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Being Seen — Society & Culture
Being Seen

The award-winning podcast Being Seen is an in-depth exploration of culture’s role in resolving the tension between how we are seen and how we see ourselves. It is a space to explore current cultural representations and their impact through conversations with leading artists, writers, activists, entertainers, and community leaders. If we create nuanced and accurate cultural portrayals of identity and experience, we have an opportunity to reduce stigma and change perception – impacting everything from HIV to institutional inequality.
Each episode is brought to life visually through licensed artwork and photography. This season, our artwork is curated by Cierra Barton, acclaimed art historian, art advisor, curator and writer. The photography for each episode has been curated by Patti Wilson from photographers including Miranda Barnes, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, and Widline Cadet. Our theme song is La Cumbia Me Está Llamando feat. La Perla by Nubya Garcia.
Consulting partners on the project are Novella Ford, Charlene Carruthers, Aria Sa’id, Davina Otalor and Darnell Moore.
Being Seen is produced by Harley & Co. and created in partnership with ViiV Healthcare.

Copyright: © We welcome you to download and play the podcast and share with others for personal use. You may not, except with the express written permission of Harley & Co., distribute or commercially exploit the content.

Latest Episodes:

Our Listening Community Jan 13, 2022

We want to hear from our listening community! We need your input, your feedback, your agreements and your disagreements. Share your thoughts and help shape the future of Being Seen by filling out our listener survey. It only takes two minutes and can be found at beingseenpodcast.com/survey.

Being Seen, Episode 30, Movement Dec 21, 2021

How does movement show up in our lives and what power does it hold? With movement comes the future, the ability to grow, to try something new, adapt, and become.

Featured in this episode: A’ja Wilson, Ashley Everett and Lady Jess. Artwork provided by Sarah Dahir. Photography provided by Amber Pinkerton

Being Seen, Episode 28, Safety Dec 07, 2021

The ability to feel safe -- when and how one wishes. How do we define safety, on our own terms? What does the future look like when we create, and dream into being, safe spaces for all Black women?

Featured in this episode: Jessamyn Stanley, Aria Sa’id and Mariame Kaba. Artwork provided by Tiffany Alfonseca Photography provided by Kate Sterlin, Nyda Blas and Kennedi Carter

Being Seen, Episode 27, Laughter Dec 02, 2021

Laughter as a salve, a weapon, a commentary, and an intimacy that is often best shared. Where does laughter show up in our lives, and how can we use it as a tool for empathy and understanding?

Featured in this episode: Ts Madison. Artwork provided by Uzo Njoku Photography provided by Kourtney King and Amber Pinkterton

Being Seen, Episode 26, Freedom Nov 23, 2021

How can we find our freedoms and ourselves through our stories? Freedom from stereotypes, from stigma, from silence. The freedom of visibility. The freedom of being seen.

Featured in this episode: Dominique Jackson, Calida Rawles and Jacqueline Woodson. Artwork provided by Calida Rawles Photography provided by Kate Sterlin

Being Seen, Episode 25, Motherhood Nov 16, 2021

All too often motherhood is a narrowly defined space full of bias and assumption. How can we think about it more expansively and in what ways have we provided or received mothering in our own lives?

Featured in this episode: Raquel Willis, Ciarra Covin and Kaitlyn Greenidge. Artwork provided by Sydney Vernon Photography provided by Imani Dennison, Amber Pinkerton and Nydia Blas

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines do not recommend breastfeeding but do acknowledge that some women with HIV may breastfeed with risk reduction measures to minimize transmission risk.

Being Seen, Episode 24, Health Nov 09, 2021

A conversation about health and care, with a focus on mental health. How can we create the spaces and systems needed to dismantle stigma for ourselves and for each other?

Featured in this episode: Taraji P. Henson. Artwork provided by Megan Gabrielle Harris Photography provided by Lucie Rox and Ruby Okoro

Being Seen, Episode 23, Responsibility Nov 02, 2021

What are we asked to be responsible for? Do we assume our responsibilities willingly or are they placed upon us? A conversation on the many things we have been asked to carry.

Featured in this episode: Sydney Barber, Tiya Miles and Martha Jones. Artwork provided by Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi Photography provided by Nydia Blas and Kate Sterlin

Being Seen, Episode 22, Power Oct 26, 2021

An exploration of power. How we use it, how it can be used against us, and the many ways it manifests in our lives.

Featured in this episode: Ledisi (Singer & Actress) and Roxane Gay (Author). Artwork for this episode provided byQuiana Parks.

Being Seen, Episode 21, Introducing Season 3 Oct 14, 2021

A conversation between Darnell Moore, host of Seasons 1 and 2, and Anika Noni Rose, host of Season 3, on occupying this space at this moment and the importance of prioritizing the voices and experiences of Black women.

Featured in this episode: Darnell Moore (Host of Season 1 and 2) and Anika Noni Rose (Host of Season 3) Artwork for this episode provided by Ronald Jackson

Our Community Jul 13, 2021

We want to hear from our listening community! We need your input, your feedback, your agreements and your disagreements. It only takes two minutes to fill out and can be found at beingseenpodcast.com/survey.

