Women And Resistance

Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla

"Women And Resistance" is a groundbreaking podcast celebrating the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Each episode hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli and Adesoji Iginla will uncover untold stories of resistance against systemic oppression—be it colonialism, racism, sexism, or economic disenfranchisement. Through deep conversations, historical narratives, and contemporary analysis.The podcast will amplify the voices of trailblazers, freedom fighters, and community builders whose legacies should be known, because many either never got their dues or have faded into obscurity. From the bold defiance of Winnie Mandela and Fannie Lou Hamer to the activism of modern leaders like Mia Mottley and grassroots organizers like Wangari Maathai,"Women And Resistance" illuminates the transformative power of women in shaping a more just world. This is a call to honor the past, embrace the present, and apply the lessons for a more empowered future.

  1. 6d ago

    EP 6 Luísa Diogo's Contested Legacy - The Accountant of the Revolution| Women And Resistance.

    This episode profiles Luisa Diaz Diogo, Mozambique’s first woman Minister of Planning and Finance and first woman Prime Minister, in a wide-ranging conversation about nation-building under colonialism, war, structural adjustment, and recovery.  She explains why economics is inseparable from liberation, and why peace must be funded, coordinated, and protected. The conversation also connects her personal life to national history, from being born in a rice field in colonial Tete to raising a family while helping steer Mozambique through war, debt, famine, floods, and AIDS. Takeaways Luisa Diogo’s early life in Tete, Mozambique, and how her mother’s labour in a rice field shaped her worldviewColonial rule in Mozambique, including forced labour, assimilado status, and the extraction of African wealth and labourHer mother as her first economics teacher, and the lesson that girls must develop “twice the capacity” to be valued in societyWhy she chose accounting and budgeting as tools of liberation: no money, no schools, no health care, no developmentThe transition from independence struggle to state-building, including literacy campaigns, nationalisation, and socialist planningMozambique’s civil war, foreign-backed destabilisation through RENAMO, and the real human costs of roads mined, schools burned, and a million deathsStructural adjustment, IMF and World Bank negotiations, and her argument that you have to understand global institutions in order to protect national interestsPeacebuilding as a budgeted process: demobilisation, reintegration, reconstruction, and the idea that “if you do not pay for the peace, the war will come back to collect”Her leadership roles as Deputy Minister, Minister of Planning and Finance, and later Prime Minister, including balancing reconstruction with macroeconomic stabilityHIV and AIDS policy, women’s rights, reproductive health, and her push for more women in leadership across Africa Chapters (00:00) Why Luisa Diogo matters in the Pan-African struggle (01:49) Asking about her upbringing and path into numbers (04:41) The Mozambican woman as a symbol of survival and improvisation (06:01) “I governed the way my mother cooked” (08:21) Born in a rice field during colonial Mozambique (11:24) What Portuguese colonialism looked like on the ground (14:11) Forced labour, cotton, and labour extraction across southern Africa (17:56) Her mother’s lessons: housework, discipline, and survival for girls (22:06) Cahora Bassa, colonial permanence, and resistance politics (23:57) Mueda, Frelimo, Samora Machel, and the road to armed struggle (26:23) Why voting and political participation are matters of life and death (28:21) Commercial school, bookkeeping, and the power of numbers (33:38) Independence and the collapse of Mozambique’s trained administrative class (35:03) Building a new state: schools, literacy, vaccination, socialism (36:45) Supporting neighbouring liberation movements and paying the price (38:18) Joining the Ministry of Finance and studying while working (41:14) War, famine, drought, and Operation Production (43:21) Nkomati Accord, IMF entry, and managing scarcity (45:03) Rising through the finance ministry during structural adjustment (47:42) Multiparty politics, a new constitution, and studying financial economics (49:04) Demobilising soldiers and planning for postwar reintegration (51:34) “Peace has a budget” (53:14) Rebuilding Mozambique through a coordinated national project plan (55:02) Learning the World Bank from the inside (56:21) Drafting the first postwar five-year program (58:10) Cutting inflation from 75 per cent to 5 per cent (59:23) Debt, donors, and refusing rule by “40 masters” (60:52) Corruption, the Banco Comercial de Mozambique case, and Carlos Cardoso’s murder (62:30) The 2000 floods and rebuilding after total devastation (63:57) Becoming Prime Minister and the limits of growth statistics (64:37) HIV and AIDS, women’s vulnerability, and speaking openly about sex (66:17) The Maputo Plan of Action and organising women’s leadership (67:40) UN reform, one country-one program logic, and system-wide coherence (68:33) The personal cost of public service (70:14) Running for president, losing, and passing the baton (71:42) Leadership as responsibility, not privilege (72:45) Her final message: “Compriste” - you completed your work Closing takeaway Luisa Diogo’s story argues that liberation is not only fought on the battlefield. It is also fought in budgets, institutions, public health, and the long, unglamorous work of keeping a country alive. Send us Fan Mail Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla... You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation. That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

