Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land

About Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land

In this series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future. Hosted by Crysta Bloom (@crystaembodiedbloom) and Clara AgborTabi

Publisher

Soul Fire Farm

Category

science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 May 2025

Latest episode

27 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

15 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Aug 2026

   02:05 ECOLOGY OF CHILDHOOD with Akilah S. Richards and Nicole Letelier

   Ecology of Childhood with Akilah S. Richards and Nicole Letelier What kinds of children does capitalism fear? What if raising children is not only about preparing them for the future, but about protecting ways of knowing that colonialism has spent generations trying to erase? What if children aren't simply learning relationship with land—but remembering one? And what might become possible if we trusted that remembering enough to let it guide how we parent, learn, and build community? Akilah Richards' work centers child liberation, self-determined learning, and family sovereignty, as well as aspects of tending to grief through land and our relationships with young people. She is the author of Raising Free People and the founder of the Raising Free People Network, a media and collaboration hub for her inquiries, efforts, findings, and community organizing at the intersection of privilege, parenting, and power. Nicole Letelier is the co-founder of Kamino del Sol Farm and Semilla, a land-based homeschooling community where children learn in relationship with land, seasons, and one another. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is a series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, in which we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future. This podcast is hosted by Crysta Bloom and Clara AgborTabi, and co-produced by Crysta Bloom, Clara AgborTabi, and Zera Bloom. Our theme music is created by Naima Penniman and Zera Bloom. Our artwork and graphics is created by Crysta Bloom. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is presented by Soul Fire Farm. Learn more about Akilah's work at https://raisingfreepeople.com/ Follow Nicole's work at @semillafarm Find Soul Fire Farm at https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ and on social media @soulfirefarm Follow Crysta Bloom's work at https://www.embodiedbloom.com/ and on social media @crystaembodiedbloom Find Clara AgborTabi somewhere offline! Follow zera bloom on bandcamp and instagram Learn more about Naima Penniman's work at https://www.naimainfinity.com and on social media at @naimainfinity

2. 

   30 Jun 2026

   S2:04 BEYOND THE GAZE with Indya Moore & Wendy Flores

   In today’s conversation we’re exploring what happens when we refuse the gaze that measures us through extraction, conformity, and control. What becomes possible when beauty, gender, and worth are reclaimed through land, memory, and liberation?

3. 

   28 May 2026

   S2:03 BETWEEN BORDERS AND BELONGING with Akwaeke Emezi & Susuyu Lassa

   Between Borders and Belonging with Akwaeke Emezi and Susuyu Lassa Many of us come to land through rupture—through migration, through displacement, through histories that have severed, but not erased, our connection. So what does it mean to return to right relationship with land… when our presence is shaped by borders, by policy, by systems that were never meant to hold us? Akwaeke Emezi (they/them) is a Nigerian writer and artist whose work moves across boundaries of form, identity, and belonging. Rooted in Igbo cosmology and shaped by life between Nigeria and the diaspora, their writing explores embodiment, migration, memory, and the ongoing negotiation of self within and beyond imposed borders. Through acclaimed books including Freshwater and Dear Senthuran, Emezi invites us to reconsider what it means to exist, to belong, and to be in relationship—with land, spirit, and with one another. Susuyu Lassa (any/all pronouns) is a queer, Nigerian, creative alchemist at heart. Their work is rooted in liberatory social justice movement spaces, organizing with stakeholders across our food system to bring about structural and grassroots level change. Traversing two continents, Susuyu carries many worlds within them, translating what has been into what may be possible. Their labor is undergirded by the deep conviction that every single life is sacred, and when we work together we are resourced enough to choose interdependence and self-determination in defense of the sacred. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is a series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, in which we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future. This podcast is hosted by Crysta Bloom and Clara AgborTabi, and co-produced by Crysta Bloom, Clara AgborTabi, and Zera Bloom. Our theme music is created by Naima Penniman and Zera Bloom. Our artwork and graphics is created by Crysta Bloom. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is presented by Soul Fire Farm. Learn more about Akwaeke at https://www.akwaeke.com/ Find Soul Fire Farm at https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ and on social media @soulfirefarm Follow Crysta Bloom's work at https://www.embodiedbloom.com/ and on social media @crystaembodiedbloom Find Clara AgborTabi somewhere offline! Follow zera bloom on bandcamp and instagram Learn more about Naima Penniman's work at https://www.naimainfinity.com and on social media at @naimainfinity

4. 

