No, this ain't Karate. I can't lay you out but I can learn ya somethin'. My name is Lauren, and on this podcast, we talk about whatever the hell is on my mind to tell as a Black and Proud Southern Belle. I'm an educator, and I try to infuse everything with a smidge of history. Books, cultural commentary, media, trending topics, ideologies, celebrities, family, relationships, religion, short stories, wellness, music, (Black) history, beauty, fashion, education...throw it all in the buggy!
"90’s Fine" Wasn't Natural Either: Lela Rochelle and Revisionist Beauty; I don’t like how y’all talk about the South and Israel; “Love is Blind” Needs a Red and Blue Edition; He Dated Me Using AI?!;- My Thoughts on These Things and SO MUCH MORE!
It is the final Episode of the season! Ending this one with another "Unbuttoned" episode. In this unscripted talk-fest, I discuss:
1) My time on a murder trial for jury duty- 2:40
2) Realizing the privilege of being politically educated- 7:30
3) Y'all disrespect for the South is exhausting...(and yes, we gotta talk about where Israel falls in this too)- 13:13
4) Political Signs have a race- 42:09
5)Lela Rochon's revisionist comments about beauty- 50:25
6) Our obsession with nostalgia = More plastic surgery- 1:01.00
7) The lack of shared spaces in college defeats the point- 1:04:22
8) He tried to date me using AI- 1:10:51
9) Love is Blind Needs Political Editions and Single Parent Seasons- 1:20:23
10) Why doesn't anyone want to do children's hair in salons anymore?- 1:32:07
11) Rite of Passage and Prom- 1:39:21
12) Please make your children go to bed- 1:48:51
13) Soap Operas and Weekly Episodes helped with literacy- 1:58:16
Hopefully you'll sit a'spell and enjoy!
13 Mar 2026
Modern Fantasy and Sci-Fi Deserve a Chance
As a fantasy and sci-fi lover, I'm so frustrated by the pervasive belief that modern fantasy is bad actually. Yes, there are aspects of modern writing that could use improvement, but I'd argue the main weaknesses in modern writing have more to do with capitalism and having to adapt to waning attention spans than the writing itself. In my view, many people's gripes with modern story telling have more to do with a hesitancy to embrace a shift from antagonist bad guys to antagonist systems, a desire to remove reality from fantasy, and an unwillingness to interrogate their own subconscious racism. Writing changes with time; let's talk about why.
This episode discusses: Start Wars Episodes 7-9; Rings of Power, The Scapegoat of Escapism, The Great Gatsby, and So Much More!
Videos referenced in this video:
Dan Doug - “Do Modern Writers Remember How to Write Fantasy.”
Anthony Gramuglia- “YouTube Critics Are Lying to You.”
Anthony Gramuglia- "No, Modern Villians Have Not Gone Downhill"
Mr. Zod- "Right-Wing Grievance Culture Posing as Literary Criticism"
Abby Cox called-“No, Tik Tok Isn’t Destroying Publishing or Books.”
Francesca Fionrantini-“What the Right Gets Wrong About Lord of the Rings”
Kavernacle-“Why the Far Right Love Lord of the Rings”
Timestamps:
1:46- How John Boyega's voice helped me find my own
6:40-Dan Doug's video
10:45- Chapter 1: Star War Episode 8 Was GOOD, actually
15:26- Criticism of Luke's self-imposed exile
19:36-Changing demographic of Star Wars fandoms
21:27-Directorial Choices
25:21-Chapter 2: Escapism, Realism, and Symbolism in Fantasy Literature
27:13-Escapist Fantasy to Escape Trauma and Accountability
30:52-My Blackness Needs a Backstory
37:44- Americans Can't Read
40:00- Blade Runner
45:15- Gatsby and Paired Passages to teach how Symbolism and Realism work together
59:16- A lot of Modern Writing is Trash, but Older Writing is Too
1:02:47- Chapter 3: The Dangers in Symbolic Writing
1:04:27- The Problem with Palantir
1:07:03- Orc Babies and Authorial Intent
1:15:56-Final Thoughts
1:18:35-Book Recommendations
6 Aug 2025
Has Maverick City Music Lost the Plot? Do Black Folks Hate Socialism? Where is All the Protest Music?- My Thoughts on Gospel, CCM, Protest Music, Cowboy Carter, and SO MUCH MORE!
