Curated Questions: Conversations Celebrating the Power of Questions! The Power of Asking "What Do I Do Now?" Instead of "Why Me?" | Dr. Latorial Faison #45
"When I even think that I wanna give up, I can't because people like this put their life on the line so that I could have better opportunities." - Dr. Latorial Faison
Dr. Latorial Faison is an HBCU and Virginia State University Professor, Poet, Author, Independent Scholar & Senior Military Spouse. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and a Doctoral degree in Education. Faison is Chair of the Department of Languages & Literature and Assistant Professor of English at Virginia State University and has authored over sixteen books.
Faison's research study, The Missed Education of the Negro: An Examination of the Black Segregated Experience in Southampton County, Virginia 1950-1970, focused on Riverview High School, a segregated Black High School that existed in Courtland, Virginia, and explores the nuances of Black segregated education during the Jim Crow Era.
Faison's latest work, Nursery Rhymes in Black was released in June of 2025 and blends tradition, memory, and resistance through a reimagination of familiar childhood rhymes through the lens of Black history and lived experience. This volume just received a Pulitzer Prize nomination.
Not one to rest on her laurels, her next work Blood at the Root, will be released in the coming months, which speaks directly to the historical and ongoing violence, erasure, and resilience that define the African American experience.
In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Latorial Faison, a professor, poet, and scholar. Dr. Faison shares her journey from growing up in a small town in Virginia, being raised by her grandparents, to becoming a notable academic and author.
Through discussing her work, research, and dedication to teaching, Faison emphasizes the importance of memory, resilience, and the power of storytelling. The episode also touches on her latest book, 'Nursery Rhymes in Black,' her role in the Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective, and her vision for fostering a supportive community for her students. A recurring theme throughout the conversation is the transformative power of questions, both in personal growth and in understanding one's purpose.
Episode Notes
00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflection
01:57 Guest Introduction: Dr. Latorial Faison
03:58 Early Life and First Questions
06:36 Organizing Pain and Finding Purpose
09:25 Challenges and Resilience
15:30 Responsibility and Representation
20:17 Reflections on Race and Upbringing
26:51 Writing and Grief Work
30:39 Mama Was a Negro Spiritual Poem
37:16 Memories and Cultural Traditions
40:06 Returning Home and Final Thoughts
46:13 Reflections on Military Family Life
47:03 Settling Down Post-Retirement
47:43 Pursuing Personal Goals
48:20 Balancing Family and Education
49:39 Dedication to Family and Heritage
52:13 Teaching and Student Struggles
54:02 Honoring Grandparents' Sacrifices
55:45 The Power of Memory and Storytelling
56:29 Sundays a Haiku
01:01:15 Abominations, a Poem By Latorial Faison
01:08:38 Researching Black Education History
01:25:44 Reflecting on Historical Figures and Social Change
01:28:16 The Great Undoing and Rebuilding
01:28:44 Hope Amidst Chaos
01:29:15 Introduction to Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective
01:32:43 Joining the Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective
01:34:05 The Impact of Nikki Giovanni
01:39:47 The Symbolism of Quilts
01:43:47 Current Challenges and Reflections
01:47:07 The Importance of Community and Legacy
01:49:36 Like An Ancestor Poem
02:00:40 Final Reflection and Takeaways
Resources Mentioned
Riverview High School
Nursery Rhymes in Black by Latorial Faison
Blood at the Root by Latorial Faison
Mama Was a Negro Spiritual by Latorial Faison
Sundays a haiku by Latorial Faison
Mr. Pete Ballard's farm
Abominations by Latorial Faison
Black Pastoral by Ariana Benson
James Mason University (JMU)
Virginia Humanities Fellowship
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Wintergreen Women Writers Collective
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Collected Poems by Nikki Giovanni
Renee and Jay by JJ Murray
Original Love by JJ Murray
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Questions Asked
When did you first understand the power of questions?
Why me?
Why in that way?
Why was my life on this trajectory?
Why am I here?
What is my purpose?
Do you internalize "always someone watching" as a burden?
How many of you feel that you have a responsibility to your race?
If the lady offers us a cookie or a lemonade, why can't we take it?
How did questions play a role in challenging things early on?
Will you write about me one day?
How can you all come out of the same house, and kids end up so different?
What is a specific smell or color that reminds you of your grandmother?
How did questions work in that research for you?
What did black educators do?
What did they do in those classrooms to motivate African American students through Jim Crow?
Were they providing culturally relevant teaching; was that a key?
What can we learn from the students? What can we learn from the teachers?
What can we learn from this totally black segregated education experience to transfer into the now?
What is ground zero going to look like?
Who's going to even be here anymore?
What has the Wintergreen Women's Writers collective meant to you?
What is your Right Now Question?
What have I gotten myself into as department chair?
What do I do next?
What matters most in the moment that I'm in now?
How can I make the biggest difference?
It's not, will they like me? Will they help me? It's, what do I do? How do I move in this moment?
And that's how I try to live my life. Yeah. How do I live in this moment?
What pain in your life, if shaped into a story, might become a gift of healing for you and perhaps others?
What place from your past still holds untold stories, and how might sharing them illuminate both where you’ve been and where you’re going?
What place from your past still holds untold stories, and how might sharing them illuminate both where you’ve been and where you’re going?
Are your questions keeping you tethered to the past, or are they propelling you toward the life and impact you’re meant to create?