You Ain't Imagining This!

Robin Lofton
  • 5.0 (1)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

You Ain't Imagining This! (YAIT) is an extension of Ama-Robin Lofton's the Espresso Talk Today Podcast. It is a bold and mindful podcast rooted in Black truth-telling, healing, and collective power. Through stories, reflections, and honest conversations, YAIT uplifts the lived experiences of Black folks—past, present, and future—reminding listeners they're not alone, not exaggerating, and not imagining what they've seen, felt, or known. With four soul-nourishing episode types—YAIT Stories, Espresso Talks, Believe Black People, and Comforting Moments—this podcast creates space for truth, tenderness, and transformation.

  1. 2D AGO

    Black Invisibility: Personal. Deliberate. Real.

    Have you ever noticed that certain experiences feel obvious to you — but invisible to others? Have you ever tried to explain a moment of bias or dismissal, only to be told it probably wasn't about race? What do we mean when we say Black invisibility? In this Espresso Talk — a calm, focused reflection grounded in lived experience — Ama-Robin sits inside Nommo Bookstore in YAIT Town and names a reality many Black people live with daily: being present but unseen, harmed but doubted, accomplished but erased. During Black History Month — a time that appears to center Black visibility — this episode explores why invisibility doesn't disappear just because February arrives. In fact, the contrast can make it clearer. Through personal reflection and steady truth-telling, Ama-Robin examines how Black experiences are minimized, gaslit, and rewritten — and why naming this pattern matters. This is not a rant. It is recognition. You ain't imagining this.

    24 min

  2. FEB 5

    Gathering on Higher Ground (Part II): We Are Building This Together

    Loved the first part? Want to stay on the Front Porch a little longer? Thank you for continuing this important, family-friendly Black History Month Village Story. In Part Two of Gathering on Higher Ground, we remain on the Front Porch of YAIT Town, where remembering gently turns into building--together. This final chapter reflects on how Black history lives in everyday moments: shared food, questions asked out loud, elders teaching in different ways, and the quiet work of belonging. The episode closes with a Beyond the Story reflection, where Ama-Robin shares why this story was told and how the idea of higher ground helps us imagine—and practice—a better world.   About YAIT (You Ain't Imagining This!) YAIT is a Black-centered reflection and storytelling space exploring what it means to live with dignity, care, and imagination in predominantly white spaces. Alongside Village Stories, the show includes: Espresso Talks — grounded conversations about navigating life in predominantly white spaces Believe Black People episodes — direct, unapologetic truth-telling that names anti-Black racism, gaslighting, and erasure without softening, disclaimers, or debate. Comforting Moments — short, calming audio offerings for rest and regulation Sounds of Safety — a soothing audio series designed to help the nervous system settle after stress or overwhelm YAIT also supports We Ain't Imagining This! (WAIT!): the collective and activist arm of the project—focused on imagination, care, and counter-world building beyond the podcast. Comforting, restorative merch is also coming soon! The YAIT Town community is growing on SKOOL, offering a shared space for reflection, conversation, and practicing these ideas together. Join here! The YAIT website hosts additional experiences, including written reflections, rituals, story extensions, and resources designed to deepen rest, imagination, and connection. YAIT Town is here for you. Come as you are. Take what you need. And remember—you ain't imagining this!

    31 min

  3. FEB 5

    Gathering on Higher Ground (Part I): A YAIT Town Story

    Feeling tired of loud stories and heavy explanations? Join Ama-Robin on the Front Porch of YAIT Town for a gentle, family-friendly Village Story created especially for Black History Month. Gathering on Higher Ground is a calm, immersive story—free of stress, conflict, or drama—that reflects on what Black history really holds: community, wisdom, joy, survival, and belonging. This story invites listeners of all ages to sit together, ask questions, and remember that Black history is more than struggle—it is a living, breathing inheritance. Part Two of the story is already waiting for you, whenever you're ready to continue the gathering.   About YAIT (You Ain't Imagining This!) YAIT is a Black-centered reflection and storytelling space exploring what it means to live with dignity, care, and imagination in predominantly white spaces. Alongside Village Stories, the show includes: Espresso Talks — grounded conversations about navigating life in predominantly white spaces Believe Black People episodes — direct, unapologetic truth-telling that names anti-Black racism, gaslighting, and erasure without softening, disclaimers, or debate. Comforting Moments — short, calming audio offerings for rest and regulation Sounds of Safety — a soothing audio series designed to help the nervous system settle after stress or overwhelm YAIT also supports We Ain't Imagining This! (WAIT!): the collective and activist arm of the project—focused on imagination, care, and counter-world building beyond the podcast. Comforting, restorative merch is also coming soon! The YAIT Town community is growing on SKOOL, offering a shared space for reflection, conversation, and practicing these ideas together. Join here! The YAIT website hosts additional experiences, including written reflections, rituals, story extensions, and resources designed to deepen rest, imagination, and connection. YAIT Town is here for you. Come as you are. Take what you need. And remember—you ain't imagining this!

