A Podcast Interview with the hosts, Elizabeth Lashay, Erniko Brown, and Kimala Luna.

This week we flip the script as Chaya Brennan Agarwal interviews the hosts of Woods & Wilds: The Podcast, Erniko Brown & Kimala Luna from Dogwood Alliance and Elizabeth Lashay from SlayTheMic, about their connection to nature, motivation, and staying connected to the work.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal is a rising third-year undergraduate at Duke University from Los Angeles, California, majoring in International Comparative Studies. She is passionate about climate justice and raising awareness of environmental issues through documentary arts, especially photography and painting. She is the Marketing and Communications Intern at Dogwood Alliance.

Join Dogwood Alliance and SlayTheMic as we bring you tales of connection to nature and music.

Listen to the full Woods & Wilds: The Podcast featuring The Hosts:

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Read the full transcript of our interview with Elizabeth Lashay, Erniko Brown, and Kimala Luna!

Full Transcript featuring The Hosts:

Elizabeth Lashay:
All right. Well, hello everyone. I’m Elizabeth Lashay from Slay The Mic, and I’m joined by my wonderful cohosts.

Erniko Brown:
Well, I am Erniko from Dogwood Alliance, one of the amazing co-hosts, and our next co-host is:

Kimala Luna:
I’m Kimala Luna, also with Dogwood Alliance, and today, we are introducing a special guest. This is Chaya Brennan Agarwal, who is a rising third-year undergraduate at Duke University from Los Angeles, California, majoring in international comparative studies. She is passionate about climate justice and raising awareness of environmental issues through documentary arts, especially photography and painting. She is the marketing and communications intern this summer at Dogwood Alliance, and this week, we are flipping the script and Chaya will be interviewing us so that we can tell you a little bit more about who brings you this podcast each time. Hi Chaya.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Hi everyone. So to start, Erniko, I had a question for you. Why did you decide to run for a public office, and how has it been to hold this position?

Erniko Brown:
Oh wow. Who told you that information, because I didn’t say that. But no, seriously, what made me run was the fact that we are… Well, Black people aren’t historically at the table, and I also felt like it was a very unique position to be in, as in that position is historically held by older white people. And so I wanted to make it a place where people see the possibility and access and that it’s not enough to organize around issues. We have to have a seat at the table. If we have a seat at the table, then it’s possible to create that change that we want to see in our communities.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Yeah, that’s amazing. And this is a question for you all. When did you first feel a connection to nature and to the forest?

Elizabeth Lashay:
That’s a great question. I think I really started to have a deeper connection after some traumatic experiences, and it really made me realize how much I needed the outdoors in order to heal. And so I would really have to say it was whenever I was 22 and I felt like the world was kind of coming down on me. So I feel like it’s been a little bit later than other people where they’re like, “Oh, I love nature and I’ve been outside.” But it took me some time, and I also think it’s just, you find yourself whenever you are met with adversity. So I would say in my early twenties is when I found my love for nature.

Erniko Brown:
Cool. I’ll go next. So for me, I’m a country girl. I come from the country, so the earth has been my playground my entire life, from gardening to farming, to just being out in nature. I come from a very rural area, so there wasn’t a lot of economic buildup there. And so if you wanted to do something outside of watching The Price Is Right, you had to go outside. And the way that they used to say it is don’t come back in the house until the street lights come on. So my love of nature came out of just not really knowing that there was a love for it and being in the space and constantly exploring it.

Kimala Luna:
Yeah. I also grew up in a rural area, and so I spent a lot of time outside, but really I feel like the first time I felt a deep connection was there was the tree in my backyard that had a branch just low enough for me to be able to lift myself up on it when I was really small. And I just developed this friendship with this one tree, and it felt really real to me. Because I was a kid, I could pretend that it was more, I don’t know, animated than it actually was, but it still feels like a real friendship.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Yeah. I definitely relate to a lot of those answers. And then I guess going off of Elizabeth’s answer, do you have a go-to place in nature where you can find peace and healing, and how does nature emotionally affect you in times of conflict and adversity?

Elizabeth Lashay:
I believe I have found my love of hiking, and so anywhere that gives me a different perspective, anywhere where I can hike and kind of be above the earth and overlook some things in the mountains. That’s a place of solitude for me. And I again want to follow up what I said earlier is that it has this natural healing power of centering and grounding, listening to the wind and analyzing the smell and getting in touch with all of your senses while just being in the present and in the moment is such a beautiful thing. So I would say anywhere where there’s a hike and I can overlook a beautiful landscape.

