<![CDATA[Roots Renewed]]>Roots Renewed is a podcast about heritage, identity, diaspora, and the ongoing work of reconnecting with who we are and where we come from, especially when parts of the story feel missing, interrupted, or complicated.

Hosted by Tami Dee Garcia, the show centers conversations with people from diverse backgrounds who are intentionally navigating identity, heritage, and culture, whether for themselves, their families, or their communities. Each episode explores the influences, histories, and turning points that shape how they reconnect through culture, family, leadership, healing, accountability, or reinvention.

This podcast is for anyone navigating identity, diaspora, cultural shifts, or reinvention at any stage of life.

You don’t need all the answers. You just need a place to start.

]]>https://www.tamigarcia.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:49:33 GMTThu, 12 Mar 2026 23:24:38 GMT60Tami Dee Garcia<p>Roots Renewed is a podcast about heritage, identity, diaspora, and the ongoing work of reconnecting with who we are and where we come from, especially when parts of the story feel missing, interrupted, or complicated.</p><p></p><p>Hosted by Tami Dee Garcia, the show centers conversations with people from diverse backgrounds who are intentionally navigating identity, heritage, and culture, whether for themselves, their families, or their communities. Each episode explores the influences, histories, and turning points that shape how they reconnect through culture, family, leadership, healing, accountability, or reinvention.</p><p></p><p>This podcast is for anyone navigating identity, diaspora, cultural shifts, or reinvention at any stage of life.</p><p></p><p>You don’t need all the answers. You just need a place to start.</p>episodicTami Dee Garciatami@mullylingua.comno<![CDATA[Tattoos Like Her Grandmother ]]>Melat Terefe grew up watching her grandmother wear tattoos that told stories of beauty, protection, and strength. When her grandmother passed away, Melat turned those exact patterns into the foundation of her Ethiopian fashion brand, DolMel.

In this conversation, Melat shares how she is fighting to preserve Ethiopia's handwoven textile traditions against the rise of cheap fast fashion, and what her work means to Ethiopians in the diaspora who are finding their way back to their roots.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube, search Tami Dee Garcia or Roots Renewed. Learn more about Tami at tamigarcia.com.

]]>024b48ab-81dc-43ea-9614-3990d0a804b7Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:40:30 GMT<p>Melat Terefe grew up watching her grandmother wear tattoos that told stories of beauty, protection, and strength. When her grandmother passed away, Melat turned those exact patterns into the foundation of her Ethiopian fashion brand, DolMel.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, Melat shares how she is fighting to preserve Ethiopia's handwoven textile traditions against the rise of cheap fast fashion, and what her work means to Ethiopians in the diaspora who are finding their way back to their roots. </p><p></p><p>Watch the full video episode on YouTube, search Tami Dee Garcia or Roots Renewed. Learn more about Tami at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a>.</p>no00:30:14Tattoos Like Her Grandmother full<![CDATA[He Had Everything. It Felt Like a Prison: A West Indian Journey Back to His Roots]]>Hugo Maynard grew up in the worst part of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, built a pharmaceutical company, won an Olympic medal, and acquired everything the world told him to want. Then he sat in his Bentley and felt nothing. His reconnection to his West Indian roots did not start on a plane back to the islands. It started with brutal honesty with himself. From that truth, his family's story — a father on a piece of plywood with $17, a mother homeless and pregnant, a bloodline stretching back to a prime minister — started to make sense.

 

This episode is about what happens when the life the world sold you stops working, and you finally go back to where you actually came from. Watch the full video episode on YouTube at tamigarcia.com.

