"Above all else, Our politics initially sprang from the shared belief that Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else’s may because of our need as human persons for autonomy... We realize that the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our liberation are us. Our politics evolve from a healthy love for ourselves, our sisters and our community which allows us to continue our struggle and work. This focusing upon our own oppression is embodied in the concept of identity politics. We believe that the most profound and potentially most radical politics come directly out of our own identity, as opposed to working to end somebody else’s oppression." The Combahee River Collective Statement, 1977   Talking about our bodies and the changes that happen as people with uteruses age carried (and still carries) a different level of taboo or shame amplified by race and generation. Black women’s bodies have been problematized and pathologized throughout our existence in the country. The impact of racism, patriarchy and misogyny on Black women, women-identified and gender-expansive people and our understanding/ownership of our bodies is profound. From the moment of our arrival in this country to modern times, these forces have shaped the way many of us see ourselves, understand our inherent value and have often muted our voices.   This is why BGG2SM holds space for the conversation that disrupts the system and centers the most marginalized.  In our latest episode of Season 4, we interviewed Social Justice doula and Black feminist Lutze Segu. We talked about:  *Anti-racist feminist frameworks and who controls the narrative about menopause and aging  *Why it’s important to engage in narrative and culture shift work with Black people that disrupts white supremacy, patriarchy, misogyny, and heteronormativity related to menopause  *How people can better advocate for themselves related to menopause and/or its onset with their health provider, employers, family members, etc.  Enjoy! Episode Notes: Lutze Segu @lutzesegu Lutze Segu is a first-generation Haitian-American queer Black feminist who is a citizen of Miami, the home of the Seminole, Miccosukee, and Tequesta First Nations. She is a social justice doula, content creator, anti-racist educator, social worker, and your favorite Black feminist thinker. Lutze is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia studying Race, Gender, Sexuality, &amp; Social Justice.  References: Black Feminism Resources: Combahee River Collective, https://combaheerivercollective.weebly.com/ Black Feminist Future, http://blackfeministfuture.org/ Alexis Pauline Gumbs, https://www.alexispauline.com/, https://www.akpress.org/undrowned.html  "Say More" about Menopause!  BGG2SM, in partnership with Kindra, co-designed “Say More,” a collection of conversation and journaling prompt cards filled with thought-provoking questions, personal storytelling prompts, and creative ‘wild cards’ that empower people to support themselves and loved ones through menopause and aging. BGG2SM listeners can use the code "OMI20" to get 20% off their "Say More" purchase at https://ourkindra.com/.  Check out our open source toolkit http://bit.ly/saymoretoolkit Learn more! www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com Produced by Mariah M. Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott Season 4 of the podcast is sponsored by our local NPR station, WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio! www.wunc.org 

"Above all else, Our politics initially sprang from the shared belief that Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else’s may because of our need as human persons for autonomy... We realize that the only people who care enough about us to work consistently for our liberation are us. Our politics evolve from a healthy love for ourselves, our sisters and our community which allows us to continue our struggle and work. This focusing upon our own oppression is embodied in the concept of identity politics. We believe that the most profound and potentially most radical politics come directly out of our own identity, as opposed to working to end somebody else’s oppression." The Combahee River Collective Statement, 1977  Talking about our bodies and the changes that happen as people with uteruses age carried (and still carries) a different level of taboo or shame amplified by race and generation. Black women’s bodies have been problematized and pathologized throughout our existence in the country. The impact of racism, patriarchy and misogyny on Black women, women-identified and gender-expansive people and our understanding/ownership of our bodies is profound. From the moment of our arrival in this country to modern times, these forces have shaped the way many of us see ourselves, understand our inherent value and have often muted our voices.  This is why BGG2SM holds space for the conversation that disrupts the system and centers the most marginalized.  In our latest episode of Season 4, we interviewed Social Justice doula and Black feminist Lutze Segu. We talked about: *Anti-racist feminist frameworks and who controls the narrative about menopause and aging *Why it’s important to engage in narrative and culture shift work with Black people that disrupts white supremacy, patriarchy, misogyny, and heteronormativity related to menopause *How people can better advocate for themselves related to menopause and/or its onset with their health provider, employers, family members, etc. Enjoy! Episode Notes: Lutze Segu @lutzesegu Lutze Segu is a first-generation Haitian-American queer Black feminist who is a citizen of Miami, the home of the Seminole, Miccosukee, and Tequesta First Nations. She is a social justice doula, content creator, anti-racist educator, social worker, and your favorite Black feminist thinker. Lutze is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia studying Race, Gender, Sexuality, &amp; Social Justice. References: Black Feminism Resources: Combahee River Collective, <a href="https://combaheerivercollective.weebly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://combaheerivercollective.weebly.com/</a> Black Feminist Future, <a href="http://blackfeministfuture.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://blackfeministfuture.org/</a> Alexis Pauline Gumbs, <a href="https://www.alexispauline.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.alexispauline.com/</a>, <a href="https://www.akpress.org/undrowned.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.akpress.org/undrowned.html</a> "Say More" about Menopause! BGG2SM, in partnership with Kindra, co-designed “Say More,” a collection of conversation and journaling prompt cards filled with thought-provoking questions, personal storytelling prompts, and creative ‘wild cards’ that empower people to support themselves and loved ones through menopause and aging. BGG2SM listeners can use the code "OMI20" to get 20% off their "Say More" purchase at <a href="https://ourkindra.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ourkindra.com/</a>.  Check out our open source toolkit <a href="http://bit.ly/saymoretoolkit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/saymoretoolkit</a> Learn more! <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> Produced by Mariah M. Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott Season 4 of the podcast is sponsored by our local NPR station, WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio! <a href="http://www.wunc.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.wunc.org</a>

Light and Shadow: The Politics of Body Liberation

There is much we can learn-- or maybe unlearn about menopause and aging if we apply a Speculative Fiction lens. Our current understanding of Speculative Fiction is tethered to science fiction and fantasy, and the way this genre broadens the story or narratives begging shared to include the potent age-old question of “what if.” This question that has been posed by poets, folklorists, writers, and philosophers invites us to reimagine our present reality, and it offers us multiple diverse opportunities to understand “who” is speaking and what is happening from their vantage point.  Black Speculative Fiction is often grounded in Black feminism, radical Black liberation praxis, and gender liberation ethics. Because notions of a multiverse live inside of string theory science, science fiction, and fantasy, there may be some juicy “what if” unlearning around menopause for Black women, women-identified, and gender-expansive people that are actually based on truth…like:  *Menopause doesn't always happen in your 40s and 50s *Menopause happens to people who don’t identify as women  *Menopause happens to people who aren’t heterosexual *Individual menopause experiences are impacted by white supremacy, patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny  In episode 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we explore some of these "what ifs" and truisms with Austen Smith. We explore: *Disenfranchised Grief *Austen’s journey to gender-affirming surgery, barriers in existence via the medical industrial complex, sociocultural norms, etc. *The importance of intergenerational spiritual communal work and liberation as a "time-bending" somatic experience Come with us on this journey and conversation through the infinite possibilities of what menopause is and how it is a portal to the next iteration of you.   Episode Notes:  Austen Smith IG: @transtheory  Austen (they/them) is a masculine-of-center, non-binary wordsmith, editor, community facilitator, and radical imagination doula. Their work explores healing spiritual impacts of oppression, postactivism, gender proliferation and play, black queerness, and co-imagining liberation as a somatic experience in addition to an environmental reality.  References: Trans and Menopausal article by Austen Smith: https://www.taunt.me/trans-menopausal Grandmother Hypothesis: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/06/07/617097908/why-grandmothers-may-hold-the-key-to-human-evolution Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, https://www.akpress.org/undrowned.html Whale Whispering, Michaela Harrison, https://www.michaelaharrison.org/whale-whispering Post Activism, Bayo Akomolafe, https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/the-times-are-urgent-lets-slow-down  "Say More" about Menopause!  The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause, in partnership with Kindra, co-designed “Say More,” a collection of conversation and journaling prompt cards filled with thought-provoking questions, personal storytelling prompts, and creative ‘wild cards’ that empower people to support themselves and loved ones through menopause and aging. BGG2SM listeners can use the code "OMI20" to get 20% off their "Say More" purchase at https://ourkindra.com/  Learn more! www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com Produced by Mariah M. Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott  Season 4 of the podcast is sponsored by our local NPR station, WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio! www.wunc.org 

There is much we can learn-- or maybe unlearn about menopause and aging if we apply a Speculative Fiction lens. Our current understanding of Speculative Fiction is tethered to science fiction and fantasy, and the way this genre broadens the story or narratives begging shared to include the potent age-old question of “what if.” This question that has been posed by poets, folklorists, writers, and philosophers invites us to reimagine our present reality, and it offers us multiple diverse opportunities to understand “who” is speaking and what is happening from their vantage point.  Black Speculative Fiction is often grounded in Black feminism, radical Black liberation praxis, and gender liberation ethics. Because notions of a multiverse live inside of string theory science, science fiction, and fantasy, there may be some juicy “what if” unlearning around menopause for Black women, women-identified, and gender-expansive people that are actually based on truth…like: *Menopause doesn't always happen in your 40s and 50s *Menopause happens to people who don’t identify as women  *Menopause happens to people who aren’t heterosexual *Individual menopause experiences are impacted by white supremacy, patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny In episode 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we explore some of these "what ifs" and truisms with Austen Smith. We explore: *Disenfranchised Grief *Austen’s journey to gender-affirming surgery, barriers in existence via the medical industrial complex, sociocultural norms, etc. *The importance of intergenerational spiritual communal work and liberation as a "time-bending" somatic experience Come with us on this journey and conversation through the infinite possibilities of what menopause is and how it is a portal to the next iteration of you.  Episode Notes:  Austen Smith IG: @transtheory Austen (they/them) is a masculine-of-center, non-binary wordsmith, editor, community facilitator, and radical imagination doula. Their work explores healing spiritual impacts of oppression, postactivism, gender proliferation and play, black queerness, and co-imagining liberation as a somatic experience in addition to an environmental reality. References: Trans and Menopausal article by Austen Smith: <a href="https://www.taunt.me/trans-menopausal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.taunt.me/trans-menopausal</a> Grandmother Hypothesis: <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/06/07/617097908/why-grandmothers-may-hold-the-key-to-human-evolution" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/06/07/617097908/why-grandmothers-may-hold-the-key-to-human-evolution</a> Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, <a href="https://www.akpress.org/undrowned.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.akpress.org/undrowned.html</a> Whale Whispering, Michaela Harrison, <a href="https://www.michaelaharrison.org/whale-whispering" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.michaelaharrison.org/whale-whispering</a> Post Activism, Bayo Akomolafe, <a href="https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/the-times-are-urgent-lets-slow-down" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/the-times-are-urgent-lets-slow-down</a> "Say More" about Menopause! The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause, in partnership with Kindra, co-designed “Say More,” a collection of conversation and journaling prompt cards filled with thought-provoking questions, personal storytelling prompts, and creative ‘wild cards’ that empower people to support themselves and loved ones through menopause and aging. BGG2SM listeners can use the code "OMI20" to get 20% off their "Say More" purchase at <a href="https://ourkindra.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ourkindra.com/</a> Learn more! <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> Produced by Mariah M. Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott Season 4 of the podcast is sponsored by our local NPR station, WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio! <a href="http://www.wunc.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.wunc.org</a>

What If?

Since we launched the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, I have learned quite a bit about how Murphy's Law plays a role in what we produce. We are all familiar with Murphy's first law; if anything can go wrong, it will. However, I don't think many of us know that there are two other laws; nothing is as easy as it looks, and everything takes longer than you think it will. If I were to offer a podcaster's version of Murphy's law, I would posit: There's no such thing as stable Wi-fi. If your computer/tablet/cellphone battery can go dead mid-interview, it will. Sometimes what you think you've recorded vanishes into thin air. As much as there is a craft to the audio storytelling podcasting, there is also a realization that you control nothing but the good intentions you enter the conversation with.   A moment of honesty for our listeners... We entered into our conversation with our Season 4, Episode 3 guest, Satana Deberry, with excitement and a plan. Satana is not only one of the most progressive district attorneys in the country, but she is also a dear friend. Murphy, whomever Murphy is, decided to make a guest appearance on this episode and dematerialize the first 8 minutes of our conversation. Eight minutes of introduction and witty banter went like "puff"! Lucky for us and our fantastic listening audience, we pressed forward, editing the remaining parts that were in no way diminished by the podcast fates. Satana and I were able to discuss:  Our mothering journeys.  Unlearning old parenting models.  Sexual expression and intimacy.  Being special just because you are you.  Enjoy!   Episode Notes:  Satana Deberry  IG: @satanadeberry   Born and raised in rural NC and educated in the Ivy League, Satana has spent her career trying to dismantle the systems of power that keep us from being free. Whether that’s the threat of ongoing economic inequality or black respectability. As the parent of young women, she is also trying to be her whole self with them rather than creating a myth of motherhood for them to dismantle later. Her current day job is as the elected DA of Durham, but her long-time passion has been being in community and sisterhood.   "Say More"!  The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause, in partnership with Kindra, co-designed “Say More,” a collection of conversation and journaling prompt cards filled with thought-provoking questions, personal storytelling prompts, and creative ‘wild cards’ that empower people to support themselves and loved ones through menopause and aging. The goal of Black Girls Guide and Kindra in creating these cards is to ignite a supportive community that can surround people going through this crucial stage in life with resources and love. “Say More” is a beautifully-curated deck of discussion cards broken down into elemental categories—earth, wind, fire, and air. Each card explores themes like pleasure, grief, rage, play, creativity, identity, sexual expression, and healing for people on a menopausal midlife journey.  BGG2SM listeners can use the code "OMI20" to get 20% off their "Say More" purchase at https://ourkindra.com/   https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause  Produced by Mariah M.  Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott  Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott  We are excited to have our local NPR station, WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio, as a sponsor for Season 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause https://www.wunc.org/

Since we launched the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, I have learned quite a bit about how Murphy's Law plays a role in what we produce. We are all familiar with Murphy's first law; if anything can go wrong, it will. However, I don't think many of us know that there are two other laws; nothing is as easy as it looks, and everything takes longer than you think it will. If I were to offer a podcaster's version of Murphy's law, I would posit: There's no such thing as stable Wi-fi. If your computer/tablet/cellphone battery can go dead mid-interview, it will. Sometimes what you think you've recorded vanishes into thin air. As much as there is a craft to the audio storytelling podcasting, there is also a realization that you control nothing but the good intentions you enter the conversation with.  A moment of honesty for our listeners... We entered into our conversation with our Season 4, Episode 3 guest, Satana Deberry, with excitement and a plan. Satana is not only one of the most progressive district attorneys in the country, but she is also a dear friend. Murphy, whomever Murphy is, decided to make a guest appearance on this episode and dematerialize the first 8 minutes of our conversation. Eight minutes of introduction and witty banter went like "puff"! Lucky for us and our fantastic listening audience, we pressed forward, editing the remaining parts that were in no way diminished by the podcast fates. Satana and I were able to discuss:  Our mothering journeys.  Unlearning old parenting models.  Sexual expression and intimacy.  Being special just because you are you.  Enjoy!  Episode Notes:  Satana Deberry  IG: @satanadeberry  Born and raised in rural NC and educated in the Ivy League, Satana has spent her career trying to dismantle the systems of power that keep us from being free. Whether that’s the threat of ongoing economic inequality or black respectability. As the parent of young women, she is also trying to be her whole self with them rather than creating a myth of motherhood for them to dismantle later. Her current day job is as the elected DA of Durham, but her long-time passion has been being in community and sisterhood.  "Say More"! The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause, in partnership with Kindra, co-designed “Say More,” a collection of conversation and journaling prompt cards filled with thought-provoking questions, personal storytelling prompts, and creative ‘wild cards’ that empower people to support themselves and loved ones through menopause and aging. The goal of Black Girls Guide and Kindra in creating these cards is to ignite a supportive community that can surround people going through this crucial stage in life with resources and love. “Say More” is a beautifully-curated deck of discussion cards broken down into elemental categories—earth, wind, fire, and air. Each card explores themes like pleasure, grief, rage, play, creativity, identity, sexual expression, and healing for people on a menopausal midlife journey.  BGG2SM listeners can use the code "OMI20" to get 20% off their "Say More" purchase at <a href="https://ourkindra.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ourkindra.com/</a> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a> Produced by Mariah M.  Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott  Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott  We are excited to have our local NPR station, WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio, as a sponsor for Season 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause <a href="https://www.wunc.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.wunc.org/</a>

Murphy's Law

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”  -- Toni Morrison  When I was a kid in the 1970s, School House Rock, short educational cartoon vignettes put to music, were ubiquitous on Saturday mornings. We learned about grammar, math and how the government work (kind of) all with a catchy tune. There was a particular School House Rock titled Mother Necessity" and it extolled "with Mother Necessity and where would we be without the inventions of your progeny"?  Where would we be indeed! The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause was born out of both a desire and need to create a safe and sacred space for conversation around menopause, midlife and aging for Black women women-identified and gender expansive people. We knew there was a conversation, a story and some good wisdom waiting to be found, illuminated and shared. Jamyla Bennu, of Oyin Handmade, knew the same thing about the products available to Black people on their natural hair journey in a society that told us our hair is a problem that needs to be solved. She saw the need and got into her lab (also known initially as her kitchen) to create products that are all natural and made for us, by us. In this episode of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we explore:   Creating new realities and new medicine Entrepreneurship Offerings to our community Intergenerational stories and throughlines Our menopausal journeys and being more than one thing  We also did a deep dive into her menopausal journey at the intersection of her multiple identities, roles and paths. Enjoy this walk down memory lane and future building between an Aries and an Aquarius! Episode Notes:  Jamyla Bennu https://www.instagram.com/heyjamyla/ https://oyinhandmade.com/about-us/  Jamyla Bennu is the creator of Oyin Handmade, a line of natural, unisex personal care products formulated for the moisture needs of highly textured hair and dry skin. She is a maker, a mixtress, a lover of laughter &amp; dance, a voracious reader, a gregarious introvert, and a self-described nerd. She is an advocate for independent small business, work-life balance, and making things. Her interests include nutritional density in both food and hair products, joy and delight as a facet of intergenerational justice, neurological diversity as a key to human potential, and the power of creativity as a form of self care and world shaping. She lives and builds in Baltimore with her partner, artist Pierre Bennu, and their two sons. To access a 20% discount on Oyin Handmade products, use, "BGG2SM"  References: The Crown Act, https://www.thecrownact.com/ Our Bodies, Ourselves, https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/ Daughters of the Moon Tarot Deck, https://www.abebooks.com/Daughters-Moon-Tarot-Book-Morgan-Ffiona/31060777668/bd?cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade_20to50-_-product_id=COM9781880130018USED-_-keyword=&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwu_mSBhAYEiwA5BBmf2G7uCyCjulU3E_B08xcG4eTe4eqpc7v3QDV3cKGUA7BWNI0bTpDUxoCBRQQAv...  ---- www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause Produced by Mariah M. Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott  We are excited to have our local NPR station, WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio, as a sponsor for Season 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause https://www.wunc.org/

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”  -- Toni Morrison When I was a kid in the 1970s, School House Rock, short educational cartoon vignettes put to music, were ubiquitous on Saturday mornings. We learned about grammar, math and how the government work (kind of) all with a catchy tune. There was a particular School House Rock titled Mother Necessity" and it extolled "with Mother Necessity and where would we be without the inventions of your progeny"?  Where would we be indeed! The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause was born out of both a desire and need to create a safe and sacred space for conversation around menopause, midlife and aging for Black women women-identified and gender expansive people. We knew there was a conversation, a story and some good wisdom waiting to be found, illuminated and shared. Jamyla Bennu, of Oyin Handmade, knew the same thing about the products available to Black people on their natural hair journey in a society that told us our hair is a problem that needs to be solved. She saw the need and got into her lab (also known initially as her kitchen) to create products that are all natural and made for us, by us. In this episode of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we explore: <ul> <li>Creating new realities and new medicine</li> <li>Entrepreneurship</li> <li>Offerings to our community</li> <li>Intergenerational stories and throughlines</li> <li>Our menopausal journeys and being more than one thing</li> </ul> We also did a deep dive into her menopausal journey at the intersection of her multiple identities, roles and paths. Enjoy this walk down memory lane and future building between an Aries and an Aquarius! Episode Notes:  Jamyla Bennu <a href="https://www.instagram.com/heyjamyla/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/heyjamyla/</a> <a href="https://oyinhandmade.com/about-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://oyinhandmade.com/about-us/</a> Jamyla Bennu is the creator of Oyin Handmade, a line of natural, unisex personal care products formulated for the moisture needs of highly textured hair and dry skin. She is a maker, a mixtress, a lover of laughter &amp; dance, a voracious reader, a gregarious introvert, and a self-described nerd. She is an advocate for independent small business, work-life balance, and making things. Her interests include nutritional density in both food and hair products, joy and delight as a facet of intergenerational justice, neurological diversity as a key to human potential, and the power of creativity as a form of self care and world shaping. She lives and builds in Baltimore with her partner, artist Pierre Bennu, and their two sons. To access a 20% discount on Oyin Handmade products, use, "BGG2SM" References: The Crown Act, <a href="https://www.thecrownact.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.thecrownact.com/</a> Our Bodies, Ourselves, <a href="https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/</a> Daughters of the Moon Tarot Deck, <a href="https://www.abebooks.com/Daughters-Moon-Tarot-Book-Morgan-Ffiona/31060777668/bd?cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade_20to50-_-product_id=COM9781880130018USED-_-keyword=&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwu_mSBhAYEiwA5BBmf2G7uCyCjulU3E_B08xcG4eTe4eqpc7v3QDV3cKGUA7BWNI0bTpDUxoCBRQQAvD_BwE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.abebooks.com/Daughters-Moon-Tarot-Book-Morgan-Ffiona/31060777668/bd?cm_mmc=ggl-_-US_Shopp_Trade_20to50-_-product_id=COM9781880130018USED-_-keyword=&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwu_mSBhAYEiwA5BBmf2G7uCyCjulU3E_B08xcG4eTe4eqpc7v3QDV3cKGUA7BWNI0bTpDUxoCBRQQAv...</a> ---- <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a> Produced by Mariah M. Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott We are excited to have our local NPR station, WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio, as a sponsor for Season 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause <a href="https://www.wunc.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.wunc.org/</a>

Made with Love...

"This body does not bare destruction well. This body likes warm drops of rain and bare feet. Toes grounding in rich soil, and having my scalp greased. To move and to stretch just a little beyond reach, There is glory over there, a hallelujah in my feet. This body likes hot sun on bare shoulders, summer rain and not running inside. This body likes first morning light in her arms, new day sun streaming through open windows. This body likes warm fingers on the dip of my back. Lips brushing the hollow between collar and neck. This body clings to warm embraces, wishing and praying, praying and wishing that I never have to let go. This body likes mango juice dripping down onto my flesh. This body likes letting the current guide my steps and the moment of release." Collective Sun Reshape the Mo(u)rning, SpiritHouse, Inc.  Menopause, if anything, is an opportunity to listen to your body. It is a time when your body is recalibrating it's navigational system and will send you new messages around what it needs to be healthy, vibrant, safe and satisfied. It is also an invitation to more deeply understand who you are as you are evolving (again) and what that might mean for your relationship to your body and to the people in your life. In this first episode of SEASON 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we had the great fortune to interview Syd Yang and M'kali-Hashiki (see bios below). We were able to explore "what flows and what fits' in this menopausal journey which is deeply connected to who you are in all your intersectional identities. We unearthed the notions of menopause that were formed or informed by our race, ethnicity, gender identify, sexual expression and lived experiences. We also talked about the connective tissue between menopause and internalized agism. Such a rich conversation unfolded around wanting to genuinely love and know our bodies better that allowed us to explore...  Sex, pleasure and the menopausal body Queerness and menopause Decolonizing menopause Embodiment   Enjoy this journeying together.   Episode Notes: Syd Yang, IG: @bluejaguarlove www.bluejaguarhealingarts.com Syd Yang (they/them) is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-binary healer, intuitive counselor and writer who weaves together magic, possibility and intention as an energy healer and spiritual coach in the world through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. Syd's work finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd works primarily with queer and trans BIPOC as well as regularly leads workshops, community healing circles and has been a group facilitator for over two decades, with a specific focus on grief, healing ancestral trauma, sexuality + spirituality, body liberation and eating disorder recovery  M'kali-Hashiki, IG: @fierce_passions www.FiercePassions.com M'kali-Hashiki is a Somatic Sacred Storyteller &amp; Erotic Ritualist. Her Divine Purpose is helping folx heal their erotic wounds, deepen their erotic relationship with their body &amp; The Divine, and move further along in their path to individual &amp; collective erotic liberation. She offers group intensives, rituals, individual sessions, instructional videos, guided visualizations; as well as private events for companies &amp; organizations. Her lived experiences as a fat, Black, queer, femme, trauma-survivor inform every aspect of her work. ----- www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com  https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause Produced by Mariah M. Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott  Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott

"This body does not bare destruction well. This body likes warm drops of rain and bare feet. Toes grounding in rich soil, and having my scalp greased. To move and to stretch just a little beyond reach, There is glory over there, a hallelujah in my feet. This body likes hot sun on bare shoulders, summer rain and not running inside. This body likes first morning light in her arms, new day sun streaming through open windows. This body likes warm fingers on the dip of my back. Lips brushing the hollow between collar and neck. This body clings to warm embraces, wishing and praying, praying and wishing that I never have to let go. This body likes mango juice dripping down onto my flesh. This body likes letting the current guide my steps and the moment of release." Collective Sun Reshape the Mo(u)rning, SpiritHouse, Inc. Menopause, if anything, is an opportunity to listen to your body. It is a time when your body is recalibrating it's navigational system and will send you new messages around what it needs to be healthy, vibrant, safe and satisfied. It is also an invitation to more deeply understand who you are as you are evolving (again) and what that might mean for your relationship to your body and to the people in your life. In this first episode of SEASON 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we had the great fortune to interview Syd Yang and M'kali-Hashiki (see bios below). We were able to explore "what flows and what fits' in this menopausal journey which is deeply connected to who you are in all your intersectional identities. We unearthed the notions of menopause that were formed or informed by our race, ethnicity, gender identify, sexual expression and lived experiences. We also talked about the connective tissue between menopause and internalized agism. Such a rich conversation unfolded around wanting to genuinely love and know our bodies better that allowed us to explore... <ul> <li>Sex, pleasure and the menopausal body</li> <li>Queerness and menopause</li> <li>Decolonizing menopause</li> <li>Embodiment </li> </ul> Enjoy this journeying together.  Episode Notes: Syd Yang, IG: @bluejaguarlove <a href="http://www.bluejaguarhealingarts.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.bluejaguarhealingarts.com</a> Syd Yang (they/them) is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-binary healer, intuitive counselor and writer who weaves together magic, possibility and intention as an energy healer and spiritual coach in the world through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. Syd's work finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd works primarily with queer and trans BIPOC as well as regularly leads workshops, community healing circles and has been a group facilitator for over two decades, with a specific focus on grief, healing ancestral trauma, sexuality + spirituality, body liberation and eating disorder recovery M'kali-Hashiki, IG: @fierce_passions <a href="http://www.FiercePassions.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.FiercePassions.com</a> M'kali-Hashiki is a Somatic Sacred Storyteller &amp; Erotic Ritualist. Her Divine Purpose is helping folx heal their erotic wounds, deepen their erotic relationship with their body &amp; The Divine, and move further along in their path to individual &amp; collective erotic liberation. She offers group intensives, rituals, individual sessions, instructional videos, guided visualizations; as well as private events for companies &amp; organizations. Her lived experiences as a fat, Black, queer, femme, trauma-survivor inform every aspect of her work. ----- <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a> Produced by Mariah M. Hosted by Omisade Burney-Scott  Theme Music by Taj Cullen Scott

All You Gotta Do Is Say "Yes"!

At the end of each podcast episode, I close by saying, "we will see you again on the dark side of the moon". I chose this language because of the way moon phases have been divinely associated with menstruation throughout antiquity. The dark side of the moon is under the dominion of the crone, the wise one, the astrological sign of Scorpio, the goddess Hecate, and Orisa Oya.  It is a place of power, ancient magic, healing, ancestral connection and transformation. The idea of the dark side of the moon may also illicit an image of place that is cold, barren, volatile and inhabitable. If I'm honest, the latter imagery has also come to mind for me more than I wanted to acknowledge and I felt conflicted about wanting to intentionally explore a space that felt like a distant dark outpost---uninviting, isolating and possibly dangerous.  How would I reconcile these feelings and step more fully into this unknown?  It sounds simplistic, but I decided to trust my gut because my wisdom and the ancient wisdom of the people who have come before me lives there. I had a hunch that there had to be more to the dark side of the moon. I had a hunch that in the place ripe for the deep shadow work of unlearning the hard wiring we have received around the evolving and aging bodies of women, women identified and gender expansive people, there would be evidence of life flourishing in a new form.  Much like the deeper depths of the ocean, the dark side of the moon, menopause and aging has been woefully unexplored leading to cultural and societal assumptions and norms that problematize and pathologizes this transformation.  I decided to focus on the dark side of the moon, for people navigating menopause and aging, as a potent place of liminality and rites of passage. An in betweenness and a pathway of exploration in need of illumination.  A place where we could re-write the story menopause and aging together honoring ALL our voices.  Welcome to our first recap! In this dispatch from our basecamp on the dark side of the moon, you will hear some of the voices, narratives, questions and wisdom offered to our podcast during Season 3. As we prepare to launch Season 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, the entire team wants to thank you for joining us on this journey. We also hope to continue to carve a wide and well lit path for other folks finding their way and we are eager to learn more about the rich experiences of people navigating menopause at the intersections of their personhood, truths, hopes and dreams.   See you soon!  PS THANK YOU Season 3 guest: Cherizar Crippen, Aja Taylor, Makani Themba, Paris Hatcher, Chass Grissom, Shannon Houston, Aunjanue Ellis, Dr. Sunyatta Amen, Goody Howard, Dr. Cindy Duke, Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas, Luenell, Stacy London and Dr. Jennifer Mullan!!  To LEARN MORE about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, click www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com  FOLLOW US on IG  @blackgirlsguidetomenopause  and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlackgirlsguidetoMenopause Become a PATRON https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause   Credits: Produced by Mariah M. Narration by Omisade Burney-Scott and Mariah M. New Opening Theme Music by Taj Scott Youtube (opensource) sounds effects provided by: - Q Suay's channel | UI Sound Design by Erik - z3n pnk's channel - Universe (Serge)'s channel

At the end of each podcast episode, I close by saying, "we will see you again on the dark side of the moon". I chose this language because of the way moon phases have been divinely associated with menstruation throughout antiquity. The dark side of the moon is under the dominion of the crone, the wise one, the astrological sign of Scorpio, the goddess Hecate, and Orisa Oya.  It is a place of power, ancient magic, healing, ancestral connection and transformation. The idea of the dark side of the moon may also illicit an image of place that is cold, barren, volatile and inhabitable. If I'm honest, the latter imagery has also come to mind for me more than I wanted to acknowledge and I felt conflicted about wanting to intentionally explore a space that felt like a distant dark outpost---uninviting, isolating and possibly dangerous.  How would I reconcile these feelings and step more fully into this unknown? It sounds simplistic, but I decided to trust my gut because my wisdom and the ancient wisdom of the people who have come before me lives there. I had a hunch that there had to be more to the dark side of the moon. I had a hunch that in the place ripe for the deep shadow work of unlearning the hard wiring we have received around the evolving and aging bodies of women, women identified and gender expansive people, there would be evidence of life flourishing in a new form. Much like the deeper depths of the ocean, the dark side of the moon, menopause and aging has been woefully unexplored leading to cultural and societal assumptions and norms that problematize and pathologizes this transformation.  I decided to focus on the dark side of the moon, for people navigating menopause and aging, as a potent place of liminality and rites of passage. An in betweenness and a pathway of exploration in need of illumination.  A place where we could re-write the story menopause and aging together honoring ALL our voices. Welcome to our first recap! In this dispatch from our basecamp on the dark side of the moon, you will hear some of the voices, narratives, questions and wisdom offered to our podcast during Season 3. As we prepare to launch Season 4 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, the entire team wants to thank you for joining us on this journey. We also hope to continue to carve a wide and well lit path for other folks finding their way and we are eager to learn more about the rich experiences of people navigating menopause at the intersections of their personhood, truths, hopes and dreams.  See you soon!  PS THANK YOU Season 3 guest: Cherizar Crippen, Aja Taylor, Makani Themba, Paris Hatcher, Chass Grissom, Shannon Houston, Aunjanue Ellis, Dr. Sunyatta Amen, Goody Howard, Dr. Cindy Duke, Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas, Luenell, Stacy London and Dr. Jennifer Mullan!! To LEARN MORE about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, click <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> FOLLOW US on IG  @blackgirlsguidetomenopause  and on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BlackgirlsguidetoMenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/BlackgirlsguidetoMenopause</a> Become a PATRON <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a> Credits: Produced by Mariah M. Narration by Omisade Burney-Scott and Mariah M. New Opening Theme Music by Taj Scott Youtube (opensource) sounds effects provided by: - Q Suay's channel | UI Sound Design by Erik - z3n pnk's channel - Universe (Serge)'s channel

Menopausal Multiverse Dispatch: Season 3 Recap!

"Often, when people talk about going through “the change”, it brings up all the images of a tearful, rageful, sweaty and emotional woman. This journey is not seen or held up as a positive transformation with a spectrum of stages and manifestations, but an ending to be cloaked in fear. Another, more potent way to frame the menopausal experience is to see it as actually another powerful representation of a rite of passage that is present to the liminality of the experience. In anthropology, liminality is “the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of rituals, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the ritual is complete.” It is believed that during these liminal periods of transformation, social hierarchies may be reversed or even temporarily dissolved. The constancy of cultural traditions can become uncertain, and future outcomes once taken for granted may be thrown into doubt. The dissolution of order during liminality creates a fluid, malleable situation that enables new institutions and customs to become established. It is a transformation to a new iteration of you."  Becoming (Again), Omisade Burney-Scott, WUNC's Souther Witness   Well here we are! Our last episode of Season 3! We cannot think of a better way to round this dynamic season than to have a frank conversation with Dr. Jennifer Mullan of Decolonizing Therapy ™. Dr. Mullan and I explore her psychoanalyst practice grounded in understanding systems of oppression, generational and cultural trauma as well as her deep commitment to helping people develop tools and rituals to not address grief and rage, but rather to foster right relationships with these two potent emotions.  Affectionately nicknamed “the Rage Doctor” by peers and clients, Dr. Jennifer Mullan (she/her) is trained as a Clinical Psychologist, is a published author and is the founder of Decolonizing Therapy, LLC. She currently serves communities as a Consultant, Therapeutic Coach, Ancestral wound worker who seeks to unpack the oppressive legacy of modern mental health practices, particularly for Queer Indigenous Black Brown People of Color (QIBPOC). Through her Collective Group Healing work and Decolonizing Therapy practice, she creates safe spaces for people and organizations to heal, and guides people from all walks of life to unpack the oppression that has been unconsciously passed down—intrapsychically and socially—and continues to live on in our bodies today. Dr. Mullan helps people return Home to themselves. To learn more about Dr. Mullan mental health and healing practices, check out her website, https://www.drjennifermullan.com/ or follower her on social media at https://www.instagram.com/decolonizingtherapy/  This episode was produced by Mariah M. Episode Sponsor WUNC North Carolina Public Radio Link to Great Grief Podcast: https://www.wunc.org/podcast/great-grief  Episode Notes Links to previous episodes mentioned in this episode: "Nonlinear" (when menopause happens early),  https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZO1G6U72HuhO1fNsN5iqu?si=Ci4hUAw-QJ-DV9aIL3Fxcg Lovecraft Country interview with Aunjanue Ellis and Shannon Houston, https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jOVfqpictV14oiX6myh9R?si=q02vwJcxTb2Q4I3LflyRrQ  Check out our website to learn more and/or to become a patron via our Patreon, https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/ One time love donations accepted via Cashapp, $Omitutu or Venmo, @omisade5   Please send LISTENER LETTERS to decolonizingthecrone@gmail.com 

"Often, when people talk about going through “the change”, it brings up all the images of a tearful, rageful, sweaty and emotional woman. This journey is not seen or held up as a positive transformation with a spectrum of stages and manifestations, but an ending to be cloaked in fear. Another, more potent way to frame the menopausal experience is to see it as actually another powerful representation of a rite of passage that is present to the liminality of the experience. In anthropology, liminality is “the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of rituals, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the ritual is complete.” It is believed that during these liminal periods of transformation, social hierarchies may be reversed or even temporarily dissolved. The constancy of cultural traditions can become uncertain, and future outcomes once taken for granted may be thrown into doubt. The dissolution of order during liminality creates a fluid, malleable situation that enables new institutions and customs to become established. It is a transformation to a new iteration of you."  <a href="https://medium.com/southern-witness/becoming-again-3e644e370bdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Becoming (Again)</a>, Omisade Burney-Scott, WUNC's Souther Witness  Well here we are! Our last episode of Season 3! We cannot think of a better way to round this dynamic season than to have a frank conversation with Dr. Jennifer Mullan of Decolonizing Therapy ™. Dr. Mullan and I explore her psychoanalyst practice grounded in understanding systems of oppression, generational and cultural trauma as well as her deep commitment to helping people develop tools and rituals to not address grief and rage, but rather to foster right relationships with these two potent emotions.  Affectionately nicknamed “the Rage Doctor” by peers and clients, Dr. Jennifer Mullan (she/her) is trained as a Clinical Psychologist, is a published author and is the founder of Decolonizing Therapy, LLC. She currently serves communities as a Consultant, Therapeutic Coach, Ancestral wound worker who seeks to unpack the oppressive legacy of modern mental health practices, particularly for Queer Indigenous Black Brown People of Color (QIBPOC). Through her Collective Group Healing work and Decolonizing Therapy practice, she creates safe spaces for people and organizations to heal, and guides people from all walks of life to unpack the oppression that has been unconsciously passed down—intrapsychically and socially—and continues to live on in our bodies today. Dr. Mullan helps people return Home to themselves. To learn more about Dr. Mullan mental health and healing practices, check out her website, <a href="https://www.drjennifermullan.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.drjennifermullan.com/</a> or follower her on social media at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/decolonizingtherapy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/decolonizingtherapy/</a> This episode was produced by Mariah M. Episode Sponsor WUNC North Carolina Public Radio Link to Great Grief Podcast: <a href="https://www.wunc.org/podcast/great-grief" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.wunc.org/podcast/great-grief</a> Episode Notes Links to previous episodes mentioned in this episode: "Nonlinear" (when menopause happens early),  <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZO1G6U72HuhO1fNsN5iqu?si=Ci4hUAw-QJ-DV9aIL3Fxcg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZO1G6U72HuhO1fNsN5iqu?si=Ci4hUAw-QJ-DV9aIL3Fxcg</a> Lovecraft Country interview with Aunjanue Ellis and Shannon Houston, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jOVfqpictV14oiX6myh9R?si=q02vwJcxTb2Q4I3LflyRrQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jOVfqpictV14oiX6myh9R?si=q02vwJcxTb2Q4I3LflyRrQ</a> Check out our website to learn more and/or to become a patron via our Patreon, <a href="https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/</a> One time love donations accepted via Cashapp, $Omitutu or Venmo, @omisade5   Please send LISTENER LETTERS to decolonizingthecrone@gmail.com

Grief, Rage and the Liminality of Menopause 

Last year, in the middle of the pandemic, I was perusing through social media when something caught my eye. It was a post of the Original Bad Girl of Comedy, Luenell, modeling Savage x Fenty lingerie. BE STILL MY BEATING HEART! When I tell you our big sis/auntie Luenell was giving us something we could feel, that is an understatement! Right then and there I knew I had to interview her for the podcast. I reposted her pictures on my feed and made a proclamation to the universe as well as folks checking out the post that I would, indeed, interview Luenell for Season 3 and here we are!  Thank you Universe!   We have a very special treat for our listeners with this episode. This conversation felt like a Saturday morning kitchen conversation with family. It is funny, candid, raw and authentic. Just like Luenell herself.  Luenell is the self-proclaimed “Original Bad Girl of Comedy.” She may be small in stature, but she more than makes up for it with her big personality, booming voice and infectious laughter. Easily recognizable for her signature look – that is, her platinum blonde Caesar haircut, beautifully manicured long nails and a blinged-out pimp cup in hand – Luenell, has been thrilling audiences with her brand of comedy for more than 30 years.  With the touch of a remote control, her body of work in television and film can be found on network and cable television as well as popular streaming services. Plus, fans can also tune into her popular YouTube show --  that is, Hey Luenell -- for comedic thoughts on her mind.    Luenell was raised in the Oakland area, and got her start in showbiz, hosting a local cable show, called “Soul Beat,” run by Chuck Johnson. The show ran from 1978 to 2003, and discovered all the major Oaktown artists like Digital Underground, MC Hammer and Too Short. She credits that experience and the connections she made to that show, back in the late 1990s, to making her a “hood star” before landing in Los Angeles.   For more about Luenell, visit www.HeyLuenell.com Check her out on Instagram at: @Luenell on Instagram   This episode of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause is sponsored by WUNC North Carolina Public Radio. https://www.wunc.org/  If you want to make a donation to support the work of BGG2SM, consider becoming a patron via our Patreon. Link available via our website, www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com. You can also make a one time donation at: Cashapp: $omitutu Venmo: @omisade5

Last year, in the middle of the pandemic, I was perusing through social media when something caught my eye. It was a post of the Original Bad Girl of Comedy, Luenell, modeling Savage x Fenty lingerie. BE STILL MY BEATING HEART! When I tell you our big sis/auntie Luenell was giving us something we could feel, that is an understatement! Right then and there I knew I had to interview her for the podcast. I reposted her pictures on my feed and made a proclamation to the universe as well as folks checking out the post that I would, indeed, interview Luenell for Season 3 and here we are!  Thank you Universe!  We have a very special treat for our listeners with this episode. This conversation felt like a Saturday morning kitchen conversation with family. It is funny, candid, raw and authentic. Just like Luenell herself.  Luenell is the self-proclaimed “Original Bad Girl of Comedy.” She may be small in stature, but she more than makes up for it with her big personality, booming voice and infectious laughter. Easily recognizable for her signature look – that is, her platinum blonde Caesar haircut, beautifully manicured long nails and a blinged-out pimp cup in hand – Luenell, has been thrilling audiences with her brand of comedy for more than 30 years.  With the touch of a remote control, her body of work in television and film can be found on network and cable television as well as popular streaming services. Plus, fans can also tune into her popular YouTube show --  that is, Hey Luenell -- for comedic thoughts on her mind.   Luenell was raised in the Oakland area, and got her start in showbiz, hosting a local cable show, called “Soul Beat,” run by Chuck Johnson. The show ran from 1978 to 2003, and discovered all the major Oaktown artists like Digital Underground, MC Hammer and Too Short. She credits that experience and the connections she made to that show, back in the late 1990s, to making her a “hood star” before landing in Los Angeles.  For more about Luenell, visit <a href="http://www.HeyLuenell.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.HeyLuenell.com</a> Check her out on Instagram at: @Luenell on Instagram  This episode of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause is sponsored by WUNC North Carolina Public Radio. <a href="https://www.wunc.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.wunc.org/</a> If you want to make a donation to support the work of BGG2SM, consider becoming a patron via our Patreon. Link available via our website, <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a>. You can also make a one time donation at: Cashapp: $omitutu Venmo: @omisade5

Nothing but an OG Thang...

Stacy London

“There is no face of menopause. Why are there no celebrities and personalities out there really promoting menopause? It's not a one comment conversation. It is not a one-time acknowledgement issue. It's not a fad. This is a fact of life. And there's nobody willing to take it on because frankly, I think they, it makes them feel old past their prime. Unfuckable. I don't care about that. Someone who has been in the public eye needs to start fighting to not normalize this conversation, but to optimize this conversation.” Stacy London   I am so excited about this conversation I got to have with Stacy London around her menopause journey, aging, her business, The State of Menopause, relationships and what it means to be a white Ally in normalizing menopause for all people. Like many people who are familiar with Stacy's career, I have been a long time fan of her aesthetic and the energy she brings to her craft. It was a breath of fresh air to realize that the energy she exudes on camera--a strong wit, curiosity, honesty, a sharp mercurial mind, thoughtful and being smart as shit, holds true in what we call "real life". Stacy London is one of America’s foremost style experts. She is best known as the co-host of TLC’s iconic show, “What Not to Wear.” Following that success, she hosted and executive produced 3 seasons of “Love Lust or Run.” Stacy has written two books, Dress Your Best, which was published to stellar reviews, and The Truth About Style, a New York Times bestseller. In 2020, she hosted a podcast discussing mental health, Could Be Better, tbh, in collaboration with the Crisis Text Line and The Jed Foundation (JED). In 2021, Stacy became the founder and  CEO of State of Menopause, a holistic product line for women which addresses the symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause. In this new phase of her career, Stacy is doing what she has done her entire career as a stylist: help people from suffering silently, raise their confidence and self-esteem by alleviating external symptoms, and removing the shame that surrounds them. Stacy’s symptoms started around age 47. She experienced every single symptom associated with menopause from body aches and insomnia to memory loss and mood swings. She thought she was going crazy and even consulted a therapist to see if she had Alzheimer’s disease. Over the last five years, Stacy has been creating and pitching content and stories about women in their 40s but consistently was told that ‘it wasn’t sexy’ and no one would watch. When she was approached to be a beta-tester for this product line, it finally felt like a brand was talking to her. The opportunity to take over the company was her way of pivoting in middle age to speak to and evangelize the audience  she was told she could not reach in any other way. As CEO of SOM, Stacy is doing what she has done her entire career as a stylist:  help people from suffering silently, raise their confidence and self-esteem by alleviating external symptoms, and removing the shame that surrounds them. And that’s why, when she got the chance, she went from being one of a hundred peri-menopausal beta-testers for these products to running the company.   There are a lot more cool conversations and programming coming your way from BGG2SM and State of Menopause, so stay tuned!   To learn more about Stacy London and the State of Menopause, click https://www.stateofmenopause.com/ To learn more about The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, click https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/ To become a Patron of BGG2SM via our Patreon, click https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause

“There is no face of menopause. Why are there no celebrities and personalities out there really promoting menopause? It's not a one comment conversation. It is not a one-time acknowledgement issue. It's not a fad. This is a fact of life. And there's nobody willing to take it on because frankly, I think they, it makes them feel old past their prime. Unfuckable. I don't care about that. Someone who has been in the public eye needs to start fighting to not normalize this conversation, but to optimize this conversation.” Stacy London  I am so excited about this conversation I got to have with Stacy London around her menopause journey, aging, her business, The State of Menopause, relationships and what it means to be a white Ally in normalizing menopause for all people. Like many people who are familiar with Stacy's career, I have been a long time fan of her aesthetic and the energy she brings to her craft. It was a breath of fresh air to realize that the energy she exudes on camera--a strong wit, curiosity, honesty, a sharp mercurial mind, thoughtful and being smart as shit, holds true in what we call "real life". Stacy London is one of America’s foremost style experts. She is best known as the co-host of TLC’s iconic show, “What Not to Wear.” Following that success, she hosted and executive produced 3 seasons of “Love Lust or Run.” Stacy has written two books, Dress Your Best, which was published to stellar reviews, and The Truth About Style, a New York Times bestseller. In 2020, she hosted a podcast discussing mental health, Could Be Better, tbh, in collaboration with the Crisis Text Line and The Jed Foundation (JED). In 2021, Stacy became the founder and  CEO of State of Menopause, a holistic product line for women which addresses the symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause. In this new phase of her career, Stacy is doing what she has done her entire career as a stylist: help people from suffering silently, raise their confidence and self-esteem by alleviating external symptoms, and removing the shame that surrounds them. Stacy’s symptoms started around age 47. She experienced every single symptom associated with menopause from body aches and insomnia to memory loss and mood swings. She thought she was going crazy and even consulted a therapist to see if she had Alzheimer’s disease. Over the last five years, Stacy has been creating and pitching content and stories about women in their 40s but consistently was told that ‘it wasn’t sexy’ and no one would watch. When she was approached to be a beta-tester for this product line, it finally felt like a brand was talking to her. The opportunity to take over the company was her way of pivoting in middle age to speak to and evangelize the audience  she was told she could not reach in any other way. As CEO of SOM, Stacy is doing what she has done her entire career as a stylist:  help people from suffering silently, raise their confidence and self-esteem by alleviating external symptoms, and removing the shame that surrounds them. And that’s why, when she got the chance, she went from being one of a hundred peri-menopausal beta-testers for these products to running the company.   There are a lot more cool conversations and programming coming your way from BGG2SM and State of Menopause, so stay tuned! To learn more about Stacy London and the State of Menopause, click <a href="https://www.stateofmenopause.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.stateofmenopause.com/</a> To learn more about The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, click <a href="https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/</a> To become a Patron of BGG2SM via our Patreon, click <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a>

Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause meets Stacy London and the State of Menopause!

The doctors are in the house!   You have asked for it and here it is! Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause is so excited to bring you all this fantastic interview with OB/GYNs Dr. Cindy Duke and Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas. We talked about what menopause is and what it is not, sex and menopause, menopause health/support and health disparities experience by Black women, femmes and non binary people. We hope this episode provides some clarity around how to navigate menopause from a healthcare provider perspective.   Meet the doctors!   Cindy M. Duke is America’s only dual accredited Fertility Expert &amp; Virologist.  A M.D. Ph.D trained Physician Scientist, Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) specialist, Dr. Cindy is a very effective communicator with a dynamic personality and outstanding people skills. She consistently works well with teams across specialties/disciplines.  Dr. Duke has been (and continues) to be the beneficiary of many outstanding mentors/role models throughout her career. As a result, outside of her clinical work and research, Dr. Duke understands the value of giving back to her community and empowers women and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach for the sky by encouraging their continued interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and encouraging Women and Girls!  Arianna Sholes-Douglas, MD, FACOG has dedicated much of her career to helping women through the stages of life that are largely neglected by most of the medical community: menopause and perimenopause. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and has been practicing medicine for three decades. She is the author of the best-selling book, The Menopause Myth: What your mother, doctor and friends haven’t shared about life after 35. Dr. Arianna specializes in integrative women’s health. She incorporates evidenced-based, alternative medical therapies to promote healing. Her practice of medicine recognizes that the mind, body, and spirit all greatly affect overall health. She takes a holistic approach to patient care, combining her extensive knowledge of women’s health with the field of integrative and functional medicine.  Learn more about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause at www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com One time love donations appreciate and accepted via Cashapp $omitutu or Venmo @omisade5 To become a patron via our Patreon, click here! https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause #menopause #blackdoctors #blackobgyn #normalizemenopause #perimenopausehealth #reproductivehealth #reproductivejustice #healthdisparities

The doctors are in the house!  You have asked for it and here it is! Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause is so excited to bring you all this fantastic interview with OB/GYNs Dr. Cindy Duke and Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas. We talked about what menopause is and what it is not, sex and menopause, menopause health/support and health disparities experience by Black women, femmes and non binary people. We hope this episode provides some clarity around how to navigate menopause from a healthcare provider perspective.  Meet the doctors!  Cindy M. Duke is America’s only dual accredited Fertility Expert &amp; Virologist. A M.D. Ph.D trained Physician Scientist, Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) specialist, Dr. Cindy is a very effective communicator with a dynamic personality and outstanding people skills. She consistently works well with teams across specialties/disciplines. Dr. Duke has been (and continues) to be the beneficiary of many outstanding mentors/role models throughout her career. As a result, outside of her clinical work and research, Dr. Duke understands the value of giving back to her community and empowers women and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach for the sky by encouraging their continued interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and encouraging Women and Girls! Arianna Sholes-Douglas, MD, FACOG has dedicated much of her career to helping women through the stages of life that are largely neglected by most of the medical community: menopause and perimenopause. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and has been practicing medicine for three decades. She is the author of the best-selling book, The Menopause Myth: What your mother, doctor and friends haven’t shared about life after 35. Dr. Arianna specializes in integrative women’s health. She incorporates evidenced-based, alternative medical therapies to promote healing. Her practice of medicine recognizes that the mind, body, and spirit all greatly affect overall health. She takes a holistic approach to patient care, combining her extensive knowledge of women’s health with the field of integrative and functional medicine. Learn more about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause at <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> One time love donations appreciate and accepted via Cashapp $omitutu or Venmo @omisade5 To become a patron via our Patreon, click here! <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a> #menopause #blackdoctors #blackobgyn #normalizemenopause #perimenopausehealth #reproductivehealth #reproductivejustice #healthdisparities

Is There a Doctor in The House? 

Black women are negotiating the different stages of menopause along with their ever evolving identifies, relationships, careers, responsibilities and societal tropes. This is a curated intergenerational exchange, a space for exploration, mentorship, intimacy and vulnerability around life, identity and change. It’s the excavation of the things that you need to know, but were never told. It’s the guide we wish we all had access to no matter our age.

"Transformation doesn't happen in a linear way, at least not one we can always track. It happens in cycles, convergences, explosions. If we release the framyework of failure, we can realize that we are in iterative cycles, and we can keep asking ourselves----- how do I learn from this? Emotional growth is nonlinerar." adrienne maree brown, Emergent Strategies: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds  To normalize menopause means to operate with a deep understanding of the complex diversity of experiences people have on their journeys and creating safe spaces to talk about that. It also requires a suspension assumptions around "who" is experiencing it, "how" they are experiencing it and even "when" all of this might begin (or end). The "when" part is particularly tricky when you are a young person in your 20s or 30s and begin to experience something that you anticipated wouldn't happen until you were in your 40s, 50s or even 60s.   In this episode, we are graced with the stories of two people who experienced menopause in their 20s and 30s.  Paris Hatcher is a Black, queer visionary feminist who has has been organizing individuals and organizations toward liberation at the local, national, and international level for twenty years.. In 2014, Paris founded Black Feminist Future as a movement incubator to support the leadership of Black feminist leaders, organizations and movements. At BFF, she serves as the Director and Chief Rabble Rouser. Paris also worked as Principal at Rhombus Consulting, Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation, and was the co-founder and the Executive Director at SPARK: Reproductive Justice NOW. She served as board member of Southerners on New Ground for five years and she was a founding board member of the Groundswell Fund the largest reproductive justice foundation in the United States. Follow Paris on IG at @harrietsrevenge  Learn more about Paris and Black Feminist Futures: https://www.blackfeministfuture.org/  Chass Grissom is a  Louisiana native and liquid alchemist, recently turned coffee cart owner! I was diagnosed with 3b late stage stage cervical cancer. Received chemo, radiation and has not had a cycle in 3 years. Now currently living a holistic lifestyle to continue to manage their health but also to manage premenopausal symptoms since going through treatment. Follow Chass on IG at @Parlecoffeeco  ************ To learn more about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, check us out at www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com  To make a one time love offering:  Cashapp: $Omitutu Venmo: @Omisade5 To become a patron, check out our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause

"Transformation doesn't happen in a linear way, at least not one we can always track. It happens in cycles, convergences, explosions. If we release the framyework of failure, we can realize that we are in iterative cycles, and we can keep asking ourselves----- how do I learn from this? Emotional growth is nonlinerar." adrienne maree brown, Emergent Strategies: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds To normalize menopause means to operate with a deep understanding of the complex diversity of experiences people have on their journeys and creating safe spaces to talk about that. It also requires a suspension assumptions around "who" is experiencing it, "how" they are experiencing it and even "when" all of this might begin (or end). The "when" part is particularly tricky when you are a young person in your 20s or 30s and begin to experience something that you anticipated wouldn't happen until you were in your 40s, 50s or even 60s.  In this episode, we are graced with the stories of two people who experienced menopause in their 20s and 30s. Paris Hatcher is a Black, queer visionary feminist who has has been organizing individuals and organizations toward liberation at the local, national, and international level for twenty years.. In 2014, Paris founded Black Feminist Future as a movement incubator to support the leadership of Black feminist leaders, organizations and movements. At BFF, she serves as the Director and Chief Rabble Rouser. Paris also worked as Principal at Rhombus Consulting, Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation, and was the co-founder and the Executive Director at SPARK: Reproductive Justice NOW. She served as board member of Southerners on New Ground for five years and she was a founding board member of the Groundswell Fund the largest reproductive justice foundation in the United States. Follow Paris on IG at @harrietsrevenge Learn more about Paris and Black Feminist Futures: <a href="https://www.blackfeministfuture.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.blackfeministfuture.org/</a> Chass Grissom is a  Louisiana native and liquid alchemist, recently turned coffee cart owner! I was diagnosed with 3b late stage stage cervical cancer. Received chemo, radiation and has not had a cycle in 3 years. Now currently living a holistic lifestyle to continue to manage their health but also to manage premenopausal symptoms since going through treatment. Follow Chass on IG at @Parlecoffeeco ************ To learn more about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, check us out at <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> To make a one time love offering:  Cashapp: $Omitutu Venmo: @Omisade5 To become a patron, check out our Patreon <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a>

Nonlinear

"The calabash is a domesticated plant that depends on us for its survival, like wheat or almonds. Its closest wild relatives grow in Africa. When people domesticated the gourd, they bred a rugged, light-weight shell that could hold up for years. Archaeologists have found pieces of calabash dating back 11,000 in East Asia. In the New World, people were using calabashes at least 10,000 years ago. For over ten thousand years, people have used the calabash (known also as the bottle gourd and formally as Lagenaria siceraria) in all sorts of ways. They’ve eaten it as food. They’ve used it as fishing floats, as pontoons for river rafts, as goblets, as pipe stems. And around the world, people make music with it. Scientists have long been impressed by the triumph of the calabash. Among domesticated species, only the dog has spread further. But the global journey of the calabash was actually two great trips, one taken by humans over land and another taken by plants, over the sea."  National Geographic  How is it that a plant that is so ancient with origins in Africa and Asia still persist in modernity? How can it be both a musical instrument and bowl...a water vessel and medicine? It persist because it is not just one thing and it has been cultivated to adapt to the needs of the user. The artist, the fisherman and the medicine woman all know that the calabash is more than a hollowed out shell. It is evidence of the beauty, power and healing in the mundane should you open your eyes wide enough to see what's in front of you. Dr. Sunyatta Amen, the owner and operator of Calabash Tea and Tonics knows that our plant world holds the same power and as a trained 5th generation herbalist, she is committed to cultivating healing through ancient African and Caribbean technologies. She is a quintessential market woman shapeshifter who has learned from the adaptability of the calabash gourd of Africa how to adapt, taking the shape necessary to heal her people and community with beauty, resilience and practicality---just like her ancestors.   Dr. Amen is the founder and Tea-EO of Calabash Tea &amp; Tonic in Washington D.C. Amen is a Cuban/Jamaican 5th generation master herbalist, naturopathic doctor, and vegan chef. She grew up vegan, the daughter of activists (her mother was a Black Panther) that owned a health food shop, Pyramid Tea &amp; Herbal, in New York City. This was the prototype for Calabash Tea &amp; Tonic and where she learned the medicinal value of global teas, foods, and spices. Later, she would study biology and other sciences, combining her ancestral and western knowledge that she now uses to help heal city dwellers. Calabash’s extensive tea menu is the result of Amen’s schooling and the time-tested formulas belonging to her Jamaican grandmother. In this episode, she shares with us her journey as a healer, business owner and community activist.   To learn more about Dr. Amen and Calabash Tea &amp; Tonics, check out their website: www.calabashtea.com. When you purchase an item from their online market place using the "BGG2SM" code, proceeds from the sale will be donated back to support the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause!   To Learn More about Us: www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com   To take advantage of the discount form this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click ourkindra.com/omi20  Support the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause via a one-time donation:  Cashapp: $Omitutu  Venmo: @Omisade5  Paypal: omisadeburney@yahoo.com   To become a sustainer, check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause

"The calabash is a domesticated plant that depends on us for its survival, like wheat or almonds. Its closest wild relatives grow in Africa. When people domesticated the gourd, they bred a rugged, light-weight shell that could hold up for years. Archaeologists have found pieces of calabash dating back 11,000 in East Asia. In the New World, people were using calabashes at least 10,000 years ago. For over ten thousand years, people have used the calabash (known also as the bottle gourd and formally as Lagenaria siceraria) in all sorts of ways. They’ve eaten it as food. They’ve used it as fishing floats, as pontoons for river rafts, as goblets, as pipe stems. And around the world, people make music with it. Scientists have long been impressed by the triumph of the calabash. Among domesticated species, only the dog has spread further. But the global journey of the calabash was actually two great trips, one taken by humans over land and another taken by plants, over the sea."  National Geographic How is it that a plant that is so ancient with origins in Africa and Asia still persist in modernity? How can it be both a musical instrument and bowl...a water vessel and medicine? It persist because it is not just one thing and it has been cultivated to adapt to the needs of the user. The artist, the fisherman and the medicine woman all know that the calabash is more than a hollowed out shell. It is evidence of the beauty, power and healing in the mundane should you open your eyes wide enough to see what's in front of you. Dr. Sunyatta Amen, the owner and operator of Calabash Tea and Tonics knows that our plant world holds the same power and as a trained 5th generation herbalist, she is committed to cultivating healing through ancient African and Caribbean technologies. She is a quintessential market woman shapeshifter who has learned from the adaptability of the calabash gourd of Africa how to adapt, taking the shape necessary to heal her people and community with beauty, resilience and practicality---just like her ancestors.  Dr. Amen is the founder and Tea-EO of Calabash Tea &amp; Tonic in Washington D.C. Amen is a Cuban/Jamaican 5th generation master herbalist, naturopathic doctor, and vegan chef. She grew up vegan, the daughter of activists (her mother was a Black Panther) that owned a health food shop, Pyramid Tea &amp; Herbal, in New York City. This was the prototype for Calabash Tea &amp; Tonic and where she learned the medicinal value of global teas, foods, and spices. Later, she would study biology and other sciences, combining her ancestral and western knowledge that she now uses to help heal city dwellers. Calabash’s extensive tea menu is the result of Amen’s schooling and the time-tested formulas belonging to her Jamaican grandmother. In this episode, she shares with us her journey as a healer, business owner and community activist.  To learn more about Dr. Amen and Calabash Tea &amp; Tonics, check out their website: <a href="http://www.calabashtea.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.calabashtea.com</a>. When you purchase an item from their online market place using the "BGG2SM" code, proceeds from the sale will be donated back to support the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause!  To Learn More about Us: <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> To take advantage of the discount form this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click <a href="http://ourkindra.com/omi20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ourkindra.com/omi20</a> Support the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause via a one-time donation: Cashapp: $Omitutu Venmo: @Omisade5 Paypal: omisadeburney@yahoo.com  To become a sustainer, check out our Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a>

