Black in the Stacks: Where the Culture is Kept

What happens when the stories we read fail to reflect the skin we live in? On this episode of Black in the Stacks: Where the Culture is Kept, we explore the vital necessity of representation in literacy and the journey of navigating the world with a rare condition. Marquita chats with Megan Cauthen, the founder of The Golden Impact and author of the children's book Nellie & Ollie: A Friend Like Me. Megan shares her firsthand perspective on growing up with albinism and how her personal history inspired her to write for the next generation. We discuss: -The transition from lived experience to the written word. -Why diverse characters are essential for childhood development. -The reality of life with albinism and the power of reclaiming your own narrative. Megan believes that our differences are our greatest strengths. This conversation is an honest look at how we can use storytelling to foster confidence and intentional growth.   Click to View Pod Merch   📲 Be sure to follow Megan on one or ALL of her social media platforms below for updates on the release of her book: FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HdcnehcpS/?mibextid=wwXIfr IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_golden_impact_?igsh=bzNneGU5YjkzbDR6&utm_source=qr TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@megan.cauthen?_r=1&_t=ZP-953Hav1nRS2  

On this episode of Black in the stacks, Marquita chats with Kayla Turner Thomas about her film debut, "Framing Freedom: The Inspiring True Story of Black Landownership in Mississippi. It's a gripping feature length documentary told through the lens of Thomas’ grandfather, Henry Harris, a retired second-generation farmer whose father, John Harris, managed to buy and keep farmland while Jim Crow laws were still in effect. The film combines interviews from historians that give insight into what factors and events contributed to massive Black land loss like mob violence, federal loan discrimination, and the impact of the Great Migration. Aiming to enlighten and inspire, Farming Freedom also looks ahead to the opportunities for closing the wealth gap between non-Black and Black landowners today. Kayla Turner Thomas, a producer and 2x Emmy-nominated creative services professional, has worked in local television for nearly 15 years. Raised on family land in the Mississippi Delta, Thomas is a proud product of Bolivar County public schools. She studied Media and Communication Arts at Pace University, Westchester, and is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/blackinthestacks Connect: www.blackinthestacks.com Film: https://filmfreeway.com/FarmingFreedom

On this episode of Black in the Stacks, Marquita chats with Kaetrena Davis Kendrick about the systemic causes of low morale and workplace harm within library environments, recognizing and naming instances of workplace harm, and practical strategies for personal recovery after such experiences.  Kaetrena Davis Kendrick is a dynamic and uplifting researcher, leader, consultant, and coach. Her mission is to inspire authentic collegiality, and to promote well-being, share the gifts of creativity, and cultivate empathetic, engaged leadership in the workplace. She also helps people who are struggling in dysfunctional workplaces recognize, reconcile, and begin to recover from their experiences. Learn more about Renewals by visiting www.renewalslis.com.   Listen & Subscribe: blackinthestacks.podbean.com  Connect: www.blackinthestacks.com Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/blackinthestacks    

On this episode, Marquita chats with Christopher Fleming, aka "The People's Librarian", about his idea that libraries don't fail because people don't care, but because the systems (how they talk, work, and move) aren't built with intention and how poor institutional design can lead to both poor patron engagement and staff frustration. Christopher Fleming is a public library leader and librarian with over a decade of experience in community engagement, access, and organizational improvement. Rising from frontline service into management, he applies systems thinking, data-informed strategies, and is the creator of the "Library Systems Persuasion Model", which examines how people, processes, and institutional design influence engagement and outcomes.

On this episode, Marquita chats with documentarian and journalist, Brandis Griffith Friedman, about her documentary, Opportunity, Access & Uplift: The Evolving Legacy of HBCUs. The 30-minute documentary focuses on the changes, misconceptions, and current state of Historically Black Colleges and Universities through the stories of the students themselves and expert insights. Brandis Friedman is the Alexandra and John Nichols Chief Correspondent and Anchor for “Chicago Tonight” on WTTW. Watch the Documentary: https://tinyurl.com/3pszhwfk  

On this episode, Marquita chats with author Tonya Abari about her latest publication, a picture book titled "The Six Triple Eight: A True Story of the Black Woman Battalion of World War II." Tonya not only created a picture book about The Six Triple Eight's legacy, she is also involved in retired Army Master Sergeant Elizabeth Helm-Frazier's letter writer campaign to get 10,000 letters to the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend, and the U.S. Postal Service to issue, a Forever Stamp honoring the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion—an enduring tribute to their service, sacrifice, and trailblazing legacy. Sign the petition here: www.change.org/p/honor-the-6888th-central-postal-directory-battalion-with-a-u-s-forever-stamp Send Your Letters Here: The Stamp Project, P.O. Box # 616, Bowie, Maryland 20718 Email: [email protected]   Buy the Book Here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-six-triple-eight-tonya-abari/1146795671

