Curated by Wonder Media Network
Wonder Media Network is a new audio-first media company that tells the stories of women and underrepresented voices at the intersection of politics, business, and culture.
People of color comprise more than 40% of the population of the U.S., and women make up half. Yet, the media is far from accurately representing these demographics. In 2018, the Women’s Media Center found that women of color are only 7.95% of U.S. print newsroom staff, 12.6% percent of local TV news staff and a mere 6.2% of local radio staff.
It’s unacceptable. We have a long way to go before media is truly representative, but we can start by celebrating the shows that are doing it right. In this roundup, we present a collection of podcasts that amplify the voices of incredible women of color. Collectively, they left us feeling hopeful for the future of representation in the medium.
What inspired this collection? A’shanti Gholar is the Political Director for Emerge America and founder of the blog, The Brown Girls Guide to Politics. Upon realizing the power and resonance of the blog, A’shanti decided it was time to bring the blog into the podcasting space. We at Wonder Media Network believe in the power of storytelling to inspire action and promote equality and justice, and we are thrilled to be producing The Brown Girls Guide to Politics, a show filled with change-making, compassionate interviews of women of color in politics.
View, follow, and listen to the whole collection of shows on RadioPublic, available on iPhone and Android.
The Brown Girls Guide to Politics
Politics can be an intimidating and confusing world for anyone to navigate. But for women of color it’s even worse—it often feels like you can’t be what you can’t see. A’shanti Gholar sought to change that by interviewing women of color working in politics, first casting a light on inspiring leaders on her blog, and now she’s diving into audio. Check out the premiere episode featuring the one and only Stacey Abrams!
Historically Black
There is no one way to be Black. The identity itself is built through the individual and collective stories of millions of lives. For the opening of The National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Washington Post called for submissions of artifacts to help tell the history of Black America. This podcast was created to elevate the mission of the museum. Each episode tells the story of a different artifact. Issa Rae hosts one episode in which a family tracks down their ancestor’s slave bill of trade. This episode was incredibly moving and we are eager to hear more.
Creating Espacios
Media startups are popping up everywhere these days. Keeping up can feel overwhelming. Creating Espacios helps listeners slow down and remember the importance of individual stories. Each episode, host Vivan Nunez sits down with a Latina in the startup and/or media space to discuss the triumphs and tribulations of her journey. Start with the episode featuring Dannie Lynn Fountain—a marketing strategist for Google and all-around wonder woman. We loved how she tackled the topic of shame in the hustle and bustle of the modern day working world.
Switch, Pivot, or Quit
Have you ever felt stuck at work? Uninspired by your professional trajectory? Ahyiana Angel has your back with Switch, Pivot or Quit. Each episode highlights a successful woman to inspire you to take action of your own. We loved her conversation with Jennifer Dulski, Head of Groups and Community at Facebook, especially when Jennifer speaks on the importance of connection within the digital sphere.
The Electorette Podcast
Podcasts open up conversations that people otherwise might not engage in regularly. One of those topics is politics—and if anybody knows that fact to be true, it’s us. For people who don’t work in the field, talking about politics can feel like a tug of war between left and right. The Electorette Podcast provides space for passionate women to discuss politics and our democracy, without the divisiveness. Check out the episode featuring Gina Clayton-Johnson of The Essie Justice Group as she talks about her work confronting the reality of our criminal justice system.
Hey, girl
Alex Elle is the kind, raw, and honest voice we all need in our lives. Her podcast, Hey, Girl, speaks to the community she has created through her work as an author, poet and public speaker. Each episode features an intimate conversation with a phenomenal woman from Alex’s life. We loved the episode with Angel from The Spice Suite—so much honesty and whimsy in one conversation. They talk about Angel’s past as a school administrator and her leap of faith into the world of entrepreneurship.
Democracy in Color
Aimee Allison is the current President of Democracy in Color, an organization that helped get some pretty well known names—Barack Obama and Senator Cory Booker—into office. Aimee has a unique ability to make politics approachable for any listener. In the podcast, she interviews political figures and strategists who are contributing to The New American Majority. Her conversation debriefing the 2018 midterms elections with Steve Phillips is a must listen.
Gettin’ Grown
In Gettin’ Grown, Keai and Jade dive into a range of topics relating to growing up and being an adult. Their perspectives are unapologetic, refreshingly honest, and infused with humor. We loved the episode with Adama Hamadi. Adama is a life coach who specializes in helping women on the brink of burnout. They cover the symptoms of burnout, and how to prevent it.
88 Cups of Tea
Yin Chang is passionate about telling stories. In each episode of her show, 88 Cups of Tea, she interviews an incredible writer. They tell their journeys of how they got to where they are in their careers. Yin’s episode with Julie Dao gave us some insight on how to deal with rejection in the creative industry. This show does more than just provide insight into some of today’s best writers, it allows its listeners to connect to a community through its website platform and social media.
All Possibilities with Julie Chan
Julie Chan is helping people discover their potential. In All Possibilities, Julie explores all things related to living an intuitive lifestyle—a way of living by connecting to your internal system of feeling. The show looks at the transformation that mindfulness and spiritual teachings have gone through in the last decade, from fringe to mainstream. Check out her episode with Richelle Fredson of Hay House to find out how Richelle went from a life with seemingly no spirituality to one guided by intuition.
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Want to create your own collection of shows that dovetails with your area of interest? Add shows to your Smart Folder on RadioPublic, then inform the Podcast Librarian of your collection: librarian@radiopublic.com.