    20 min

  4. JAN 30

    Pockets of Safety: Finding moments of ease, care, and dignity and why that matters

    Feeling braced or on edge today? Join Ama-Robin in Umoja Café for a gentle Espresso Talk about pockets of safety—those small moments where the body can exhale and the nervous system can settle. Through a short folktale and real-life reflections as a Black woman living in predominantly white spaces, this episode explores how safety is felt, why it matters, and how noticing it becomes the first step toward imagining a way of living with dignity. About YAIT (You Ain't Imagining This!) YAIT is a Black-centered reflection and storytelling space exploring what it means to live with dignity, care, and imagination in predominantly white spaces. Alongside Village Stories, the show includes: Espresso Talks — grounded conversations about navigating life in predominantly white spaces Believe Black People episodes — direct, unapologetic truth-telling that names anti-Black racism, gaslighting, and erasure without softening, disclaimers, or debate. Comforting Moments — short, calming audio offerings for rest and regulation Sounds of Safety — a soothing audio series designed to help the nervous system settle after stress or overwhelm YAIT also supports We Ain't Imagining This! (WAIT!): the collective and activist arm of the project—focused on imagination, care, and counter-world building beyond the podcast. Comforting, restorative merch is also coming soon! The YAIT Town community is growing on SKOOL, offering a shared space for reflection, conversation, and practicing these ideas together. Join here! The YAIT website hosts additional experiences, including written reflections, rituals, story extensions, and resources designed to deepen rest, imagination, and connection. Black History Month Special!  Join us for a special YAIT Town story releasing Thursday, February 5th—an immersive, sensory-rich story. on Black history and Black futures. Guaranteed: Conflict-free. Stress-free. Drama-free. Listen while walking, resting, or taking a pause between everything else. YAIT Town is here for you. Come as you are. Take what you need. And remember—you ain't imagining this!

    45 min

  5. JAN 15

    A Comforting Moment: Safety Begins Here

    Do you feel safe?  This Comforting Moment focuses on safety as the foundation for everything else. Through gentle guidance and quiet presence, this episode invites listeners to slow down, release urgency, and begin from a place where the body does not have to brace. You don't need answers or a plan—just a safe place to begin. Sistah-host Ama-Robin guides you through this Comforting Moment and invites you to begin gently. Comforting Moments are short, intentional audio pauses designed to help the body settle and the nervous system soften. They matter because when we're constantly rushed, braced, or overstimulated, it becomes hard to imagine anything new—let alone build it. These moments offer regulation before reflection, calm before clarity. This is not a sleep story, though you may drift off. It's an offering of calm, restoration, and permission to begin gently. You ain't imagining this!

