Black in the Stacks: Where the Culture is Kept

Ordained from the start, Richard Ashby, Jr.’s librarian journey is far from typical. What sounds like the plot of a Ryan Coogler film, Richard’s life is one of intrigue, happenstance and faith. From growing up in Queens, New York, a short stint as a private investigator on the west coast, to taking on a history-making role, you could say he’s done it all and then some. But, Richard is far from finished. 
On this episode of Black in the Stacks, we laugh—a lot—but we also discuss some profoundly real life lessons about resilience, community, his passion for making a difference in people’s lives and what it actually means to hold it down in the stacks for the culture.
 
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Have you ever wondered what happens when a 112-year-old library system decides to boldly rewrite its future? On this episode of Black in the Stacks, I chat with Lola DeWitt, the groundbreaking Executive Director of Live Oak Public Libraries. As the first African American and one of only a handful of women to lead this massive 14-branch system, Lola is redefining what a modern public library can be.
From making Live Oak the very first Book Sanctuary system in the state of Georgia, to transforming a historic Carnegie branch into a vibrant hub for Black Savannah and Gullah Geechee culture, she is fighting tooth and nail for the freedom to read. Tune in as we talk about legacy, community care, and why the library remains our most radical democratic space.
 
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On this episode of Black in the Stacks, we’re digging into a story about heritage, literacy, and the incredible impact of showing up for your community.
Known to many around the world, including Oprah Winfrey, as the Black Cowgirl my guest today is Caitlin Gooch, and if you’re wondering if we are related, we haven’t gotten there yet but the likelihood is high. Caitlin is the driving force behind the non-profit Saddle Up and Read. Based in North Carolina, this brilliant organization is tackling the childhood reading gap by doing something completely unexpected: bringing kids together with her horses so they can read to them. She’s taking the deep cowboy and rodeo roots passed down by her father and using that unique energy to inspire the next generation of readers.
In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when you combine cultural preservation with community care, how the calming presence of a 1,000-pound animal can break down a child's reading anxiety, and how honoring your family roots can spark a movement.
 
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Back in 2010, Ebony Walden was a city planner who looked at her life and decided to trade the blueprint for a blank page. She spent eight months backpacking across 15 countries and 5 continents. She didn't just pack a bag and cross borders; she stepped into a new journey where she didn't just find the world, she also found herself.
 
On this episode of Black in the Stacks, Ebony and I discuss what it really means to leave a predictable career behind, why every major life transition starts with the simple act of quitting what no longer serves you, and how stepping into the unknown opens up entirely new spaces for personal growth.
 
Today, Ebony is an author, filmmaker, and creator. Her upcoming memoir, "Where I’m From: A Poetic Journey Across Five Continents", isn't just about a passport full of stamps. It’s an invitation to drop the armor, risk the unknown, and discover and love different cultures not as a digital aesthetic, but in the raw and beautiful truth of the present moment.
 
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When society looks at athletic giants like Marshawn Lynch, Steph Curry, or Deion Sanders, it loves to reduce them to a single script: the 'beast' to be feared, managed, or objectified. On this episode of Black in the Stacks, I sit down with Dr. Gary F. Green,II, a former college athlete turned author, to look at how these iconic figures frustrate those racist cultural boxes. We talk about womanist theological ethics, embodied spirituality, and how athletes can break free from moralized frameworks to reclaim their true physical agency. 
Dr. Green shares insights from his journey across sports, the Black church, and higher education and how he incorporated what he learned from Black stand-up comedians to break down these heavy dynamics in his book, “Playing the Game: Embodied Brilliance Beyond the Moral Limits of Race in Sport.” The book also examines everything from the double-edged sword of athletic tropes to the revolutionary power of play.
Dr. Green is a professor, consultant, and a curator of conversations that expose hierarchies of power that play out in plain sight. He is also the designer and founding director of Racial Intelligence Systems at United Theological Seminary, a three-tiered reconditioning program designed to develop racial acumen among the faculty, staff, and students.
 
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What happens when that tired old storytime at the library gets all the way turnt up? Billy Allen is what happens. An award-winning librarian, community leader, and innovator, Mr. Billy, as he's known online, carved his own path by bridging hip-hop instrumentals while reading and sometimes rapping popular children’s books, to make a one of a kind experience no library had ever seen. Often imitated but never duplicated, Billy has taken the library world by storm using his passion for inspiring lifelong learning to redefine what a library can be for the next generation. 
As Manager of the newly built NoMa Library in Wilmington, Delaware, Billy is leading the vision of a modern “Think. Do. Hub.”— a library that blends technology, entrepreneurship, workforce development, creativity, and community engagement. He has built a national reputation for making libraries exciting, relevant, and impactful through social media, strategic partnerships, and innovative programming. 
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