Dem Black Mamas Podcast

Dear Mamas & Magic Makers What if I told you a campaign was a story?  And if Black women are the heroes of elections, how come we're never the main characters in the movie?  It's Black Healing/History Month here at Dem Black Mamas, and today we're holding space for a conversation that feels both urgent and ancestral: electoral politics and Black motherhood. Black motherhood has never been separate from politics.  It has always been policy and protest.  From the plantation to the PTA meeting; from the ballot box to the budget sheet at the kitchen table, from protecting our babies in school hallways to protecting our rights in voting lines.  As Audre Lorde said, "Survival is not a theory."  It is strategic.  It is practiced.  It is passed down. Today, we're joined by someone who understands both the strategy and the stakes, Reecie Colbert.  SiriusXM host. Political strategist and Author.  When disinformation moves in whispers, she answers in clarity.  When narratives twist, she straightens them.  She doesn't just talk politics, she translates it.  Together, we're unpacking messaging and missteps; silence and strategy;  weight of being the base but not the priority. We dive into: ✨Loyalty, leverage, labor and when does devotion become depletion?  ✨What does it mean to be the foundation of a house that rarely calls your name? ✨When your Blackness is debated in public, is silence strategy… or surrender?  ✨How do you raise a Black child steady and sovereign when the ground beneath democracy feels like quicksand? PLUS - NeKisha & Crystal discuss our inability to recognize white people, a show made us proud to say "THE BLACK MAMA DID IT" Stick around till the end for our signature 'Black Mama Say' segment where we put our own twist on phrases from Black Mamas and in this episode we'll be revealing the word that will guide us through the year. ABOUT Reecie Colbert Reecie Colbert is a dynamic SiriusXM host, bestselling author, fearless advocate, and trusted Democratic political strategist known for her signature unbossed, unfiltered delivery. A credentialed White House press member and national political commentator, she demystifies complex issues and debunks disinformation while blending sharp political analysis with smart pop culture commentary. From interviewing leaders like Governor Wes Moore to moderating panels with top mayors and hosting *The Reecie Colbert Show*, her live call-in talk show on politics and culture, Reecie brings insight, energy, and authenticity to every platform — including frequent appearances on MSNBC, Revolt TV, and NewsNation. An Amazon bestselling author and sought-after speaker, she's also a proud LA girlie, concert connoisseur, and the self-proclaimed First Lady of Upper Marlboro, living in the D.C. area with her husband and daughter. Connect with Reecie Colbert: Instagram | Website | Games | SiriusXM IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: March 29th - April 1st: Community Doula Week "Nuture Joy | Honor Community | Hold Power" April 11th - 17th: Black Maternal Health Week "Rooted In Joy & Justice" June 24th - June 30th: Black Mama Creative Week "The Weight & Wonder of Black Motherhood" Sign Up for our email list for details. 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #52 "Soften" 💗 Episode Playlist:  DBM Episode 77 Companion Playlist EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 75 107 Days, Kamala Harris & Black Motherhood 🎙️DBM Ep 76: Thea Monyee's Farewell Episode: Podcasting for a Decade, Evolution & Black Motherhood 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Instagram | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com  

Dear Mamas & Magic Makers We're celebrating a significant milestone: 10 YEARS of podcasting. In this episode, we reflect on our journey, share personal stories, and bid a loving farewell to our co-host, Thea Monyee. We delve into our experiences and growth over the past decade, shedding light on the transformations in our personal lives, spiritual journeys, motherhood, and creative ventures. From humble beginnings on Skype to creating a nurturing space for Black motherhood and magic, we've shared it all. Thea's Sunset Episode is a tribute to friendship, resilience, and the transformative power of storytelling. Whether you're a long-time listener or new to the ride, this episode encapsulates the essence of what Dem Black Mamas is all about. Dive in with us as we honor the past, embrace the present, and look forward to the future with hope and excitement. In this episode, we talk: ✨Where were we 10 years ago & did we think we'd be where we are right now ✨What surprised us over the last 10 years ✨What we're excited & curious in the next decade ✨Thank Yous To Thea 💗Black Mama Magic Card: Card #11 - Magic Is Real.  You Are Proof.💗 Episode Playlist Curated By Us: Spotify | YouTube EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 1: Meet The Mamas Apple Podcast | Soundcloud 🎙️DBM Ep 4: How I Made It Ova 🎙️DBM Ep 27: The Upper Room ✨THEA MONYEE EVENTS/EXPERIENCES✨ Joy Emersion LA 2.28.26 Joy Emersion Atlanta 4.25.26 Hold Us Sacred Retreats 3.21.26-3.30.26 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas Instagram | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For full show syllabus & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com  

Dear Mama, I'm a simple girl from South Carolina whose mother was a union leader in an anti-union state, so politics was a part of the day-to-day conversations in my home.  I am a Black artist, interrogating, reflecting, and expressing new possibilities in the world. I'm a Black mama who desires a free country for her Black children.  I'm a Black birth worker who wants Black women to go into birth looking forward to life, not fearing death.  I'm a Black woman, a Black mother, a Black artist who wants to be free.  These are all the intersections I brought with me when I began to listen to "107 Days", Kamala Harris' book about her 2024 presidential campaign.  Fresh off the heels of an awe-inspiring episode with Loretta Ross, Thea Monyee, and I unpack how the book impacted us. In this episode, we dive into: ✨How the layout of the book impacted our experience ✨Performative and respectability politics in the current political climate ✨Disappointments, darkness & moments of hope ✨Where we are now vs where we were in 2024 PLUS - We sprinkle in some church announcements, share wisdom from June Jordan, and, of course, we stay on our Blackest behavior. Stick around till the end for our signature 'Black Mama Say' segment, where we put our own twist on phrases from Black Mamas, and the phrase we're twisting this episode is "But what I do know is…" So thanks for coming inside the black mama magic room, and if you're looking for links to things we mentioned or referenced in this episode, check out our syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris-Perry) for this episode, which is a list of references and sources for our listeners to explore for this episode. This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective.  If you're a new listener, welcome to the mothership. If you're a newbie or an OG, here are 2 simple ways to support us: Sign up for our newsletter.        Share this episode with at least one person.                                                                                  💗BLACK MAMA MAGIC CARD DECK PULL: Card #37 "It's a Moment.  Not a Lifetime." 💗 Episode Companion Playlist curated by Dem Black Mamas: YouTube | Spotify  EPISODES MENTIONED/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 74: A Conversation w/ Loretta Ross - Abortion, Reproductive Justice & Black Motherhood 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: BluSky | Instagram | Patreon | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us on Instagram or email us at [email protected].    

Dear Mama & Magic Makers,  What if we told you there is an elder alive today who has the blueprint for this moment? Mamas & Magic Makers, if you don't do nothing else before the end of the year, sit at the feet of an elder and LISTEN.  Keyword LISTEN.  Find an elder or make yourself available to one who is willing not only to share their wisdom but also to be vulnerable, sharing their mistakes, regrets, and healing journey.   And this is why we're grateful for our conversation with the brilliant, brave, and vulnerable Loretta Ross, one of the architects of the reproductive justice framework and one of the founders of the reproductive justice movement, about her new book, Abortion & Reproductive Justice: An Essential Guide for Resistance.  With sobering honesty, she shares how her personal journey mirrored the evolution of her role in the feminist movement and why, after retiring from the frontline, she's chosen to focus on HOW we do the work. This is the quietest we have ever been in an episode as Ms. Ross shares: Motherhood, aging out of the front lines, and the necessity of matching radical analysis with radical love How Black women's care and solidarity have literally kept her alive Fear of a Black Planet & how American feminism began with enslaved Black women  Why we can't afford for fights within movements to be fatal PLUS, we give a praise report to Vanessa Baden Kelly, who wrote a Black ass episode of The Morning Show that touches on Black Maternal Health and Black women's relationships in the workplace. In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is "Keep Livin."  ABOUT LORETTA ROSS Loretta J. Ross is an activist, professor, and public intellectual. In her five decades in the human rights movement, she's deprogrammed white supremacists, taught convicted rapists the principles of feminism, and, as National Co-Director, organized the second-largest march on Washington (in April 25, 2004, March for Women's Lives in Washington D.C., surpassed in size only by the 2017 Women's March).  Loretta was one of the first African American women to direct a rape crisis center in the 1970s, launching her career by pioneering work on violence against women, as the third Executive Director of the D.C. Rape Crisis Center. As part of a 50-year history of social justice activism, she retired from community organizing in 2012. She was the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective from 2005-2012 and co-created the theory of Reproductive Justice in 1994.  Her many accolades and honors include a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship and a 2024 induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Today, Ross is an associate professor at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and is the founder of LoRossta Consulting, with which she runs "Calling In" training sessions online and for organizations around the country. Loretta is a rape survivor, raised her child born of incest, and is also a survivor of sterilization abuse at age 23. She is a model of how to survive and thrive despite the traumas that disproportionately affect low-income women of color.  Loretta is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Connect with Loretta Ross: Read Loretta Ross's Latest Book: Abortion & Reproductive Justice: An Essential Guide for Resistance Upcoming Events w/ Loretta Ross: Calling In Conversations: Action for Human Rights, Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 7:00 PM  9:00 PM Loretta Ross Other Books  Website | Instagram  💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #32 "Bliss Awaits" 💗 Episode Playlist:  Ep 74 Companion Playlist EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Episode 24 Birthing Freedom w/ Chauntel Norris co-founder & Director of Alabama Prison Project 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Instagram | YouTube | Website 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris-Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com   

Dear Mamas & Magic Makers What if I told you your child was born a sexual being?  What if I told you that when it comes to sex and our children, we should focus on preparation instead of prevention? What if I told you intimacy and pleasure for your child were on the other side of your fear of them making a mistake?  What if I told you resting in that fear erases a part of your child's humanity and as Black mamas we MUST provide space for our children's full humanity to be embraced.  Those were the aha moments Kim Baker guided me to, cause ya girl has been struggling to talk to my sons about pleasure and intimacy, and I had real questions like how to support my child who, if they start losing their mind behind sex, cause it's happened to the best of us. So in this episode, we DIVE DEEP into topics around sex education, intimacy, and empowerment with our special guest, Kim Baker, a sexual health educator and founder of Own Every Piece, which works to resolve the inequities women face in their reproductive journey.  We discuss cultivating an open dialogue about sexual health. Kim shares her insights on how parents can navigate these conversations amidst the overwhelming data and misinformation our kids are exposed to.  We dive into: Teaching your kids the sign that sex has them in a chokehold cause we know it's happened to the best of us Understanding consent and the complexity of preparing our children for healthy relationships The importance of intimacy beyond sexuality Positive parenting approaches The profound impact of early sex education  PLUS - Our LISTENER LOVE EPISODE RECORDING, where we invite our listeners to come on to the podcast, will take place on November 13th. I explain why The Wiz soundtrack was made to carry us through this moment. In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is "Watch Yo Neck." ABOUT KIM BAKER Kim is a woman of many talents and roles—a Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor, and Assistant Dean of Practice. A leader in the sexual health space, she's been a well-known advocate for accessibility and equity. When she's not advocating for reproductive health, she's a leading voice on racial injustice. She is the founder of Own Every Piece, a multi-partner system-level intervention to increase access to contraception for women. She has also developed sexual health interventions informed by community needs, targeting males, faith institutions, and health providers. She is the co-founder of Full Circle Strategies Consulting Group, a firm that works with agencies across the nation to facilitate anti-racism change within their teams through strategic planning, training & coaching.  She also serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Jacob & Terese Hershey Foundation. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hampton University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. From leading teams dedicated to advancing reproductive health to teaching graduate students and training them in public health practice skills, she does everything with grace, a steadfast vision, and fortitude.  When she's not doing all the things, she's helping her kiddos with last-minute pre-K and Elementary school projects or watching the latest episode of Love After Lockup. We love a guilty pleasure. Connect with Kim Baker: Instagram  Own Every Piece: Instagram | Website IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Join Us For A Live Recording on Thursday, November 13th>>>Complete This Form 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #10 "Lay Your Burdens on the Altar of Love" 💗 Episode Playlist:  Ep 73 Companion Playlist EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 71 Black Keisha, Black Mamas, & Forever 🎙️DBM Ep 72 Back To School & Black Motherhood 🎙️DBM Ep 65 Marriage Hot Topics & Black Motherhood 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Instagram | YouTube | Website 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris-Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com 

