April Reign on #OscarsSoWhite, Media Futures, and Building Equity That Actually Sticks
Guest: April Reign
Titles: Creator of #OscarsSoWhite; media futurist; strategist; speaker; consultant; former attorney
Episode Theme: What happens when sharp cultural critique becomes industry impact and why real equity requires more than optics.
Why this matters right now: As awards season keeps asking who gets recognized, April Reign reminds us that representation is not a trend, it is infrastructure. This episode digs into the origin of #OscarsSoWhite, the work of changing systems from the inside, and why Black communities cannot afford to sit out conversations about AI, access, and the future of media.
April Reign did not come into Hollywood through the traditional pipeline. She was a lawyer, an Oscars superfan, and a lifelong advocate before one tweet in January 2015 changed the industry conversation around race, recognition, and access. In this episode, April talks about the advocacy roots that began in college, the research behind #OscarsSoWhite, and how that moment helped open Academy membership to artists and craftspeople who had long been excluded. She also gets real about consulting, credibility, AI, self-care, and what it means to think like a media futurist while keeping artists and community at the center.
What we talk about
How Academy membership changed and why that matters (00:10:29)
Breaking the cycle of industry gatekeeping and union access (00:12:21)
Media futurism and thinking about the next era of storytelling (00:14:08)
Creative work, strategic communications, and what may come next (00:25:54)
Self-care, travel, and staying grounded while doing advocacy work (00:27:49)
Why you’ll want to listen
The real origin of #OscarsSoWhite and the strategy behind it (00:03:26)
Why diversity talk without action is just optics (00:15:27)
How access works behind the scenes in Hollywood (00:10:29)
AI in entertainment: real stakes and real opportunity (00:19:59)
“What you do today is a day of your life exchanged.” (00:30:23)
About the guest
April Reign is a strategist, speaker, consultant, and the creator of the global movement #OscarsSoWhite, which sparked an industry-wide reckoning around race, representation, and access in Hollywood. A former attorney turned cultural critic and change agent, she works across media, communications, and equity strategy, helping organizations tell better stories and build more accountable systems. April describes herself as a media futurist, with a focus on where culture, technology, and justice intersect.
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Introduction
Fanshen Cox [00:00:00]:
Welcome back to season 7, another episode of this 7th season, which I, I can't believe it every time I say it. And it's really, really true. This is season 7 of the Sister Brunch Podcast. We are the only podcast that is building the largest archive anywhere of the stories of Black women and Black gender expansive people who are thriving in film, TV, media, et cetera. And our guest is no exception because she's done a lot before she even ended up in Hollywood. She came came to Hollywood with a big old splash, and she has really continued to do really incredible, important, impactful work ever since then. And that is Ms. April Reign. Welcome to SistaBrunch, my sista!
April Reign [00:00:46]:
Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here.
Fanshen Cox [00:00:49]:
Oh, she is the creator of the global sensation Oscars So White, and it's a movement, it's a moment, and it sparked an industry-wide reckoning around diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and who gets to be celebrated and seen. We're going to be putting this episode out just right around the Oscars time. And so it is, it really is the perfect way to remind us, one, of how much more work there is to do, and two, that a Black woman did that. So that's what this podcast is all about, is what all these things that Black women do. So we love to have our, our, uh, guests go back as far as you want to go. Could be great-great-grandparents, births, or as far back as you want to go, to, to tell us how you ended up in the OscarSoWhite moment, and then also now, because so much has happened for you since then as well.
April Reign’s Background
April Reign [00:01:46]:
Sure. Uh, I think I'll go back to, uh, college, uh, where— that's where I started my advocacy. I went to the University of Texas at Austin for both undergrad and law school, And we had just a nuance, a little tinge of racism. Uh, uh, it was spring of 1990, to date myself for sure, and one of the predominantly white fraternities— and I'm being kind because it was an all-white fraternity— um, decided that— now this is 1990, so they had, uh, the body of Michael Jordan and the face of Sambo. On a t-shirt as their mascot for their upcoming, I guess, 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Some of us took issue with that. You know, at that time, University of Texas was about 50,000 students and 3% were Black. So that's about 1,600 people. And so we led all kinds of protests. You know, we shut down the Dean of Students Office and so on. And so that is where I got my start. You know, taking a stand and ensuring that stories were told properly and that people did not sweep things under the rug. So fast forward, I was living a regular life. I was practicing law. I was bored in my job. I was a very serious Oscars enthusiast. You know, I would watch the show every year. I would rope off the, you know, the TV. This is mommy's night. There were special snacks involved, right? Don't mess with mommy.
