Homegoings Vermont Public

There’s some irony in freedom because freedom is inherently unfree. It’s something to be defended, fought for, stood up for. It’s been hard-won in a lot of our history. It’s also elusive. Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes, it isn’t even an option. So, what is freedom? How do you know when you have it? What does it sound like? How do you get more of it? This episode works to create some cognitive dissonance, on purpose, between the sounds of freedom and the reality of it. With the live sounds of Independence Day, and a candid conversation with Speech, lead MC and singer of the band Arrested Development. He is fighting for freedom in his own way. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here. This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn, with help from associate producer James Stewart and data journalist Corey Dockser. The episode was edited by Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. and featured field reporting by Nathaniel Wilson and Bryant Denton. The music was composed by Myra Flynn; other music by Arrested Development, the band Gumbo and Blue Dot Sessions. Zoe McDonald is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait. See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

***A heads up: This episode contains strong language and unbleeped swearing as well as discussions of sexual abuse*** In part two of “Stories from the spotlight,” we continue our deep dive into the problematic nature of the music industry, the roots of misogyny in hip-hop, and unpack what it takes to stay safe, healthy and true to yourself as a female musician of color. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here. If you or someone you know is facing the trauma of sexual abuse, you do not have to navigate it alone. Help is available. National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE online.rainn.org. This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn, with help from associate producer James Stewart and edited by Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. The music was composed by Myra Flynn and Kiran “Madame” Gandhi. Other music by Jay Green and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait. See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

***A heads up: This episode contains strong language and unbleeped swearing as well as discussions of sexual abuse*** Fame, or the idea of it, is deeply woven into our society. It’s currency — people knowing you, knowing your name, knowing your art — can be priceless for an artist. Something to spend your whole life seeking. But fame also comes at a cost, and for young women of color in the music industry, and those costs have names. They are: financial devastation, mental health challenges, violence and sexual assault. In this two-part episode of Homegoings, we’ll pull back the curtain and hear from three female musicians and an expert about what it means to be ambitious, broke and brown and Black in the music industry. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here. If you or someone you know is facing the trauma of sexual abuse, you do not have to navigate it alone. Help is available. National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE online.rainn.org. This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn, with help from associate producer James Stewart and edited by Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. The music was composed by Myra Flynn and Derick Rice. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait. See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

Earlier this year, we hosted a special night at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph, Vermont. Five of the artists featured in our podcast took to the stage for a magical evening of poetry, music, dance and comedy. On this episode of Homegoings, we’ll hear highlights from that one night in February. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here. This episode was mixed by our associate producer, James Stewart, and was edited by Myra Flynn, who also composed the theme music. The episode featured the song “Dulce Canción” by Raul Pacheco. All other music is from Kiah Morris, Matthew Evan Taylor and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind our Homegoings artist portraits. Check them all out at Homegoings dot C-O. See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

***A heads up: This episode contains strong language and unbleeped swearing*** Tracy “The D.O.C.” Curry is the OG of hip-hop, one of the originators of the genre itself. In 1989, a horrible car accident damaged his vocal cords at the height of his career. On this episode of Homegoings, Tracy shares how he found his voice and his purpose again on the other side of tragedy. Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow season 2 here. This episode was reported and mixed by Myra Flynn, with help from associate producer James Stewart, and edited by Saidu Tejan-Thomas. The music was composed by Myra Flynn, Tim Sonnefeld and Miles Hooper. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind our Homegoings artist portraits. See you in two weeks for the next episode of Homegoings. As always, you are welcome here. To continue to be part of the Homegoings family: Sign up for the Homegoings newsletter Write to us at: hey@homegoings.co Follow us on Instagram @wearehomegoings Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling Tell your friends, your family or a stranger about the show! And of course, subscribe!

“How do people who identify as Black but have a white parent identify with that part of them? What are the complicated issues, if any? How do you manage day to day?” These are the questions posed by listener Janice Solek-Tefft that we’ll seek to answer in this episode of Homegoings. Myra Flynn shares her own experiences and speaks with three other biracial individuals as they discuss what it’s like to hold two of the world’s most opposing races in one body.