A November 2024 article by Subramaniam Vincent on forbes.com, noted that Christine Slaughter, Chaya Crowder and Christina Greer, co-authored a recent paper that refers to Black women as keepers of American democracy. The researchers found that Black women are motivated by civic duty to vote in elections and perceive voting as an effective tool to have their voice heard.

The article also noted that the news media should help fellow Americans understand the history that Black women bring to the ballot box when they vote. Our stories need to recognize that there is a profound sense of intergenerational solidarity and civic duty amongst Black women, fostered through the passing down of history from the civil rights era, shared everyday experiences, conversations, and a sense of collective responsibility.

One organization which promotes Black women’s civic engagement is the Black Women's Roundtable, an initiative of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

The Black Women's Roundtable (BWR) serves as the coalition’s intergenerational leadership development, mentoring, empowerment and power building arm for Black women and girls. The BWR is at the forefront of championing justice and equitable public policies that center racial, economic and gender justice to promote health and wellness, economic security & prosperity, education and global empowerment as key elements of success.

Our host, Krysta Jones, currently serves as one of the conveners of BWR Virginia, along with Lavern Chatman, and she is joined by Tameka Ramsey, a convener of BWR Michigan, and the founding director for the Michigan Coalition on Black Civic Participation and LaWana Brown, a co convener for the BWR Maryland. This conversation focuses on the impact BWR is making and how one can get involved.

According to Heritagediscovered.com, with there being nearly 48 million Black people in the US today, Black genealogy research can be a real challenge, especially for finding families before the 1870 census, the first census to name many Black people for the first time.

Researching African American ancestors, whether freed or formerly enslaved, can be time consuming, yet fortunately, more resources are coming online as records get digitized to help you build your family tree.

In this episode we speak with Viola Baskerville, Suzanne Walker, and Shamele Jordan.

Viola Baskerville is a Richmond, Virginia native; however, she traces her paternal ancestry to several families with deep roots in both Buckingham and Cumberland Counties in Virginia. She has traced her maternal lines to King William County, Virginia and Sevier County, Arkansas.

Shamele Jordan is a professional genealogist, producer, writer, and lecturer. Her biographical highlights include: award winning TV producer of Genealogy Quick Start, and researcher for the PBS series Oprah’s Roots: African American Lives I and II. She is the former president of the African American Genealogy Group in Philadelphia.

Suzanne Walker is president of the Arlington VA chapter of the Links Incorporated and is a Family History Enthusiast.

She has been curious about her family history for a very long time, and is focusing on research on her great grandmother being an enslaved person in Virginia. She promotes Black people honoring and knowing our history and believes it is a legacy worth preserving.

According to Forbes.com, a survey by the travel organization Road Scholar has revealed that up to 30% of the company's tour participants are solo travelers; and of those solo travelers, 85% are women.

According to Condor Ferries, 64% of travelers worldwide are female, while only 36% are male. The company estimated that $125 billion would be spent by women on travel in 2023.

The average U.S. traveler is a 47-year-old woman. Some 75% of those who take cultural, adventure or nature trips are women. Despite possible dangers, 86% of women state that they are not afraid to travel. And whether women travel with their partners, their families, friends, solo or in groups, 80% of all travel decisions are made by women.

In this episode, our host Krysta Jones speaks with Nickie Martin and Melandee Jones Canady about their experiences traveling.