Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

Once upon a time, there was a girl from Japan with arms so strong she could serve a tennis ball at more than 120 miles per hour. Her name is Naomi Osaka - a powerful professional tennis player who has taken the sport by storm and has become an advocate for mental health. Naomi has been ranked No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles.About the NarratorMegalyn Echikunwoke is an actor, writer singer and dancer. Discovered at a high school theater camp by a Hollywood manager, she got her start in the industry at 14. She has a striking presence with an undeniable talent through her range of portrayals of characters in television, film and the theater. Though she was raised by a widowed, single mother who worked as a registered nurse on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, she is of Igbo-Nigerian, German, Irish and Scandinavian descent. She is also the granddaughter of a Igbo tribal leader which technically makes her African royalty. Inspired by her many cultural influences, Megalyn believes in the power of art and storytelling to expose injustice, shift culture and heal communities. CreditsThis podcast is a production of Rebel Girls and is based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. This episode was produced by Camille Stennis. Sound design and mixing by Camille Stennis, Lu Miranda and Craig Billmeir. This episode was written by Jestine Ware and fact checked by Joe Rhatigan. Executive Producer is Katie Sprenger. Haley Dapkus is our Production Manager. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi. A big thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team who make this show possible! For more, visit rebelgirls.com. And if you like what you heard, don’t forget to rate and review this episode, and share it with your friends! Until next time, stay REBEL!

Get to know ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, who read us the story of her friend Kit DesLauriers, the first person to ski from the summit of the highest mountain on all seven continents! Hilaree tells us about her adventures in the Himalayas, and why she loves pursuing such challenging sports. She also tells us her tricks for overcoming doubt and pushing through the hard times attempting to summit massive mountain peaks. Thanks Hilaree!

(This episode originally aired 6/25/2018) Once upon a time, in a small town on the outskirts of Mexico City, there was a girl who lived in a blue house. Her name was Frida. From the outside, Frida's blue house was a common stucco building, with bright blue walls, tall windows, and green shutters. But past the entrance, a world of wonder awaited.THE HOSTPamela Fionna Adlon is an EMMY Award Winning American actress, voice actress, screenwriter, producer, and director. Pamela Adlon lent her voice to benefit the United Service Organization where Timbuktu made a donation in her name.CREDITSThis episode was written by Francesca Cavallo, who is also a producer of the show with Elena Favilli. Sound design is by Elettra Bargiacchi.

Get to know activist and author, Marley Dias. Marley tells us how she founded her campaign to get more books with Black girl lead characters into schools, her continued work for diversity and inclusion, and how others can make important changes in their own communities. She also shares how she wrote her book, and how she learned to be brave.

Meet Ruby Bridges, the first Black student to attend a public elementary school in New Orleans. She shares her inspiring story of bravery in the face of bigotry. Ruby's story is narrated by Marley Dias, the founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks. They discuss the challenges Ruby faced, her supportive teacher, and the impact of integration. This podcast highlights Ruby's resilience and her ongoing fight for equality.

Born in Peru, Lorella Praeli became an activist at a young age when she stood up to middle school bullies in her small Connecticut town and, in college, came out as an undocumented immigrant. Within a few years, she became known as one of the foremost and fiercest youth advocates working to pass the DREAM Act, which would offer protections for undocumented youth. Though she became an American citizen in 2015, today, Lorella continues to fight for change and build power among immigrants in the U.S.About the NarratorDiane Guerrero is an American actress, activist and author. She is currently a Series Regular on DC Universe/HBO Max’s series DOOM PATROL. She plays “Crazy Jane,” the most powerful member of the show’s titular band of outcast superheroes. She is also known for her roles as “Sofia,” a series regular on the CBS comedy SUPERIOR DONUTS, “Maritza Ramos” on the award-winning, Emmy and Golden Globe nominated Netflix series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (for which she received THREE Screen Actors Guild awards) and as "Lina" in CW's break-out hit, JANE THE VIRGIN.She was nominated for the 34th Imagen Awards, is the winner of the Lupe Ontiveros Indomitable Spirit Award by the National Hispanic Media Coalition and Variety had named her one of the top 10 Latina actresses to watch: Variety's Top Ten Latinas.  CreditsThis episode was a production of Rebel Girls and Boom Integrated, a division of John Marshall Media. It’s based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Our Executive Producers were Jes Wolfe and Katie Sprenger. This season was produced by John Marshall Cheary, Victoria Gruenberg, and Robin Lai. Corinne Peterson was our Production Manager. This episode was written by Alexis Stratton and edited by Katie Sprenger. Proofread by Ariana Rosas. Elettra Bargiacchi created sound design, and composed and performed the original theme. Mattia Marcelli was the sound mixer.

