Blacktivities

On January 20 and 21, 2025, the President signed two executive orders with the intention of getting rid of DEI in all government entities and even some private sector companies. Shannon, Lisa, and KK discuss their thoughts on merit-based hiring and efforts to kill diversity, equity, and inclusion. Also, Lisa shares what happened when she was asked if she was a DEI hire.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

Are you a single parent in college working on your degree who needs assistance? Apply today or support our sponsor H.O.P.E., Inc. @ https://hopbe.org

Listen to H.O.P.E.'s founder's story on U Talk, I'll Listen.

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Share this episode with a friend.
3. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
4. Follow us on social media.
5. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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 - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

• Federal Register :: Request Access
• Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity – The White House
• Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing – The White House

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

Another Valentine's Day has come and gone, but the ladies of Blacktivities will always promote black love. In this episode, Shannon, Lisa, and KK take a dive into the lyrics of old soul love songs with licensed therapist Mattie Finn to try and gain some insight into how we can have thriving relationships.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

Are you a single parent in college working on your degree who needs assistance? Apply today or support our sponsor H.O.P.E., Inc. @ https://hopbe.org

Listen to H.O.P.E.'s founder's story on U Talk, I'll Listen.

Psychology Today

Website

Instagram - @purposeandlivingpsy

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Share this episode with a friend.
3. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
4. Follow us on social media.
5. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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 - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

• BLACK MARRIAGE - BlackDemographics.com

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

Black women are tired!!! We are taking a break from all the demands society has put on us. From out working everybody else, to having to be overqualified and still being overlooked, to organizing movements and getting little recognition, to enduring abuse... In the understood words of the former First Lady Michelle Obama... we ain't going! Ladies, this is a season of self-care.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

Are you a single parent in college working on your degree who needs assistance? Apply today or support our sponsor H.O.P.E., Inc. @ https://hopbe.org

Listen to H.O.P.E.'s founder's story on U Talk, I'll Listen.

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Share this episode with a friend.
3. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
4. Follow us on social media.
5. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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 - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

• How 5 Key Demographic Groups Voted in 2024: AP VoteCast
• By the Numbers - Higher Heights for America PAC
• Black Women, a History of Creating Our Own Spaces - BWJP
• From Civil Rights to Diss Tracks: How Black Women Have Shaped U.S. Culture | Rutgers University
• Black women’s labor market history reveals deep-seated race and gender discrimination | Economic Policy Institute

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

Happy Black History Month! The ladies of Blacktivities are back with Season 6, serving up a hilarious yet honest intervention for the culture! From over-the-top lashes to social media drama, Shannon, Lisa, and Karen break down what needs to stay in 2024. Listen for unfiltered commentary on everything from beauty trends to relationship dynamics in the Black community.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

Are you a single parent in college working on your degree who needs assistance? Apply today or support our sponsor H.O.P.E., Inc. @ https://hopbe.org

Listen to H.O.P.E.'s founder's story on U Talk, I'll Listen.

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Share this episode with a friend.
3. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
4. Follow us on social media.
5. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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 - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

• How Black Culture Shaped Google’s 2024 ‘Year In Search’

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

Blacktivities returns in February!!! Check out the third episode of Shannon's newest podcast, RIGHTing Narratives in this bonus episode.

Isaiah Mack is an NFL defensive tackle and former standout at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. During his college career, Mack earned All-American honors and was named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. Known for his resilience and disruptive play on the defensive line, he recorded 20 career sacks and was a dominant force in his final season. After becoming an undrafted free agent in 2019, Mack signed with the Tennessee Titans and has since played for several NFL teams, most recently the Miami Dolphins.

Being that Isaiah and Shannon are from the same hometown, they met up there for this conversation. Isaiah's narrative is one of hard work, appreciation of peaceful moments with family, and looking forward to settling into a normal life after the NFL. He gives his mom credit for where he is today.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Grab some merch from the Blacktivitees Pop Up Shop.
3. Share this episode with a friend.
4. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
5. Follow us on social media.
6. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisadapoet

Follow Karen - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

Blacktivities returns in February!!! Check out the second episode of Shannon's newest podcast, RIGHTing Narratives in this bonus episode.