   30 Apr 2026

   S2:02 FROM SCARCITY TO SOVEREIGNTY with Prentis Hemphill & Nico Le Blanc

   Our food systems, land relationships, and community structures mirror our internal landscapes. When we are organized around fear and unprocessed trauma, we build systems of hoarding, extraction, and control. When we metabolize fear, we can build systems rooted in reciprocity and care.

5. 

   3 Mar 2026

   S2:01 RETURNING

   This episode is a compilation of voices from Season One — a mosaic of visions imagining Afrofuturist communities thriving in creativity, spiritual practice, and sacred care for the Earth.

6. 

   31 Dec 2025

   09: LITTLE SEEDS with Vivien Sansour and Hana' Maaiah

   In this podcast, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, we explore what it means to be sovereign. In this conversation, we look at ecocide in Palestine and across the African continent, and we explore seed saving as a path forward — a sacred act of preserving history and culture in the face of ongoing dispossession.  We know that colonization and occupation are not only political but ecological systems — from deforestation and monocropping to water theft and soil depletion. We share this episode as a seed of hope - nurturing the possibility of repair, return, and regeneration. Vivien Sansour is the Founder and Executive Director of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. As an artist, researcher, and writer, she uses installations, images, sketches, film, soil, seeds, and plants to enliven old cultural tales in contemporary presentations. She advocates for seed conservation and the protection of agrobiodiversity as a cultural/political act. Vivien founded the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library in 2014, where she works with farmers in Palestine and around the world. As an extension of this project, she created The Traveling Kitchen - a social engagement project aimed at spotlighting conversations about climate crisis, food politics, and the imagining of new worlds. Hana’ Maaiah is a Palestinian-Jordanian nomadic farmer, beekeeper, educator, friend and organizer. Her forever fascination of Earth’s intersections in farming, energy, climate, race, politics and spirituality has brought her around the country. First, to Montana as a River Ranger, then Oregon where she studied Environmental Science and Agriculture, Alabama where she thrived as an Assistant Farm Manager and mentor in youth programs. In learning that “to free ourselves, we must feed ourselves”, she landed at Soul Fire Farm, starting as the Interim Farm Manager and currently serving as the Farm Education & Programs Manager.  After almost a decade of farming and teaching around the country, she learned the urgent need to bring advocacy and care for the Earth from the fields to the streets. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is a series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, in which we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future. This podcast is hosted by Crysta Bloom and Clara AgborTabi, and co-produced by Crysta Bloom and Zera Bloom. Our theme music is created by Naima Penniman and Zera Bloom. Our artwork and graphics is created by Crysta Bloom. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is presented by Soul Fire Farm. Learn more about Vivien's work at https://viviensansour.com/ Find Soul Fire Farm at https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ and on social media @soulfirefarm Follow Crysta Bloom's work at https://www.embodiedbloom.com/ and on social media @crystaembodiedbloom Follow zera bloom on social media at @zera.bloom Learn more about Naima Penniman's work at https://www.naimainfinity.com and on social media at @naimainfinity

7. 

   20 Nov 2025

   08: SACRED STORIES with Richie Reseda and LeAnne Morrissette

   In this episode, we reflect on the importance of creating liberatory art and media rooted in oral histories

8. 

   30 Oct 2025

   07: WAHALA with Bertram Williams and Farmer D

   In this episode, we root into questions of land, healing, and accountability. We explore how misogynoir shows up in our movement spaces, and how Black men are reimagining their relationships to land, to self, and to each other. Through reflection, care, and vision, we ask: what does it mean to build liberated futures without carrying harm into the soil? Bertram Williams Jr is an actor, voice artist and community advocate with urban agriculture as his medium. Williams is best known for his role as Woddy on Starz record breaking show, P Valley. He is also highly celebrated for his work as co-founder of Memphis based wellness co-op Mama’s Sundry. His latest offering is a collection of audio art including meditations, thought provoking readings, sound bowl activations and affirmations around Black men healing. Farmer D is an Afro-Indigenous farmer, media producer, and educator from New Haven, CT. Through Root Life LLC and Native Praxis LLC, he fuses sustainable agriculture, cultural media, and holistic healing to uplift Black and Brown communities. Root Life cultivates five urban farm plots, leads international retreats, and provides food justice education while training youth in culturally relevant farming practices. Native Praxis documents grassroots movements and eco-cultural projects through organic media storytelling. Together, his work builds community resilience, promotes ancestral knowledge, and inspires global networks dedicated to healing, empowerment, and sustainable systems rooted in Afro-Indigenous traditions. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is a series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, in which we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future. This podcast is hosted by Crysta Bloom and Clara AgborTabi, and co-produced by Crysta Bloom and Zera Bloom. Our theme music is created by Naima Penniman and Zera Bloom. Our artwork and graphics is created by Crysta Bloom. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is presented by Soul Fire Farm. Follow Bertram's work at @bertrambuilds. Find out more about Farmer D's work at https://www.rootlife.org/ or on social media at @root.life Find Soul Fire Farm at https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ and on social media @soulfirefarm Follow Crysta Bloom's work at https://www.embodiedbloom.com/ and on social media @crystaembodiedbloom Follow zera bloom on social media at @zera.bloom Learn more about Naima Penniman's work at https://www.naimainfinity.com and on social media at @naimainfinity

