PODCAST · health
Unapologetically Black Unicorns
by Keris Jän Myrick
Have you ever chatted with an Unapologetically Black Unicorn- someone who symbolizes freedom, power, strength and is a true force of nature and thought, ‘WOW people need to hear this’? Now you can and learn how to be a U.B.U. too! Join the weekly conversation with host Keris Jän Myrick, an unapologetically Black unicorn in their own right, and nationally recognized mental health advocate chatting with amazing U.B.U. folk who are advancing all things mental health, racial justice, and anything cool to enhance human existence.
Episodes
-
“From Punching Walls to Picking Up a Pen” with Barbara Fant
Barbara Fant (she/her) is an award-winning poet, author and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Barabara shares how writing helped her process grief and turn anger into a powerful form of self-expression. They talk about how Barabara got inspired do to poetry and how using poetry, music and...
-
“Share your Wisdom” with Dr. Paul Grant
Dr. Paul Grant (he/him) is the Director of Research, Innovation and Practice at Center for Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Grant discusses Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy and why putting a person’s life and interests ahead of their…
more -
“You Don’t Have to Do It All at Once” with Dr. Sarah Y. Vinson
Dr. Sarah Y. Vinson, MD (she/her) is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Lorio Forensics and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Vinison talks about her journey into psychiatry, her work supporting Black and Brown communities and why understanding a person’s full story and...
-
“The Promise and Peril of Crisis Response” with Dr. Rebecca Neusteter
Rebecca Neusteter (she/her), PhD, is an author, the executive director of the University of Chicago Health Lab and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Neustadter explores the history of 911 and the complicated relationship between 911, mental health crises and policing. They discuss...
-
“The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law” with Haben Girma
Haben Girma (she/her) is a disability rights advocate, the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Haben discusses her book, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, as well as the importance of accessibility, advocacy, and...
-
“The History of Labor Day”
Keris dives into the real history of Labor Day, exploring the lives, struggles and exclusions of workers from the 1800s to today. From unsafe factory floors and the Haymarket Affair to modern gig work and systemic inequities, this episode examines who has been included, and who has been left out,...
-
“The Psychiatric Green Book” with Yolo Akili Robinson and Kelechi Ubozoh
Yolo Akili Robinson (he/him) is an award-winning writer and Executive Director of BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective) and Kelechi Ubozoh (she/her) is a writer and mental health consultant and they are Unapologetically Black Unicorns. Kelechi and Yolo discuss their new book, What I...
-
“People Don’t Fall Through the Cracks, They’re Pushed” with Jonathan Russell
Jonathan Russell (he/him) is the Director of Housing and Homelessness for Alameda County and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Jonathan challenges common misconceptions about homelessness while exploring the systemic forces that push people into homelessness. They examine autonomy, the…
more -
“If Atoms Don’t Collide, We Don’t Get Stars” with Michael Chrzan
Michael Chrzan (he/him) is a Data Scientist at the Center for Educational Data Science and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Michael talks about the importance of approaching AI with curiosity while also recognizing its limitations and potential consequences. They explore the benefits and...
-
#BlackMentalHealth with Ellis Gordon Jr.
Ellis Gordon Jr. (he/him) is treasurer of NAMI Urban Los Angeles and he is the former husband of Bebe Moore Campbell. Ellis shares the story of how he met Bebe Moore Campbell and why it was so important to name the month of July after Bebe. They talk about the inception of NAMI Urban Los Angeles,...
-
Black Youth Mental Health: Dr. Raquel Martin
Dr. Raquel Martin (she/her) is a licensed Psychologist, Professor, Scientist and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Martin shares insights from her research on how identity and community influence the mental health of Black youth. They talk about the importance of culturally informed...
-
Black Youth Mental Health: Dr. Danielle Hairston
Dr. Danielle Hairston (she/her) is a Double-Board Certified Psychiatrist, the Psychiatry Residency Program Director at Howard University College of Medicine and Hospital, a Hope Lab HBCU Translational Science Fellow and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Hairston talks about creating...
-
Black Youth Mental Health: Dr. Breonte Guy
Dr. Breonte Guy (he/him) is Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Winston-Salem State University and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Guy talks about G.A.M.E. (Gamified Activities for Mental Empowerment), a culturally responsive digital mental…
more -
Black Youth Mental Health: Dr. Billie Castle
Dr. Billie Castle (she/her) is Assistant Professor of Public Health at Xavier University of Lousiana and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Drawing on her work with the HopeLab HBCU Translational Science Fellowship, Dr. Castle shares how young people are transforming lived experiences into...
-
Black Youth Mental Health: Julie Tinker
Julie Tinker (she/her) is Principle at Hopelab and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. This is the launch of a series highlighting Black Youth Mental Health and the groundbreaking work of the HopeLab HBCU Translational Science Fellowship. They discuss how HBCU researchers are turning…
more -
“Don’t Give In, Don’t Give Up and Don’t Give Out” with Dr. Andre Johnson
Dr. Andre Johnson (he/him) is the Founder/CEO of the Detroit Recovery Project (DRP), and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Johnson talks about the ideas in his book “The Recovery Ecosystem: A Wholistic Approach to Recovery” which is a guide for healing and progress in the journey of...
-
“It’s Time for Us to Heal” with Enola Aird
Enola Aird is the Founder and President of the Community Healing Network and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Enola shares how she is mobilizing Black people to heal from the lie of white superiority and Black inferiority. They talk about the impact of Marcus Garvey, making the Emotional...
-
“You Can’t Hear the People Who Are Listening” with Gaelynn Lea
Gaelynn Lea is a musician, author, public speaker, disability advocate and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Gaelynn shares her journey as a violinist, the winner of a Tiny Desk Contest and writing her book “Wasn't Meant to Be Perfect.” They talk about representation, Medicaid and disability...
-
“The Medicaid Maze - A Simulation Game”
Happy Birthday UBU! In this interactive episode of Unapologetically Black Unicorns, Keris transforms complex policy into “The Medicaid Maze”, a storytelling board game that reveals the real-life challenges of navigating Medicaid. Through dice rolls and card draws, she explores how small policy...
-
“The Value of Support”
From the beautiful view at Niagara Falls, Keris reflects on the people whose support, encouragement and belief helped shape her mental health recovery and her career. Keris shares stories about her mentors, friends and some unexpected connections. She explores the value of support and it serves…
more -
“The Trauma and Celebration through Hair” with Kelechi Ubozoh
Kelechi Ubozoh (she/her) is a peer supporter, a Black Liberatory Coach, co-editor of “We've Been Too Patient: Voices from Radical Mental Health,” a contributor to the anthology “Trauma, Tresses, and Truth: Untangling Our Hair Through Personal Narratives” and she is an Unapologetically Black...
-
“AI in Health Care” with Charlotte Blease
Charlotte Blease, PhD (she/her) is an Academic, Author, Public Speaker and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Charlotte talks about what influenced her to write a book about AI in health care and the pros and cons of technology in the health care system. They talk about how AI could combat built…
more -
“Who Decides the Value of a Disable Life” with Reid Davenport
Reid Davenport (he/him) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Reid talks about disability rights, medical ableism and the things that shape how society values disabled lives. They talk about Reid’s powerful film “Life After” and the issues it…
more -
“Go Be Boldly Practical” with Wendy White Tiegreen
Wendy White Tiegreen (she/her), MSW, is the former Director of Medicaid and Health System Innovation for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Wendy shares how she became part of the movement that reshaped mental...
-
“We Are the Hope Dealers” with Taina Martinez
Taina Martinez (she/her/Ella) is the CEO of Baltic Street Wellness Solutions and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Tiana shares her powerful journey from a small retail program to one of the largest peer-led organizations in the country. They talk about education and lived experience,...
-
“The Black Patient Bill of Rights” with Rhonda Smith and Yolanda Whittington
Rhonda Smith (she/her) the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network and Yolanda Whittington LCSW (She/Her), is a member of the California Black Health Network’s Behavioral Health Peer Network and they are Unapologetically Black Unicorns. Rhonda and Yolanda discuss the fight for...
-
“SPMI SMI...WTF?”
