Debra Powell-Wright & Kiki Aranita

Debra Powell-Wright has a long history in Philadelphia of elevating Black, Brown and African-descended women’s voices. As the founder of the city’s first female spoken word ensemble, a published essayist and social justice artist, Powell-Wright is credited with building a sisterhood. She joins the Love + Grit hosts to talk about her career and her latest work, For Women: In Tribute to Nina Simone, a collection of short stories and poems. In keeping with the theme of community and healing, hosts Laiya, Rachel and Justin also welcome Kiki Aranita. The Poi Dog Philly founder brought local Hawaiian cooking to Philly, but had to close her beloved restaurant in the face of COVID-19. She recounts her story about pivoting to ecommerce as a way to support herself and continue sharing her history.