theGrio’s Natasha Alford is a proud American Negra standing on truth & authenticity
Episode 42Play
The complexity of being multiethnic is explored in this powerful conversation between host Maiysha Kai and theGrio’s Natasha Alford. “American Negra” is part memoir, part cultural analysis, and all truth as Alford shares her experience navigating two worlds. Not just culturally but also economically. Alford talks life after Harvard and the immense pressure she felt post-graduation; she also gets vulnerable about her recent health struggles. This Grio crossover is full of Black girl magic.
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[00:00:54] Maiysha Kai: Well, hello and welcome to Writing Black.
[00:00:57] I am your host, Myisha Kai, Lifestyle Editor here at theGrio, and I am so excited about today’s show because this is a Grio fam episode. We have some of these from time to time. And, uh, it’s always exciting, but this one’s especially exciting for me because this is also a personal friend. Uh, you may know her as one of theGrios anchors.
[00:01:17] You may also know her from her viral moments as a political pundit on CNN and elsewhere. Uh, she is also our VP of digital content here at theGrio, but she’s also the author of this. Amazing new book, “American Negra”, my friend, Grio fam, Natasha Alford. Hey, Natasha.
[00:01:38] Natasha Alford: Hey, sis. Thank you for the welcome. That was beautiful.
[00:01:42] Looking at you holding the book. It’s just like, I can’t describe the feeling.
[00:01:47] Maiysha Kai: We are so proud of you. We are so proud of you. So excited for you. We know this was a long time in the making and we’re going to dig into it because, um, You know, listen, like you and I have been friends for a couple of years now, you know, you have been a tremendous source of support for me here at theGrio and, you know, somebody I’m really proud to call a friend and, you know, what was really exciting for me as somebody who considers you a friend with all this stuff I didn’t know about you, um, you know, “American Negra”, the title alone, as the title suggests, obviously, is a story about identity.
[00:02:19] You are African American and Puerto Rican, um, and, You know, as we talk a lot about, uh, racial politics in the United States, we talk a lot about identity politics in the United States. And I think, you know, when it comes to the idea of biraciality, you know, that’s a very nuanced conversation that most of us don’t get right, you know, let alone talking about, you know, this mixing of ethnicities and identities and, you know, nationalities, in a sense, obviously, Puerto Rico being part of the United States, but, um, tell me about the journey to this book.
[00:02:57] Natasha Alford: Hmm. Well, it was definitely a journey. Uh, I always knew, I think if you love reading, There’s a part of you that wants to write a book that wants to tell your story and I’m pretty sure it was the great Toni Morrison who said if there’s not, you know a book that that you wish that you had in the world You need to write it some version of that.
[00:03:19] And so that’s what it felt like growing up. I mean I I I read everything from Souls of Black folk at 12 years old to Babysitters Club, but there was no story that really captured the essence of what it was like growing up as me. Right. Um, I’ve never called myself biracial. I actually don’t feel that way.
[00:03:39] Like, I’m, I’m a Black woman, uh, but I am multi ethnic. Right. And so being multi ethnic, right. It’s just a unique experience and those two groups of people, African Americans and Puerto Ricans, I mean, we’re in proximity in ways that are just pretty undeniable in the United States. We often grow up in the same neighborhoods, in the same cities, a lot of that is systemic by design, on purpose.
[00:04:06] And so what does it mean to be a product of those two things? And I think working at theGrio, where we cover a lot of pop culture moments, you see a lot of moments when it goes left, right? Uh, African Americans and Latinos, so to speak, which is also, you know, a term that needs unpacking. Where you have these moments where somebody says something crazy about, you know, Black women versus Latino women or the Erica Mena situation where it’s like, you know, you have a Latina woman raising Black children.
[00:04:35] And yet a comment, uh, a racist comment. She didn’t, she, she said she didn’t understand what the problem was. Right. So I, I am the product of those two worlds. And so I felt it was worthy to tell this story, not just from a personal sense.. This book historically, this is history that we need to know. And so if you read this book, I promise you, you will not just get my story, but you will learn a lot about America that maybe you didn’t know.
[00:05:01] Maiysha Kai: You know, this is not just a memoir in the straightforward sense. This is, um, equal parts memoir and sociological study and history. You know, I did learn a tremendous amount reading this book, you know, as you’re taking us through the journeys of not just Puerto Rico. I mean, we’re talking about the Dominican Republic.
