Black Earth Podcast

‘How do we practice this revolution in a way that embodies the best of what we have as humans and the best of what we can observe in other species?’ - Marion

In Season 3 of Black Earth Podcast, we are meeting visionary black women who are creating innovations inspired by nature.

Today we meet Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs from North Carolina, United States. Alexis is a queer black feminist, love evangelist and an aspirational favourite cousin to all living beings.

They are also the author of numerous works including the incredible book, ‘Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals.’

In this inspiring and deeply moving episode, Alexis and I explore ways to uncolonise our humanity, our creativity and our relationships with more-than-human beings.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introducing Alexis

02:15 - Alexis’ relationship with nature

09:00 - Alexis reads the preface from their book ‘Undrowned: Black feminist lessons from marine mammals’

27:00 - Alexis shares an example of black feminist lesson they learned from witnessing the harbour seal

37:15 - What we can learn from apes about mothering and care

43:50 - Why it’s important for black people to reconcile with other living beings and how decoloniality helps us

56:55 - Alexis’ advice on how to give ourselves radical permission to create

01:06:00 - Alexis’ upcoming book on Audre Lorde

01:18:00 - How to support Alexis

01:20:00 How to support Black Earth podcast

How to support Alexis Pauline Gumbs

• Visit and contact Alexis’ through their website - https://www.alexispauline.com/
• Buy Alexis’ book: Undrowned: Black feminist lessons from marine mammals - https://www.akpress.org/undrowned.html
• Pre-order Alexis’ upcoming book: ‘Survival is a Promise: The eternal life of Audre Lorde’ - https://www.alexispauline.com/books

How to support and connect with Black Earth Podcast

• Subscribe to our podcast and leave a review wherever you listen to your favourite podcast
• Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Tiktok @blackearthpodcast.
• For partnerships, sponsorship and media features, email us at [email protected]

In Season 3 of Black Earth Podcast, we are meeting visionary black women creating innovations inspired by nature.

In this episode we meet Tinuke Chineme. Tinuke is an inspiring scientist and innovator based in Calgary, Canada.

She is working with black soldier flies and African Indigenous Female Entrepreneurs to develop a new economic model that transforms organic waste into wealth.

Join us for this enriching conversation as we learn how to create economies that promote dignity, wellbeing and sustainability for people and our living planet.

Connect with Black Earth Podcast

• Subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen to your favourite podcast
• Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Tiktok @blackearthpodcast

Connect with Tinuke via LinkedIn - Tinuke Chineme

Episode time stamps

00:00 Introduction

01:18 - Where is home? Unravelling ties between territories and identity

05:19 - Tinuke’s relationship with nature

08:57 - What led Tinuke to her work as a scientist and innovator on waste

13:07- Tinuke explains her biowaste innovation

22:39 - Connecting waste and environmental justice in black communities

28:54 - How waste is defined in Yoruba culture and Indigenous cultures

32:59 - Zero waste is a part of African cultures

33:57- How nature sees waste

40:00 Why our dominant economic system is unnatural

41:53 - Introducing an economic model fit for the future

47:55 - The difference between the dominant economic model and a social circular economy

51:00 - Why it’s important to talk about the purpose of an economy

56:08 - The power of African Indigenous Female Entrepreneurs

01:06:00 - What animal welfare looks like in life-giving economies

01:11:43 - How to support Tinuke

In Season 3 of Black Earth Podcast, we are meeting visionary black women who are creating innovations inspired by nature.

In this episode, we meet Dr Melissa Sikosana. She is a biomaterials scientist who is passionate about connecting art, science and design to solve society’s problems.

Dr Melissa speaks with us about an exciting discipline called biomimicry. Biomimicry is the art and science of learning how nature creates life in order to redesign a more regenerative and resilient world.

Dr Melissa shares with us what biomimicry is and how we can apply it to change the world around us and our relationship with nature.

Get ready for an inspiring episode that will leave you in awe of nature.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introductions

4:37 - Melissa’s relationship with nature

13:08 - How Melissa came across biomimicry

16:52 - What is biomimicry?

