Episode 34: Pageants, Pepper, & Prime Rib with Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins and Nkena Lawrence
Today we are joined by a fellow podcaster Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins and her sister Nkena Lawrence. Ashley is the host of Oprah's OWN network podcast, Trials to Triumphs and the star of the Netflix series Dear White People. This dynamic sister duo opens up about their strong independent Momma Cynthia and how she raised them to be hard working women and always strive to be their best.
Cynthia faced much adversity as a black woman growing up in the South in the 60’s. However, this woman’s ambition and tenacity never wavered which we also discover was passed down to her daughters. Cynthia graduated from Howard University where Ashley later followed in her mother’s footsteps. Having a demanding career at IBM meant Cynthia traveled a lot which also kept her out of the kitchen. Regardless, married to a man who was not afraid of putting on an apron, the Featherson family sat down to a home cooked meal every night of the week.
While Nkena takes after her mother with very little interest in cooking, Ashley is a self proclaimed “foodie” who learned by watching her father cook while sitting on a stool in the kitchen. While she has her favorite family recipes like Chicken Divan and Prime Rib, she’s also smart like her mother and knows when to outsource for special occasions from Lawry’s and Gelson's market!
The sisters recall memories of an always over the top Christmas. But the family celebration didn’t stop on Christmas because Momma Cynthia's Birthday is on the 26th!!
It wouldn’t be a Hey Sis sibling episode without a story of a childhood pet or two. Find out how Pepper the pooch’s fate was sealed after a night of ordering in pizza. We can't pass up a good teenager on the road story but Ashley might not be fully at blame for her reoccurring accidents.
There is no doubt you will love these charming, charismatic former pageant queens and their tough as nails and sometimes mysterious Momma Cynthia!
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