All Hail Arsema!

Selam & Hello to all our wonderful listeners - we are thrilled to be back with Season 2 of Selam & Hello! Our guest today is actor, activist, and tech entrepreneur Arséma Angela Adeoluwayemi Hamera Thomas. Arséma has captured the imagination of global audiences with their portrayal of the young lady Danbury in Netflix's original series from Shonda Rhimes - Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerston Story. Born to a Nigerian father and an Ethiopian mother, Arséma is the definition of a pan-African global citizen. They not only speak multiple languages but they have engaged with the challenges they saw growing up head-on through their academic and creative work, as well as their social impact entrepreneurship. Having traversed multiple countries, she pursued a career in the arts only after graduating with a degree in Biophysics from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Public Health from Yale University. They are an advocate for health equity, marginalized populations, and a staunch voice for justice. Today we journey through their life, exploring the interplay of joy and justice. Although they were not able to talk about the show due to the writer's strike, Lilly and Arséma take a leisurely stroll through their shared Ethiopian heritage, her must-have songs for any playlist, explore the cost of being a voice for equity and inclusion in Hollywood, discuss the works of Ta-Nahisi Coates and Zora Neale Hurston and in the end - try to determine if they are cousins. Arséma brought courage, love and wisdom to this conversation, just as they did to their portrayal of the young Lady Danbury.

(PS - Tickets are still available to our live show on Sunday, September 24th with Dr. Ijeoma Kola. You can get your tickets here - see you Sunday!) 

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Music Credits: The opening song is written and performed by Lilly's son, singer/songwriter/guitarist Silas Piper

Artwork by Yegonizer

Production by: Sahihi Africa Productions