]]>3a8d0101-b532-4cbe-81a6-5b1aa84715ceWed, 24 Jun 2026 01:42:33 GMT<p>Hugo Maynard grew up in the worst part of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, built a pharmaceutical company, won an Olympic medal, and acquired everything the world told him to want. Then he sat in his Bentley and felt nothing. His reconnection to his West Indian roots did not start on a plane back to the islands. It started with brutal honesty with himself. From that truth, his family's story — a father on a piece of plywood with $17, a mother homeless and pregnant, a bloodline stretching back to a prime minister — started to make sense.</p><p> </p><p>This episode is about what happens when the life the world sold you stops working, and you finally go back to where you actually came from. Watch the full video episode on YouTube at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a>.</p>no00:24:22He Had Everything. It Felt Like a Prison: A West Indian Journey Back to His Rootsfull<![CDATA[Her DNA Test Led to a Ghanaian Passport ]]>Kim Lawson took a DNA test after her mother passed — hoping to find family. What she found was a Nigerian family, a Ghanaian queen mother who looked exactly like her, royal roots on both sides of her family, and a Ghanaian citizenship she earned by going to Ghana three times in five months. Her family thought she had lost her mind. The passport proved otherwise.

 

This episode covers the DNA test that started everything, the moment she walked into a room and saw an older version of herself, what it means to reconnect with Africa rather than reclaim it, and exactly what to do after your DNA test this week.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube at tamigarcia.com.

]]>0ba8a4ec-4a3a-4515-8782-265e37b2e798Fri, 19 Jun 2026 18:02:08 GMT<p>Kim Lawson took a DNA test after her mother passed — hoping to find family. What she found was a Nigerian family, a Ghanaian queen mother who looked exactly like her, royal roots on both sides of her family, and a Ghanaian citizenship she earned by going to Ghana three times in five months. Her family thought she had lost her mind. The passport proved otherwise.</p><p> </p><p>This episode covers the DNA test that started everything, the moment she walked into a room and saw an older version of herself, what it means to reconnect with Africa rather than reclaim it, and exactly what to do after your DNA test this week. </p><p></p><p>Watch the full video episode on YouTube at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a>.</p>no00:38:25Her DNA Test Led to a Ghanaian Passport full<![CDATA["I Still Can't Get It Right" ]]>His mother gave him her rice-and-beans recipe. She never gave him the measurements. He has tried to get it right ever since.

 

Roberto Hannibal grew up in New Jersey while spending his summers in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. Last year, he left a full-time career in public health to become a full-time creative — including a cooking show called Flavors We Inherit, where friends teach him recipes passed down in their families while the stories, memories, and people behind every dish get told out loud before they disappear.

This is a conversation about what a family recipe actually holds. What happens to our culture when corporations package it and sell it back to us? And the one step anyone can take this week to make sure a family tradition does not go with the person who holds it.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube at tamigarcia.com or search for Roots Renwed.

 

]]>4644e443-4a6d-4550-a15e-2e2a092d4af1Tue, 16 Jun 2026 23:18:03 GMT<p>His mother gave him her rice-and-beans recipe. She never gave him the measurements. He has tried to get it right ever since.</p><p> </p><p>Roberto Hannibal grew up in New Jersey while spending his summers in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. Last year, he left a full-time career in public health to become a full-time creative — including a cooking show called Flavors We Inherit, where friends teach him recipes passed down in their families while the stories, memories, and people behind every dish get told out loud before they disappear. </p><p></p><p>This is a conversation about what a family recipe actually holds. What happens to our culture when corporations package it and sell it back to us? And the one step anyone can take this week to make sure a family tradition does not go with the person who holds it. </p><p></p><p>Watch the full video episode on YouTube at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a> or search for Roots Renwed. </p><p> </p>no00:23:31"I Still Can't Get It Right" full<![CDATA[Her grandmother's diaries sat there for 100 years. Nobody asked.]]>Tamara Buzyna Adams always knew her grandmother's diaries were there. Five volumes. Over 100 years old. Written in Russian by an 11-year-old girl living on a steamship in the Black Sea during the Russian Civil War.

Nobody ever opened them. Nobody asked. Then COVID hit, her mother made a decision, and Tamara spent the next five years finding out what was inside.

What she found changed everything. She tracked down descendants of people who were on the same ship and gave strangers the story of their own people.

Her one tangible step for anyone who wants to start: digitize what you have before it is gone. Watch the full video episode on YouTube at tamigarcia.com or search for Roots Renewed.

]]>cd72a0d3-2eb0-463f-8c7f-adc31e82839eTue, 09 Jun 2026 20:39:07 GMT<p>Tamara Buzyna Adams always knew her grandmother's diaries were there. Five volumes. Over 100 years old. Written in Russian by an 11-year-old girl living on a steamship in the Black Sea during the Russian Civil War.</p><p></p><p>Nobody ever opened them. Nobody asked. Then COVID hit, her mother made a decision, and Tamara spent the next five years finding out what was inside.</p><p></p><p>What she found changed everything. She tracked down descendants of people who were on the same ship and gave strangers the story of their own people.</p><p></p><p>Her one tangible step for anyone who wants to start: digitize what you have before it is gone. Watch the full video episode on YouTube at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a> or search for Roots Renewed.</p>no00:29:52Her grandmother's diaries sat there for 100 years. Nobody asked.full<![CDATA[ From a Locked Door to Ancestors Waking Her Up at 2:58AM]]>Marla Teyolia grew up four miles from the Mexican border, the only one in her family born in the United States. In her 20s, she was meditating behind a locked bedroom door so her mother would not see her. Thirty years later, she runs a coaching firm, works with executives at some of the world's most powerful institutions, and still communes with her ancestors every morning. She never had to choose between those worlds. She just had to wait until the roots were strong enough.

 

This is a conversation about curanderismo and what it actually is, about the gold necklace that broke in the ocean when she was ten and what it meant, about the night the ancestors woke her up at 2:58AM with instructions, and about why she believes you cannot AI your way out of the need to reconnect with your humanity.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube at tamideegarcia or search Roots Renewed.

]]>0a5fcd4e-6505-4091-91a7-68a8dd3c18c7Tue, 26 May 2026 20:06:16 GMT<p>Marla Teyolia grew up four miles from the Mexican border, the only one in her family born in the United States. In her 20s, she was meditating behind a locked bedroom door so her mother would not see her. Thirty years later, she runs a coaching firm, works with executives at some of the world's most powerful institutions, and still communes with her ancestors every morning. She never had to choose between those worlds. She just had to wait until the roots were strong enough.</p><p> </p><p>This is a conversation about curanderismo and what it actually is, about the gold necklace that broke in the ocean when she was ten and what it meant, about the night the ancestors woke her up at 2:58AM with instructions, and about why she believes you cannot AI your way out of the need to reconnect with your humanity. </p><p></p><p>Watch the full video episode on YouTube at tamideegarcia or search Roots Renewed.</p>no00:33:11 From a Locked Door to Ancestors Waking Her Up at 2:58AMfull<![CDATA["I Forgot You Were Chinese" — Reclaiming Chinese Canadian Ancestry ]]>She code-switched so completely that one day a childhood friend said — "I forgot you were Chinese."

Lisa Dare grew up Chinese at home and white everywhere else. In this episode she talks about what it cost to fit in, what a trip to China changed in her, and what she is doing now to stay connected to where she comes from. Watch the full video episode on YouTube at tamigarcia.com.

]]>2ed346e2-969e-4c95-85e5-783e9d6521acWed, 20 May 2026 01:24:00 GMT<p>She code-switched so completely that one day a childhood friend said — "I forgot you were Chinese."<br /></p><p>Lisa Dare grew up Chinese at home and white everywhere else. In this episode she talks about what it cost to fit in, what a trip to China changed in her, and what she is doing now to stay connected to where she comes from. Watch the full video episode on YouTube at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a>.</p>no00:21:47"I Forgot You Were Chinese" — Reclaiming Chinese Canadian Ancestry full<![CDATA[What Do You Do When You Cannot Undo Your Family's Past. Part 2]]>Part 1 was the reckoning. Part 2 is what you do with it.

Natalie Berthe found out her family were active participants in the administration of the Belgian Congo. In Part 2 she talks about reconciling love for her family with the truth of what they did, what her responsibility looks like going forward, and why she is not looking away. Including her heritage fragment, one step for anyone whose heritage includes harm, and why this is not courage — it is just really uncomfortable, which is not the same thing as hard.

Watch Part 1 first on YouTube

Watch Part 2 on YouTube

Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club

]]>5a563e5c-9e0f-4827-9f95-75e0c073430fTue, 12 May 2026 17:42:05 GMT<p>Part 1 was the reckoning. Part 2 is what you do with it.</p><p></p><p>Natalie Berthe found out her family were active participants in the administration of the Belgian Congo. In Part 2 she talks about reconciling love for her family with the truth of what they did, what her responsibility looks like going forward, and why she is not looking away. Including her heritage fragment, one step for anyone whose heritage includes harm, and why this is not courage — it is just really uncomfortable, which is not the same thing as hard.</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUBtfZukwhE&amp;t=440s" target="_blank">Watch Part 1 first on YouTube</a></p><p>Watch Part 2 on YouTube</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com/membership" target="_blank">Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club</a></p>no00:17:33What Do You Do When You Cannot Undo Your Family's Past. Part 2full<![CDATA[Her Family Built the Panama Canal. Now Her Daughter Tells Her to Speak Regular.]]>She was born in the United States. Her parents are Panamanian. She goes back every year. She cooks the food, plays the music, and speaks the language in her house. She has done everything right.

And then her four-year-old told her to speak regular.

Her family came to Panama to build the canal. They planted there and never left. Jessica Fisher Golden has never once doubted that she is Panamanian.

In this conversation she and host Tami Dee Garcia talk about what it means to hold your culture when the world around your children does not see it, the Afro-Latina identity that American culture still does not know what to do with, and a dying Caribbean lineage inside a Panama that most people have never heard of.

New episodes every Tuesday. Host Tami Dee Garcia is a Heritage Reconnection Coach and Amazon bestselling author of Rediscovering Your Roots.

Learn more at tamigarcia.com.

]]>4e164319-d0cb-49fb-a546-1fe03fe0262aWed, 06 May 2026 01:12:55 GMT<p>She was born in the United States. Her parents are Panamanian. She goes back every year. She cooks the food, plays the music, and speaks the language in her house. She has done everything right. </p><p></p><p>And then her four-year-old told her to speak regular.</p><p></p><p>Her family came to Panama to build the canal. They planted there and never left. Jessica Fisher Golden has never once doubted that she is Panamanian.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation she and host Tami Dee Garcia talk about what it means to hold your culture when the world around your children does not see it, the Afro-Latina identity that American culture still does not know what to do with, and a dying Caribbean lineage inside a Panama that most people have never heard of.</p><p></p><p>New episodes every Tuesday. Host Tami Dee Garcia is a Heritage Reconnection Coach and Amazon bestselling author of Rediscovering Your Roots. </p><p></p><p>Learn more at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a>.</p>no00:38:41Her Family Built the Panama Canal. Now Her Daughter Tells Her to Speak Regular.full<![CDATA[She Spent Her Life Fighting Colonizers. Then She Found Out. Part 1]]>She spent her life calling out racism and fighting for justice. Then she found out her family were the colonizers she had been fighting against her entire life.

Natalie Berthe is Belgian and Italian, born in the United States with Belgian citizenship. She always knew her family had ties to the Belgian Congo. She did not know what that actually meant until recently.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Natalie sits with the reckoning — what it felt like to find out, what her father told her about Bon Papa, and what it means to love someone and then learn what they did.

Part 2 continues Thursday.

Watch on YouTube: [your YouTube link]

Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: tamigarcia.com/membership

]]>f0e5f15e-d882-4548-a87e-09cb47eec751Tue, 28 Apr 2026 23:43:14 GMT<p>She spent her life calling out racism and fighting for justice. Then she found out her family were the colonizers she had been fighting against her entire life.</p><p></p><p>Natalie Berthe is Belgian and Italian, born in the United States with Belgian citizenship. She always knew her family had ties to the Belgian Congo. She did not know what that actually meant until recently.</p><p></p><p>In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Natalie sits with the reckoning — what it felt like to find out, what her father told her about Bon Papa, and what it means to love someone and then learn what they did.</p><p></p><p>Part 2 continues Thursday.</p><p></p><p>Watch on YouTube: [your YouTube link]</p><p>Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com/membership" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com/membership</a></p>no00:23:23She Spent Her Life Fighting Colonizers. Then She Found Out. Part 1full<![CDATA[Her Grandmother Was a Hoodoo Woman. She Had No Idea.]]>Chlarissa Harrison can only trace her family back to her grandparents. Slavery erased what came before. And yet she moves through life as if her ancestors are present every day.

 

In this episode, she talks about grief as the doorway into heritage reconnection, what her grandmother's hoodoo practices actually mean and where they came from, the ancestor tree dream that gave her a glimpse of faces she had never seen, and why their comfort is no longer her concern.

 

Watch the full episode on YouTube. Search Roots Renewed. New episode every Tuesday.

 

Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: tamigarcia.com/membership

Instagram and Facebook: @tamideegarcia  |  Website: tamigarcia.com

]]>64d2e843-7b03-4481-ac18-87b9c7c69a9eTue, 21 Apr 2026 17:17:50 GMT<p>Chlarissa Harrison can only trace her family back to her grandparents. Slavery erased what came before. And yet she moves through life as if her ancestors are present every day.</p><p> </p><p>In this episode, she talks about grief as the doorway into heritage reconnection, what her grandmother's hoodoo practices actually mean and where they came from, the ancestor tree dream that gave her a glimpse of faces she had never seen, and why their comfort is no longer her concern.</p><p> </p><p>Watch the full episode on YouTube. Search Roots Renewed. New episode every Tuesday.</p><p> </p><p>Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com/membership" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com/membership</a></p><p></p><p>Instagram and Facebook: @tamideegarcia  |  Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a></p>no00:15:59Her Grandmother Was a Hoodoo Woman. She Had No Idea.full<![CDATA[Not From Here. Not From There. Finally From Somewhere.]]>She was adopted at birth and spent decades not knowing where she was from. At 21, a one-page letter told her she was Ecuadorian. Then a DNA test connected her to a nephew her husband had known for ten years.

 

In this episode, Ariana Quinones talks about claiming Puerto Rican when she had no other country, walking into a town in Ecuador where everyone looked like her, the tattoo she got before she understood what she was claiming, and the phone call that finally brought her home.

 

Watch the full episode on YouTube. Search Roots Renewed.

 

New episode every Tuesday.

 

Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: tamigarcia.com/membership

 

Instagram and Facebook: @tamideegarcia

Website: tamigarcia.com

]]>06189d28-0fba-4bbf-81e5-c71f4b9382c9Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:15:00 GMT<p>She was adopted at birth and spent decades not knowing where she was from. At 21, a one-page letter told her she was Ecuadorian. Then a DNA test connected her to a nephew her husband had known for ten years.</p><p> </p><p>In this episode, Ariana Quinones talks about claiming Puerto Rican when she had no other country, walking into a town in Ecuador where everyone looked like her, the tattoo she got before she understood what she was claiming, and the phone call that finally brought her home.</p><p> </p><p>Watch the full episode on YouTube. Search Roots Renewed.</p><p> </p><p>New episode every Tuesday.</p><p> </p><p>Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com/membership" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com/membership</a></p><p> </p><p>Instagram and Facebook: @tamideegarcia</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a></p>no00:30:48Not From Here. Not From There. Finally From Somewhere.full<![CDATA[The Only Difference Between You and Me Is a Stop on the Ship]]>Some people talk about reconnecting the African diaspora. Today's guest has spent thirty years actually doing it.

Dr. Omowale Crenshaw grew up in San Francisco with deep Louisiana Creole roots. He went to Howard University where the world opened up for him. His name, Omowale, meaning the son who has returned after a long journey, came from his father's Yoruba roots and the Black consciousness movement that shaped his family.

In this conversation Omowale talks about what it felt like to land on the African continent for the first time as an African American, why the only difference between the diaspora across continents is a stop on the ship, how his corridor principle has taken him from San Francisco to Nigeria to Cuba to Colombia to Rwanda, and what he is building to leave behind for future generations.

Watch the full episode on YouTube for the complete conversation including the heritage fragment moment and the student stories. Search Roots Renewed on YouTube.

New episode every Tuesday.

Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: tamigarcia.com/membership

Instagram and Facebook: @tamideegarcia

Website: tamigarcia.com

]]>2a342787-dc71-4a9a-8231-d99730381c48Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>Some people talk about reconnecting the African diaspora. Today's guest has spent thirty years actually doing it.</p><p></p><p>Dr. Omowale Crenshaw grew up in San Francisco with deep Louisiana Creole roots. He went to Howard University where the world opened up for him. His name, Omowale, meaning the son who has returned after a long journey, came from his father's Yoruba roots and the Black consciousness movement that shaped his family.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation Omowale talks about what it felt like to land on the African continent for the first time as an African American, why the only difference between the diaspora across continents is a stop on the ship, how his corridor principle has taken him from San Francisco to Nigeria to Cuba to Colombia to Rwanda, and what he is building to leave behind for future generations.</p><p></p><p>Watch the full episode on YouTube for the complete conversation including the heritage fragment moment and the student stories. Search Roots Renewed on YouTube.</p><p></p><p>New episode every Tuesday.</p><p></p><p>Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com/membership" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com/membership</a></p><p>Instagram and Facebook: @tamideegarcia </p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a></p>no00:28:34The Only Difference Between You and Me Is a Stop on the Shipfull<![CDATA[Nobody Was Making Room for African Diaspora Designers. So She Did.]]>Nobody was making room for designers from the African diaspora. So, she did.

 

Anika Hobbs is the founder of Nubian Hueman in Washington DC, a retail space centered on designers from the African diaspora. She built it in 2013, before any of this was trending, after asking herself why she could find the same white shirt anywhere in the world but could not find Black designers on a shelf.

 

In this conversation Anika talks about growing up African American not knowing where the African part came from, the DNA test that gave her a guide star, bringing her lineage to her 104 year old grandmother before she passed, how fashion became a gateway for people to reconnect with their heritage, and what it cost her to build something the world was not ready for yet.

 

Watch the full episode on YouTube for Anika's walk through the store and the stories behind every piece. Search Roots Renewed on YouTube.

 

New episode every Tuesday.

 

Connect with Anika: @nubianhueman

 

Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: tamigarcia.com/membership

 

Instagram and Facebook: @tamideegarcia

Website: tamigarcia.com

]]>20f95509-d4c5-4bc7-bad6-94349ee005f5Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:15:00 GMT<p>Nobody was making room for designers from the African diaspora. So, she did.</p><p> </p><p>Anika Hobbs is the founder of Nubian Hueman in Washington DC, a retail space centered on designers from the African diaspora. She built it in 2013, before any of this was trending, after asking herself why she could find the same white shirt anywhere in the world but could not find Black designers on a shelf.</p><p> </p><p>In this conversation Anika talks about growing up African American not knowing where the African part came from, the DNA test that gave her a guide star, bringing her lineage to her 104 year old grandmother before she passed, how fashion became a gateway for people to reconnect with their heritage, and what it cost her to build something the world was not ready for yet.</p><p> </p><p>Watch the full episode on YouTube for Anika's walk through the store and the stories behind every piece. Search Roots Renewed on YouTube.</p><p> </p><p>New episode every Tuesday.</p><p> </p><p>Connect with Anika: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/nubianhueman/" target="_blank">@nubianhueman</a></p><p> </p><p>Join the Cultural Roots Reconnection Club: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com/membership" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com/membership</a></p><p> </p><p>Instagram and Facebook: @tamideegarcia</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://tamigarcia.com" target="_blank">tamigarcia.com</a></p>no00:33:1012Nobody Was Making Room for African Diaspora Designers. So She Did.full<![CDATA[They Renamed Her at School. As an Adult, She Took Her Name Back.]]>MarieYolaine grew up between two worlds: Haitian at home, American everywhere else. At six years old, a teacher couldn't pronounce her name and gave her a new one. She answered to it for decades. It wasn't until she went back to Haiti, walking up a mountain and hearing people call her real name, that she realized how much she had missed it.

This is a conversation about what it means to carry your culture with pride, navigate identity across borders and generations, and reclaim what was always yours.

IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Power of a Name: The moment she realized her identity had been taken, and the journey to take it back.
  • Haitian "24/7 and Twice on Sundays": Navigating the distance between cultures without losing the connection.
  • The Reframe: Why she left her corporate career after the 2010 Haiti earthquake to found C2C Haiti.
  • Closing the Gap: One practical step anyone can take to reconnect with their own heritage.

TIMESTAMPS:

  • 00:00 — Introduction: Tami shares her journey of cultural reconnection.
  • 02:32 — Identity: "I am Haitian, 24/7 and twice on Sundays".
  • 05:07 — Two Worlds: Navigating life in a "dual identity" between home and school.
  • 11:31 — The Lesson: The difference between insulating children and preparing them for life.
  • 17:45 — The Name Story: How a first-grade teacher replaced "MarieYolaine" with "Marie Brown".
  • 20:10 — The Reclaiming: Hearing her real name called on a mountain in Haiti.
  • 22:16 — The Filter: Why using a person's correct name is an act of dignity and respect.
  • 30:20 — Closing the Gap: One step anyone can take to reconnect with their heritage.

CONNECT WITH MarieYolaine

TAKE ACTION TODAY:

  1. JOIN THE CULTURAL ROOTS RECONNECTION CLUB: Access exclusive resources, community calls, and guided support for your own journey of reclamation.

  2. SUBSCRIBE: Follow the show on this platform to never miss an episode.

  3. REFLECT: What is one small step you can take this week to "close the gap" with your roots?

READY TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR ROOTS?

If this episode stirred something in you, that pull toward your heritage or your family story, you don't have to figure it out alone. MarieYolaine reminds us that it is not about "disconnection," it is simply about "distance." Whether you are just beginning to close the gap or you are ready to stand ten toes down in your truth, Roots Renewed is a space built for you.

Your heritage is yours. No one gets to define it for you. It’s something you claim, and when you do, it changes how you move through the world.

As MarieYolaine says: Period, full stop.

