Our Stories Over hiStories: Alabama, Ancestral Alignment & The Fire Horse Pivot
In this powerful solo episode of RISE Urban Nation, Taryell Simmons reflects on his recent trip to Alabama and how that experience sparked a bold shift in the podcast’s direction for 2026. Standing in spaces shaped by civil rights history, he explores the power of storytelling as resistance, preservation, and narrative ownership. As RISE Urban Nation celebrates its five-year anniversary and transitions from the Year of the Snake (shedding) into the Year of the Fire Horse (momentum), this episode announces a new era: helping entrepreneurs, business leaders, and community changers take control of their narratives. Expect new initiatives, media strategy support, guest presenters, and a renewed focus on amplifying Black voices in a time when stories are being erased, rewritten, or silenced. This is more than a reflection. It’s a declaration.
RISE Urban Nation: Own Your Story. Scale Your Impact.
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Show Notes
Alabama Changed Something.
In this solo reflection, Taryell shares how visiting Alabama — walking through civil rights landmarks and standing in ancestral spaces — clarified the next chapter of RISE Urban Nation.
This episode explores:
- Why storytelling is not entertainment — it’s resistance
- How systems change when communities reclaim narrative power
- The cultural significance of aligning with the Lunar New Year
- The transition from the Year of the Snake (shedding) to the Year of the Fire Horse (bold forward movement)
- Why Season Five intentionally ended at the New Year
- The five-year anniversary evolution of RISE Urban Nation
- The launch of a new message for 2026: Our Stories Over hiStories
In a time when Black voices are being stripped from textbooks, monuments, and mainstream media, this episode reaffirms podcasting as modern-day griot work — oral tradition at scale.
🔥 What’s Coming in 2026
RISE Urban Nation will expand beyond interviews to help entrepreneurs and leaders:
- Get featured on aligned podcasts that amplify their mission
- Launch their own podcasts and control their narrative
- Use media and storytelling to 10X brand visibility and impact
- Learn from guest hosts and media experts who have scaled through podcasting
This isn’t just a podcast anymore.
It’s narrative infrastructure.
👕 Coming Soon
New 2026 apparel drop:
Our Stories Over hiStories
Because history is often told by those who won and far too often leaves out the real boots-on-the-ground stories.
We’re reclaiming the narrative.
🌅 Reflection Questions
- What story of yours needs to be told before someone tells it for you?
- What are you shedding as we close the Year of the Snake?
- What bold movement are you stepping into during the Year of the Fire Horse?
🎙️ EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS
Host: Taryell Simmons
Podcast: RISE Urban Nation
Music: Will Maker
Production: RISE Urban Nation Media
Unite. Empower. Ignite.
Thank you for tuning into the RISE Urban Nation Podcast, where we go beyond conversation to fuel a movement of unity, empowerment, and transformation across the Black and Pan-African community. Each episode dives deep into the stories of entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers shaping culture, business, and legacy.
Hosted by Taryell Simmons, a leader in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the show blends storytelling with strategy to help you amplify your voice, grow your brand, and lead with purpose.
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