Bringing it Black Mary Mandefield

Recorded just a few days before the 2023 London Marathon, I chat to Leon Parkes, founder of Wembley based run club The Nov Way. He talks us through his running playlist and how his trainings been going. Plus I learned a lot from Tyler Williams Green, founder of run club and youth charity The Outrunners. Coach Gloria Sarpong shares what they're working on for women who may have been put off fitness in the past. AND I heard from other Black runners taking on the 26.2 miles across the city. This episode will leave you feeling inspired to chuck your trainers on and to just give a long run a go. Also, shoutout to Chelsea Okung who is the new producer of Bringing it Black - so great to have her on the team! Wanna have your say on future episodes? Drop me a message on insta at @mary.mandefield or email at hello@marymandefiel.com. Until next week!

As it’s Virgo season, this episode has got a gift for the Beyhive 🤩 - a debrief of Beys 41st birthday, incl the questionable looks.

I’ve got a rundown of everything you need to know about the new star of Disney’s live action remake of ✨The Little Mermaid✨- Halle Bailey.

With a new King now on the throne I’m sharing everything I know about whether Jamaica will now move on from royals and become a republic.

We couldn’t do this episode without celebrating the Black women making big moves at the 2022 Emmy Awards and without recapping the heartbreaking story of Chris Kaba.

It's only right that Bringing it Black celebrates Mandela Day with an episode dedicated to the man himself, Nelson Mandela.

The former President of South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize winner and man that lives on as a leading figure in history, Nelson Mandela, was born in South Africa in 1918 and is best known for spending 27 years in prison for his fight for democracy and to end apartheid. 

This episode explores Mandela's legacy, with the help of my friend all the way from South Africa, Dikeledi Mokone and with words from the United Nations Chief and Price Harry.

Bringing it Black exists to celebrate, showcase and collaborate with the hottest talent from the UK's Black community 🙌

Connect with Dikeledi on Insta:@dikeledi_mokone

 Find me on: @Mary.Mandefield & hello@marymandefield.com

This special episode delves into the topic of adoption in the Black community from the perspective of an incredible lineup of guests, including stories from adoptive parents and adoptees from across the world.

The show features an interview with Didi and Priscilla, an amazing example of Black adoptive parents from the LGBTQ+ community, who share their experience on everything from the steps to adoption and the process of matching a child with their parents to the reasoning behind wanting to match a child with parents that share their heritage. 

Joy Carter, a comedian, actor, speaker and adoptee from Nigeria joined me to chat all about her journey as an adoptee with a white family and the challenges that came with it.

Chatting with me all the way from the US were Jordyn and Mia, both with incredible advice and stories from their journeys as adoptees.

Bringing it Black exists to celebrate, showcase and collaborate with the hottest talent from the UK's Black community 🙌 

Connect with Didi and Priscilla on Insta: @that_a.c_life

Follow Joy on Insta: @joycartershow

Check out Mia on TikTok: @miathaicha

Hear Jordyn's story on TikTok: @jor.dynnnnnnnn

Find me on: @Mary.Mandefield & hello@marymandefield.com

Bringing it Black has been blessed to have the Bratt Pitt of the Voiceover world on the show - award winning Black British Voiceover Artist, Jo Troy! Jo grew up in Walthamstow with a background in the creative industry, making music and then building a career from the corner of the room, with clients including Nike, Adidas, Samsung and Sony.

Jo and I chat about how he started a whole new career as a Voiceover Artist in the pandemic, and gives us a cheeky insight into how you can make a living from your voice, fees, charges and all that stuff that people don't usually talk about!

Jo give us useful tips on describing your voice, knowing your sound and how to prep your voice before a job. 

Bringing it Black exists to celebrate, showcase and collaborate with the hottest talent from the UK's Black community 🙌

Read Jo’s Ebook breaking down what to do to get your foot through the door: www.jotroy.com

Connect with Jo on insta: @JoTroyVO

Find me on: @Mary.Mandefield & hello@marymandefield.com

We LOVE to see people with big dreams go out and make them a reality, and someone out here making things happen is Thea Hallow 🤩

Thea is a young creative from South-East London who’s making music and following her dreams. We chat about the importance of believing in yourself and knowing that you’re good enough to say YES to the amazing opportunities that come your way, the art of understanding how to make social media work for you and how to deal with anxiety about performing.

Check out Thea’s new single ‘Love Buddy’ and keep an eye out for the music video, coming very soon!

Bringing it Black exists to celebrate, showcase and collaborate with the hottest talent from the UK's Black community 🙌

Connect with Thea: @Thea.Hallow

Find me on: @Mary.Mandefield & hello@marymandefield.com