The Birth of #OscarsSoWhite
Fanshen Cox [00:03:26]:
Did you do the whole polling of like bets on who was going to win.
April Reign [00:03:31]:
All of that. Bingo. The bingo. Absolutely. I would even— once the nominations were announced, I would attempt to watch all of the Best Picture nominees and all the Best Actor and Actress nominees so that I could really talk my stuff when somebody won or did not win, right? Um, and so it was January 2015. I was working in campaign finance law. I had no nexus to the entertainment industry. I was watching the nominations on one of the morning television shows, and category after category, there were no people of color nominated for any of the best acting or best acting awards. And so that's 20 slots, right, in addition to best director and so many others. And so 2015 means 2014 films. So we're talking about Beyond the Lights. We're talking about Selma. There were some fantastic performances that should have at least been recognized with nominations. So I got on Twitter, which was my social media platform of choice at the time. And I tweeted one thing, #OscarsSoWhite, they asked to touch my hair. And that was it. I was then late for work. So I went on to work and did my little lawyer thing. I checked in on Twitter around lunchtime. And based on that one tweet, the hashtag was trending around the world. And initially, it was being as sarcastic and petty as I had always been, you know? So it was #OscarsSoWhite, they wear Birkenstocks in the wintertime. You know, #OscarsSoWhite, they've got a perfect credit score. You know, #OscarsSoWhite, mayonnaise is too spicy. That kind of thing, right? And so, I had to decide, because hashtags come and go every single hour, you know, if not every single day. So I had to decide if this was something that I wanted to put any resources and force into, or if I just wanted to let it go. And I decided that this was that this was important enough to have a conversation about what it means to be within the entertainment industry. And I actually had to do a lot of research, right? Well, how white are the Oscars? Because again, I'm just a fan. Turns out, alabaster white.
Fanshen Cox [00:05:41]:
Extremely, extremely alabaster. Mayo, you know, spreads everything.
April Reign [00:05:44]:
Liquid paper white. And so that was the problem. And so since then, I've been having these conversations inside and outside of Hollywood about the importance of equity and representation. And as I say, the most important questions that we need to be asking in these conversations is whose story is being told and who is telling the story.
Fanshen Cox [00:06:07]:
There you go. Yes. And so speaking of who is telling the story, which is exactly why we do this podcast, because it is too infrequent that we actually hear from a lot of the people that are making these things happen frequently behind the scenes, certainly never nominated for anything, but, you know, and not being recognized for their work. And that's you, because you get— like, people who know you don't even realize half of the things that you do and all the ways that you've influenced this industry. So I want to go back a little bit to that, that spark you talked about in Austin, in college. To me, when I think about Ms. April Rain, I'm like, born leader. But I also know April to be kind of quiet. Introverted.
April Reign [00:07:00]:
Very. Absolutely. How—
Leadership, Introversion, and Advocacy
Fanshen Cox [00:07:02]:
How— what, what is the— how do you come to a place of being a leader in these moments when, when it feels like maybe internally everything's saying, no, don't do that?
April Reign [00:07:18]:
I think it's the passion for the project.
Fanshen Cox [00:07:21]:
Yes.
April Reign [00:07:22]:
So I can turn it on. I, you know, I think I'm an ambivert, meaning I can stand in a group, you know, in front of a crowd of 1,000 people and, you know, be full energy or what have you. But I would always rather be on my couch, you know, binging whatever, you know, that, that would be my— that is home base for me. But I can turn it on when I need to. And so I get my energy from feeling like I'm doing something that is going to help someone else, right? And so that's college, you know, because it's not me, right? But it's everybody. And so how can I make things a little bit better? For me, I walk through this life attempting to make the world a little better for Black disabled trans women. And why them specifically? Because they are the most marginalized in this country. You know, and a rising tide lifts all boats, or whatever that phrase is. And so, if I keep them in mind, then I know that whatever work I'm doing is going to help everybody else.
Fanshen Cox [00:08:29]:
I love it. So, um, one of the pieces that you talked about, so once you, you know, once Oscar So White started blowing up, some people would've just, gone back onto Twitter and just go, go, go, go, go. And you talked about doing research. Can you kind of expand on that? Because I feel like that's, that's part of why you are such a leader in the industry, is that you're coming with a whole lot of knowledge, data, all of the things that you need for people to really listen. So can you talk a little bit more about that?
