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Our Story
Two Voices, Rooted in Purpose
A mother and daughter united by a shared calling — to use the power of words to heal communities, ignite justice, and awaken hope across generations.
The Griot Poet
Dr. Barbara Talley
Dr. Barbara Talley is a keynote speaker, poet, author, and educator whose 45+ years of service have touched communities across 22 countries and 44 states. Named Maryland Mother of the Year in 2015, she is the founder of initiatives focused on healing racism and uniting communities — including WeAreHope.World.
A Montgomery College educator for more than 25 years, Dr. Talley has authored 6 published books and has several transformational titles forthcoming. She is a wife of 46 years, mother of six, and grandmother — and she brings every dimension of that lived experience to her work.
Dr. Talley is certified in HeartMath, Behavioral EQ, Social Styles, and Resilience, and trained in CliftonStrengths, Appreciative Inquiry, Generative Leadership, and Brain-Based Conversational Skills.
Highlights
Poet & Speaker
Radiance Talley
Radiance Talley is a writer, poet, speaker, editor, designer, and SEO specialist. She is the former director of operations at BahaiTeachings.org, where she integrated her expertise in SEO, journalism, design, and publishing into every aspect of her work. She wrote and edited hundreds of articles for BahaiTeachings.org and also wrote and optimized articles for California.com, creating high-performing content on a range of topics.
Before joining BahaiTeachings.org, she edited for the Kennedy Center and conducted research and wrote for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in communication, a College Park Scholars Arts Citation, and a cognate in journalism. During her time there, she wrote for lifestyle magazines, served as lead artist for a Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center project, and as president of the Baha'i Club earned the MICA MVP Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Campus Community.
In addition to her artistic and journalistic education, Radiance gained extensive knowledge in theory building, negotiation, conflict management, and interpersonal, intergroup, intercultural, and organizational communication, as well as anthropology, sociology, and cross-cultural psychology. She also studied public health in London, Paris, and Berlin, enriching her understanding of global health and accessibility.
Radiance delivers speeches and performs her original poetry at conferences including the One Planet Summit, the Gratitude Network Summit, and the ARISE conferences. Her poetry has been featured on CNN, NPR, and podcasts like Rainn Wilson's "Baha'i Blogcast" and Sean Hinton's "Moments of Meaning," earning widespread acclaim for its depth and resonance.
Highlights
Together
One Mission. Two Generations.
Whether performing together on stage or speaking independently, Dr. Barbara and Radiance bring a rare intergenerational depth to every engagement — weaving scholarship, lived experience, and poetic truth into transformational encounters that audiences carry with them long after the final word.
Dr. Barbara Talley
The Griot Poet
"We've been gifted to use our words to bestir people, to wake them up, to make them think, to make them feel."
Radiance Talley
Poet & Speaker
"Poetry is my most intimate companion, my cathartic outlet, my personal form of expression as it chronicled my journey from painstaking isolation to proud independence, from dismal doubt to daunting courage, and from somber sadness to sweet serenity."