Where does rest come into the picture on the journey of becoming a good ancestor?In this episode, Layla and Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry and author of Rest Is Resistance, dive deep into why we need to prioritize rest in order to thrive.Tricia Hersey is a poet, performance artist, writer, theologian, and activist best known as the founder of the organization The Nap Ministry. She refers to herself as the Nap Bishop and advocates for the importance of rest as a racial and social justice issue. Rest is Resistance is a must-read for anyone dedicated to becoming a good ancestor.Together they explore: Why we are all struggle to restThe connection between white supremacy, capitalism, and restHow rest helped Tricia connect with her ancestors and intuition“The experimentation for these economic systems that we are under now came on the backs and bodies of black people, on those plantations making millions and millions and millions of dollars. Without our bodies, without that machine labor, none of this world would be happening right now. People seem to think that’s over, that capitalism has morphed into something better but it’s that exact same engine that’s driving capitalism now, the idea of profit over people, the idea of working a body at machine level pace, trying to automate a body.”-     Tricia Hersey, author of Rest Is Resistance and founder of The Nap MinistryEpisode Ten, The Become A Good Ancestor PodcastLearn more and follow Tricia:Website: http://www.triciahersey.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thenapministry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenapministry/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thenapministry/ Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ 

How does one become a changemaker?In this episode, our book club facilitator, Reema Zaman interviews host Layla Saad, about the journey that led to her role as founder of Become A Good Ancestor. Layla Saad is a founder and CEO, educator, and best-selling author of the groundbreaking book, Me and White Supremacy. Layla is an East African, Arab, British, Black, Muslim woman who was raised in the West and lives in the Middle East. She combines her work as an educator with her unique intersection of identities to guide her audience on the topics of race, identity, leadership, personal transformation, and social change.Through her work, Layla has helped countless change-seekers tap into their power and pursue their purpose in service of liberation, healing, and joy for all. Together they explore: Answering the call to do the work.The unspoken downsides of going viral.How to move forward from each assignment as a changemaker.“Faith is the right word. Because I'm very much a faith-led person and leader. And that's how I show up. So I recognise, for me, my beliefs are that it's important for us to show up for the work. And it's also equally important for us not to think that only we know everything of what it's going to look like. And I think it's so important to leave moments open for spontaneity, for miracles for things that are you know, opportunities, luck, grace, things that we can't engineer or predict. ”-     Layla F. Saad, Founder and CEO of Become A Good AncestorEpisode Nine, The Become A Good Ancestor PodcastLearn more and follow Layla:Website: https://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/about-layla Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laylafsaad/ Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Clubhttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreonwww.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S.: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk 

What are the characteristics of an “aunty” in your culture, and is it perceived as a label of endearment or exile?In this episode, Layla Saad interviews Priya Malhotra, the author of Woman of an Uncertain Age, which is a witty and poignant novel about a middle-aged widow during a time when the parameters and ideas of midlife are being challenged.Priya has been a writer and journalist in New York for over 20 years and has contributed to publications such as Newsday, Timeout New York, the Times of India, The Japan Times, Asian Art News, Cosmopolitan, and News India Times. She has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, and she grew up in New Delhi, India.Together they explore: Love and intimate relationships as we age.Sharing about your private life with your children as adults.Negotiating the boundaries between selfhood, womanhood, and motherhood.Woman of an Uncertain Age published by Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company is our October 2022 selection in the Become A Good Ancestor book club. “I also really wanted to play with the term coming of age. We associate the term coming of age with somebody younger, traditionally young or an adolescent. You know, so what does it mean if you come of age in your 50s? So, you know, I really wanted to play with that.”-     Priya Malhotra, author of Woman of an Uncertain AgeEpisode Seven, The Become A Good Ancestor PodcastLearn more and follow Priya:Website: https://www.priyamalhotra.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/writer_priya Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Clubhttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreonwww.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S.: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk 

Black joy is not just a weapon of resistance, it’s a tool for resilience, and it’s possible to use joy to access healing. In this episode, Layla Saad interviews Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts, the author of Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration, which has been critically acclaimed and lauded by celebrities like Kerry Washington, literary writers like Kiese Laymon and Deesha Philyaw, and media outlets like Good Morning America, Essence Magazine, and USA Today.Black Joy is a community offering in the form of a collection of lyrical essays about the way joy has evolved, even in the midst of trauma. Together they explore: The role of joy in becoming a good ancestor.How to appreciate vs appropriate and experience reading books by BIPOC authors without centering a white gaze.Tapping into joy amidst racial violence and trauma.Black Joy published by Simon & Schuster is our September 2022 selection in the Become A Good Ancestor book club. “The next baton pass is not about, “yes, take this pain and rage and keep passing it down.” Yes, there's work to do. Yes. There's policy to change. Yes, absolutely. Let's continue to stay on the necks of the people that are trying to oppress us. Absolutely. And also, breathe, drink your water, enjoy your children, dance, and create because that's how they survived actually. And that's how we will thrive, like that's the next step.”-     Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts, author of Black JoyEpisode Seven, The Become A Good Ancestor PodcastLearn more and follow Tracey:Website: https://www.traceymlewis.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmlgwriter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tmlewis Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmlgwriter  Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Clubhttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreonwww.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S.: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk 

