Meet CeeCee&Voodoo | Sex positive black podcasters

We had the good fortune of connecting with CeeCee&Voodoo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi CeeCee&Voodoo, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am originally from Northern California but I spent about 8 years of my life in Spokane WA. Up in Spokane I was often one of the only black children in a class and never felt like I fit in or had a community until about high school. I was brought up by a single mother who left her family-oriented life to move to Spokane alone. Growing up with a single mother really helped me become very resilient. Being the only black kid in a class taught me how to stand on my own and be a chameleon in different situations. As much as it sucks to be one of the only black kids in a class, I am grateful to have the experience because as an adult I know how to adapt to different situations. Finding my community at a later stage in life was a blessing because I truly knew who I was and in a place where I felt comfortable in my own skin, which meant I didn’t fall for too much peer pressure. That has transferred to my adult life pretty well, as I don’t often fall for things or folks who want me to be anything other than who I am. So I am grateful for this experience. -CeeCee

Hey! I’m Voodoo and I’m 1/2 of the Afterglow Podcast. I grew up all around southern California, but now I live in the southeast part of Texas. I can say now, that my upbringing in California gave me so many opportunities to engage with people from different backgrounds and cultures. As I have gotten older and begun to settle in my new town I’ve come to realize I took that luxury for granted. My schools, neighborhoods, even places I worked as a teenager were all very well mixed. Being friends and dating outside your race was so normal and I fully embraced learning about different types of entertainment, food, and music from other people. It allowed me to expand my world view within a few miles radius. I feel like where I grew up taught me that you can enrich your life by listening to what others have been through. That’s what our podcast is all about. We believe there is strength in story telling, and no story is too taboo. We want to erase the stigma of talking candidly about sex, and for us the best way to do that is to be open, transparent, and non judgmental. Our goal is also to provide a safe platform particularly for women of color to share their sexual and relationship experiences. We need more of these spaces to exist so we don’t continue to feel marginalized and ashamed.
-Voodoo

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Our art is our podcast Afterglow! a sex-positive podcast that centers around the experience of black folks. It started as a conversation among friends about different sexual and relationship topics. The conversations were so good and full of similar experiences among different folks that we wanted to bring the conversations to the “radio waves” to help folks feel less alone and break down the stigma surrounding different sexual and relationship topics within the community. When we started we were really worried about any backlash but luckily we didn’t receive any.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of our absolute favorite things to do is go for hikes and have brunch. Some of our favorite places to hike are Eaton Canyon in Pasadena and a few trails in Malibu. We also love a local spot in Long Beach called The Pan! They always have yummy food and great service. #bottomlessmimosas!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out to my group of friends who have been there with me through so many trials and tribulations. I also want to dedicate this shout-out to our podcast listeners who have really been the light during some dark times and have motivated us to continue our journey. -CeeCee

I want to shout out SoCal! All my family and friends have been super supportive have allowed me to grow and support others. HUGE THANK YOU to all of our listeners and story tellers! We couldn’t do this without you all being so open and honest.
-Voodoo

Website: afterglow.buzzsprout.com

Instagram: afterglowpodcast

Facebook: Afterglow