"When I even think that I wanna give up, I can't because people like this put their life on the line so that I could have better opportunities." - Dr. Latorial Faison Dr. Latorial Faison is an HBCU and Virginia State University Professor, Poet, Author, Independent Scholar & Senior Military Spouse. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and a Doctoral degree in Education. Faison is Chair of the Department of Languages & Literature and Assistant Professor of English at Virginia State University and has authored over sixteen books. Faison's research study, The Missed Education of the Negro: An Examination of the Black Segregated Experience in Southampton County, Virginia 1950-1970, focused on Riverview High School, a segregated Black High School that existed in Courtland, Virginia, and explores the nuances of Black segregated education during the Jim Crow Era. Faison's latest work, Nursery Rhymes in Black was released in June of 2025 and blends tradition, memory, and resistance through a reimagination of familiar childhood rhymes through the lens of Black history and lived experience. This volume just received a Pulitzer Prize nomination.   Not one to rest on her laurels, her next work Blood at the Root, will be released in the coming months, which speaks directly to the historical and ongoing violence, erasure, and resilience that define the African American experience. In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Latorial Faison, a professor, poet, and scholar. Dr. Faison shares her journey from growing up in a small town in Virginia, being raised by her grandparents, to becoming a notable academic and author.   Through discussing her work, research, and dedication to teaching, Faison emphasizes the importance of memory, resilience, and the power of storytelling. The episode also touches on her latest book, 'Nursery Rhymes in Black,' her role in the Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective, and her vision for fostering a supportive community for her students. A recurring theme throughout the conversation is the transformative power of questions, both in personal growth and in understanding one's purpose. Episode Notes00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflection01:57 Guest Introduction: Dr. Latorial Faison03:58 Early Life and First Questions06:36 Organizing Pain and Finding Purpose09:25 Challenges and Resilience15:30 Responsibility and Representation20:17 Reflections on Race and Upbringing26:51 Writing and Grief Work30:39  Mama Was a Negro Spiritual Poem37:16 Memories and Cultural Traditions40:06 Returning Home and Final Thoughts46:13 Reflections on Military Family Life47:03 Settling Down Post-Retirement47:43 Pursuing Personal Goals48:20 Balancing Family and Education49:39 Dedication to Family and Heritage52:13 Teaching and Student Struggles54:02 Honoring Grandparents' Sacrifices55:45 The Power of Memory and Storytelling56:29 Sundays a Haiku01:01:15  Abominations, a Poem By Latorial Faison01:08:38 Researching Black Education History01:25:44 Reflecting on Historical Figures and Social Change01:28:16 The Great Undoing and Rebuilding01:28:44 Hope Amidst Chaos01:29:15 Introduction to Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective01:32:43 Joining the Wintergreen Women's Writers Collective01:34:05 The Impact of Nikki Giovanni01:39:47 The Symbolism of Quilts01:43:47 Current Challenges and Reflections01:47:07 The Importance of Community and Legacy01:49:36 Like An Ancestor Poem02:00:40 Final Reflection and Takeaways Resources MentionedUniversity of VirginiaVirginia TechVirginia State UniversityThe Missed Education of the Negro: An Examination of the Black Segregated Experience in Southampton County, Virginia 1950-1970Riverview High SchoolNursery Rhymes in Black by Latorial FaisonBlood at the Root by Latorial FaisonJohnson C. Smith UniversityMama Was a Negro Spiritual by Latorial FaisonTom Howard Poetry PrizeNikki GiovanniEngrams Funeral HomeNat Turner Slave RevoltSundays a haiku by Latorial FaisonMr. Pete Ballard's farmAbominations by Latorial FaisonLucille CliftonPermafrost PrizeUniversity of AlaskaUniversity Press of ColoradoSonia SanchezBlack Pastoral by Ariana BensonCave Canem Poetry PrizePhillis Wheatley FestivalSpelman UniversityLauren K. AlleyneFurious FlowerJames Mason University (JMU)Virginia Humanities FellowshipIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullJoshua DossMartin Luther King Jr.Wintergreen Women Writers CollectiveAmiri BarakaMaya AngelouToni MorrisonVal Gray WardDr. Trudy HarrisDr. Maryemma GrahamDr. Joanne GabbinAmanda GormanNational Museum of African American History and CultureRita DoveVirginia (Jenny) FowlerCollected Poems by Nikki GiovanniRenee and Jay by JJ MurrayOriginal Love by JJ MurrayJames BaldwinBarack ObamaGrey's AnatomyThe Bluest Eye by Toni MorrisonI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya AngelouBeauty PillProducer Ben Ford Questions AskedWhen did you first understand the power of questions?Why me?Why in that way?Why was my life on this trajectory?Why am I here?What is my purpose?Do you internalize "always someone watching" as a burden?How many of you feel that you have a responsibility to your race?If the lady offers us a cookie or a lemonade, why can't we take it?How did questions play a role in challenging things early on?Will you write about me one day?How can you all come out of the same house, and kids end up so different?What is a specific smell or color that reminds you of your grandmother?How did questions work in that research for you?What did black educators do?What did they do in those classrooms to motivate African American students through Jim Crow?Were they providing culturally relevant teaching; was that a key?What can we learn from the students? What can we learn from the teachers?What can we learn from this totally black segregated education experience to transfer into the now?What is ground zero going to look like?Who's going to even be here anymore?What has the Wintergreen Women's Writers collective meant to you?What is your Right Now Question?What have I gotten myself into as department chair?What do I do next?What matters most in the moment that I'm in now?How can I make the biggest difference?It's not, will they like me? Will they help me? It's, what do I do? How do I move in this moment?And that's how I try to live my life. Yeah. How do I live in this moment?What pain in your life, if shaped into a story, might become a gift of healing for you and perhaps others?What place from your past still holds untold stories, and how might sharing them illuminate both where you’ve been and where you’re going?What place from your past still holds untold stories, and how might sharing them illuminate both where you’ve been and where you’re going?Are your questions keeping you tethered to the past, or are they propelling you toward the life and impact you’re meant to create?

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