Project BLACCK

If you are still processing the SCOTUS overturn of Roe V. Wade and what it means for access to health care nationally, you are not alone! In this episode we are joined by our friend and colleague Kimberly Pierre who is the founder of Healthy Black Births. Join us as we discuss our thoughts about this Supreme Court ruling, what this means for access to reproductive health care for all birthing individuals, and also what reproductive justice means to us. 

In this episode we take a deeper dive into the black indigenous experience in the United States and all of the nuance that surrounds identity. 

Thank you to our listeners for all your support and love through out season 2. Stay tuned for more on Season 3. 

There’s so much that's been happening in our world, from Kyle Rittenhouse’s verdict, to the conviction of the 3 men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery, and so much more. We have a serious gun (and violence) issue in this country and we need to talk about it. Tune in as we reflect on the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, whiteness, privilege, and overall gun violence in the U.S. 

Content Warning: Relationship abuse, domestic violence 

These past few weeks, the internet has been sharing both red and green flags that show up in intimate relationships. In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Project BLACCK team defines what domestic violence is and focuses on one tenant of prevention: healthy relationships. We each share our perspective of what makes a healthy relationship and what is needed in our communities, institutions and culture in order to change the narrative. 

Catch up with the crew as we talk about how we have been taking care of ourselves and our families through changing dynamics.

In this episode we’ll be talking about disability pride month, what it is, why people honor and celebrate this month and ways we can think about being disability inclusive.  We are joined by our wonderful guest Kaela Rae, and she provides us with insights and stories from her personal life. You can find Kaela on Instagram/Twitter @wheelsb4heels. 

In this episode we feature two friends and colleagues who talk about mental health in the AAPI community. From personal stories, to tips and resources, our guests Aniqa and Sukhmani leave us wanting to talk more. Here’s more info about each of them:

Aniqa Mian is a public health professional and mental health advocate. She’s Pakistani, and moved to Los Angeles when she was just a year. She currently works as a project manager in Patient Experience at Boston Children's Hospital and also has a passion project, Flourish Easy. If anyone knows her, they'll know that in her free time she loves to walk, chat your soul out, and create in some shape or form, through digital art or watercolors.

You can find her on IG: @aniqs and @flourisheasy

Sukhmani Bal, MPH, is a recent graduate of the Boston University School of Public Health where she focused on Community Health, Mental Health and Substance Use. She did her undergraduate work in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. Through community engagement and cross cultural education she hopes to empower individuals to actively participate in their own treatment. By working to educate both the public and medical community she hopes to ameliorate the stigma attached to seeking treatment and make quality care accessible to all.

You can find her on Twitter: @realSukhmaniB

Here’s the link to her presentation on July 28th at 1:20pm EST: https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Attend-the-NAMI-National-Convention?gclid=CjwKCAjw-qeFBhAsEiwA2G7Nlxj3rwU7GvEw7LEgTfkqwsLWlN6djUH-Alp0FDgNR-UpWPlf0Lwd0hoCJVAQAvD_BwE

In this week's episode we are joined by the amazing Caroline Ezekwesili, MPH to talk all things doula. Caroline is a Nigerian-American who is passionate about improving maternal and child health outcomes in communities of color. Outside of her 9-5, she works as a community-based doula where she provides virtual support to birthing individuals. She offers doula services through her company called Nkemdilim, which is an Igbo word for "Let mine be mine". In all of her roles, Caroline actively works towards her mission of empowering others and fostering community by building relationships. Join us as we learn about what a doula is, the types of services they offer and also key questions to ask when looking for a doula. https://www.nkemdilim.com 

Farah Jeune is a multimedia Artist from Boston. She uses her creativity to help her peers, elders and ancestors feel empowered, represented and loved in colorful 2D mediums. As an art activist, she creates artwork to bring awareness to taboo issues impacting communities of color such as HIV and Mental Health. Ms. Jeune also is the creator, host and producer of a monthly television variety show entitled ‘ºFarenheight TV’ which celebrates people’s greatness through interviews, LIVE performances and more. Learn more by visiting www.FarenheightTV.com