Meet Dehja Vaughn | PhD Candidate, Activist, Educator & Podcaster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dehja Vaughn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dehja, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Creating balance in life is essential. The idea of balance has been intricate in my professional career and academics. I have even struggled at times with establishing balance within my personal life, PhD matriculation, and podcasting. I just always felt am I doing enough in all aspects of my life. Am I giving my time to the areas that need me the most? Am I am there for the people I love? But more importantly, am I doing what I need to do for self. I believe that creating balance for self is a priority. Often times when creators or students get into spaces where their time is occupied. They often forget about self…which can be extremely detrimental. It can cause anxiety or depression because you haven’t developed a routine with self for self. I believe that there is a way to merge all things so that things are beneficial for all individuals involved. I think my greatest perspective of balance came when I struggled the most. Because I was able to identity what I would not doing moving forward and how to be intentional with the aspect of time. Everyone gets the same 24 hours but it is how that time is use matters the most. I began to start living by a quote that my professor gave me which is to guard your time selfishly. Nonetheless, balance is rooted in self awareness and creating healthy boundaries with your career, academics, and social relationships.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The journey of creating In Her Sense began during the pandemic. I wanted to create a space for Black people across the Diaspora to resonate or even be able to express their own personal journeys throughout life. I felt it was pivotal to highlight. the excellence of Black people. Simply because the narrative of Blackness in America can be displayed as only highlighting the negative or pervasive videos/images of Black death. The narrative and power for shifting the cultural and collective consciousness are in our hands. We must take our control and power back. For this reason, the journey to success has not been easy not just because of the racial “barriers” but systemic deprivation that has been ingrained into the psyches of Black people. The goal for me is to continue to strive for total liberation. Liberation in a physical form and the depiction of identity and how that has been constructed in European imperialistic society. More importantly, the liberation of the mind, psyche, and perception. I would argue that the mental state of Black people is something that must be watered, nurtured, and valued. We must regain our power, remind ourselves of our ancestral ties to the earth, and build on the philosophies of our predecessors. For that remainder will introduce and embrace the ideals of collective consciousness. It will heal and redefine the aspect of the ontological experiences of Blackness across the Diaspora.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
On Friday, I would take my bestie to lunch at No Mas Cantina! and we would have chicken burritos and a mango margarita. Then we would head over to the Ponce City Market area and catch the views on the rooftop. Following that we would go to Cru Lounge in Midtown. On Saturday, we would go to Fins and Feathers for brunch. After that, we would ride scooters around Piedmont Park. Lastly, on Sunday we would attend service at Ray of Hope in Decatur. Then hit up Breakfast at Barneys for some brunch and to end the night at Apache Cafe for an open mic and poetry slam.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Absolutely their is community of individuals that deserve recognition for their assistance in my career and academic matriculation.

First and foremost I have to thank my family. My mother, father, grandparents, uncles, and aunties. I would say that I come from a linage of individuals who are entrepreneurs, activists, spiritual advisors, social workers, construction workers, and educators. I am grateful for the love that they have bestowed upon me. The gratitude and passion that they have for our culture as Black people, is truly remarkable and amazing.

I am thankful for my ancestors and predecessors. I am thankful for the teachings and insight that has been passed down. Even the idea of a collective consciousness from individuals like Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Dr. Amos Wilson, Ella Baker, Carter G. Woodson, Frantz Fanon, Malcolm X, Shirley Chisholm, and Kwame Ture. For their work has been instrumental in my understanding of life as Black woman. And it has been influential in my work on liberation for self and my community.

I also want to thank the individuals who I consider my mentors. The works of Dr. Claud Anderson, Mack Jones, Dr. Kurt B Young, Dr. Joseph Jones, Kaba Kamene, and Angela Davis. Their writings have been pivotal in my understanding of self, Blackness, and collective consciousness.

I am grateful for my professors at Virginia State University. Professors like Dr. Cheryl Mango in the history department. Dr. Zoe Spencer in the philosophy department. They were instrumental in deepen and strengthen my level of consciousness. They have opened my eyes to move through life with grace, poise, and passion. They allowed me to embrace the idea of confidence in my Blackness. I could write for days on how intricate they were.

Lastly, my tribe I have to thank. I would like to thank my sweetheart Courtney for believing in me. I would like to thank my best friend Kae Arie for pouring into me with knowledge, insight, and wisdom. I would like to also thank Nigel for being an amazing supporter. I would like to thank Teizue for being instrumental in my creative process. I am thankful for Taijanna for taking such beautiful pictures of me and helping bring my vision to light. Also, I have to give flowers to my visionary extraordinaire Nakia Gibbs for consistently producing content for me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inhersense/

Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-her-sense/id1558302246 https://linktr.ee/INHERSENSE?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=6fd51674-3d9a-4a53-8521-6be8ebc5c5e2

Image Credits
Nakia Gibbs (Content Creator) Taijanna Okechuwu (Photographer) Teizue Nwabuzoh (Creative Extraordinaire)