Michael McDowell, AKA... Mike on the Bike, is a black man in law enforcement. For historical reasons, black people and the police have always had a complicated relationship, especially in the south where slave patrols evolved into early forms of law enforcement. People my age have grandparents who vividly remember seeing police dogs attack protesters and the brutality and beatings by police enforcing Jim Crow. The next generations can recall being pulled over for “driving while black” and being harassed by police, the mass incarceration of the Crack epidemic, and on into the killings of black men and women that happen frequently at the hands of police to this day.

For these reasons, Mike's decision to become a police officer was met with a lot of disbelief and disagreement. Hear Mike tell his story on this episode of RIGHTing Narratives. 

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Grab some merch from the Blacktivitees Pop Up Shop.
3. Share this episode with a friend.
4. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
5. Follow us on social media.
6. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisadapoet

Follow Karen - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

We use the term and the hashtag black excellence all the time, but what is it exactly? And... is it a term we like, or does it give black people an inferiority complex? Hosts Shannon, Lisa, and KK and their guest, Shay McCowan, Executive Director of Chattanooga Business Elite, discuss all things black excellence.

Website - https://www.chattbusinesselite.com/

Shay's IG - https://www.instagram.com/shaymc1908/

Chattanooga Business Elite IG - https://www.instagram.com/chatt__businesselite/

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Grab some merch from the Blacktivitees Pop Up Shop.
3. Share this episode with a friend.
4. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
5. Follow us on social media.
6. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisadapoet

Follow Karen - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

Research:

• Our Obsession With Black Excellence Is Harming Black People
• What does ‘Black Excellence’ mean to you?
• Black excellence | History & Origin | Dictionary.com

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

The Crack Epidemic had a long-lasting effect on the black community, as a majority of crack users were black. The War on Drugs imposed minimum prison sentences that led to a dramatic increase in incarceration rates for black males. While the Crack Epidemic was criminalized, the Opioid Crisis, which predominately affects the white community, has been treated as a health crisis.

Shannon shares some BIG Facts about the causes and effects of each drug crisis, and the hosts give their thoughts on the government's response to both. Would it even matter if the government tried to rectify the damage from the Crack Epidemic?

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Grab some merch from the Blacktivitees Pop Up Shop.
3. Share this episode with a friend.
4. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
5. Follow us on social media.
6. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisadapoet

Follow Karen - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

Research Links:

• Focus on Opiods - Connect2Health FCC
• Opioid vs. Crack: Congress Reconsiders Its Approach to Drug Epidemic
• Opioid Crisis: Addiction, Overprescription, and Insufficient Primary Prevention
• History Explains the U.S. Racial Wealth Gap | TIME
• Crack epidemic | US History, Causes & Effects | Britannica

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

Back in the day, we used to be singing songs and never paid any attention to what they were actually saying. In this episode, Shannon, Lisa, and Karen take a deep dive into some of the lyrics that made us pause and say, "Now what now?" They also give their thoughts on whether the culture is influencing the music or the music is influencing the culture. See if you're familiar with any of these questionable lyrics.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Grab some merch from the Blacktivitees Pop Up Shop.
3. Share this episode with a friend.
4. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
5. Follow us on social media.
6. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisadapoet

Follow Karen - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

Research:

• 10 Controversial Hip-Hop and R&B Songs
• 50 Rap Lyrics That Make No Sense | Complex

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC

Out of the eight black CEOs in the Fortune 500, only two of them are black women. As black women ourselves who are eager to cheer on the next sista doing her thing, working for another black woman should be glorious. However, that's not always the case... but why? Shannon and KK discuss their traumatic experiences working for black women and their theories on why it's not always what you would think.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Ask Black People - If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, use this link.
2. Grab some merch from the Blacktivitees Pop Up Shop.
3. Share this episode with a friend.
4. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
5. Follow us on social media.
6. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices and join our panel of black people.

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.

Help Support Future Minority Educators by donating to the Wilbert Bond, Sr. Scholarship Fund, created to honor Shannon's Grandfather, the first black graduate of Middle Tennessee University.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisadapoet

Follow Karen - @kkrobertsgrissom

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

• More Women Are Becoming Fortune 500 CEOs, But Only Three Of Them Are WOC
• We Need More Black Women In The C-Suite. Here’s Why
• Black CEO representation on the Fortune 500 is 1.6% this year. Here's what could turn it around | Fortune

Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC