My dad's upsouth childhood included the Mississippi river in a way that seems inconceivable now. From fishing it, to swimming it, to being baptized in it, to making love next to it, the river figured largely in the lives and imaginations of post war East St. Louis. In this Mississippi river themed episode, we're joined by photographer and colleague, Jennifer Colten to hear and see what the river meant to my father and his community.

A Mississippi native, Treasure Shields Redmond is a published poet, master educator, community arts organizer, and successful entrepreneur. Treasure was raised in the federal housing projects, and went on to be signed to M.C. Hammer’s label as a hip hop artist, and writer. She is the author of chop: a collection of kwansabas for fannie lou hamer (2015). Her doctoral research focuses on the recorded performances of foundational Black Women poets, and the ways they deployed sound to impact the canon and justice movements. Treasure centers collaboration in her personal arts practice and as an organizing principle. As such, she has co-founded a funding collective for Black artists called The Black Skillet, and a podcast that centers voices of color called Who Raised You? Treasure is the founder of Feminine Pronoun Consultants, LLC, and Get The Acceptance Letter Academy. To read, hear, support, or hire Treasure, go to any of the following:

Contact Treasure at Treasure@femininepronoun.com for:

1. Hiring Treasure to help busy parents of college bound teens secure top tier educations with out massive debt via www.gettheacceptanceletter.online

2. Hiring Treasure and Jia Lian Yang to host podcasting or storytelling workshops for all ages via www.whoraisedyoupodcast.com

3. Hiring Treasure and Dail Itshanapa Chamber to lead retreats for artists or present on fundraising and arts practice, especially for women and artists of color via www.tumbler.blackskilletfunders.com

4. Hiring Treasure to read poetry or conduct creative writing workshops.

The First Two Murders I Witnessed

The Memoir My Dad Wouldn't WriteBy Treasure Shields RedmondDec 17, 2018