Black Creative Healing
A space for radical conversation,
mindful collaboration, & wholistic* visioning centering Black Communities.
*our gratitude to Indigenous Scholar Renee Linklater for the intentional re-spelling of the term "wholistic."
We use it here to indicate the wholeness with which we enter into relationship with ourselves, our art, and our communities.
Black Creative Healing is a platform dedicated to radical conversation, mindful collaboration, & holistic visioning centering Black Communities. Conversations and arts-based collaborations are facilitated by Music Therapists Natasha Thomas and Adenike Webb, and feature professionals from across the professional spectrum of the arts, humanities, and everyday life. We discuss and explore our own creative approaches to healing as a restorative and ongoing transformative act, informed by current events and guided by imagination and care for our communities.
NEWLY EMERGING: More Resources & Gathering Spaces, accessible via our new website! Click to visit blackcreativehealing.com
Holding Space for this Journey:
We are your co-conspirators co-facilitators, conversational doulas and fellow travelers ...
NATASHA THOMAS
Natasha Thomas, PhD, MT-BC, is Clinical Assistant Professor at IUPUI, steering committee member for Black Music Therapists Network, and committed advocate for creative & culturally sustaining support for marginalized communities.
Her current research focus is on the relationship between social identity and the music making choices of Black/African American youth from limited resource communities, as well as the Black professionals who serve them. Her research and clinical work are inclusive of emerging technology, as well as the perspectives of disability and queer identities, and the unique ways those perspectives and resources can intersect to impact quality of life and meaning making.
ADENIKE WEBB
Adenike Webb, PhD, MT-BC has over 15 years of experience working in inpatient and outpatient
behavioral health settings. She received her undergraduate training in music therapy at Radford
University and completed her Masters and PhD in Music Therapy at Temple University. Her clinical
experiences and supervision of music therapy students led to an interest in understanding cultural
factors that influence working relationships between therapists and clients, as well as among colleagues.
Her research interests focus on developing cultural awareness and responsivity in music therapy
practice and education. She currently serves as Assistant Director of the Arts and Quality of Life
Research Center at Temple University and is an adjunct instructor.
PAST EPISODES
Access Audio (+ Transcripts!) via the info & links below!
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BCH 101: with guest Vilissa Thompson
Vilissa Thompson LMSW - Vilissa is a macro-minded social worker from South Carolina. Ramp Your Voice! is her organization where she discusses the issues that matter to her as a Black disabled woman, including intersectionality, racism, politics, and why she unapologetically makes good trouble.
In our Collaboration for Black Creative Healing, Vilissa, Natasha & Adenike discuss the necessity of self-care within the Black Community (particularly amongst Black Helpers, Disabled Women & Femmes), and play with the idea of creating safe and healing spaces.
You can access a transcript of this episode HERE: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z0m065u3lbt9meo/BCH%20101%20Transcript.pdf?dl=0
BCH 102: Diovanni LaBeija
Diovanni LaBeija is an Afro-Latinx dance artist and queer art historian. She is a member of the Royal House of LaBeija (NYC Chapter), has appeared as a featured performer on FX’s hit TV show "Pose", and has danced with Vogue troupes at the Apollo Theater and El Museo del Barrio. Her choreography and art focus on Afro-Latinx culture, spirituality and the Trans identity and experience.
In our collaboration with Dio, Adenike & Natasha dive deep into the history of Ballroom as a part of broader Black History, as well as relating it to African Diasporic Spiritual practices and how those are connected to Black & Queer history as well.
You can access a transcript of this episode HERE: https://tinyurl.com/y72umh6s.
BCH 103: Jenni Graham
Jenni Graham, LCAT, ATR-BC, MPS is a Nationally Registered &
Board Certified Art Therapist, therapeutic coach & the CEO of Trauma Free University. Jenni co-creates compassionate & empowering spaces of healing, liberation & connection for collective & individual healing from trauma experiences through a lens of restorative mental
& emotional wellness.
In our collaboration, Adenike, Natasha & Jenni discuss the generational and collective aspects of trauma, as well as the power of art to help bring to the surface and integrate aspects of the self that we may not realize have always been there.
You can access a transcript of this episode HERE: https://tinyurl.com/y429ag52
BCH 104: Nsamu Moonga
Nsamu is a music therapist and psychotherapist born and raised in Zambia. Nsamu earned a BA in Psychological Counseling from the University of South Africa and MMus in Music Therapy from the University of Pretoria. A therapist grounded in holistic anti-oppressive practice, Nsamu works with people exploring health and lifestyle choices, medical complications, human sexualities and gender, spiritualities and religious experiences, psychosocial support, and learning enhancement. His music therapy experience span health, medical, and school settings, and centre human development programing, design and facilitation, community infrastructure and social development, cross-cultural living and working.
In our collaboration for Black Creative Healing, Nsamu, Adenike & Natasha discuss colonialism's impact on African Diasporic Peoples, Indigenous perspectives on creativity, and share in an intimate exploration of affirming each other through music. Nsamu's definition of music is not to be missed!
Nsamu is a classically trained singer and enjoys dancing. His interests include lifelong development, learning, and critical theory-informed research. He enjoys long-distance running and writing mystical poetry. He is a foodie, enjoys mentoring youth, and loves being an uncle.
Nsamu's affiliated with the Health Profession Council of South Africa, South African Music Therapy Association, South African National Art Therapy Association, and Institute for Creative Conversations.
You can access a transcript of this episode HERE: https://tinyurl.com/y3y9fhp2
BCH 105: Our LIVE Season Finale!
Recorded as part of a live event, this episode features returning collaborators from season one of the podcast, as well as some folks from our earlier video blog days. We were joined by Anika MacDonald, Hakeem Leonard, Zelda Lockhart, Nsamu Moonga, and Vilissa Thompson, but also by general members of the Black Creative community on the webinar “stage” with us, if you will, including (in no particular order) Jamilia Jacobs (who you’ll hear referred to as JJ during the broadcast), Kamica King, Shana Oshiro, kei slaughter, Kerri Williams, LeAndrea Wallace, Chantise Hunt, and Keva Melvin.
Other community members, including our non-Black allies, sat in the audience of the webinar, and we thank them for honoring the important role of bearing witness and holding space as we centered Black creativity and joy, played creative games and shared in conversation around topics of community and care, particularly in light of the US Presidential Election and the construct of survival.
We dedicate this episode to our families and loved ones, who have walked (and continue to walk!) beside us.
A transcript of this episode can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/142qi1umnqntmyg/BCH%20105%20%28Natasha%27s%20EDIT%29.docx?dl=0
Stay tuned for Black Creative Healing Season 2, coming in 2021!