The Legacy Begins: Honoring Our Stories, Shaping Our Future

Dr. Gilda Brown Ebanks
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In this debut episode of I AM LIVin LE’GaCee, Dr. Gilda Brown Ebanks sets the foundation for a journey of storytelling rooted in Black legacy, wisdom, and resilience. Drawing on the tradition of griots and griottes—keepers of history and culture—she invites listeners to reflect on the sacred power of memory, the lessons passed down through generations, and the small yet extraordinary ways we build legacy every day. With space for pause, reflection, and belonging, this opening conversation lays the groundwork for stories that heal, inspire, and endure

  1. Sep 18

    Trust You

    In Trust You, Dr. G invites us to quiet the outside noise and return to the wisdom already within us. This episode explores what it means to trust our intuition, honor what we know, and seek trusted counsel without losing confidence in our own voice. With so many opinions, expectations, and outside influences competing for our attention, it can be difficult to distinguish our inner knowing from the noise around us. Dr. G reflects on the moments when we already sense the answer but continue searching for someone else to confirm it. She reminds us that trusted guidance can offer clarity and perspective without replacing the wisdom we carry. Through honest reflection and a grounding Sacred Pause, this episode encourages listeners to listen more closely, discern what feels true, and trust themselves with the next honest step—even when the entire path is not yet clear.

    Trust You

  2. Sep 7

    ENOUGH

    In Enough, Dr. G reflects on the difference between measuring a space by its size and recognizing the life unfolding within it. This episode is an invitation to appreciate the people, love, healing, and ordinary moments already present—without believing that gratitude requires us to stop dreaming or growing. Sometimes enough is not something we acquire. It is something we finally notice. What does your present space hold?

    ENOUGH

  3. Aug 21

    JaJa's Love

    JaJa’s Love JaJa’s Love is a love letter across generations. When I first began shaping this episode, I was waiting for my newest granddaughter, Meadow, to arrive. Today, Meadow is here—and this message feels even more meaningful. In this deeply personal episode, I speak to my grandchildren, Melody, Deuce, and Meadow, about who I am, how deeply they are loved, and what I hope they will always know about themselves. I share some of the wisdom I have gathered along the way, the lessons I am still learning, and my hopes for the people they will one day become. But this love letter reaches beyond the children I am blessed to know. I offer a blessing for my grandchildren, for the generations that will come after them, and for children I will never have the privilege of meeting—children who will inherit a world shaped, in part, by the choices we are making today. Because perhaps that is one of the most sacred parts of legacy: loving beyond what we will ever get to see. JaJa’s Love is a reflection on family, becoming, generational love, and the responsibility we carry to live in ways that leave something meaningful for those coming behind us. To Melody. To Deuce. To Meadow. And to the children whose names I may never know—this is JaJa’s love.

    JaJa's Love

  4. Aug 3

    Stories in the Soil

    In Stories in the Soil, Dr. G reflects on the growing uncertainty surrounding the food that reaches our tables and the quiet power of reconnecting with the soil. From fresh herbs and green onions to the unexpected joy of discovering one beautiful okra pod, this episode celebrates what can grow when we plant with intention and remain patient with the process. It is an invitation to honor the hands that cultivated before us, care for what is within our reach, and tend to our minds, bodies, and spirits with the same patience and love we give the things we hope will grow. In doing so, we plant something meaningful for ourselves—and for the generations still to come.

    Stories in the Soil

  5. Jul 27

    Resideaux™

    What if our greatest legacy isn't found in the extraordinary moments... What if it's found in the ordinary conversations that quietly shape another person's life? In this episode, Dr. G. reflects on the lasting influence of meaningful connections and introduces Resideaux™—a conversation about the encouragement, hope, courage, and love that continues to live within us long after the moment has passed. Through reflection and a gentle Sacred Pause, you'll be invited to consider the people who've left something beautiful with you... and the legacy you're creating with every interaction. Because every connection has the power to become part of someone's legacy. So settle in. Take a breath. You belong here.

    Resideaux™

  6. Jul 20

    The Fullness of Who We Are

    A few weeks after Essence Festival, Dr. G reflects on what remained long after the music stopped: the joy of seeing Black life celebrated in all its beauty and fullness. In this episode, The Fullness of Who We Are, we explore why our history cannot begin with enslavement, why incomplete stories should never become complete truths, and how reclaiming the fullness of our story honors our ancestors while equipping future generations to imagine boldly, create courageously, and lead with purpose. It's also an invitation to see ourselves—and one another—in our full humanity. Because none of us should be defined by our hardest chapter. Black joy isn't the absence of struggle; it's the recognition that our story has always been bigger than our struggles. Join Dr. G for a thoughtful reflection on history, healing, legacy, and the responsibility we all share to know the whole story, carry the whole story, and tell the whole story.

  7. Jul 5

    The Journey Back to Ourselves

    The journey back to ourselves isn't a destination. It's a practice. It's choosing, whenever we can, to give our minds, ourbodies, and our spirits the pause they need before asking them to do more. Life places many demands on us. Some are necessary. Someare expected. Some we willingly embrace because they reflect who we are and what we value. The invitation isn't to escape those demands. It's to noticehow we respond to them. Do we move from one responsibility to the next withoutever coming up for air? Or do we allow ourselves moments to pause, to breathe,and to restore what our bodies have been giving away? Doing and being are not in competition. They arepartners. When we make room for both, we respond to life with greater clarity, intention, and compassion. When we intentionally pause—even if it's only for a fewdeep breaths—we remind our bodies that they are safe in this moment. We allow our nervous system to settle, to regulate, and to recover. Perhaps the journey back to ourselves isn't aboutsearching for something we've lost. Perhaps it's about creating enough moments of stillness to hear ourselves again.

  8. Mar 4

    Force. Flex. Flow.

    In this soulful reflection from I AM LIVin LE’GaCee, I explore three ways we often respond to pressure: Force, Flex, and Flow. Force has helped many of us survive—calling on our defiance, dignity, and determination to open doors and create space where none existed. Flex allows us to adjust with wisdom. But Flow invites something different: trust, alignment, and clarity. Through thoughtful reflection and ancestral insight, we consider how clarity is not always something we think into, but something we feel into. Before closing, listeners are invited to reflect on a simple question:Where am I right now—Force, Flex, or Flow? And for those who wish to continue the conversation, you're invited to join our first Sunday Brunch gathering, where we will sit, reflect, and listen for what is rising within us and around us.

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About

In this debut episode of I AM LIVin LE’GaCee, Dr. Gilda Brown Ebanks sets the foundation for a journey of storytelling rooted in Black legacy, wisdom, and resilience. Drawing on the tradition of griots and griottes—keepers of history and culture—she invites listeners to reflect on the sacred power of memory, the lessons passed down through generations, and the small yet extraordinary ways we build legacy every day. With space for pause, reflection, and belonging, this opening conversation lays the groundwork for stories that heal, inspire, and endure

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