In this soulful episode of the Soul Story® Show, host Brooke-Sidney Harbour sits down with acclaimed author, journalist, and filmmaker Bridgett M. Davis to explore her deeply moving new memoir, Love, Rita: An American Story of Sisterhood, Joy, Loss, and Legacy.

Through laughter, tears, and truth-telling, Bridgett honors the life of her sister Rita — a vibrant and unapologetic woman who embodied joy, style, and resilience — and examines how love and legacy endure through storytelling.

Together, they open a heartfelt conversation about cumulative grief, the sustaining power of Black women's friendships, and what it really takes to tell a personal story on the page.

Whether you're navigating loss, cherishing sisterhood, or dreaming of writing your own memoir, this episode offers healing, inspiration, and the reminder that our stories matter. ⸻

💡 What You'll Discover in This Episode

• Who Rita was and why her story needed to be told now

• The difficult but necessary conversation around cumulative grief

• How Black women's friendships create joy, survival, and healing

• The balance between vulnerability and privacy in memoir writing

• Bridgett's wisdom for aspiring authors on memoir and publishing

• How writing transforms grief into meaning and legacy

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⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Welcome & Introduction

2:10 – Who Rita Was Beyond the Page

6:35 – Why Love, Rita Had to Be Written

12:20 – Joy Alongside Grief: Finding Balance in Memoir

18:45 – Cumulative Grief and How It Shapes Us

26:15 – The Role of Black Women's Friendships in Rita's Story and Our Own

34:50 – Writing Advice for Memoirists and Aspiring Authors

42:00 – Rapid Fire Soul Notes with Bridgett M. Davis

47:00 – Closing Reflections

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📚 Get the Book Love, Rita: An American Story of Sisterhood, Joy, Loss, and Legacy - https://amzn.to/47iY2UJ

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🙏 Connect with Bridgett Davis:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgett_d

Website: https://www.bridgettdavis.com

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📚 Other Books Mentioned in This Episode:

• The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers — by Bridgett M. Davis - https://amzn.to/4n3LzJ4

• The Yellow House — by Sarah M. Broom - https://amzn.to/3JAtfJk

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💬 Continue the Conversation

Follow Brooke-Sidney Harbour & The Soul Story® Show

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/soulstoryshow

• Website: https://brookesidneybooks.com

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@UCIeDSx2-59Yy59MZfo72zBg

• Schedule a book chat: https://bit.ly/BJHbookchats

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🙏 If you loved this episode…

Please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who believes in the power of love and storytelling. Your support helps bring more soulful conversations to life.

📚 Book your Soul Story Strategy Session today - https://bit.ly/BJHbookchats

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