[00:05:23] We’re talking about Haiti. We’re talking about so many things, um, within what we consider the larger diaspora of Black people, right? Um, that really, you know, does drive home some of these things we see every day, you know, especially us as Black colorism and texturism or class issues or, um, just the way that white supremacy kind of eats its way into every facet of our lives.
[00:05:50] Of our existence and our psyches, you know, um, and I wanted to really thank you for that, but I wanted to talk a little bit about the research that goes into putting something like this together and then, you know, as a writer, how you’re then paralleling these moments, obviously, and kind of interweaving them, which it’s done really artfully with your own story.
[00:06:13] Natasha Alford: Thank you. Thank you for that. Yeah. So the research started years ago, y’all. I mean, I was in, I was a college kid trying to find answers and I won’t give away too much of the story, but it started in college. Uh, when I heard the, the term Afro Latino and I was trying to understand where I fit within that.
[00:06:34] And so the research started then, so this has been, you know, over 15 years of trying to find untold stories, uh, and trying to find overlap and connection. “I had been racialized from birth, called negra or morena by Latinos who described me by my color first in this country and abroad, while also experiencing Blackness.
[00:06:58] Apart from the Latino community’s conception of it, rooted in my African American roots, that apartness”
[00:07:10] One of the figures that people will hear about in the book is Arturo Alfonso Schomburg. If you walk through Harlem, New York, you will pass by the Schomburg Center. And many of us don’t even know that that is a Black Puerto Rican man, who, who documented Black history. He was told as a child that Black people had no history worthy of tracking when he was living in Puerto Rico.
[00:07:34] And so when he migrated to New York City, this was his mission to show, uh, just, you know, the power that we’ve always had, the beauty that we’ve always had, but he didn’t do it in an essentializing way, right? He wasn’t corny about it. It wasn’t like, Oh, we were always Kings and Queens. As much as as well intentioned, he’s saying that we in our full humanity are worthy of, of documenting and understanding and that by understanding our history, we can navigate the present, which is obviously so relevant, given that people are trying to ban history right now.
[00:08:08] And then the other piece of the research actually came through. Um, I’m. In graduate school right now, as I’m working, which is, you know, a little bit crazy.
[00:08:17] Maiysha Kai: Where are you in graduate school, Natasha? Where are you in graduate school?
[00:08:20] Natasha Alford: Princeton University, um, you know, an excellent research institution. Shout out to Princeton.
[00:08:28] Shout out to SPIA, the School of Public and International Affairs, where I’m getting a master’s degree in public policy. But here at Princeton, I took a class in the African American studies department and it was called Afro Diasporic Dialogues. And it is about just what you said, that we have been in dialogue with each other, even across, you know, geographic borders for forever.
[00:08:52] I didn’t know that African Americans migrated to Haiti. Okay. We talk about Haitians.
[00:08:57] Maiysha Kai: I didn’t know that either.
[00:08:58] Natasha Alford: Isn’t that crazy? Haitians were like, yo, y’all need to come over here because we are about freedom. If you come here, you’re automatically a citizen of Haiti. And there were African Americans who left Philadelphia and Baltimore and, and left and went to Haiti and became part of the community there.
[00:09:18] So why don’t we know those stories? Like, why aren’t those common stories? That was part of the intention of the book was to put us in conversation with some of those stories. And it really is just a start, you know, there are scholars who’ve been doing this for years. And so I include a bibliography because I want people to go out and seek this knowledge in a deeper way.
[00:09:36] So yeah, it was absolutely intentional on my part.
[00:09:40] Maiysha Kai: I had to give that nod to Princeton because you, you know, this is, this is where you are currently in your life. There are a couple other schools that factor very heavily into this story of yours. Uh, one of them being Northwestern here in my town of Chicago, right outside, um, which is, hey, uh, but the other being Harvard, um, which, you know, I know was a pivotal place for you.
[00:10:04] It’s, it’s very clearly illustrated in this incredible book, but also obviously it’s, it’s been a flashpoint lately. And I think like. Your story kind of emerging at this time, um, really, I think, gives a greater dimension to what, you know, we’ve kind of maybe seen splash in the headlines about. Uh, Harvard and maybe what it means to be Black at Harvard and then finding your then more nuanced place within that Black community at Harvard.
[00:10:33] Um, how was it kind of revisiting those really formative years of your life?
[00:10:40] Natasha Alford: It was necessary. Um, I think I don’t fully, I didn’t fully understand the impact that Harvard had on me until years later. Right? Because in many ways, you’re still, you’re always living in the shadow of Harvard once you go to a university like that.
