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We’re officially a week out from the 6th Annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival & I feel comfortable speaking for the collective when I say “A time was had by ALL.” I can say that with comfort & confidence not because of my proximity to Afros & Audio, but because
I was there,
Folks voluntarily told me as much
I ASKED
It’s always challenging for me to put into words how Afros & Audio leaves me feeling each year, because as my peers used to say “What’s understood doesn’t need to be explained.” I’m going to try for those that don’t understand, to explain.
For years now I’ve referred to it as the Black Podcasters’ Family Reunion. I say that because family is supposed to make you feel safe; and with the attendees, vendors & presenters at Afros & Audio I DO!
I sat in on several sessions where the presenters shared their vulnerabilities in this business space without being performative. If you’ve attended enough sessions and taken enough courses, you can sense when people are performing authenticity. We don’t do that here. The attendees were also raw with their questions, comments and expectations.
Sharing their experiences with panelists hoping to get some insight on how not to make the same missteps that gave them unfavorable results. And what to ask when they get in the right rooms to make sure they are fully able to maximize opportunities as opposed to being taken advantage of in them.
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I went to a session moderated by Vena of Konfession Korner and she took the time to curate the physical space and make the session her own. From showing up with candles to create a vibe for those in attendance, to giving gifts to the panelists she worked with, it was put together with LOVE.
The session was about creating community, engaging audiences and building connections and she illustrated that, by having audience members participate in an icebreaker where a ball of yarn was passed back & forth as the volunteers shared instances where they needed community, or their community showed up for them. At the end, the yarn was a visual representation of how we’re all connected.
I sat in on a session with AIR Media (AIR stands for Association of Independents in Radio), where they encouraged us to become members of course, but the presentation wasn’t rooted in recruiting, it was rooted in sharing resources to push the community forward for freelancers in audio.
They even had us complete a survey at the end that not only informed us of what resources they have available but gave us the opportunity to let them know whether or not we would use them. That let me know they care about creating resources, that meet the needs of their members & potential members and adjusting to meet those needs.
I got the feedback that we could use more hands-on sessions, and I agree, so I hope community members out there reading this know that if you have a fear of public speaking but excel in leading by example, please think of the skills you could leverage to share with this community next go round. That being said, if you come to learn, you will do that, but we also PARTIED HARD!
For the first time, Afros & Audio was a three-day festival. On night one, in addition to our usual kick-off party, Afros & Audio founder, Talib Jasir put on a live show, which I heard was amazing, followed by a game night. When I walked in folks were playing SPADES!
New bonds were made, and I really appreciate everyone who participated in playing Lyrically Correct that night, the game has been collecting dust in my bag all year and I had so much fun.
On night two, we witnessed collaboration in action during the Black Podcasting Awards presentation honoring three industry legends, Twila Dang , TK Dutes, & Krystal Hill. When I say the emotions in that room tapped through my spirit.
From TK tying in how the first person to give her radio time was also acknowledged at a recent Stevie Wonder concert she attended, to Krystal starting off her speech giving thanks to her grandmother, and BlkPodNews.com’s own Adell Coleman, who accepted Twila’s award in Twila’s absence refusing to touch said award. We felt all the feels!
Directly following the awards ceremony, Mr. Al Pete did his thang on the turntables to keep everyone dancing so hard we had to add an hour onto our time at the venue. The Podcastic team tried to teach me to hustle, I was almost there but one too many spins coupled with Al switching the tempo on us had me tapped out!
Something I think rarely gets mentioned about Afros & Audio is its international appeal. At the 4th Annual Conference in Philly, I met podcasters from Canada. Last year at the 5th Annual Conference, we had a Main Stage session titled “The British Are Coming” where Black Podcasters from the UK came to share about their place in the podcast industry.
This year we’ve had podcasters come from Switzerland to be present. And I caught pieces of the Voices of the African Diaspora: Telling Our Stories Through Podcasting, which was moderated by community member Sambaza, and featured panelists with roots across the continent and experiences across the world.
One snippet I heard was Paula of the Talk Shit With P podcast sharing how she called her Tanzanian father to tell him she was going to be getting vulnerable on her show and he told her “It’s ok, I’m depressed too.” and gave her permission to talk about things generally considered taboo in the Global Black Community.
Listen, we could be here for another week just with me trying to capture in words an experience that must be felt. I heard so many of you tell Talib what you’ll do for year 7, sponsoring students, a charging station, funding.
I look forward to seeing your words in action. And make all the connections you made last weekend worth the time energy & money you put into communing with us!
#BlackExcellence right here. Thank YOU Shamiko!