21:35 - The three seeds (principles) of biomimicry

27:23 - An example of how to apply biomimicry to design something

34:50 - Biomimicry is practiced across cultures all around the world

44:58 - Decolonising knowledge

51:40 - Using biomimicry to redesign our social and political institutions

01:02:00 - Affordable or free resources for you to learn more about biomimicry

01:02:43 - Marion’s experience with eco-grief and how biomimicry is helping her

01:06:30 - How to support Melissa and Melissa’s work

Resources mentioned in the episode

• Website: Biomimicry Institute
• Website: AskNature.org
• Book: Teeming by Tamsin Woolley-Barker

How you can support Black Earth Podcast:

• Subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen to your favourite podcast and leave a review!
• Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Tiktok @blackearthpodcast
• For partnership opportunities email us at [email protected]

How you can support Melissa

• For collaboration opportunities contact Melissa via LinkedIn: Melissa Sikosana

Indigenous Peoples make up around five percent of humanity’s population and yet they are some of the world’s best stewards of nature. Their scientific knowledge and ways of living are rooted in a respect for all life on Earth that informs the way they take care of nature. Indigenous Peoples are leading a new revolution in humanity’s relationship with nature.

In this episode, we meet the inspiring Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim. Hindou is an Indigenous leader from the Mbororo peoples of the Sahel region, Africa. She is the Coordinator of the Association of Peul Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) and advocates for Indigenous leadership and knowledge in international nature and climate policy.

Join us as we learn about the central role of African Indigenous women in earth care. We also discuss the impacts of climate injustice on Indigenous peoples around the world and solutions to address climate injustice. Hindou also shares encouraging advice to Indigenous girls, women and communities facing climate injustice.

Episode time stamps

00:00 Welcoming Hindou

02:43 Hindou’s relationship with nature

04:38 How belonging to the Mbororo peoples has shaped Hindou’s respect and understanding of nature

08:32 Why Hindou’s best weather app is her grandmother

14:45 The central role of African Indigenous women in community decision-making

21:18 The impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities and how Indigenous Peoples are responding

30:48 What we and ‘developed nations’ need to do for climate justice

35:36 Hindou’s advice to Indigenous women and girls living with the impacts of climate change

38:36 How you can support Hindou

39:19 How you can support Black Earth

Support Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

Connect and Follow Hindou on X and Instagram: @hindououmar

Support Association of Peul Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad (AFPAT): https://www.afpat.net/

Support Black Earth Podcast

Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Tiktok: @blackearthpodcast

Visit our site and read episode transcripts: https://www.blackearthpodcast.com/

Support us through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackEarthPodcast

Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol farmer, mother, soil nerd, author, and food justice activist from Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, New York. She co-founded Soul Fire Farm in 2010 with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim black people’s ancestral connection to land.

In this episode, I speak with Leah about her personal journey into farming and what it means to cultivate a healthy and just relationship with land through farming. Throughout this inspiring conversation, we celebrate the contributions of black farmers and black growers in America and around the world.

Episode timestamps

00:00 Introduction

1:27 Leah’s relationship with nature

3:55 Landscapes that have shaped Leah’s passion for social justice, farming and food justice

6:02 The connection to land is personal, political and cultural for African-Americans

9:15 How food apartheid shaped her journey to co-founding Soul Fire Farm

12:57 The four elements of a healthy and just relationship with land

16:25 What a healthy and just relationship with land looks like at Soul Fire Farm

18:58 The four wings of the butterfly of transformative social justice

20:42 Why it’s important to remember and center Afro-Indigenous farming practices

24:26 bell hooks, love and trauma in black people’s relationship with nature

31:33 How to talk about food and land justice when living for many is unaffordable right now

35:46 Advice for people who want to take part in food justice in their communities

37:30 Leah’s upcoming book, Black Earth Wisdom

41:49 How to connect with Black Earth podcast

Support and follow Leah’s work:

Soul Fire Farm - https://www.soulfirefarm.org/

Black Earth Wisdom book - https://blackearthwisdom.org/

Support and connect with Black Earth

We are on Instagram, Tiktok, and LinkedIn: @blackearthpodcast

Our website: https://www.blackearthpodcast.com/