Juneteenth is... or means something different to different people. This week I discuss my views on the holiday and how my views have changed over time from my twenties until now. I put some research into this episode and learned some things that I didn't know before.  Below are links to the articles and websites I visited to create this episode.  http://nationaljuneteenth.com/Juneteenth_National.html  https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals_iv/sections/preliminary_emancipation_proclamation.html# https://news.ucdenver.edu/juneteenth-history-why-doesnt-everyone-know-about-texas/ https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/historical-legacy-juneteenth https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-what-everyone-should-know-about-civil-war https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/juneteenth-us-states-official-holidays/507-aa8e98a6-8e01-4f39-b3b5-632d3bf8c83b https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/19/us/juneteenth-state-holidays-trnd/index.html https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44865.pdf If I left something out or even got something wrong, message me! You can email me at [email protected] or send a voice memo through the Anchor webpage for the show.  As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages! I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

June is full of reasons to celebrate. The end of the school year, procurement of a degree, and even the opportunity to barbeque without fear in a semi-post pandemic world are great starters. Add to that the celebration of love and liberty and you have one month full of ticker-tape parades. Although many cities are forgoing their PRIDE parades in respect of the health and wellness of their communities, there is still room to celebrate. This month I'll feature three shows that highlight LGBTQIA couples, interracial couples, and the celebration of Juneteenth.  As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages! I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

Words are powerful, but they are powerful because we give them meaning. This week,  I'm having an intergenerational conversation with my Soror and friend Renea Lyles and my former student and friend Penn Davis. Subscribers to the show should know Penn from the Intro of the show; he has graciously allowed me to use his music to help frame and fuel this podcast vision.  Though the title today is "words are," we will actually focus much of the discussion on one particular word and its derivative.  As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages! I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

As I wrap up other projects and get ready for a post-ish-COVID summer it's time to contemplate what's next for this podcast! I'm not out of ideas, and I have some shows in mind, but at the moment, I have bitten off more than I can chew! As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages! I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

Goals are... great to have and can be achieved by those of us who can push past disappointments, failures, and pain to get there. My husband set a goal in 2019 to run one marathon (26.2 miles) before his 40th birthday. Now, he can run that distance every weekend, unphased. This week I am with my husband, Ace Hendrix, and we are discussing his birthday accomplishment, which was running his first 100K (62.13 miles). You'd think that now that he's 40 that he's done, but wait! He has more goals with this ultra running thing!  As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages for the show this week for interactive opportunities. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

Depression is... part of the human experience. Whether for a moment or many, having feelings associated with depression is more common than we'd like to admit. The difference is in the frequency, duration, and symptoms of these feelings. In the past, I didn't talk much about my PDD (persistent depression disorder), and often brushed my symptoms off as simple fatigue or morphed it into anger. As I grow older, and as my social circles grow and get tighter, I am learning that these feelings that I have are not unique to me and that there are many others out there who are having the same or similar experiences. Today I'm talking about depression. Below are the resources I used to prepare for this show and the reading is quite good.  If you or someone you know is experiencing feelings of depression, please reach out to a mental health care provider near you. If you need help finding resources, start with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 (HELP).  (Nope! It's not in MLA or APA or even Chicago Style. It is what it is!)  https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-smiling-depression-4775918 https://www.columbiawell.org/blog/2019/7/22/15-real-habits-of-people-with-concealed-depression https://sparlinmentalhealth.com/emotional-intensity-bpd/ https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/depression-anxiety.html https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/23/nation/boston-college-researchers-find-sharp-increase-anxiety-depression-during-first-8-months-pandemic/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/business/pandemic-burnout-productivity.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html https://umbrella.org.nz/how-do-we-spot-languishing-and-support-people-sooner-to-flourish/ https://www.health.com/mind-body/languishing https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-good-vibes-only-isnt-always-a-good-thing/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267345/ As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages for the show this week for interactive opportunities. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

