TSOB w/ Dr. G--The Sex Ed of Blackfolk

**Originally Recorded September 2022**

This episode continues the theme "Sex Ed & The Spirit", by having Dr. G speak with Dr. Shaakira Abdullah, creator of the Halal Sexpert brand, and a trained educator whose work centers on individuals and families of the Muslim faith. During the conversation the two Drs. discuss similarities between growing up sexually within Christianity and Islam, as well as how healing is an essential aspect of education that go overlooked with in the sex ed space, yet is integral to future work not only within the African-American Muslim community, but with African Americans as a whole. Another awesome conversation!

NOTES:

• This episode is the second of a two-part series that was originally entitled Sex Ed and the Spirit, which is alluded to at the beginning of the episode. The present title represents an inspired change that was made during the editing process.
• This original conversation was recorded some time ago; however, the content in it is still quite timely and relevant for the present day.

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Dr. Shaakira Abdullah, also known as the Halal Sexpert, is a Sexologist with a Masters degree in Human Sexuality, and a Family Nurse Practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She is passionate about providing sexuality education to the Muslim community from an Islamic Perspective. Dr. Shaakira Abdullah is a former Nursing Professor for Widener University. She will earn a PhD in Human Sexuality from Widener in 2024.

Dr. Abdullah's website: https://halalsexpert.com

**Originally Recorded August 2022**

In this episode, Dr. G takes on perhaps her most sensitive conversation yet, chatting with Brittany Broaddus-Smith of The Intimacy Firm about her work helping Christians achieve greater access to their authentic sexual selves. The pair discuss the historical intersections of White Supremacy and Christianity as it impacts sex in Black America, and how deep exploration of the faith can, in some cases, create a more expanded understanding of sex that resists some of those continually oppressive norms. While this conversation presents food for thought for the educator working with highly-religious learners, it is also a look into the broader question of how faith could be used to accentuate the possibilitites of life-affirming sex ed, sexuality and/or one's understanding of the sexual self.

NOTES:

• This episode is the first of a two-part series that was originally entitled Sex Ed and the Spirit, which is alluded to at the beginning of the episode. The present title represents an inspired change that was made during the editing process.
• This original conversation was recorded some time ago; however, the content in it is still quite timely and relevant for the present day.

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Guest Bio:

Brittany Broaddus-Smith is an international Christian Sexologist, creator of the My Vulva & Me brand, and the founder of The Intimacy Firm. The Intimacy Firm is an intimacy coaching and sexuality education agency.  Brittany is an accomplished licensed social worker, sex(uality) educator, trainer and speaker.  Brittany earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degrees in both social work and clinical human sexuality. Working in the intersection of sexuality and faith, Brittany travels internationally facilitating Daring Discussions around those typically “taboo” subjects via comprehensive sex education, consulting, training and coaching. The Intimacy Firm's mission is to empower individuals to discover, embrace, and navigate their sexual selves without compromising their values.   IG/TW/TikTok: @TheIntimacyFirm Website: https://www.theintimacyfirm.com/    

 

**Originally Recorded Summer 2021**

It is argued that the most effective sex education is rooted in evidence collected from the habits and behaviors of the populations for which that education is created. What happens, however, when that evidence does not reflect the community's lived experience--and does that even matter? For this episode, Dr. G. speaks with sexuality researchers Drs. Candice Hargons and Shemeka Thorpe, and future Dr. Gabrielle Evans about their work in advancing both credible research speaking to the real-time life-affirming experiences of Black & Indigenous American populations, and high-quality evidence-based education for those same groups. The resulting conversation is food for thought for all educators in the profession--definitely not one to miss!

NOTE: While this original conversation was recorded some time ago, the content in it is still quite timely and relevant for the present day.