Being Seen, Episode 20, For The People Jul 08, 2021

A look behind the scenes at what it means to create in this moment. Reflections on community, fellowship and love from the creators of Being Seen.

Featured in this episode: Emil Wilbekin (Founder, Native Son), Darius Brown (Emmy-Award Winning Producer), Gioncarlo Valentine (Visual Narrator, Writer & Curator), and DaShawn Usher (Founder, Mobilizing Our Brothers Initiative (MOBI)). Artwork for this episode provided by Adryan Tunde Abii-Smith and photography provided by Hannah Price.

Being Seen, Episode 19, Sports Jun 29, 2021

How gay and queer Black men are reimagining sports, creating space, and discovering new possibility models.

Featured in this episode: Nate Burleson (Sports Commentator & Former NFL Player), Jason Collins (Former NBA Player), and LZ Granderson (Award-Winning Sports Journalist). Artwork for this episode provided by Jonathan Lyndon Chase, and photography provided by Andre D. Wagner.

Being Seen, Episode 18, Trans Masculine Experience Jun 22, 2021

An exploration of masculinities through the eyes of trans masculine people, gender-expansive individuals, and the ones who love us.

Featured in this episode: Guest Host Texas Isaiah (Visual Narrator), Wazi Maret (Producer & Songwriter), Ahya Simone (Multidisciplinary Artist), and Marquise Vilsón (Actor & Activist). Artwork for this episode provided by Amani Lewis, and photography provided by Texas Isaiah.

Being Seen, Episode 17, Afro-Latinx Jun 15, 2021

How interconnected identities shape our stories, through the lens of the Afro-Latinx experience.

Featured in this episode: Representative Ritchie Torres, Steven Canals (Screenwriter & Producer), and Wilson Cruz (Award-Winning Actor). Artwork for this episode provided by Gustavo de Nazareno and photography provided by Steven Molina Contreras & Gioncarlo Valentine.

Being Seen, Episode 16, Hollywood Jun 08, 2021

An exploration of representation in Hollywood and how entertainment can become a tool for transformation.

Featured in this episode: Anthony Hemingway (Director & Producer), Brandon Goodman (Writer & Actor), and Colman Domingo (Actor, Writer & Director). Artwork for this episode provided by Xavier Daniels and photography provided by Dustin Thierry.

Being Seen, Episode 15, Barbershop Jun 02, 2021

Finding spaces where we can inhabit shared visions of freedom.

Featured in this episode: Quincy Mills (Professor & Author), Marc Lamont Hill (TV Host, Author & Activist), and Lorenzo Lewis (Advocate, Speaker & Author). Artwork for this episode provided by Stephen Towns and photography provided by Antonio Johnson.

Being Seen, Episode 14, Youth May 25, 2021

An exploration of marking our existence, building community and cherishing our youth.

Featured in this episode: Shangela (Actor, Comedian & Performer), Kalen Allen (Creator, Writer & Actor), and Keiynan Lonsdale (Dancer & Singer-Songwriter). Artwork for this episode provided by Daniel Marcellus Givens and photography provided by Widline Cadet.

Being Seen, Episode 13, Mentorship May 18, 2021

The power of mentoring to create representative narratives, construct community and build a collective legacy.

Featured in this episode: Guest Co-Host Lena Waithe (Writer, Actor & Producer), Gina Prince-Bythewood (Writer & Director), Little Marvin (Writer & Producer) and LaDarian Smith (Writer & Producer). Artwork for this episode provided by Jon Key and photography provided by Gioncarlo Valentine and Texas Isaiah.

Being Seen, Episode 12, Fatherhood May 11, 2021

An exploration of the power, the challenge, the opportunities and the experience of fatherhood.

Featured in this episode: Dennis Williams (SVP, WarnerMedia), Jericho Brown (Award-Winning Poet), and Calvin & Tim (Fathers & Advocates) joined by their daughter Grady. Artwork for this episode provided by Cbabi Bayoc and photography provided by Gioncarlo Valentine.

Being Seen, Episode 11, Futures Dec 08, 2020

Stories as freedom. Our futures. Transforming culture and ourselves through the power of narrative, community, and our connection to our pasts.

Featured in this episode: Lena Waithe (Writer, Actor & Producer) and a special interview with James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni (courtesy of WNET and originally recorded for Soul!). Artwork for this episode provided by Ronald Jackson and photography provided by Gioncarlo Valentine and Texas Isaiah.

We want to hear from our listening community! We need your input, your feedback, your agreements and your disagreements. It only takes two minutes to fill out and can be found at beingseenpodcast.com/survey

Being Seen, Episode 10, Stigma Dec 01, 2020

The pain of stigma and the power we have to dismantle it. Building communities that embrace and care for people living with HIV in all the ways. Giving them the love, care and consideration they have always deserved.