Dear Mamas & Magic Makers What if I told you the collision of declining birth rates in the U.S., the rise of anti-intellectualism, and the rollback of reproductive rights are having a profound impact on your child's potential college experience?  How do we help prepare our children for the future when the world we know is crumbling before our eyes?  In this episode, we talk with one of our favorite kiki partners and Associate Vice President for Equity & Community Inclusion at San Francisco State, Dr. Frederick Smith, about the changing landscape of higher education, the challenges, and strategies for Black families navigating the college experience for their teens. We discuss the importance of support systems, financial literacy, overcoming barriers like making friends and advocating for oneself, and we explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students' social skills. AND MAMAS what you should be thinking about if you're considering returning to college. We dive into: Parental transitions & creating critical thinking opportunities for our children Importance of the college experience beyond the classroom Anti-intellectualism, mental health & the impact on higher ed The number one challenge new college students face PLUS - Our LISTENER LOVE EPISODE RECORDING, where we invite our listeners to come on to the podcast, will take place on November 13th.  In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is "I Ain't Forgot." ABOUT DR. FREDERICK SMITH Dr. Frederick Smith's research and professional interests focus on higher education and include: co-curricular learning experiences; the role of ethnic studies and cultural centers in student identity development and confidence building; campus climate experiences of historically marginalized and minoritized communities; retention and graduation of students of color in higher education; and collaborations between student affairs and academic affairs units for student success.  Smith has served twice as president of the California Council of Cultural Centers in Higher Education (CaCCCHE) and he is active with the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE). Outside of higher education, Fred enjoys reading and writing fiction. He's written and published several novels – In Case You Forgot (2019), Play It Forward (2015), Right Side of the Wrong Bed (2009), and Down For Whatever (2005) – that focus on queer people of color characters. He earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University. Connect with Fred Smith: Instagram | Website IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Listener Love Episode Recording: Thursday, November 13th, 1pmET  If you'd like to join us complete this form: https://bit.ly/dbmbeourguest 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #22 "My motherhood is rooted in creativity" 💗 Episode Companion Playlist EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Episode 26 In Case You Forgot with Chad Lamar & Frederick Smth 🎙️DBM Episode 51: When It All Falls Down, Finding Freedom & Transitioning to Conscious Parenting w/ Domari Dickinson 🎙️DBM Ep 61: Joy & Black Motherhood 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Instagram | YouTube | Email List 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama,  What if I told you much of the growth our children may need to show up in the ways we're nurturing them to show up comes through falling in love? When we tell our children not to focus on love, are we parenting out of fear?  What message does that send to our children about the priority to place on intimate relationships, and what generational impact does that have on our culture?  How do we raise children who know how to love? In this raw and reflective episode, we take a deep dive into the Netflix series 'Forever,' using it as a powerful springboard to unpack the complexities of Black motherhood, teenage love, and generational parenting.  We're talking parenting fears, the tightrope between nurturing and protecting our babies, and the real-life challenges that come with raising Black teens in a world that doesn't always love them back. Y'all know us! So honest storytelling, aha moments, and of course, plenty of laughter and love. We also get into: ✨The roots of catastrophic parenting styles and the fear of raising fuck boys ✨How generational trauma shows up at the dinner table (and in the group chat) ✨Teaching our children vulnerability & letting go ✨Why was Keisha's Daddy so triggering PLUS - Crystal gives a s/o to Mara Brock Akil for putting text on the screen, NeKisha questions Crystal is good at training real dogs or Ques, and Thea offers advice on how to live like we'll survive this moment in time.  In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is "Let Me Hush Though." EPISODE PAUSE FOR THE CAUSE: "Imma keep it 100.  I don't raise f*c? boys.  I don't wanna raise men who women have to manage." - Crystal Tennille Irby IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: JOIN US for Talk Back: Black Keisha, Black Mamas & Forever - We'll be watching & discussing the scenes that made you TALK BACK to the screen. REGISTER NOW! 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #15 "Fuck Fear. An Affirmation." 💗 EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 51 When It All Falls Down, Finding Freedom & Transitioning to Conscious Parenting w/ Domari Dickinson DBM Ep 71 Companion Playlist  🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Join Our Email List | Instagram | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama, What if I told you the saying,  "real gs move in silence is killing your dream?  What if I told you to tell everyone and anyone you know what you want to do?  What if I told you your notes app and Evernote are the keys to the manifestation of your dreams?  What if I told you every time we tell our stories, we reclaim what was stolen? Every time we create, we declare: We are still here.  These are our takeaways from our conversation with prolific children's book author, Alliah Agostini, who wrote The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States & one of my favorite children's books, Great Idea Malia.   In this episode, we explore the intersections of Black motherhood, creativity, community, and freedom. Alliah provides invaluable insights for other Black mama creatives, encouraging them to trust their journey and to navigate the world of storytelling with authenticity and courage. Her experience is a testament to the power of community and culture as a treasure trove of inspiration.  We get real about: ✨Complexities of Black culture ✨The importance of always telling our stories, but especially right now ✨Handling critique and nurturing creativity  ✨Building community and managing ideas PLUS - If you're looking for some hope right now. We got you.  In our Black Mama Say segment, where we put our own twist on sayings from Black Mamas, we talk about what's giving us hope while this country is on fire.  ABOUT ALLIAH AGOSTINI Buffalo, NY native Alliah L. Agostini has marketed everything from iconic brands to scrappy start-ups, but motherhood helped her return to her first love: children's literature. She writes to spread joy, truth, and to help more children see themselves reflected on the page.  Alliah is the author of 10 books for children including Junior Library Guild Selection BIG TUNE: Rise of the Dancehall Prince (starred reviews, Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly, NYPL and Chicago Public Library Best Picture Book of 2023), Black KidLit Award-winning The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States, Great Idea Malia, and recently released Scarecited on the First Day of School.  She and her work have been featured on Oprah Daily, Essence.com, TODAY with Hoda + Jenna, Morning in America, Good Housekeeping, CNN, and NPR. Connect with Alliah: Instagram | Website IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Collection Plate Cause: Learn more about & donate to Creators Well, a nonprofit founded by Crystal for Black girls living in South Carolina intersted in writing and performance.  💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #19 "I Honor My Child's Divine Path" 💗 Episode Playlist:  Black Mama Creatives Episode Playlist 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Instagram | YouTube | Email List 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama, What if I told you your mess tells a story, and your clutter can block your clarity?  What if I told you to reframe cleaning as a way to express gratitude, practice self-care, and create a sacred space where your spirit can operate effortlessly and creativity flows freely?  What have you put down that you need to put away?  What items are you holding onto that no longer serve you?  These are the questions our guest professional organizer, Kendra Littlejohn of Organized by Kendra, brought to the forefront.  In this episode, she gently stepped on our toes and helped us reframe our approach to organizing our creative space. We dive into: ✨Accepting and honoring the season you're in ✨Clarity and how Mamas can reclaim or create space for themselves ✨And the plot twist we didn't know we needed, how reducing laundry ✨PLUS Kendra is offering a free, yes FREE Virtual Space Audit to the first three people to sign up & use the code: demblackmamas ABOUT KENDRA Kendra Littlejohn is the founder and Chief Organizing Officer at Organized by Kendra, a premier home organizing and styling firm based in Southaven, MS, and serving the greater Memphis metropolitan area, and beyond. With her background in corporate finance experience, Kendra brings a unique blend of business acumen, creativity, and passion for helping ambitious professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives cancel clutter, optimize space, and create systems that seamlessly balance aesthetics with practicality. Being laid off after 20+ years in corporate finance became the catalyst for Kendra to lean into what had always come naturally—turning disorganized spaces into peaceful, functional environments.  Since launching OK, Kendra's insights have been spotlighted in prominent publications like ESSENCE, REAL SIMPLE, and SOUTHERN LIVING. Kendra specializes in customized organizing solutions that create ease and enhance both function and beauty.  Connect with Kendra Littlejohn: Instagram | Website 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #13 "Black Mama Creative = Dream Doula" 💗 EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 68 All About Annie, Sinners and Black Motherhood 🎙️DBM Black Mama Creative Episode Playlist 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Instagram | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com  

Dear Mamas & Magic Makers, Lissen yall Sinners was all about Annie for us!  We ain't gon hold you with our normal intro. In this episode we dive into: Annie, power, and Black motherhood Loss, longing, and sex Black humanity, spirituality, and grief in Ryan Coogler's films Black migration & the resurgence of Southern Roots PLUS - we have social proof that a Black mama would have made a COMPLETELY different decision than Grace. And we're excited to have some listeners on The Muthaship, live inside the Black Mama Magic room for this episode.  We welcome: Clem the Doula, doula and creator of The Gift: A Breastfeeding Journey in Black, a cultural care circle for Black families navigating feeding, healing and identity. Stacey Allen, founder of Nia's Daughters' Dance Collective  Stephanie Ghoston Paul, founder of Cultivated Sense, where she helps movement makers embody their joy while operating as their freest selves.  💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #4 "Take Up Space Boo" 💗 Episode Playlist: All About Annie, Sinners & Black Motherhood Companion Playlist IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Black Mama Creative Week: June 24th - June 30th One-on-One Joy Immersion Sessions with Thea Monyee In an effort to expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry) which is a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our full syllabus, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 61 - Joy and Black Motherhood 🎙️DBM Ep 62 Grief and Black Motherhood ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas Email List | BluSky | Instagram | Patreon | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For all links, full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama,  What if I told you Black mamas aren't superheroes, that the cape is choking us, and our backs are brittle?  What if I told you motherhood ain't killing us, though, but the narratives we buy into hook, line, and sinker are? What if you had the option not to be the primary custodial parent?  Would you decline out of obligation to the belief that a good Black mama would never choose to leave their children in the care of others, even the other parent?  How does a Black mother respond when what's best for her or her destiny clashes with cultural norms?   In this Mother's Day episode, we speak with Erica Michelle Freeman of Sisters In Loss Podcast about the complexities and challenges of non-custodial parenting and Black motherhood. When Erica and her husband decided to divorce, they also agreed to shared custody.  Each parent would have primary custody for 3 years of their son Maxwell who was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy 10 years ago. We dive into: ✨Confronting societal norms and cultural stigmas ✨Navigating health and care decisions for children with special needs as a noncustodial parent ✨Historical trauma and Black motherhood ✨Renegotiating Black motherhood PLUS - Crystal and perimenopause are NOT friends, especially under the current administration, and Thea is in search of Jill Stein.  In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is "Oh, you got time for dat." ABOUT ERICA M. FREEMAN Erica M. Freeman is the Founder and CEO of Sisters in Loss, is a savvy, creative engineer, known for her results-based, no-fluff approach as a podcaster, grief educator, and motivational speaker. Sisters in Loss provides pregnancy, birth, postpartum, bereavement doula, and grief services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and into trust and peace after loss.  Its self-titled award-winning podcast spotlights resilient Black mothers who share  intimate details of their journey to motherhood through painful, but inspirational loss and infertility stories.  Sisters in Loss has been featured in Forbes, BBC News, Black Enterprise, Women's Health, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and The White House.  Connect with Erica M. Freeman: Instagram | Website IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Black Mama Creative Week: June 24th - June 30th Sign Up for our email list for details. 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #8 "Share Your Inspiration" 💗 Episode Playlist:  Black Mama Magic Playlist EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 56: Menopause, Black Women & Spiritual Ritual with Omisade Burney Scott  🎙️DBM Ep 33: Haitian American Mama w/ Stepha LaFond  ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: BluSky | Instagram | Patreon | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama, How do we resist the urge to rescue when we've been taught our whole lives to be saviors?  How do we set boundaries when the world is burning? What do we do when we've been deemed the backbone of the community, but our backbones are brittle and breaking? Since the election, these are the questions and conversations black women have been having online and, especially, in group chats.  So, we decided to explore what this line in the sand means for Black mothers in the midst of state-sanctioned brutality.   In this episode, Thea and I explore the parallels between domestic violence relationships and Black mothers' relationship with America.   We dive into: ✨Why it's more important than ever that Black mothers set boundaries  ✨The role cultural coping plays in Black mothers ignoring their needs ✨Vulnerability & why Black mothers feel we must do it all ✨What Stevie Wonder songs reflect this moment PLUS - Thea shares a testimony about getting a new mattress, and I'm excited to share the details of our next virtual event, Down By the Riverside, during our Church Announcements, Praise Reports, and Prayer List Requests segment.  In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our own twist on sayings from Black mamas, we do something a little different this time.  Instead of a Black Mama Say, we're choosing theme songs to carry us through this moment. IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Black Maternal Health 2025 kicks off on April 11th REGISTER NOW for Down By the Riverside Sunday, April 13th, noonPT/3pm ET. Space is limited. To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus for each episode (s/o to Melissa Harris-Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into.  This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc., that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our full syllabus, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #21 "My Motherhood Is Rooted In Liberation" 💗 Episode Playlist: The 92%, Boundaries & Black Motherhood Companion Playlist EPISODES MENTIONED/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 61 Grief and Black Motherhood 🎙️DBM Ep 54: Birth Justice, Liberation & the Power of Black Midwives w/ Jamarah Amani & K.Sanderson ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: BluSky | Instagram | Patreon | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. For all links, complete show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com  