[00:10:57] “Most days, I didn’t feel like a Harvard grad. My life hadn’t magically become wealthier or as privileged as that of many of the friends I went to school with. I had privilege for sure, but I was still trying to move up, to feel whatever power it was that I supposedly had to make the life I wanted. to make a difference in the world that mattered.”
[00:11:22] The things that people project on you, the things that people expect of you, I mean, it is, there’s a pressure that comes with that, which is magnified when you are Black, right? It’s a pressure from your own community as well as outside of your community. And in some ways, as we’ve seen in the news with the story of Dr. Claudine Gay, Being at a place like Harvard actually puts a target on your back. There’s always someone who is trying to, uh, test your intelligence or prove that you are not as intelligent as they assume you think you are. Um, and it’s a very complex history because this is an institution that was built on the backs of slavery, which, you know, I talk about in the book.
[00:12:03] I talk about the, the money from the slave trade that, that contributed to building the many of the buildings that we walk through, right? And yet, even with all of that, there was a thriving, strong, real Black community there that wasn’t new, that had been around for a very long time. I didn’t know that Harvard was going to be in the news like this when I was writing this book.
[00:12:28] I didn’t know that affirmative action, you know, the university would be sued, which would lead to affirmative action being, um, racial affirmative action being killed. Um, I didn’t know it. And yet, uh, the fact that it comes together now, I think is important because what I want people to understand is that there is room for, for us to, to be present in all places.
[00:12:53] And. I actually want to go to HBCU all my life. That was actually my dream. Uh, but systemically, right, being from a working class family, that inclined me to go towards the opportunity where the financial aid was fully covered. And so my best financial aid package came from this university. And so that was a choice that I made, um, driven largely in part by finances.
[00:13:22] And so, what does it mean to feel compelled to go to these universities? For that reason, I think that’s an important conversation that we need to have. But also, why do we deserve to stake our claim there? I think we deserve to be present in these places. It’s about having the choice. And so what I want people to take from this is that if you so choose this path, uh, there is a community there for you.
[00:13:47] There is an alumni network that is there for you, even with all the complexities, uh, and do not feel that you don’t deserve a place there or that you should be somehow afraid of going there. Uh, because if you do go, there are people that have your back. And so that is part of the message.
[00:14:05] Maiysha Kai: I love that message.
[00:14:06] And we’re going to talk more about. This amazing book, “American Negra”, and more with our Grio fam, Natasha Alford, when we come right back.
[00:14:19] And we are back with more Writing Black and more with our Grio fam, Natasha Alford, who has written Her first book, this is her memoir, “American Negra”, you know, um, wow, we were just talking about, uh, this idea of worthiness. Um, you know, we talked about it with regard to Arturo Schomburg and it’s something that, you know, I think without spoiling for.
[00:14:42] What I hope are many readers of this book, you know, you talked about how those of us who are avid readers, myself included, you know, there is that thing that we have within us. Like, do I have a story? Do I have a story worth telling? Right? I know at some point there is a point in the book where you ask, is my story worth telling?
[00:14:58] And you have points where people challenge you about the worth of the stories that you want to tell. Um, can we talk about finding your worth as a writer and not just someone, you know, who tells other people’s stories as a journalist, but telling your own, because I think as journalists, the first thing we’re ever told is like, you’re not the story.
[00:15:16] You’re not the story. The story is never about you.
[00:15:21] Natasha Alford: We avoid that at all costs. I’m, I have to say, I think I picked journalism because I was hiding a bit, like I wanted to. To immerse myself in other people’s stories. I wanted to be present, but not necessarily put myself out there. And journalism is a great way to do that because people see you asking the questions and they see your byline, but they don’t necessarily know you.
[00:15:45] Um, and so I was okay with that for a long time, but I do think that as I started to look at my journey, I said, wow, this someone needs to know what is on the other side of fear. Someone needs to know what is on the other side of breaking the golden handcuffs, um, you know, walking away from other people’s expectations.
[00:16:05] They need to know that there’s beauty on the other side. There’s victory on the other side that is worthy. And, and often when you’re talking about Black stories. People expect trauma. They want pain. They want, you know, all of these things which are valid and worthy of sharing. But this is not a memoir of like deep trauma.
[00:16:29] If anything, it’s my parents who survived trauma, you know, the trauma of racism and sexual abuse and physical abuse. My parents survived all that. I am the next generation. And so what does it mean to break some of those curses, um, to, to move past some of those traumas? I think that I sort of embody that story.