Once upon a time, there was a girl who dreamed of going to the moon. Her name is Sandra Cauffman, and today she is an electrical engineer who works at NASA. On a summer night in Costa Rica, Sandra watched the first moon landing on her neighbor's TV. After seeing Neil Armstrong’s boot touch the moon’s surface, she knew then, that she wanted to be part of the adventure!This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls, based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Our Executive Producers were Jes Wolfe and Katie Sprenger. This episode was voiced by Jennifer Ekman and written by Caitlin Madrigal, with sound design by Luis Miranda. It was edited by Katie Sprenger and proofread by Ariana Rosas. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi.

Once upon a time, a girl learned to sing before she could talk. Her name was Celia. She began singing to her siblings and cousins at bedtime, but a voice like that needed to be shared. Everywhere she went, she sang. She sang when she was in pain and she sang when she felt incredible joy—shouting an exuberant “¡Azúcar!” to her adoring fans. In glittering gowns and extravagant, ruffled ensembles, Celia filled the airwaves with her unique sound. Her talent earned her the name “The Queen of Salsa” as she spread Cuban music throughout the world.About the Narrator:A talented and versatile actress, Justina Machado continues to endear audiences and earn critical acclaim with each new role. Machado can currently be seen starring as the lead in Netflix’s highly-reviewed reimagining of Norman Lear’s ONE DAY AT A TIME opposite Rita Moreno. The series follows three generations of a Cuban-American family living under one roof. Machado stars as Penelope, a newly-single war veteran, raising her two children with the help of her mother (Moreno). Machado appeared opposite Gina Rodriguez in the fourth season of the CW comedy series, JANE THE VIRGIN, and voiced the character Carmen in Disney’s animated series, ELENA OF AVALOR. Machado is perhaps most well known for her role as “Vanessa Diaz” in HBO’s SIX FEET UNDER, which ended its five-season run in 2005 with an impressive accumulation of award nominations and wins including a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. On the big screen, Machado has been seen in THE PURGE: ANARCHY, which was released by Universal in 2014. Additional film credits include THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND opposite Uma Thurman, Bernard Tevenier’s IN THE ELECTRIC MIST opposite Tommy Lee Jones, and the independent film PEDRO, which debuted at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Her television credits include QUEEN OF THE SOUTH, GREY’S ANATOMY, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, PRIVATE PRACTICE, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, DEVIOUS MAIDS, SWITCHED AT BIRTH, THE FOSTERS, and MURDER POLICE. On the stage, Machado made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, as well as the world premiere production of A FREE MAN OF COLOR directed by George Wolfe at the Lincoln Center Theater. Machado also starred opposite Marc Feuerstein in Neil Labutte’s SOME GIRLS at the Geffen Theater.Born and raised in Chicago as the eldest of five children in a family of Puerto Rican descent, Machado started acting upon graduating from high school. Her stellar performances on stage at the Latino Chicago Theater paved the way for her now burgeoning career.Credits:This episode of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls was produced by Elena Favilli, Joy Fowlkes, and Meg Murnane, with writing by Tori Telfer and narration by Justina Machado. Jestine Ware edited the script and Janice Weaver fact-checked. Sound design and original theme music by Elettra Bargiacchi. Mattia Marcelli was the sound mixer. Special thanks to Clio McClure who coordinated all credit recordings and narrator donations.

Once upon a time, there was a Cuban ballerina who was blind. Her name was Alicia.As a little girl, Alicia was a naturally talented dancer. She spent her days filled with hours and hours of practice. She became one of the best dancers in the world. Then when she was 19, a medical condition caused her to lose her ability to see but that did not stop Alicia. She continued to dance and choreograph. She even started her own dance company which became the National Dance Company of Cuba.About the Narrator:Yuan Yuan Tan is a Principal dancer with the famous San Francisco Ballet, celebrating her record-breaking 25th anniversary in this 2020 season. Born in Shanghai, Yuan Yuan began dancing when she was 11 years old and went on to become the youngest principal dancer in the history of the San Francisco Ballet. She also continues to perform several times a year in China where she also frequently participates in teaching workshops, competitions, and other community programs to nurture new generations of dancers.This podcast is based on the book series also titled Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Our Executive Producers are Elena Favilli and Joy Fowlkes. This season was produced by John Marshall Cheary, Sarah Storm, and Robin Lai. This episode was written by Elizabeth Eulberg and edited by Pam Gruber. Maithy Vu proofread. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi who has also sound designed this episode. Mattia Marcelli was the sound mixer.

Welcome to Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls! We're so glad you're here.