Dear Mama, What do Telvin Osborne, Black marriage, generational wealth, Altadena, data as currency, the TV show Paradise, and white women in Idaho have in common?  We cover them all in this episode.  Yup, it's hot topics, and we got hot takes well, not hot takes.  We got Black Mama takes on all the above.  In this episode, we talk: ✨How Telvin Osborne is relevant to Black women resting ✨The real problem when it comes to  marriage & Black folx ✨Why Paradise gets kudos & white women in Idaho don't PLUS - we talk all things Black Maternal Health,  Roberta Flack, Thea taking on individual clients, and I share a big praise report regarding my nonprofit Creators Well during our Church announcements, praise reports, and prayer list requests segment.  In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas and the saying we're twisting this episode is "Let me put it to you like this." 💗Black Mama Magic Deck Card: Card #25 "Motherhood Is Not the Graveyard of Dreams" 💗 Donate to Creators Well.  Founded by Crystal Tennille Irby, Creators Well is a series of FREE interactive writing retreats and writing and performance classes for Black girls/ femmes/ non-binary/gender-expansive youth ages 12-21 that teaches and affirms the power of their voices, pen, art, and individuality. Thea Monyee, aka the Secretary of Joy, has nine spots available for one-on-one joy exploration and three spots for couples.  Contact Thea for more details.  EPISODES MENTIONED/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 61 Joy and Black Motherhood 🎙️DBM Ep 54: Birth Justice, Liberation & the Power of Black Midwives w/ Jamarah Amani & K.Sanderson ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: BluSky | Instagram | Patreon | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at [email protected]. AND share this episode with at least one person.  Sharing is not only caring; sharing builds community. For all links, full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com    

Dear Mama, What does it mean to make it home, to create a place of rest and reprieve, joy and sanctuary, an archive of your children's treasures?  What happens when you can't make it home, return to your place of rest and reprieve, joy and sanctuary, a reflection of your taste and intention? What happens when the archive of your children's treasure, what they left behind to be kept safe, is incinerated, covered in ash and your community physically fractured?  In this episode, Staci Mitchell, a mother of 3 who was born and raised in Altadena, CA, and our very own Thea Monyee recount the night the Los Angeles fires ravaged their community, watching their city burn, and the creative rebirth they've experienced in the wake of this nightmare.   In this episode, we talk: ✨Mothering through displacement ✨Gentrification and anti-blackness amid natural disaster ✨The expectation of normalcy while healing from trauma  precious commodities  PLUS: We meet Thea's new dog, Remy, have a church meeting during our Church announcements segment about boycotting and  Black women minding their Black business, and in our Black Mama Say segment, each of us shares the word that will guide us through the year. 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #16 "Impossible You" 💗 ABOUT STACI MITCHELL:  The Fierce Creative With Healing Tendencies; Pan-African Studies Scholar, Theatre & Performance Artist born in LA and raised in Altadena, California. Her epistemological and pedagogical focus balances on womanism and the complex of Black\woman identity and its performativity. Staci has performed on and written for the Los Angeles theatre stage, been featured in independent film, on television, voiceover and audiobook narration. Staci is also a certified Ayurvedic yoga teacher specializing in meditation. She approaches all of these practices with deep appreciation and acknowledgment of her Afrikan ancestors who helped shape the science. Help Staci Rebuild  EPISODES MENTIONED/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Episode 42: Honoring Your Body, Creativity, and Embracing Motherhood on Your Own Terms featuring Staci Mitchell ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: Email List | BluSky | Instagram | Patreon | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For all links, full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama, What if I told you I didn't start a business because I wanted to be a boss? I started my business because I wanted to be free, because I saw no other path to fully realizing my dreams, and according to a 2022 article, I'm not alone in finding entrepreneurship on my liberation journey.  In the article entitled Why Black Women Are the Fastest-Growing Group of Entrepreneurs, Erica Thompson writes, "As the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs, Black women say they are seeking more freedom, opportunity, fulfillment and stability. They also are escaping from discrimination and other barriers in the workplace." In this episode, we have a raw and vulnerable conversation about Black motherhood and our entrepreneurship journeys.  Through this honest discussion, we aim to illuminate the real experiences behind the facade of 'glamorous' entrepreneurship and provide insights for others on a similar path. In this episode, we talk: ✨The spiritual and sometimes lonely journey of entrepreneurship ✨The pressure we put on our dreams to provide ✨Building a business in the margins as a mom when time, mental wellness, and money are precious commodities  PLUS - We ponder what white people were doing in the 90s. 💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck Pull: Card #8 "Share Your Inspiration" 💗 Donate to Creators Well.  Founded by Crystal Tennille Irby, Creators Well is a series of FREE interactive writing retreats and writing and performance classes for Black girls/ femmes/ non-binary/gender-expansive youth ages 12-21 that teaches and affirms the power of their voices, pen, art, and individuality. Episode Playlist: Black Healing Playlist curated by Dem Black Mamas on Spotify EPISODES MENTIONED/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️ DBM Ep 61: Black Motherhood & Joy 🎙️DBM Ep 15: Black Mama Creative   🎙️Shaping the Shift: We Are Eternal with Renee Marie  ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas: BluSky | Instagram | Patreon | YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For all links, full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama, What if I told you to offer grief a seat at the table?  What if I told you grief has no other duties except to be with you?  It has nowhere to be and is not bound by time.  Grief is patient.  Grief is relentless, and as Akilah S. Richards, our guest for this episode and a DBM fave, says, "Grief is not something to be fixed but something for you to learn to be more skilled at processing." Akilah is a mother, partner, liberationist and author of Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing.   She is now diving deep into grief work and in this episode we talk: ✨Grief, language and the body ✨Grief and generational shifts ✨Grief and creative projects ✨And of course grief, Black women and the political landscape Plus Thea uses a Negro spiritual to describe Black women's current mindset and Crystal is learning sign language and attempts to teach Thea.  💗Black Mama Magic Card: Card #25 - Motherhood is not the graveyard of dreams💗 EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 61: Black Motherhood & Joy 🎙️Shaping The Shift:  The Wild Body With Jessica Schafer ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ ABOUT Akilah Richards: Akilah S. Richards is a mother, partner and liberationist. As founder of Raising Free People Network and author of Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work, Akilah S. Richards partners with co-conspirators to challenge and encourage social justice-minded people to explore privilege and power in their relationships with personal leadership and all relationships. These days find Akilah tapped into the wisdom she gathered from her family's transition from schoolishness to confident autonomy. She is savoring her life's lessons after nearly a decade of location independence, and eight years of being invited into various conversations about intergenerational community care across the U.S., Southern Africa, and Jamaica (where Akilah is from). She guides discussions about how unschooling skills and other forms of decoloniality are shaping families and other cultures of leadership, change-work, and love. In addition to private coaching and public speaking, she facilitates trainings, small-group experiences, and consultations that help resolve the ways that unexamined experiences with bias and oppression disrupt families' and organization's capacity to sustain cultures of belonging. Connect with Akilah: Grief Circle | Community & Support | Instagram Connect with Dem Black Mamas: YouTube | Email List | Patreon | Blusky 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com  

Dear Mama, What if I told you I didn't think I had the words for the intro of this episode because we recorded it before the election, and after November 5th, joy was THE LAST THING I wanted to talk about?  I wish I could say thinking of our ancestors pulled me through, but the truth is reaching forward in time helped me more than reaching back, and now more than ever, we are going to need joy not to feel happy but because, as Thea Monyee, one of the cohost of this podcast, who will be guiding us through the Joy Assessment, says "Joy makes things clear," and we, particularly Black mothers, need to get REAL CLEAR RIGHT NOW and being committed to joy, being centered on joy requires us to tell the truth to ourselves, about our relationships, about what is real and what is not, what is serving us and most importantly how we are not serving ourselves and that allows us to get really, really clear about what we are supposed to be doing, how to mind our business and what business we should be minding, and focused on in the time that we are about to enter. In this episode we delve into the social-political barriers of joy and how accountability intersects with the pursuit of personal joy. Thea Monyee introduces the groundbreaking "Joy Assessment," created with the Blacker The Brain cohort, as a tool for Black folx to reclaim joy as a means for liberation. In this episode, we talk: ✨The groundbreaking Joy Assessment ✨The difference between joy and happiness ✨Radical honesty and spiritual bypassing ✨Joy as tool of parenting from a place of liberation and not fear 💗Black Mama Magic Card: Card #10 - Lay Your Burdens on the Altar of Love💗 Episode Playlist: Blackest Holiday Playlist Eva curated by us on Spotify EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 59: Black Motherhood, Myths & Matrescence w/ Stepha LaFond ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT - Pre-Show Shenanigans✨ ABOUT THE BLACKER THE BRAIN: Thea Monyee aka the Secretary of Joy and the founder of The Blacker the Brain which is an ongoing campaign, conversation and cohort created to make mental health inclusive and expansive for Black bodies by teaching practitioners to unlearn harmful ideas, practices, and policies, and empowering potential clients with language, a full understanding of their rights, and a joy centered framework for their healing within in an oppressive society.  Connect with The Blacker The Brain: Instagram | Website Take the Joy Assessment 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas Instagram Patreon YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com    

