The Chocolate Auntie Podcast By Shewanda Riley

This episode focuses on how a simple do it yourself project turned into a lesson in resilience and recognizing our power.

This episode focuses on how Aunt Janet, the aunt who changed the trajectory of comedian Mike Epps' life by offering support and encouragement when he needed it the most.    This episode challenges aunts to aspire to be like this inspirational figure. 

The episode focuses on the historical fiction novel The Filling Station by author Vanessa Miller.  In her dynamic novel published in 2025, Miller explores the relationship of fictional two sisters who survive the Tulsa Race Massacre.  Drawn with fascinating historical details, the novel also explores how the two women forge an auntie relationship out of a moral necessity that complicates their relationship as sisters. 

At this time of the year, many people are putting out their list of the best of list.  Many times, when we think of the end of the year and a year in review, we look at things like the best in entertainment, movies, TV shows, songs, or maybe your favorite concert. The more Ive thought about it, Ive thought about how about instead of talking about what other people did, how about we talk about what we did. What if our year in review and the year's best of is our year in review? It's what we did, what we didn't do, and what we started to do but havent yet finished. As the new year begins, I think it's so important for us to think about where we were in 2025 and to think about where we want to go in 2026.    This podcast takes you through the steps for your year in review as we begin 2026. 

This episode explores one of the most famous aunt's in movie history:   Auntie Em from The Wizard of Oz.  Considering the recent buzz surrounding the movie Wicked:  For Good, this discussion takes a look at how this fictional aunt influenced some of the most important themes of home, reconnection and belonging in the 1939 movie.    

This special segment of the Chocolate Auntie Podcast experience focuses on dealing with the fear of rejection. 

This episode focuses on a back to school prayer and declaration for children.   It is designed to encourage and affirm our children as they begin another school year. 

In this episode Aunt Wanda explores that dark side of being an aunt - being that aunt this is hated or disliked by their family. 

You aint got no kids!  This episode probes the complicated emotions that come with the child status of African American auntie.   For some, to be childfree is a badge ofshame in a society that values being a mother. This episode will unpack what it means to willingly love the children of others when you have none of your own.

You aint got no kids! This episode probes the complicated emotions that come with the child status of African American auntie. For some, to be childfree is a badge ofshame in a society that values being a mother.This episode will unpack what it means to willingly love the children of others when you have none of your own.

This episode concludes the 2 part series where Tarrant County College students discuss poetry with me and poet LL Burke.

This week's episode is the first of a two part series featuring a discussion with students from my college English class about the poetry of L.L. Burke.   As an added surprise, the poet joins the conversation. 

This episode features Auntie Wanda discussing intersections of sisterhood and strength in the box office hit The Woman King.

This episode concludes our conversation with author Michelle Stimpson about using aunts as characters in her books as well as her personal experiences as a niece and an aunt. 

This episode is part 1 of a 2 part interview featuring Essence best-selling author Michelle Stimpson. We discuss how her aunts influenced her writing as her personal life.     We also discuss how she used aunts as important characters in her ground-breaking Christian fiction novel Divas of Damascus Road.

This episode features a discussion with Dr. Lisette Blanco-Cerda about her experiences as an aunt from the Latino/Chicano perspective. She shares compelling details about her relationship with her nephew and how she was influenced by her "Tias" growing up.  

This is part 2 of a conversation with National Association of Black Journalist Hall of Fame inductee Cheryl Smith.  In this episode we explores the importance of having a strong support system as a custodial aunt and the legacy she has created with her nieces and nephew. 

This episode is an intriguing  conversation with publisher, veteran journalist and National Association of Black Journalist Hall of Fame Inductee Cheryl Smith.   In this episode, Cheryl describes her experiences as a custodial aunt to her nieces and nephew and how being an aunt impacted her personally and professionally.  This episode is part one of a two part series.   

The episode is an interview I did with my Aunt 'Nora about her experiences as an aunt and how  she influenced my aunting lifestyle. 

This episode explores the vibrant legacy of Black Aunts from television shows of the last 50 years. 

This episode explores whether called auntie is a slur or a title of honor.

This provides a brief overview of the Chocolate Auntie Podcast series.