Women & Politics presents:

Women & Politics: Black Women Leading the Culture Discussion

Today we talk with two women who are leading the cultural discussions in the community and academia.

Dawn Johnson, J.D., Ph.D. 

Black Feminist Professor 

Aspiring Leader in Black Feminist Thought, Culture, and Digital  Media Studies

Dawn Johnson, J.D., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor, in the GSWS Department. She is a social media enthusiast, feminist pedagogy researcher, and an aspiring educator from rural Virginia. She received her Ph.D. from VCU’s Media Art and Text, an interdisciplinary program, in May 2021. Dawn also obtained a certificate in Gender,  Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at VCU. Dawn has a background in English and law and policy with a JD from the University of  Richmond and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia. Her areas of interest include feminist research, Black feminism, and digital media studies, applying a lens of intersectionality, gender studies, social media studies, critical race feminism, and social justice matters. Dawn’s dissertation is entitled: Black Feminist Thought, Interrupted – Dissecting the Voice of Black Feminists in the Blogosphere and their Engagement with  Platform Affordances. 

On a personal note, Dawn enjoys writing, reading, and planning events. Also, she has self-published a poetry book. In her downtime, which is very little, she loves to spend time connecting with her husband, family, and friends. You can read more about Dawn on her personal website – dawngjohnson.com. 

Julian Glover, PhD

Julian Kevon Glover is an assistant professor of Dance + Choreography, an Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry and Innovation Core Member, and an LGBTQIA iCubed visiting scholar. She is currently a Franke Fellow at Northwestern’s Kaplan Institute for the Humanities and her work appears in publications including Harvard Kennedy School’s LGBTQ Policy Journal; American Quarterly; Souls: A Critical Journal of Back Politics, Culture and Society; and Text and Performance Quarterly. She was also recently inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society at Yale University. Her dissertation is a performance ethnography of the experiences of transgender women in the ballroom scene across Chicago, London, Paris, and Amsterdam. Glover is an advisory board member of the TransLife Center—a program of the Chicago House and Social Service Agency designed to provide transgender and gender-nonconforming people with access to housing, employment opportunities, and healthcare. She has also worked for several national progressive nonprofit organizations including the National LGBTQ Task Force, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. She has a Ph.D. in African American Studies from Northwestern University and holds an MPA from Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Glover earned a BS in speech communications with a double minor in music (cello performance) and sociology (emphasis on gender and sexuality) from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

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Follow our show on our social media on twitter, facebook, and our blog – look for  womenpoliticsva

Follow our host and producer at @sherishannon27  and @carololson

Carol Olson    Women & Politics    February 17th, 2022

Posted In: Music Shows, News

Women & Politics presents:

Women & Politics: Black Women Leading Community Voices and Spaces

Today we talk with two women leading our communities in different ways.

Melody Joy Short 

Melody Joy Short is a graduate of Morgan State University’s Earl Graves School of Business and a marketing executive, focused on business development and brand development for small businesses. Melody jump-started her career in the Urban Marketing Department of Sony Music Distribution. Her career in the music industry afforded her the opportunity to establish relationships with small business owners in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Southwest markets. This proved pivotal to Melody’s career because it’s where she developed a passion for supporting small business owners. As an entrepreneur and co-founder of the Richmond Night Market, she supports small business owners and independent artists in areas to include public relations, marketing, and business development. Melody is the former Director of Marketing and Business Development for the largest collection of Black-owned Inns in the United States, Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns, and was featured as part of the cast of their television show, on the OWN Network, Checked Inn. Melody served the small business community of Richmond, Virginia with a focus on minority and women-owned businesses as the former Director of Marketing & Communications at the Metropolitan Business League. She is the Co-founder of The Jackson Ward Collective, a hub for Black business owners and selected partners to share resources, experiences, and expertise to build and grow strong, sustainable Black-owned businesses in Richmond, VA, and as a consultant for the Black Business Opportunity & Investment Study and Virginia Community Capital’s Open For Business Loan Fund. In addition, Melody serves on the board of the Afrikana Independent Film Festival, The Valentine Museum, ChamberRVA, CultureWorks, and the Minority Business Enterprise and Emerging Small Business Advisory Board for the City of Richmond. All this while managing her most important role of all–mother to 13-year old Nia Abiose.

Kenya Hunter

Kenya has served as the Education reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch over the last two years and is joining Capital B News in Atlanta as their new health reporter.  She will be reporting on health outcomes in all aspects of Black life in the city, whether it’s environmental justice, abortion access, climate change, or COVID-19. She is excited to build out her vision for the beat, like hosting panels and working with Atlanta’s Black residents to provide the news the Black community deserves and needs.  Kenya has always had a passion for journalism and the liberation of Black people:

“As I’ve grown in my professional career, I began to see the ways in which traditional media is broken and doesn’t truly serve Black people. I wanted more for me and for all Black folks, who deserve serious coverage in the press. It’s also really important for journalists to know the community they’re reporting on. We often center detachment as an important asset of being a reporter, but reporting from home is important. When journalists report from home, they report with love, and that is important. When I saw the job listing at Capital B, and specifically one for my hometown, I knew this was the perfect opportunity for what I want in my career.”

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Follow our show on our social media on twitter, facebook, and our blog – look for  womenpoliticsva

Follow our host and producer at @sherishannon27  and @carololson

Carol Olson    Women & Politics    February 10th, 2022

Posted In: Music Shows, News

Women & Politics presents:

Women & Politics with Tarah Harris of Teal House (rebroadcast)

Today we are rebroadcasting a fav show with Tarah Harris, Founder of Teal House Company who came on to talk about the future of housing, how she is helping women become financially savvy, and become homeowners. You can learn more about her programs and her philosophy at Teal House Company

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Follow our show on our social media on twitter, facebook, and our blog – look for  womenpoliticsva

Follow our host and producer at @sherishannon27  and @carololson

Carol Olson    Women & Politics    February 3rd, 2022

Posted In: Music Shows, News

Richmond Cryptoids presents:

Dominion at the Hill: Part 3 of Cryptoids of the Capitol

Trey makes his triumphant return for the third part of the series Cryptoids at the Capitol. This episode covers the creation of Dominion from the General Assembly and its current domination.

Goad Gatsby    Richmond Cryptoids    February 3rd, 2022

Posted In: Music Shows, News