Dear Mama, There's no deep intro for this episode.  In this episode, we talk: ✨Which version of "All Cried Out" is best, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam or Allure & 112 ✨Election 2024 ✨How God blessed us with Morris Chesnut's rise from Ricky to Cory Cash WE HAVE RANGE! The way we move from levity to depth, Thea breaking down Joe Biden's scorpio tendencies to NeKisha connecting COVID to Zoom organizing to Crystal invoking Stokely Carimicheal's definition of a revolutionary, is DEFINITELY a reflection of the times we are living in. And the truth is we were with more questions than answers: 👉🏾What does it mean to burn it all down, and who will be the ashes?  👉🏾What does it mean to be an activist?  👉🏾No matter the election outcome, what are we committed to building? What we know for sure, though, is MORRIS CHESNUT continues to bless us, and we are GRATEFUL! & OF COURSE we got that #BlackMamaMagic #ElectionPlaylist 💗Black Mama Magic Card for this episode: Card #48 - Time Is Always Divine💗 EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 1: Meet The Mamas 🎙️DBM Ep 2: Michelle 4C LaVaughn Chocolate Robinson 🎙️ DBM Ep 18: Deez Black Votes 🎙️DBM Ep 36: Election Shift - DBM + Shaping The Shift Mashup 🎙️DBM Ep 52: Black Women Organizing Hoes That Ain't Loyal Spiritual Political Cycles ✨MERCH OF THE MONTH - Black Mama Magic Card Deck ✨ If you really wanna watch us on our Blackest behavior, get on The Mothership & come inside the Black Mama Magic Room aka our YouTube Channel. 🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas Instagram YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama, What if I told you there's no such thing as snapping back after giving birth, only expanding into?  What if I asked you to imagine Black motherhood without suffering?  Could you do it?  Have we made suffering a rite of passage in Black motherhood? Have we shrouded Black motherhood in self-sacrifice as opposed to sacred sacrifice?  These are the questions we explore in this episode about matrescence.  Coined by reproductive psychologist Dana Raphael, matrescence is the process of becoming a mother, including the physical, psychological, and emotional changes that occur during pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period.  Lissen yall, this episode drove us Thea to drink!  So we're glad to have one of our favs Stepha Lafond of Unlearning Motherhood, ridin' shotgun with us who provides context to all the things we know and feel about transitioning to and in motherhood but didn't have the language for. ✨Much like adolescence, matrescence involves ongoing shifts that shape our identity and understanding of ourselves. ✨How self-forgiveness sets the tone for your motherhood journey ✨Why setting the strong Black women free is essential for us and our children ✨Normalizing not doing motherhood alone 💗Black Mama Magic Card for this episode: Card # 39 - My Children Are My Teachers💗 EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Episode 51: When It All Falls Down, Finding Freedom & Transitioning to Conscious Parenting w/ Domari Dickinson 🎙️DBM Episode 33: Haitian American Mama w/ Stepha LaFond 🎙️Meditations By Mamas: Full Moon/Shedding Meditation featuring Stepha LaFond ✨MERCH OF THE MONTH - Black Mama Magic Card Deck ✨ ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT  - Grounding lead by Thea: "If I surrender to the air I can ride it" - Toni Morrison✨ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Stepha is a Life Coach, Mentor, and Speaker, dedicated to helping moms navigate the space between who they were and who they're still becoming. As a mom of two young children, she knows firsthand the struggles of juggling the demands of motherhood, career, and life. She started her practice out of a desire to put moms at the center of the conversation, with an emphasis on shifting the narrative on modern motherhood to one that allows space for mamas to grow, heal and take care of themselves at all stages of their journey. Her work on Matrescence- the transition into motherhood- invites her clients and spectators to explore and hold space for this common but rarely discussed phase of development, whilst taking a critical look at the unjust systems and power structures impacting motherhood and creating necessary shifts towards liberation. Connect with Stepha LaFond & Unlearning Motherhood: Instagram  🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas Instagram YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama, Who is the girl the woman who survived in the belly of the boat that brought you here? Where did she come from?  How do we find our way back to that place?  Why should we find our way back to that place?  In this episode, WE JOURNEY & Dr. Gina Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry is ridin with us! Along the way: ✨Thea shares the profound impact of tracing African roots through DNA had on her ✨NeKisha reveals the impact Dr. Paige's business model had on her journey as a tech innovator  ✨Dr. Paige reminds us that the ancestors are a cloud of witnesses always working in our favor with a beautiful story about Chadwick Boseman.  But the road isn't always smooth.  We delve into some tough terrain when Crystal shares a personal story about her trip to South Africa that brought her face to face with the complexities and idealizations of her African Heritage. 💗Black Mama Magic Card for this episode: Card # 39 - My Children Are My Teachers💗 EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️DBM Ep 4: How I Made It Ova 🎙️DBM Ep 27 The Upper Room ✨MERCH OF THE MONTH - Black Mama Magic Card Deck ✨ ✨PATREON BONUS CONTENT  - Issa Black Thang: Default Oven Temperatures✨ ABOUT OUR GUEST: Dr. Gina Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry, Inc. (AfricanAncestry.com), is a pioneering luminary known for revolutionizing African lineage tracing through genetics. Starting her entrepreneurial journey at age 8 with a magazine to fund family trips. Before AfricanAncestry.com, she led GPG Strategic Marketing Resources.  Paige travels globally to demystify African roots, promoting Black identity empowerment through ancestral connections. She has traced the ancestry of prominent figures like Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, and Chadwick Boseman. A sought-after speaker and partner for corporations like Netflix and Nike, Paige collaborates with community and faith-based organizations worldwide.  Featured in Time Magazine and on platforms like PBS' Finding Your Roots, Paige co-hosted African Ancestry Radio and appeared on MSNBC and CNN. She holds degrees from Stanford University and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and received an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy.  Connect with Dr. Gina Paige: Instagram | Website Grab an African Ancestry Test Kit  🔗 Connect with Dem Black Mamas Instagram Patreon YouTube 🗣️Engage: This is a conversation.  Speak back to us!  Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at [email protected]. For full show notes & transcript, check out our website:  demblackmamas.com

Dear Mama You are worthy to rise each day and dance in your dreams with your children by your side. You are worthy of serenity in birth. You are worthy of joy while holding your children. Join Midwife Jamarah Amani of Southern Birth Justice in partnership with the WNBA for a meditation experience to remind you:  You are complete. You are not alone.  You are magic. Meditations by Mamas are led by Black mamas to help us maintain alignment with healing, creativity, and liberation to manifest joy and abundance. We're coming to LA on September 3rd!!! Early bird has been EXTENDED TIL SUNDAY, AUGUST 20th. Get on the mothership & ride with us LIVE!  GET YOUR TIX NOW>>>https://demblackmamas.com/events/ For more about Jamarah visit the shownotes for this episode on our website: https://www.demblackmamas.com/podcast

Dear Mama, What if I told you understanding menopause was a matter of life and death? In her 2022 book You Got Anything Stronger, Gabrielle Union went into deep detail about how in her words, "the surge and retreat of hormones" during perimenopause and menopause caused her to have passive suicidal ideations and pointed out that science has focused on hiding symptoms or treating the symptoms of menopause that have mattered most to men like vaginal dryness.  The part of Union's book that made me pause (see what I did there) was when Union stated, "According to a 2020 CDC study, the suicide rate among women is highest for those ages 45-64" and calls out how women's depression is often linked to men or their children, focusing on the external features of women's lives and not the internal.  That's when I knew we had to do an episode about Menopause and I knew just who turn to Omisade Burney Scott s creator of the platform Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause which includes a podcast of the same name.    Black Mama Creative Week is the perfect time to drop this episode. Burney-Scott is a trailblazer in this field and roots her work in her spirituality producing creative projects such as Messages From the Menopausal Multiverse. In this episode, we talk:  👉🏾Listening to your body  👉🏾Menopause & spirituality 👉🏾Deciding to have the best sex of your life 👉🏾Bonus Content: The greatest story Nekisha ever told & why her Daddy is a REAL ONE! So thanks for coming inside the Black Mama Magic Room.  If you're a new listener, welcome to the ride. Remember Black Mama Creative Week kicks off Saturday, June 24th & we're hosting a workshop on podcasting called Ask Us Anything: Composing Dynamic Questions to Create Compelling Interviews and one for entrepreneurs and Black Mama Creatives called Being the Blueprint: Tools to Help Black Mama Creatives and Entrepreneurs Design a New Path.  To sign up go to www.demblackmamas.com/events .   CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS It's Black Mama Creative Week! Come celebrate with us on Instagram all week! INVEST IN US Sign up for our Black Mama Creative Week Workshops.  Share us with one other person.  Become a Magic maker by getting on The Mothership (aka our newsletter).  For full show notes check our website. ✨💗✊🏾  

Dear Mama, Our hope for you today is: ✨ For you to honor the truth of your motherhood journey ✨ Space to heal from harm, disappointment & trauma ✨ Rest in your being  to release yourself from attaching your worthiness to doing In this special mother's day episode we celebrate Black Motherhood through poetry, imagination and meditation with a poem by me Crystal Tennille Irby, Image a new world with NeKisha Killings and a Liberation Meditation from Thea Monyee.  Celebrate your whole self.  It all belongs.   Happy Mothers Day Black Mamas & don't forget Black Mama Creative Week kicks off Saturday, June 24th! ✨💗✊🏾 SHOW US SOME LOVE Share us with one other person.  Become a Magic maker by getting on The Mothership (aka our newsletter).  Join our Patreon  Full transcipt and timestamp breakdown on our website at demblackmamas.com/podcast     

Dear Mama, Dream with me.  Can you imagine a world with a Black midwife in every family, in every community, easily accessible, at our fingertips, a world in which birth choices aren't controlled by capitalism, a world in which the birth practices that Black women used to literally birth this country are honored, a world in which they are revered, a world in which Black midwives could practice the full scope of reproductive health and reproductive choices are respected, a world in which Black mothers don't fear death in the midst of giving birth, experience it with fully joy and bodily autonomy.  It's Black Maternal Health Week and we are grateful for the opportunity to sit with two people invested in building that world: Jamarah Amani, founder of National Black Midwives Alliance & cofounder of Southern Birth Justice Network & filmmaker K. Sanderson  In this episode we're talking:  👉🏾Harriet Tubman & midwifery (Yeah we ain't even know) 👉🏾Why the medical system fears Black midwifery (I mean we know why but still) 👉🏾The fight & journey to answer your calling (chiiilllleee this got deep) 👉🏾Their documentary series Legacy Power Voice: Movements in Black Midwifery (cause WE KNO what happens when other people tell our stories) ✨💗✊🏾 ✨MERCH OF THE MONTH - MAGIC EVERMORE BOX ✨ The intention of this box is for Black Mamas to honor the light within themselves.  The items inside the Magic Evermore box will prepare Black mamas to soak up all the energy of the sun all summer and remind them of the importance of documenting themselves, the power to manifest the life you want, and to soften and pour into yourself when your mothership hits rough waters.  Items inside: ✨Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck ✨Manifestation Crystals: Citrine, Pyrite, Rose Quartz, Blue Apatite ✨Incense from Smell Good Spa ✨Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ✨Postcards ✨Gratitude Jar ✨Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender ✨An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation. ABOUT OUR GUESTS Jamarah Amani, LM is a community midwife who believes in the transformative and healing power of birth and that every baby has a human right to human milk. Her mission is to do her part to build a movement for Birth Justice locally, nationally and globally. Jamarah is the architect of the Birth Justice framework, the Black Midwives Model of Care and the Birth Justice Bill of Rights. Jamarah identifies as Black, Femme and Queer.  A community organizer from the age of sixteen, Jamarah has worked with several organizations across the United States, the Caribbean and in Africa on various public health issues, including HIV prevention, infant mortality risk reduction, access to emergency contraception and access to midwifery care. As a birth worker and activist, Jamarah has been tackling issues of racial justice, including the epidemics of Black maternal and infant morbidity/mortality for over fifteen years. She is currently the Executive Director of Southern Birth Justice Network, (https://southernbirthjustice.org/) a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to expand the Birth Justice movement and to make midwifery and doula care accessible to marginalized communities. She is also the co-founder of National Black Midwives Alliance, (https://blackmidwivesalliance.org/) the only national professional association in the U.S. specifically for midwives of African descent, and a founding member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association. Karyl-Lyn Sanderson (they/them), affectionately known as K, is a non-binary visionary, artist and entrepreneur with over 20 years of work experience as a digital media producer. K's mission is to shift societal paradigms while enriching and advancing the lives of those they serve. With their daring and joyful spirit, K takes on projects that bring greater exposure to causes and issues of importance.  For over a decade, K created groundbreaking media as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Limitless New Media, an independently operated creative studio that designed a wide array of original content for community, educational and faith-based initiatives. K is an alumni of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Film and Television Production program. OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS History of Florida Midwife & 1965 Medicaid Legislation  The Woman King Michelle Browder Mothers of Gynecolgy All other links mentioned in the episode & full show notes on our website at demblackmamas.com/podcast  Thanks for coming inside the Black Mama Magic Room.  If you're a new listener, welcome to the ride. If you're a newbie or an OG, order our intentionally curated  Our Magic Evermore Box which is our Merch of Month by May 1st and receive it in time for Mother's Day.  ✨💗✊🏾  

