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

On this week's episode of Black. Girl. Iowa., Emili sits down with Jodi Long—award-winning journalist, storyteller, wife, mother of two, and beloved KCCI Channel 8 News anchor. From reporting on pivotal Iowa moments to speaking at local schools and community events, Jodi is committed to telling stories with empathy, truth, and purpose.

We talk about:

• What it means to represent Black women on Iowa screens

• How being raised in Iowa shaped her identity and career

• Finding compassion in the hardest news moments

• Balancing motherhood, marriage, and media

• Why she believes curiosity is a journalist’s greatest tool

• How she uses her seat at the anchor desk to advocate for better storytelling

This conversation is warm, honest, and deeply rooted in community love. Jodi is slaying in her own lane — with purpose and balance guiding every step.

🎧 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

In this powerful conversation, Emili sits down with Tiara Mays-Sims — mother of twins, civic leader, community advocate, and a proud Detroit-raised Black woman building change in Iowa.

Tiara shares how her journey into advocacy was shaped by motherhood, including raising a child with autism, and how saying yes — to education, service, storytelling, and political leadership — transformed her life.

Together, they discuss:

• Growing up Black in Iowa after moving from Detroit

• Motherhood, navigating disabilities, and building community support

• Her leap into public service — from education advocacy to running for the Iowa House

• Black women in leadership, authenticity, and refusing to ask for permission

• How she’s fighting for families, equity, and representation across the state

Plus — a fun lightning round that reveals her hype songs, bucket-list travels, and what’s bringing her joy right now!

🎧 Tune in for a story of resilience, confidence, and being exactly who you are — loudly and proudly.
📚 Books on Amazon — The Adventures of Prince & Tiana + When a Prince Speaks

Connect with Tiara:Instagram: @tiaraforiowa

TikTok: @tiaramays_iowa

Facebook: Tiara L. Mays-Sims for Iowa

In this heartfelt and hilarious episode, Emili sits down with Denise Williams, a USA Today bestselling romance author whose books celebrate Black love, laughter, and healing. From writing her first story in second grade to publishing ten novels, Denise shares her journey of storytelling, representation, and resilience.

They dive into what it means to write (and live) as a Black woman in the Midwest — balancing motherhood, teaching, and creativity — while crafting love stories that center real women, real joy, and real life.

Denise opens up about body positivity, trauma, and joy; why “love doesn’t fix everything, but everyone deserves it”; and how she found her own happily ever after through writing.

If you’ve ever dreamed of writing your own story, this episode is your reminder: you can’t edit a blank page.

📚 Book Recommendations from Denise Williams

By Other Black Romance Authors:

• The Art of Scandal — Regina Black

• The Oath — T.R. (Tati) Richardson

• Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny — Rebekah Weatherspoon

• Curvy Girl Summer & Plus Size Player — Danielle Allen

• The Princess and the PI — Nikki Payne

• An Island Princess Starts a Scandal — Adriana Herrera

• Any Historical Novels by Beverly Jenkins

📍 Find these authors at local indie bookstores like Dog-Eared Books (Ames), Storyhouse Bookpub (Des Moines), and Reading in Public (Valley Junction).

🌐 Where to Find & Follow Denise Williams

📚 Website: denisewilliamswrites.com📸 Instagram: @nicwillwrites🐦 Twitter/X: @nicwillwrites📘 Facebook: Denise Williams Author💌 Newsletter: Signup available via her website

🖤 Where to Find & Follow Black. Girl. Iowa.

🎧 Podcast: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio and Pandora🌐 Website: www.blackgirliowa.com📸 Instagram: @blackgirliowa📘 Facebook: Black. Girl. Iowa. Podcast🎥 YouTube: Black. Girl. Iowa.🛍️ Etsy Shop: BlackGirlIowaShop

In this week’s episode of Black. Girl. Iowa., I share one of my most personal stories yet — about how reading, journaling, and storytelling have helped me heal, rediscover myself, and reclaim my joy.

I open up about my recent mental health journey, including moments when I didn’t realize how much pain I was carrying. Through therapy, reflection, and the power of words, I was reminded that I matter — and that staying another day is an act of courage and love.

This episode also explores the deep history of Black literacy in America and why I believe reading is political. For Black Americans, literacy has always been a form of rest, resistance, and rediscovery — a way to free ourselves and tell our own stories.

I also take you with me on a visit to The Black Rose Bookstore in West Branch, Iowa, a warm and creative space owned by Ashley Kofoed. Ashley’s dream reminds me what’s possible when we believe in our vision and build community, even in places where it’s not always easy to do so.

💛 If You Need Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out:
📞 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988, or chat via 988lifeline.org.
You are not alone. You matter. Help is available 24/7. Mental health and wellness resources for the Black community:

• Therapy for Black Girls

• Black Men Heal

• The Loveland Foundation

• Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness

📍 Featured Business

The Black Rose Bookstore116 W Main Street, West Branch, Iowa🌐 theblackrosewb.com📸 Instagram: @theblackrosewb

🖤 Follow me on Instagram and TikTok @blackgirliowa and visit blackgirliowa.com for my blog, book reviews, and merch.

In this heartfelt and funny conversation, Emili sits down with The Black Rose owner, Ashley Kofoed, to talk about books, belonging, and building something beautiful from the ground up. A veteran, former teacher, and proud Kentucky native turned Iowan, Ashley shares what it means to feel safe but still Black in the Midwest, why she left education to pursue entrepreneurship, and how she created a cozy, boozy bookstore that’s become a community haven.

From classroom challenges to cocktails and connection, Ashley’s story is one of joy, courage, and creative freedom.

📚 The Black Rose Bookstore116 W Main StreetWest Branch, Iowa 52358

Store Hours: Tuesday-Thursday: 10am - 8pm / Friday-Saturday: 10am-midnight / Sunday: 10am-2pm