How might we honor and follow the authentic call of our purpose? This week, guest Rachel Cargle shares in a rich and enthralling conversation with Ayana that calls forth themes of rootedness, truth, and renaissance. Rachel honors a rootedness that comes from deep connection to ancestry, to Blackness, and to the earth, and she recognizes the way the earth and its cycles offer us examples of what presence and reciprocity look like. 

Alongside this, Rachel offers a vision for finding our purpose and values that challenges the pressures society places upon us. Who do our choices benefit? What is good and true in this world is not that which perpetually feeds the mill of capitalism nor that which brings a “proximity to whiteness.” When we are in alignment with deep truth, with our values, and with our dreams, we are able to make choices that serve us, and bring us closer to renaissance and revolution. 

As Rachel points out in her forthcoming book A Renaissance of Our Own, we are in need of a renaissance. Attuned to years of intense work around race and racial consciousness within the United States, Rachel uses the dreams and desires from this time as the raw materials for revolution. Rachel envisions a collective renaissance that centers on intergenerational conversation. Renaissance is not just for the future, it is for all of us together in this moment and beyond. Rooted in trust, how might we reimagine this world together?

Rachel Elizabeth Cargle is an activist, entrepreneur, and philanthropic innovator. She is the founder of The Loveland Group; a family of companies including Elizabeth’s Bookshop & Writing Centre, a literary space that celebrates marginalized voices and The Great Unlearn, an adult learning platform that centers the teaching of BIPOC thinkers. In 2018, she founded The Loveland Foundation, offering free access to mental health care for Black women and girls. Cargle is a regular contributor to Cultured Magazine, Atmos, and The Cut, and her work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. Her new book, A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir and Manifesto on Reimagining, comes out in the U.S. May 16th, 2023.

♫ The music featured in this episode is “Ramble” (Instrumental) by Eliza Edens and “On Naming” and “Drunk House Guests” by Mikayla McVey, which was generously provided by The Long Road Society Record Label.

Episode References

“Rooted In Blackness” by Rachel Cargle for Atmos

“Dreaming Awake” Rachel Cargle for Atmos

A Renaissance of Our Own by Rachel E. Cargle

The Loveland Foundation

Reading Recommendations

Pre-order first edition, signed copy of Rachel's book

Rachel is facilitating a workshop on creating one's own renaissance. You can buy the book and workshop bundle at elizabethsofakron.com and join this impactful workshop with Rachel on June 25, 2023.

SUBSCRIBE & Listen

Subscribe to For The Wild RSS →
Listen on Apple, Spotify, or another platform →

For The Wild is a gathering place for ideas and solutions ensuring that the growing body of work that we steward remains accessible to the public. If you want to see us continue, or perhaps are especially moved by the episode you are listening to today, please become a monthly sustaining member through our Patreon or consider making a one-time donation directly to us through our website. To stay up-to-date on our work, sign up for our newsletter.