  2. Sep 20

    EP 5 Cécile Fatiman: Lighting the Fire of the Haitian Revolution | Women and Resistance

    This episode centers on Cecile Fatiman, the Haitian mambo whose role in the Bois Caïman uprising helped ignite the Haitian Revolution. Adesoji Iginla and Aya as Cecile Fatiman use storytelling, history, and spiritual teaching to show how resistance lives in memory, ritual, ancestry, and joy. We discuss how colonial power tried to erase African spiritual knowledge, why Vodou is a structured faith rather than a horror-story stereotype, and how liberation requires both strategy and spiritual grounding. The conversation closes with a practical reader-style spiritual exercise and a reminder that joy itself can be a form of resistance. Takeaways *In this episode: why Cecile Fatiman matters to Haiti, the Atlantic world, and Black liberation history. *The debate around Fatiman’s origins and why women’s histories are so often under-documented or questioned. *Saint-Domingue as the “richest colony in the world,” built on the labour of hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans. *How colonialism functioned as theft not just of land and labour, but of cosmology, language, medicine, and memory. *Vodou as spiritual lineage, ancestral connection, and a way of remembering peoplehood after enslavement. *The night of August 14, 1791, at Bois Caïman, where Fatiman, Dutty Boukman, and others gathered in secrecy to organise revolt. *The role of ritual, blood oath, drums, call-and-response, and collective planning in turning resistance into action. *Why the drum was treated as dangerous by empire: not just as music, but as communication, coordination, and survival technology. *The idea that Black spiritual systems were disguised inside Catholic imagery, songs, and everyday practice to preserve them under colonial rule. *A closing message on joy, self-love, and emotional freedom as part of breaking generational chains. Chapters 00:00 - Opening the show and framing women’s resistance as living history 01:01 - Introducing Cecile Fatiman and the significance of Haiti 02:16 - Fatiman on origin stories, uncertainty, and historical erasure 05:41 - Fatiman identifies herself as a mambo and priestess of Vodou 06:27 - Why liberation begins by returning to ancestors and spirit 08:16 - Saint-Domingue’s wealth, sugar, coffee, and indigo built on slavery 09:59 - Half a million enslaved Africans and the violence behind the word “enslaved” 11:47 - Motherhood as resistance under slavery 12:43 - “Cruelty” as the economic policy of slavery 13:09 - What slavery could not take: drums, songs, and spiritual inheritance 15:14 - Vodou as continuity, memory, and a way to remain, people 16:09 - Fatiman explains being chosen as a mambo 16:36 - The night of August 14 and the gathering in Bois Caïman 18:01 - Secrecy, safe spaces, and 200 men risking their lives to organise 19:33 - Calling the Iwa and the arrival of Erzuli Danto 21:12 - The black pig sacrifice and the oath to die free rather than enslaved 23:51 - Dutty Boukman’s words and the logic of call-and-response 25:44 - The uprising begins eight days later in northern Saint-Domingue 26:17 - Why colonisers reduced the revolution to folklore 27:43 - Colonialism as theft of land, labour, and cosmology 32:57 - Ancestors, drums, and inherited intelligence as revolutionary technology 36:53 - Frantz Fanon on colonialism distorting the past and future 38:06 - Why empire fears the drum more than the machete 39:05 - Haiti becomes the first Black republic and what freedom still demands 40:54 - Vodou explained as a structured faith, not superstition 42:21 - The Iwa, the Orishas, and shared spiritual lineages 45:27 - Ritual as protocol, apprenticeship, and resistance in camouflage 46:51 - A warning against treating spiritual traditions like costumes or aesthetics 48:36 - Why women’s histories are disputed and how records get written without women holding the pen 49:34 - Fatiman’s life details: marriage, age, and later generations preserving her testimony 53:05 - A spiritual question and pendulum demonstration 58:58 - Closing guidance on joy, self-love, and refusing shame 63:23 - Farewell and teaser for the next Women in Resistance episode Send us Fan Mail Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla... You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation. That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

