Two Western University students, Kaya Anderson and Ulrica Samuels are redefining health care — one interview at a time.
Kaya, a third-year gender and women’s studies student, and Ulrica, a fourth-year kinesiology student, are the co-hosts of The Black Aspiration Project podcast, where they interview Black healthcare workers and advocates for Black health.
Intersectionality is central to the podcast, as Kaya and Ulrica explore how race, gender identity and sexual identity intersect with health care and the community.
“An intersectional approach is always important because people’s experiences are influenced by their identities,” says Kaya. “Listening to people who have studied health or health care or Black communities is important for improvements in better health outcomes.”
The podcast first launched in the winter of 2023. Interviewees come from diverse backgrounds, extending beyond just healthcare professionals.
The Black Aspiration Project podcast host Kaya Anderson in Lawson Hall, March 28, 2024.
For example, Kaya and Ulrica interviewed Fatimah Jackson-Best, a professor from McMaster University, on the topic of advocacy on mental health, anti-Black and gendered Islamophobia. They interviewed Kevin Blanks, a high school literature teacher and English PhD student, on the topic of critical theories and how they can be used to build sustainable futures for the Black community.
Kaya and Ulrica met in the course Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies 3315: Blood, Breath, and the Black Body, taught by Cornel Grey. The class incorporates Black feminist and queer theories to evaluate questions of health risks and care.
Kaya says her mom — who graduated with a gender and women’s studies degree and is now a midwife — inspired her to take the course.
“She worked at a clinic in Toronto that works with a lot of BIPOC women, newcoming immigrants and some people who are undocumented,” says Kaya. “I’ve grown up with this type of work, and Dr. Grey’s class was inspirational for me.”
Ulrica, who is minoring in sexuality studies, explains how this project intertwined her two academic programs.
The Black Aspiration Project podcast host Ulrica Samuels in the Physics and Astronomy Building, March 28, 2024.
“It combines the health aspect, public health aspect and intersectionality — some of those theories that are critical when analyzing healthcare,” says Ulrica.
Kaya attributes her decision to join as a co-host of the podcast to being influenced by Dr. Grey’s class, highlighting the readings, lectures and guest speakers. She saw the podcast as an avenue to further connections with the course lecturers.
Kaya and Ulrica both express interest in continuing the podcast past this school year, as they’ve been met with positive reception.
They encourage students to listen with an open mind and to take time to reflect on what the podcast is really trying to convey.
“This research project is an extension of who I am,” says Ulrica. “I think that is the main reason that I want to push this sort of work out to the broader Western community, and it’s talking about things that aren’t really talked about on the Western campus.”