Kimala Luna:
I love that. I love that answer. I really liked what you said earlier too, Liz, about the forest as a space of healing, and then going in to illustrate all the things that you tune you in. I think that’s cool.

Elizabeth Lashay:
Yeah.

Erniko Brown:
I mean, for me, I would definitely say anywhere that there is a lake, a waterfall, or a mountain. Waterfalls are beautiful, and they seem so cleansing of the things that you’re going through. I know for me when I’m just having a hard time, just to hear the water or hearing animals out in nature, and like Liz up in the mountains, I always say that’s breathing a different type of air and it’s like clearer thinking, a different type of smell, a different type of area to bring about something different in your life, something beautiful. So anytime connecting with something beautiful brings about a different perspective in the things that you’re doing.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Was there a moment when you realized the urgency of the climate crisis and became determined to get involved with the climate justice movement?

Erniko Brown:
I know for me being in a rural area, as I stated previously, we’re not always at the table. And so when I had an opportunity to be at the table, to be a part of things, I definitely took those opportunities because I don’t carry the weight of myself; I carry the weight of my community. And so having them at the table, thinking about not only myself or the elders in my community, but the people, the young people in the futures and how this is going to affect them, and understanding that we have to be stewards, and when that opportunity presents itself, definitely step up to the plate, and so that’s what I’ve been doing.

Elizabeth Lashay:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). I think for me, again, I’ve always been on this journey of fighting for justice and especially racial inequality and justice disparities, and wanting to tackle all of the systems that impact racial discrimination and injustice. But it wasn’t until I was asked to host the annual Woods and Wilds Festival that is put on by Dogwood Alliance that I really had to analyze all the ways in which I just didn’t know what I didn’t know. And I took time to research before stepping into the role of hosting, and I started realizing it really is intertwining any injustice, and so it’s not siloed. It’s not a one-off that environmental justice is separate from anything else. And so that’s really where I started my journey was a few years ago through Dogwood Alliance, and then since then, I’ve been really excited to continue to learn, and learn from other people, and learn from my cohosts, and listen, and just see how everything is interconnected.

Kimala Luna:
Yeah. I’ve always wanted to be of value in the world. So I think I’ve always been driven to areas that I could be of service, but I think the urgency piece also didn’t really hit home until a few years ago. It was like 2017. I went to this climate action conference in New York and scientist after scientist got up on stage, letting us know that we had 20 years left as a species, which was really a heavy, heavy, heavy thought. And so looking at that and looking at all of the things that needed to be done that hadn’t been done since the 80s, when they originally knew that our planet was warming, really drove it home. And then after that, it was just looking at, like Liz was saying, all the systemic ways that injustice has been perpetuated from the beginning, it’s a part of the genesis of our nation, just made it all real.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Wow. Yeah, those are incredible answers. And then are there any leaders that are most inspirational to your work?

Kimala Luna:
I get a lot of inspiration from the people I work closest with. So I would say that Erniko and Liz are some of the people that I feel like really guide my work, and a lot of people that I work with I feel like are just doing incredible stuff that you don’t hear about. It’s like, we hear about people, major players in the climate movement and they’re doing beautiful stuff, but there’s so many people on the ground moving things every day that I feel like all deserve so much recognition.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Yeah. That’s very true. I definitely agree with that.

Elizabeth Lashay:
And I want to follow that too. There’s so many people… Today I went to a meeting in the South Side garden, and then I was able to look at the individuals who are cooking the vegetables from the garden and how it’s just something that happens, and we don’t recognize people that make things happen. So I want to follow what Kimala had said because that’s such a beautiful thing is we tend to forget. So I’m constantly inspired. I’m inspired and empowered by younger individuals and elders and being able to be a thought partner in things.

Erniko Brown:
Yeah, and I’ll just follow them too. And definitely what Slay said about the younger generation. I’m inspired that I have this opportunity, this very unique opportunity to be sitting at the table with so many people and doing the things that they will be doing. So I was inspired by them because I heard a younger podcast and I’m like, well, what if we pull this up, create a podcast around this, and have these conversations. The movement, the Black Lives Matter movement, just all the movements, and for me going home, and I see people who are 65, 70 still out in the garden, still talking about the trees and still reminiscing on those old stories about how things used to be simple in life.
So just gathering information and inspiration from them and being able to tie that into the work that I do constantly keeps me motivated and constantly keeps me moving in this work. So understanding that this movement is not just for myself. This movement that has been created is for so many people from so many different places, and everything that we do is intersectional, and every way that we’re working in part of it is intentional. So that’s what pulls me in every time.