[00:16:51] And if you are a writer who wants to tell your story, It, it, there, there’s, there is meaning in a, in a regular life, you know, like you can make meaning in that and others can, can draw lessons from that. So I just want to encourage people to know if you think about writing a story that it doesn’t have to be some dramatic, uh, crazy, you know, uh, movie that we would see, right?
[00:17:17] Blaxploitation film. It can be about your humanity. That is the fullness of humanity.
[00:17:22] Maiysha Kai: I love that. You know, and I don’t know if I call yours a regular life. I can see how I feel like that because it’s your life. You know what I mean? And I, you know, and I can also see this is, you know, I’m going to come back to this, this, this next part, but you know, I found I related a lot to, uh, to your life.
[00:17:40] Um, I also just. One of the things that I really, really admired and loved about the way that this story is told, and not just the way it’s told, I mean, it just is the story, your life, is that it’s not linear, right? Like, that, you know, because this book could have just as easily been called American Dream because in a lot of ways you embody a dream.
[00:18:03] You know, that migration is wherever they’re coming from, have of what you can accomplish in America, you know, how far your children can go, um, in this often very fraught, you know, country of ours. Um, but I was really struck by how this idea of leaning into opportunities, leaning into pivots, being able to say, no, this isn’t it, right?
[00:18:34] Because I think that’s another thing a lot of us fear doing. We think that, okay, this is the path and I, I, I’ve committed, I have to, you know, um, and I think like, you know, both as a person and as a writer, that’s an asset, you know, that, that ability to identify the moment and pivot. Like, tell me, tell me just how that has functioned for you.
[00:18:55] And I guess how it functions for you as a journalist. Obviously, that’s a form of writing as well and now as an author.
[00:19:01] Natasha Alford: Well, that’s the ultimate compliment that this book could be called American Dream because that, I mean, I’m like getting emotional here. That is beautiful. And that’s what I want. There’s a universality in the story.
[00:19:14] It doesn’t matter color of your skin, you know, your background. I think all people can identify with trying to find what your American dream is. Um, the, the messiness of it, uh, your question about it not being linear. Look, I, my life was a hot mess at times, right? Like I remember bill collectors calling me.
[00:19:38] While I was live on TV, like imagine that people are watching you on TV thinking that you somehow represent some sort of glamorous role in American society and you have bill collectors call threatening to turn your lights off, right? Um, that was happening because I took a risk and I jumped out on on faith and I didn’t have savings when I went off to graduate school to try to break into television and I didn’t have a certain financial safety net.
[00:20:08] That a lot of my fellow Ivy league classmates did. And yet I was okay with it being a mess. Um, for a little bit, right. I was, I wasn’t afraid to get messy because. There felt like there was a higher calling on my life. And I was looking around at one of the jobs you’ll read about in the book, very cushy job.
[00:20:32] It was a six figure job, and I was in my cubicle, and I was just like, this is it? Like, this I didn’t, I didn’t fight to make it to college and to go to this particular college just to sort of be here. I was watching the world move around me, and I felt like I was standing still. And so, I think you have to trust That the higher power that makes all of this work, right?
[00:20:58] Doesn’t want you to settle. Doesn’t want you to settle for a life that isn’t worthy of you. And if you have something you want to give to the world, you’ve got to go out and you have to, you have to, to give it to the world. And you have to do whatever it takes to, to get there. So there’s this balance of going out and making it happen, but also being patient in certain seasons.
[00:21:18] Where maybe you want to move before you’ve finished learning what you need to learn. Uh, and so this book covers that struggle. And I think it’s particularly good for my, my, my messy 20 somethings. If you’re in your 20s and it’s a little bit messy, a little rocky, this is the book for you. Because it will affirm that it’s okay.
[00:21:39] It’s okay. You don’t have to have it all figured out.
[00:21:42] Maiysha Kai: Well, listen, as somebody who had some messies. Messy thirties as well. And maybe later, uh, you know, I found, I found it very, very affirming. Uh, you know, we’re going to talk about that and more when we come back in just a moment with Natasha Alford, America Negra and more writing Black.
[00:22:03] theGrio: I’m political scientist, author and professor Dr. Christina Greer. And I’m host of the Blackest questions on theGrio’s Black Podcast Network. This person invented ranch dressing around 1950. Who are they? I have no idea. This all began as an exclusive Black History Trivia party at my home in Harlem with family and friends.
