A five-part docu-series that celebrates the dialects, music, dance, and cuisine of African Americans and the impact they’ve had on popular culture.
Having Our Say
explores how and why African American dialects from West Africa to the American Southwest have influenced music, dance, and cuisine for centuries. It has the storytelling tone of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, combined with the historical depth of Henry Louis Gates’ Finding Your Roots. As Stanley Tucci’s unscripted series, Searching for Italy, explores his Italian culinary roots, Denise Woods’, Having Our Say, pays homage to the sights, sounds, and flavors of the African Diaspora in North America.
Dialects
Dance
Cuisine
Music
Denise Woods embarks on a
journey “home” with her celebrity friends. Accompanied by a team of experts, they unravel the joy and often painful origins of the regional dialects, cuisine, dance and music that influenced their lives.
Guests
Episode 1:
Denise heads to the Midwest to delve into African American Vernacular English (AAVE) with Sterling K. Brown.
Sterling K. Brown
St. Louis
African American culture helped shape the city’s landscape. From the Great Migration to the rise of the city’s Black metropolis, The Ville, African Americans have played a pivotal role in the vibrancy of the city known as “the gateway to the west.”
St. Louis Music
St. Louis Hop
St. Louis BBQ
Anthony Mackie
Episode 2:
In New Orleans, Denise teams up with Anthony to explore his city and its Creole dialect.
New Orleans
holds a prominent place in African American culture. Known as the birthplace of jazz and steeped in
a Creole tradition, it serves as a vibrant hub of black artistic expression.
Jazz
Second Line
Gumbo
Gina Torres
Episode 3:
Denise travels to the New York/New Jersey area to uncover the Afro-Cuban bilingual sounds of Gina Torres.
The Afro-Cuban experience
in New York and New Jersey pulsate to the rhythms of salsa, while a game of dominoes is played and a cigar or two is enjoyed. But how much of Africa still remains in the culture? Cuban cuisine, music and dance have left an indelible mark on the American social scene. Having our say traces its African roots.
Afro- Cuban Jazz
Blues
Salsa
Arroz
Con Pollo Frijoles Negros
Mahershala Ali
Episode 4:
Oakland gets invaded by Denise as she is accompanied by Mahershala Ali.
The Black Experience
in Oakland, California is one of social activism and cultural relevance. Rooted in a history of resistance, Oakland’s black community has played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s identity. From the Black Panther Party to its burgeoning art scene, black culture permeates every aspect of the city.
Hyphy
Boogaloo
Oxtails and Grits
Episode 5:
Viola Davis leads the South Carolina Gullah experience. She and Denise share their connection to the dialect, cuisine, dance, music and to their ancestors.
Viola Davis
The South Carolina Lowcountry
is home to the Gullah people and their culture. As descendants of enslaved West Africans, the Gullah have preserved their distinctive language, traditions and way of life for centuries. From the vibrant rhythms of their music and dance to the rich flavors of their cuisine and stories, this proud culture has miraculously withstood the test of time.
Gullah Music
Ring Shout
Perlo Rice
Denise Woods
has been the dialect coach for feature films such as Tyler Perry’s A Jazzman’s Blues, The Harder They Fall, starring Idris Elba and Halle Berry’s directorial debut film, Bruised. She was the vocal coach for Mahershala Ali’s Academy Award winning performance in Green Book and HBO’s True Detective, Third Season. She has coached Academy Award winning actor, Common, Golden Globe winner, David Oyelowo, in the Paramount + Series Bass Reeves and Academy Award nominated actor, Will Smith, in the film Ali. Denise worked with Audra McDonald on her Fourth Tony Award winning performance in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess on Broadway. She coached the Amazing Ladies in the film Hidden Figures, the film Harriet, starring Cynthia Erivo and the Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, starring Naomi Ackie. Denise has also trained a plethora of corporate executives, athletes and broadcast journalists. Her book, The Power of Voice, was published by Harper Collins Publishers, in January 2021. She is a proud graduate and former faculty member of the Juilliard School’s Drama Division and a former faculty member of California Institute of the Arts.
denise@speakitclearly.com
Click Here to Explore Denise Woods’ Insights
