Stance Podcast with Chrystal Genesis

Stance Takes is back covering MFest, a multi-arts festival of Muslim knowledge and creativity with Maslaha with The British Library.

We bring highlights from the festival, sharing an immersive glimpse from its programme, and speak with award-winning Somali-British author Nadifa Mohamed. The Fortune Men, covers the true story of the wrongful imprisonment and execution of Mahmood Hussein Mattan, a Somali seaman, in Wales. The book is a reimagined version of Mahmood Hussein Mattan's real life.

We connect anti-racist struggles internationally with France-based journalist Rokhaya Diallo, UK Labour MP Zarah Sultana and US-based writer Hoda Katebi.

We examine the practice of loving through the eyes of Muslim women with Founder of Amaliah Magazine, Selina Bakkar, creative producer Haja Fanta, political academic Hudda Khaireh, and journalist Myriam François.

Stance explores the work being done to subvert narratives through comedy, with writer and director of Channel 4’s We Are Lady Parts, Nida Manzoor.

We hear about the importance of wide-ranging Queer and Trans Muslim stories with poet Fatimah Asghar, author Zeyn Joukhadar, historian Blair Imani, and writer Faryal Velmi.

To end, we discuss the process of creating fictional realities through fantasy novels for young adults with authors Reni Kosi Amayo, Intisar Khanani and Taherah Mafi.

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On Stance, we explore the question: what does it mean to be a Jewish person of color in America today?

We chat with a range of voices from this growing demographic, in the worlds of philosophy, pop culture, community organizing, and journalism.

Plus, we cover music with Jazz Musician Enji to learn more about her mesmerizing new record, Ulan.

At a Sukkot celebration, a few members of the Jews of Color Initiative team, Jade Groobman, Sarah Starks and Riki Robinson, discuss their hopes, dreams and their work building more community in Jewish spaces.

CEO of Jews of Color Initiative, Ilana Kaufman takes us through their mission to build a professional, organizational and communal space for Jews of Color. She discusses the importance of accurately capturing data about Jews of Color, and of empowering them into leadership roles.

Writer, Hanah Bloom, tackles the model minority myth twice over in her essay about being a Japanese American Jew, published in Hey Alma, a contemporary online community. She reads her essay and chats about some of the responses that followed.

Professor of Philosophy and Global Affairs, Lewis R. Gordon offers us another glimpse into the diverse history of Jewish peoples, as he shares his experience navigating between the Jewish community in Jamaica and the Jewish community in the US.

We end this topic with Robin Washington, a journalist and Editor-At-Large for The Forward, a US Jewish news and culture publication founded in 1897. He reflects on what it means to be a Black Jew after the horrors of October 7.

We chat with vocalist and composer Enji about her musical journey and the inspiration behind her third solo album, Ulaan. Enji’s unique and expansive sound combines jazz, contemporary folk, and the ancient Mongolian musical tradition of Long Song. She talks with us about how combining the creative freedom of jazz with her Mongolian heritage enables her to express more of her authentic self.

If you like what you heard, please write us a review and join the conversation at stancepodcast.com and all podcasting apps @stancepodcast @chrystalgenesis

Stance delves into the spiritual realm and how it manifests through the visual arts, dance, music and poetry. An ever-evolving topic, we cover the power of spirituality through ancestral connections, imagination, movement, humor and joy.

To start, we speak with surrealist blues poet, aja monet on the artistic movements shaping her writing and community organizing. We discuss her upcoming poetry collection Florida Water, and album When The Poems Do What They Do.

We cover writer and journalist Emma Warren’s book Dance Your Way Home: A Journey Through the Dance Floor, an intimate look at movement through the personal, social and cultural history of dance.

We speak in conversation with visual artists Senga Nengudi Fittz and Kaylynn Sullivan TwoTrees who were both members of the Just Above Midtown (JAM) creative space which centered African American creatives in the 1970s and 80s in NYC. We explore the spiritual links between art, history and tradition, and their collaborative performance piece Tying & Un-tying at the MoMA in New York.

This episode is guest-edited by Tamika Abaka-Wood, a cultural anthropologist, creative strategist, and founder of Dial An Ancestor.

If you like what you heard, please subscribe, write us a review and join the conversation at stancepodcast.com and all podcasting apps @stancepodcast @chrystalgenesis

After seven years of Stance which has spanned over 64 episodes of arts, culture and current affairs, 8 insightful Stance Takes shows, the growth of Stance Studios, multiple awards, and over 30 in-person events across the globe, we present our final show from season 3!

In this episode, Chrystal Genesis takes a look at creativity, storytelling and what it means to be human through literature, music, history and culture.

We speak with musician and producer Kamaal Williams who chats about his latest album, Stings, his enduring faith, and the layered creative influences behind his music.

Author LaToya Watkins discusses her new collection of short stories Holler, Child, set in Texas, and talks about how using method acting brings her closer to the the characters she writes about.

Artist and composer, Cochemea discusses working with Sharon Jones as part of the Dap-Kings, and his album Vol. II Baca Sewa, which connects ancestry, memory and improvisation.

Musician and multi-instrumentalist, Sinkane shares the inspirations behind his new upcoming record, We Belong, celebrating black creativity and joy.

Ahead of semi-retirement, we hear from some of our guest editors who reflect on their experiences collaborating with Stance.

If you like what you heard, please write us a review and check out more of our work at stancepodcast.com and all podcasting apps @stancepodcast