  3. Sep 13

    EP 4 Delphine Zanga Tsogo - A Cameroon Trailblazer | Women and Resistance

    This episode features host Adesoji Iginla and co-host Aya Fubara Eneli in conversation with Delphine Tsogo, who reflects on a life shaped by colonial partition, forest-based community knowledge, nursing, politics, and women’s organising in Cameroon.  She traces how each stage of her life informed her work for women, children, and public welfare. The conversation matters because Delphine does not separate personal biography from public policy - she shows how language, education, healthcare, and political structure all affect whether women can live with dignity. Takeaways  *Delphine Tsogo introduces her roots in Lumi, deep in the eastern forest of Cameroon, and describes growing up under British and French colonial rule. *She explains how the forest, local women, and family discipline shaped her early understanding of responsibility, survival, and authority. *Delphine recounts being educated in Douala and Toulouse, and how colonial schooling opened doors while also trying to erase her language and identity. *She discusses starting out as a nurse, becoming an athlete, and how track and field taught her discipline, precision, and resilience. *She reflects on becoming a wife, mother of eight biological children, and later the minister who created Cameroon’s Ministry of Social Affairs. *Delphine explains the political dilemma of serving under an authoritarian system while trying to secure clinics, schools, and maternal health support for women and children. *She talks about entering the National Assembly, later serving as Vice Minister for Health and Public Welfare, and carrying out public service while visibly pregnant. Chapters 00:00 - Opening the conversation with Delphine Tsogo and the theme of women pushing back colonial power 03:16 - Delphine begins her life story and reluctance to center herself over her public work 05:04 - The origin of the name Cameroon and the colonial history behind it 06:32 - Born in Lumi in 1935 under a British mandate and raised in the forest 07:31 - Lessons from nature, discipline, and the women of her childhood 09:30 - Her father, books, and the hidden architecture of female authority 11:21 - Refusing to be decorative in a room full of men 12:21 - Her father’s career inside the French colonial bureaucracy 14:09 - Learning horse riding and rifle use and challenging gender expectations 15:41 - Her father’s rule: build your own name 17:19 - Starting her professional life as a nurse after school 18:02 - Track and field, high jump, long jump, and the discipline of measurable performance 20:27 - Education in Douala and the cost of colonial schooling 21:56 - Losing her mother tongue through French education 23:18 - Wifehood, motherhood, and later founding the Ministry of Social Affairs 24:44 - Gaining literacy in the coloniser’s language and using it against the system 25:57 - A writer visits her school and plants the seed for her future as a novelist 28:05 - Finishing school in 1955 and deciding never to wait for permission to be useful 31:38 - Studying nursing in Toulouse and seeing France as equipment, not assimilation 33:32 - Later life, financial struggles, and being helped by a woman inspired by her public example 35:24 - What nursing taught her about birth, death, suffering, and state neglect 38:46 - Meeting and marrying Sotasanga, who became a major figure in Cameroon’s public life 39:55 - Returning home in 1960 as Cameroon becomes independent 41:07 - Independence as both possibility and danger 42:00 - The reunification vote and the creation of the federal republic 44:02 - The UPC, the armed struggle, and the violence that continued after independence 46:20 - Ruben Um Nyobè and the erased history of resistance 47:08 - Serving inside Ahidjo’s one-party state and the moral cost of that choice 48:25 - Her bet that compromised state machinery could still deliver resources to women and children 50:32 - Her nursing work in Yaoundé and Garoua and the gap between promises and reality 53:13 - Becoming national president of the Council of Cameroonian Women in 1964 55:00 - How women organised through council structures when the new republic ignored them 56:28 - National Assembly work and later appointment as Vice Minister for Health and Public Welfare 57:31 - Women who later told her their mothers survived because of clinics she helped create 58:17 - Minister for Social Affairs from 1975 to 1984, including while pregnant with her eighth child 59:55 - International leadership and recognition for her work on women’s development 61:47 - Publishing novels in the 1980s to challenge culture through story, not law alone 63:45 - Her environmental work defending forests and supporting sustainable local economies 67:27 - Why African stories must include women as well as men 68:41 - Final message: create your own standing and build what you want Send us Fan Mail Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla... You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation. That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

