready to mobilize for political power, and who is really ready for a revolution. Finally, get into Kendra's art...

Welcome to This Womanist Work, a podcast for former church girls who woke up one day and realized that life was bigger than what Big Mama and the Bible say.  

In this episode, Kelli and Kendra discuss the social media comments about Montgomery, Alabama's mayor, Steven Reed, their early days in the hip-hop haven of Clinton Hills, Brooklyn, in the '90s, and how important critique is when you want the best for someone. Or, so...