Between Borders and Belonging with Akwaeke Emezi and Susuyu Lassa

Many of us come to land through rupture—through migration, through displacement, through histories that have severed, but not erased, our connection.

So what does it mean to return to right relationship with land… when our presence is shaped by borders, by policy, by systems that were never meant to hold us?

Akwaeke Emezi (they/them) is a Nigerian writer and artist whose work moves across boundaries of form, identity, and belonging. Rooted in Igbo cosmology and shaped by life between Nigeria and the diaspora, their writing explores embodiment, migration, memory, and the ongoing negotiation of self within and beyond imposed borders. Through acclaimed books including Freshwater and Dear Senthuran, Emezi invites us to reconsider what it means to exist, to belong, and to be in relationship—with land, spirit, and with one another.

Susuyu Lassa (any/all pronouns) is a queer, Nigerian, creative alchemist at heart. Their work is rooted in liberatory social justice movement spaces, organizing with stakeholders across our food system to bring about structural and grassroots level change. Traversing two continents, Susuyu carries many worlds within them, translating what has been into what may be possible. Their labor is undergirded by the deep conviction that every single life is sacred, and when we work together we are resourced enough to choose interdependence and self-determination in defense of the sacred.

Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is a series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, in which we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future.

This podcast is hosted by Crysta Bloom and Clara AgborTabi, and co-produced by Crysta Bloom, Clara AgborTabi, and Zera Bloom. Our theme music is created by Naima Penniman and Zera Bloom. Our artwork and graphics is created by Crysta Bloom. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is presented by Soul Fire Farm.

Learn more about Akwaeke at https://www.akwaeke.com/

Find Soul Fire Farm at https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ and on social media @soulfirefarm

Follow Crysta Bloom’s work at https://www.embodiedbloom.com/ and on social media @crystaembodiedbloom

Find Clara AgborTabi somewhere offline!

Follow zera bloom on bandcamp and instagram

Learn more about Naima Penniman’s work at https://www.naimainfinity.com and on social media at @naimainfinity