The Black Belt Belle

By: L.M. Smith
  • Summary

  • No, this ain't Karate. I can't lay you out but I can learn ya somethin'. My name is Lauren, and on this podcast, we talk about whatever the hell is on my mind to tell as a Black and Proud Southern Belle. I'm an educator, and I try to infuse everything with a smidge of history. Books, cultural commentary, media, trending topics, ideologies, celebrities, family, relationships, religion, short stories, wellness, music, (Black) history, beauty, fashion, education...throw it all in the buggy!
    © 2025 L.M. Smith
    Show more Show less
Episodes
  • Snape is Black and I Couldn't Be Happier: How Color Could Help Save the Soul of Harry Potter
    Apr 19 2025

    Snape is Black. I couldn't be more thrilled. Now, if you make Hermione mixed, you have the right portion to fix some of Rowling's mistakes.

    Listen in as we go on a journey to discover 1) why retconning is ok and authorial intent always rules the day, 2) how a Black Snape and a Mixed-Race Hermione can address the lack of race in a racist society, and 3) the failure of S.P.E.W. We touch on everything from Gone With the Wind, Tolkien and the Hobbit, transphobia, elevating Black stories, the lack of character depth, to Rowling's neoliberalism. Harry Potter isn't a perfect story, but the potential in it is endless...

    Hop on your broomstick and come along!...

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 36 mins
  • We All Failed Na'Ziyah: Fiction, Fact, Colorism, and Community in the Murder of Na'Ziyah Harris
    Mar 12 2025

    Na'Ziyah Harris was a 13-year-old girl who was groomed, raped, and murdered by Jarvis Butts, a 42-year-old repeatedly convicted monster. Unfortunately, her story is not unique, but it is teachable tragedy in the ways that community, colorism, adultification, and generational curses all combined and contributed to this horrific act.

    Trigger warnings: Sexual assault, rape, grooming, murder, domestic abuse

    Show more Show less
    2 hrs and 38 mins
  • Post-Inauguration Thoughts: Snowed In, Fed Up, and Where to Go Now
    Jan 24 2025

    January is lasting 6 months, I'm snowed in, and Trump's in office. Needless to say, there's a lot going on...

    Tune in for my rant about Southerners and Snow days, observations of the first 5 days of Trump's presidency, and specific suggestions for where we go from here. I had some whiskey while recording it...I'd suggest you'd get a drink too...

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 33 mins
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro768_stickypopup

What listeners say about The Black Belt Belle

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.