In this powerful and deeply personal episode of The Unwanted Sorority, host Dr. Leatra Tate sits down with the two people who raised her, Brenda and Leroy Tate, for a multigenerational conversation on healing, community, and the legacy of silence around sexual violence in Black families. Leroy Tate, a retired Air Force veteran, reflects on his upbringing in a tight-knit Black community, his thoughts on masculinity, fatherhood, and his raw response to learning about his daughter’s assault. Brenda Tate, a retired administrative assistant and mother of three, opens up about growing up in the 1960s, how community centers shaped her childhood, and the heartbreak and self-blame she experienced upon hearing her daughter’s disclosure. Together, they talk candidly about: the generational shift in how Black communities discuss sexual violence, how the fear of judgment and distrust in policing impacted responses to assault in the 1960s, Parenting through trauma without a guidebook, and the urgent need for more Black mentors in youth-centered programs like Big Brothers Big SistersThis episode is a moving example of what it looks like to confront the past, lean into vulnerability, and choose healing together—even when it's hard. It honors Black family, community resilience, and the sacred act of telling the truth.

Resources & Mentions

bell hooks books referenced: Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism (1981), Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood (1996), All About Love: New Visions (2000), Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics (2000), Salvation: Black People and Love (2001), and The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love (2004).

Big Brothers Big Sisters- Mentoring Programs

CapRadio episode titled “Sexual assault survivors want less police, more trauma-informed professionals, especially for Black victims”

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence- History & Community Accountability Toolkit 

Incite Collaboration- Community Accountability 

Transformative Justice EU- TJ 101

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In this episode of The Unwanted Sorority, we’re giving flowers to the one and only Patricia Hill Collins. Leatra also talks with Trina Greene of Parenting for Liberation about the necessity of self-care for parents and children. Whether you’re a survivor or someone walking alongside us in this journey, taking care of yourself is not optional. It’s sacred.

We also get real about trauma triggers—what they are, how they show up, and how to regulate after they hit. This episode also touches on a topic too often left out of healing conversations: childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and parenting. I lift up the powerful work of Ebony Williams and her organization Cactus in Bloom, which centers Black and LGBTQIA+ CSA navigating pregnancy, birth, and parenting.

If you're healing, holding space, parenting through pain, or just trying to figure out how to make room for yourself in your own life—this one’s for you.

Resources & Mentions

Patricia Hill Collins’ 2009 ASA Presidential Statement

TIME Magazine article about Patricia Hill Collins

Kimberlé Crenshaw on Intersectionality

Patricia Hill Collins: Black Sexual Politics

Leatra’s Dissertation (reference to the "socialization of trauma" concept)

Parenting for Liberation (Website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Book- “Parenting for Liberation: A Guide for Raising Black Children”)

Parenting for Liberation Podcast (episode 81 with Ebony Williams of "Cactus in Bloom")

What is a trigger?- me too. International

Self-care for supporting survivors- me too. International

Self-care for supporting survivors- RAINN 

25 Things Parents Should Know about Child Sexual Abuse

Cactus in Bloom

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This episode of The Unwanted Sorority unpacks the legacy of Betty Jean Owens and the first campus demonstration against sexual violence—an act of defiance too often erased from history. Dr. Leatra Tate shares her own story and how a class project, a dissertation, and the voices of Black women survivors helped shape this podcast. We explore the chilling realities of The Red Zone on college campuses and the healing wisdom of bell hooks’ Sisters of the Yam.
This is where truth-telling meets collective care.

Resources & Mentions
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – 24/7 support at 800-656-HOPE
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Ujima- The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery by bell hooks
Know My Name by Chanel Miller
AJC Article on the 1959 Betty Jean Owens Case
More information about The Red Zone

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In this short episode, I’m sending a love letter to you—yes, you—especially if the headlines this week feel like too much to hold. Whether you’ve been reeling from the verdict in the Diddy case or any other moment that reminds us how often survivors like Cassie Ventura are denied justice, I want you to know you are not alone.

This is your reminder: no news story can define your worth. Save this episode for when you need to be reminded you are worthy, you are whole, and you are never alone.
Take a few minutes to breathe with me and hear about a few resources you can lean on when your burden feels too heavy to carry alone.

Resources & Mentions:
me too. Survivor Sanctuary
me too. Healing Resource Library
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline – Call 800-656-HOPE (4673)
Therapy for Black Girls
National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network

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In this special bonus episode of The Unwanted Sorority, Dr. Leatra Tate traces the powerful intersection of reproductive justice and the fight to end sexual violence—both rooted in the voices, bodies, and truths of Black women.

From the haunting legacy of the Mothers of Gynecology, to the groundbreaking bravery of the first survivors to testify before Congress, to the present-day grief surrounding Adriana Smith’s pregnancy, this episode holds space for the pain, the power, and the ongoing struggle for autonomy, dignity, and justice.

It is a tribute to those who spoke when it was dangerous to speak—and a call to continue telling the truth, even now.

Resources & Mentions

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – 24/7 support at 800-656-HOPE
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center
• Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery by bell hooks
• Know My Name by Chanel Miller
• AJC Article on the 1959 Betty Jean Owens Case

Let’s Stay Connected

Share your reflections, tag us, and spread the word on all platforms: @theunwantedsorority

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