  4. Sep 6

    EP 3 Roberta Flack - The Soul That Would Not Be Silenced | Women and Resistance 🌍

    This episode of Women and Resistance celebrates Roberta Flack’s life, music, and political commitments through a wide-ranging conversation that moves from childhood to global activism.   Adesoji Iginla frames Flack as an artist who never separated art from justice, and Aya embodies Flack, responding with stories about music, teaching, love, and the causes she backed throughout her career. We discuss how her family, education, and early work as a teacher shaped the artist she became, as well as the songs and collaborations that made her a legend. The conversation also highlights her resistance work on Black self-determination, gender, anti-apartheid solidarity, and music education. Takeaways *Roberta Flack traces her roots to Black Mountain, North Carolina, and remembers the family home where music was everywhere. *Her father, Lauron, was a self-taught jazz pianist, while her mother, Irene, played organ at church. *Flack recalls the pea green upright piano her father rescued from a junkyard and repaired for her. *She explains how classical training led her to Howard University, where she won a full music scholarship at age 15 and graduated at 19 with a degree in music education. *Before fame, she was a schoolteacher in segregated schools in Farmville, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. *She shares how singing at Mr Henry’s on Capitol Hill led to her discovery and first record deal. *Flack explains why her 1969 debut album, First Take, opened with the protest song “Compared to What.” *She reflects on “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” as a lament for the hidden lives of gay men before Stonewall. *She tells the story behind “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and how Clint Eastwood helped bring it to a wider audience. *She discusses her back-to-back Grammy wins for Record of the Year. *She talks about her collaboration with Donny Hathaway, including “Where Is the Love,” “The Closer I Get to You,” and “Be Real Black for Me.” *Flack recounts her activism with Jesse Jackson, Operation Breadbasket, and Operation PUSH. *She emphasises that music is never neutral and that every performance is a choice about the world an artist helps create. *She remembers her friendships and solidarity with Angela Davis, Stevie Wonder, Ben Vereen, Nelson Mandela, and others. *She highlights her work in education and philanthropy, including the Roberta Flack School of Music and the Roberta Flack Foundation. *She closes with reflections on ALS, the loss of her singing voice, and her children’s picture book. *The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music, and her advice to use your gift before it is too late. Chapters 00:00 - Welcome to Women and Resistance and the legacy of Roberta Flack 03:22 - A musical household in Black Mountain, North Carolina 05:24 - The pea green piano rescued from a junkyard 07:10 - Classical training, Howard University, and music education 09:48 - Teaching in segregated schools before fame 12:48 - Singing at Mr Henry’s and being discovered 13:17 - An interracial marriage under Virginia segregation 16:02 - Why the marriage ended when her career took off 18:17 - Hearing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” on a plane 22:33 - Les McCann, Atlantic Records, and First Take 23:28 - Why her debut album opened with “Compared to What” 26:31 - Reinterpreting “Ballad of the Sad Young Men” for hidden queer lives 30:03 - Clint Eastwood brings “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to the screen 32:24 - Back-to-back Record of the Year Grammy wins 35:33 - Donny Hathaway, “The Closer I Get to You,” and “Be Real Black for Me” 40:09 - Operation Breadbasket, Jesse Jackson, and Operation PUSH 43:14 - Music as a form of political choice 44:16 - Friendship with Angela Davis and songs that affirm dignity 45:58 - Standing with Stevie Wonder and Nelson Mandela 48:19 - “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” and later collaborations 49:55 - The Roberta Flack School of Music and her foundation 52:51 - Awards, honours, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame absence 56:23 - Hosting Brunch with Roberta Flack and recording into her 70s 57:31 - ALS, her final recording, and the lesson to use your gift now 58:53 - The Green Piano and the final years of her life 60:35 - Closing reflections on a life fully lived and shared Send us Fan Mail Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla... You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation. That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