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Guest Bios:

Dr. Candice Hargons is an award winning associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky, where she studies sexual wellness and healing racial trauma, all with a love ethic. She is a licensed psychologist, providing individual and couples sex therapy. She is also the founding director of the Center for Healing Racial Trauma.   IG: @Dr.CandiceNicole   _______________________________________________   Gabrielle S. Evans, MPH, CHES (she/her) is a sexuality educator and researcher and co-founder of The Minority Sex Report, LLC, an award winning platform, whose mission is to provide representation in sexuality education. The Minority Sex Report, LLC also addresses barriers to achieving optimal sexual health for communities of color as well as intersectional inequalities faced by Black and Native communities. Gabrielle has taught comprehensive sexuality education for over five years, facilitating programs for faith-based organizations, providers, and Native American adolescents. Gabrielle is also a doctoral student at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston pursuing her Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences. Her research focuses on reducing sexual health disparities among Native American populations and analyzing the impact of historical and present traumas on Native sexual health. As a sexuality educator and researcher, Gabrielle hopes to expand research on Native sexual well-being.   Shemeka Thorpe, PhD (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky. She obtained her PhD in Community Health Education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her research focuses on the sexual well-being of Black women utilizing sex-positive and intimate justice frameworks. Understanding the importance of translating research into practice, Dr. Thorpe co-founded the Minority Sex Report, LLC an award-winning platform designed to provide representation in sexuality education to Black and Native American women. She currently serves on the editorial board for the American Journal of Sexuality Education and Journal of Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness. Her research has been published in national and international peer-reviewed journals.   IG: @TheMinoritySexReport

**Originally Recorded Summer 2021**

Happy Black History Month, Everybody!

It’s always a good time when we can get out new episodes—and this moment is one that is LONG overdue! In this episode, Dr. G sits down to talk all things gender-expansive parenting with friends and scholars Monique Walker, Shane'a Thomas, and Jeanae Hopgood. The trio share their experiences with both childbirth and childrearing, sharing both expertise and insights on how we might create a world in which Black children feel free to evolve as their Divinely known selves, without interruption. 

NOTE: While this original conversation was recorded some time ago, the content in it is still quite timely and relevant for the present day. Please note while you listen that while there were some technical difficulties in recording this interview, the final product is our best attempt at salvaging audio quality. Your grace in advance, is sincerely appreciated.

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Guest Bios:

Dr. Shanéa Thomas, LICSW(He/She/Dr.) is a seasoned scholar-practitioner with more than 15 years of professional social work experience in the Washington D.C. metro area. His main commitment is training and strategizing with social workers, educators, and service providers around building safer therapeutic and educational spaces for all people. This is especially for those working in communities who are underserved and under-resourced, and those identifying as Black, Indigenous, people of color, and LGBTQI+ folks. Dr. Thomas has facilitated over 80 workshops centering DEI needs, grief and loss, mental health, sex and gender, and LGBTQI+ populations. When creating organizational change through strategic planning, Dr. Thomas' work unapologetically centers marginalized voices with community organizations and healthcare institutions to help shift power, privilege, and organizational accountability. Dr. Thomas has been a Senior Lecturer within the University of Southern California's Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work for the last 10 years, and has recently been appointed as the LGBTQ+ Training Specialist and Assistant Clinical Research Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health’s Prevention Research Center.

IG: @drkchocolatenoir

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Jeanae M. Hopgood, LMFT, M.Ed, PMH-C is an individual, couple & adult-family therapist, clinical sexologist, perinatal mental health specialist, blogger, speaker, and author in the Philadelphia area.  Her private practice, JHJ Therapy, LLC centers individuals, couples and partners of marginalized identities addressing communication challenges, fertility challenges, perinatal loss, family-of-origin dynamics, sexuality concerns, and reconnecting to one's sexual energy.  Jeanae has created several resources to support those healing after perinatal loss including the Black Angel Mom Guided Journal; a support journal for loss-parents and professionals who work with them, as they move through their grief journey, and the Little Feet, Big Footprints: BAM Card Deck; a conversation deck for individuals, support people, and partners. She is also the creator of www.BlackAngelMom.com - a blog and virtual community focusing on perinatal loss and healing while centering the Black experience; inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

