Truth's Table

Episode Description: In this episode, Ekemini and Christina are honored to welcome back to the table, Esosa Osa, founder or Onyx Impact to talk about the Jim Crow maps that have been passed in Louisiana, Tennessee, and other states in the South thus far, with the devastating Supreme Court ruling that gutted the Voting Rights Act. The conversation also examines how AI is perpetuating misinformation within the Black community. Pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us! Learn more about Esosa Osa and Onyx Impact: Esosa Osa is the Founder and CEO of Onyx Impact, an organization created to better understand and combat disinformation targeting Black communities and increase Black civic engagement. Esosa was previously Deputy Executive Director of Fair Fight Action, a voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams, where she led the organization’s pro-democracy reform efforts with a focus on combatting disinformation and voting policy reform while overseeing the organization's research, communications, political, and organizing teams. This follows her work as Senior Advisor to Stacey Abrams' 2022 gubernatorial campaign and as the Campaign Manager and Chief of Staff for a top 2018 U.S. Congressional election. Esosa is a native Ohioan and a graduate of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Follow Esosa on Instagram at @esosa_osa1 Connect with Onyx Impact: Website: onyximpact.org Socials: @theonyximpact Aisha is Onyx Impact’s culturally responsive AI Chatbot: Aisha Support Truth’s Table: Buy our book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Episode Description: We have a Truth’s Table LIVE episode for y’all! Last week, Ekemini and Christina spoke at Calvin College’s Association of Christian Student Development Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The theme of the conference, “Rooted & Reaching,” fits perfectly with our Underground Railroad 2.0 series. In this episode, we talk about what it means to be rooted in faith and reaching out with love to our neighbors through advocacy and justice. Pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us! Support Truth’s Table: Buy our book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sponsor(s): TT Book & Patreon Episode Description: In this episode, Ekemini and Christina are at the table talking about their upcoming projects individually and collectively. Even in the midst of uncertainty and chaos, the work of ministry still continues. So pull up a chair, as Christina and Ekemini share a sneak preview of what’s to come from Truth’s Table. Pre-order Christina’s new book: https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587436789_what-makes-leaders-wise Pre-order Truth’s Table next book: https://www.ivpress.com/truthful-prayers-for-resisting-the-chaos Buy our book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Support Truth’s Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sponsor(s): TT Book Episode Description: We are back at the table with part two of our conversation with IAMSON. In this episode, Ekemini and Christina talk to him about the importance of congregational singing and authenticity in worship music. Join us at the table as he reflects on faith, mental health, worship, creativity, and perseverance while navigating this present moment. Together, we explore how music becomes both resistance and remembrance. So pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us! Learn more about IAMSON: IAMSON is a Richmond, VA-based musician whose sound weaves together gospel, classical, and folk influences. Rooted in the traditions of the Black church, his music serves as the soundtrack for the intersection of faith and mental health. He aspires to make music with messages of hope that’s simple and accessible for people that may need it in stressful and anxious moments. With 15 years of experience in songwriting and performance, IAMSON honed his craft at Berklee College of Music, where he studied songwriting. His deeply personal and emotionally resonant songs, such as 'Slow Down' and 'Always With Me,' have resonated with audiences for their powerful reflections on mental well-being. Follow IAMSON and pre-save Always With Me: Instagram: @iamsonmusic YouTube: YouTube.com/iamsonmusic Spotify: IAMSON Apple Music: IAMSON Pre-save Link: https://slinky.to/Always_With_Me Buy our NAACP Image Award-nominated book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Support Truth’s Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Episode Description: In this special Part One conversation, Christina and Ekemini sit down with IAMSON to talk about what it means to keep “sing songs in a strange land” -Psalm 137:4-9. IAMSON’s music is vulnerable, honest, accessible and worshipful. Join us at the table as he reflects on faith, mental health, worship, creativity, and perseverance while navigating spaces that often feel unfamiliar or spiritually challenging. Together, we explore how music becomes both resistance and remembrance. So pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us! Learn more about IAMSON: IAMSON is a Richmond, VA-based musician whose sound weaves together gospel, classical, and folk influences. Rooted in the traditions of the Black church, his music serves as the soundtrack for the intersection of faith and mental health. He aspires to make music with messages of hope that’s simple and accessible for people that may need it in stressful and anxious moments. With 15 years of experience in songwriting and performance, IAMSON honed his craft at Berklee College of Music, where he studied songwriting. His deeply personal and emotionally resonant songs, such as 'Slow Down' and 'Always With Me,' have resonated with audiences for their powerful reflections on mental well-being. Follow IAMSON and pre-save Always With Me: Instagram: @iamsonmusic YouTube: YouTube.com/iamsonmusic Spotify: IAMSON Apple Music: IAMSON Pre-save Link: https://slinky.to/Always_With_Me Buy our NAACP Image Award-nominated book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Support Truth’s Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sponsor(s): TT Book Episode Description: Important note: This episode of Truth’s Table was recorded earlier this year, before the Voting Rights Act was gutted. Truth’s Table is on the move! Christina and Ekemini are on location at the Tennessee State Capitol, sitting down with Representative Justin J. Pearson to talk about what faithful resistance demands in an era shaped by state violence, environmental racism, voter registration organizing, and the rising influence of white Christian nationalism. Rep. Pearson reflects on his faith and movement histories that ground his organizing work, including the ongoing fight against the expansion of the xAI data center and its impact on Memphis communities. This conversation is a way for Truth’s Table to model thoughtful engagement with our