GirlTREK

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Crews | Day 16 | The CEO’s Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

It does not escape me that I am standing on the shoulders of giants, including the cooks and janitors and others who look like me and were first to enter corporate America. They created the space for me to have this opportunity. My hope is that corporate America realizes that talent is created equally but opportunity is not, and we all acknowledge that there's still more work to be done." - Thasunda Brown Duckett
Last year two Black women, Rosalind Brewer the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance and Thasunda Brown Duckett, the CEO of TIAA made history as the first two Black women to make an appearance on the annual Fortune 500 CEO list.
The annual list ranks 500 of America’s largest companies, and despite the progress that’s been made in the business space, women still only make up 8.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs, with women of color making up just 1.2%.
So who are these trailblazing Black women who shattered the glass ceiling and are blazing the way for our daughters?
Today we discover the backstory of Rosalind and Thasunda, and break down the long history of Black boss women who paved the way for them to sit at the head of the table at two of the world's most successful companies. From Madam CJ Walker to Oprah Winfrey, to the names of women who we all should know but don’t. Let's get into it.
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts referenced or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
Woman of the Ghetto | Marlena Shaw:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_BeN75XgfQ
Diva | Beyonce:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNM5HW13_O8

Crews | Day 15 | The Royal Families of Gospel - The Clark Sisters & The Winans Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

You know what I’m talking about.
You’re at a birthday party.
You’re almost finished singing.
And on the very last line, for effect, your sister breaks into soprano and your mama hits that tenor - for something undeniable…
Family Harmony
“Haaaappy birthday to youuuu!”
Poof. In a 3-part harmony, you are transported to childhood on a vocal carpet ride. It is the ohm in your bloodline - a vibration and evolutionary fine tuning.
There is nothing…
And I mean nothing, more beautiful to the human ear as families singing together.
“It was the most mysterious thing I'd ever heard... I'd think about them even at my school desk...Mavis Staples looked to be about the same age as me in her picture on the cover.”
Bob Dylan knew it. He used it. Black family spirit. He went on to be called the greatest songwriter in history. If only they gave royalties for magic.
Which brings us to today’s show.
The Royal Families of Gospel…
We’ll focus on The Clark Sisters and The Winans, but we will celebrate so many others with fun name games, Twitter trivia, and praise dance choreography for the streets.
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts referenced or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
Is My Living in Vain/You Brought the Sunshine | The Clark Sisters:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1D4IYk4ajd9ipJb8AccYy8?si=074ae8faa5ac43bc
Hold Up the Light | Bebe and Cece Winans, Whitney Houston:
https://open.spotify.com/track/27M15Ml0kCvPLGQkWUN5w3?si=5575cc72b31b435c

Crews | Day 13 | Grace Jones and the First Black Supermodels Apr 21, 2022

Show notes

People will tell you she doesn’t make the cut.
She wasn’t a true supermodel. Too androgynous. Too loud. Not pretty enough. Her own boyfriend said she had a grotesque beauty. Boy bye.
Yet, Grace Jones somehow made it from the pews of a holiness church in Jamaica to bearing her gorgeous body on the cover of magazines and being a muse to musicians, painters, and culture makers for decades.
So, when we found a picture of Grace Jones laughing with Iman and Beverly Johnson, we knew we had to celebrate their crew of Black models.
Join us for the juice.
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
Pull Up To The Bumper| Grace Jones:
https://open.spotify.com/track/653Fi3bqMxQQQmjw72ur6G?si=e5a260c64b4142a8
I Wanna Be Your Lover | Prince:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2XLAzm8bMDSI7MhbRW8nVj?si=ddee1f97710d4ea2