April Reign [00:09:02]:
Yeah, you just can't pop off, you know? But you have to have something to back it up. Especially social media. You know, again, we're talking 2015, you know, sort of the height of Twitter and definitely the height of Black Twitter. And so you could say what you wanted to want to say, but there was always going to be somebody to challenge you. Um, and because I was challenging white supremacy, there were a whole bunch of people, and not just white folks, there were a whole bunch of people who— that can't be right, or, you know, what are you talking about, or, you know, what about Halle Berry, you know, Whoopi's— You know, so there was always— and it's like, but if you can name those people on one hand and still have fingers left over, you're proving my point. So it was a lot of, you know, going back through the annals. You know, at that time, we had had 90 years of Oscars. And so it was going back and looking at all of the names, and not just the names that are there, but the names that were not there. You know, so part of what Oscar So White did is open up the doors for Academy membership to those who may not get it otherwise. And I won't get into the weeds of how people get invited to the Academy. But one of the things that I am most proud of is the people who are members that were not members before.
Expanding Academy Membership and Industry Access
Fanshen Cox [00:10:29]:
You, you didn't say it, but I'll say because of you, which then means because of you, which then means not just that now you have this membership, but the kinds of projects that are even getting to be seen by them, to be considered, you know, during that whole, like, qualifying round.
April Reign [00:10:49]:
That's right.
Fanshen Cox [00:10:50]:
It's perspectives that have never been there before. And yes, that is—
April Reign [00:10:56]:
That's right. And the people who, you know, again, we can get into the weeds about how things come to be, right? We're in the middle of awards season right now. And so how things get nominated and who those people are who are on those nominating committees, that matters. So Julie Dash is now an Academy member.
Fanshen Cox [00:11:13]:
Yes. You know, and should have had an Oscar for decades.
April Reign [00:11:16]:
But, and, but that's the thing. If you don't have an Oscar or a nomination, you don't get invited to the Academy, right? Melvin Van Peebles, rest in peace, was a member of the Academy after Oscar So White. So those are the things. And even the Wayans brothers, and people say, oh my God, you know, what did they do? You know, whatever. But if you think about the minds of Keenan and Marlon and so on, they should absolutely be in the room when we're having conversations about what is important in film.
Fanshen Cox [00:11:46]:
100%. And when you— you know, when you talk about what did they do, I mean, In Living Color changed the game.
April Reign [00:11:52]:
That's right.
Fanshen Cox [00:11:52]:
And yet when you think about it, you think about the people who did continue careers, look at their demographics. The folks that did contin— I mean, Jim Carrey as an example, right? It's not a mistake. It's intentional that even when we're the ones creating and putting in the work, It's still, in terms of who ends up being, you know, kind of getting all of the awards, getting the recognition, getting paid in this industry, it continues to be—
April Reign [00:12:21]:
And getting additional jobs. I mean, you know well a lot of this, you know, it's not necessarily nepotism, but agents, casting directors, and directors will go back to the same well again and again and again because it is the person that they know, the person they're comfortable with, Perhaps they've developed a shorthand, and that's fine. But if we're talking about key grips, you know, and boom operators, you know, that's a union thing, right? And so, but you can't get in the union if you haven't had the work.
Fanshen Cox [00:12:50]:
Yep.
April Reign [00:12:50]:
But you can't get the work because so-and-so's uncle— Exactly. Because so-and-so's uncle passed the job down and said, hey, bring in, you know, Kenny Jr. to do my job so that I can apprentice him. And so it, this is not just about actors and actors, actors and directors and those faces that we see and know. It is about everybody, especially those folks below the line, uh, because not everybody wants to be Denzel Washington or Ava DuVernay, and that's fine. You know, some people want to be Hannah Bechler, you know, and be production designers. Some people want to be Ruth Carter, costume designer. But how do you even get there if no one is there to open the door for you and, and make sure it's held open?
Let’s Talk Finance
Fanshen Cox [00:13:30]:
Love it. Okay, uh, so we have a segment, it's on financials, and so we ask us whatever you're comfortable with. Sometimes we talk about salaries, sometimes we talk about budgets for projects. You're in this space now of— I love it— media futurist. Let's talk about that title because it's so good. One, talk about what the title means, and then in connecting it to thinking about financials, you are freelancing, consulting, right? And available. Anything you're comfortable sharing around what a life would look like if somebody chose to kind of go that route in the house.
