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Black women are 2–3x more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women — and that gap exists regardless of income, education, or celebrity status. In this episode of Blacktivities, we trace the roots of the Black maternal health crisis from the experimental surgeries performed on enslaved women in the 1840s to the racial bias still showing up in delivery rooms today.
Hosts Shannon and Mona Lisa are joined by Tanessa, a certified full-spectrum doula, for an honest, culturally grounded conversation about why Black women aren't being heard in healthcare — and what we can do about it.
In this episode:
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Follow our Guest: Tanessa@HarmoniaSanctuary
@MavenProductions423
@Tavernobeauty
@mysticmaven33
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
From minstrel shows to modern politics — Shannon and KK break down the deep history of blackface in America, why it was never just entertainment, and why whiteface is not the mirror image people claim it is.
This past week, a blackface photo of a sitting Georgia state representative surfaced, and it sparked a response that hit every note of the classic "I'm not racist" playbook. The receipts are read and the hosts give their thoughts on his response.
In Big Facts, Shannon traces blackface from its roots in 1828, when Thomas Dartmouth Rice stole a dance from an enslaved man and built a minstrel empire, all the way through Hollywood's golden age, the birth of Jim Crow laws, and the documented ways minstrel stereotypes still shape how Black people are perceived today.
Then the conversation opens up: Druski's conservative woman skits, the Wayans Brothers' White Chicks defense, Jack Harlow going full R&B, and the difference between resistance and racism.
No Lisa this week, but Shannon and KK hold it down.
*Referenced Episode - Mandingos Mammies, and Jezebels
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
In this episode of Blacktivities, the conversation shifts to something deeper—Black men’s mental health and the silence that often surrounds it.
Why don’t more Black men talk about what they’re going through?
Is it cultural… generational… or something bigger?
The hosts unpack the layers behind emotional suppression, stigma, and the expectations placed on Black men to always be strong. Also, Dr. Camillia Harris, founder of justUs, HM, shares how her father's death prompted her to create the organization and host black men's mental health conferences nationwide.
This isn’t just a conversation—it’s a call to understand, to listen, and to create space.
What We DiscussBring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Meet Our Guest:Dr. Camilla Harris, Founder of justUs, MH
justUs, MH - https://www.bmmhc.com
Instagram - @bmmhc1
@camillia_milly
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
Sources
Crisis & Support Resources
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
You've probably heard all the stereotypes, but where do they come from and is there some truth to any of them?
In this episode of Blacktivities, Shannon, Lisa, and KK discuss common stereotypes about Black people and ask a simple question: are they BIG Facts, BIG Lies, or more complicated than we think?
From tipping culture and timeliness to swimming, food, and social habits, the conversation blends humor with historical context to unpack where these stereotypes come from and why they persist today.
Key Topics:Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
References & Further Reading1. Tipping History — Shriver Center on Poverty Law The Racist History Behind America's Tipping Culture
2. Tipping History — NPR Throughline The Land of the Fee — The Anti-Tipping Movement
3. Hot Sauce & West African Culinary Tradition — Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery The Diasporic Roots of Hot Sauce in Black American Culture
4. Swimming & Segregation — National Geographic Public Swimming Pools Are Still Haunted by Segregation's Legacy
5. Swimming & Segregation — NPR Racial History of American Swimming Pools (interview with historian Jeff Wiltse)
6. Fried Chicken & Watermelon — The Boston Globe Fried Chicken, Watermelon, and the Origins of Racist Food Stereotypes
7. Camping & Sundown Towns — New American History The Negro Motorist Green Book
8. Black People & Dogs — Chicago Crusader Black People's Complicated History with Dogs
9. Black People & Dogs — Pacific Standard The People Who Are Scared of Dogs (cites research by psychologist Dr. L. Kevin Chapman)
Want to go even deeper? Check out these books:
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
The conversation about the Black family always starts in the middle. On this episode of Blacktivities, Shannon, KK, and Mona Lisa go all the way back to the beginning — and what they find rewrites everything.
The Black family's structure wasn't random. It was shaped by centuries of slavery, post-emancipation terror, discriminatory policy, mass incarceration, and a welfare system designed to penalize two-parent households. Shannon delivers the Big Facts, the hosts unpack the history, and then they talk about where we go from here.
📚 BIG FACTS This Episode:
💬 The Conversation Goes Deep:
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
Slavery & Family Separation
Sharecropping & Economic Exclusion
The Great Migration
The Moynihan Report (1965)
The War on Drugs & Mass Incarceration
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
There was a time in the U.S. when Black people could be punished for learning to read. Today, books by Black authors are among the most challenged in schools. In this episode, we talk about Black literature, how it shapes identity, and why access to our stories has always mattered.
In this episode we discuss:
Listener question: What’s the first Black book that made you feel seen?
Guest: Keisha Green
Instagram: @plantedbookedrooted
📚 Keisha’s Recommendations:
- Fast by Millie Belizaire https://a.co/d/032SKqAK
- Gravity by AshleyNicole https://a.co/d/00tISPDN
- Dominion by Addie E Citchens https://a.co/d/02W15LfX
- Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward https://a.co/d/0h2K27c8
- Last Stop From Innocence by Takerra Allen https://a.co/d/05MYnhi9
- Secret World of Maggie Grey by Granger https://a.co/d/0d1tjGKG
- Losin' Control by Ladii Nesha https://a.co/d/0b6w8vlP
- Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby https://a.co/d/084XkbG4
- Savvy Summers by Sandra Jackson-Opaoku https://a.co/d/0iXHNezx
Banned Book List: https://pen.org/book-bans/
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/virginia-literacy-ban-enacted/
https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/education-material/frederick-douglass-and-harriet-jacobs-american-slave-narrators/
https://www.nber.org/system/files/chapters/c8792/c8792.pdf
https://www.britannica.com/summary/Harlem-Renaissance-Causes-and-Effects
https://pen.org/banned-books-list-2022/
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/653/
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
When Black stories get told, the spotlight usually lands on struggle, trauma, and survival. This week on Blacktivities, Shannon and Mona Lisa (with KK joining mid-episode) center what often gets left out: Black joy. The cookout laughter. The line dancing. The group chat jokes. The deep exhale that reminds us we are still here.
In “Big Facts,” Shannon traces Black joy from slavery to the Jim Crow era and beyond, showing how music, movement, community, and recreation weren’t “extras.” They were survival. Then the hosts unpack why Black joy can make people uncomfortable, the difference between happiness and joy, and how protecting your joy is part of protecting your humanity.In This Episode
Join the ConversationHow do you define Black joy?
What are your favorite Black joy memories (funny ones included)?
Drop a comment. We read them and respond, and we may feature your responses in a future bonus episode.
Support the ShowIf you enjoyed this episode, follow/subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.
Share this episode with a friend who needs a reminder to breathe and laugh.]
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
Right now in this country, black students are more likely to be suspended, mislabeled, and denied access to advanced opportunities. But the question isn’t whether black kids can learn. The real question is what the education system was actually designed to do.
In the season eight premiere of Blacktivities, we break down the history and present-day realities of American education and how its original design still impacts black students today. From slavery-era laws banning literacy, to segregation, to modern book bans, the end of affirmative action, and the rise of school vouchers, we connect the dots between past and present.
This episode’s Big Facts unpack how public education was built to train workers, maintain social order, and protect power, not to develop everyone equally. We also discuss discipline gaps, special education labeling, curriculum control, and why “choice” policies often leave black kids behind.
Then we get into the real conversation:
If you care about black children, education, and telling the truth without sugarcoating it, this conversation is for you.
🎧 Listen, share, and join the conversation.
📣 Drop a comment and tell us: What’s something school never taught you that you had to learn later?
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
Join us on Zoom - November 25, 2025 at 8:00 pm EST for a meet & greet with Lisa & Shannon of Blacktivities! If you can't be there, help us make Blacktivities better by completing a listener survey. Thank you to everyone who listens and supports Blacktivities on the regular! Hope to see you soon!
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
Copyright 2022-2025 Black Panache, LLC
In Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem “We Wear the Mask,” he wrote of a smile that “grins and lies” referring to our inability to show our authentic selves and feelings. This week on Blacktivities, we talk about what it means to take off the mask—especially while moving through workplaces and the world. Shannon, Lisa, and KK talk finding safe spaces, what diversity and inclusion was supposed to look like, and how culture and food can bring people together.
We also share our own “unmasking” moments, from podcasting to showing up more authentically at work, plus a hilarious conversation about why Carnival Cruise thinks y’all are doing too much.
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website
About the Hosts
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Continue the Conversation on Social Media:
Instagram - @blacktivitiespod
Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial
Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet
Follow Karen - @theekkroberts
Threads - @blacktivitiespod
Facebook - Blacktivities
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
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