IG: @jhjtherapy

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monique d. walker (aka dr. mo, she/her/hers) is a southern + black+ queer + femme presenting licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), MD board approved supervisor, and AAMFT approved supervisor candidate. she understands the unique healing path necessary to overcome racial, gender, and sexuality-based oppression because of her own personal + professional experiences navigating these challenges, as well as her own healing journey. dr. mo works from an eclectic + integrative + culturally humble perspective, utilizing ancestral healing practices along with evidence based methods in her clinical work. she has advanced training in several trauma-informed modalities + is a certified imago relationship therapist (CIRT) +holds advanced training in many other therapeutic + somatic-based approaches. dr. mo is actively involved in community-based work related to many socio-political +social justice issues that our society continues to grapple with. she specializes in working with LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, families + groups, as well as folx in myriad relationship structures (kinky + poly/non-monogamous). dr. mo also has extensive experience working with individuals who have experienced complex and persistent trauma, folx dealing with perinatal or postpartum + other family planning issues, as well as families navigating acceptance of sexual and gender minoritized young people (her dissertation topic). in her copious amounts of spare time, dr. mo is also mommy to a 7 year old rambunctious little one, an adjunct professor + clinical supervisor/trainer, and a business owner x2. if you want to know more, just ask... she’s a (mostly) open book… a very wordy, multi-volume, hilarious book!

IG: @conscientious_coupling

Happy Holidays! Dr. G's been away for a bit, but slid back in before the end of the year by checking in with Dr. Hope Crenshaw and Patrina Williams of Teen Health Mississippi. The three embark on a powerful conversation centered on community, Southern authenticity and the generational healing that can come from honest, "loving accountability".

 Plus: Check out Dr. G's new website: https://drtracieg.com, as well as her new book, Black and Sexy: A Framework of Racialized Sexuality, available now at Routledge.com!

So, by now we've talked to sex educators from the South, and sex educators who live IN the South...for our Season Three opener we're upping the ante and talking about sex ed IN the south, with sexual health educator and unapologetic "country girl" Dr. Rena Dixon, Director of Health Services for Fact Forward, out of Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. G & Dr. D get into a candid, lively conversation about representation in sex ed, Dr. Dixon's gift of gab, and what it means to experience progress in more conservative areas like the Southeastern United States. An absolutely PERFECT way to kick off a brand new season!

Episode Transcripts are delayed, but will be forthcoming as soon as possible.

Guest Bio: Dr. Rena P. Dixon joined the Fact Forward staff in 2010. She oversees training for community partners and all work with health care providers including the Collaborative for Reproductive Education and Wellness. She has extensive experience providing technical assistance to health centers across South Carolina on providing quality reproductive health services for adolescents and young adults. Dr. Dixon hails from the Peach State, growing up in Augusta, Georgia. She graduated with honors and cum laude from Armstrong Atlantic State University, in Savannah, Georgia with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Sciences and a minor in Latin American studies. Dr. Dixon also holds her Master of Public Health from Armstrong and a PhD in Public Health with a focus on Health Promotion and Health Education from Walden University. She has a passion for public speaking, sexual health, and social justice.

T.S.O.B. is still on break for the summer and coming off the heels of a phenomenal live show; in the meantime, Dr. G took the time to chat it up with an indirect sexuality educator of sorts, romance novelist and creative Christina C. Jones. Not a typical educator-to-educator conversation by any means; however, the two had a wonderful discussion about centering Blackness in love stories, combating stigma and biphobia against Black gay men, and the capacity for romance novels to facilitate important discussions about reproductive health, contraceptives, STIs, consent, and much, much more! A lovely listen to hold you over as we move into the Fall--check it out!

NOTE: A scene from the Christina's novel "Something Like Love", in which heroine Astrid claps back at two biphobic women during a heated conversation in her love interest's hometown was discussed during this episode; the specific excerpt from that scene can be listened to here:

Episode Transcripts are delayed, but will be forthcoming as soon as possible.

Guest Bio: Christina C. Jones is a best-selling romance novelist and digital media creator. A timeless storyteller, she is lauded by readers for her ability to seamlessly weave the complexities of modern life into captivating tales of black romance. As an author, Christina’s work has been featured in various media outlets such as Oprah Mag and Shondaland.com and she is the winner of numerous community awards. In addition to her full-time writing career, she cofounded Girl, Have You Read – a popular digital platform that amplifies black romance authors and their stories. A former graphic designer, Christina has a passion for making things beautiful and can usually be found crafting and cooking in her spare time. She currently lives in Arkansas with her husband and their two children. 

More information about Christina and her work can be found at https://beingmrsjones.com/.

The T.S.O.B. Team has taken off for the summer; however, we're hard at work on our 2nd ever live show, to be held on Wednesday, July 28th on Zoom, at 6PM EST. To give a taste of the conversation to come, we are sharing a recording of the inaugural live event, featuring guests Tanya Bass, Jennifer Driver, Dominique Morgan, Aaryn Lang, and Walter DeShields.

For more information about this year's Live (and to purchase tickets), visit https://tsobpodcast.com/events.

It's the Season Two Finale, and we couldn't be more excited to share this conversation with our special guest Marla Renee Stewart of Velvet Lips LLC. Marla is a world-renowned sexologist, sex coach, and sex educator who specializes in helping everyday people own their authentic sexual selves. For this episode, Dr. G and Marla chop it up about diversity in Blackness, queerness, and the possibilities of sex ed when imagined in pop culture. A fabulous end to an amazing season!

Episode Transcripts are delayed, but will be forthcoming as soon as possible.

Guest Bio:

Marla Renee Stewart, MA is a professional sexologist, speaker, author and sexual strategist. She is the owner of Velvet Lips, a sexuality education company, as well as Contract Liberation, a company focused on research for non-profit groups. She also is a Lecturer at Clayton State University, teaching Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies. As the Co-Founder of the Sex Down South Conference, Marla aims to bring diverse groups together to learn and share their experiences in the essence of being authentic and fostering sexual liberation across communities. Marla has studied human sexuality for over 20 years, has educated over 30,000 people in over 14 years, given over 500 workshops, and have served over 100 clients in her private practice, all around the world. She has had her influence in the media, as well; she has written over 200 articles, featured in over 30 magazines and books, and has been on over 70 podcasts and independent television shows. She was featured on Netflix’s Trigger Warning with Killer Mike and VH1's Love & HipHop Atlanta. In addition, she also sits on the Boards for SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW! and is on the Community Advisory Board of the Diverse Sexualities and Research Education Institute. She co-wrote her first book, The Ultimate Guide to Seduction & Foreplay (2020) with Dr. Jessica O’Reilly and is currently writing a chapter and co-editing An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy, coming in 2021.

Would you like your sex ed scandalous, political, pleasure-based, healing, or something else? Better yet, why not get an educator who can do it all? For this particular episode, Dr. G chats with the wildly popular Raquel Savage, founder of Savage Media and a renowned expert in sexology and sexual healing for all, including and especially those in sex work. Their conversation runs the gamut, covering race and gender, sex work, adolescent sexuality, and how whorephobia intricately connects to the shame we struggle to release as a society. Another phenomenal conversation!

Episode Transcripts are delayed, but will be forthcoming as soon as possible.

Guest Bio:

Raquel Savage was born into a life of bold resistance that she attributes to her grandparents.  Growing up watching her grandfather, a Methodist minister, transgress by fighting issues pertaining to race and gay rights, Raquel grew to have a deep appreciation for social justice and an understanding of the importance of standing behind the righteous thing.  Her grandmother, a rebellious preacher’s wife, was an ASSECT-certified sexuality educator who was opinionated and fearless.

In many ways, one can say Raquel Savage is carrying on the legacy of her grandmother in her own work; taking it to bolder, more progressive places, but still holding on to that same feminist spirit of sexual agency, education, and body autonomy. For Raquel, liberation is a family tradition.

As Raquel got older, she furthered her work in sexual liberation work via education. During her undergrad she created organizations like The Q Group where she created a space for queer students and later earned a board certification in Human Sexuality. Currently, Raquel holds a master’s in Counseling (Marriage and Family Therapy.)

Ms. Savage is also committed to making her work accessible, substantial and personal. Raquel does Sex & Trauma Coaching and Savage Sex Ed. Raquel facilitates Sex & Trauma Coaching sessions where she is able to personalize her labor and wisdom in an intimate setting. Savage Sex Ed includes interactive workshops which can be held privately or publicly and range from topics like fetishes, ethical non-monogamy, and orgasm. Savage Sex Ed consultations allow people to pick Raquel’s brain about a topic of their choice. In all ways, Raquel Savage is committed to educating.

Raquel Savage is one of the most progressive and promising brands in media and she shows no signs of slowing down. Her relentless rise is partly because of her education and experience, but also because of her pure passion to erase the shame around sex and sexuality. Raquel Savage isn’t just a woman with a brand and passion, she has a mission. And that mission is to turn shamed folks into unapologetic, fearless savages too.