The patriarchy hurts everyone, including men. Does that mean we need a man’s point of view on it?    In this episode, Layla Saad interviews Frederick Joseph, a two-time New York Times bestselling author, the International Literacy Association’s 2021 Children’s & Young Adults’ Book Award recipient, a 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list-maker for marketing and advertising, an activist, and philanthropist.His book, Patriarchy Blues: Reflections On Manhood is a thought-provoking collection of essays, poems, and short reflections, explores issues of masculinity and patriarchy from both a personal and cultural standpoint. Together they explore: The importance of being in community and honoring the voices within our communitiesThe work people of color must engage in to dismantle oppressive systems of powerHow to talk to kids about the patriarchyPatriarchy Blues published by Harper Collins is our August 2022 selection in the Become A Good Ancestor book club. “When you lead with love within spaces with people you actually do love, it makes way for the accountability to be done in a way where change can happen.”-     Frederick Joseph, author of Patriarchy BluesEpisode Six, The Become A Good Ancestor PodcastLearn more and follow Frederick:Website: https://frederickjoseph.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fredtjoseph/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/fredtjoseph  Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Clubhttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreonwww.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S.: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk 

Have you found your people? How have those relationships helped you love yourself more?In this episode, Layla Saad interviews Kate Johnson, writer, Buddhist meditation teacher, and facilitator, who leads courses and retreats integrating somatic movement, social justice, creativity, and the practice of wise relationships. Her book, Radical Friendship: Seven Ways to Love Yourself and Find Your People in an Unjust World, is an incredible piece of work chock full of stories and practical methods to nurture the relationships in your life.Together they explore: Mindfully building relationships as a spiritual and revolutionary practice.Holding space for both misalignment and intimacy in relationships with each other. Quieting the internalized voices of our critics and elevating our own voices in our work. Radical Friendship published by Shambhala is our July 2022 selection in the Become A Good Ancestor book club. “Another reason I wanted to write the book is I needed a book-length piece of paper to be able to write out what I feel is the spiritual practice of holding our awareness both in the ways we are privileged and the ways we’ve been oppressed by society, and learning how to be in right relationship with other people who also have their own constellation of privileges and oppressions. That is a mindfulness practice and it is one that takes kind attention and a lot of love. The opportunity there is we get to wake up to the ways we’re not free yet. I think that can only happen in the rub of relationships.” -       Kate Johnson, author of Radical FriendshipEpisode Five, The Become A Good Ancestor PodcastLearn more and follow Kate:Website: https://www.katejohnson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellokatejohnson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/specialkatejohnson  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hellokatejohnson/ Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Clubhttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreonwww.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S.: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk 

Good Ancestors, you’re on a mission to do the work that actually makes a difference. We’re on a mission to show you how to map out your unique liberation journey.It’s time to transform from ‘change-seeker’ to ‘changemaker’. Learn to maximize your impact and prevent burnout while dismantling systemic oppression.Enter our premiere course, Claim Your Space, a self-study to uncover your next steps towards becoming a changemaker. In this bonus episode, Layla Saad interviews Nina Everflow, an extraordinary instructional design, and course creation consultant. This course simply wouldn’t exist without her so get ready for a behind-the-scenes listen to the story of how this course came to be.Together they explore: An approach to education where liberation is the goalCreating an inclusive learning experience The steps to Claim Your Space as a changemaker Purchase Claim Your Space here. Learn more and follow Nina:Social Accountshttps://www.instagram.com/nina.everflowhttps://www.facebook.com/everflowcoach Websitehttps://ninaeverflow.com/ Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/

What does your mind conjure when thinking of home? How does that feel?In this episode, Layla Saad interviews Lola Akinmade Åkerström, an award-winning visual storyteller, international bestselling author, and travel entrepreneur.Together they explore: Immigration and the meaning of home as people living outside their country of originThe privilege of individuality and the multidimensionality of Black womanhood The experience of being Black in Sweden (and other white-majority countries)Lola’s debut fiction book, In Every Mirror She’s Black published by Sourcebooks Landmark is our June 2022 selection in the Become A Good Ancestor book club. “Regardless of Kemi’s background or Brittany’s background or Muna’s background, the first thing you see is the color of their skin, their Blackness. But as you read the book you see that all three women have really nothing in common, they’re very different individuals. And that’s the point of the book: to show this multidimensionality to Black womanhood.”-        Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Author of ‘In Every Mirror She’s Black’ Episode Three, The Become A Good Ancestor PodcastLearn more and follow Lola:Social accounts@lolaakinmadeBook social account@ineverymirrorJoin the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Clubhttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreonwww.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S.: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk 

