GirlTREK

Let’s face it. Any time anyone mentions the name Nefertiti, we all picture the beautiful Iman in the Remember the Time video - or maybe you immediately go to the gold-plated knocker earrings that celebrate her glorious profile. ...but what do we reeeeally know about the Queen? Tune in today to learn exactly why there was a Nefertiti revival in every Black neighborhood in America circa 1991, precisely 3,000 years after her dramatic death in ancient Egypt. Roll your shoulders back and adjust your crown queens, this tribute Walk & Talk is going to be gooood.Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - 21 Cosmonauts at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 women who were ahead of their time.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech except played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) | Digable Planets:https://bit.ly/3sSUz7THow Many Mics | The Fugees:https://open.spotify.com/track/2lOnbK3gm1N6keYkUD3mis?si=cuTVy2QVRm6HcPfLjUT0LA

The original. Before Nikki, before Cardi, before Kim. Long before Young M.A. was seducing women out of their Fashion Nova, and Meg made that congressman clutch his pearls over WAP, there was Gladys Bentley. An open lesbian, a cross-dressing performer whose raunchy act and lewd lyrics were both the talk of the town and the hottest ticket around. A darling of the Harlem Renaissance, Gladys Bentley was once the richest Black woman in America. A blues singer who got her start singing at rent parties, she was a woman brave enough to love and live as she wanted - until the politics of the time and a brutal system of oppression, that has denied so many of us the opportunity to live in our truth, forced her back into the margins.Our stories are complex. Difficult. Not always redeemable to those who live in the black and white. Not always deemed worthy to be told if not pristine or above reproach. But not in this space. Here, amongst a tribe of women who come bearing our own scars, we make space for every story. And today we tell the story of Gladys, because it is spectacular and because it serves as inspiration for those who will come after her to plant their own flags in planets yet discovered. Can’t wait to walk with you today. Tune in live. This one will be worth it. Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - 21 Cosmonauts at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 women who were ahead of their time.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music  played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Worried Blues | Gladys Bentleyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptIBk2PZK74 Back to the Streets | Saweetiehttps://open.spotify.com/track/3MEruRteiUZXkStfTlZqRn?si=Qrepmax0TcuH4odrXBeeRw

Her mother told her that she was singing before she could hold her head up. Calling at birth. An air bender. And on any given Sunday, if you walk through the right neighborhood at precisely the right time, you’ll hear it. ...just behind the smell of fresh laundry and the sizzle of Sazón, you feel it coming. "¡Azúuucar!" Every sound system must bow. The clap of her voice is more ancient than the rivers of Benin. Celia Cruz gave us pathways home. She was our clave, the pulse of our diaspora, our mother's lullaby, and Oya’s cry. “The Queen of Salsa'' stoked our collective imaginations and taught us to fly. And for that, we dedicate today’s walk to this cultural cosmonaut. Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - 21 Cosmonauts at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 women who were ahead of their time.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech except played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Quimbara - Zaire, Africa 1974 | Celia Cruz & The Fania All Stars: https://bit.ly/3sSUz7TBemba Colora Live | Celia Cruz:https://open.spotify.com/track/4fn2fJjnuu5vxR2sRw5D5t?si=fcVlBk4HTsSGBm6C40vLSA

This is the story that you need today. A royal story. A queen story. A story about taking up space, owning your gifts, and using your voice. A story about overcoming the worst to become the best to ever do it.  A history lesson on courage. A demonstration on Blackness. A journey through the life of the greatest singer of all time. This is the story of Aretha Franklin. Ain’t no way (ha!) you'll listen without getting your whole life. There is so much to be said and so much to learn from this woman who came holding a gift from God and used it to transform the world.Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - 21 Cosmonauts at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 women who were ahead of their time.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech except played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:RESPECT | Aretha Franklin:https://open.spotify.com/track/7s25THrKz86DM225dOYwnr?si=x8NB7U_tTQSs5R2MN_83xADay Dreaming | Aretha Franklin:https://open.spotify.com/track/7L4G39PVgMfaeHRyi1ML7y?si=eq6zDjvwRJKXAySCyPeavw

