Black women have higher rates of uterine fibroids and the common surgery to treat them – hysterectomies – more than any other group. And when you look at the numbers in the South, those rates are even higher.  

Meet Tanika Gray Valbrun, an Atlanta woman using her own struggles with fibroids and journey to help others. Valbrun is a central character in an AJC investigation, “The South Leads in Hysterectomies—Especially for Black Women. Here’s Why.” 

Valbrun opens about her own fight to have a baby and bringing awareness to the issue. 

To read the investigative piece visit: https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/09/the-south-leads-in-hysterectomies-especially-for-black-women-heres-why/ 

UATL is a source for Black culture and community in Atlanta. It’s powered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and our supporters. If you’re enjoying this podcast, join us as a UATL paid supporter at UATL.com 

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With the massive success of the movie “Sinners,” have traditional African-based spiritual practices, like Voodoo and Hoodoo, come into the mainstream? 

There may be more connections between traditional religions like Christianity and these practices than you think. Filmmaker Tyson Horne talks about his own spiritual journey and his upcoming documentary that explores New Orleans Voodoo. 

To read Brooke Howard’s piece: https://www.uatl.com/entertainment/2025/05/sinners-success-sparks-conversations-around-african-spirituality-beyond-christianity/ 

UATL is a source for Black culture and community in Atlanta. It’s powered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and our supporters. If you’re enjoying this podcast, join us as a UATL paid supporter at UATL.com 

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Do you know what you’re putting in your hair?  From relaxers to braids, there are toxic elements in almost every popular Black hair product on the market. Dr. Michelle Gaines, chemistry professor at Spelman College, breaks it down.   

To read Asia Simone Burns and Samantha Hogan’s reporting on hair care for Black women and the ongoing lawsuits related to the hair straightening products they use visit: news/2025/08/her-hair-was-perfectly-straight-her-body-paid-the-price/ 

Read Brooke Leigh Howard’s reporting on the safer options Atlanta’s Black community is turning to: https://www.ajc.com/uatl/toxic-braiding-hair-study-forces-atlantas-black-community-to-seek-safer-options/C4PICN23ARCV7KMAGXXWEUCK3I/ 

Check out host Najja Parker’s reel on keeping safe when it comes to hair products here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIkBcGcoR_6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 

UATL is a source for Black culture and community in Atlanta. It’s powered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and our supporters. If you’re enjoying this podcast, join us as a UATL paid supporter at UATL.com 

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Do family reunions still hold the importance to Black families that they once did? It is a question AJC and UATL senior reporter Ernie Suggs explores in a feature story chronicling different families. Through his research, Suggs found Black families are more likely than any other group to hold large family reunions regularly. He joins “It’s UATL” hosts to discuss the history of family reunions and whether younger generations are upholding a tradition long celebrated by their elders. 

To visit the Villanova Digital Library go to: 

https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Collection 

To read Ernie Sugg’s piece on Black family reunions visit:  

https://www.uatl.com/news/2025/07/what-remains-the-power-of-black-family-reunions/ 

UATL is a source for Black culture and community in Atlanta. It’s powered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and our supporters. If you’re enjoying this podcast, join us as a UATL paid supporter at UATL.com 

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Why is hiking looked at as a predominantly white past time? BLK Hiking Club is not just about exploring trails, it's forging a path of inclusion and belonging in the great outdoors. Founder Tracy Stephens talks trials and the tribulations of hiking while Black in Georgia. 

To join Tracy on his next hike, check him out on Instagram @BLKhikingclub. 

And we want to hear your take. What kind of outdoor activities do you want to see more black people doing? Use your phone's voice recorder to send us a response on Instagram @It’sUATL or email us @ [email protected]. And don't forget to add your age, your name, and where you're from. 

UATL is a source for Black culture and community in Atlanta. It’s powered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and our supporters. If you’re enjoying this podcast, join us as a UATL paid supporter at UATL.com 

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How do you fight racism online? Atlanta entrepreneur and activist Kiandria Demone used the HTML code to disrupt a woman's attempts to profit from her viral racist attack on a 5-year-old.  

 To read more about the incident that spurred Kiandria’s campaign visit: https://www.ajc.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-why-is-this-slur-worth-thousands-of-dollars/NCSYOWK255A37GY5HKGSJINZBA/ 

 UATL is a source for Black culture and community in Atlanta. It’s powered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and our supporters. If you’re enjoying this podcast, join us as a UATL paid supporter at UATL.com 

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Mara Brock Akil’s series Forever tells the story of two Black teens in love, while showing the everyday pressures that both endanger and strengthen their bond. It’s UATL’s hosts discuss the importance of healthy Black love representation in media, and Mara sits down with It’s UATL host Nedra Rhone to talk about the show.

UATL is a source for Black culture and community in Atlanta. It’s powered by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and our supporters. If you’re enjoying this podcast, join us as a UATL paid supporter at UATL.com 

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It’s UATL is your unscripted, weekly dose of Black culture straight from the heart of Atlanta. Journalists Nedra Rhone, Najja Parker, DeAsia Paige, Brooke Leigh Howard and their guests explore what’s shaping Black life across the South — covering pop culture, politics, activism, food, fashion and everything in between. It’s a weekly conversation that’s undeniably real and uniquely UATL. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

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