Dear Mama, There are two things that happen to everyone in this life that we don't talk about - birth and death -  both can challenge and transform everything we believe in. They can be messy and uncomfortable roads to travel and sometimes art can help us through.  In Black Panther Ryan Coogler proved he is a master at guiding us through uncomfortable conversations & in this episode we are joined by one of our faves Michele Foss of The TV Doctor Podcast to talk about how Coogler guides us through grief in Wakanda Forever.  We can't think of a better way to kick off Women's History Month than talking about a film held together by Black women & centers the mother daughter relationship.  May we never forget and ALWAYS celebrate their work. In this episode we're talking:  👉🏾The impact of Black grief 👉🏾The return of Kilmonger in that white sweater with NO SHIRT 👉🏾What surprised us  👉🏾A new film rating system based on Angela Bassett.   ✨💗✊🏾 ✨MERCH OF THE MONTH - PATREON FREE FOR THE 30 DAYS UNTIL MARCH 31st ✨ We're unlocking our Patreon for the next 30 days. If you love to laugh, if you want to nurture your creativity and imagination, if you want a wild ride, then THIS IS THE SPOT FOR YOU! Check the perks>>> patreon.com/demblackmamas ✨BEST PART - Investing in Black women who are committed to and actively creating spaces for Black folx rooted in creativity, healing, and liberation ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Michele Foss (she/her) challenges us all to reconsider our relationship with television. She is the creator, producer, and host of The TV Doctor (https://www.thetvdoc.com/), a podcast in which she uses her training, instinct, and empathy to "prescribe" the very best TV show to heal your emotional ailments. When she's not "making the rounds" as a speaker and podcaster, she is Professor of Rhetoric and Media at Sacramento State University, where she teaches classes including Television Criticism, Rhetoric and Social Influence, and Media Aesthetics. You should feel free to greet her with the Vulcan salute or a few words of Klingon; she is also fluent in RuPaul's Drag Race-isms and lyrics from '80s music. She is an advocate for social justice, an activist for anti-racism, and a firm believer in putting "DONE" items on your "TO-DO" list, just for the pleasure of crossing them off. Show Michele some love and follow her and her podcast on IG: @thecuriouscaseofmfoss  @theteeveephd  EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: 🎙️YouTube Live w/ Dem Black Mama & Michelle Foss, The TV Doc 🎙️DBM Episode 11 Live at Cal State LA: Black Panther & The Best Mama Advice All other links mentioned in the episode & full show notes on our website at demblackmamas.com/podcast  INVEST IN US Don't just listen, subscribe and follow us on all social media platforms @demblackmamaspodcast Talk back to us email us ([email protected]),  engage with us through social media comments, your reviews, and SoundCloud comments. Share us with one other person.  Become a Magic maker by getting on The Mothership (aka our newsletter).  Attend our Magic Makers Fall Workshop & purchase a Magic Evermore Box ✨💗✊🏾

Dear Mama, Hey Mamas!  The election dust has settled, MLK's birthday is in our rearview mirror & February is on the horizon which means we are rested and hopeful so now is the perfect time to look at the political landscape for Black folx with clear eyes.  Yup! It's the Black Mama Magic Election Update. Our first episode was in response to the 2016 election and we haven't missed an election cycle yet. In this episode we talk: about how we feel now vs. 2016, what gives us hope, In this episode we talk: 👉🏾Black Americans are 10 toes down for The Constitution 👉🏾Why democrats need to stop chasing hoes that ain't loyal. 👉🏾What gives us hope (Clue: Black women 😉) ✨💗✊🏾 ORDER YOUR MAGIC EVERMORE BOX BY THE 30th & recieve it next month: ORDER NOW The intention of this box is to help you alchemize the magic inside.  Items inside include  ✨A Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck.   ✨Incense from Smell Good Spa ✨Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ✨Black Mama Magic Postcards ✨Gratitude Jar ✨The Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender which represent healing , creativity and liberation ✨and the best part is its  An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation.  .  CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS We Upgraded Our Patreon!  Exclusive Content including one live a month & behind the scenes content A Magic Maker Mug S/o on the podcast Discounts on merch & live shows Investing a platform with 3 Black women actively curating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation for Black folx NeKisha: Join the Blackest most roductive co-working space on the internet! Say Less 1st Monday 8amET-11amET 👉🏾 Join 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT 👉🏾 Join Thea: WE GOIN TO EGYPT! Hold Us Sacred Retreat  New Episodes of Shaping the Shift, Born Wild, Born Free OUT NOW! EPISODES MENTIONS/RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: DBM Episode 1: Meet Dem Black Mamas Dem Episode 2: Michelle 4C LaVaughn Chocolate Robinson Obama DBM Episode 18: Deez Votes DBM Episode 36: Election Shift: Mash Up w/ Shaping the Shift INVEST IN US Don't just listen, subscribe and follow us on all social media platforms @demblackmamaspodcast Talk back to us email us ([email protected]),  engage with us through social media comments, your reviews, and SoundCloud comments. Share us with one other person.  Become a Magic maker by getting on The Mothership (aka our newsletter).  Join our Patreon & purchase a Magic Evermore Box All other links mentioned in the episode & full show notes on our website at demblackmamas.com/podcast  ✨💗✊🏾

Dear Mama, What if I told you conscious parenting wasn't about your children, it was about your journey to freedom, about you creating the life and relationship you desire about leaving behind a system that you and your children may be highly functioning in but it's in fact causing harm and it just don't feel good. These are the beautiful revelations we discovered in our conversation with liberation partner and conscious parenting coach Domari Dickinson. This conversation is about more than conscious parenting, it's about how Black mothers can free ourselves from the myths and shackles of motherhood. We are diving deep into finding liberation in the Black motherhood experience, for our children and for ourselves over the next three episodes and Domari Dickinson kicks this series off in a powerful way.  In this episode we talk: 👉🏾The relationship between conscious parenting and Raheem Davaughn (it's there 🤣) 👉🏾The good, bad, the ugly of transitioning to conscious parenting 👉🏾Repairing your relationship with adult children (chiiilllleee we got healing to do 🙏🏿) ✨💗✊🏾 REGISTER NOW Magic Makers Fall Workshop: Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter, Sunday, November 20th, 6pmET ORDER YOUR MAGIC EVERMORE BOX BY THE 25th & recieve it in November: ORDER NOW The intention of this box is to help you alchemize the magic inside.  Items inside include  ✨A Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck.   ✨Incense from Smell Good Spa ✨Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ✨Black Mama Magic Postcards ✨Gratitude Jar ✨The Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender which represent healing , creativity and liberation ✨and the best part is its  An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation.  .  All other links mentioned in the episode & full show notes on our website at demblackmamas.com/podcast  INVEST IN US Don't just listen, subscribe and follow us on all social media platforms @demblackmamaspodcast Talk back to us email us ([email protected]),  engage with us through social media comments, your reviews, and SoundCloud comments. Share us with one other person.  Become a Magic maker by getting on The Mothership (aka our newsletter).  Attend our Magic Makers Fall Workshop & purchase a Magic Evermore Box ✨💗✊🏾

Dear Mama, Stop waiting for the big moment.  Celebrate now.  Celebrate the big things, the small things, the major milestones and the minor ones even if they're only meaningful to you, even if they come much later than you expected.  Instead of judging the journey, rest in gratitude.  Our celebration is a thank you to God, Spirit, the universe, the ancestors, the orishas, the angels and our very own souls  for all they've done, for clearing our path, for holding us, standing with us, carrying us. We celebrate this 50th episode.  We are grateful to you and most of all we are grateful for the journey and we trust the expansion that lies ahead.  ✨💗✊🏾 REGISTER NOW Magic Makers Fall Workshop: Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter, Sunday, November 20th, 6pmET ORDER YOUR MAGIC EVERMORE BOX BY THE 25th & recieve it in November: ORDER NOW The intention of this box is to help you alchemize the magic inside.  Items inside include  ✨A Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck.   ✨Incense from Smell Good Spa ✨Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ✨Black Mama Magic Postcards ✨Gratitude Jar ✨The Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender which represent healing , creativity and liberation ✨and the best part is its  An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation.  .  All other links mentioned in the episode & full show notes on our website at demblackmamas.com/podcast  We couldn't have come this far without our listeners.  THANK YOU & a special shoutout to the five lucky listeners who joined us for this episode. Chisa Pennix Brown Janay Johnson Lou-Ann Wattley-Belk Stacey Allen Taylor Thorton  Thanks for rockin with us.  Don't just listen, subscribe and follow us on all social media platforms @demblackmamaspodcast so you won't miss a moment of the magic. Please keep emailing us, keep engaging with us through social media comments, your reviews, and SoundCloud comments. Keep sharing us, even if it's only with one other person. If you're a new listener, welcome to the ride. If you're a newbie or an OG become a Magic maker by getting on The Mothership (aka our newsletter). Now let's 👏🏿get 👏🏿free👏🏿 yall and jump into Episode 50 of Dem Black Mamas! ✨💗✊🏾

In this episode, we share some behind-the-scenes moments/audio of the grounding that helps us connect before we begin and focus on and be fully present before we begin each episode.   Church Announcements:  Responsive Reading: Black Mama Magic Card 28: I Am Supported At All Times Black Mama Magic Card 36: What About the Rest Black Mama Magic Card 41: The Wait Is Over Dem Black Mamas Magic Evermore Box  The intention of this box is for Black Mamas to honor the light within themselves.  The items inside the Magic Evermore box will prepare Black mamas to soak up all the energy of the sun all summer and remind them of the importance of documenting themselves, the power to manifest the life you want, and to soften and pour into yourself when your mothership hits rough waters. Items inside: ☀️Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck ☀️Incense from Smell Good Spa ☀️Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ☀️Postcards ☀️Gratitude Jar ☀️Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender ☀️An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation. Order by the 25th of each month to receive the following month.   Magic Makers Workshops REGISTER NOW!, Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter, Sunday, November 20th, 6pmET Crystal Producing 2022 Birth & Breastfeeding Conference Presented by Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association, Monday, October 3rd - Wednesday, October 5th   NeKisha: Say Less: A virtual BIPOC silent co-working space  1st Monday 8amET-11amET Link To Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87843521969 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT Link To Join:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512076376 Thea: The Grateful Body: Expansion Retreat, November 3rd - November 6th New Episodes of Shaping the Shift, The Love Series OUT NOW! Books Mentioned in This Episode: The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity Episodes related to his episode or mentioned in this episode:  DBM Episode 41: Surrender, Worthiness & Learning From Our Children featuring Precious Bivings  

Church Announcements:  Responsive Reading Black Mama Magic Card 33: I Trust All Of Me Dem Black Mamas The intention of this box is for Black Mamas to honor the light within themselves.  The items inside the Magic Evermore box will prepare Black mamas to soak up all the energy of the sun all summer and remind them of the importance of documenting themselves, the power to manifest the life you want, and to soften and pour into yourself when your mothership hits rough waters. Items inside: ☀️Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck ☀️Incense from Smell Good Spa ☀️Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ☀️Postcards ☀️Gratitude Jar ☀️Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender ☀️An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation. Order by the 25th of each month to receive the following month.   Theme: Building for Liberation: Centering Black Mamas, Black Families and Black Systems of Care Virtual Tickets are still available.  Link to register: https://blackmamasmatter.org/bmhc22/ REGISTER NOW!, Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter, Sunday, October 23rd, 6pmET Magic Evermore Box  Crystal & NeKisha are presenting at the 2022 Black Maternal Health Conference & Training Institute, September 17-18 Magic Makers Workshops Crystal Producing 2022 Birth & Breastfeeding Conference Presented by Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association, Monday, October 3rd - Wednesday, October 5th NeKisha: Created by our very own NeKisha Killings, the Melanated Mammary Atlas® is your portal to a world of images displaying mammary related conditions on Asian, Indigenous, Black and Brown folks. We feature the first and only cache of images of this type available for viewing and constantly updated by health professionals and the public. 1st Monday 8amET-11amET Link To Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87843521969 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT Link To Join:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512076376 Melanated Mammary Atlas Celebrates ONE YEAR!! United States Lactation Consultant Association Conference, September 22nd-24th Say Less: A virtual BIPOC silent co-working space  Thea: The Grateful Body: Expansion Retreat, November 3rd - November 6th New Episodes of Shaping the Shift, The Love Series OUT NOW! Mac & Cheese Rita Little is a mom trying to leave the world a little better than she found it. She resides with pride in the City of Detroit.  She has been gifted with raising the most amazing four year old full of Black boy joy. Professionally, she works full time as a Community Health Program Manager for a local health system. She also works part time helping to inspire the minds of our future public health professionals, as a professor at two universities. She also remain diligent and dedicated to advocacy and education about breastfeeding with an emphasis on Black families.  Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas

#DearMama, where do we belong? Where can we be safe? Where can we be brave? Where can our children thrive? Where can we be? These are questions that more and more Black mothers are searching beyond the borders of America for answers to. Today, we explore these questions with daughter of the diaspora, Parthenia Luke. A descendant of formerly enslaved Black folks who left America in the late 1800s for Liberia, we have a raw, honest, and real conversation about what it means for Black Americans to leave America, and what it means for our children and us to stay.  For full show notes visit our website demblackmamas.com and follow us on YouTube.  New video version of our podcast drop September 1st! Church Announcements/Prayer Requests/Praise Reports: Responsive Reading: Black Mama Magic Card #11 - "Magic is real. You are proof." Crystal:  Magic Evermore Box: https://bit.ly/magicevermore The intention of this box is for Black Mamas to honor the light within themselves.  The items inside the Magic Evermore box will prepare Black mamas to soak up all the energy of the sun all summer and remind them of the importance of documenting themselves, the power to manifest the life you want, and to soften and pour into yourself when your mothership hits rough waters. Items inside: ☀️Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck ☀️Manifestation crystals ☀️Incense from Smell Good Spa ☀️Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ☀️Postcards ☀️Gratitude Jar ☀️Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender ☀️An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation. Thea: Join Thea for Sacred Sundays by texting SACRED to 213.377.1827 & Choose your own adventure NeKisha: New Website for Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants: https://www.nikkiandnikkiibclc.org/ Say Less: A virtual BIPOC silent co-working space  1st Monday 8amET-11amET Link To Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87843521969 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT Link To Join:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512076376 Mac & Cheese: For today's mac and cheese, we are speaking to Parthenia Luke. Parthenia is a social worker by passion and profession. She's passionate about social justice as it pertains to the human right to be and to belong. As an emerging scholar working towards a PhD in social work, she aims to shed light on the long-term implications of gentrification, especially for individual residents and for entire communities. Her passions carry into her work as an instructor in higher education, where she advises administrators and leads efforts to promote a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable experience for graduate and undergraduate students. We dig in deep into our mac and cheese today as we discuss her challenges in social justice work, Liberia, her family's history, and what Black mamas can learn about liberation beyond borders. Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas

#DearMama, we believe that imagination and creativity are tools that helped our ancestors survive and create a culture that continuously evolves. We believe motherhood is not the graveyard of our dreams but fear IS! We believe liberation is the deep belief that you can create the life the you want and friendships that give us grace and call us to our highest selves are essential in motherhood and help us catch our wildest dreams. In this episode we discuss what we've manifested and navigating our friendship, spiritual practices and FEARS while pursuing our dreams. This is why we created Black Mama Creative Week - a series of digital events starting on June 24th to June 30th. Because motherhood is not the graveyard of dreams. Motherhood is an opportunity to expand and dive deeper into your creativity. So celebrate the ingenuity and innovation of black motherhood with us and get ready to inspire and be inspired.  Check our show notes on our website (demblackmamas.com/podcast) for all links mentioned in this episode, including the link to purchase your Magic Evermore Box. Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas

Dear Mama, From Rosewood, Florida to Tulsa Oklahoma Black folx have always been about the the business of building sustainable thriving communities. What if I told you we are in the midst of the same opportunity now?  What if I told you we could build communities rooted in healing, creativity and liberation? What if I told you the real estate is in the palm of your hands?  Yup I'm talking about the interwebs.  In this episode writer, content creator, sociologist, abolitionist, womanist, and intersectional feminist Nikki Blak gives us the tools to cultivate our virtual real estate and challenges us to think about the internet, in particular social media as an infinite canvas and a rushing river. Imagine That! So if you are trying to find your footing in these internet streets, if you are trying to find your folks, if you are a creative, innovator, if you have a story to tell, a message in your gut burning with the fierce urgency of now, or you have grown weary and frustrated with the interwebs period THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU! SPECIAL OFFER FROM NIKKI BLACK >>>$10 off 30-Day Digital Happiness Journal CODE: DBMHAPPINESS Church Announcements/Prayer Requests/Praise Reports: Crystal:  Crystal & Thea will be speaking at Black Pod Festival (https://www.blkpodfestival.com/) hosted by Black Pod Collective goin down in ATL May 28th-29th.   Magic Evermore Box: https://bit.ly/magicevermore The intention of this box is for Black Mamas to honor the light within themselves.  The items inside the Magic Evermore box will prepare Black mamas to soak up all the energy of the sun all summer and remind them of the importance of documenting themselves, the power to manifest the life you want, and to soften and pour into yourself when your mothership hits rough waters. Items inside: ☀️Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck ☀️Manifestation crystals ☀️Incense from Smell Good Spa ☀️Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ☀️Postcards ☀️Gratitude Jar ☀️Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender ☀️An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation. Black Mama Creative Week is the last seven days of June. Thursday, June 24th - Thursday, June 30th Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter Link To Register: https://bit.ly/amwritingworkshop Thea: Blood & Bajaraque - One Year Anniversary Book Special Join Thea for Sacred Sundays by texting SACRED to 213.377.1827 & Choose your own adventure NeKisha: New Website for Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants: https://www.nikkiandnikkiibclc.org/ Say Less: A virtual BIPOC silent co-working space  1st Monday 8amET-11amET Link To Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87843521969 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT Link To Join:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512076376 Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas Related Episodes We mention our Black Mama Creative Episode: DBM Ep 15: Black Mama Creative: https://demblackmamas.com/dbmepisode15blackmamacreative/

#DearMama, take time this Mother's Day to honor your friendships. Honor those who have expanded you, stretched you, given to you, trusted you, and elevated you. We come here to be seen and loved, and I'm so grateful to have friends in my life who see me. In this episode, Thea and I share the genesis and evolution of our friendship and the challenges we've faced along the way. As always, this podcast has always given me exactly what I need, and today I needed to see love and trust active in my life, holding me. Our intention is that this episode allows you to see yourself and all the women pouring into you as always. Church Announcements/Prayer Requests/Praise Reports: Magic Evermore Box  Link: https://bit.ly/magicevermore The intention of this box is for Black Mamas to honor the light within themselves.  The items inside the Magic Evermore box will prepare Black mamas to soak up all the energy of the sun all summer and remind them of the importance of documenting themselves, the power to manifest the life you want, and to soften and pour into yourself when your mothership hits rough waters. Items inside: ☀️Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck ☀️Manifestation crystals ☀️Incense from Smell Good Spa ☀️Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame ☀️Postcards ☀️Gratitude Jar ☀️Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender ☀️An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation. Order by June 1st for $175 and in time for Summer Solstice. Order by the 25th of each month to receive the following month.   Thea: New Website: theamonyee.com Join Thea for Sacred Sundays by texting SACRED to 213 & Choose your own adventure NeKisha: New Website for Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants: https://www.nikkiandnikkiibclc.org/ Say Less: A virtual BIPOC silent co-working space  1st Monday 8amET-11amET Link To Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87843521969 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT Link To Join:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512076376 Crystal:  Turning 7 year program Writers Well Youth Fellowship into a non-profit Writers Well is a program for Black girls/femmes 14-19 living in South Carolina interested in writing and/or performance.  It's a brave space for Black girls to nurture their imagination. Follow on IG: @writerswellyouthfellowship and/or donate: https://bit.ly/blackgirlswritethefuture Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter Sunday, June 26th, 6pm, Zoom Link To Register: https://bit.ly/amwritingworkshop Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas Related Episodes Our first Mother's Day Episode: DBM Ep 6: I Get It From My Mama - Annette, Etta Mae & Monica: https://demblackmamas.com/igetitfrommymama/Episode mentioned in this episode We mention our Black Mama Creative Episode: DBM Ep 15: Black Mama Creative: https://demblackmamas.com/dbmepisode15blackmamacreative/  

#DearMama, We believe in rooting our motherhood and healing because healing is a part of our inheritance and a part of the generational wealth that we pass on to our children. When we heal, we're not just healing for ourselves. We're healing for our ancestors. We're healing for future generations, making the path clearer and smoother for them as they travel down the road. We believe that our culture should not be rooted in pain. Instead, our culture should be rooted in our healing, our joy, our creativity, and our brilliance. Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas The Blacker The Brain Info We are an interdisciplinary collective committed to decolonizing various areas of the public sector including but not limited to: Education, Healthcare, Housing, and Mental Health, in an effort to assist in the healing, protecting, and elevating of Black bodies. Website: https://theamonyee.com/the-blacker-the-brain/ IG: @theblackerthebrain https://www.instagram.com/theblackerthebrain/  

#DearMama, we're about to embark on a meaningful conversation all about your body, creativity, and motherhood. And Staci Mitchell, a yogi, artist, and professor, helps us navigate this discussion all about the Black body, creativity, and Black motherhood. Staci is someone who embodies full power, joy, and energy, and we're so excited to have her here today to share all about embracing motherhood on your own terms despite tradition, honoring your creativity and intention, and listening to your divine body. Church Announcements Thea: New Website: theamonyee.com Join Thea for Sacred Sundays by texting SACRED to 213 & Choose your own adventure NeKisha: New Website for Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants: https://www.nikkiandnikkiibclc.org/ Say Less: A virtual BIPOC silent co-working space  1st Monday 8amET-11amET Link To Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87843521969 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT Link To Join:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512076376 Crystal:  Turning 7 year program Writers Well Youth Fellowship into a non-profit Writers Well is a program for Black girls/femmes 14-19 living in South Carolina interested in writing and/or performance.  It's a brave space for Black girls to nurture their imagination. Follow on IG: @writerswellyouthfellowship and/or donate: https://bit.ly/blackgirlswritethefuture Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter Sunday, April 24th, 6pm, Zoom Link To Register: https://bit.ly/amwritingworkshop Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas  

Dear Mama, The Mother Ship hit some unchartered territory and It got TIIIIGHT in the up #BlackMamaMagic room but WE AIN'T NEVA scared so we allowed and trusted. We discussed what it means to surrender, reconciling our ancestors spiritual agreements with their human existence, allowing our children to impact our works and how to make yo booty sit high-ya.   Our guest Precious Bivings affectionately known as Coach P helped me discover the tools I needed to transform my life into a powerful transformative creative experience. If you wanna go higher, keep listening.  If you wanna be stretched, keep listening.   If you wanna find your power, we got you this episode. If you want yo booty to sit up HIGH-YA. KEEP LISSENIN! Church Announcements Thea: New Website: theamonyee.com Join Thea for Sacred Sundays by texting SACRED to 213 & Choose your own adventure NeKisha: New Website for Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants: https://www.nikkiandnikkiibclc.org/ Say Less: A virtual BIPOC silent co-working space  1st Monday 8amET-11amET Link To Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87843521969 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT Link To Join:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512076376 Crystal:  Turning 7 year program Writers Well Youth Fellowship into a non-profit Writers Well is a program for Black girls/femmes 14-19 living in South Carolina interested in writing and/or performance.  It's a brave space for Black girls to nurture their imagination. Follow on IG: @writerswellyouthfellowship and/or donate: https://bit.ly/blackgirlswritethefuture Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter Sunday, April 3rd, 6pm, Zoom Link To Register: https://bit.ly/amwritingworkshop Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Dem Black Mamas Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas SUPPORT OUR SISTER POD: Shaping The Shift hosted by our very own Thea Monyee IG | Facebook  INFORMATION & INSPIRATION Looking for some Black Mama Love, support, and connection?   Join the Facebook group Black Moms Connection Join the new app for Black Moms, Meet Akina founded by Black mom and entrepreneur Leigh Butler, Meet Akina is a new social media app for Black Mamas, Black Bonus Mamas, and Aunties Are you a Woman of Color or a Black person interested in starting a podcast?  For information and inspiration follow Women of Color Podcasters and/or Black Pod Collective on IG. We need more of us feeding us! If you're a Black woman interested in becoming a lactation consultant check out Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants

Dear Mama, We all deserve the grace and permission to explore our shadows and cradle ourselves in radical honesty. After losing the desire to continue producing our podcast, I went on an unexpected hiatus where I found the answers I was looking for. WE BACK & Today, Thea and Nekisha are riding shotgun with me as we all share our journey looking back at what 2021 taught us and where we're headed in 2022. Church Announcements Thea: New Website: theamonyee.com Join Thea for Sacred Sundays by texting SACRED to 213 & Choose your own adventure NeKisha: New Website for Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants: https://www.nikkiandnikkiibclc.org/ Say Less: A virtual BIPOC silent co-working space  1st Monday 8amET-11amET Link To Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87843521969 3rd Monday 8pmPT-11pmPT Link To Join:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512076376 Crystal:  Turning 7 year program Writers Well Youth Fellowship into a non-profit Writers Well is a program for Black girls/femmes 14-19 living in South Carolina interested in writing and/or performance.  It's a brave space for Black girls to nurture their imagination. Follow on IG: @writerswellyouthfellowship and/or donate: https://bit.ly/blackgirlswritethefuture Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing an Artist/Personal Statement & Cover Letter Sunday, April 3rd, 6pm, Zoom Link To Register: https://bit.ly/amwritingworkshop Invest in us! ​​Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt. Dem Black Mamas Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas SUPPORT OUR SISTER POD: Shaping The Shift hosted by our very own Thea Monyee IG | Facebook  INFORMATION & INSPIRATION Looking for some Black Mama Love, support, and connection?   Join the Facebook group Black Moms Connection Join the new app for Black Moms, Meet Akina founded by Black mom and entrepreneur Leigh Butler, Meet Akina is a new social media app for Black Mamas, Black Bonus Mamas, and Aunties Are you a Woman of Color or a Black person interested in starting a podcast?  For information and inspiration follow Women of Color Podcasters and/or Black Pod Collective on IG. We need more of us feeding us! If you're a Black woman interested in becoming a lactation consultant check out Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants

Dear Mama, When it comes to Black Maternal Health, our work is not over when Black mothers survive and the child is born alive and we will not let it fade into our peripheral.  In this episode we discuss being invited to do an art installation for Project Row Houses Round 50 entitled Race, Motherhood, and Health.  We also discuss the importance of art in this movement and art's capacity like nothing else to creep into the crevices of culture and push us forward.  Before we jump into that convo we take a discuss witnessing our children during hard situations inspired by card number 19 from our Black Mama Magic Card Deck which reads I honor my child's divine path.  We hope this episode reminds you that motherhood is not the graveyard of dreams, that our children are divine beings on their own divine journey, and when your mothership hits rough waters to soften.  SYLLABUS Church Announcements/Prayer Requests/Praise Reports: Black Mama Magic Mini Card Deck & Magic Evermore Summer Solstice Boxes are on SALE NOW Crystal is teaching writing and helping Black folks heal. NeKisha is getting her keynote on! Thea has a new web home and released her first book from her press.  Check the show notes for the episode for all the links to support us! Mac & Cheese Art & Black Maternal Health Black Mama Say A word to mamas from the mamas ASSIGNMENTS Visit our website demblackmamas.com to do TWO important things:  Invest in us by purchasing the Magic Evermore Summer Solstice Box or a Black Mama Magic Mini Card Deck  on SALE NOW!  Check our website for raw footage & images from our Black Maternal Health Art Installation. As always thanks for rockin with us.  For full show notes & time stamps check out website: demblackmamas.com  MORE WAYS TO INVEST IN US Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt:⠀⁣ Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list by visiting our website Patreon One Time Donation: PayPal Venmo Now let's get free yall & jump into Episode 39 of Dem Black Mamas!

Dear Mama, Come celebrate with us.  Celebrate this beautiful mothering journey.  Celebrate with us the powerful legacy of Black motherhood that always offers healing, is abundant in creativity, and expands liberation. We are celebrating Women's History Month by elevating the radical work of mothers raising transgender children.  In this episode guests midwife Jamarah Amani & Michelle are Black mothers building a Promise Land rooted in equity and love. We would like to say thank you for your patience during our unexpected hiatus while I was healing from COVID.   SYLLABUS Church Announcements/Prayer Requests/Praise Reports: All who have had COVID and lost love ones to COVID Frontline workers Gratitude Crystal writing workshop coming up on Sunday, March 28th & NeKisha's first conference keynote on Monday, March 29th (check the show notes on our website for registration links: demblackmamas.com)   Mac & Cheese: In this episode we talk with midwife Jamarah Amani & transgender youth advocate Michelle about what they learned about themselves & what raising transgender children taught them about liberation.  Black Mama Say: Black Mamas on The Insurrection ASSIGNMENTS Visit our website demblackmamas.com to do three important things:  Check the show notes for this episode & register of Crystal's writing workshop & register to hear NeKisha's first conference keynote. Our Black Mama Magic Mini Card Deck will be on sale again soon so sign up for our email list  And get yo mug on Mama and invest in us by purchasing a mug, which is our #MerchOfTheMonth from our Black Mama Magic Shop  All of these things can be done on our website demblackmamas.com As always thanks for rockin with us.  For full show notes check out website: demblackmamas.com  INVEST IN US Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt:⠀⁣ Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list by visiting our website Patreon Merch One Time Donation: PayPal Venmo Now let's get free yall & jump into Episode 37 of Dem Black Mamas!

#DearMama  We have a right to explore all the ways to tap into our freedom.  Motherhood should be an opportunity, an experience, a journey of expansion.  Liberation is about breaking down any barrier that binds you, even borders.  We must always be willing to do whatever AND GO wherever we can to be free this lifetime.  SYLLABUS Church Announcements/Prayer Requests/Praise Reports: We got prayers & praise Thea & Crystal have workshops coming up on January 31st (check the show notes on our website for registration links: demblackmamas.com) Mac & Cheese: In this episode we talk with Aja Marie the person behind the blog Doing Life Afraid and the voice behind the podcast, She Said We Shed and a former American dreamer, who realized that dream wasn't hers and ditched everything she and her son hated to pursue everything that lit them up.  That led to long term travel and closer connection with her son. Black Mama Say: Every Time I Turn Around ASSIGNMENTS Visit our website demblackmamas.com to do three important things:  Check the show notes for this episode to get $5 off of Asia's workbook The Path to Freedom: The Extended Travel & Moving Abroad Workbook Our Black Mama Magic Mini Card Deck will be on sale again soon so sign up for our email list  And get yo mug on Mama and invest in us by purchasing a mug, which is our #MerchOfTheMonth from our Black Mama Magic Shop  All of these things can be done on our website demblackmamas.com As always thanks for rockin with us.  For full show notes check out website: www.demblackmamas.com/podcast INVEST IN US Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt:⠀⁣ Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list by visiting our website Patreon Merch One Time Donation: PayPal Venmo Now let's get free yall & jump into Episode 37 of Dem Black Mamas!

#DearMama, in the year ahead, we are calling in love, joy and feelings of belonging. We wish for you tranquility, security and the unshakable knowing that you are enough. Just as you are. Your life is not for the purpose of comparing to others. Your life is your own and you are your own best thing. Join Intentional Living Coach, Community Organizer & Mentor, and Kids Cultivator Home School Founder & Co-Leader, Leslie Bray for a #MeditationByMamas experience that will help you to set your intentions and move forward confidently, knowing that you are enough. Follow Leslie on IG Follow Kid Cultivator Home School IG | FB #MeditationByMamas -- just in time to get us centered for the new year. #MeditationsByMamas are lead by Black mamas to help us maintain in alignment with healing, creativity, and liberation to manifest joy and abundance. ⠀ INVEST IN US! When you invest in us, you invest in a platform curated by three Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. There are multiple ways to help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt Patreon Merch 1 Time Investment/Venmo Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Engage with us on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Email us with questions, comments, and/or show topic suggestions: [email protected] Join our email list through our website. 

#DearMama, don't think it peculiar or strange to have #liberation heavy on your mind in this season. We're leaving an old year behind and naturally, it's got us yearning to be untethered. It's got us wanting to feel new. We feel strong, full of possibility and brimming with hope, daring to believe that going forward we can do what we were never able to in the past -- get all the way free. Join Muffy Mendoza in our newest installment of #MeditationsByMamas to feel empowered and ready to pursue liberation. Muffy Mendoza is a tribe builder, informational and motivational speaker, author and executive director at Brown Mamas, a Pittsburgh-based fiscally sponsored nonprofit that works to provide moms-of-color with positive socialization opportunities and connect them with the resources and information they need to raise happy, healthy adults. Most notably, Muffy is known for having cultivated a community of nearly 5,000 African-American moms hungry for social change due to a lack of safe spaces for moms-of-color in the Pittsburgh region. Muffy has leveraged this platform to author her first book, The Brown Mama Mindset, that was featured at the 2018 Essence Festival and is currently sold at various cities across the U.S. In 2019 Muffy was nominated for an Iris Award for her outstanding work as an activist and influencer. As if building a massive tribe of moms isn't enough, Muffy stays focused on tribe building at home as a homeschooling mom of 3 boys and wife of one awesome husband. Follow/Like Muffy Mendoza: IG | Facebook Follow/Like Brown Mamas: IG | Facebook To listen and/or subscribe tap the link in the bio & hit the tab LISTEN NOW: Meditations By Mamas Liberation Meditation. To subscribe go to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud or on any podcast streaming platform, search Dem Black Mamas Podcast & hit subscribe. #BlackMamaMagic™️ #MeditationsByMamas @demblackmamaspodcast #MeditationWithMamas -- just in time to get us centered for the holiday whirlwind!⁣#MeditationsByMamas are lead by Black mamas to help us maintain in alignment with healing, creativity, and liberation to manifest joy and abundance. ⠀ INVEST IN US! When you invest in us, you invest in a platform curated by three Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. There are multiple ways to help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt Patreon Merch 1 Time Investment/Venmo Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Engage with us on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Email us with questions, comments, and/or show topic suggestions: [email protected] Join our email list through our website. 

