Faith in the Middle: Not Right, Not Left, Just Love

The Black Suburban Mom Starter Pack

What does it really take to build a life in a place that wasn’t built with you in mind? In this episode of Modern Nostalgia, Jasmine reflects on nearly a decade of suburban living as a Black woman, wife, and mother—and the quiet, often unspoken realities that come with it. What looks like the “end goal” from the outside—bigger homes, better schools, quiet streets—reveals itself to be something more layered when you’re navigating spaces still adjusting to your presence. Through humor, storytelling, and cultural memory, Jasmine walks through her personal “starter pack” for Black suburban moms—from the necessity of a good hairstylist and a signature recipe, to the power of a Saturday morning cleaning playlist, a driveway built for gathering, and the confidence to take up space without shrinking. This episode is both a celebration and a reckoning—honoring the traditions that shaped her while intentionally recreating them for her children in a different environment. Because sometimes the goal isn’t just to arrive… it’s to build something meaningful once you get there.

Faith in the Middle: Not Right, Not Left, Just Love

What does it mean to claim your faith when the world keeps assigning it to something else?  Raised in church and still rooted there, Jasmine reflects on the tension of publicly identifying as Christian in a cultural moment where faith often feels politicized, weaponized, or misrepresented.  She shares the childhood lessons that shaped her, the college moment that reframed evangelism forever and the quiet decision to live her faith rather than argue it.  This episode explores:  How faith is inherited...and how it MUST be personal The responsibility of passing belief down without control Why love, not power, is the core of her theology Faith is not a political affiliation. It is not a personality type.  For Jasmine, faith is simple. Know you are loved. Love God back. Love people well.