elected officials, and it’s an invitation for our sistas at the table to do the same. Pull up a seat at the table with us! Learn more about Rep. Justin J. Pearson: Justin J. Pearson launched his campaign for Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District on October 8, 2025, declaring it “a campaign for The People.” A movement leader and Tennessee lawmaker, he rose to national prominence as part of the Tennessee Three, standing up for gun reform and being overwhelmingly reelected after expulsion. A lifelong organizer, he helped lead the victorious Byhalia Pipeline fight, shut down a cancer-causing sterilization plant, and now challenges Elon Musk’s xAI data center. The second-youngest state legislator, Pearson is a national voice for justice, honored with the Truman Center’s 2024 Moral Courage Award. He’s running to bring that fight to Congress. Pearson is married to his partner in life and the struggle for justice, Oceana R. Gilliam-Pearson. Buy our book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Support Truth’s Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Episode Description: Trigger warning: this episode includes a brief discussion of the sexual assault allegations and trial of Michael Jackson. Also, this is a “spoiler alert” for listeners who have not yet watched the film, Michael, as we discuss major scenes, themes, and key moments in depth. In this episode of Truth’s Table, Christina and Ekemini go back into time to talk about their own childhood connection to Michael Jackson’s music, sit with them as they unpack the storytelling choices, performances, and poignant moments in the blockbuster biopic. Pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us! Article links: Inside the ‘Michael’ Overhaul: $15 Million Reshoots, Removing Child Abuse Allegations and What’s in Store for Sequels Diana Ross Scenes Cut From ‘Michael’ Due to ‘Certain Legal Considerations,’ Says Actor Kat Graham Buy our book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Support Truth’s Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sponsor(s): TT Book Episode Description: In this episode, Ekemini and Christina are back at the table for the Underground Railroad 2.0 series, and the topic on the table is “What We’re Leaving Behind.” How many of y’all know, that everything and everybody can’t come with you on this journey, Freedom Land? They talk about the fears, the ideologies, people, and baggage that must be left behind in order to travel on the Underground Railroad 2.0 Pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us. Watch this episode on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast player. Buy our book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Support Truth’s Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sponsor: NavPress Episode Description: In this episode, Ekemini and Christina are at the table discussing “Survival Strategies” while still in The Underground Railroad 2.0 series. They talk about what they would need to carry in their knapsack–spiritually, emotionally, and physically– in order to make it to Freedom Land. This is an invitation for you to think about what you will take for the journey and why? What would you leave behind? Who would you leave behind? As you think about these questions, pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us! Buy, “God, Where Are You?: https://www.amazon.com/God-Where-Are-You-Uncovering/dp/B0FD7PTZYV Buy our book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Support Truth’s Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Sponsor: NavPress Episode Description: Listener Advisory: This episode includes discussions of maternal mortality, infant mortality, birth trauma, and disparities affecting Black women and families. Some listeners may find these topics distressing. Please take care while listening, and know that the God who sees and hears, sees and hears you! In light of Black Maternal Health Week, Christina and Ekemini sit down with Senator London Lamar from Tennessee for this powerful and urgent conversation. In this episode, Senator Lamar unpacks the ongoing crisis of Black maternal health in the United States and how she has personally been impacted. Together, they explore the alarming disparities in maternal mortality rates, the systemic inequities embedded within healthcare systems, and the lived realities of Black mothers navigating pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. Senator Lamar shares insights from her advocacy and legislative work, shedding light on policy efforts to improve outcomes for Black women. Pull up a chair and have a seat at the table with us! Learn more about Senator London Lamar: Senator London P. Lamar is a Memphis-based legislator and strategist who represents Tennessee’s 33rd Senate District, which includes parts of Memphis and Shelby County. She is the youngest woman and the youngest African-American to serve in the Tennessee State Senate. She serves as Chair of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus, where she helps manage caucus messaging, coordinates priorities, and elevates an agenda grounded in community needs. In the Senate, Lamar serves on the Judiciary Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Joint Ways and Means Committee—positions that place her at the center of policy, public safety, and budget decisions impacting families statewide. Before joining the Senate, Lamar served four years in the Tennessee House of Representatives (District 91). In 2022, she was appointed by the Shelby County Commission to fill the District 33 vacancy and later won election to continue serving her community. Her public service is defined by a consistent focus: strong schools, healthy families, and safe communities. Senator Lamar is widely recognized for her leadership on maternal health equity and policies that reduce preventable maternal morbidity and mortality. In 2024, legislation associated with her maternal health work advanced reforms connected to the state’s maternal mortality review and prevention efforts. She has also elevated community-based, evidence-informed solutions that strengthen outcomes for mothers and babies across Tennessee. She earned her B.A. from Saint Mary’s College and remains committed to developing the next generation of civic leaders through advocacy, community partnership, and public service. Buy, “God, Where Are You?: https://www.amazon.com/God-Where-Are-You-Uncovering/dp/B0FD7PTZYV Buy our book! Truth’s Table Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation: https://truthstable.com/book Support Truth’s Table: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TruthsTable PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/TruthsTable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TruthsTable Truth’s Table Foundation: https://www.truthstablefoundation.org/donate Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands