As we wrap Season 1 of Black and CULTivated, I sit down with two of my childhood friends Jen and Genise — whom I grew up with in the Worldwide Church of God. 👀✨

In this episode, you’ll hear a little more about my story and how the three of us slowly realized… yeah, we were 1000% raised in a cult. 😅 It’s a straight up kiki — full of laughs and those “wait, did that really happen?!” moments.

This episode truly captures what Black and Cultivated is all about: telling the stories of Black and Brown cult survivors with humor, heart, and a whole lotta honesty.

Thank y’all so much for rocking with us this season. You can’t get rid of us that easy though — bonus episodes and a Season Two announcement are coming soon 👀🤞🏾.

Heads up: There are a couple of little audio hiccups in this one, so bear with us! The convo is worth it, promise.

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

We’re making up for lost time and blessing your feed with TWO episodes today! 🎉

In this one, I sit down with Hersal Pickett — a former member of my old church (but not my congregation) — who opens up about his time in the doomsday cult, the Worldwide Church of God. Like Pam in the last episode, Hersal caught on early that something wasn’t adding up.

Hersal is a UNC Chapel Hill basketball superfan 🏀, a proud husband and dad, a badass cancer survivor (say it with me: #fuckcancer), and quite possibly the nicest human alive. Case in point: I mispronounced his name the entire episode, and this man didn’t correct me once. 🙃 It’s HERSAL, y’all — not Hershal. My bad, friend.

Heads up — there are a few visuals in this one, so if you’re feeling nosy (and you should be), hop over to YouTube to see what we’re pointing at.

Get into it, and enjoy! 🔥🎙️

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

Only 3 more episodes left in Season 1 of Black and CULTivated.
And the final eps are diving headfirst into my own cult, The Worldwide Church of God. ⛪️🚩

First up, Ms. Pam Redd, a brilliant educator and musician who attended WWCG from age 5 to adulthood.

And chile, the stories she drops… 😳🔥 From meeting the church's leader Herbert W Armstrong and listening first hand to his racist ass sermons, to being disfellowshipped, — Pam does 👏🏾 not 👏🏾 hold 👏🏾 back. 

I’m so honored that she can use this platform to tell her story. 🖤

👉🏾 Link in bio to subscribe and catch all the final episodes! If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)
https://www.nikkigspeaks.com/

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)
https://www.radicalchangetherapy.org/...

Freedom of Mind
https://freedomofmind.com/

Cult Education Institute
https://culteducation.com/

Cult Awareness & Information Center
https://web.archive.org/web/201706281...

International Cultic Studies Association
https://www.icsahome.com/

Cult Escape
https://cult-escape.com/

Cult News 101
https://www.cultnews101.com/

Thank you for listening.   / @blackandcultivated  

#cults #religion #church #comedy #yahweh #cult #black #lanisa

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

Hey fam,

Just a heads up we are skipping a week so there will be no new episode on 5/11/25. There's only a few more episodes left in Season 1 of Black and CULTivated; we want to take the week to make sure all is good as the next episodes are about my cult!!

So take the time to catch up, relisten to episodes, share, watch on YouTube and we'll be back on 5/ 19/25.

I appreciate you all. 

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

WTF is #culthopping ?!  Well, find out as we talk to our girl, Certified Trauma Recovery Coach, and cult expert Nikki G. 

After having been in several cults herself, Nikki took a step back, did the work, and wanted to be a voice as a Black woman in the often white dominated cult recovery community. So she is now making waves helping survivors recover and thrive after Narcissistic Abuse, Religious Trauma/Spiritual Abuse & Cult involvement/High Demand Groups. (If you need sis, her info is below.)

We gonna have to a have Part 2 with Nikki because this episode is just the tip of the iceberg! 

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

This week, I'm talking to the QUEEN of taking down cults herself, our sis from across the pond: Rachael Reign.

Rachael was in the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (aka UCKG) for 7 years,  recruited at just age 13. After breaking free, sis made it her mission to speak out against the injustices of this shady cult that goes by many names, by establishing Surviving Universal UK. 
https://www.instagram.com/survivinguniversaluk/?hl=en

Her work caught the eye of a BBC journalist and in 2023 a documentary aired exposing the UCKG cult. 
https://archive.org/details/bbc-panorama-universal-church-of-the-kingdom-of-god-uckg

Rachael Reign is doing the WORK! 

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

Dr. Kamasi Hill is Black but NOT CULTivated. 

Dr. Hill was never part of a cult BUT he is a dope ass historian, theologian with a focus on African American religious history and award winning teacher. Plus, he is an amazing filmmaker (https://drkamasihill.com). 

In this episode, we give some context and discussion around how we define cult, especially from a Black folk/ Black church perspective. 

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

This week, Black and CULTivated welcomes another bad ass, my lovely Filipina sister Giovannie Espiritu. Giovannie is an actor, activist, writer, and director who shares her experience of being in a biblical doomsday cult that was part of the “Home Church Movement.”  Through her story and her work as an artist, she aims to "break hearts wide open and create more moments of joy," showcasing her resilience and determination to overcome challenges. And that, is so damn beautiful.

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

In Part 1, we met badass Katurah Topps, a civil rights attorney, resilient fighter, and cult survivor. 

In Part 2 we will follow her escape from the House of Yahweh, her reintroduction to the world, and the obstacles faced post-cult. 

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101

Katurah Topps is a resilient fighter and survivor. As a civil rights attorney from St. Louis, Missouri, now based in New York, Katurah is a true badass who fights against racially discriminatory systems at all levels. 

You may also know her from Survivor 45 where she was strategic and relentless #AF 

In part one of her story we'll learn about her journey in the dangerous cult House of Yahweh which took her and her family to Abeline Texas at just 9 years old. 

Part 2 will be released April 7th, 2025

Send us a text

Thank you for listening.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackandcultivated

If you or someone you know has been affected by cult involvement and is seeking help, the following resources are available:

Surviving Universal UK

Nikki G Speaks (Black owned religious trauma therapist)

Dr. Dylesia Trauma therapist (Black owned)

Freedom of Mind

Cult Education Institute

Cult Awareness & Information Center

International Cultic Studies Association

Cult Escape

Cult News 101