]]>aed81a62-be89-4f92-89ec-85921b920796Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:07:30 GMT<p>MarieYolaine grew up between two worlds: Haitian at home, American everywhere else. At six years old, a teacher couldn't pronounce her name and gave her a new one. She answered to it for decades. It wasn't until she went back to Haiti, walking up a mountain and hearing people call her real name, that she realized how much she had missed it.</p><p></p><p>This is a conversation about what it means to carry your culture with pride, navigate identity across borders and generations, and reclaim what was always yours.</p><p></p><p><b>IN THIS EPISODE:</b></p><ul><li><b>The Power of a Name:</b> The moment she realized her identity had been taken, and the journey to take it back.</li><li><b>Haitian "24/7 and Twice on Sundays":</b> Navigating the distance between cultures without losing the connection.</li><li><b>The Reframe:</b> Why she left her corporate career after the 2010 Haiti earthquake to found <b>C2C Haiti</b>.</li><li><b>Closing the Gap:</b> One practical step anyone can take to reconnect with their own heritage.<p></p></li></ul><p><b>TIMESTAMPS:</b></p><ul><li><b>00:00</b> — <b>Introduction: </b>Tami shares her journey of cultural reconnection.</li><li><b>02:32</b> — <b>Identity:</b> "I am Haitian, 24/7 and twice on Sundays".</li><li><b>05:07</b> —<b> Two Worlds:</b> Navigating life in a "dual identity" between home and school.</li><li><b>11:31</b> — <b>The Lesson: </b>The difference between insulating children and preparing them for life.</li><li><b>17:45</b> — <b>The Name Story:</b> How a first-grade teacher replaced "MarieYolaine" with "Marie Brown".</li><li><b>20:10</b> — <b>The Reclaiming:</b> Hearing her real name called on a mountain in Haiti.</li><li><b>22:16</b> — <b>The Filter: </b>Why using a person's correct name is an act of dignity and respect.</li><li><b>30:20</b> — <b>Closing the Gap: </b>One step anyone can take to reconnect with their heritage.<p></p></li></ul><p><b>CONNECT WITH MarieYolaine</b></p><ul><li><b>C2C Haiti:</b> <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://c2chaiti.org" target="_blank">https://c2chaiti.org</a></li><li><b>Instagram:</b> @MarieYolaineToms<p></p></li></ul><p><b>TAKE ACTION TODAY:</b></p><ol><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.skool.com/cultural-roots-reconnection-8301" target="_blank"><b>JOIN THE CULTURAL ROOTS RECONNECTION CLUB:</b> </a>Access exclusive resources, community calls, and guided support for your own journey of reclamation.<p></p></li><li><b>SUBSCRIBE:</b> Follow the show on this platform to never miss an episode.<p></p></li><li><b>REFLECT:</b> What is one small step you can take this week to "close the gap" with your roots?<p></p></li></ol><p><b>READY TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR ROOTS?</b></p><p>If this episode stirred something in you, that pull toward your heritage or your family story, you don't have to figure it out alone. MarieYolaine reminds us that it is not about "disconnection," it is simply about "distance." Whether you are just beginning to close the gap or you are ready to stand ten toes down in your truth, <b>Roots Renewed</b> is a space built for you.</p><p></p><p>Your heritage is yours. No one gets to define it for you. It’s something you claim, and when you do, it changes how you move through the world.</p><p></p><p><b>As MarieYolaine says: Period, full stop.</b></p>no00:32:4811They Renamed Her at School. As an Adult, She Took Her Name Back.full<![CDATA[ Introducing Roots Renewed ]]>In this short introduction, I share why I created this podcast and what you can expect from our conversations.

For most of my life, I thought I didn’t have the right to claim my culture. I grew up disconnected from my Dominican and Jamaican heritage and felt like a cultural imposter. Then I realized something that changed everything.

Your heritage is yours.

This podcast is for people who grew up between worlds, who feel too much or not enough, and who want to reclaim their story and build a legacy they are proud to pass on.

Each week, I sit with guests across cultures and diasporas who are choosing to live more aligned with who they are and where they come from. We talk about the struggle. And we talk about the shift. What changed. What was reclaimed. What we’re doing differently now.

We don’t start with everything.
We start with one thing.
And we build from there.

]]>9007dc97-a0b4-4c3f-b238-c9ff04757460Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:55:15 GMT<p>In this short introduction, I share why I created this podcast and what you can expect from our conversations.<br /><br />For most of my life, I thought I didn’t have the right to claim my culture. I grew up disconnected from my Dominican and Jamaican heritage and felt like a cultural imposter. Then I realized something that changed everything.<br /><br />Your heritage is yours.<br /><br />This podcast is for people who grew up between worlds, who feel too much or not enough, and who want to reclaim their story and build a legacy they are proud to pass on.<br /><br />Each week, I sit with guests across cultures and diasporas who are choosing to live more aligned with who they are and where they come from. We talk about the struggle. And we talk about the shift. What changed. What was reclaimed. What we’re doing differently now.<br /><br />We don’t start with everything.<br />We start with one thing.<br />And we build from there.</p>no00:02:401 Introducing Roots Renewed trailer