9. 

   23 Sept 2025

   06: DEVOTED CREATORSHIP with Naima Penniman and Olka Baldeh

   This episode, DEVOTED CREATORSHIP, invites us into a rich exploration of the universal languages that connect us all. We center the essential roles of storytellers, creators, and cultural weavers—those who thread vision into form—as we journey toward land sovereignty and collective liberation. Together, we’ll muse on art as sacred strategy: a vital force that not only stirs the soul, but propels our movements forward—calling us into greater devotion, expansive dreaming, and purposeful action. Naima Penniman is a devotee of seeds, myco-messenger,  multidimensional artist, soulful story teller, movement builder, medicine grower, healer, and educator. Life-long lover and defender of the Earth, Naima dedicates her creativity and community-building skills to regenerate practices towards planetary interdependence. Olka Baldeh is a Fulani storyteller, poet, farmer, bee-tender, herbalist and justice advocate. Olka has spent over a decade fighting against state brutality and advocating for liberatory social change. As a strategist for freedom, Olka uses her skills to uplift communities targeted by state violence, including Black, queer, and non-conforming people. Olka is the co-founder of Birdsong, an emergent radical land project in the south and she is also the founder of the Black Moon Podcast, a powerful platform that explores and interrogates Black death, aiming to transform how Black communities engage with and heal from the trauma of loss. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is a series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, in which we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future. This podcast is hosted by Crysta Bloom and Clara AgborTabi, and co-produced by Crysta Bloom and Zera Bloom. Our theme music is created by Naima Penniman and Zera Bloom. Our artwork and graphics is created by Crysta Bloom. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is presented by Soul Fire Farm. Find out more about Naima's work at https://www.naimainfinity.com/ and on social media at @naimainfinity Follow Olka's work at @hakkillo. Find out more and support Birdsong here. Find Soul Fire Farm at https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ and on social media @soulfirefarm Follow Crysta Bloom's work at https://www.embodiedbloom.com/ and on social media @crystaembodiedbloom Follow zera bloom on social media at @zera.bloom Learn more about Naima Penniman's work at https://www.naimainfinity.com and on social media at @naimainfinity

10. 

    20 Aug 2025

    S1:05 NEIGHBORHOOD HEALER with Karen Rose & Yura Sapi

    We’re diving deeply into the ways that cosmic patterns inform our relationship to medicine making, bridging heaven and earth.

11. 

    20 Aug 2025

    05: NEIGHBORHOOD HEALER with Karen Rose & Yura Sapi

    We’re diving deeply into the ways that cosmic patterns inform our relationship to medicine making, bridging heaven and earth.

12. 

    10 Jul 2025

    04: WILD CURRENTS with Patrisse Cullors and Leah Penniman

    This episode, WILD CURRENTS, explores Leah and Patrisse’s personal journeys to living in closer relationship with the Earth, their spiritual practices and how that supports their connection with the land.

13. 

    26 May 2025

    03: FLORIDA WATER with adrienne maree brown and Ayo Ngozi

    adrienne maree brown and Ayo Ngozi explore the power of imagination as it relates to land sovereignty and Black liberation in an interview.

14. 

    22 May 2025

    02: ASAASE YA with Joshua Kwaku Asiedu and Bailey Hutchinson

    Joshua Kwaku Asiedu and Bailey Hutchinson discuss stewarding land by merging ancient ancestral practices with emerging technologies in this interview episode.

15. 

    7 May 2025

    01: INVISIBLE TIES with Junauda Petrus and Ysanet Batista

    Authors Junauda Petrus and Ysanet Batista discuss the profound connection between the global majority and ancestral lands, highlighting personal journeys of reclaiming and preserving ties to their homelands in this interview.

Who has been a guest on Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• adrienne maree brown
• Ayo Ngozi
• Joshua Kwaku Asiedu
• Bailey Hutchinson
• Junauda Petrus

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings