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Journalist. Herbalist. Oral Historian.
Rachel J. Pilgrim
Award-winning journalist, herbalist, wellness founder, and oral historian uncovering the untold stories of Black resilience, healing, and tradition.
She is focused on investigating, preserving, and amplifying the stories and recipes we can’t afford to lose.
Journalist Herbalist Wellness Founder Multimedia CreativeAward-winning ProducerOral Historian
A proud native of Mount Vernon, New York, Rachel J. Pilgrim graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University with degrees in English, Business, and Inequality Studies before earning her M.S. in Journalism with Honors from Columbia Journalism School.
Her work—spanning radio, podcasting, video, and digital platforms—explores race, culture, social justice, and history, with bylines in The New York Times, Huffington Post, and The Root. She co-authored and copyedited the book Moving Still and has served as a story editor, producer, host, and scriptwriter for numerous projects, including several Audible Originals podcasts, Spotify’s Sanctified, and Turner Classic Movies’ The Plot Thickens: Pam Grier—a Signal Award-winning and Webby-nominated season.
She was also a scriptwriter for YouTube’s Like & Describe, which amassed over 250,000 listeners on launch day, and a Narrative Producer at Lemonada Media for Blind Plea, which debuted at #1 on Apple Podcasts.
She currently works through her multimedia company, Heal & Hear the Community®, and is committed to amplifying Black stories and cultural preservation.
Beyond journalism, Rachel is the founder of The Land of Milk & Honey Apothecary®, an herbal wellness shop specializing in mental health support and wellness activations.
In her personal life, Rachel is a wife and mom to over 100 houseplants, 3 cats, a dog, a fish, and a turtle.
Awards
Best Editing, Signal Award 2022 – The Plot Thickens, Season Four: Here Comes Pam, TCM
Best Television + Film Podcast, Signal Award 2022 – The Plot Thickens, Season Four: Here Comes Pam, TCM
Webby Honoree 2022 – The Plot Thickens, Season Four: Here Comes Pam, TCM
Best Religion and Spirituality Podcast, Black Podcasting Awards 2023 – Sanctified Podcast, Jemele Hill’s Unbothered Network + Spotify
Listener’s Choice, Signal Award 2023 – Mandela: The Lost Tapes, Audible Studios
Over a decade in experience
Rachel's work as a host, writer and producer spans traditional multimedia spaces
Rachel has worked with almost a dozen different media companies, creating podcasts, writing articles, and offering consulting on film and video projects. She also recently launched a podcast entitled I Am Well, under her own media company, Heal & Hear the Community®.
