Vermont Public will expand the Brave Little State series Homegoings into an independent podcast beginning July 20, the station has announced.
Homegoings invites listeners to candid and genuine conversations about race. Host and Executive Producer Myra Flynn explores themes that fearlessly straddle the line between necessary and uncomfortable, as she speaks with artists, experts and regular folks all over the country about their literal skin in the game — of everyday life.
“Homegoings is storytelling with soul. No topic is off the table, and there’s no such thing as going ‘too deep,’ Flynn said. “These are the conversations that are our birthright to have, and the stories we are lucky to hear.”
Homegoings premiered as a limited series in 2021. Drawing its name from the often elaborate African-American funeral tradition of the same name, it featured conversations with Vermont musicians of color, curating genuine stories of their lived experiences centered around four pillars: grief, rage, joy and healing.
“The series was meant to be three parts, but we received such a great response from listeners, it grew. It became five, and then eight, until we realized these conversations need their own space, their own home,” Flynn said.
In February 2023, some of the artists from the series jumped out of the podcast and took to the stage. Homegoings became a live performance at Spruce Peak Arts in Stowe culminating in an evening of music, storytelling, poetry, and live painting. The performance was followed by a hearty Q&A with those artists.
Vermont Public filmed the event and on June 15 through July 13, those performances will air on Vermont Public’s main television channel Thursday nights at 8 p.m. and Sundays at noon.
“I think most people are inherently curious about race and peoples’ lived experiences; my goal is to create a welcoming and safe space to embrace this curiosity. Let’s ask all the questions we were taught not to ask. That’s the way forward,” Flynn said.
The new podcast begins July 20 and will feature new episodes every other Thursday, and additional live events and performances are being developed. The podcast, video series and previous episodes are available at homegoings.co.
We’re thrilled to launch Homegoings as its own show,” said Scott Finn, president and CEO of Vermont Public. “Black people and their art, culture and other contributions have been a key part of Vermont’s story since the very beginning. We see you. We hear you. You matter. As Vermont’s public media organization, we have an opportunity and responsibility to convene these conversations. By sharing them, we hope to learn and grow together as a community.”
