Raquel Willis
Boss Battles with Raquel Willis
In this powerful episode, activist and author Raquel Willis shares an intimate and wide-ranging conversation on fear, identity, and the transformative power of storytelling. Raquel reflects on her childhood fears, the complexities of coming out in a traditional Southern Black family, and how her father's expectations shaped—and ultimately catalyzed—her path toward liberation. From founding the Gender Liberation Movement to creating humanizing media like Afterlives and Queer Chronicles, Raquel speaks candidly about ego, empathy, collective leadership, and the intersectional strategies we need to build a freer world. This episode is a testament to the quiet strength required to live authentically—and the bold voice required to make systemic change... to fight the boss battles ahead.
In this powerful episode, activist and author Raquel Willis shares an intimate and wide-ranging conversation on fear, identity, and the transformative power of storytelling. Raquel reflects on her childhood fears, the complexities of coming out in a traditional Southern Black family, and how her father's expectations shaped—and ultimately catalyzed—her path toward liberation. From founding the Gender Liberation Movement to creating humanizing media like Afterlives and Queer Chronicles, Raquel speaks candidly about ego, empathy, collective leadership, and the intersectional strategies we need to build a freer world. This episode is a testament to the quiet strength required to live authentically—and the bold voice required to make systemic change... to fight the boss battles ahead.
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Highlights
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Guest Biography
Raquel Willis is an award-winning activist, journalist, and media strategist dedicated to collective liberation. She is a co-founder of Gender Liberation Movement and an executive producer with iHeartMedia’s first-ever LGBTQ+ podcast network, Outspoken. Raquel hosts two podcast series: Afterlives and Queer Chronicles. She is also the author of The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation. Raquel has always believed in the power of storytelling. After graduating with a B.A. in magazine journalism and a minor in gender studies from the University of Georgia in 2013, she began her career as a news reporter at the Walton Tribune in Monroe, GA. She quickly took her storytelling, writing, and advocacy talents to the digital world and began uplifting grassroots organizing efforts in Atlanta, GA. Her writing has been featured in Essence, Bitch magazine, VICE, Buzzfeed, Autostraddle, ForHarriet, HuffPost, The Cut, and Vogue. Born and raised in Augusta, GA, Raquel has a loving mother and siblings who affirm and support her. She is also the youngest child in her family and an auntie to a host of nibblings. |
Show Notes
Season 3, Episode 9 Credits
Guest: Raquel Willis Host: Liz Cavallaro Host: Bree Fram Audio: Frieda Garcia Show Notes: Alexa Goodrich-Houska |