  5. Aug 30

    EP 2 Queen Nandi - When Motherhood Made an Empire | Women and Resistance 🌍

    This episode of Women in Resistance features Adesoji Iginla in conversation with Queen Nandi, with Aya Fubara Eneli joining the introduction and framing. The discussion traces Nandi’s life from marginalisation and exile to her role as Queen Mother, centring the political, cultural, and personal costs of raising Shaka and resisting shame. We discuss how women are written out of history, how colonial and patriarchal narratives distort memory, and why revenge can become its own trap. Queen Nandi also reflects on motherhood, lineage, exile, and the long reach of cruelty and resilience across generations. Key topics *Queen Nandi explains how her story was “forgotten by most,” preserved by oral tradition, and often written by men and colonial observers. *She situates her origins in a minor clan near the Tugela and Mlatuse rivers, before the region was named Natal or South Africa. *Nandi describes how women’s labour in cattle-keeping societies built wealth that men inherited, while women were often reduced to footnotes. *She recounts the courtship tradition of ukulobanga and the social danger of pregnancy outside marriage in Zulu custom. *Nandi tells the contested story of her pregnancy with Senzangakhona, including the accusation that she had a parasite rather than a child. *She explains how the insult “shaka” became attached to her son’s name, and how that rejection shaped his early life. *Nandi describes exile, famine, and the repeated rejection she and Shaka faced from both husband and clan. *She frames giving birth to Shaka as her first act of resistance, especially in the face of attempts to discredit her. *The episode explores how Shaka’s childhood humiliation, violence, and instability may have influenced the ruler he became. *Nandi reflects on her later role as Queen Mother, her authority at court, and her influence over political relationships and royal alliances. *She discusses the consequences of her death, including Shaka’s grief, the nationwide mourning, and the fragility of power after her passing. *The conversation closes with a warning against revenge, except in the context of resisting colonisers, and a call to nurture children who have been rejected or shamed. Chapters (00:00) Opening the series on women in resistance (00:51) Introducing Queen Nandi and her significance in Zulu history (02:08) “My story has been forgotten” - oral history versus colonial writing (04:43) Born not as a queen, but as a daughter of a minor chief (07:12) A woman without a throne, an army, or even a home (09:12) Early life, cattle-keeping, and women’s labour in Zulu society (11:44) Ukulobanga and the customs around courtship and intimacy (13:12) Meeting Senzangakhona and the politics of male heirs (14:49) Competing stories about the pregnancy and public denial (18:37) Why an unmarried pregnancy was a catastrophe (19:15) The accusation of a “parasite” and protecting the royal house (22:26) Negotiating 55 cattle for marriage (24:17) Shaka is born and the meaning of his name (25:15) Being sent home to recover and nurse the child (27:19) Rival wives, succession anxiety, and exile (30:46) Shaka learns to fight and the healer’s prophecy (32:27) Leaving the Ilangeni and finding refuge with the Kwabe (33:49) “My first act of resistance” - giving birth to Shaka (35:08) How humiliation shaped Shaka’s discipline and violence (38:11) Grief, exile, and surviving the famine years (42:43) Shaka rises under Dingiswayo and military transformation begins (44:42) Succession after Senzangakhona’s death (46:10) Short-stabbing spear, regiments, and the building of a regional power (50:18) Queen Mother authority, rituals, and her own court (52:44) Politics at court and rival centres of influence (54:05) Shaka’s grief after her death and the nation-wide mourning (56:25) Why she protected Shaka despite everything (58:53) Death, colonial storytellers, and distorted histories (63:41) How Shaka’s military system shaped later Zulu resistance (65:24) “No name given by others ever contains a woman” (68:49) Revenge versus justice, and why revenge is a dead spiral (70:37) What present-day leaders can learn from the story of Shaka (74:38) A closing message for women, rejected children, and mothers (77:31) Final call to nurture the child the world rejects Send us Fan Mail Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla... You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation. That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

