Badia Ahad-Legardy on Black Historical Joy and Inspiration

How can looking to the past enliven the present and inspire the future? And how can we foment that inspiration in our daily practices and habits?

In episode 129 of Imagine Otherwise, host Cathy Hannabach interviews Badia Ahad-Legardy, whose most recent book Afro-Nostalgia is a brilliant and energizing archive of Black historical joy. Badia’s work demonstrates the powerful role pleasure plays in motivating social change and forging communal ties across time and space.

In the conversation, Badia and Cathy discuss the daily practices she uses to encourage intellectual and political inspiration, including the role of white space and refusals. They also discuss building momentum across large writing projects like a book, and why actively cultivating joy for herself and for others is how Badia imagines otherwise.

Transcript and show notes: https://ideasonfire.net/129-badia-ahad-legardy