Featured in this episode: Dr. Kimberly Smith (Head of R&D, ViiV Healthcare), Emil Wilbekin (Founder, Native Son), Tboy (Community Activist), and Antwan Matthews (Activist & Scholar). Artwork for this episode provided by Ronald Jackson and photography provided by Kennedi Carter.

Being Seen, Episode 09, Faith Nov 24, 2020

Creating inclusive communities of faith, sexuality and the divine, the church as a “horizon for imagining the terms of Black life.” How can we create spaces of faith that expand and affirm the fullness of all of our existences?

Featured in this episode: Mykal Kilgore (Musician & Activist), Bishop Yvette Flunder (Pastor & Activist), and Josef Sorett (Scholar & Author), and Jordan E. Cooper (Writer & Actor). Original artwork for this episode created by Diana Ejaita and photography provided by Nate Palmer.

Being Seen, Episode 08, Love, Radically Nov 17, 2020

Black men loving Black men is, as the deceased Black gay writer Joseph Beam opined in the 1980s, a “revolutionary act” because every moment a Black man is transgressive enough to love what he has been socialized to hate, he commits an act of insurgency. And this is what it is to love, radically.

Featured in this episode: Luke James (Musician & Actor). Original artwork for this episode created by Olivia Fields and photography provided by Faith Couch.

Being Seen, Episode 07, Intimacy Nov 10, 2020

How do we define intimacy and in what ways do we cultivate it or allow it to show up in our lives? Are our intimacies many or are they few? And do we ask the people we let into our spaces to show us the care and consideration we both need and deserve?

Featured in this episode: Zeke Thomas (Musician & Advocate), Dyllon Burnside (Actor), Kai M. Green (Scholar & Advocate), Ita O'Brien (Intimacy Coordinator). Original artwork for this episode created by Olivia Fields and photography provided by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.

Being Seen, Episode 06, Being Seen Oct 27, 2020

Double consciousness. Who defines how we are seen and who creates our archives? What is the power of process when creating more accurate representations? The effects of the many gazes that fall upon us and the ones we apply to ourselves.

Featured in this episode: E. Patrick Johnson (Artist & Scholar), Gioncarlo Valentine (Photographer & Curator), Texas Isaiah (Photographer & Curator). Artwork for this episode provided by Kara Walker and photography provided by Texas Isaiah.

Being Seen, Episode 05, Creating Context Oct 20, 2020

Mississippi, Texas, the Bronx, Camden. The power of context. The places and landscapes that define us from our countries to our bodies. The stories that take place amongst these backdrops and the ways in which our specificity should never be denied or overlooked.

Featured in this episode: Kiese Laymon (Author), Diedrick Brackens (Artist), Jerome LaMaar (Fashion Designer & Stylist). Artwork for this episode provided by Diedrick Brackens and photography provided by Shan Wallace.

Being Seen, Episode 04, Creating Space Oct 13, 2020

Spaces. Space. The places we occupy and a trip that takes us beyond to a point where we can transcend. Eddie Ndopu plans to be the first disabled person to go to space, the first Black queer disabled person. This quest is confirmation of what we should all already know, that people like Eddie are magnificent in all of their multiplicities.

Featured in this episode: Eddie Ndopu (Activist, Author & Scholar) and music by Sun Ra. Artwork for this episode provided by Olivia Fields and photography provided by Clifford Prince King.

Being Seen, Episode 02, Finding The Story Oct 06, 2020

Who decides what stories will be told and how can we rewrite the narrative of what constitutes the “American” story? How can stories become our proof of life? What will it take to bring forth more stories from places that aren’t officially sanctioned?

Featured in this episode: Saeed Jones (Poet & Author), Ben Cory Jones (Writer, Director & Producer), Yashua Simmons (Fashion Editor & Stylist) and Marc Meachem (Head of US External Affairs, ViiV Healthcare). Artwork for this episode provided by Detour and photography provided by Jah Grey.

Being Seen, Episode 01, The First Oct 06, 2020

A Strange Loop, making it in Hollywood, getting to Broadway, Billie Holiday. What is the story behind culture firsts that break down barriers, push back against invisibility and refute stereotypes? How does the creation impact the creator? Why are we still fighting to get these firsts made?

Featured in this episode: Lee Daniels (Writer, Director & Producer), Jordan E. Cooper (Writer & Actor), Michael R. Jackson (Playwright), and Wesley Morris (NYT Culture Critic). Original artwork for this episode created by Olivia Fields and photography provided by Gioncarlo Valentine.

Being Seen, Episode 03, The Roles We Play Oct 06, 2020

What is the impact of the roles we are often asked to play? How do we make more spaces where these roles can be self-defined? How do we use our roles to shift culture and empower others?

Featured in this episode: George M. Johnson (Author & Activist), Kenyon Farrow (Activist), Samira Nasr (Editor-In-Chief, Harper's Bazaar). Artwork for this episode provided by Khari Rahim and photography provided by Erik Carter.

Being Seen - Trailer Sep 23, 2020

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