[00:22:23] And they got so popular, it seemed only right to share the fun with our Grio listeners. Each week, we invite a familiar face on the podcast to play. What was the name of the person who was an enslaved chief cook for George Washington and later ran away to freedom? No, this is why I like doing stuff with you, because I leave educated.
[00:22:43] I was not taught this in Alabama public schools. Question number three, you ready? Yes, let me try to redeem myself. How do we go from Kwanzaa to like, these obscure We’re diasporic, darling. This is like the New York Times crossword from a Monday to a Saturday. right or wrong.
[00:23:01] All we care about is the journey and having some fun while we do it.
[00:23:04] I’m excited and also a little nervous. Oh, listen, no need to be nervous. And as I tell all of my guests, this is an opportunity for us to educate ourselves because Black history is American history.
[00:23:15] What? Toya Cantrell.
[00:23:17] That’s right. Mayor Toya Cantrell, Hercules Posey,
[00:23:22] Born in 1754 and he was a member of the Mount Vernon slave community, widely admired for his culinary skills.
[00:23:28] I’m going to guess Afropunk. Close. Okay. It’s AfroNation. I’ve never heard of that. So last year, according to my research, it’s Samuel Wilson, aka Falcon.
[00:23:40] Wrong.
[00:23:42] Wrong. I, I am, I am disputing this. I just don’t know nothing today. It’s only. I’m gonna pour myself a little water while you tell me the answer. The answer is Seneca Village, which began in 1825.
[00:23:52] The purchase of land by a trustee of the AME Zion Church. So give us a follow, subscribe, and join us on the Blackest questions.
[00:24:04] Maiysha Kai: All right, we’re back with our Grio fam, Natasha Alford and her new book, “American Negra”, which is, uh, you know, a gorgeous memoir. I’m so proud of our family here. Like, you know, my friend, my family, like, so, you know, one of the things Natasha, you know, aside from the. ridiculous amount of similarities I saw between the two of us in this book.
[00:24:27] And, you know, again, I just think it really does speak to just how universal these stories are. And I say that as somebody who is neither multi ethnic nor even a millennial, you know, nor from Syracuse. Uh, I, I was really struck by the vulnerability here. I was struck by, you know, the way that you were unpacking some really, really deeply intimate issues, including health issues that you had fought for a really long time. I think to kind of control, you know, do that thing that we do right as Black people, as Black women, especially, you know, like, I’m going to superwoman my way through this, like, was this cathartic for you in kind of, I guess, getting to the other side of whatever that that hang up was for you.
[00:25:13] Natasha Alford: Yes, it was cathartic. And it was so freeing. Um, I have to admit there were chapters that as I was writing them, it was difficult to look at what I wrote, right, to look back and to read it because you’re putting yourself um, back in time, right? You’re sort of looking at a scar and you’re reminding yourself of how you got that scar.
[00:25:35] Uh, and so there’s a rawness of emotion and mindset that you have to tap into when you’re writing in order to be transparent. But I thought it was worth it. Uh, I wanted others to feel less isolated. Uh, even if you are a person who’s going through something, mental health, physical health, and you choose to never share it with the world, I just wanted people to know that they were not alone.
[00:25:59] “It had only been a few hours since my lupus diagnosis, and I was already going through all the stages of grief. Anger over what I’d been told. Denial that this was a real thing versus some fluke on a blood test gone wrong and bargaining with God about what lay ahead. Why right now? Why would you let me get this close to everything I ever wanted and then give me this disease?”
[00:26:27] And that whatever they were going through, there was someone else who, who also had gone through a version of that. And this was just how I chose. Uh, to be transparent, I always felt that if I would be in the public eye, I didn’t want people to get to know some idealized version of me, but really a fully actualized human being with warts and fears and, and real struggles.
[00:26:53] Um, but ultimately this is about letting people know that you can still thrive in spite of those things. And really it’s up to you to define what thriving is, it does not have to be someone else’s definition of success. Um, of wellness, uh, of making it right. It really is about what you decide. And so, yes, I hope that this is freeing for others as difficult as it was for me to, to talk about it.
[00:27:19] Maiysha Kai: Listen, I think that there are going to be so many readers who are grappling with something similar, if not that exact thing. And who are going to feel really affirmed by that, like, feel really seen because I don’t know. And I say, this is somebody who obviously reads a lot of books. Like, I don’t know that I’d heard that story before, like just heard about it in real time in the ways.