  6. Aug 23

    EP 1 Sarah Rector - Land And the Will to Win | Women and Resistance 🌍

    This episode of Women in Resistance centers on Sarah Rector’s life story, from her birth in Indian Territory to the oil boom that made her a national curiosity.  Sarah Rector and host Adesoji Iginla trace how race, law, land theft, and guardianship shaped her fortunes and the way her story was told.  It matters because Rector’s experience shows how quickly wealth, Black childhood, and state control could collide in early 20th-century America. Takeaways *Sarah Rector introduces herself by correcting the record *She explains that the public mostly knows her as “the richest colored girl in the world,” but that label reduced her to a number rather than a person. *She pushes back on Hollywood versions of her life, including fabricated details and a white saviour narrative. *How a newspaper headline changed her life *Rector says the Kansas City Star’s 1913 reporting turned her into “$300 a day” and made her a public spectacle. *She describes letters from strangers who wanted to marry her, claim her money, or argue that she should not possess wealth at all. *Her family’s history in Indian Territory *Rector was born in 1902 in a two-room cabin near Taft, Oklahoma. *She explains that her family were Creek Freedmen and that their history included slavery under Creek and Muscogee people, complicating simplified stories about Native nations and slavery. *Land, allotment, and the Dawes Act *Rector’s 160-acre allotment in Glenpool was valued at only $550 and was burdened by taxes. *She frames the land as a burden before oil was discovered, not an early blessing. *The oil strike that made her wealthy Chapters 00:00 - Opening the episode and introducing Sarah Rector 00:41 - Why Rector’s story matters and how the state took control 01:52 - Rector on reclaiming her own story from Hollywood myths 02:34 - The “$300 a day” headline and becoming a public spectacle 04:19 - Letters, demands, and public obsession with her money 05:28 - Birth in Taft, Oklahoma and her family background 06:32 - Creek Freedmen, slavery, and the historical complication 08:17 - Why neat stories about Native nations and slavery break down 09:56 - The Trail of Tears, Andrew Jackson, and broken treaties 11:53 - The 1866 treaty and Creek Freedmen citizenship 13:35 - Dawes allotment and the break-up of communal land 14:06 - Her 160-acre allotment in Glenpool 15:15 - Taxes, poverty, and the land as a burden 16:36 - Leased to oil before anyone knew its value 18:24 - The spring 1913 gusher on her land 20:00 - Monthly royalties and the scale of her wealth 21:05 - Newspaper racism and “the richest Negro girl” framing 22:39 - Why she could not legally control her money 24:08 - Court-appointed guardianship and the risk of exploitation 25:52 - W.E.B. Du Bois, the NAACP, and investigations into guardianship 28:19 - Black child wealth, public fascination, and white greed 30:21 - NAACP Children’s Department and oversight efforts 31:09 - Judge Leahy and the demand for a square deal 32:30 - The “honorary white” proposal and why it failed 34:43 - Tuskegee, attempted kidnapping, and protection by students 36:04 - Buying land and building a five-room cottage 38:31 - The gap between the living woman and the legend 39:26 - Biographies, family accounts, and correcting misinformation 41:41 - Her fight to end guardianship in 1922 44:46 - Family relocation to Kansas City and Black prosperity 46:12 - A court certifies her as mentally sound 46:55 - Marriage to Kenneth Campbell and family life 48:13 - The Rector Mansion, jazz, and Black elite life 49:16 - Second marriage and business partnership 50:13 - The Great Depression and the collapse of her fortune 52:33 - Death in 1967 and the meaning of family wealth 54:59 - Burial in Black Jack Cemetery near her roots 56:32 - Final message on personhood and resisting dehumanisation Send us Fan Mail Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla... You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation. That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

