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A black woman with white hair in an afro smiles at the camera. She is wearing big, dangling gold circles as earrings, glasses with a green marbled frame, red-orange lipstick and a multi-colored short turtleneck with horizontal stripes.

Omisade Burney-Scott

Omisade Burney-Scott (she / her) is a Black southern 7th-generation native North Carolinian feminist, social justice advocate and creative with decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, philanthropy and social justice.

She has worked with WUNC on many projects, including as guest host of Embodied.

  • An illustration of three masculine-presenting Black people in a canoe, paddling through a swamp. The person in the front is wearing a green baseball cap, a purple T-shirt, green shorts and a yellow life vest. The person in the middle is wearing a light green beanie, sunglasses, a blue T-shirt, khaki shorts and a yellow life vest. That person has facial hair on their chin. The person in the back of the canoe is larger-bodied, wearing glasses, an orange T-shirt, blue shorts and a yellow life vest. There are swamp trees in the background and the words "Embodied Opened Up" in the lower left hand corner of the illustration.
    Opened Up: Black Masculinity and Friendship
    Paige Miranda
    Building intimate friendships can be difficult, especially for men and masculine-of-center people. Guest host Omisade Burney-Scott talks to four Black men about how they navigate masculinity, friendship and vulnerability.
  • An illustration of a Black person’s hand holding up a diva cup that is a third full with dark red liquid. We see the hand from the wrist up. The background is filled with blobby shapes that range from brown-red to dark red to light pink in color. Some of the blobs have white outlines.
    Blood wisdom: what we can learn from our periods
    Paige Miranda
    There are 1.8 billion monthly menstruators worldwide. Better understanding the science behind period blood, as well as cultural stigma and period policy, can help menstruators everywhere break down period myths.
  • An illustration of a Black person’s hand holding up a diva cup that is a third full with dark red liquid. We see the hand from the wrist up. The background is filled with blobby shapes that range from brown-red to dark red to light pink in color. Some of the blobs have white outlines. The word “Menstruated” is written in red text across the top left corner.
    Menstruated: What Our Period Blood Tells Us
    Paige Miranda
    In the 34 years that guest host Omisade Burney-Scott was a menstruating person, she always felt that blood held more significance than just the biological. She meets an OB/GYN who shares little-known facts about period blood, and talks with two menstrual health advocates about how art and community have connected them to their cycles. Plus, an attorney discusses what she's paying attention to this year in terms of period policy.
  • An illustration of a Black parent on their knees with a calm face looking into the eyes of their Black child, who looks angry. The parent has locs in ponytail and is wearing glasses. It looks like they are talking to the child calmly. The child also has locs. They are standing outside of a building.
    The Far Reach of Intentional Parenting
    Kaia Findlay
    The trend of “gentle” or “intentional” parenting faces plenty of skepticism in the child-rearing realm. But by rethinking the way we communicate and set boundaries with kids, some folks are finding liberation in multiple types of relationships.
  • An illustration of a Black parent on their knees with a calm face looking into the eyes of their Black child, who looks angry. The parent has locs in ponytail and is wearing glasses. It looks like they are talking to the child calmly. The child also has locs. They are standing outside of a building. The word “Intentioned” is in the upper lefthand corner.
    Intentioned: Parenting Ourselves And Our Kids
    Kaia Findlay
    Guest host Omisade Burney-Scott is well aware that gentle parenting is a divisive concept. So she's gets into it! Omi talks with two other Black mothers about their definitions of gentle parenting and how it can break cycles of generational trauma. Then her older son shares how he has seen her parenting evolve over the past three decades.
  • A hazy photo showing the back of someone holding a knife with what looks like blood dripping off of it.
    Why We Can’t Look Away From Black Horror
    Kaia Findlay
    The legacy of Black Horror films — horror made by, for and/or about Black people — goes back decades. And it has a lot to teach us not only about the power of fear, but the necessity of joy.
  • An illustration featuring a bearded zombie-like figure rising out of water holding onto a Black woman who looks scared. Behind them is a sign that says "Danger: Quicksand Keep Away!" On the left of the image are the words: "History! Body memory! Joy! Catharsis! Vampires! It's...Black Horror on Embodied!" And in the front and center of the image is the word "Horrified."
    Horrified: Joy, Memory & The Body In Black Horror
    Kaia Findlay
    For most of guest host Omisade Burney-Scott's life, she was a reluctant viewer of horror films — squinting through her fingers long enough to get to the closing credits. In recent years, that trepidation has turned into thrill as she's watched the Black horror genre evolve. She talks with a filmmaker, director and horror scholar about how they see their own experiences reflected in the Black horror renaissance.
  • An image of two astrological birth charts sitting on a table.
    More than Horoscopes: Astrology for Self-Exploration and Social Justice
    Audrey Smith
    Cultures across the world have consulted the stars about everything from agricultural practices and politics to romantic compatibility. Whether you’re a casual consumer of astro memes or intimately familiar with each planet’s position within your chart, digging deeper into astrology can be a meaningful form of self-reflection.
  • An illustration showing two Black femme-presenting people sitting on a bed looking down at a magazine. They are each wearing star signs on their shirts. There is a lava lamp on a table next to the bed and the word "Destined" is in the upper left corner.
    Destined: Using The Stars As A Guide
    Audrey Smith
    Guest host Omisade Burney-Scott is a proud Aries Sun-Leo moon-Virgo rising and has been looking to the stars since the '70s. She and her best friend of over 50 years look back on how astrology influenced their relationship growing up and how they move in the world today. Plus, she talks to two astrologers about how this practice can play a role in social justice movements and in the intersections of our identities.
  • An illustration of a family walking on a beach with the word "Co-Parented" in the upper right-hand corner. A dark-skinned man with black hair and a light-skinned woman with brown hair are on either side of a young child, holding each of their hands, while a man with brown skin walks slightly behind them.
    Co-Parented: Raising Children in Community
    Kaia Findlay
    Anita turns the mic over to guest host Omisade Burney-Scott to explore the many ways folks are raising kids outside the nuclear family unit. First, Omi talks with one of her co-parents about their evolution from romantic partners to partners in parenting. Plus, she meets a woman who is part of a four-person parenting structure and hears from someone who is creating resources for folks in blended families.