[00:27:39] That it really kind of a, you know, it’s like you hear things and they sound kind of abstract, you know, like, Oh, like that sounds terrible. But I think you were very effective at like kind of bringing us into a moment. I do understand how painful that was to relive some of those moments. Um, I also think it’s going to be incredibly validating for people.
[00:27:57] Natasha Alford: One message I do want to give about health for readers is to pay attention to signs. Right? Because there were certain signs of things that were happening with my body very early on, uh, that I was not willing to see as a sign. Um, I was, I was uncomfortable with what it represented. And if you can get ahead of certain things, you can, you can own, right?
[00:28:22] You can manage those things better, uh, versus being surprised, uh, or in denial. And so if anything, I hope everyone sort of goes and and reads the story of mine and does that self evaluation and says, is there something I’m ignoring that? I’m not paying attention to that. I didn’t follow up on because I feel okay enough to keep on pushing through the day.
[00:28:47] It is worth it to take that time.
[00:28:50] Maiysha Kai: I absolutely agree with you that it is worth it. Um, you know, I, I ha I cannot ignore the fact that, uh, as we are having this conversation, we’re having in the aftermath of, I think what many would consider to be a viral moment of yours, in which you were, uh, really setting someone straight on the mechanics of, of how race is treated in America.
[00:29:16] CNN: Part of. Our proud history as republicans the fight against slavery struggle. Can I just say something though? I mean we talk about this as if it is the past We are looking at, we’ve covered stories where people have died, have been killed because of racism. Jacksonville, Florida, the Dollar Tree shooting.
[00:29:32] I mean, this is happening right now. And this is not just the Black community, right? The Japanese internment. I mean, those families and descendants are still here. My last name is Alford, not because my family chose that last name. That is the name of the slaveholding family that owned us.
[00:29:48] Maiysha Kai: You know, I know that this is something that obviously you’ve explored even prior to this book.
[00:29:52] You know, uh, you You made a whole documentary, uh, Afro Latinx Revolution. Shout out to, to that. You can find it on Prime, y’all. You can find it on Prime or theGrio. I found myself wondering, as I, as I, having read this book, having looking, looking at that moment, did this book make you braver? In certain ways, did it, did it coalesce anything for you?
[00:30:15] Um, I don’t know. I think sometimes that happens for me at least, like when I’m writing something and then like my ideas come together in a certain way. And I’m like, that’s it. Like, did, did you have any of those moments? Like those kind of epiphany moments with this book that have made you braver in certain ways, clearer in other ways.
[00:30:30] I don’t know.
[00:30:32] Natasha Alford: Well, I gotta say the act of writing a book. It’s brave because once you put it down on paper it’s there forever, you know, really reckoning with like, I’m putting this out in the world and I have to own every word that I put in here and own these stories and own these stances. But also I’m just a person that is always learning.
[00:30:56] I’m all, I, I, I hunger for knowledge. And so I’m like, what if I say something in my position changes, or I ended up realizing I’m wrong. Right? And so the bravery I think was in accepting that like being okay with saying this is where I’m at in the world right now. And I may grow. I, I will grow. I will evolve.
[00:31:18] Like these things are inevitable. Um, but I believe that my, my voice is still worth. Being like heard in the world. And I think we need more of that. Sometimes it feels like so many people are talking in this world where everyone has a mic that you say, is it even worth me speaking up at all? But I’m here to tell you that it is worth it, right?
[00:31:40] There’s somebody who needs to hear your voice, even if it’s not a million people, even if you’re not on television. Um, in the ways that I am or the platforms that we have, your, your voice is worthy. And so the act of writing definitely helped me to be braver, um, to just be okay with there going to be people who didn’t like the stories that I shared or the positions that I took or the things that I said and being at peace with that.
[00:32:07] Right? Because ultimately it’s about being at peace with yourself. And if you are constantly seeking outside validation, approval, you know, popularity, those things come and go. Uh, so the, the act of writing this absolutely helped me to, you know, feel more
[00:32:23] Maiysha Kai: affirmed in who I was. I love it. Well, I mean, I found it affirming as well.
[00:32:29] Um, obviously, you know, you can’t tell a story about your own identity without your family being part of the story. Um, you also give us a really intimate glimpse on not just them and their backgrounds and their identities and particularly your parents in this respect. Um, But also just the very, I think, relatable, nuanced, sometimes painful, sometimes aggravating, you know, moments that all of us have with our parents.