“I am interested in reclaiming a contemplation that is not exclusive to whiteness, intellectualism, ableism, or mere hobby. And as a Black woman, I am disinterested in any call to spirituality that divorces my mind from my body, voice, or people.”– An excerpt from This Here Fleshby Cole Arthur Riley In Episode 002 of Become A Good Ancestor, Layla Saad interviews writer, liturgist, and speaker, Cole Arthur Riley.Cole’s NYT bestselling book, This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us is our May 2022 book selection in the Become A Good Ancestor Book Club. To find out more about the book and to join us in the book club click here. In her stunning debut, Cole weaves stories from three generations of her family with contemplative reflections to discover the necessary rituals that connect us with our belonging, dignity, and liberation.Cole’s writing has been featured in The Atlantic, Guernica, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post. She is also the creator of Black Liturgies, a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator. Cole currently serves as the spiritual teacher in residence with Cornell University’s Office of Spirituality and Meaning Making.In this interview, Layla and Cole explore:How Cole was inspired to write This Here FleshCole’s experience with chronic illness and how it shaped her view of owning her body.The experiences of Cole’s ancestors and how they not only shaped who she is today, but inspired a book that embodies multiple generational experiencesWhat it means to become disembodied and how this can affect the way we not only see ourselves, but how others see us.“This is the spirituality that if I’m going to do this, I want to communicate this kind of contemplation, this kind of spirituality when it’s intergenerational, when that’s embodied, when that’s emotional.”— Cole Author Riley, Author of This Here Flesh, Episode 002 of Become A Good Ancestor Podcast Learn more and follow Cole Arthur Riley:Website: https://colearthurriley.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackliturgies/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackliturgist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackliturgist/ Join the Become A Good Ancestor Community:Website https://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Club https://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreon  www.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S.: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk 

“To believe in the better, to believe in your future, to shout in the midst of a country on fire, to stare down the lions, to shake the foundations of the empire, to make meaning in the face of death, to fail, to create, to live, and to love–this is the stuff of hope.”– An extract from Danté’s Debut Book ‘Shoutin’ In The Fire: An American Epistle’In honor of the first Episode in the relaunch of The Good Ancestor Podcast, Layla Saad interviews Danté Stewart, an African-American speaker and writer on the intersecting topics of race, religion, and politics. Dante’s debut Book ‘Shoutin’ In The Fire: An American Epistle’ is our April 2022 book selection in the newly rebranded Become A Good Ancestor book club. To find out more about the book and to join us in the book club click here. Danté Stewart is a speaker and a writer whose work in the areas of race, religion, and politics has been featured on CNN and in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Sojourners, The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, Comment, and elsewhere. He received his BA in sociology from Clemson University and is currently studying at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.Layla Saad opens up the conversation to some inspirational topics, such as:How Danté's Grandaddy influenced who he is todayDanté's early love for books and how they inspired him to become an author. A deep dive into emotional stories that stand out from Danté’s book.Danté talks about what Anti-Blackness looks like and how to love your Blackness in a white space.The real, rich cultural Blackness Danté was raised in and how it impacted his journey and book. “Little by little I stopped going home, I started going around white people more and more. And then doing that, that came with the script that you are exceptional, that you are not like them, you are different.”-        Danté Stewart, Author of ‘Shoutin’ In The Fire: An American Epistle’           Episode One, The Good Ancestors Podcast Learn more and follow Danté Stewart:Website: https://www.dantecstewart.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stewartdantec/Twitter:https://twitter.com/stewartdantec Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Clubhttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreonwww.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S.: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk

Welcome to the Become A Good Ancestor Podcast. A relaunch and rebranding of the Good Ancestor Podcast.A podcast hosted by Layla Saad.Layla Saad is a writer, speaker, teacher, and the CEO of Become A Good Ancestor - a company offering digital learning programs for people who want to change the world! Layla’s work has been featured in some of the world's biggest platforms including Oprah, Forbes, TIME, British Vogue, goop, and TEDx to name a few. She writes and teaches about race, identity, leadership, personal transformation, and social change.In 2020, Layla published the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller 'Me and White Supremacy', which was one of the most widely read books of that year. As the author of what has been called a life-changing book, she believes in the power of books to help us change the world. Especially books written by Black people, Indigenous People, and People of Colour. In each episode Layla Speaks to a writer of colour about their book, their journey, and what it means to them to become a good ancestor. The wisdom, courage, and creativity of BIPOC thinkers and thought leaders can help us to find solutions to some of today’s most pressing personal and social issues.We are so honored to bring you this podcast, a thoughtful and hopeful corner of the internet, where we all learn how to become good ancestors;In honour of those who have come before us, and in service to those who will come after we are gone. Join the Become a Good Ancestor Community:Websitehttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/ Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/become_a_good_ancestor/ Book Clubhttps://www.becomeagoodancestor.com/book-club Patreonwww.patreon.com/becomeagoodancestor BookShopU.S: https://bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-usUK: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/goodancestorbookclub-uk