Black & Published

APR 1, 2025

What the Daughter Knows with Jodi M. Savage

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jodi M. Savage, author of the essay collection, Death of a Jaybird: Essays on Mothers and Daughters and the Things They Leave Behind.

It’s a collection that reckons with Jodi’s grief before and after the deaths of her mother and grandmother and how she found comfort in the space a blank page provided. In our conversation, she discusses how she processed her life in real time and turned it into a book. Why she believes forgiveness and grief go hand in hand and how she let go of the concern about not having enough social media followers… and why those numbers really don’t matter.

Mahogany Books

47 MIN

MAR 27, 2025

The National Black Writers Conference with Donna Hill

This week, Nikesha speaks with Donna Hill, the newly named executive director of The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, right in the heart of Brooklyn.

Today, as in Thursday March 27, 2025, kicks off the center’s signature event, the National Black Writer’s Conference. This year is their two-day biennial symposium highlighting middle grade and young adult fiction. Tickets are free for seniors and for anyone else the cost is $30 or less.

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28 MIN

MAR 25, 2025

The Sanctity of Solitude with Aaliyah Bilal

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Aaliyah Bilal, author of the short-story collection Temple Folk. The collection is made up of ten short stories about Black Americans who identify as Muslim and who were at one time members of the Nation of Islam.

In our conversation, Aaliyah explains why "normalcy" is the main message she wants readers to take away from her collection. Plus, the reason she believes borrowing details from her personal life is beneath the craft of fiction. And how she taught herself to write in an ultimate period of autodidactic self-study that lasted 15 years.

Mahogany Books

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46 MIN

MAR 18, 2025

The Thread of Connection with Jamila Minnicks

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jamila Minnicks, author of the novel, Moonrise Over New Jessup. It's a book written about a small, Black, Alabama enclave in the 1950s facing pressure to integrate despite resistance from the town’s male leaders and the women who make their work possible.

A native of Alabama, Jamila says she sees her writing as an extension of her work as an advocate. The reason she believes her novel is a way to jumpstart the conversation on what community and fellowship really mean. Plus, the pushback she gets from some readers who bought into the belief of white supremacy or the failed sales pitch of integration.

Mahogany Books

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48 MIN

MAR 11, 2025

Leading with Meaning with Laysha Ward

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Laysha Ward author of the leadership book, Lead Like You Mean It: Lessons on Integrity and Purpose from the C-Suite.

Laysha spent more than 30 years in corporate America, most of that time at Target. Our conversation took place before Target announced their roll back of DEI initiatives but we still discuss how her background as a Black girl from rural Indiana helped her find gold in her roots to unlock her superpowers. Why she believes it’s important to have a holistic approach to leadership and well-being. And the lessons she learned from Mrs. Coretta Scott King that helped her successfully navigate her professional and personal life.

Mahogany Books

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45 MIN

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