  7. Aug 16

    Sheroes Who Refused to Disappear A Season Review | Women and Resistance

    In this episode, we explore the lives and legacies of remarkable women who defied odds, preserved their agency, and inspired future generations. From an assassinated leader to the mathematician behind GPS, from a Montana mail carrier to a mother's decades-long fight for her stolen daughters — this special Women and Resistance season review brings together extraordinary women whose resistance took different shapes. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli, Esq. and Adesoji Iginla, this episode revisits the stories of the last season, asking what unites their radically different acts of refusal against erasure, ownership, and silence.  Takeaways *The resilience and agency of women like Josephine Baker, Sylvia del Villa, and Gladys West. *The importance of intentional spaces for Black empowerment. *Lessons from women who faced systemic oppression and thrived. *The role of cultural preservation and storytelling in resistance. *The significance of intergenerational mentorship and legacy. Chapters 0:01 — Welcome to Women in Resistance and episode overview 2:03 — Looking back on the season and the pace of the work 2:13 — How Aya transitions between women each week 4:45 — The most memorable story: Millie and Christine McCoy 8:36 — Favourite or most memorable episode this season 12:27 — Erna Brodber and Sylvia del Villard as major inspirations 14:45 — Gladys West and the everyday impact of her work 15:40 — Why intentional black spaces matter 20:13 — Does Aya ever stop or rest? 23:22 — Which woman best reflects Aya’s activism 25:24 — “Restorative knowledge” and why the series matters 26:09 — Mbokomu and the power of black women building from nothing 27:13 — Courage, agency, and lessons from the women covered 29:39 — Favourite and least favourite costume of the season 33:09 — Mary Fields as a standout character 34:05 — Expanding on Josephine Baker 36:52 — Gladys West and quiet excellence 39:00 — Books, reading habits, and the bookshelf question 42:37 — How many books they read in a week 45:34 — Decompressing after going out of character 47:48 — Nina Simone as one of the hardest to shake 50:19 — The common thread across all the women 54:51 — Owning your image as a strategy 55:38 — The importance of memory keeping 57:01 — What’s next: Sarah Rector and the new season 57:33 — Final thoughts on freedom and presentation 60:09 — Closing remarks and call to action Send us Fan Mail Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla... You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation. That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

  8. Aug 9

    EP 12 Erna Brodber - She Rewrote Jamaica's Soul | Women and Resistance 🌍

    In this episode, Erna Brodber shares her journey from Jamaica to becoming a renowned writer and historian, emphasising the importance of community memory, cultural roots, and the creation of spaces for black liberation. She discusses her work in oral history, her novels, and the significance of reclaiming African and Caribbean histories. Brodber turned oral histories into tools that challenge Western frameworks of time, history, and psychology, including her Commonwealth Prize–winning novel Myal (1988) and Louisiana (1994). We trace her journey, culminating in her decision to leave the university and return home to serve her community. This is a conversation about resistance through orature.  Takeaways *Erna Brodber's background and early life in Jamaica *The influence of community memory and oral traditions *Her approach to writing and blending sociology with fiction *The significance of cultural roots and African heritage *The concept of black spaces and ancestral gardens *The impact of colonialism and the metaphor of zombification *Her work in oral history and community projects *The importance of reclaiming and preserving history Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Erna Brodber's Work and Impact 02:01 Her Background and Connection to Jamaica 03:20 How Erna Brodber Started Writing 07:36 The Dual Education: Formal and Community Learning 14:33 Her Experience in the US and Return to Jamaica 18:05 Oral History and Community Memory Projects 22:42 From Oral Interviews to Fiction: Louisiana 28:08 The Significance of African Roots and Spiritual Traditions 32:58 Colonial Trauma and the Metaphor of Zombification 40:17 Building Black Spaces and Community Resilience 45:48 The Land as Memory: The Ancestral Gardens 52:21 Reflections on Her Life and Legacy Send us Fan Mail Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla... You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation. That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

"Women And Resistance" is a groundbreaking podcast celebrating the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Each episode hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli and Adesoji Iginla will uncover untold stories of resistance against systemic oppression—be it colonialism, racism, sexism, or economic disenfranchisement. Through deep conversations, historical narratives, and contemporary analysis.The podcast will amplify the voices of trailblazers, freedom fighters, and community builders whose legacies should be known, because many either never got their dues or have faded into obscurity. From the bold defiance of Winnie Mandela and Fannie Lou Hamer to the activism of modern leaders like Mia Mottley and grassroots organizers like Wangari Maathai,"Women And Resistance" illuminates the transformative power of women in shaping a more just world. This is a call to honor the past, embrace the present, and apply the lessons for a more empowered future.

Information

  • Creator
    Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    83
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women And Resistance
  • Show Website
    Women And Resistance

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