April Reign [00:14:08]:
Chile don't do it. Yeah. Let me— I mean, let's be— because, you know, I left a six-figure job as a lawyer, you know, nice and safe and all kinds of benefits and great health insurance and all the things, uh, and took a leap into an industry that I had no experience in. Um, and thankfully, you know, I had a safety net. Uh, thankfully I had, you know, family and community that was very supportive. So being a media futurist to me means you're always thinking about the next thing, right? And so I love to think about Afrofuturism. What is that? I am always searching for that portal to Wakanda. So that is where I live all the time. How do I get there? You know, it's not Delta One, but you know where, how do I get there? And so I'm always trying to think about what is the next thing. And so for me, and I'm going to tie this into a tech conversation, The next thing is going to be AI, right? And it's already here. And so how do we figure out ways that people of color, that Black women, that Black people can use it to their advantage? Because it's not going away. So trying to put your head in the sand and say, oh, I will never touch and, you know, I'm going to— it's like, bro, if you've got a cell phone, you're already in the matrix.
Fanshen Cox [00:15:27]:
It knows you. You’ve been here a long time
April Reign [00:15:27]:
Exactly, so how do we monetize, you know, how do we make it work for us. So when I am consulting, it really matters. You know, I can do a talk, you know, I can go to a college or something, and that's anything from $5,000 to $15,000 to go and talk and have conversations with the students. I always try to at least sit in on a class or be, you know, there for questions or what have you in addition to giving a keynote or what have you. If I am doing a consulting thing, it matters. What is just as important as the money is my credibility. And so very often for me, I will do a 360 NDA, which means you don't get to say the Oscars So White lady came in and fixed everything, and so now we're good to go, and you know, we are pro-DEI, if you aren't doing the things that I told you to do. So I will say, you know, you can work with me. And I will come back in 6 weeks. And if you haven't implemented the things that I've said, I still have your money. But you don't get to put me on your website. You don't get to tell anybody, right? Because you didn't do what I said to do. You— because you made all of these, you know, concessions. Oh, yeah, this is what we want to do. And we think it's really important. And we want to figure out how to find the Blacks and, you know, all of that. But, you know, if it's, if it's just window dressing, then we're not going to do that. And I won't say, and I don't want to say that, you know, that I was working with you because you didn't do what you said you were going to do. That's just a waste of time. Rent is still paid, but that's just a waste. So it could be anything from $30,000 to $50,000 depending on the scope of the project, how long I'm with you, what it is that you need me to do. You know, I will walk in you know, oh yeah, we're really, you know, we want to, we want to attract multicultural audiences or what have you, or queer audiences or disabled, or whatever the case may be. And then I walk through your offices and it's like I'm walking through a field of daisies. Like, where, you know what I mean? I need an iris here, I need a carnation, I need a geranium.
Fanshen Cox [00:17:45]:
Yes.
April Reign [00:17:45]:
What is going on? So, so that's part of it. It's, you know, it's always what's happening behind the scenes.
Fanshen Cox [00:17:51]:
Yeah.
April Reign [00:17:51]:
You know, if you say that you want to reach a market but there is nobody in your a particular network that can speak coherently and with cultural context to that market, then it's worthless, you know. And so I, I'm very— I try to be very clear on saying, you know, I'm not just saying that Black people can only talk to Black people, or queer people can only talk to queer people. That's not it. But either you need to have the cultural context, you know, which means you have a relationship, you have a community there, you are an ally, and we can get all into that because if you call yourself an ally, you are not one.
Fanshen Cox [00:18:29]:
You are— Right—Let— yep, yep.
April Reign [00:18:30]:
And I don't want you just to be an ally. I want you to be an accomplice. Like, I want you standing on the line. But even if you are not that, then who do you know who you can bring in to teach you those things, to sit with you, to ensure that you don't have a Pepsi solves racism with a sip with one of those Jenner Kardashian girls moments? You know, or Starbucks wants to solve racism, you know, by the barista as they're making your coffee, they're talking to you about, you know, Harriet Tubman.
Fanshen Cox [00:19:03]:
Oh, that one too. Yeah, there's a lot of them. There's a lot of them.
