16 Apr 2023
Episode Two — Becoming an Ancestor in Training and Spiritual Discernment in the Digital Age with Veronica Agard
Episode Overview:
Today's episode marks a shift in the Offerings Podcast. After a few months of hibernation, Offerings returns with our very first interview, a new look, and is now officially brought to you by Heritage (https://www.readheritage.com).
I first began following Veronica Agard and her educational project Ancestors in Training (https://www.instagram.com/ancestorsintraining/) back in 2019, possibly even before that. Her work as an organizer and spiritual practitioner was foundational for me during the early days of my own journey with ancestral veneration and has remained a great influence and inspiration for me ever since. During our conversation we explore some of the intricacies of what it means and looks like to live as an ancestor in training, practices in tending grief, and the importance of spiritual discernment and navigating authenticity in our digital age.
Veronica's Bio:
Veronica Agard (Ifáṣadùn Fásanmí) (she/her) is a poet, writer, abọ̀rìṣà, community educator, and connector at the intersections of Black identity, wellness, representation, and culture. She curated the Who Heals the Healer series and the conference of the same name and facilitates the Ancestors in Training educational project. Her initiatives are housed in her freelance platform, Vera Icon, LLC.
Through archival research at the Centro de Investigaciones Regionales de Mesoamerica (CIRMA), she completed her undergraduate thesis on the complex histories of sexual assault and violence against women in post-conflict Guatemala. In 2014, she graduated from CUNY City College of New York with a BA in international studies and history and continued her community work as a co-founder of Sister Circle Collective, a role she held for five years.
She is invested in cultures of healing, experiments with creative healing modalities, and puts theories learned into practice. This came to life during the first generation of the Reparations: Black Wellness Clinic, a free healing clinic for and by Black people that was housed at Earth Arts Center and continues with metaDEN. Building on her community work, she served as a college advisor for three generations of Black and Brown youth in Brooklyn and taught at the Summer Institute of the Sadie Nash Leadership Project. In addition, she was a contributing editor at Your Magic, a podcast and digital community, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for the Development of Human Arts. No matter the role, Veronica offers her expressions and time to amplify the voices of those that walk with her.
As a creative, Veronica’s words have been featured in The Grio, Let Your Voice Be Heard, Mic, For Harriet, Black Girl Magik, Life as Ceremony, Black + Well, Redefining Our, and Heritage Journal. Her work has been profiled at Loca Vibes Radio, Black Abundance BK, eres.you, The Glam Femme, NFLUX Magazine, Self Ceremony, Black Joy by Reckon, and podcasts such as the Bushwick Podcast, Take Nothing When I Die, This Restorative Justice Life, and DEPTH work. She is a recipient of the Spring 2022 Reclamation Ventures Grant award for Healing Practices for Grief. With every opportunity, she names the power of storytelling and being believed in.
Described as living in the future - Veronica is guided by the past and carries out her dreams in the present.
Where to Find Us:
Ancestors in Training: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ancestorsintraining/) | Website (https://ancestorsintraining.org/take-action) | Support the Project (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ancestorsintraining)
Veronica Agard: Website (http://www.veronicaagard.com) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/verosgotthejuice/) | Care Beyond a Crisis (piece for the Heritage Library) (https://www.readheritage.com/library/care-beyond-a-crisis)
Heritage: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/readheritage/) | Website (https://www.readheritage.com) | Support the Project (https://www.readheritage.com/donate) | Submit to Our Upcoming Print Publication The Heritage Journal (Paid Opportunity) (https://www.readheritage.com/submissions)
Taylar Shirley: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/taylarshirley/) | Website (https://taylarshirley.com)