#DearMama You have a right to rest. You do not have to earn it. You ought not have to fight for it. You are worthy of this and so much more. ⁣ Join Jasmin Forts for #MeditationWithMamas experience that we need right now! We know you're busy being everything to everyone but take a moment to listen to this. Jasmin is the self-proclaimed AntiHustle Professional and Founder of A Rested Working Woman & A Sisters Siesta, a career and support group services specializing in practical maintenance and mental health resources for professional black women. She has been featured on several publications such as Black Enterprise and Teen Vogue sharing her insight on HR practices and anything supporting wellness for professional black women. She is the author of "A Sisters Siesta: A Pocketbook Guide of Positivity, HR Protocol, and Vignettes for the Professional Black Woman" and coaches hundreds of women needing support to excel professionally. #MeditationWithMamas -- just in time to get us centered for the holiday whirlwind!⁣#MeditationsByMamas are lead by Black mamas to help us maintain in alignment with healing, creativity, and liberation to manifest joy and abundance. ⠀ INVEST IN US! When you invest in us, you invest in a platform curated by three Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. There are multiple ways to help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt Patreon Merch 1 Time Investment/Venmo Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Engage with us on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Email us with questions, comments, and/or show topic suggestions: [email protected] Join our email list through our website. 

#DearMama, sometimes you just need to gift yourself with a deep whoo-sah!⁣ ⁣ Put yourself on time out, go to an empty room or a quiet corner, and just allow your chest to expand with breath. ⁣ ⁣ Feel gratitude. Feel frustration. Feel whatever it is that you need to feel for that moment, without self-judgment.⁣ ⁣ Allow yourself to simply be.⁣ ⁣ Exist fully and unapologetically in your Blackness. Suspend yourself in love. Love for self, love for our people, love for your children, love for your partner.⁣ ⁣ And then you can get back to everything & everyone. Just remember; first, you are everything thing to yourself.⁣ ⁣ Join Crystal Tennille Irby for a much needed #MeditationWithMamas -- just in time to get us centered for the holiday whirlwind!⁣ Crystal Tennille Irby is a spoken word poetry grand slam champion, published writer, director and identifies as a #BlackMamaCreative, an artist creating work across multiple artistic disciplines centering Black women and mothering, absent of the white gaze.  She is the current co-host and executive producer of Dem Black Mamas Podcast, a podcast that delves into the unique experience of Black mothers raising free children in an unfree world.  Crystal is a TEDxGreenville presenter,  a Watering Hole Poetry Fellow and the founder and Director of Writers Well Youth Fellowship, a program for Black girls ages 14-19 focused on writing and performance. Her recent credits include, Untitled Reconstruction Project, which she directed and co-produced and Untamed Womb: Reclaiming Wonder Through Healing, Liberation & Creativity, a Project Row Houses installation which she co-curated.  Crystal has presented at numerous conferences including Black Maternal Health Conference & Training Institute; Let's Talk About Sex, & HIV Prevention & Education Summit.  In addition to her creative endeavors, Crystal has over 15 years of experience working to dismantle systemic and institutional racism.  She works as a community doula helping Black birth persons stay connected to their body and as a facilitator for Speaking Down Barriers pushing communities forward by helping Black people heal from race and gender trauma. Crystal is the mother of 4 children and shares her life with an Omega man.  #MeditationWithMamas -- just in time to get us centered for the holiday whirlwind!⁣#MeditationsByMamas are lead by Black mamas to help us maintain in alignment with healing, creativity, and liberation to manifest joy and abundance. ⠀ INVEST IN US! When you invest in us, you invest in a platform curated by three Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. There are multiple ways to help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt Patreon Merch 1 Time Investment/Venmo Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Engage with us on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Email us with questions, comments, and/or show topic suggestions: [email protected] Join our email list through our website. 

#Dear Mama Exhale. Amen. Ashe White folk gon white folk & patriarchy is a helluva drug.  We all we got and thank God we got each other.  No one is coming to save us because we have the creativity and brilliance to save ourselves.  So let's approach this election as an opportunity to be imaginative.   As we head to the polls and anticipate the outcome of this year's presidential election, the Mamas have a plan to prepare you for the political and social aftermath of what has been a tumultuous year & OF COURSE we got that #BlackMamaMagic #ElectionPlaylist: http://bit.ly/blackmamamagicelectionplaylist This week's serious subject is infused with signature Dem Black Mamas humor and insights informed by a Black, womanist, and inherently intersectional feminist perspective. Come get this truth and exhale the "amen" and "ashé" you didn't know was brewing in your spirit all this time. INVEST IN US Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt⠀⁣ Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas Venmo: venmo.com/demblackmamas SUPPORT OUR SISTER PODS: Shaping The Shift  IG | Facebook  Intercultured Podcast IG INFORMATION & INSPIRATION Looking for some Black Mama Love, support and connection?  Join the Facebook group Black Moms Connection Are you a Women of Color interested in starting a podcast?  For information and inspiration join the Women of Color Podcasters Facebook Group ⁣We need more of us feeding us!  If you're a Black woman interested in becoming a lactation consultant check out Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants. 

#DearMama, Your gifts will make a way for you. Speak into existence all you desire for yourself, your community, your children, your friends, and your family. Declare for yourself how you will be fulfilled by your work. Show up in the fullness of your authentic self and allow your talents to bless the world.   In this episode #BlackMamaMagic + #AggiePride = Janiya Mitnaul Williams (@mrswilliamswiththesons), mother of four, founder of  Mahogany Milk Support Group (@mahoganymilk) and literally works everyday to change the trajectory of the health outcomes among Black people as the current Program Director of the Pathway 2 Human Lactation Training Program at North Carolina A&T, the 1st lactation certification program at a public HBCU.⁣⁣   Our desire is to expand the conversation around breastfeeding beyond the physical to the spiritual and position breastfeeding as a critical element of the movement for Black Lives.  We need more of us showing us how to feed our babies in the thriving Promise Land we imagine.  So we are excited to have a conversation with a Black Mama laying this critical foundation for liberation.   For full show notes check out website: www.demblackmamas.com/podcast INVEST IN US Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt⠀⁣ Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas Venmo: venmo.com/demblackmamas SYLLABUS Church Announcements/Prayer Requests:  Prayer Request: Jacob Black Black Parents Virtual Schooling The State of Florida Anybody with allergies in California Announcements: Nekisha: New IG @ahamomentmaven  Thea: Introduces The Blacker the Brain & it's first lecture An Intro to Decolonizing Mental Health Mac & Cheese: Janiya Mitnaul Williams  Black Mama Say: "It Is What It Is" SUPPORT OUR SISTER PODS: Shaping The Shift  IG | Facebook  Intercultured Podcast IG INFORMATION & INSPIRATION Looking for some Black Mama Love, support and connection?  Join the Facebook group Black Moms Connection Are you a Women of Color interested in starting a podcast?  For information and inspiration join the Women of Color Podcasters Facebook Group ⁣We need more of us feeding us!  If you're a Black woman interested in becoming a lactation consultant check out Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants. 

#DearMama we need to make time for joy and create space to celebrate ourselves and each other. Let's throw our heads back and laugh from our bellies. Let's be free amongst each other. Let's affirm our sisterhood. Let's shine. ⁣ In Episode 34: Black Mama Love, we celebrate our favorite Black mamas of television, film, and literature as well as discuss our favorite creatives, moments with or own mamas, and our children. We're talking about the best advice, dreams for our children, spreading joy, and enjoying some much needed, well-deserved laughter. We hope you have as much fun listening as we did recording. INVEST IN US Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt⠀⁣ Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas Venmo: venmo.com/demblackmamas SUPPORT OUR SISTER PODS: Shaping The Shift  IG | Facebook  Intercultured Podcast IG INFORMATION & INSPIRATION Looking for some Black Mama Love, support and connection?  Join the Facebook group Black Moms Connection Are you a Women of Color interested in starting a podcast?  For information and inspiration join the Women of Color Podcasters Facebook Group  

#DearMama we were lied to when we were told that children were to be seen and not heard. Many of us were harmed because of that popular notion. Changing oppressive ideologies and false narratives begin with us, in our homes and communities, and often in our own bodies, hearts, and minds. Now is the time to allow your inner child to speak. Listen intently to her. Speak to her, praise, and affirm her. Give Black girls the care they deserve by starting with yourself.  Cassandre (@withlovecassandre) is a mom of 2 spirited boys, wife to her husband of 8 years, doctor, and educator. Years of 'doing it all' finally culminated in severe burnout following the traumatic birth of her now 18-month-old son. Now, she is passionate about self-care practices for Black millennial women- especially moms - who've been socialized to be self-sacrificing since birth. She is also host of the Be Well, Sis podcast (@bewellsis_podcast) - a wellness podcast dedicated to providing resources and having candid conversations for Black millennial women to be their best selves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. #MeditationsByMamas are lead by Black mamas to help us maintain in alignment with healing, creativity, and liberation to manifest joy and abundance. ⠀ INVEST IN US! When you invest in us, you invest in a platform curated by three Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. There are multiple ways to help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt Patreon Merch 1 Time Investment/Venmo Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Engage with us on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Email us with questions, comments, and/or show topic suggestions: [email protected] Join our email list through our website. 

#DearMama, though you may often feel out of place know that you are exactly where you belong. No matter what borders you cross or which ones crossed you. Whether the moves you made were by choice, under duress, or by force. You may look for a place outside of yourself to call home but home is within you. You have a right to be here. The land beneath you and the sky above you is yours to claim.   Fresh out of Black Mama Creative Week, we've got a wonderful #newepisode for you. Tune in for a rich discussion with Haitian American Mama featuring our special guest co-host Stepha Lafond of Mama Slay Life!  We cover Stepha's birth story, her journey from Haiti to America, motherhood and the diverse views of Black diaspora's relationship to Africa.  Stepha is a motherhood transition coach who is dedicated to helping moms navigate the delicate space between who they were and who they are still becoming. Her services and programs infuse personal development and spirituality and are designed to help moms reclaim their personal power so they can do life and motherhood on their own terms. For full show notes, check our website. Invest In Us!⠀⁣ Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt⠀⁣ Don't just listen, subscribe Share with at least one person Follow us on any social media platform @demblackmamaspodcast Engage through social media comments, DM us or email with questions [email protected] Join our email list Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/demblackmamas Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/demblackmamaspodcast One Time Donation: https://www.paypal.me/demblackmamas SUPPORT OUR SISTER PODS: Shaping The Shift  IG | Facebook  Intercultured Podcast IG INFORMATION & INSPIRATION Looking for some Black Mama Love, support and connection?  Join the Facebook group Black Moms Connection Are you a Women of Color interested in starting a podcast?  For information and inspiration join the Women of Color Podcasters Facebook Group