Cocoa Butter and Communion

Stories from our Soul with Imani Mitchell

Imani Mitchell is back and it feels good to catch up! Her and I discuss quitting jobs (y'all, don't just go and quit your job and then put that on us) and the freedom that can come from it; navigating an artistic space, and ALL THEE AWARDS that she received from her dynamic production of Zora and Langston. Imani discusses the power in the diverse storytelling that go well beyond the narrative of Black resilience. Imani is directing a new play, "Crumbs from the Table of Joy" that will debut October 11th!! (I am going to the thea-tuhhh) 
 
Imani is a multidisciplinary artist based in Northern California who specializes in writing, directing, and acting. For the past 10 years, she has worked as a professional actor and is the founder of the film production company IAM Studios. Authenticity in storytelling is crucial to Imani's work as an artist and she strives to produce projects that introduce new narratives and experiences. 
 
Imani is currently reading "When we were Colored" by Eva Rutland and I am reading, "The Salt Eaters" by Toni Cade Bombara
 
For the summer, Imani has been listening to "Empath" by Willow Smith and I have been listening to "Mad Love" by Infinity Song. 
 
Check out Imani's website www.imanimitchell.com and follow her on IG @imaniakika for all things related to ALL she is doing. 
 
Check out Crumbs from the Table of Joy on October 11th at Celebration Arts in Sacramento, California 
 
 
 

Cocoa Butter and Communion is bizaaaack

Heeyyyy Village! Y'all, it is SEASON 3 of Cocoa Butter and Communion! Village, I was acting like I was in the 4th grade, on summer vacation, eating up all the snacks... running up all the electricity. It felt good to break. I want that for ALL of us. This episode is giving you the updates in my own life, including leaving my 9-5 job, and sharing about the importance of building community (in my perspective, of course 😊). 
I am reading "The Salt Eaters" by Toni Cade Bombara (amazing read!) 
Follow the show on IG @groundedrootscollective 

Mindfulness for All. FOR ALL.

Hi Village! It's just me this week, chatting it up about mindfulness, listening to "Euphoria" and "Not Like Us," wrapping up the son's school year, starting my summer session, and transitioning into a new role in my life. 
Enjoy the episode. Love y'all. 

Helicopter Moms? We're Fine with That (Insert Jordan Shrug): A Conversation with Niambi Lewis

Hey Village! Happy May! Happy pre-Mothers Day for y'all who celebrate yourself as mamas or you celebrate others as mamas. 
One of my favorite people stops by and we ask ourselves, is being a helicopter mom such a bad thing? Or is it the epitome of loving your kids? My guest, Niambi Lewis, and I talk about raising our sons, the relationship we have with them, and becoming the mothers that we are proud of. We also share about relationships changing and rediscovering self. She also beat me in Black Trivia but it was close. We both put up a fight (the game went multiple rounds). 
Niambi Lewis leads the Perinatal Equity Section at which houses the Black Infant Health Program, Perinatal Equity Initiative, two programs designed to support Black women and birthing people in having healthy pregnancies.   For over 20 years, she has been employed by the State of California with over a decade of that service working within departments in the Health and Human Services Agency, supporting her desire to work for programs that serve communities most impacted by the effects of structural racism.  She is the mother, wife, sister and daughter to some of the most AMAZING people in the world.  A self-sorted Ravenclaw, she loves all things Harry Potter, concerts and traveling.  An ideal day would include reading a good book while taking a bubble bath.
Niambi is reading a book that has 59 parts to it and it is an almost Harry Potter themed book. 
I am reading "We Should All Be Millionaires" by Rachel Rodgers
Follow the show on IG @groundedrootscollective and check out my new website www.groundedrootscollective.com here you will find show videos (hopefully soon), information about therapy, and so much more :). 

Empowering Community through Gun Ownership and Safety: A Conversation with Nakita Price

Hey Village! Happy May! On the show, I am chatting with the lovely Nakita Price. We discuss Black folks and gun ownership, the second amendment for all, gun safety, what is needed to own a gun. Nakita discusses how vital it was for her to pivot, using her skillset to make moves happen. 
Nakita Price is an Oak Park native (a neighborhood in South Sacramento, CA) and she is a wife and mother of 4 children and she is a grandma to 2 grandchildren. 
Nakita is the owner of 3rd Eye Watching, a Black woman owned and operated training facility in Sacramento, California. She educates, trains, and empowers her students (the students who are underrepresented or misjudged, women, LGBTQIA + community, the elderly, the disabled... the minority populations) to have the confidence and tools needed to defend themselves and their loved ones. an NRA, DOJ, & BSIS Certified Firearms Instructor, DOJ Certified Live Scan Fingerprint Technician, DOJ approved Live Scan and Ink Fingerprinting location, Licensed California Ammunition Vendor, an approved Sacramento County CCW Instructor and she provides quarterly range qualifications for law enforcement. She has an Associates of Science Degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Police Studies and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. 
Visit her website at https://www.3rdeyewatching.com/ 
Follow her on Facebook at 3rd Eye Watching and on IG @3rd_eye_watching_226_
Make sure you subscribe and like the podcast! 
 

Writing as a Medicine: A Conversation with Rowana Abbensetts-Dobson

Hey Village! Y'all know how much I love a good book and I love the people who know a great story to publish those good books. Black writers, writers of color, and other marginalized voices have had their stories silenced. It is so important to have these stories shared and luckily, there are people like Rowana, who see the value in those stories and does her absolute best to share them to the mainstream. 
This week, I am chatting with Rowana Abbensetts-Dobson,  a Guyanese-American writer, author of Departure Story, and founder of Spoken Black Girl, a publishing & media company that promotes mental health and wellness among Black women & women of color by amplifying emerging voices. Rowana has had fiction and poetry published in Moko Magazine, Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, Culture Push, When We Exhale: Anthology of Black Women Rooted in Ancestral Medicine, and Free Verse Magazine. As a freelance health and wellness writer, Rowana has written for Insider, GoodRx, Well +Good, Bold Culture by Streamline Media, The Tempest, Insider, and Electric Lit.
Rowana is reading: "The Black Girls Guide to Financial Freedom" by Paris Woods 
Chioko is reading: "Get Good with Money" by Tiffany Aliche 
 
Follow Rowana on social media! 
Instagram: @Rowana_a and @Spokenblackgirlmag
Twitter: @Rowana_a
@Spokenblackgirl
Facebook:  @Spokenblackgirl
Website: Spokenblackgirl.com
Follow the Cocoa Butter and Communion Podcast on IG @groundedrootscollective 
 

In a 90s Kind of World, I'm Glad I Got My Girl: Chatting with Jessica Brown

Hey Village! THEE Jessica Brown is back and as always, we spend a lot of time key-keying. Jess just celebrated a birthday and y'all, it was a time to be had... not what she expected, not what anyone expected. Good news for y'all, we provide a synopsis. Jessica talks about online dating (some of y'all need coaches) and how to be the love you seek. 
Jessica is an all around amazing human being, mom of two BEAUTIFUL babies, a director of behavioral health, she is in school full time getting her SECOND master's degree, she raps, tells jokes, and she is gorgeous, of course (shout out to her mama for the genetics... hey mama J). 
Jessica is reading "How to be the Love you Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships" by Dr. Nicole LaPera 
When Jesica and I need to transition in parts of our life, we listen to gangsta rap and Sunshine Anderson 
Follow the show on IG @cocoabutterandcommunion 
Check out the Cocoa Butter and Communion on Facebook
 

Critical Elections and Healing: A Conversation with Malaika Hill-Jones

Hey Village! Another therapist is in the house and what an experience for us all :). Malaika Hill-Jones, LMFT is on the show, discussing her life as a student at Howard University, the importance of being in an environment that encompasses greatness, and how to take care of yourself during this tumultuous election cycle (no one is ready for this). 
Malaika, an east coast transplant with a myriad of roles, embodies the essence of resilience and holistic healing. A proud graduate of Howard University, she wears the hats of daughter, wife, boy mom (x4), and grandmother.
Malaika is currently immersed in the journey of doula training, weaving her passion for supporting others into every aspect of her life. As a licensed therapist, she operates her private practice in Sacramento under the name Abundant Healing Nyumba Marriage & Family Therapy Corp, affectionately known as The House of AHH (Abundant Holistic Healing).
At The HOA, Malaika blends traditional psychotherapy theories with interventions from ancestral healing communities, crafting an integrative approach to wellness that honors the complexities of individual experiences. She fosters community and connection through her facilitation of a local women of color support group, providing a safe space for collective healing and empowerment.
In addition to her therapeutic work, Malaika is dedicated to education and empowerment. She is preparing to lead a workshop centered around navigating the transitions of perimenopause and menopause, recognizing the importance of holistic support during these transformative phases of life.
As one-third of Nourish Well, a women-led collective offering healing workshops and experiences, Malaika continues to champion the power of community in the healing journey. She firmly believes that healing is not a solitary endeavor but a communal process, and she embodies this ethos in all aspects of her work and life.
Malaika is currently reading "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents" by Lindsay C. Gibson and for fun, she is reading "Drunk in Love" by Jasmine Guillory.
I am still reading "Dust Tracks on a Road" by Zora Neale Hurston and a bunch of articles for school. 
To get in contact with Malaika, please visit her website, follow her on IG! 
www.houseofahh.com
@houseofahh
@womenofcolorgroup
@nourish_well_
 

Seeking a Therapist 101

Hey Village! This episode, it is just me. :) A little bit about me, I am Chioko Juliette Grevious, Licensed Marriage Family Therapist, Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, and a registered Psychological Assistant, all in the state of California (west siiiiide). In addition to those things, I am also the owner of a therapy practice, Grounded Roots Therapy Collective, Inc. (website is under construction). From the beginning of my journey as a therapist, I have truly believed that it is important for therapy to be decolonized and destigmatized. The oppressive practices of therapy needs to be dismantled. I want to make sure that the information is out there to find the therapist that is meant for you. Our healing is a collective experience. When the community is healed, we are all healed. 
This episode gives some tips on how to interview a potential therapist and some things to know about the different theoretical orientations of therapy (styles of therapy). 
I currently finished "Great Expectations" by Vinson Cunningham (finished most of it while waiting in the lines at Disneyland) and I am listening to The Above the Rim soundtrack. 
Here are some directories to begin your search for a therapist: 
Therapy for Black Girls www.therapyforblackgirls.com 
TherapyDen www.therapyden.com
Clinicians of Color www.cliniciansofcolor.org 
 
 

We Are Hip Hop: A Conversation with Ashley Autumn

Hey Village! Today, we are talking about hip hop with someone who knows it well. I was incredibly fortunate to speak with Ashley Autumn, Founder and CEO of Talented Tenth Entertainment. She is not only the CEO but she produces, consults, and so much more. I'll let her tell it :). We talk about the state of hip hop, women in hip hop, and the evolution of hip hop. 
Ashley is reading "Worthy" by Jada Pinkett Smith 
Songs that empower her is Rhianna's "Better Have My Money" and Beyonce's "Flawless" 
A woman MC's verse that empowers me is The Baddest, Trina's verse on "Nann" 
Follow Ashley on IG @talented10thent 
Follow Cocoa Butter and Communion on IG @cocoabutterandcommunion