After a short hiatus, Emili is back — no script, no outline, just truth.

In this deeply personal solo episode, she opens up about fear, anxiety, feeling lost after divorce, turning 40, and the quiet paralysis that comes from not believing your own story matters.

Why is it easier to show up for work, for students, for interviews, for church — but harder to show up for yourself?

Why is publishing the book harder than writing it?

Why is pressing record alone more terrifying than interviewing anyone else?

This episode is about:

• Operating in uncomfortable spaces

• Being afraid but wanting more

• The pressure of perfection

• Feeling lost in 2025

• Turning 40 and craving bravery

• The struggle to believe you are capable of amazing things

• And choosing to try anyway

This is Emili without the polish.Without the outline.Without the performance.

Just real.

And maybe that’s enough.

In this powerful episode of Black. Girl. Iowa., Emili sits down with award-winning author, educator, and activist Abena Sankofa Imhotep for a conversation rooted in truth, literacy, and liberation.

From growing up Black in Iowa to challenging the myth of “Iowa Nice,” Abena shares how radical imagination, community-centered education, and permissionless living are essential tools for Black futures. This episode explores legacy, storytelling, and the responsibility of passing the baton to the next generation.

📚 About the Guest

Abena Sankofa Imhotep is an award-winning author, educator, activist, and the founder of the Sankofa Literacy Academy. Her work centers Black literature, community-rooted education, and radical imagination as tools for liberation. She is the author of Omar’s Big Tree, host of Black and Privileged in America, and a nationally recognized speaker committed to creating spaces where Black people can learn, imagine, and thrive without permission.

This episode — and all previous episodes of Black. Girl. Iowa. — are available on:Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Music • YouTube

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review — it helps amplify Black women’s voices.

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

This week on the Black. Girl. Iowa. podcast, Emili sits down with Councilwoman Anita Rollins — lifelong learner, advocate, and the first Black woman elected to serve on the Ames City Council. With deep Iowa roots and decades of impact in education and community spaces, she brings a powerful lived perspective into local leadership.

Anita shares how growing up in Des Moines during a time of Black pride shaped her identity, how her career with Iowa State’s Science Bound program transformed pathways for hundreds of students of color in STEM fields, and why she believes answering your calling isn’t tied to a specific season of life — it evolves with you.

Together, they explore what it means to lead with purpose, build community, care for yourself while caring for others, and remind the next generation that their future is worth fighting for.

📍 Connect with Councilwoman Rollins

Instagram + Facebook: @RollinsForCouncilEmail: anita.rollins@cityofames.org

🎧 Stream the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora & more📍 Follow along on Instagram & TikTok @blackgirliowa🌐 Visit blackgirliowa.com for the blog + deeper reflections🛍️ Shop Black Girl Iowa merch on Etsy: BlackGirlIowaShop