On this episode of Black in the Stacks, Marquita chats with Dr. Shaundra Walker about the importance of HBCU libraries, the significance of HBCU week, and her life working in academia. A proud HBCU graduate, Dr. Walker works as an academic Library Administrator and is also a professor of library science. She received the 2020 DEMCO Outstanding Librarian of the Year Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, authored grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts and co-edited the book, The Black Librarian in America: Reflections, Resistance and Reawakening. 

On this episode of Black in the Stacks, Marquita talks with author J. E. Thomas about her love of literature, how she pivoted out of her communications career, and her latest publication, The AI Incident. The book follows Malcom, who has developed a plan to finally get adopted before it’s too late. But then on Visiting Professionals’ Day, his new school invites the head of Colorado's fastest-growing artificial intelligence company to give a presentation, and events are set in motion that create . . .THE  INCIDENT JE Thomas  loves great food, fun-loving pets and friendly people. She writes middle grade and YA books featuring those who have a lot to say—but don't often take center stage. And, a fun fact about her - she always includes the name of at least one of her dogs in every story. Learn more about J.E. Thomas via her website at www.jethomasauthor.com

In this episode of Black in the Stacks, Marquita chats with author Khadijah VanBrakle about her interests, her views on why it’s important that children and teens who are both Black American and Muslim, like her three daughters, see themselves on the printed page, and how Gilmore Girls inspired her latest novel, My Perfect Family,   My Perfect Family follows 16 year old Leena, who has always wanted a big family, as she discovers she has a Muslim grandfather and aunt she never knew about, and learns that family comes with tangled histories she may not be able to heal.

A candid interview with Christina Dotson as we discuss her background, her interests and her debut novel, "Love You to Death."  About the Book: Best friends, Kayla and Zorie, crash an Antebellum-themed hashtag#wedding deep in the backwoods of hashtag#Georgia and end up taking a murderous "road trip from hell." 

The crucial role of Black people as educators, strategists, fundraisers and advocates plays a huge role in ensuring that Black minds flourish. In this episode, Marquita chats with Dr. Karida Brown, a sociologist, professor, oral historian, and public intellectual whose research centers on the fullness of Black life. Dr. Brown’s latest publication, "The Battle for the Black Mind" offers an explosive historical account of the century-long struggle for Black educational justice in America, revealing how early segregated systems laid the groundwork for present-day inequities. The book doesn’t just focus on oppression. It highlights the enduring fight by Black communities to foster thriving educational environments and concludes with a powerful call to action for the continued empowerment of Black minds. They also chat about what creative works are occupying her time, what brings her joy and what she hopes readers take away from her latest publication.   This episode was recorded prior to the Juneteenth holiday.

In this episode, I chat with Erica Ware, a veteran librarian with 18 years of experience, who champions comic books and graphic novels as legitimate forms of reading. Despite often being dismissed by some as "not real reading," these formats are powerful tools for information reception. Erica, a dedicated film buff with a degree from Georgia State University and a lifelong fan of comics, shares her journey into library management and how she leveraged low literacy statistics to establish a successful graphic novel program. We also discuss the community's efforts in archiving history and her future aspirations beyond the library.

*Warning: Some expletives used this episode* Librarianship is not a monolith. There are many different perspectives and this episode definitely explores one such perspective. In this episode, Marquita speaks with Jason K. Alston. Alston has worked in the library field since 2006 and is currently an instructor in library science. He is best known in LIS for his research on diversity residencies and his former role as the editor of BCALA's publication, BCALA News. And in his spare time, enjoys training in martial arts. In this episode, we talk about his views on Black male librarianship, diversity and lack thereof within library organizations, and where he sees his life, after libraries.

On this very first episode of Black in the Stacks, Marquita chats with the First African American woman to lead the American Library Association, Tracie D. Hall. Hall is not only a world-class librarian, she is also an author, curator and advocate for the arts. We chat about the books that occupy her time, the future of Black librarianship, and a very special moment that is sure resonate with listeners.

Hear from Black in the Stacks host, Marquita Gooch, MLIS, describe why she decided to start the podcast now. She talks a little about what inspired her, what makes *this* podcast different, the exploration of librarianship and information professionals, keeping Black librarianship alive and what to expect in upcoming episodes.