We watched him forgive, for all of us.Today, Bishop Tutu is 89 years old and is still changing the moral climate of the world.  In 1996, this spiritual titan - who is a survivor of Apartheid -  proceeded over the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings.  Together, we listened to gruesome stories of torture and unthinkable confessions of death squads.  The entire concept was radical - truth for freedom.  Let go of retribution to restore justice. Bring mass healing for all.It was a master class.Bishop Tutu received a Nobel Peace Prize.  Yes.  But more than his achievements,  I am struck by his laugher.  It's brilliant.  And after a lifetime of resistance to the repression and violence of Apartheid, his laughter proves that there is a God.  Some of the most beautiful moments in the last decade are between Bishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama.  The two men charged with smiling eyes, praying hands, and foot-stomping laughter, show us the bounty of spiritual enlightenment. We are humbled to honor this living legend.  His daughter, Rev. Naomi Tutu will join us today live.Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - The Prayer Edition at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with prayers, survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 spiritual warriors.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excerpt played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrica - Gospel Train:https://open.spotify.com/track/5HiC1rsHmXbrh5zy7cG5LS?si=sJpd8UeIQr6v1Mop6BAp5AForgiveness: "What do you do to forgive someone?" - Archbishop Desmond Tutu:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo2LGGqtjqM&feature=youtu.beBo Noo Ni - Joe Mettle:https://open.spotify.com/track/7eirw5Zy1bUWOka5g2HWrb?si=847jZABmSrmkRP1NNzuxBQ

… A tree was chopped down and the fruit was scatteredI cried because I had lost a family the trunk, my father the branches, his support so muchthe fruit, the wife and children who meant so much to him tasty loving as they should be all on the ground some out of his reachin the ground the roots, happiness cut off from him.        - Zindzi MandelaThis is an ode to Black love. The love that survived and the love that didn’t.This is an honoring of the sacrifice of Black men who could have loved more tenderly and Black women who could have received more softly if only the world wasn’t content on destroying them.This is an honoring of the lovers who sought refuge in each other and found it, if only for a moment.  This is a space where we honor the gray area of relationships. A space that knows no blame. A space that honors that there is no manual for how to love during wartime.  This is a conversation and an exploration of the life and love of Winnie and Nelson Mandela.Our heroes were humans and they gave at great sacrifice. Today we honor that sacrifice and look for the lessons by diving deep into the Mandelas' powerful legacy.Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - The Prayer Edition at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with prayers, survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 spiritual warriors.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Soweto Blues - Miriam Makeba:https://open.spotify.com/track/7qb0KJZ0iXtS8LMSXCH353?si=t5ZnQGQjRiydvR4uzTBY_wLet's Stay Together - Al Green:https://open.spotify.com/track/63xdwScd1Ai1GigAwQxE8y?si=79Zk_xL5Ss6hoNLeUOipMw

“I say this to you, as I say to myself: If Malcolm and his message, so strong, so bright and so pure, was too good for those of us who have already reached manhood, there is a generation who is not yet spoiled, not yet degutted, not yet de-bold, not yet emasculated, who when they come into the light of this truth will rise up and redeem him and us and all the rest of the world. That is the meaning of Malcolm X.” - Ossie DavisWe are that generation.We are ready to rise up.Join us live on today’s walk for a historic conversation about the life and legacy of Malcolm X and the Shabazz family.Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - The Prayer Edition at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with prayers, survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 spiritual warriors.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Pharoah Sanders - Hum Allah Hum Allah Hum Allah:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWghTVdDGDM&feature=emb_logoMalcolm X’s Fiery Speech Addressing Police Brutality:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_uYWDyYNUg&feature=youtu.beOssie Davis's eulogy for Malcolm X (The ending of the Malcolm X movie):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2PQ3XY_j2E&feature=emb_logo

21 million of us may lose healthcare.  21 million.  Rather than folding into rage, arguing perspectives, or waxing philosophical, let's get in the streets. Join us today, for a special edition of Black History Bootcamp to listen to the words of one of the most brilliant political organizers in history. Dr. King called us to love one another AND demand "a radical redistribution of political and economic power."  He said, "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.”  In this pivotal moment, as we strengthen our bodies for the days ahead, we'll share the part of his final speech that they do NOT want you to hear.  It's a blueprint for labor organizing, economic withdrawal, direct action, and radical love."There is a certain kind of fire that no water can put out." Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - The Prayer Edition at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with prayers, survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 spiritual warriors.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:Oh Freedom! - The Golden Gospel Singers:https://open.spotify.com/track/3O9lB0cF1EC2cA6RwkO2NF?si=g42phSemTO6zpk3Sg8-tsgThe Anthology 1957-1968 - Mountaintop Speech - Martin Luther King Jr.:https://open.spotify.com/album/6VmSiL5dAz0iui79svT1XE?si=HfSCtWfRRWSfmcCwkHZu0g

