We released this episode, “Black birth, laboring for justice,” back in October 2023. At the time, we felt this episode was crucial to make because Black women had the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States. The CDC actually called it a crisis.

We checked back in with this crisis to see what’s changed in two years, and learned that maternal deaths have dropped — just not for Black women. So, we figured it’s time to press play on this. Again.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was mixed, scored and reported by Myra Flynn with support from our associate producer James Stewart and editing by Brittany Patterson.

Myra Flynn composed the Homegoings theme music. “Mama Song” was also written by Myra Flynn with production from Tim Sonnefeld. Zoe McDonald and Elodie Reed are the graphic artists behind this Homegoings artist portrait.

The CDC is working to help stop this crisis and save Black mothers. If you are in need of more information or help, give them a call at 1-800-232-4636. You do not have to navigate this alone.

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
• Make a gift to continue elevating BIPOC storytelling
• Tell you friends, your family or a stranger about the show!
• And of course, subscribe!

Our sister podcast Stitch Please is a sewing podcast that centers around Black women, girls and femmes, weaving threads of creativity, technique and passion with every episode. And in this episode we’re dropping into our feed, “Patchwork to Power,” renowned quilter Chawne Kimber sits down with host Lisa Wolfot to talk about how she strives to maintain a balance between aesthetic beauty and activist messaging in her quilts.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.

This episode was created by Lisa Woolfork and Black Women Stitch with additional editing by Myra Flynn. Myra composed our theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions.

We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned!

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!

Los Angeles native Shelley Bruce joins Myra Flynn as they discuss the devastating impact of the recent fires in L.A., particularly the Eaton fire that has destroyed so many homes and businesses, including many in the historically Black suburb of Los Angeles, Altadena. Together they discuss the systemic issues that have led to the fire’s disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.

***A heads up: This episode contains unbleeped swearing and covers sensitive material, including sexual abuse. Please listen with care.***

In this episode, Vermont Public reporter Elodie Reed joins Huntington, Vermont resident and Lakota elder Beverly Little Thunder and her daughter, Lushanya Echeverria, at the movies. Together they watch the documentary Sugarcane, about the horrific history and intergenerational trauma of residential or boarding schools.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.

This episode was mixed and reported by Elodie Reed, with additional editing by Myra Flynn, Mikaela Lefrak and James Stewart. Myra composed our theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie is also the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead so stay tuned!

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!

For this intimate Homegoings Shorty, Vermonter Raph Draws asks host Myra Flynn a question that doesn’t have one right or wrong answer: “What does motherhood mean to you?” Myra sits down with her mother Martha Mathis and her daughter Avalon as three generations share the holidays and their thoughts about mothers and daughters.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.

This shorty was reported, edited and mixed by Myra Flynn with support from our associate producer James Stewart. Myra Flynn composed our theme music and all other music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead so stay tuned!

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!

Vermonter Kiah Morris wants to know why Black folks have a history of carrying hot sauce in their bag. In this spicy Homegoings Shorty we dive right into it with Torrance, California, hot sauce maker Brittney McCray, and unpack how the Great Migration impacted the portability of this spicy condiment.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the series here.

This shorty was reported and edited by Myra Flynn and mixed by associate producer James Stewart. Myra Flynn composed the theme music and all other music is from Miles Hooper and Blue Dot Sessions. Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

We have more shorties and conversation coming in the weeks ahead so stay tuned!

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!

Don’t call it a rerun, call it a remix! In this remixed episode of ‘How do you cook YOUR greens?’ host Myra Flynn catches up with chef Harmony Edosomwan to see what’s new in her world of business — and her collard greens, since it came out last year. Along with a world-renowned chef and Myra’s mother, they explore how the history of a once undesirable food mimics the resilience, innovation and perseverance of a once considered undesirable people.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was mixed, scored and reported by Myra Flynn with support from associate producer James Stewart. Myra composed the theme music. All other music by Blue Dot Sessions and Jay Green. Brittany Patterson edits our show, and Elodie Reed is the graphic artist behind this episode’s Homegoings artist portrait.

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!

Here on the show, we ask a lot of our guests. We ask for their time, and a good amount of it, as most of these 40-minute Homegoings episodes are actually shaped after two-hour interviews! We unapologetically ask for their hearts. The things that make them beat, and the things that make them break. On a recent episode of the podcast Immigrantly (a show we consider a soul-sister in the world of race and identity), host Saadia Khan puts our own Myra Flynn in the hot-seat as an interviewee. This episode is personal, raw and If you’ve ever felt unseen or misjudged, this story will remind you that you’re not alone—and that it’s okay to embrace the contradictions that make you, you.

Homegoings is a production of Vermont Public. Follow the show here.

This episode was produced and written by Saadia Khan with editorial review and sound design by Shen Yu. Haziq Ahmed Fareed edited the episode. Music for Immigrantly is created by Simon Hutchinson, the Homegoings theme is by me, Myra Flynn and all other music is from Epidemic Sound. 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!