    10 min

  6. JAN 8

    The World We Practice Here: A Comforting, Restorative YAIT Village Story

    The World We Practice Here is a calm, immersive YAIT Village Story created for listeners who need relief from constant urgency, tension, and emotional noise. This is a drama-free and conflict-free story—not because nothing matters, but because not everything needs to escalate to hold meaning. There's no violence, no confrontation, and no manufactured suspense. Instead, the story invites you into ordinary moments of Black life where safety is assumed, dignity is intact, and the nervous system can finally soften. You'll follow a gentle walk through YAIT Town—past familiar places, everyday encounters, and small pockets of ease that show what's possible when harm is not centered. The experience is designed to be grounding, comforting, and restorative, especially if your body feels tired, overstimulated, or on edge. This isn't a sleep story—though you may drift. It's not boring—it's intentional. It's a reminder that another way of living is possible, and that practicing calm, even briefly, can change what we're willing to accept when we return to the world.   About YAIT (You Ain't Imagining This!) YAIT is a Black-centered storytelling and reflection space exploring what it means to live with dignity, care, and imagination in a world that often denies those things. Alongside Village Stories like this one, the show includes: Espresso Talks — grounded conversations about navigating life in predominantly white spaces Believe Black People episodes — direct, unapologetic truth-telling that names anti-Black racism, gaslighting, and erasure without softening, disclaimers, or debate. Comforting Moments — short, calming audio offerings for rest and regulation Sounds of Safety — a soothing audio series designed to help the nervous system settle after stress or overwhelm YAIT also includes We Ain't Imagining This! (WAIT!): the collective and activist arm of the project—focused on imagination, care, and counter-world building beyond the podcast. Comforting, restorative merch is also coming soon! The YAIT Town community is growing on SKOOL, offering a shared space for reflection, conversation, and practicing these ideas together. The YAIT website hosts additional experiences, including written reflections, rituals, story extensions, and resources designed to deepen rest, imagination, and connection. Listen while walking, resting, or taking a pause between everything else. YAIT Town is here for you. Come as you are. Take what you need. And remember—you ain't imagining this!

    38 min

  7. JAN 5 · BONUS VIDEO

    Sounds of Safety: The Front Porch

    Sounds of Safety is a gentle audio offering rooted in the Black tradition of the front porch—a place of watching, listening, resting, and belonging. You'll hear everyday porch sounds: distant voices, footsteps passing by, wind in the trees, birds, quiet movement, and moments of silence. Nothing demands your attention. Nothing needs fixing. This is an invitation to let your body remember what it feels like to be safe enough to simply be. You can listen while resting, after a difficult moment, or as part of winding down—allowing your nervous system to soften and your breath to settle.   Why Sounds of Safety Matter Safety isn't just an idea—it's sensory. For many Black people, danger hasn't always announced itself loudly; it's lived quietly in the body. Sounds of Safety works by offering familiar, non-threatening sounds that signal: you are not alone, you are not being watched, you are not in danger right now. These sounds help: calm the nervous system reduce hypervigilance reconnect the body to presence and ease restore a sense of grounded awareness This isn't escapism. It's regulation.   Why the Front Porch Matters The front porch is not inside and not outside—it's the threshold. Historically, it has been a place where Black life unfolded in public view with protection: talking, laughing, listening, resting, watching the world pass without being pulled into it. In YAIT Town, the Front Porch represents: shared presence without performance community without extraction safety without silence The Sounds of Safety belong here because the porch teaches us something essential: You don't have to disappear to be safe. You don't have to explain yourself to belong. You can sit, listen, and still be held.

    3 min

  8. 12/26/2025

    Umoja: A Comforting Moment for Feeling Connected

    This Comforting Moment marks the first day of Kwanzaa — Umoja, the principle of Unity. In this gentle gathering in the Umoja Cafe in YAIT Town, we pause to remember that we were never meant to carry life alone. YAIT Town is a living sanctuary built through story, reflection, and shared breath — a place you can return to for rest, truth, and connection. Alongside Comforting Moments like this one, You Ain't Imagining This! offers: Immersive and Sensory Stories that invite you into Black spaces, memories, and moments. Believe Black People episodes that name and challenge racism and the experience of living Black in predominantly white spaces. Espresso Talks that explore everyday Black life with care and clarity. You're also invited to deepen this work through the YAIT newsletter, where reflections, rituals, and community offerings continue beyond the podcast. YAIT Town is always open — and the porch light is always on.

    12 min
See All (100)

Trailers

About

You Ain't Imagining This! (YAIT) is an extension of Ama-Robin Lofton's the Espresso Talk Today Podcast. It is a bold and mindful podcast rooted in Black truth-telling, healing, and collective power. Through stories, reflections, and honest conversations, YAIT uplifts the lived experiences of Black folks—past, present, and future—reminding listeners they're not alone, not exaggerating, and not imagining what they've seen, felt, or known. With four soul-nourishing episode types—YAIT Stories, Espresso Talks, Believe Black People, and Comforting Moments—this podcast creates space for truth, tenderness, and transformation.

Information

  • Creator
    Robin Lofton
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Robin Lofton
  • Show Website
    You Ain't Imagining This!