ProphecyI sing of a new AmericanSeparate from all others,Yet enlarged and diminished by all others.I am the child of kings and serfs, freemen and slaves,Having neither superiors nor inferiors,Progeny of all colors, all cultures, all systems, all beliefs.I have been enslaved, yet my spirit is unbound.I have been cast aside, but I sparkle in the darkness.I have been slain but live on in the river of history.I seek no conquest, no wealth, no power, no revenge:I seek only discoveryOf the illimitable heights and depths of my own being.- The Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray Spiritual Warrior of the Day: This is the story of Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray, she was the #daughterof Cornelia, who was the #daughterof Harriet, an enslaved woman who was forced to bear children with her owner. This is the story of what would not die and what could not be stolen – our mother’s hopes and dreams for our lives. This is the story of the Black woman in America.The Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray lived one of the most remarkable lives of the twentieth century. She was a civil rights activist, a pioneering feminist, a labor organizer, a lawyer, and an Episcopal priest. Her legal arguments and interpretation of the Constitution helped to dramatically change the laws of this country Her steadfast and fearless pursuit of justice led her to break down gender and racial barriers across the land. We are indebted to Pauli Murray for her unwavering devotion to her people, for her bravery, and for the personal sacrifices that she had to make along the way. It is our privilege to talk about her life story on today's walk and to honor her legacy through a walking worship.We do it today in honor of Cornelia and Harriet because they endured so Pauli could live. And in honor of our grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers who did the same.Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - The Prayer Edition at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with prayers, survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 spiritual warriors.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:The Best In Me - Marvin Sappr:https://open.spotify.com/track/1B5NWdLAt8GC4WKTPUCrLM?si=207hYhMRS6ePEjbIfOIrbgUp Where We Belong - Bebe & Cece Winans:https://open.spotify.com/track/6hjuzceBTUL1kv5H6Uw2Th?si=4LCL92eHTtG5JC1b9HLviA

I listened to John Coltrane all night ...and woke up singing the old gospel song, "I Hasten to His Throne."  I didn't fully understand the connection until now. Isn't that what this is all about?  Hastening to what is greater? Spiritual Warriors of the Day: For John Coltrane, it was at his lowest moment, in a cold fight against heroin, on his bedroom floor, he experienced God's Love.  From that moment, he dedicated his life to a fervent practice of spiritual awakening.  And because God is good, this awakening came with a spiritual guide from Detroit, a woman named Alice.  Together, they created A Love Supreme.  More than a ground-breaking album, it was an ethos.  A dissertation on love.  They improvised connecting with God day after day.  She once meditated continually for weeks. It was this devotion and discipline that gave the world one of the purest languages of love imaginable.  Love, for them, was not a falling.  No.  It was a practice.  A habit.  A discipline. A lifestyle.  Maybe even a religion.  It was a love note on the kitchen table kind of love.  A harp for Christmas kind of love.  Four babies in four years kind of love. Be still and hear God speak kind of love.  And when John was in deep, delivering his 4-part musical masterpiece, Alice was meditating, raising the boys and beaming with anticipation.  She said, "Before I even met John, there was something in me that knew there was a divine connection - there were things that he said to me, they weren’t spoken with the human voice." The Coltranes lived with edgelessness. They were expensive. Their music, healing.  In one of the most beautiful articles I've ever read, Carvell Wallace said that John gave the soul a place to sing. He writes, "There is something about a saint that makes it safe for all of us to get lost in the swell of being human."  And in a brilliant story for NPR, Sydnee Monday called Alice's music "spiritual preservation." She became the matriarch of Black meditation. Her transcendental music helped millions of us find enlightenment.  And he is arguably the greatest musician to ever live.  Together, they transformed the world.Join GirlTrek’s Black History Bootcamp - The Prayer Edition at blackhistorybootcamp.com to receive specially curated emails with prayers, survival tips, speeches + dedicated songs to listen to for each episode. Together we will discover the stories of 21 spiritual warriors.Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music played during this broadcast. Original content can be found here:I Love The Lord - Whitney Houston ft. Georgia Mass Choir:https://open.spotify.com/track/2xrXUa8o1JJtz8nobY2UsY?si=xodi35yOSgyQubts4kqSOAA Love Supreme, Pt. I Acknowledgement - John Coltrane:https://open.spotify.com/track/0CLbmkYmQIWiEwnsbOkLpd?si=Ur4Bfxm8RR2ruZKT2Dk0ug