In this episode of Ready to Exhale, Katara is joined by Latham Thomas—author, educator, and founder of Mama Glow—whose work is reshaping how we understand birth, postpartum care, and the well-being of mothers and babies.

Together, they explore what it means to build systems where Black women are not only heard, but truly safe. Because too often, safety isn’t given—it’s something Black women are forced to fight for.

As Latham shares, “It’s actually demanding our strength to advocate… because systems refuse to create circumstances where you’re safe. That is a violation of human rights.”

This conversation is both grounding and urgent—a reminder of what care should feel like, and what Black women have always deserved.

To learn more about Latham and her work, visit:
https://mamaglow.com/
https://mamaglowfoundation.org/

In this episode of Ready to Exhale, Katara McCarty sits down with Dr. Raquel Martin, psychologist, educator, and thought leader in Black mental health and liberation psychology. Together they explore what it means to cultivate “Black mental wealth,” how our mental health is shaped by the world around us, and why community care is essential to our well-being.

This conversation invites us to think deeper about healing, community, and the ways we can support our mental and emotional well-being as Black women.

Check out Dr Martin and her offerings here https://www.raquelmartinphd.com/

In our final episode of Ready to Exhale for the year, Katara sits with you for a short solo reflection to gently close this season of conversation and care. This episode is a moment of gratitude for every listener and for each of the incredible women who joined her throughout the year.

In this closing reflection, Katara shares what this year has held, what we are carrying forward, and offers an invitation to move into the next season with intention, softness, and breath.

We’re honored to welcome back Dr. Gail Parker to the Ready to Exhale podcast for a powerful two-part conversation. Together, we explore what it means to care for our mental health before reaching the breaking point and how daily practices can help us stay grounded and whole, especially in a year where over 300,000 Black women are unemployed and 45% of Black Women voters say their mental health has worsened this year. (according to The Highland Project Poll). 

In these episodes, Katara and Dr. Parker reflect on a recent event they co-hosted and a deeply moving moment standing at the river, a place Dr. Parker described as both boundary and horizon. Their conversation invites us to consider how that same duality lives within us today: the limits we honor and the possibilities we continue to reach for.

Tune in to both parts of this soul-nourishing dialogue on Ready to Exhale, available now.

We’re honored to welcome back Dr. Gail Parker to the Ready to Exhale podcast for a powerful two-part conversation. Together, we explore what it means to care for our mental health before reaching the breaking point and how daily practices can help us stay grounded and whole, especially in a year where over 300,000 Black women are unemployed and 45% of Black Women voters say their mental health has worsened this year. (according to The Highland Project Poll). 

In these episodes, Katara and Dr. Parker reflect on a recent event they co-hosted and a deeply moving moment standing at the river, a place Dr. Parker described as both boundary and horizon. Their conversation invites us to consider how that same duality lives within us today: the limits we honor and the possibilities we continue to reach for.

Tune in to both parts of this soul-nourishing dialogue on Ready to Exhale, available now.

In this solo episode, Katara invites us to pause, breathe, and reflect on the urgent importance of prioritizing our mental health and well-being as Black women. Especially now.

She begins with grounding breathwork practice, weaves in data from The State of Self-Care for Black Women and The Highland Project’s Poll and speaks truth about the systems that harm us while pointing toward collective care as resistance.

The episode closes with her reading her original poem, We Root Ourselves Here, a love letter to our care, joy, and community.

Our host, Katara, sits down with the brilliant Tamara Winfrey-Harris, award-winning author of Dear Black Girl and The Sisters Are Alright.

In this conversation, Tamara reminds us that freedom isn’t a finish line we cross, it’s a daily practice of telling the truth, creating community, and making space for Black women and girls to breathe fully. Together, Katara and Tamara explore what it means to live free in our bodies, our choices, and our joy.

Tune in now and let Tamara’s wisdom remind you that freedom lives within us, here and now.

Katara sits down with visionary leader Vanessa Garrison, co-founder of GirlTrek, the largest health nonprofit for Black women and girls in the U.S., with over one million walkers. Vanessa is reimagining public health as a path to liberation—grounding her work in the radical, beautiful act of walking.

From reclaiming green spaces to sparking a civil rights–inspired health movement, Vanessa shares how walking can be both healing and revolutionary.

We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation between two sisters committed to the well-being of Black women.

This month on Ready to Exhale, we’re joined by Dr. Lakeysha “Key” Hallmon - educator, entrepreneur, and author of No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life.

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Hallmon unpacks the myth of individualism and invites us to reimagine success through the lens of collaboration and community. Together, we explore what it means to build a village that nourishes your growth, supports your vision, and sustains your well-being.

Tune in and be reminded: you don’t have to do it all alone.

Purchase No One is Self Made here: https://drkeyhallmon.com/noism/

Follow Dr. Key on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/drkeyhallmon/

In this episode, Katara sits down with Kyra Epps for a heartfelt conversation on identity, legacy, and the power of staying grounded. Kyra—creative, producer, founder, and a woman deeply rooted in care—opens up about her journey navigating her career, motherhood, and legacy building, all while prioritizing her own healing and growth.

This episode is full of reflection and real talk about what it means to build a life with intention, and to develop a relationship between you and yourself.

Join us for an honest, soulful exchange between friends making space for truth, care, and joy.

Enjoy!