In this episode of Unapologetically Black Unicorns, Keris tackles a tough and complex subject that requires her to be vulnerable in sharing her thoughts, experiences, research and observations over the years about mental health panels. Keris unpacks the history and harm behind labels like…
more -
“Cool or creepy?: Tech and Mental Health” with Dr. John Torous
Dr. John Torous (He/his), MD is a Psychiatrist, Director: digitalpsych.org at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an expert in “mobile mental health technologies” and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Torous shares the concept behind MindApp.org and the connection between technology and...
-
UBU Hop on the Mic: Soteria House Las Cruces with Vesper Moore, Meghann O’Leary and Rupi Legha
Keris is joined by Vesper Moore, Meghann O’Leary and Rupi Legha to talk about the launch of Soteria House Las Cruces in New Mexico. They share how Soteria Las Cruces is a home-like residential community program where adults experiencing psychosis or extreme states can find belonging, dignity,...
-
“A Discipline of Hope” with Vesper Moore
Vesper Moore (they/elle) is a mad liberation and disability justice activist, and they are an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Vesper defines mad liberation and neurodiversity and how they got involved in the field. They talk about opening Respites and the complications with funding, using…
more -
“Who Decides the Value of a Disable Life” with Reid Davenport
Reid Davenport (he/him) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Reid talks about disability rights, medical ableism and the things that shape how society values disabled lives. They talk about Reid’s powerful film “Life After” and the issues it…
more -
“You Are Magical AF”
Keris goes solo to share a critical email she received and goes on to focus on the common experience of all the negative self-talk that follows. She explains how someone else’s perception can really affect you and ways to try to move past it. Keris talks about how she was able to go to an event...
-
“Anticipatory Grief” with Isaac Lara
Isaac Lara (he/him) is a youth well-being activist, lived experience researcher, peer support advocate and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Isaac shares how pets, especially his beloved Yorkie Kiseki, can become lifelines during trauma, depression and recovery. They talk about…
more -
Hop on the Mic with Dr. Janer Hernandez and Joe Powell
Keris is joined by Joe Powell and Dr. Janer Hernandez and they share their extensive histories in addiction recovery and community leadership. Joe Powell shares stories of his early life as a child performer in Harlem and how the civil rights movement and military service influenced his journey...
-
“Art, Legacy and LACMA: A Weekend That Filled My Cup”
On this episode Keris shares a glimpse into her weekend adventures around Los Angeles, starting with a powerful visit to LACMA to experience Tavares Strachan’s exhibit “The Day Tomorrow Began.” She reflects on art, history and the stories that shape us. Keris talks about inspiration, creativity,...
-
“If You’re Not at the Table, You’re on the Table” with Laura Evans
Laura Evans (she/hers) is the Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Vibrant Emotional Health and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Laura shares how she got involved in policy and some of the color lines she observed in this field. They talk about reading between the lines…
more -
"UBU Hop on the Mic" with Dr. Chyrell Bellamy, Dr. Felecia Pullen, Dr. Rupi Legha, Taina B. Martinez and Vesper Moore
Keris is joined by Dr. Chyrell Bellamy, Dr. Felecia Pullen, Dr. Rupi Legha, Taina B. Martinez and Vesper Moore for an honest, emotional conversation about what it means to be people of color navigating spaces that are often led by white leadership. Together, they reflect on lived experiences of...
-
“Signed By Stories” with Emma Hunt
Emma Hunt (she/her) founded Signed By Stories and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Emma shares why she started Signed By Stories to bring public attention and awareness to the lack of effective, linguistically accessible and culturally affirmative mental health services for deaf and hard...
-
“If They Steal Me of My Hope They’ve Taken Everything” with Lynn Borton
Lynn Borton (she/her) is a producer and host of nationally-syndicated radio show and podcast CHOOSE TO BE CURIOUS and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. They come together to explore how we can all be more curious and they share why “fake it until you make it” is a good curiosity practice....
-
Finding the Spark: Creativity Without Pressure
Keris returns for 2026 not with fireworks or resolutions, but with honesty about grief and the quiet loss of her creative spark. She reflects on pulling the cards of the Dreamer and the Quilt Maker, exploring what happens when creativity goes into self-protection mode in a world that feels...
-
“Oppression Hides in Ambiguity” with Carolina Valle
Carolina Valle, MSW, (She /Hers) is the Senior Policy Director at the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Carolina unpacks the impact of her family history and what inspired her to become a social worker. They talk about the diversity of how...
-
“The Family Royal”
Keris tells a story about a typewriter that’s been passed down through the family and the memories it holds. She talks about the significance of the typewriter to her family, how it brings her joy whenever she looks at it and she discusses the positive impact memories can have on your mental...
-
“Magical Black Santa”
Keris recorded this podcast on Christmas and shares a Christmas memory from her childhood. She shares the struggles people have during the holiday season and the magic of a picture she saw of a Black Santa when she was young. Keris remembers the sacrifices her dad made and she wants you to know...
-
"May the Doorways be Such That We Don’t Have to Fold Our Wings to Enter” with Chacku Mathai
Chacku Mathai (he/him) is an activist in the human rights movement for people with psychiatric histories and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Chacku shares his journey through immigration, racism, mental health systems, peer support and activism, weaving together his lived experience,...
-
“The Medicaid Game - A Simulation Game”
In this interactive episode of Unapologetically Black Unicorns, Keris transforms complex policy into “The Medicaid Maze”, a storytelling board game that reveals the real-life challenges of navigating Medicaid. Through dice rolls and card draws, she explores how small policy shifts and everyday...
-
“People Aren’t Social Problems” with Neil Gong
Neil Gong (he/him) is an assistant professor of sociology at UC San Diego, where he does research on psychiatric services, homelessness, and how communities seek to maintain social order and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Neil explains the genesis of his book “Sons, Daughters and…
more -
“Truth-Giving Table”
In this episode Keris invites us to gather around The Truth-Giving Table, a reimagined Thanksgiving ceremony rooted in truth-telling, mourning, gratefulness and freedom. As attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility continue to threaten honest conversation, Keris shares personal...
-
“Ashes and Anxiety”
Keris opens up about grief, political turmoil and the unexpected ways community keeps us grounded when systems fail. In this emotional episode, she reflects on carrying her father’s ashes through a government shutdown and finds hope in collective care. Keris shares a deeply personal story about...
-
“Enjoying the Message as it’s Received” with Dr. Ikwunga Wonodi
Dr. Ikwunga Wonodi (he/him) is a psychiatrist, an Afrobeat Poet and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Wonodi talked about what afrobeat poetry represents and his personal journey in becoming an afrobeat poet. They talk about pidgin, how afrobeats has been used as a vehicle for change,...
-
“Value The Connection to Community” with Dr. Jorge Partida del Toro
Dr. Jorge Partida del Toro is a Curandero, a Psychologist with international experience working with child soldiers and building intentional communities and he’s an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Partida Del Toro gives the backstory for how he got into psychology and how his grandmother…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Have you ever chatted with an Unapologetically Black Unicorn- someone who symbolizes freedom, power, strength and is a true force of nature and thought, ‘WOW people need to hear this’? Now you can and learn how to be a U.B.U. too! Join the weekly conversation with host Keris Jän Myrick, an unapologetically Black unicorn in their own right, and nationally recognized mental health advocate chatting with amazing U.B.U. folk who are advancing all things mental health, racial justice, and anything cool to enhance human existence.
HOSTED BY
Keris Jän Myrick
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Unapologetically Black Unicorns have?
Unapologetically Black Unicorns currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Unapologetically Black Unicorns about?
Have you ever chatted with an Unapologetically Black Unicorn- someone who symbolizes freedom, power, strength and is a true force of nature and thought, ‘WOW people need to hear this’? Now you can and learn how to be a U.B.U. too! Join the weekly conversation with host Keris Jän Myrick, an...
How often does Unapologetically Black Unicorns release new episodes?
Unapologetically Black Unicorns has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Unapologetically Black Unicorns?
You can listen to Unapologetically Black Unicorns on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Unapologetically Black Unicorns?
Unapologetically Black Unicorns is created and hosted by Keris Jän Myrick.
URL copied to clipboard!