I’d like to thank Shukura Clarke for coming on the podcast this week. Shukura is the creator of the Issa Sisterhood podcast. She studied Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa with a minor in psychology. She went to elementary school in Burlington.

A Canadian born of Jamaican parents, she is an intelligent well-spoken young woman. Shukura is also a major foodie and gym enthusiast who loves training people. In addition she advocates for social justice through her podcast platform.

I think you will enjoy this lively and resource-packed discussion. We start the conversation off by Shukura telling us about her background, her podcast and her experiences. She is driven by the need for black women to tell their stories to strengthen their bond.

You’ll Learn:
• [02:01] – Shukura begins our conversation by telling us about her Podcast, how it was created based out of a Facebook Group and the topics covered in the Podcast.
• [03:01] – She informs us that she wanted the sisterhood relationship to be felt in the community by getting together other like-minded girls. She operates the podcast together with her friends Chineen, Jas and Kerry-Ann.
• [10:29] – She takes us through some of the issues that women go through especially for women of colour.
• [17:58] – She tells us about herself, where she grew up, her experiences, educational background and how race influenced her life at a young age. She says that she felt very accepted while schooling at Ottawa. As a result of that background, she doesn’t feel fragmented.
• [25:56] – She tells us about her plans for the future. In addition to making more money, she would love to gain more support from the people that are in her community. With the podcast she aspires to educate girls about school as well as empower women to pursue their passions.
• [32:05] – Shukura talks about microaggressions, couching and cultural appropriations. She further gives us some examples. This is not only displayed at the community level but also at the institutional level.
• [1:40:37] – She sums up our discussion by saying that, “In general there is a lack of communication in the black culture and these are some of the things that we are speaking about that have not been spoken before… colourism in the black community is something that needs to be addressed in order to move forward!”

Quotes by the Guest:
• [09:03] – The main thing I want out of this is; the main thing we are trying to push is that most people just want to live their lives and that`s what we relay in our podcast.

• [11:22] – We are working to empower women to know that there is space for all of us… because we have to start owning those spaces as well as support each other. Even for me, I like going to events and networking ventures that are inspired by women!

• [21:02] – I love to train people. I get to be that little powerful person in people`s lives. It`s really cool to adapt to each person while training them. That`s what I love the most about it!