The Rolling Archives

What happens when Black girls become the archivists of their own stories?In this rich and joyful conversation, Ashley sits down with scholar, author, cultural critic, and longtime mentor Dr. Aria Halliday to explore the worlds Black girls create, inhabit, and transform through culture, community, and imagination.Together, they roll back the archives of Black girlhood—from dancing with sisters and watching Sister, Sister to finding themselves reflected in characters like Moesha, Lisa Turtle, and Cinderella. Through personal memories and critical analysis, Dr. Halliday reflects on the experiences that shaped her groundbreaking work in Black Girlhood Studies and her commitment to documenting the everyday lives, joys, complexities, and cultural contributions of Black girls.The conversation explores the creation of the landmark Black Girlhood Studies Collection, the challenges of carving out space for Black girlhood scholarship within academia, and the importance of treating Black girls’ lived experiences as worthy of study, theory, and celebration. Ashley and Aria also discuss pop culture, dance, embodiment, representation, mentorship, and Dr. Halliday’s powerful new book, Black Girls and How We Fail Them.At its heart, this episode is an invitation to remember that Black girlhood is not only defined by struggle—it is also a site of creativity, innovation, pleasure, friendship, movement, beauty, and possibility.Resources mentioned in the conversation: The Black Girlhood Studies Collection by Aria HallidayTwerk Sumn!: Theorizing Black Girl Epistemology in the Body by Aria Halliday Black Girls and How We Fail Them by Aria Halliday Buy Black: How Black Women Transformed US Pop Culture

In this deeply affirming and expansive conversation, Ashley sits down with educator, organizer, and Justice for Black Girls founder Brianna Baker to explore what it means to reclaim Black girlhood, build liberatory spaces, and create institutions where Black girls are not only protected — but deeply loved, heard, and celebrated. Together, they reflect on the transformative power of Black girl spaces, the tension between grief and joy in Black girlhood, and the urgency of building worlds where Black girls can exist freely on their own terms. As you dive into this conversation, ask yourself “If you had an opportunity to put Black girlhood studies into action or even return to your younger self and ask what she desired most when growing up, what might that look like for you?” Connect with Brianna Baker and Justice For Black Girls: https://instagram.com/justice4blackgirls ; https://justiceforblackgirls.com

TRA-Show InfoThe Rolling Archives Podcast collection of stories and conversations about Black women and girls’ past-present-future selves. While distinctions across Black girls and women’s childhood, adolescence, and adulthood may deserve their own recognition, The Rolling Archives embodies and honors reoccurring memories of Black girlhood as foundational sites of joy, exploration, meaning making, and life-affirming practices on a non-linear trajectory for Black women and girls. The Rolling Archives offers space for Black girls and women to reflect on, engage, and sit with these moments that have inspired and informed their current journeys, practices, and the formation of spaces that nurture their moments of living. Hosted by Ashley Smith-Purviance whose research on Black girlhood has grown into a platform for Black women and girls to speak freely to talk about their lives and experiences, to bridge the connection between generations and education levels, to create a meaningful community.    The Rolling Archives Podcast collection of stories and conversations about Black women and girls’ past-present-future selves. While distinctions across Black girls and women’s childhood, adolescence, and adulthood may deserve their own recognition, The Rolling Archives embodies and honors reoccurring memories of Black girlhood as foundational sites of joy, exploration, meaning making, and life-affirming practices on a non-linear trajectory for Black women and girls. The Rolling Archives offers space for Black girls and women to reflect on, engage, and sit with these moments that have inspired and informed their current journeys, practices, and the formation of spaces that nurture their moments of living. Hosted by Ashley Smith-Purviance whose research on Black girlhood has grown into a platform for Black women and girls to speak freely to talk about their lives and experiences, to bridge the connection between generations and education levels, to create a meaningful community. Turn on screen reader supportTo enable screen reader support, press ⌘+Option+Z To learn about keyboard shortcuts, press ⌘slash