The Black Belt Belle podcast explores diverse topics, including Maverick City Music's controversies, representation in media, bookish discussions, political views, and musical analysis of Cowboy Carter and protest music.
19 Apr 2025
Snape is Black and I Couldn't Be Happier: How Color Could Help Save the Soul of Harry Potter
Snape is Black. I couldn't be more thrilled. Now, if you make Hermione mixed, you have the right portion to fix some of Rowling's mistakes.
Listen in as we go on a journey to discover 1) why retconning is ok and authorial intent always rules the day, 2) how a Black Snape and a Mixed-Race Hermione can address the lack of race in a racist society, and 3) the failure of S.P.E.W. We touch on everything from Gone With the Wind, Tolkien and the Hobbit, transphobia, elevating Black stories, the lack of character depth, to Rowling's neoliberalism. Harry Potter isn't a perfect story, but the potential in it is endless...
Hop on your broomstick and come along!...
12 Mar 2025
We All Failed Na'Ziyah: Fiction, Fact, Colorism, and Community in the Murder of Na'Ziyah Harris
Na'Ziyah Harris was a 13-year-old girl who was groomed, raped, and murdered by Jarvis Butts, a 42-year-old repeatedly convicted monster. Unfortunately, her story is not unique, but it is teachable tragedy in the ways that community, colorism, adultification, and generational curses all combined and contributed to this horrific act.
Trigger warnings: Sexual assault, rape, grooming, murder, domestic abuse
24 Jan 2025
Post-Inauguration Thoughts: Snowed In, Fed Up, and Where to Go Now
January is lasting 6 months, I'm snowed in, and Trump's in office. Needless to say, there's a lot going on...
Tune in for my rant about Southerners and Snow days, observations of the first 5 days of Trump's presidency, and specific suggestions for where we go from here. I had some whiskey while recording it...I'd suggest you'd get a drink too...
14 Jan 2025
Straighten Up and Fly Right: What the Rise of the Right Means for Natural Hair, Straight Hair Naturals, True Black Girl Magic, and Self-Love in the Time of Hate
Conservatives, Straight hair, and Self-hate OH MY! The natural hair movement has been stalled for a while now, but is the new political order the final bell's toll? On this episode, I discuss my observations about the rise of the straight-hair naturals, The "Gotta Be Me" Podcast controversy, the Red Pill manosphere's challenge to (Black) women, Tignon Laws, and so much more! Grab and drink and listen on wash day :)
29 Dec 2024
Diversifying Black Femininity: Janet Jackson, The Stingettes, Sarah Baartman, and Sojourner Truth
I'm fast approaching forty, and I still have days where I'm questioning whether my outfit looks too masculine. I have spent years questioning what is femininity, and specifically, what is BLACK femininity and why does it look and feel so different from White femininity? Listen as I discuss a few pivotal moments in my childhood that molded and shifted my view of my own femininity. Along the way, we'll discuss Janet Jackson, The Stingettes, Sojourner Truth, and Sarah Baartman (The Hottentot Venus).
27 Dec 2024
The Beyoncé Bowl, Plastic Off the Sofa, and The Stono Rebellion
I watched the Beyonce Bowl, and like most of the Beyhive, I have thoughts and theories. Tune in for my rambling string of consciousness as I focus on two things that really incited me to chorus.
This "Unbuttoned" version of the Black Belt Belle pairs well with Episode 1 entitled "No Beyoncé, the Music Isn't Enough: We Need the Visuals"...and your favorite beverage of course!
28 Nov 2024
We Need the Visuals, Beyoncé!: Surviving the Apocalypse, Afro-Futurism, Octavia Butler, and the Need for Black Utopias
Beyoncé told us "Shut the hell up about the visuals," and I am distraught! Follow along as I explore and expound on the missed opportunity for Afro Futurism and the BIGGEST criticism I have of Cowboy Carter that she could have fixed with a visual album.
In this episode, I discuss how I use Beyoncé in my African American Studies course, and why I had such a vested interest in seeing the album visually. In the process, I discuss Octavia Butler, why Beyoncé's Blackbirds deserve justice, and why Afro-futurism needs a resurgence in popular American culture.
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