Join Us on Patreon
Fanshen Cox [00:19:07]:
If you are enjoying this episode of SistaBrunch, you have got to join the whole community. And we are over here, all these conversations we have on SistaBrunch, you will be able to do this with us weekly, even daily, on Patreon. So you can find us at patreon.com/sistabrunch. You can join us for free. I mean, if you've got funds, we appreciate that too. You can have a monthly membership or join us for free. You're gonna get, uh, behind the scenes. You're gonna get some sneak peeks at episodes. We've got merch. We've got conversations going on over there that you can't see us having publicly, really. This is our place to really talk about all the things that we talked about at those original SistaBrunches in person. We are doing over on our Patreon, so join us there.
April Reign [00:19:52]:
Hello, Hello everyone, I'm April Rain and you are watching the SistaBrunch podcast.
Let’s Talk Tech
Fanshen Cox [00:19:59]:
So, um, you touched on AI and now I would love to think about, so we, and we've got a couple of Let's Talk Tech in there. We've got our Afro, our, our, um, media futurist. Love. Um, and we, and you touched on AI. Um, and, and, and one of the challenges with AI is, is bias, right? Algorithmic bias— even though it's been listening to us, it's still the people that then take that information. The engineers are still not aware of our community. They don't have the cultural competence you use. That's right. What do we need to think about when we're using it?
April Reign [00:20:37]:
We need to be thinking about creating our own stuff. That is first and foremost, because behind AI are humans who are programming the AI. Who are the majority of those programmers and engineers? They're white folks, right? Again, nothing wrong with white folks, but they're limited.
Fanshen Cox [00:20:58]:
They're very limited.
April Reign [00:20:59]:
Exactly. What world are they pulling from? And so, you know, when, when you see the N-word and they automatically flag it because it's, you know, a quote-unquote bad word, okay, but maybe I'm using it relationally, and so in those specific instances it's okay, but if you say it's always bad all the time, then that doesn't really work because there's not cultural competency there, right? And so when I— especially in the entertainment industry, when I have these conversations, you know, you have to think about the artists first and foremost. And so it has to be human-centered AI, it has to be ethical AI, it has to be culturally competent AI. And that's a lot. What am I saying there? I'm saying that at the end, the human still needs to be in control. And who is that human? And so I think about animators, you know, Frank Abney is a wonderful animator, right? And he's done stuff with Disney and Pixar and so on. I don't want anybody taking his job away because he is an animator and somebody thinks that AI can do it better. You know, you're hearing now about them doing full body scans of actors. So that if the actor goes off and does another project 3 weeks later—
Fanshen Cox [00:22:16]:
You don't have to pay them to come back.
April Reign [00:22:19]:
Exactly. You just mail their voices. Exactly. And but what does that mean financially? Does the actor get paid because they're in the movie?
Fanshen Cox [00:22:28]:
No, thats why their using it. That is the whole reason.
April Reign [00:22:33]:
Exactly. Yeah. And so those are the questions that I think we need to be asking. I will also say, I think we need to be thinking about AI on human terms as well for us regular folks that are either adjacent to the entertainment industry or aren't in it at all, right? So for example, I think about my father who is in his 80s. He has a couple of minor health ailments, thank God, you know, relatively minor, but he takes like 47 medications and has 12 different doctors. And when he can get an appointment, it's only 15 minutes. And then he gets flustered, right? And I'm like, Dad, put everything into the AI of your choice so we can make sure that your medications are not contraindicated, so that it'll give you a list of questions to ask your doctor when you've got those 12 minutes to talk to them, and so that we can get you progressing quicker. Yeah, you know, there's the woman who is always trying to lose another 10 or 15 pounds, you know, and so But we don't know what we don't know. And, you know, maybe we can't afford a trainer, what have you. But so let's take a picture of your pantry and your refrigerator. What do you have in there that's an ultra-processed food that maybe you need to get rid of?
Fanshen Cox [00:23:47]:
Well, you've taken us somewhere. I mean, really, truly. And then we can take— if we take that example for the entertainment industry, it's everything from— I mean, it's what we try to do on SistaBrunch is like introduce people to new terminology, introduce folks who aren't in the industry to new jobs. And at the same time, you— we want you to listen to the podcast, but you could also find a chatbot of your choice that you trust and that is building to know you and ask it those questions and get some of that learning done for sure that you can walk in. But the health point is is a really good example.