Crews | Day 12 | The Buffalo Soldiers Apr 21, 2022

Show notes

“In thinking of America, I sometimes find myself admiring her bright blue sky — her grand old woods — her fertile fields — her beautiful rivers — her mighty lakes, and star-crowned mountains. But my rapture is soon checked, my joy is soon turned to mourning. When I remember that all is cursed with the infernal actions of slaveholding, robbery and wrong, — when I remember that with the waters of her noblest rivers, the tears of my brethren are borne to the ocean, disregarded and forgotten, and that her most fertile fields drink daily of the warm blood of my outraged sisters, I am filled with unutterable loathing.” - Frederick Douglas
Miriam Webster defines a patriot as a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.
But what happens when the country you serve doesn’t serve you back?
And what if the enemy isn’t an enemy at all?
This is the history of America’s expansion west. And of the soldiers who led the way.
It is a complicated story. But the relationship that Black people have had to the government and the military has always been so.
There are no victors or villains in this retelling. Just great feats that were achieved by proud men, and profound defeats that were suffered by our Indigenous brothers and sisters.
This is the story of The Buffalo Soldiers.
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
Buffalo Soldier | Bob Marley & The Wailers:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7BfW1eoDh27W69nxsmRicb?si=4596f6853e7442ac
Kiss an Angel Good Mornin' | Charley Pride:
https://open.spotify.com/track/37GWhu8R61gTStMvVQfDuE?si=143088b5f54d4760

Crews | Day 10 | Toni Morrison and Angela Davis Apr 17, 2022

Show notes

“I'm no longer accepting the things I cannot change...I'm changing the things I cannot accept.”
- Angela Davis
In a memo to her boss at Random House Publishing, where Toni Morrison worked as an Editor, she wrote of Angela Davis, “she is the fiercest woman I know. And I come from a long line of fierce women.”
This memo was in defense of the young activist, whom Toni herself had contacted and persuaded to write an autobiography at 26.
Toni’s boss had complained that Angela did not show any “humanness,” and seemed too disciplined to be real.
Toni wrote to him with a clap-back for the ages. “Angela is not here to meet your needs.” Angela is not here to perform your fantasy. “Your cry for more humanness,” she wrote, “is constant but I am suspicious of the word. It’s the word white people use when they want to alter a “fearless” or “uppity nigger.”
This memo sits in the archives of Columbia University's Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Toni’s boss’s response is not included, but the record reflects that Toni won the battle and remained editor of the book, and that Angela crafted the story she wanted for herself and the movement.
This...our dear friends, is what it looks like to have your crews back. To take a risk for the people you love and believe in, and to be willing to go the distance for what you know is right.
This is a Black girl love story involving two of the most influential Black women of any generation. It’s a story full of lessons on how to make moves on behalf of those that matter to us.
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
Womanifesto | Jill Scott:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3AzkEYjNuaOUpyqvoWErmz?si=f98a7ec4b2524ba4
GirlTrek's #DaughtersOf Conversation with Angela Davis and Nikki Giovanni:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esPHDvx_aZc
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am - Exclusive Clip | Angela Davis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHbjbwNuu-Q
Count on Me | Whitney Houston:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7mVV7fepIMUAE4FDyihupV?si=83de7ebc80514656

Crews | Day 9 | Gordon Parks Apr 16, 2022

Show notes

A different kind of click.
More powerful than a gun.
He pointed and shot.
In his crosshairs - the lies told by the American media about Black men, women, and children. Lies that we were savage, dangerous, ugly.
Photographer Gordon Parks bodied that plot with a portfolio for the people. Thousands of crystal clear images of perfect Blackness.
Telling the truth.
Shining a light on humanity.
From his iconic camera came cover photos. He documented a broken-hearted city after Dr. King’s assassination. He attended the funeral of Medgar Evers and showed the world the stoicism of his beautiful wife.
Gordon Parks and his editorial crew placed these powerful images on the cover of Life magazine.
He set out to offer perspective and clarity on historic moments AND the ordinary lives of extraordinary people.
Like Red Jackson, the benevolent drug dealer in Harlem. Or the Fontonelle family, who could not survive the destitution of urban poverty. Or the women in Malcolm X’s mosque.
Our collective image of Black history was rendered in his dark room.
Today, we shine a light and raise a glass to truth in journalism. And to all the storytellers of the movement.
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
Across 110th Street | Bobby Womack:
https://open.spotify.com/track/2zyTP97uGsIc1C4KNNEkyn?si=363cc85ec8c34670
The Ghetto | Donny Hathaway:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1yeIxOEFmpQ3qlOb2R3g2m?si=656073f483e14536

Special Edition: How to Start a GirlTrek Crew Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

We’re in a mission to serve the “1000 Blackest neighborhoods in America.” And this mission is led by you!
See it and claim it with us. 1000 Black neighbors rising!
Here’s the plan:
We are asking the brave, the hopeful and the committed to walk out on faith and text a sister to walk with you. Start a crew. Listen to this podcast and read our field guide at girltrek.org. It’s everything you need to know to become a crew leader.
Can you see it? Crews in every Black neighborhood in America - strike that, around the world! We can see it!
A crew? You plus on or two is a crew! A crew walks together at least once a week to encourage each other to stay committed to the daily journey of living our healthiest, most fulfilled lives.
At least 1,000 of you will succeed in walking with your crews at least 10 Saturdays this year. See it with us.
Hit play and learn how you can get your crew rolling today.