[00:32:59] How is that? Uh, how was that experience for them and for you to, uh, you know, well, I should, you three, um, as you kind of like drew this story out and, and really kind of revisited some of these moments and, uh, now obviously from a grown perspective, how was that for you all as a family?
[00:33:20] Natasha Alford: Wow. Well, I have to say this book brought us closer together as a family.
[00:33:25] The scariest moment was handing the draft manuscript over to my parents. That was the scariest moment because how often do we spend time with our families and don’t really tell them how we feel. Right. We, and particularly with daughters, like the orientation we have towards wanting our father’s approval.
[00:33:45] I mean, that that’s just a real thing. And I’ve always wanted my daddy’s approval. And so giving him this book where I’m honest about the times where we didn’t get along. Right. And the things that happened that were hurtful to me, um, the things that I carry today, I mean, that was really hard. But getting through it, having them look at it and read it and still be in relationship with them, that was powerful.
[00:34:13] That showed me how much they loved me. That they would allow me to tell some of these stories that were hard for them to relive. We did have a couple moments with my mom where she was like, could you not put that story in? And I respected that. I respected that. It was, it was hard. It was hard because I was trying to persuade her of the power of letting me talk about certain things, but I also understand that there are certain stories that are not mine to tell.
[00:34:42] And for my mother, she’s a survivor of many different kinds of abuse. Um, she wasn’t ready. Right. And so I had to find a way to tell my story, um, while respecting her privacy as well, um, but also keeping the, the truth and the authenticity of it. And I think that there’s a lot. Um, that again, us as daughters of, of a generation who suffered a lot of trauma, uh, can relate to, and people will be able to read between the lines and sort of, again, relate based on their own experiences.
[00:35:16] But it brought us closer together as a family, um, writing a memoir about people who are still alive is very hard. I’m telling you. Um, but if you do it with integrity and love, I actually think that you can grow from it. You can gain from it. So we are good as a family. So no matter what anyone thinks of this book, I know that my family has my back and that means a lot.
[00:35:40] Maiysha Kai: I, I’m so happy to hear that. And no, I, you listen, I didn’t think there was anything that I would hope would tear you apart. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I, I definitely, you know, I know, I know people are sensitive about. Um, but I’m gonna, you know, I’m going to go big picture now, uh, because I’m going to ask you a question.
[00:35:59] I ask all of our guests here on this show. You know, I know you are a reader, uh, you know, doing lots of reading at the moment. I’m sure. Um, who do you read? Who do you love? Whose voices on the page resonate with you?
[00:36:14] Natasha Alford: Hmm. This is good. Um, So it’s interesting. This is a very much a reflection of where I’m at right now.
[00:36:22] I’m reading a lot of history and that is because I am trying to understand the moment that we are in right now. So that way as a political analyst and a journalist, I can help people contextualize what is happening and help them to see the patterns and help them to see the ways in which some of the stuff is not new.
[00:36:44] It’s actually just a revival of the past. Um, so one book that I’m reading is called The Presidency of Donald Trump. It’s by Julian Zelizer, who happens to be one of my professors here at Princeton University. And it’s a historical assessment of what that presidency represented, what happened during that presidency.
[00:37:07] There’s so many policy changes. Especially in the realm of immigration, um, that we’re still grappling with right now. And so I’m reading that, um, reading another book about fascism in America, light reading, fun reading, uh, but fascism and its relationship.
[00:37:28] Maiysha Kai: Relevant reading.
[00:37:30] Natasha Alford: Relevant reading, um, and, and just like the, the, the, the remnants of the past and why people are turning to authoritarian leadership, why are they so seduced by them? Is it that people feel so helpless right now that they’re literally willing to turn to someone who’s saying I’ll be a dictator because they just want somebody to do something right. Um, is it, you know, in what ways has white supremacy kind of morphed and, and I mean, it’s unapologetically.
[00:38:05] Uh, right. So those are unapologetically, unapologetically. So. Um, again, I wish I had some Lighter, uh, funner, uh, recommendations for reading. But this, this is what the moment calls for. And so that’s, that’s what I’m doing right now.
[00:38:23] Maiysha Kai: Listen, I think, I think you are doing exactly what you should do because I think we need to hear from you.
[00:38:29] Um, and I think, again, a lot of people are going to find comfort in what you have to say on the topic, you know. Hearing it from somebody who looks like us, who we know has our best interest at heart. Um, you know, I would be remiss if I, uh, ended this conversation without also thanking you for your commitment to Black media and your commitment to theGrio.