April Reign [00:24:26]:
I think, you know, for— we always like to think that folks in the entertainment industry are either in L.A. or New York and maybe sometimes Atlanta. But the next, you know, Viola Davis may be in Kentucky somewhere. And so how does she get the information that she needs, especially if she doesn't know where to look? That might be ChatGPT. Yeah. You know, I'm supposed to write a spec script. What is a spec script? You know, let's, let's figure that out. So it's sort of like Google on steroids, but it's— and so then you can read it and you can talk. Well, does this make sense? Now I need you to research and tell me has this, you know, this idea that I have in my head, has this treatment ever been done before? Right? Because you don't want to— you want to ensure that you're not doing something duplicative. So I think that there are a lot of ways that we can use AI in a smart way. You know, it's, it's still evil at its, at its core, right?
Fanshen Cox [00:25:20]:
And also killing the planet. So we got, we got to figure out also how it environmentally — How do we offset
April Reign [00:25:25]:
That's right. That's right
Fanshen Cox [00:25:26]:
Right, right, right.
April Reign [00:25:28]:
That's right. But if it's here, And we know that other folks are using it.
Fanshen Cox [00:25:32]:
That's the thing. Let's not get left in the dust again. And, you know, some of that is— that's how they do all the time anyway. But we don't have to— like, the more resources we have, the more we understand it, the less they can turn us into the victim and we figure out how to use it for ourselves.
April Reign [00:25:51]:
That's right. That's right.
Fanshen Cox [00:25:51]:
Yes. Yes.
April Reign [00:25:54]:
Okay.
Creative Work and Future Projects
Fanshen Cox [00:25:54]:
I want to know, M.s April Reign, If not, if I know, I feel like I know this. What do you want to do creatively? I know that you want to. I don't know what the thing is, but I know that you are creative.
April Reign [00:26:14]:
I, I really enjoy strategic communications. I really enjoy helping brands and organizations tell their story better. Right. And ensuring that we're bringing the right people inside that tent to help tell that story. So I want to continue doing that kind of work. I think that there is a book deep down in there. I've been asked several times, and there are probably a couple of different books. There's something that might be sort of autobiographical but more interesting, but, you know, and at least partially Oscar So White-based, like, how did we get here and what does it look like, and, you know, kind of esoteric. So we'll see. But right now, I love, you know, crisis communications, you know, so it's like, you know.
Fanshen Cox [00:26:56]:
We're so lucky you love that. Because I’m like—
April Reign [00:27:08]:
There's so many issues. Yes. Yes. So, you know, it's, it's like Olivia Pope without the murder.
Fanshen Cox [00:27:10]:
Yes, yes, absolutely. Okay. Okay. All right, good. But, but we will encourage you to take some creative time for yourself. Also, because what you do, you know, times of crisis, a lot of times people are coming to you in times of crisis. And, and what we learn over and over again is that they come in those moments and then we know what's going to happen when either there's a new president who supports a whole different viewpoint. So what do you do to take care of yourself?
April Reign [00:27:49]:
I have a dog. And so she requires me to be present. And that's helpful in a way that I didn't realize was necessary. I love to travel, especially internationally. So every time I have the opportunity to get on a plane, I'm always searching for the perfect beach.
Fanshen Cox [00:28:05]:
There's a very good Instagram account to follow. I don't know if you're private and people may not— okay, It is a beautiful— if you want to be able to travel and you don't have the funds, travel through April Rain's Instagram account. It's really lovely.
April Reign [00:28:20]:
And then send me like 20 bucks.
Fanshen Cox [00:28:21]:
So that she can keep it going. Keep going.
April Reign [00:28:30]:
So I can keep going. So, you know, I— that's part of it. You know, I've been really— I'm proud to say I am 55. I am postmenopausal. I am an empty nester, all of those things. And so being very thoughtful about my body has been, has been part of my self-care, especially in this last year. So, you know, I can look at a plate of biscuits and I can gain 3 pounds and it takes me 6 months to lose it, right? So what do I need to do so that I can at least stay the weight that I am or lose a few or whatever? Skincare, all of those things, those things become self-care, uh, to me because it is a moment when, um, I am thinking about no one but myself. And I don't think that Black women do that nearly enough, you know. We— but it is so important that we be selfish and we put it on the calendar, and we make it just as important as that meeting with that man that we don't want to go to, to ensure that it gets done, because we will always push it away. And then, you know, we're in an ambulance because, you know, stuff has fallen out of us and we don't know why, you know. So on the preventative end, self-care really means you have to take care of yourself. So the spa days and the facials, all of that is wonderful. But what are you doing in those quiet moments when, you know, there's nothing but your own voice?