Crews | Day 8 | Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, and the Freedom Summer Movement Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

"There is one thing you have got to learn about our movement. Three people are better than no people."
- Fannie Lou Hamer
By November of 1963, activists in Mississippi were exhausted and discouraged. Their efforts and strategies had inspired a movement, but not increased the number of Black voters.
Refusing to back down from their fight for liberation, organizers went back to the drawing board in search of inspiration. And, in the Summer of 1964, they emerged with a new plan that not only galvanized the movement but changed the course of history.
They called it the Mississippi Summer Project, also known as Freedom Summer. This student-led movement was a powerful demonstration of organizing, and it centered the leadership of two women; Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer.
Today we bring that summer back to life. Examining the strategies at the center of this pivotal moment in history.
More than a telling of a story, this is a celebration of brave, bold Black women who aren’t afraid to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. We walk in their footsteps.
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free | Nina Simone:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5CKHhg31HcYYhwUeeGqvhq?si=a36d36b0659d4b8e
This Joy | Resistance Revival Chorus:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4CJFOJoOVLWeWqwnoCd8wk?si=7a0e19cd5d0942de

Crews | Day 7 | Bass Reeves and the U.S. Marshals Apr 14, 2022

Show notes

There is a rumor that the Lone Ranger was a Black man.
His name was Bass Reeves.
One legend says he won a card game.
…against his slave “master.”
…during the Civil War.
And when the white man got mad (we BEEN knowing how to play Spades!) and started an altercation, Bass opened a can of beat-down and escaped to Indian Territory where he lived among the Cherokee, Creeks and Seminoles. He learned their languages, studied their ways, earned their loyalty and - at the emancipation of a nation - Bass Reeves rose like a Phoenix to become the greatest American hero of the West.
Meet the real ranger: Bass Reeves. Deputy. Gunslinger. Law man. Free. Protector of Black towns. Apple of every woman’s eye. Cheered by children. Outlaws beware.
Bass Reeves has been featured in more movies than we can count and yet most people don’t even know his name.
So today we say it.
And he wasn’t some fictional solo actor - that’s a Hollywood lie.
He had a crew - a network of Indigenous Americans, Black townspeople, trusted informants and U.S Deputies, so he could nab THOUSANDS of bad guys and ride into the sunset.
Get on your horses ladies, and let’s take a ride through time.
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
Bedstuy Parade and Funeral March | Jay-Z:
https://open.spotify.com/track/01da6Nb55VXzvS14CzbLjY?si=cf81686b82654d14
The Harder They Fall | Koffee:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6AxSYAHq0U6fKykB7uScPl?si=89af4fb441b04f22

Crews | Day 6 | Roc Nation Apr 13, 2022

Show notes

This is the story of the most famous crew in the rap game.
This is the story of a dynasty.
Of hood legends.
The story of Black men who knew their worth and were willing to go to battle in any arena, from the block to the boardroom.
This is the story of money, power, and respect.
The story of America. Of making it. Of manifesting.
The story of putting your crew on. Cause where I go, you go. Ya heard?
This is the story of the culture creators who transformed their pain into testimony on wax and influenced a generation, and the world.
There is no story of the crew that does not include Hip-Hop, and today we tell the story of Roc Nation. Of a family sometimes divided but always on top and making moves for the masses.
Throw up your Roc sign because they are in the building today!
A walk and talk that’s sure to teach and inspire. Beyond the headlines we will talk about the holiness of their craft and how it has blessed and transformed our world.
Not just a Jay-Z story. This is a legacy story. A Kanye story. A Dame Dash story. A story that is still being written that we are happy to tell.
Lace up and tune in!
Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music or speech excepts reference or played during this broadcast. You can find original content that was referenced or played here:
U Don't Know | Jay-Z:
https://open.spotify.com/track/4O7oKy8YADaBrbehcPl0kE?si=b96e5a6229da4642
Jay Z Life Advice Will Leave You Speechless:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMF-pDTEhb0
Legacy | Jay-Z:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3p2O5DDqlWdaR1l4wsHn9R?si=8f00f9e458fc49d4

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