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This past weekend, the 6th Annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival brought our growing community of podcast creatives, audio professionals, and supporters together in Baltimore at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. It was nothing short of extraordinary—a powerful reminder of why we do what we do and why we need to keep pushing forward.
We kicked off on Friday night with my own live show, Grumpy Wizdom, a special moment for me to debut something new, followed by a lively Lyrically Correct game night hosted by Shamiko Reid. The energy was high as George Simpson of Sarcarragance Studios won the Vocaster Two Studio, courtesy of Focusrite. These moments were just the start of a weekend that was filled with both fun and deep connection.
On Saturday, we were all inspired by a keynote from Angel N. Livas, the Founder and CEO of ALIVE Podcast Network, titled "Activation Loading: Embracing Growth, Determination, and Purpose." It set the tone for the day as she announced an exciting collaboration between ALIVE and REVOLT Podcast Networks. The sessions that followed provided practical strategies for all, including From Passion to Profit, sponsored by Simplecast and facilitated by Aimi Knowling of SiriusXM, which gave insight into how podcasters can monetize their platforms and build sustainability.
As Daniel Douglas shared, "The level of authentic networking, community support, and in-depth content was second to none. It’s refreshing to be in a space where Black podcast creators can share, learn, and grow together."
Saturday evening was a highlight for many as we honored legends Twila Dang, Keisha "TK" Dutes, and Krystal Hill at our Legends Awards ceremony in partnership with the Black Podcasting Awards. The celebration continued into the night with DJ Al Pete bringing the vibes to our Afterparty at Motorhouse. Drinks flowed, the dance floor stayed packed, and, as Dirty Roses Podcast put it, "The party was LIT!"
On Sunday, the momentum continued. The State of Black Podcasting panel featuring Chris Colbert of DCP Entertainment and Tarya Weedon of Horowitz Research sparked important conversations about the future of podcasting in our community. We wrapped up the weekend with our Town Hall Q&A and Weekend Reflection, which gave us all time to pause and reflect on what the festival meant for each of us.
As Adell Coleman beautifully captured it, "Podcasting at times can feel like you're on an island, but with a community like ours, that's never the case."
A Call to Our Afros and Audio Community:
It has always been my vision for Afros & Audio to be a community-led and driven conference. We’ve built this platform together, and now it’s time to take it to the next level. For the 7th Annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival and beyond, we are looking for leaders and organizers from our community to step up and help shape the future of this event.
If you’re interested in joining our planning committees—whether for logistics, speaker curation, sponsorships, venue scouting, or even offering fresh ideas for collaborations—I encourage you to reach out to Shamiko Reid at shamiko@afrosandaudio.com.
We need your brilliance to continue building on the strong foundation we’ve created together. Let’s keep amplifying Black voices and leveraging this platform to make a lasting impact in the podcasting industry. Together, we can dream even bigger and take Afros & Audio to new heights.
Thank you for an incredible 6th year. I’m excited to see where we go from here.
In community and creativity,Talib JasirFounder & CEO, Afros & Audio
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