The Signature Sister Brunch Question
Fanshen Cox [00:29:47]:
This leads us into our signature Sister Brunch question. And maybe, maybe your, uh, your third answer, part of this answer might be connected to this or something else. So, April Ryan, you and your younger self, and you can make her whatever age where she needed to hear from you. So you and that younger self, you're sitting down to a sista brunch. And what are you both eating? What are you both drinking? And then what do you tell her?
April Reign [00:30:23]:
You know what I would say? My affirmation is, what you do today is important because you're exchanging a day of your life for it. And so that is where I would start with her. I think she's probably around 21, 22, so just out of law school, baby lawyer. Um, she is drinking a Tom Collins because she didn't really drink, but she needed to get— drink something that she thought was fancy enough for the, the fussy lawyers.
Fanshen Cox [00:30:59]:
I love it.
April Reign [00:31:00]:
That used to be my drink. Um, I am drinking spicy mezcal gimlet.
Fanshen Cox [00:31:08]:
Love a gimlet. Oh, I haven't had a spicy mezcal. Okay, okay, lovely.
April Reign [00:31:13]:
We’ll talk later. Yeah, you know, and, and, um, so she is just starting her career, she is, um, in a relationship, there's just a lot going on. And I think what I would say is slow down. You need to get off of the train of parental validation and society validation and ensure that this is what you truly want with respect to your personal life and your professional life and all of the things, because you have more options than you think you do. Oof, and now I'm gonna need to go to the bathroom and unpack all that. Yeah, that's what I would say now. You know, that was 30 years ago, but yeah.
Fanshen Cox [00:32:05]:
I love it. Okay, and okay, we skipped and we'll go back to what are you both eating? Did we have an eating? Yes. Okay.
April Reign [00:32:11]:
Yes.
Fanshen Cox [00:32:12]:
What are you both chowing down on? This, you got your toast.
April Reign [00:32:16]:
I'm eating something that's high protein, low carbs. Yes. And I am very jealous of the biscuits that she's eating. You know what? Eating a medium-rare New York strip, um, with, uh, mashed cauliflower, garlic mashed cauliflower and broccoli. And she is eating something decadent. And because we are both Taurians, she's starting with dessert. Um, and it is something very chocolatey and, and decadent with chocolate. Oh, it has to be. It has to be. Yeah. And I'm not sure she's eating whatever she wants. There are definitely biscuits involved because I haven't had bread in like 3 years. She's definitely eating biscuits and, you know, and whatever she wants. And I'm paying because I'm older.
Closing & Partnerships
Fanshen Cox [00:33:10]:
So yeah, she's doing whatever she wants. And that's part of the advice too at that time is you go ahead and eat that now because you're not, you're not going to be able to have that stuff later. So enjoy it, eat it up, sop up the plate, you know, everything you need to do. Thank you so much, April Reign. I'm so proud to have you on SistaBrunch. We're so— you are officially an alum and part of this growing community that is here to support you and uplift you and learn from you and, you know, do all we can so you can bring us all into that media future that you're working towards. Thank you so much.
April Reign [00:33:49]:
It was my pleasure. I'm so happy to get my shirt.
Fanshen Cox [00:33:55]:
Yes. All right. Another incredible episode. I feel like it's been, yes, it's been years that I have waited to have this amazing woman on, on SistaBrunch. So I couldn't be more proud than to have welcomed April Reign today. SistaBrunch is brought to you by TruJulo Productions. SistaBrunch is created by Anya Tonya Adams, Christabel Nsiobohadi, and me, Fanshen Cox. Our season 7 co-producers are Tasha Rogers and Samantha Kay Henderson, and our associate producers are Charlie T. Savage and Ashanti Groves. And our Patreon community coordinator is Chanda Jones. SistaBrunch is recorded on the unceded territory of the Tongva and the Chumash peoples in Los Angeles. Los Angeles in this beautiful studio in Hollywood, Black-owned YouPodcaster. Check them out. Thank you so much for listening and subscribing and watching, joining us on Patreon at sistabrunch— patreon.com/sisterbrunch, contributing at givebutter.com/sistabrunch, and joining our community and uplifting our guests. Thank you so much for listening, and we will talk to you next week.