This Bonus Friday I'm sharing more memories about my grandmother Mae Lou Pauley Sampson. Thank you to all of my family members who participated in making this week's episode. I hope that this was something that everyone enjoyed. Usually, we all get together downhome, in Mineral Springs. The day is filled with games, music, FOOD (lots of food), and good ole fashioned ribbing amongst cousins. Covid has changed many things, but we can still celebrate. I pray that things are settled down enough for everyone to get together to celebrate my Uncle Lee's birthday in the fall. For now, enjoy these last few memories and I encourage everyone to call an elder in their family today and say "Hey, I love you!"  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

Bonus moms are...awesome additions to a family! It can be a bumpy road at the beginning, but if one is willing to learn humility and how to put the child, or children, before ego, life could be a wonderful co-parenting existence! I am the daughter of a bonus mom and a bonus mom to my son Brayden, whose mom is a bonus mom to his three bonus brothers through her marriage to their father. This week's conversation is an exploration of our relationships, growth, mistakes, and strength.  As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages for the show this week for interactive opportunities. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages for the show this week for interactive opportunities. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

Change is...on the horizon! At least this is my hope. I will always remember that the year I turned 40 was the first time in my life a police officer was charged with three counts of murder for the death of a Black man in the United States. I never thought that it would happen and now that it has, I do wonder what’s next. Before the verdict, I produced a nine-minute and 29-second podcast to express my troubled feelings about the impending verdict. Never did I imagine the jury would take less than two full days to make a decision and never did I imagine the decision would be so just. Today’s podcast was re-recorded last night with my father, Dwight Harshaw, and one of my brothers, Omavi Shukur. We discussed the verdict and our individual feelings about it. It’s interesting to hear where we agree and where we diverge. This is an example of how people of various backgrounds (although we are all family we are of different generations and have different experiences) can come to a discussion table and respectfully converse about a sensitive topic. I am exceedingly happy for the Floyd Family and Minneapolis because now they have justice, and can rest knowing that they and the community fought hard and long for him, and won. I am equally sad for the family of Derek Chavin because his action has changed their lives forever. I pray for them because either way, whatever the outcome may have been, they too will suffer, due to association. I also agree with my brother that justice is not only punishment, it is also an opportunity for reconciliation and growth. May the Chavin and Floyd families find the time, heart, and strength to heal in this way. As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Perkins. Check out the social media pages for the show this week for interactive opportunities. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message

Art is... beautiful, phenomenal, inspirational, and fun! My guests today are from my home state of Arkansas. They will dispel some myths about collecting art and also discuss the importance that art plays in Black culture. My first guest is Garbo Hearne, the owner and director of Pyramid Art, Books, and Custom Framing/Hearne Fine Art and artist Najee Dorsey, co-founder of Black Art in America (BAIA) and owner of Garden Art for the Soul (I forgot to mention that in the episode!), and Shop BAIA Online. Both of these art aficionados have earned their stripes as curators, collectors, and champions for Black Fine Art. Additionally, they have innovated and pioneered a path for more Black artists to be seen and known in the world of Fine Art.  To learn more about my guests, you can visit their websites by clicking the embedded links above and visiting their social media pages, provided below. If you are in Little Rock, Arkansas, I encourage you to visit Pyramid/HFA and if you find your way to Columbus, Georgia, look for BAIA shows once the pandemic allows us more mobility.  Pyramid/HFA Social Media  (Facebook, Instagram) @pyramidbookslr @hearnefienart BAIA Social Media (Facebook, Instagram) @blackartinamerica_ @najee.dorsey As always, the music for this show is from the very talented Penn Davis. Check out his Instagram Page. He has filled his page with shorts and previews of the new music he is working on. I stay proud of this young man. The official art for the show is from the very talented Michaela Adams. Thank you lady for making me look cool in a drawing! Check out the social media pages for the show this week for interactive opportunities. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all as @thisyeariturn40. Be kind to someone today; you may need someone to return the favor tomorrow! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisyeariturn40/message