Kimala Luna:
And I just want to say it, because I don’t think it was ever even clearly stated that Erniko serves as commissioner, and Liz is the founder of a media group called SlaytheMic, and these are in addition to their full-time jobs, and that’s just a fraction of what they’re up to every day. I just wanted to make sure that our listeners knew those details.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Yeah, that’s amazing. Thank you. And then as hosts of this podcast, what is the most meaningful thing that you have heard by witnessing all of the episodes?

Erniko Brown:
Oh man. Listen, I will say if you have not listened to the podcast, there are so many different jewels that are here, so many things that have been said from so many amazing people, and it’s various different perspectives on nature, on things that are going on in the world. And for me, I can’t put one against the other. It’s all been amazing. I can’t choose, but Slay might have something she wants to say.

Elizabeth Lashay:
No, I think that’s a really difficult question because we’ve interviewed so many people, and every person has a unique story that is the puzzle piece to this podcast and are all equally important insight. Just going back onto being inspired, listening to all these stories of how people found their voice, and where it came from, and when they fell in love with the earth, and what is the action they’re taking to make this world a better place. I simply can’t choose, but I am constantly inspired and have so many lessons that I have learned from our listening sessions, our podcast.

Kimala Luna:
I agree. I will say, I think it was the very first podcast we had was with Thomas RaShad Easley, who is also a musical artist and a poet. And that conversation, there are certain conversations… I mean, they’re all just so, like Erniko and Liz were saying, they’re so sparky, and you have these moments where you’re just resonating, but that first one was like, oh man. It was so inspiring to feel like we maybe had something really cool here, just listening to him talk. And we use his poetry as the intro of our podcast. And it just, it felt like such a good way to begin. And then since then, it’s just stayed that good, and that’s been really wonderful.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Yeah. That’s incredible. I really enjoyed listening to that episode. And the next question, what motivates you each personally?

Erniko Brown:
I’ll jump in. For me, as I stated, just having the opportunities that I’m privy to motivate me, knowing that there is a generation behind me who has not tapped into environmental stuff, and meeting them where they are as far as podcasts, and making things relatable to them, and making sure that they see this as a pathway and not a project, and bringing about change for them in the ability to show them that they can be change agents just as we are, motivates me each and every day, because there are so many people out here scrambling in the world has changed, but as the world changes, we definitely can offer up this solution to them and these spaces for them. That’s how I’m motivated.

Elizabeth Lashay:
I think I’m motivated because I’m constantly wanting to find ways in which we can amplify voices. And I believe the more that we amplify voices, the more perspectives and stories we’ll have and the better that we’ll be because of those stories. And so I’m motivated because the power of space, time, and voice is something that’s unmatched and that I have really taken for granted over the years but have learned the importance now. And so I’m constantly motivated by just hearing others.

Kimala Luna:
I would say collaboration motivates me the most because if it goes well, it’s really inspiring and it’s transformational for the community. And if it goes badly, it’s really humbling and transformational for yourself. And I think that there’s so much power in connecting to others, and coming at things from a different perspective, and putting a bunch of brains on it. So that’s what motivates me.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Wow. Is there a project or program that you have each worked on at your respective organizations that has been most impactful for you?

Elizabeth Lashay:
I can go. I definitely know that I not only have a radio show, but as we’re building this multimedia company, I am really excited to just continue to see where does the build-out go, learning new things about myself and what does strength look like? And also what does my leadership look like? And refining and defining myself. So working on the project of SlaytheMic and WBMU Jams, which is a digital radio station. And the call letters have a deep historic meaning, and those call letters are Where Black Means Unity. And so it aligns with my mission, and I am also just excited to have a multimedia company where we’re very intentionally placing people into spaces to enhance businesses for other people in our area. So I’m just excited about seeing how I grow and help others grow along with it.

Erniko Brown:
I definitely feel Slay, what she said, the strength, and the leadership piece. I have several different projects I’m working on, especially if I haven’t grown, it’s pushing me to grow in my capacity of being a commissioner. Being an elected official, you understand that there are certain ways you need to present yourself. So the formalities and stuff, I want people to be able to see it’s a normal thing to be at the table, but you also have to have certain etiquette within the leadership. And in my capacity as the state chair for environmental climate justice on behalf of the NAACP, I’m learning all of the different projects and how the work is never done, and there’s always something to be done in your community.
Then at Dogwood, being the Regional Partnership Engagement Manager, I’m always in community with Black people, and me being a Black person, being able to offer opportunities and resources to communities that are impacted and doing that work on behalf of those communities really helped me grow in the work that I’m doing. And being a chief of staff for YDSC, which is Young Democrats of South Carolina, being in that leadership role and making sure that my people are doing what they need to do on behalf of the communities that we’re serving definitely stretches me.
So I would say all of those push me to leadership, push me to grow, push me to be the best that I can be. Not not only for myself, but for my community and the young people that are looking toward me for guidance.

Kimala Luna:
Yeah, I would say we were doing this tour across the south called the Justice First tour. And I was doing an event under that and for the Asheville stop and was collaborating with Southside. And that’s how I met Liz. And I learned so much from that project about my local community and that I really hadn’t spent that much time at the Southside Community Center before that. And I was really inspired by all the work being done there. So if you’re tuning in, and you’re a local, and you’re in Asheville, I really recommend checking them out. Liz was talking about the garden earlier. Yeah.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Those are all incredible projects that you’ve all been working on. I was wondering, is there a particular song or genre of music that you feel drawn to when you are in nature?

Elizabeth Lashay:
I love Indie Arie. There’s two songs, and one song is called, Closer, and I cannot remember the artist’s name. And then there is Beautiful by India Arie. And so it feels very freeing and again, tapping into all of those senses. Those two songs definitely motivate and inspire me.

Kimala Luna:
I love Indie Arie. Video was always my favorite.

Elizabeth Lashay:
Ooh, yeah.

Erniko Brown:
For me, I think it’s Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, We Are One. That is definitely the song I’m just really tapped into. It’s beautiful. It’s talking about unification, and then there’s Marvin Gaye, I think it was The Ecology, I think it is. Oh man, and Mercy Mercy Me. So those are three songs, Marvin Gaye and Frankie Beverly featuring Maze.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Amazing. Well, it has been wonderful listening to all of your answers, and I just wanted to open up a dialogue and ask if you had any reflections or thoughts about your time hosting this podcast.

Kimala Luna:
I just love it. It’s my favorite thing ever.

Erniko Brown:
I’ll jump in, and I’ll say it’s been super exciting because I never did a podcast before. I love people and that’s for real. So to listen to the podcast, listen to the individual stories, listen to their reasons as to why they’re doing what they’re doing, continues to inspire me, and reaching out beyond ourselves and seeing other people authentically in the work that they’re doing and them being the person that they are, has been a lot of inspiration to keep me grounded in the work that I do. And being here with Kimala and Slay, it’s been absolutely wonderful. I feel like, hey, we need to take this show on the road.

Kimala Luna:
Yeah.

Erniko Brown:
Yeah. I just love doing it. And apart from the work that I do, I love the work that I do, but being able to come to this space, spend this time with these individuals has been absolutely amazing for me.

Elizabeth Lashay:
Yeah, I think I follow everything of what both of you all have already said, but I think there’s so much laughter and so much beauty and just again, the power of space and slowing down because my days are constantly busy, busy, busy, busy, and taking time to listen to other people is really healing for me. So I’ve loved it, and I’ve enjoyed it.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Yeah. That’s amazing to hear. And I appreciate the work that you all do in highlighting the people who are doing the work on the ground and all of the important things that are going on.

Kimala Luna:
Thank you, Chaya. What’s your favorite thing about the podcast?

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Well, I really love environmental art. And so I’ve loved hearing all of the different kinds of art that people do and where they get their inspiration from. So I think that’s been my favorite part.

Kimala Luna:
Yay. Well, this has been wonderful. Anything else guys?

Erniko Brown:
No, I just think I want to thank Chaya for being here today and interviewing us because it’s always us interviewing somebody, but who’s checking the checker? So thank you Chaya for checking us. Great.

Elizabeth Lashay:
Yes, yes, yes. I love it.

Chaya Brennan Agarwal:
Yes. Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed it.

Kimala Luna:
Yes. And for those who are watching this or listening to this, just kidding, listening to this for the first time, please be sure to check out all of our other episodes, and follow and like, and subscribe. It really keeps it going.