[00:38:49] Um, you, theGrio makes its way into this book. It gets its own chapter. So thank you for that.
[00:38:55] Natasha Alford: “For me, theGrio represented freedom. A chance to really find the answers to burning questions about America’s future and shift some of the narratives I’d seen so embedded in mainstream news coverage of Black communities.
[00:39:10] At Northwestern, I had followed the advice to climb the ladder, the old school way in local news. This time, I was committed to doing it my way, finding a place that would let me tell the stories I cared about first and foremost.”
[00:39:25] Maiysha Kai: I’m sure everybody here thanks you for that. Um, but also, you know. Can you just leave us with a note on what you feel is the importance of Black media?
[00:39:34] Because I think you’re always so profound when you talk about this and you’re such an amazing ambassador for what we do.
[00:39:42] Natasha Alford: Well, I need everyone watching this to understand the miracle of our survival, right? Not just as a people, but the institution of Black media. We have literally been on the front lines of the civil rights movement.
[00:39:58] It was African American journalists. who had to disguise themselves as preachers. They couldn’t be seen as journalists who are documenting the truth. They disguised themselves as preachers and went down, right, into segregated parts of America to, to document what was happening. And in bringing that truth to the world, it put pressure, it put pressure on American society to say, we are not living up to the ideals that we say we believe in.
[00:40:26] Right. And so what will, what will we do to close this gap and, you know, led to the passage of the civil rights movement and all of these things that have been instrumental in moving us forward. But even now, with everything that is happening, we are often the first, uh, to, to say what is happening in America around race, uh, around injustice, around policing, right?
[00:40:48] theGrio, we were one of the first, uh, To pick up on the Trayvon Martin story and it was mainstream media that followed our example. And so when we talk about leading the way, this is what it means to support Black media. So it’s not, it’s not just about culture. It’s not just about sort of the fun moments where, you know, we talk about who won this award, who wore this outfit, which we love, right?
[00:41:15] But understand the seriousness of what we do. And so I’m just I’m grateful you have been, you know, just an incredible leader. Uh, on theGrio team, we’re so lucky to have you and the show that you are doing, you are elevating reading, which is fundamental for our community. Like this, this is important work, uh, that is happening.
[00:41:38] That really is about. Something that benefits everybody. And that’s what people need to understand. You invest in our community. You’re investing in the good of the entire country. And so, again, thanks for being here. Thanks for having me. This has been amazing.
[00:41:54] Maiysha Kai: Listen, thank you for being an amazing leader.
[00:41:56] And thank you for this book. Y’all, get “American Negra”. Get into it. And please, you know, Natasha’s here at theGrio. You can see her on our platforms. She’s amazing. Natasha, we love you. We’re so proud of you. Thank you so much for joining us. I’m Writing Black and you know, we are excited for whatever comes next.
[00:42:18] I’m not going to pressure you, but you know, I see, I see more in the future. So I’m just going to leave that right there. All right. Thank you so much.
[00:42:26] Natasha Alford: Love you back. Love you back.
[00:42:31] Maiysha Kai: Well, listen, you know, I, I, nothing’s better than family. And for me, there’s Nothing better than having Grio fam on Writing Black.
[00:42:39] It makes me so happy and we’re so happy for Natasha and all of our Grio authors, including Michael Harriot, Toure, and anybody else here who wants to publish a book. Maybe it’ll be me. I don’t know. But for right now, I’ve got some recommended reading a little section of the show. I like to call Mai Favorites.
[00:42:54] And you know. In line with, uh, Natasha’s amazing book, “American Negra” is, uh, this book “Belonging,” by one of our previous guests, Michelle Miller. Now you might know Michelle Miller from CBS Sunday Mornings. Uh, you might know her as the former First Lady of New Orleans. Uh, but this book, uh, a daughter search for identity through loss and love.
[00:43:16] It’s, it’s different in tone from Natasha’s, but a lot of the themes are similar. Uh, you know, Michelle is. It’s also Afro Latina, but that’s not always a fact that she knew. And that is one of the most striking things about this narrative, which she really, uh, you know, tells in really tender detail. It’s beautifully written.
[00:43:36] She’s a beautiful person. You can also catch up with that episode and all back episodes on theGrio Black Podcast Network. And we hope that you will come join us again for the next episode of writing Black until then. Read well. Thanks so much for joining us for this week’s episode of Writing Black. As always, you can find us on theGrio app or wherever you find your podcasts.