From Calabash with Love 

Before we jump in: a note on our content for this episode.   "The Sweetest Taboo" episode is a candid conversation with Sexologist Goody Howard about sexuality and sexual expression. It is created for adult audiences only. We advise listener discretion for graphic conversation about sexual expression, frank portrayal of sexuality, discussion of sex toys and products; and some strong language. We hope you enjoy this frank, funny and very informative conversation about sex and aging, but if you need a breather—we’ve got your back. Whenever you’re feeling ready and able: we hope you’ll join us for this liberatory conversation around sex and aging. Let's begin, shall we?  ----- “I believe that we are in an imagination battle, and almost everything about how we orient toward our bodies is shaped by fearful imaginations. Imaginations that fear Blackness, brownness, fatness, queerness, disability, difference. Our radical imagination is a tool for decolonization, for reclaiming our right to shape our lived reality.” ― Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good  The first sex education conversation I remember having was when I was in the 6th grade. It was 1979. The vast majority of the conversation was focused on the physical changes we were going to experience as adolescents, STDs and how NOT to get pregnant. There was little to no mention of consent and pleasure was definitely not addressed. Like many kids raised in the 70s, there were books in our home that gave us a peek into intimacy and sexual expression. From "The Joy of Sex", the Playboy books in the basement and HBO After Dark, many of us gleaned information about sex from a patchwork of places including our peers. This also meant that many of us moved into our sexual identities with misinformation and taboos around the many ways we can experience consensual sexual pleasure. As we move into our aging identities with our journey with Menopause, many of us are, some for the first time even, more curious and open to talking about our sexual identities, desires, and how we want to access pleasure.   In this episode of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we have a frank conversation with Sexologist Goody Howard about sex, menopause, aging, and so much more! Goody is a partner, parent, world-renown, pleasure professional. She sells adult toys, teach sexual skill workshops, offer sex-positive professional development opportunities, and create dope, sex-centered t-shirts! In partnership with the Black Girl's Guide, our listeners will receive a 10% discount on items on Goody's website, AskGoody.com,  when they use the CODE: BGG2SM. To learn more about Goody, check her out on IG or Twitter @AskGoody.   To take advantage of the discount form this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click ourkindra.com/omi20 To Learn More about Us: www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com  Support the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause via a one-time donation: Cashapp: $Omitutu Venmo: @Omisade5 Paypal: omisadeburney@yahoo.com  To become a sustainer, check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause

Before we jump in: a note on our content for this episode.  "The Sweetest Taboo" episode is a candid conversation with Sexologist Goody Howard about sexuality and sexual expression. It is created for adult audiences only. We advise listener discretion for graphic conversation about sexual expression, frank portrayal of sexuality, discussion of sex toys and products; and some strong language. We hope you enjoy this frank, funny and very informative conversation about sex and aging, but if you need a breather—we’ve got your back. Whenever you’re feeling ready and able: we hope you’ll join us for this liberatory conversation around sex and aging. Let's begin, shall we? ----- “I believe that we are in an imagination battle, and almost everything about how we orient toward our bodies is shaped by fearful imaginations. Imaginations that fear Blackness, brownness, fatness, queerness, disability, difference. Our radical imagination is a tool for decolonization, for reclaiming our right to shape our lived reality.” ― Adrienne Maree Brown, Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good The first sex education conversation I remember having was when I was in the 6th grade. It was 1979. The vast majority of the conversation was focused on the physical changes we were going to experience as adolescents, STDs and how NOT to get pregnant. There was little to no mention of consent and pleasure was definitely not addressed. Like many kids raised in the 70s, there were books in our home that gave us a peek into intimacy and sexual expression. From "The Joy of Sex", the Playboy books in the basement and HBO After Dark, many of us gleaned information about sex from a patchwork of places including our peers. This also meant that many of us moved into our sexual identities with misinformation and taboos around the many ways we can experience consensual sexual pleasure. As we move into our aging identities with our journey with Menopause, many of us are, some for the first time even, more curious and open to talking about our sexual identities, desires, and how we want to access pleasure.  In this episode of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we have a frank conversation with Sexologist Goody Howard about sex, menopause, aging, and so much more! Goody is a partner, parent, world-renown, pleasure professional. She sells adult toys, teach sexual skill workshops, offer sex-positive professional development opportunities, and create dope, sex-centered t-shirts! In partnership with the Black Girl's Guide, our listeners will receive a 10% discount on items on Goody's website, <a href="http://AskGoody.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AskGoody.com</a>,  when they use the CODE: BGG2SM. To learn more about Goody, check her out on IG or Twitter @AskGoody.  To take advantage of the discount form this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click <a href="http://ourkindra.com/omi20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ourkindra.com/omi20</a> To Learn More about Us: <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> Support the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause via a one-time donation: Cashapp: $Omitutu Venmo: @Omisade5 Paypal: omisadeburney@yahoo.com  To become a sustainer, check out our Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a>

The Sweetest Taboo

It's my birthday y'all!   So grateful for another rotation around the sun. So grateful for this 54 year old body that continues to carry me and teach me about how to love, heal and take risk to be more of who I am meant to be. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday with our podcast listeners than to share this delicious bonus episode! My dear brilliant and super talented sister of the heart, Lana Garland*, is a filmmaker, producer and the curator/director of the Hayti Heritage Film Festival (see website below). She invited me to moderate a conversation between the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause and show writer Shannon Houston and award-winning actress Aunjanue Ellis of HBO's Lovecraft Country for this years festival. We talked about rage, shrinking, shame, power, control, love, healing and choices. What an honor! Lana also gifted me with the audio from this conversation that I want to gift to you to say "thank you" for your support of this podcast platform that unapologetically centers Black voices and stories as we navigate menopause and aging. You are so appreciated!  Lovecraft Country, the tv show, is based on a book of the same name written by Matt Ruff and book is considered dark fantasy. The name Lovecraft is derived from an early 20th century horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, who was also a self professed white supremacist. It’s set in 1955 Chicago and begins with inviting us to join a quest. This quest is being led by the male lead character, Atticus played by Jonathan Majors  (also known as Tic), who has recently returned home from the Korean war. He is searching for his father and seeking to learn and reclaim his birthright...access to and dominion over the magic that exists in his bloodline--his ancestral legacy. The entire show is stunning and it is the storyline of Hippolyta Freeman performed so impeccably by Aunjanue, Tic’s aunt and episode “I Am” that took my and the breath of some many others away.  Learn more about HBO's Lovecraft Country Here: https://www.hbo.com/lovecraft-country  "The “I AM" episode of Lovecraft Country gave viewers quite a shock. Never in the history of TV had they seen a liberatory presentation of mature Black womanhood quite like this. Audiences took a journey with the character Hippolyta, played masterfully by Aunjanue Ellis, and we got to experience the glorious revelation of a full 360 degree woman. In this session Omisade Burney-Scott, creator of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, talks with LoveCraft writer Shannon Houston and the award-winning actress Aunjanue Ellis about why this became one of the most popular episodes of the series." --2021 Hayti Heritage Film Festival  https://haytifilmfest.org/ *Check out Lana's interview with BGG2SM during our first season here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qtixwI1pAOOSt4lv9UM4I?si=ceha3VqER9y_PsHVwpQ-ZA  Aries Season Birthday Love Offerings Are Welcome!  Cashapp: $omitutu Venmo: @omisade5  To learn more about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, check out our website! We've got merch and our zine "Messages from the Menopausal Multiverse" available too! https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/

It's my birthday y'all!  So grateful for another rotation around the sun. So grateful for this 54 year old body that continues to carry me and teach me about how to love, heal and take risk to be more of who I am meant to be. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday with our podcast listeners than to share this delicious bonus episode! My dear brilliant and super talented sister of the heart, Lana Garland*, is a filmmaker, producer and the curator/director of the Hayti Heritage Film Festival (see website below). She invited me to moderate a conversation between the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause and show writer Shannon Houston and award-winning actress Aunjanue Ellis of HBO's Lovecraft Country for this years festival. We talked about rage, shrinking, shame, power, control, love, healing and choices. What an honor! Lana also gifted me with the audio from this conversation that I want to gift to you to say "thank you" for your support of this podcast platform that unapologetically centers Black voices and stories as we navigate menopause and aging. You are so appreciated! Lovecraft Country, the tv show, is based on a book of the same name written by Matt Ruff and book is considered dark fantasy. The name Lovecraft is derived from an early 20th century horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, who was also a self professed white supremacist. It’s set in 1955 Chicago and begins with inviting us to join a quest. This quest is being led by the male lead character, Atticus played by Jonathan Majors  (also known as Tic), who has recently returned home from the Korean war. He is searching for his father and seeking to learn and reclaim his birthright...access to and dominion over the magic that exists in his bloodline--his ancestral legacy. The entire show is stunning and it is the storyline of Hippolyta Freeman performed so impeccably by Aunjanue, Tic’s aunt and episode “I Am” that took my and the breath of some many others away.  Learn more about HBO's Lovecraft Country Here: <a href="https://www.hbo.com/lovecraft-country" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.hbo.com/lovecraft-country</a> "The “I AM" episode of Lovecraft Country gave viewers quite a shock. Never in the history of TV had they seen a liberatory presentation of mature Black womanhood quite like this. Audiences took a journey with the character Hippolyta, played masterfully by Aunjanue Ellis, and we got to experience the glorious revelation of a full 360 degree woman. In this session Omisade Burney-Scott, creator of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, talks with LoveCraft writer Shannon Houston and the award-winning actress Aunjanue Ellis about why this became one of the most popular episodes of the series." --2021 Hayti Heritage Film Festival  <a href="https://haytifilmfest.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://haytifilmfest.org/</a> *Check out Lana's interview with BGG2SM during our first season here: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qtixwI1pAOOSt4lv9UM4I?si=ceha3VqER9y_PsHVwpQ-ZA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qtixwI1pAOOSt4lv9UM4I?si=ceha3VqER9y_PsHVwpQ-ZA</a> Aries Season Birthday Love Offerings Are Welcome!  Cashapp: $omitutu Venmo: @omisade5  To learn more about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, check out our website! We've got merch and our zine "Messages from the Menopausal Multiverse" available too! <a href="https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/</a>

BONUS BIRTHDAY EPISODE: Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause Meets HBO's Lovecraft Country! 

“As a culture worker who belongs to an oppressed people my job is to make revolution irresistible.” Toni Cade Bambara When my sister and I were little girls, we developed a skill set to be present in rooms with my mother and her best girlfriends without being detected. If we could be quiet and not make any quick movements, we could have access to the world of older Black women and bear witness to the magic of their friendship and sisterhood. We called it ear hustling. The ear hustle was a skill that improved with age and was also foiled quite often by the super human listening and motion detecting powers of the adults in our lives. My sister and I couldn't wait to be old enough to sit in that space, with these women we loved and be full participants in conversations around life.   We are so excited for the first episode of Season 3 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause to be an intergenerational conversation co-hosted by Aja Taylor and Cherizar Crippen! In this episode, Aja and Cherizar interviewed social justice advocate and activist Makani Themba and I about our experiences with menopause, sexual expression, intimacy and getting older. This intergenerational conversation, provided a space for exploration, connection, laughter and reflection.   Meet our Co-Host!  Aja Taylor is a facilitator (of processes, mischief, meetings and magic), freedom dreamer, aspiring sex educator, Advocacy Director at Bread for the City and one of the co-founders of Two Brown Girls Consulting Cooperative. She enjoys long walks on the beach talking about consent, helping folks reimagine their relationship to the erotic, ruining the day for politicians who think they won't deliver on their promises to Black people, and working with organizations seeking to really live up to their professed missions and values. IG: @HeyAjaGirl Twitter: @HeyAjaGirl Cherizar Crippen is a Black + Indigenous bisexual troublemaker, mother to several plant babies and one very resilient fish. As a youth organizer, healer, and artist her current work includes facilitating intimate emergent spaces with social justice focused groups, introducing BIPOC youth and adults to ancestral healing practices, and divination. Cherizar is particularly invested in earning the respect of future generations by fostering the leadership development of our youngest freedom fighers. She is Sag Sun, Cancer Rising, Pisces Moon protected by the Ase’ of Iemanja, Ogum, and a legion of ancestors. IG: @alltheabove15   Meet our Guest!  Makani Themba is Chief Strategist at Higher Ground Change Strategies based in Jackson, Mississippi. A social justice innovator and pioneer in the fields of change communications and community-led, justice-centered policy development, she has spent 30 years supporting organizations, coalitions and philanthropic institutions in developing high impact change initiatives. Higher Ground Change Strategies provides her an opportunity to bring her strong analytical skills, organizing knowledge and institution building expertise in support of organizations working to make powerful, transformative, vision-based change. IG: @hgchange Twitter: makani_themba  To take advantage of the discount form this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click ourkindra.com/omi20  To Learn More about Us: www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com 

“As a culture worker who belongs to an oppressed people my job is to make revolution irresistible.” Toni Cade Bambara When my sister and I were little girls, we developed a skill set to be present in rooms with my mother and her best girlfriends without being detected. If we could be quiet and not make any quick movements, we could have access to the world of older Black women and bear witness to the magic of their friendship and sisterhood. We called it ear hustling. The ear hustle was a skill that improved with age and was also foiled quite often by the super human listening and motion detecting powers of the adults in our lives. My sister and I couldn't wait to be old enough to sit in that space, with these women we loved and be full participants in conversations around life.  We are so excited for the first episode of Season 3 of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause to be an intergenerational conversation co-hosted by Aja Taylor and Cherizar Crippen! In this episode, Aja and Cherizar interviewed social justice advocate and activist Makani Themba and I about our experiences with menopause, sexual expression, intimacy and getting older. This intergenerational conversation, provided a space for exploration, connection, laughter and reflection.  Meet our Co-Host! Aja Taylor is a facilitator (of processes, mischief, meetings and magic), freedom dreamer, aspiring sex educator, Advocacy Director at Bread for the City and one of the co-founders of Two Brown Girls Consulting Cooperative. She enjoys long walks on the beach talking about consent, helping folks reimagine their relationship to the erotic, ruining the day for politicians who think they won't deliver on their promises to Black people, and working with organizations seeking to really live up to their professed missions and values. IG: @HeyAjaGirl Twitter: @HeyAjaGirl Cherizar Crippen is a Black + Indigenous bisexual troublemaker, mother to several plant babies and one very resilient fish. As a youth organizer, healer, and artist her current work includes facilitating intimate emergent spaces with social justice focused groups, introducing BIPOC youth and adults to ancestral healing practices, and divination. Cherizar is particularly invested in earning the respect of future generations by fostering the leadership development of our youngest freedom fighers. She is Sag Sun, Cancer Rising, Pisces Moon protected by the Ase’ of Iemanja, Ogum, and a legion of ancestors. IG: @alltheabove15  Meet our Guest! Makani Themba is Chief Strategist at Higher Ground Change Strategies based in Jackson, Mississippi. A social justice innovator and pioneer in the fields of change communications and community-led, justice-centered policy development, she has spent 30 years supporting organizations, coalitions and philanthropic institutions in developing high impact change initiatives. Higher Ground Change Strategies provides her an opportunity to bring her strong analytical skills, organizing knowledge and institution building expertise in support of organizations working to make powerful, transformative, vision-based change. IG: @hgchange Twitter: makani_themba To take advantage of the discount form this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click <a href="http://ourkindra.com/omi20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ourkindra.com/omi20</a> To Learn More about Us: <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a>

The Millennial Takeover!

“We are often ‘too busy’ to find time for solitude. And yet it is in the stillness that we also learn how to be with ourselves in a spirit of acceptance and peace. Then when we re-enter community, we are able to extend this acceptance to others. Without knowing how to be alone, we cannot know how to be with others and sustain the necessary autonomy.” --bell hooksWhat year this has been. It's feels glib to say that it's been hard, but it has been and it's been hugely transformative for us all. I have been personally struck by how deeply this year has held a mirror up to our relationships. The nature of our connections to each other, the ties that bind us, the opportunities for healing, and the ways that love shows up, old familiar love as well new surprising love. It's also been a time of isolation that has led to deep introspection around my own evolving identity, relationships, healing as well as my connection to other Black people navigating aging and menopause. This introspection sometimes felt like sitting at the bottom of the ocean with different version of myself, excavating treasures, reclaiming lost souls and committing to further healing and love. Other times I've felt like Alice in the looking glass falling into a rabbit hole of curiosity that led me to more questions -- more connections. This curiosity led me many places, one of them wanting to explore how Black women and femmes who don't live in the US are experiencing this portal we call menopause. In this last episode of Season 2 of The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, I had the great pleasure to interview Karen Arthur who lives in the UK and Monika Odum who lives in Germany. Karen is an ex teacher now Fashion Creative, private sewing tutor, stylist and speaker who has been sewing for over 40 years. In the past few years she has focused on creating beautiful clothing for women who appreciate hand crafted care and slow fashion. She has just started a new podcast “Menopause whilst Black” that centers the experiences of Black women in the UK in a bid to diversify this topic. Monika Odum is 50 years old with her roots growing from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Germany where she was born, raised and lives. She has a 33yrs plus work life as a nurse in a variety of backgrounds, mostly on the ICU and is currently teaching at a nursing school. She is a firm believer in ancestor wisdom and writes because she loves it. She dares to be average, as she thinks of the black superwoman stereotype as a form of oppression. She is also a guest/contributing writer for Rosa Mag. A quick word of thanks....I want to take a moment to thank all our listeners! So many of you, no matter your age, have listened to the podcast, shared the podcast and supported the podcast. We have grown in our listenership by over 200% in over 19 countries in 2020! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I also want to thank my producer Mariah M. for hanging in there with me as we figured out how to continue interviewing people while quarantining and navigating one of the most dynamic and challenging years of our lives. Thank you Mariah.... you are magic! We are going quiet for the rest of year and commit to bringing more stories, more voices, more laughter, more healing and more truths related to this menopause aging journey. Until then, be well and be safe. LoveOmiTo learn more about Karen Arthur and Menopause Whilst Black, Follow her on IG at @menopausewhilstblackTo learn more about Rosa Mag, check out Rosa Mag https://rosa-mag.de/To take advantage of the discount form this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click ourkindra.com/omi20

“We are often ‘too busy’ to find time for solitude. And yet it is in the stillness that we also learn how to be with ourselves in a spirit of acceptance and peace. Then when we re-enter community, we are able to extend this acceptance to others. Without knowing how to be alone, we cannot know how to be with others and sustain the necessary autonomy.” --bell hooks What year this has been. It's feels glib to say that it's been hard, but it has been and it's been hugely transformative for us all. I have been personally struck by how deeply this year has held a mirror up to our relationships. The nature of our connections to each other, the ties that bind us, the opportunities for healing, and the ways that love shows up, old familiar love as well new surprising love. It's also been a time of isolation that has led to deep introspection around my own evolving identity, relationships, healing as well as my connection to other Black people navigating aging and menopause. This introspection sometimes felt like sitting at the bottom of the ocean with different version of myself, excavating treasures, reclaiming lost souls and committing to further healing and love. Other times I've felt like Alice in the looking glass falling into a rabbit hole of curiosity that led me to more questions -- more connections. This curiosity led me many places, one of them wanting to explore how Black women and femmes who don't live in the US are experiencing this portal we call menopause. In this last episode of Season 2 of The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, I had the great pleasure to interview Karen Arthur who lives in the UK and Monika Odum who lives in Germany. Karen is an ex teacher now Fashion Creative, private sewing tutor, stylist and speaker who has been sewing for over 40 years. In the past few years she has focused on creating beautiful clothing for women who appreciate hand crafted care and slow fashion. She has just started a new podcast “Menopause whilst Black” that centers the experiences of Black women in the UK in a bid to diversify this topic. Monika Odum is 50 years old with her roots growing from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Germany where she was born, raised and lives. She has a 33yrs plus work life as a nurse in a variety of backgrounds, mostly on the ICU and is currently teaching at a nursing school. She is a firm believer in ancestor wisdom and writes because she loves it. She dares to be average, as she thinks of the black superwoman stereotype as a form of oppression. She is also a guest/contributing writer for Rosa Mag.  A quick word of thanks.... I want to take a moment to thank all our listeners! So many of you, no matter your age, have listened to the podcast, shared the podcast and supported the podcast. We have grown in our listenership by over 200% in over 19 countries in 2020! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I also want to thank my producer Mariah M. for hanging in there with me as we figured out how to continue interviewing people while quarantining and navigating one of the most dynamic and challenging years of our lives. Thank you Mariah.... you are magic! We are going quiet for the rest of year and commit to bringing more stories, more voices, more laughter, more healing and more truths related to this menopause aging journey. Until then, be well and be safe.  Love Omi To learn more about Karen Arthur and Menopause Whilst Black, Follow her on IG at @menopausewhilstblack To learn more about Rosa Mag, check out Rosa Mag <a href="https://rosa-mag.de/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://rosa-mag.de/</a> To take advantage of the discount form this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click <a href="http://ourkindra.com/omi20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ourkindra.com/omi20</a>

Sisters of the Yam

When I was in my late 20s, I felt like I was going through a tremendous identity shift and growth spurt. The shift was from a more conventional aspirtationally bougie identity of my early 20s to one that was seeking to find my authentic self. The self at home in this body and understanding the origins of my culture beyond these shores. I was a single mom, working full time in the non profit sector, had stopped relaxing my hair (i.e. cut off my hair and was growing my first set of locs) and was seeking a spiritual path and practice that was more African in nature. From the outside looking in, old friends and some family members were perplexed, confused and some were concerned. I can tell you that my mother was worried about me. What was I doing? Why was I changing in a way that looked so different? Who was I becoming and would there still be room for our connection and love? I assured her that this growth was not an abdication of my love for her, our family or our community. It was just more me trying to find and love more of me. All of me.   There are people who see it before you do. They see who you are trying to become. They see what is emerging, sometimes with struggle, sometimes with grace and they support you. They can be peers who look like you who are also on their own journey, they can be elders who have walked the path you are currently on or they can be the oddest of allies, so compelled by your emerging truth that they invest in your transformation. Either way, they are willing to bear witnesses to the makings of you. In this episode, we explore identity, healing, pleasure and activism with Ignacio Rivera.   Ignacio G Hutía Xeiti Rivera, M.A. who prefers the gender neutral pronoun, They, is an Activist, Writer, Educator, Sex(ual) Healer , Filmmaker, Performance Artist and Mother. Ignacio has over 20 years of experience on multiple fronts, including economic justice, anti-racist and anti-violence work, as well as mujerista, LGBTQI and sex positive movements. Their work is influenced by their lived experience of homelessness, poverty and sexual trauma. Ignacio’s work is also driven by the strengths of identifying as a survivor, transgender, Yamoká-hu/Two-Spirit, Black-Boricua-Taíno and queer.  Listening Advisory: There are parts of this episode where we discuss sexual trauma and abuse.   You can follow Ignacio on IG Here: @blkbrownred @heal2end For more information about Ignacio's works around healing trauma and pleasure, check out:  https://heal2end.org/home/  To take advantage of the discount from this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click:  ourkindra.com/omi20  To learn more about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, purchase our FIRST ZINE "Messages from the Menopausal Multiverse or buy merch, check us out at www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com  Love offerings are appreciated and accepted via cashapp, venmo or paypal: Cashapp: $omitutu Venmo: @omisade5 Paypal: omisadeburney@yahoo.com 

When I was in my late 20s, I felt like I was going through a tremendous identity shift and growth spurt. The shift was from a more conventional aspirtationally bougie identity of my early 20s to one that was seeking to find my authentic self. The self at home in this body and understanding the origins of my culture beyond these shores. I was a single mom, working full time in the non profit sector, had stopped relaxing my hair (i.e. cut off my hair and was growing my first set of locs) and was seeking a spiritual path and practice that was more African in nature. From the outside looking in, old friends and some family members were perplexed, confused and some were concerned. I can tell you that my mother was worried about me. What was I doing? Why was I changing in a way that looked so different? Who was I becoming and would there still be room for our connection and love? I assured her that this growth was not an abdication of my love for her, our family or our community. It was just more me trying to find and love more of me. All of me.  There are people who see it before you do. They see who you are trying to become. They see what is emerging, sometimes with struggle, sometimes with grace and they support you. They can be peers who look like you who are also on their own journey, they can be elders who have walked the path you are currently on or they can be the oddest of allies, so compelled by your emerging truth that they invest in your transformation. Either way, they are willing to bear witnesses to the makings of you. In this episode, we explore identity, healing, pleasure and activism with Ignacio Rivera.  Ignacio G Hutía Xeiti Rivera, M.A. who prefers the gender neutral pronoun, They, is an Activist, Writer, Educator, Sex(ual) Healer , Filmmaker, Performance Artist and Mother. Ignacio has over 20 years of experience on multiple fronts, including economic justice, anti-racist and anti-violence work, as well as mujerista, LGBTQI and sex positive movements. Their work is influenced by their lived experience of homelessness, poverty and sexual trauma. Ignacio’s work is also driven by the strengths of identifying as a survivor, transgender, Yamoká-hu/Two-Spirit, Black-Boricua-Taíno and queer. Listening Advisory: There are parts of this episode where we discuss sexual trauma and abuse.  You can follow Ignacio on IG Here: @blkbrownred @heal2end For more information about Ignacio's works around healing trauma and pleasure, check out:  <a href="https://heal2end.org/home/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://heal2end.org/home/</a> To take advantage of the discount from this episode's sponsor, KINDRA, click:  <a href="http://ourkindra.com/omi20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ourkindra.com/omi20</a> To learn more about the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, purchase our FIRST ZINE "Messages from the Menopausal Multiverse or buy merch, check us out at <a href="http://www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com</a> Love offerings are appreciated and accepted via cashapp, venmo or paypal: Cashapp: $omitutu Venmo: @omisade5 Paypal: omisadeburney@yahoo.com

Can I get a Witness?

Emergency Care Of Open Wounds/When It Hurts by Indigo  Calmly rinse the wound with copious amounts of cold tap water. This will significantly reduce the possibilities of infection. If available, use clean linen applied firmly against the wound to inhibit bleeding. If the pressure is not adequate, do it again. Another method allows the bottom of a stainless steel saucepan to be applied to the wound. The cold of the pan reduces swelling as well as bleeding. A poultice of mandrake berries can be of great use also, until further care can be offered.   Emergency Care Of Wounds That Cannot Been Seen  Hold the victim gently. Rock in the manner of a quiet sea. Hum softly from your heart. Repeat the victim's name with love. Offer a brew of red sunflower to cleanse the victim's blood &amp; spirit. Fasting &amp; silence for a time refurbish the victim's awareness of her capacity to nourish &amp; heal herself. New associations should be made with caution, more caring for herself.  Sassafras, Cypress and Indigo, Ntozake Shange  Where do the healing practices and wisdom of our ancestors live in your body? How do  you access them, claim them, reanimate them? For some of us that will look like activating personal practices that may only be extended to ourselves and our families. For others, it may look like a practice that is offered to the community to assist others who's way of activating their healing is through connecting with you. They are healers who become a facilitator, mentor and guides to access health and well being for our bodies, minds and spirits. They hold the identities of student, apprentice, teacher, master teacher and see their journey as a practitioner as ever evolving, dynamic and sacred.  Karen Rose is a healer.   In this episode, we explore the healing journey of Karen Rose. Trained in Eastern and Western Herbal Medicine, Master Herbalist, Karen M. Rose created an outlet for her teachings and healing modalities with the opening of Brooklyn-based Sacred Vibes Healing and Sacred Vibes Apothecary in 2002.  Her inspiration for this work began as a child in her native home of Guyana, where she was exposed to how African, Caribbean and Latin American traditions profoundly influenced plant medicine and community healing. The legacy of these lands is the foundation of Karen’s spiritual and healing practice.  Karen and her work have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including on The FEED, featuring culinary celebrity Marcus Samuelsson, the New York Times, Black Enterprise Magazine, Organic Life, and the New York Daily News. Aside from her dedication to healing, Karen is also a devoted mother of three, who she proudly believes are her best apprentices.  You can access Karen's healing and herbal offerings through her websites listed below:  https://www.sacredbotanicanyc.com/  http://www.sacredvibeshealing.com/ IG: @empresskarenmrose @sacredvibesapothecary  Learn more about The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause at www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause  Love offerings: Cashapp $omitutu Venmo: @omisade5  Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause

Emergency Care Of Open Wounds/When It Hurts by Indigo Calmly rinse the wound with copious amounts of cold tap water. This will significantly reduce the possibilities of infection. If available, use clean linen applied firmly against the wound to inhibit bleeding. If the pressure is not adequate, do it again. Another method allows the bottom of a stainless steel saucepan to be applied to the wound. The cold of the pan reduces swelling as well as bleeding. A poultice of mandrake berries can be of great use also, until further care can be offered.  Emergency Care Of Wounds That Cannot Been Seen Hold the victim gently. Rock in the manner of a quiet sea. Hum softly from your heart. Repeat the victim's name with love. Offer a brew of red sunflower to cleanse the victim's blood &amp; spirit. Fasting &amp; silence for a time refurbish the victim's awareness of her capacity to nourish &amp; heal herself. New associations should be made with caution, more caring for herself.  Sassafras, Cypress and Indigo, Ntozake Shange Where do the healing practices and wisdom of our ancestors live in your body? How do  you access them, claim them, reanimate them? For some of us that will look like activating personal practices that may only be extended to ourselves and our families. For others, it may look like a practice that is offered to the community to assist others who's way of activating their healing is through connecting with you. They are healers who become a facilitator, mentor and guides to access health and well being for our bodies, minds and spirits. They hold the identities of student, apprentice, teacher, master teacher and see their journey as a practitioner as ever evolving, dynamic and sacred.  Karen Rose is a healer.  In this episode, we explore the healing journey of Karen Rose. Trained in Eastern and Western Herbal Medicine, Master Herbalist, Karen M. Rose created an outlet for her teachings and healing modalities with the opening of Brooklyn-based Sacred Vibes Healing and Sacred Vibes Apothecary in 2002.  Her inspiration for this work began as a child in her native home of Guyana, where she was exposed to how African, Caribbean and Latin American traditions profoundly influenced plant medicine and community healing. The legacy of these lands is the foundation of Karen’s spiritual and healing practice. Karen and her work have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including on The FEED, featuring culinary celebrity Marcus Samuelsson, the New York Times, Black Enterprise Magazine, Organic Life, and the New York Daily News. Aside from her dedication to healing, Karen is also a devoted mother of three, who she proudly believes are her best apprentices. You can access Karen's healing and herbal offerings through her websites listed below:  <a href="https://www.sacredbotanicanyc.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.sacredbotanicanyc.com/</a> <a href="http://www.sacredvibeshealing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.sacredvibeshealing.com/</a> IG: @empresskarenmrose @sacredvibesapothecary Learn more about The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause at www.blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause  Love offerings: Cashapp $omitutu Venmo: @omisade5  Become a patron: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause</a>

Healing is your birthright

Things I remember about being 12...  Faded Glory jeans A terrible hair cut that took 2 years to grow out My parents got divorced Starting junior high school Being kissed for the first time Being pressured to have sex for the first time Starting my period  Starting a friendship that became a sisterhood that has lasted 41 years Wanting to be seen...  In this episode of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, I was able to connect my inner 12 year old with the inner 12 year old of feminist writer, activist and journalist Mona Eltahawy and share our journeys around identity, healing, reclamation, power, voice and story.   Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian award-winning columnist and international public speaker on Arab and Muslim issues and global feminism.  She is the author of two books "Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution," released April 2015, and "The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls" released in 2019. Mona was born on Aug. 1, 1967 in Port Said, Egypt and has lived in the U.K, Saudi Arabia and Israel. In November 2011, Egyptian riot police beat her, breaking her left arm and right hand, and sexually assaulted her and she was detained for 12 hours by the Interior Ministry and Military Intelligence. It was during that time that the Eqyptian Goddess Sekhmet revealed herself to Mona and became a part of her healing journey and further commitment to the destruction of patriarchy. Sekhmet is sun Goddess of war, destruction, plagues and healing. She has the head of a lion which is so appropriate given that Mona was born under the sign of Leo.   Mona's mission in life is to destroy the patriarchy! She is known for her ubiquitous  “Fuck the patriarchy”, feminist writings and tenacious spirit. Enjoy!  Listener Advisory Note: There is are parts of Mona's story that share her experience of being sexually assaulted by the Egyptian police.   Find out more ways to support Mona's work Here   Full Link: https://www.patreon.com/join/monaeltahawy Egypt's #Metoo movement Article Full Link: https://msmagazine.com/2020/08/02/finally-the-feminist-revolution-has-begun-egypts-metoo-moment/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=SocialWarfare

Things I remember about being 12... Faded Glory jeans A terrible hair cut that took 2 years to grow out My parents got divorced Starting junior high school Being kissed for the first time Being pressured to have sex for the first time Starting my period  Starting a friendship that became a sisterhood that has lasted 41 years Wanting to be seen... In this episode of the Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, I was able to connect my inner 12 year old with the inner 12 year old of feminist writer, activist and journalist Mona Eltahawy and share our journeys around identity, healing, reclamation, power, voice and story.  Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian award-winning columnist and international public speaker on Arab and Muslim issues and global feminism.  She is the author of two books "Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution," released April 2015, and "The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls" released in 2019. Mona was born on Aug. 1, 1967 in Port Said, Egypt and has lived in the U.K, Saudi Arabia and Israel. In November 2011, Egyptian riot police beat her, breaking her left arm and right hand, and sexually assaulted her and she was detained for 12 hours by the Interior Ministry and Military Intelligence. It was during that time that the Eqyptian Goddess Sekhmet revealed herself to Mona and became a part of her healing journey and further commitment to the destruction of patriarchy. Sekhmet is sun Goddess of war, destruction, plagues and healing. She has the head of a lion which is so appropriate given that Mona was born under the sign of Leo.  Mona's mission in life is to destroy the patriarchy! She is known for her ubiquitous  “Fuck the patriarchy”, feminist writings and tenacious spirit. Enjoy!  Listener Advisory Note: There is are parts of Mona's story that share her experience of being sexually assaulted by the Egyptian police.  Find out more ways to support Mona's work <a href="//Mona was born on Aug. 1, 1967 in Port Said, Egypt and has lived in the U.K, Saudi Arabia and Israel." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here </a> Full Link: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/join/monaeltahawy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/join/monaeltahawy</a> Egypt's #Metoo movement <a href="https://msmagazine.com/2020/08/02/finally-the-feminist-revolution-has-begun-egypts-metoo-moment/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=SocialWarfare" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Article</a> Full Link: <a href="https://msmagazine.com/2020/08/02/finally-the-feminist-revolution-has-begun-egypts-metoo-moment/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=SocialWarfare" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://msmagazine.com/2020/08/02/finally-the-feminist-revolution-has-begun-egypts-metoo-moment/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=SocialWarfare</a>

Between a rock and a hard place...

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” ― audre lorde    When I started this podcast last year, I started with a vision of centering the narratives of Black women around menopause and ageing that resonated with me. Of course that meant that as cisgender, Black, heterosexual woman born and raised in the American South I needed to check myself on the fact that menopause, and all of the complexities that comes with it and ageing, doesn't just happen to cis hetero women. If this was going to to truly be a liberatory healing space of transformation for all my siblings (and some nibblings too) on this journey, it's critical to include the voices and stories of those who identify as femmes, gender non-conforming, or non-binary as well. We all have a story to tell.  I am so honored and excited that my dear friend Mo George agreed to have conversation with me around how she experiences menopause as a queer butch lesbian. Enjoy!    Mo George  Monique George or Mo (as she is often called) is currently the Program Officer  for the NYC Equity Initiative at Open Society Foundations, where she co-manages a portfolio of $3 million dollars. She is also the cofounder of Workers 4 Racial Equity/W4 which launched in 2016 to address racial equity for black workers, as well as connect the issues of affordable housing with the issues of access to quality jobs.  Mo's over 25 years of organizing experience begun in college where she worked locally with NYPIRG on varies environmental issues. Upon graduation, Mo began working with SEIU Local 1199 for close to 10 years.   After leaving 1199, Mo moved on to become the Lead Organizer at the Empire State Pride Agenda, where she fought for the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. At Pride Agenda, Mo worked on various statewide campaigns including expanding their annual lobby day to over 1000 attendees and also being on the team that developed the organizing strategies that won Marriage Equality in New York State.   After moved on from Pride Agenda, Mo joined Community Voices Heard (CVH) as the New York Chapter Director of Organizing. As a proud product of public housing, she felt that her past work at CVH helped to preserve public housing, and the campaign won over $700 million towards that preservation during her tenure. Mo joined Picture The Homeless (PTH) as the Executive Director in January 2017. Mo's organizing work has led her from meetings at the White House, to becoming a Professional Fellow with the U.S. Department of State through their work with the Greater Lakes Consortium out of Toledo Ohio.   This work has allowed her to travel across Eastern Europe to places such as Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, to teach community organizing as well as learn about challenges facing varies Eastern European communities.  Mo holds her Bachelor’s degree in Black Studies from SUNY New Paltz and is completing her Master’s in Public Administration. When not working to save the world, she can be found reading a good book, traveling or just relaxing with her partner of over 10 years.    Check out our NEW website  https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/ Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause https://www.bonfire.com/store/black-girls-guide-to-surviving-menopause/  SUPPORT BGG2SM:   Patreon https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause?fan_landing=true Cashapp $omitutu Venmo @omisade5 Paypal omisadeburney@yahoo.com  BOLD https://boldorganizing.org/ Public Allies https://publicallies.org/

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” ― audre lorde  When I started this podcast last year, I started with a vision of centering the narratives of Black women around menopause and ageing that resonated with me. Of course that meant that as cisgender, Black, heterosexual woman born and raised in the American South I needed to check myself on the fact that menopause, and all of the complexities that comes with it and ageing, doesn't just happen to cis hetero women. If this was going to to truly be a liberatory healing space of transformation for all my siblings (and some nibblings too) on this journey, it's critical to include the voices and stories of those who identify as femmes, gender non-conforming, or non-binary as well. We all have a story to tell.  I am so honored and excited that my dear friend Mo George agreed to have conversation with me around how she experiences menopause as a queer butch lesbian. Enjoy!   Mo George Monique George or Mo (as she is often called) is currently the Program Officer  for the NYC Equity Initiative at Open Society Foundations, where she co-manages a portfolio of $3 million dollars. She is also the cofounder of Workers 4 Racial Equity/W4 which launched in 2016 to address racial equity for black workers, as well as connect the issues of affordable housing with the issues of access to quality jobs.  Mo's over 25 years of organizing experience begun in college where she worked locally with NYPIRG on varies environmental issues. Upon graduation, Mo began working with SEIU Local 1199 for close to 10 years.  After leaving 1199, Mo moved on to become the Lead Organizer at the Empire State Pride Agenda, where she fought for the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. At Pride Agenda, Mo worked on various statewide campaigns including expanding their annual lobby day to over 1000 attendees and also being on the team that developed the organizing strategies that won Marriage Equality in New York State.   After moved on from Pride Agenda, Mo joined Community Voices Heard (CVH) as the New York Chapter Director of Organizing. As a proud product of public housing, she felt that her past work at CVH helped to preserve public housing, and the campaign won over $700 million towards that preservation during her tenure. Mo joined Picture The Homeless (PTH) as the Executive Director in January 2017. Mo's organizing work has led her from meetings at the White House, to becoming a Professional Fellow with the U.S. Department of State through their work with the Greater Lakes Consortium out of Toledo Ohio.  This work has allowed her to travel across Eastern Europe to places such as Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, to teach community organizing as well as learn about challenges facing varies Eastern European communities.  Mo holds her Bachelor’s degree in Black Studies from SUNY New Paltz and is completing her Master’s in Public Administration. When not working to save the world, she can be found reading a good book, traveling or just relaxing with her partner of over 10 years.   Check out our NEW website  <a href="https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/</a> Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause <a href="https://www.bonfire.com/store/black-girls-guide-to-surviving-menopause/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bonfire.com/store/black-girls-guide-to-surviving-menopause/</a> SUPPORT BGG2SM:   Patreon <a href="https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause?fan_landing=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/blackgirlsguidetomenopause?fan_landing=true</a> Cashapp $omitutu Venmo @omisade5 Paypal omisadeburney@yahoo.com  BOLD <a href="https://boldorganizing.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://boldorganizing.org/</a> Public Allies <a href="https://publicallies.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://publicallies.org/</a>

My Sister's Keeper...

I’m so thankful for these stories/offerings/conversations coming out of this podcast.

Estatic!

This podcast is a breath of fresh air.  These are women you want to know and you want to be. I could listen to Omi’s soothing voice and all of the honesty and wisdom being shared in this forum all day.

Wow!!!!

Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause

" we would never leave you. we would never leave you here. we would never leave the world like this. that's why we put you here. you hear us? we put maps behind your eyes and over the entire sky. we put stories everywhere you stepped. but child services would have called it neglect."  Dub : Finding Ceremony, Alexis Pauline Gumbs  We all carry stories. Some of us like loose change absentmindedly left in a coat pocket. Others like an obedient acolyte carrying the sacred text of our grandmothers.  Oftentimes, the stories we carry don't even belong to us. They belong to a lost relative, an old lover, or a dear friend. We declare fealty to the stories handed down to us through our lineage. The stories shared in the kitchen, at the family reunion or the hushed tones of a death bed. They are precious, they are specters that haunt, they are us. As we are transformed by age and time, our stories are invited to evolve. New perspective and sometimes new information changes the tenor of what happened. We get to turn the story over in our hands and touch the backing---see the work that went into it.  No matter how we see it or how we treat it, it belongs to us and we are the star.  ----- In this episode of The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we talk with Courtney Reid-Eaton about stories. Her story, the stories of her parents and her immigrant grandparents and the ways in which narratives shift and morph without loosing integrity as we age. Courtney is a culture worker, creative engine, spouse, mother, and Black Feminist. She has been the exhibitions director at the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) since 2001, overseeing the selection, scheduling, curation, design, and installation of exhibits in all of the Center’s galleries and organizing related public programs; she also serves as the creative director of CDS’s pilot Documentary Diversity Project. In 2013, after attending her first anti-oppression workshop, she committed to pursuing an activist curatorial practice that primarily centers the work of people of color and women.  Courtney is also a visual artist, rooted in documentary expression, striving for an emancipatory practice that upends white supremacist frameworks. Her journey so far has taken her through theatre studies, work in magazine production, two children (now adults), a nonprofit community gallery, a documentary photography collective, a Montessori school, a transformative concentration at the Penland School of Crafts, to CDS, which continues to stretch and challenge her.  Episode Notes: Check out our NEW website! https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/ Wheel of Pleasure reference, https://www.instagram.com/afrosexology_/ , http://www.afrosexology.com/ One time love offerings can be sent to Cashapp, $omitutu Venmo, @omisade5 Paypal, omisadeburney@yahoo.com  To become a monthly sustainer of the BGG2SM, click the  SUPPORT link at our website, https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/ Please send your listener letters to decolonizingthecrone@gmail.com 

" we would never leave you. we would never leave you here. we would never leave the world like this. that's why we put you here. you hear us? we put maps behind your eyes and over the entire sky. we put stories everywhere you stepped. but child services would have called it neglect."  Dub : Finding Ceremony, Alexis Pauline Gumbs We all carry stories. Some of us like loose change absentmindedly left in a coat pocket. Others like an obedient acolyte carrying the sacred text of our grandmothers.  Oftentimes, the stories we carry don't even belong to us. They belong to a lost relative, an old lover, or a dear friend. We declare fealty to the stories handed down to us through our lineage. The stories shared in the kitchen, at the family reunion or the hushed tones of a death bed. They are precious, they are specters that haunt, they are us. As we are transformed by age and time, our stories are invited to evolve. New perspective and sometimes new information changes the tenor of what happened. We get to turn the story over in our hands and touch the backing---see the work that went into it.  No matter how we see it or how we treat it, it belongs to us and we are the star.  ----- In this episode of The Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause, we talk with Courtney Reid-Eaton about stories. Her story, the stories of her parents and her immigrant grandparents and the ways in which narratives shift and morph without loosing integrity as we age. Courtney is a culture worker, creative engine, spouse, mother, and Black Feminist. She has been the exhibitions director at the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) since 2001, overseeing the selection, scheduling, curation, design, and installation of exhibits in all of the Center’s galleries and organizing related public programs; she also serves as the creative director of CDS’s pilot Documentary Diversity Project. In 2013, after attending her first anti-oppression workshop, she committed to pursuing an activist curatorial practice that primarily centers the work of people of color and women. Courtney is also a visual artist, rooted in documentary expression, striving for an emancipatory practice that upends white supremacist frameworks. Her journey so far has taken her through theatre studies, work in magazine production, two children (now adults), a nonprofit community gallery, a documentary photography collective, a Montessori school, a transformative concentration at the Penland School of Crafts, to CDS, which continues to stretch and challenge her. Episode Notes: Check out our NEW website! <a href="https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/</a> Wheel of Pleasure reference, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/afrosexology_/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/afrosexology_/</a> , <a href="http://www.afrosexology.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.afrosexology.com/</a> One time love offerings can be sent to Cashapp, $omitutu Venmo, @omisade5 Paypal, omisadeburney@yahoo.com  To become a monthly sustainer of the BGG2SM, click the  SUPPORT link at our website, <a href="https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/</a> Please send your listener letters to decolonizingthecrone@gmail.com

The Star of a Story

“There she is. . . the “too much” woman. The one who loves too hard, feels too deeply, asks too often, desires too much.  There she is taking up too much space, with her laughter, her curves, her honesty, her sexuality. Her presence is as tall as a tree, as wide as a mountain. Her energy occupies every crevice of the room. Too much space she takes.  There she is causing a ruckus with her persistent wanting, too much wanting. She desires a lot, wants everything—too much happiness, too much alone time, too much pleasure. She’ll go through brimstone, murky river, and hellfire to get it. She’ll risk all to quell the longings of her heart and body. This makes her dangerous.  She is dangerous.  And there she goes, that “too much” woman, making people think too much, feel too much, swoon too much. She with her authentic prose and a self-assuredness in the way she carries herself. She with her belly laughs and her insatiable appetite and her proneness to fiery passion. All eyes on her, thinking she’s hot shit.  Oh, that “too much” woman. . . too loud, too vibrant, too honest, too emotional, too smart, too intense, too pretty, too difficult, too sensitive, too wild, too intimidating, too successful, too fat, too strong, too political, too joyous, too needy—too much.  She should simmer down a bit, be taken down a couple notches. Someone should put her back in a more respectable place. Someone should tell her." ---Ev’Yan Whitney  Mainstream white culture does not like rule breakers. Specifically, mainstream culture mocks, invisibilizes and punishes people who consistently live their truths out loud and challenge notions of white supremacy, patriarchy and misogyny. This is especially so for Black women and as we age, the politics of gender, race and identity are amplified by ageism. In this episode,  we explore what it takes to live a full and healthy life, out loud, with Nia Wilson.   Nia Wilson is a Sagittarius, child of the Orisa Oya, cultural organizer, healer and all around bad ass. She is also the Co-Director of SpiritHouse, a Black women-led Healing Justice organization that utilizes the framework of CPR (culture, practice and ritual) to work with communities impacted by systemic oppression to heal and identify community derived ways to keep each other safe. She is also learning (unlearning in some cases) what is means to be well, whole, happy, soft and cared for by her family and community.  For more information about SpiritHouse, click the link: https://www.spirithouse-nc.org/   Episode Notes:  Harlem, NY March 19th Tea and Toddies Event Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bgg2sm-and-bdac-presents-tea-and-toddies-tickets-95543191257 Ayanna Pressley video reference: https://theglowup.theroot.com/exclusive-rep-ayanna-pressley-reveals-beautiful-bald-1841039847 SpiritHouse Tribe Member Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs Black Feminist Breathing Meditation:  https://blackfeministbreathing.tumblr.com/post/172251240385/blackfeministbreathing-iexhale-collage-by Nap Ministry: IG @Thenapministry Blog https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/

“There she is. . . the “too much” woman. The one who loves too hard, feels too deeply, asks too often, desires too much. There she is taking up too much space, with her laughter, her curves, her honesty, her sexuality. Her presence is as tall as a tree, as wide as a mountain. Her energy occupies every crevice of the room. Too much space she takes. There she is causing a ruckus with her persistent wanting, too much wanting. She desires a lot, wants everything—too much happiness, too much alone time, too much pleasure. She’ll go through brimstone, murky river, and hellfire to get it. She’ll risk all to quell the longings of her heart and body. This makes her dangerous. She is dangerous. And there she goes, that “too much” woman, making people think too much, feel too much, swoon too much. She with her authentic prose and a self-assuredness in the way she carries herself. She with her belly laughs and her insatiable appetite and her proneness to fiery passion. All eyes on her, thinking she’s hot shit. Oh, that “too much” woman. . . too loud, too vibrant, too honest, too emotional, too smart, too intense, too pretty, too difficult, too sensitive, too wild, too intimidating, too successful, too fat, too strong, too political, too joyous, too needy—too much. She should simmer down a bit, be taken down a couple notches. Someone should put her back in a more respectable place. Someone should tell her." ---Ev’Yan Whitney Mainstream white culture does not like rule breakers. Specifically, mainstream culture mocks, invisibilizes and punishes people who consistently live their truths out loud and challenge notions of white supremacy, patriarchy and misogyny. This is especially so for Black women and as we age, the politics of gender, race and identity are amplified by ageism. In this episode,  we explore what it takes to live a full and healthy life, out loud, with Nia Wilson.  Nia Wilson is a Sagittarius, child of the Orisa Oya, cultural organizer, healer and all around bad ass. She is also the Co-Director of SpiritHouse, a Black women-led Healing Justice organization that utilizes the framework of CPR (culture, practice and ritual) to work with communities impacted by systemic oppression to heal and identify community derived ways to keep each other safe. She is also learning (unlearning in some cases) what is means to be well, whole, happy, soft and cared for by her family and community. For more information about SpiritHouse, click the link: <a href="https://www.spirithouse-nc.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.spirithouse-nc.org/</a> Episode Notes: Harlem, NY March 19th Tea and Toddies Event Tickets: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bgg2sm-and-bdac-presents-tea-and-toddies-tickets-95543191257" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bgg2sm-and-bdac-presents-tea-and-toddies-tickets-95543191257</a> Ayanna Pressley video reference: <a href="https://theglowup.theroot.com/exclusive-rep-ayanna-pressley-reveals-beautiful-bald-1841039847" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theglowup.theroot.com/exclusive-rep-ayanna-pressley-reveals-beautiful-bald-1841039847</a> SpiritHouse Tribe Member Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs Black Feminist Breathing Meditation:  <a href="https://blackfeministbreathing.tumblr.com/post/172251240385/blackfeministbreathing-iexhale-collage-by" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackfeministbreathing.tumblr.com/post/172251240385/blackfeministbreathing-iexhale-collage-by</a> Nap Ministry: IG @Thenapministry Blog <a href="https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/</a>

Being Well is Gonna Cost You

Many of us who follow astrology recall our first Saturn Return in our late 20's. Some people refer to your Saturn Return as a "cosmic rites of passage", a time period that happens between your 27th and 29th year of life and can last about 3 years (what fun). It is during that time that the planet Saturn returns to the the sign it was in the moment you were born. When it returns,  Saturn brings with it adulthood rites, lessons, questions, decisions and relationships. Saturn is the planet of life lessons that can break you down to show you what you are made of to build you back up into who you can be. This planet is not only about hard work, it is about mastery. This returning to core of your nature, the stuff you are made of, is no cake walk, however it is what you make of it. As with most things in the cosmic world, Saturn returns on a cycle and about 27-29 years after it's first visit, Saturn returns again (Oh hello there.....).Our second Saturn Return is a bit like a looking glass into the first. What do you see? What lessons did we learn there about identity, choices, relationships, career, etc.? How are those lessons resurfacing in both a retrospective as well as with new choices as to who we are while also being initiated into eldership?  What will this planetary transit offer us this time in our late 50's and will we be open to those lessons? In this episode of the Black Girls' Guide to Surviving Menopause, I had the distinct pleasure to speak with Barbara Jessie-Black who is entering her second Saturn Return. We talked about the lessons and gifts of this moment and how they connect to  her feelings around identity, relationships, openness and change. Barbara was in Berlin, West Germany and lived overseas until the age of 16, when her father’s last military tour brought the family to Ft. Gordon, GA. She received her BBA from Augusta University in Augusta, GA, before moving to North Carolina where she has lived since. During her 15 year career as a retail manager with a national retail chain, Barbara received her MBA from Meredith College, in Raleigh, NC and became co-founder of a not for profit organization whose mission it is to search for innovative ways to achieve socio-economic equalities in communities through holistic and entrepreneurship based education, to include education in “21st Century Jobs” technology and the STEM model.Currently, Barbara is the President/CEO of CommunityWorx, a 68-year old organization, whose mission it is to enrich lives by building collaborative partnerships and transforming charitable donations into educational and community investments. Barbara considers herself a “life-long student” of all things holistic and spiritual, with emphasis on how those concepts influence ones activism. She is fluent in German, a yoga enthusiast, and includes in her spiritual practice. " I found god in myself&amp; I loved her/I loved her fiercely”-- Ntozake Shange

Many of us who follow astrology recall our first Saturn Return in our late 20's. Some people refer to your Saturn Return as a "cosmic rites of passage", a time period that happens between your 27th and 29th year of life and can last about 3 years (what fun). It is during that time that the planet Saturn returns to the the sign it was in the moment you were born. When it returns,  Saturn brings with it adulthood rites, lessons, questions, decisions and relationships. Saturn is the planet of life lessons that can break you down to show you what you are made of to build you back up into who you can be. This planet is not only about hard work, it is about mastery. This returning to core of your nature, the stuff you are made of, is no cake walk, however it is what you make of it. As with most things in the cosmic world, Saturn returns on a cycle and about 27-29 years after it's first visit, Saturn returns again (Oh hello there.....). Our second Saturn Return is a bit like a looking glass into the first. What do you see? What lessons did we learn there about identity, choices, relationships, career, etc.? How are those lessons resurfacing in both a retrospective as well as with new choices as to who we are while also being initiated into eldership?  What will this planetary transit offer us this time in our late 50's and will we be open to those lessons?  In this episode of the Black Girls' Guide to Surviving Menopause, I had the distinct pleasure to speak with Barbara Jessie-Black who is entering her second Saturn Return. We talked about the lessons and gifts of this moment and how they connect to  her feelings around identity, relationships, openness and change. Barbara was in Berlin, West Germany and lived overseas until the age of 16, when her father’s last military tour brought the family to Ft. Gordon, GA. She received her BBA from Augusta University in Augusta, GA, before moving to North Carolina where she has lived since.  During her 15 year career as a retail manager with a national retail chain, Barbara received her MBA from Meredith College, in Raleigh, NC and became co-founder of a not for profit organization whose mission it is to search for innovative ways to achieve socio-economic equalities in communities through holistic and entrepreneurship based education, to include education in “21st Century Jobs” technology and the STEM model. Currently, Barbara is the President/CEO of CommunityWorx, a 68-year old organization, whose mission it is to enrich lives by building collaborative partnerships and transforming charitable donations into educational and community investments. Barbara considers herself a “life-long student” of all things holistic and spiritual, with emphasis on how those concepts influence ones activism. She is fluent in German, a yoga enthusiast, and includes in her spiritual practice.  " I found god in myself &amp; I loved her/I loved her fiercely”-- Ntozake Shange

When Saturn Returns, Again...

North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green drops blessings like ripe mango into our laps. Walls breathe a heavy sighs of relief as she shreds the puny narratives we have about who we are and our power to reanimate and reclaim our medicine... our magic. She calls forth specters who resemble our own shadows and reminds us that we can, that we have no choice but to reknit ourselves back together with the medicine that never left us. It sits at the back of our throats waiting for release. It burns. It illuminates. She says...“Medicine is dark and thick like blood” She asks...“Where does your creative medicine intertwine with your work?”She ponders...“How do you court your muse?”She chides...“An anorexic muse is a dying muse”She proclaims...“Medicine informs the muse, the muse informs the medicine. It is a sacred symbiotic relationship” Thank you Mama Jaki. I feel like I left my body several times during our conversation. Thank you for spoon feeding me back myself when I was 5 years old, wise and believed in my own magic.. And so it is on the dark side of the moon.

North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green drops blessings like ripe mango into our laps. Walls breathe a heavy sighs of relief as she shreds the puny narratives we have about who we are and our power to reanimate and reclaim our medicine... our magic. She calls forth specters who resemble our own shadows and reminds us that we can, that we have no choice but to reknit ourselves back together with the medicine that never left us. It sits at the back of our throats waiting for release. It burns. It illuminates. She says... “Medicine is dark and thick like blood” She asks... “Where does your creative medicine intertwine with your work?” She ponders... “How do you court your muse?” She chides... “An anorexic muse is a dying muse” She proclaims... “Medicine informs the muse, the muse informs the medicine. It is a sacred symbiotic relationship” Thank you Mama Jaki. I feel like I left my body several times during our conversation. Thank you for spoon feeding me back myself when I was 5 years old, wise and believed in my own magic.. And so it is on the dark side of the moon.

Gifts From The Oracle: The Muse and The Medicine 

Lionsgate Stardate 080819Sovereignty, Awakening, Creativity, Power, Prosperity, Portal, Stargate ... Infinity.It's Leo season and in this episode of The Black Girls Guide to Surviving Menopause, we are honored to share our interview with Leo Lana Garland with you! Lana Garland IS aperture.She is the portal through which our diverse narratives as Black folx can come through safe and intact. She uses her film camera and feline eyes to capture the shapes and stories that honors all of who we are, to honor our divinity. She bears witness to our sacred personhood with passion, integrity and care. She invites us to bear witness too. To view and experience what our divinity looks like when it is exalted and smooth or illegible and rough. She reminds us that our stories are worthy of being told and seen. She reminds us that we are worthy of love. Lana is a native of Philadelphia, Pa and has worked as a Creative Director, Director, and Writer/Producer in television and film in the US and Europe, creating content for HBO, BET, and ESPN in America, and TV2 in Denmark. In documentary film, Lana has freelanced on films such as Bowling For Columbine and HBO’s Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives. She is an NATPE Fellow, a Gordon Parks IFP screenwriting finalist, a Telly Award winner, and an Emerging Artists Award winner from the Durham Arts Council. Lana is Fulbright Specialist, having taught film at Makerere University in Uganda, and the film curator of the Hayti Heritage Film Festival @Hayti heritagefilmfestival and SummerStage @goldenbeltcampus Golden Belt in Durham, NC. Her documentary shorts series, The Reservoir, collects stories of Black people surviving and overcoming different types of trauma. Currently, she is working on a sci-fi webseries and is one of the producers on The Land of Fish &amp; Grits @landoffishngrits .Join us on the dark side of the moon....

Lionsgate Stardate 080819 Sovereignty, Awakening, Creativity, Power, Prosperity, Portal, Stargate ... Infinity. It's Leo season and in this episode of The Black Girls Guide to Surviving Menopause, we are honored to share our interview with Leo Lana Garland with you!  Lana Garland IS aperture. She is the portal through which our diverse narratives as Black folx can come through safe and intact. She uses her film camera and feline eyes to capture the shapes and stories that honors all of who we are, to honor our divinity. She bears witness to our sacred personhood with passion, integrity and care. She invites us to bear witness too. To view and experience what our divinity looks like when it is exalted and smooth or illegible and rough. She reminds us that our stories are worthy of being told and seen. She reminds us that we are worthy of love.  Lana is a native of Philadelphia, Pa and has worked as a Creative Director, Director, and Writer/Producer in television and film in the US and Europe, creating content for HBO, BET, and ESPN in America, and TV2 in Denmark. In documentary film, Lana has freelanced on films such as Bowling For Columbine and HBO’s Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives. She is an NATPE Fellow, a Gordon Parks IFP screenwriting finalist, a Telly Award winner, and an Emerging Artists Award winner from the Durham Arts Council. Lana is Fulbright Specialist, having taught film at Makerere University in Uganda, and the film curator of the Hayti Heritage Film Festival @Hayti heritagefilmfestival and SummerStage @goldenbeltcampus Golden Belt in Durham, NC. Her documentary shorts series, The Reservoir, collects stories of Black people surviving and overcoming different types of trauma. Currently, she is working on a sci-fi webseries and is one of the producers on The Land of Fish &amp; Grits @landoffishngrits . Join us on the dark side of the moon....

Aperture: Leo Season

What if? What if we fully embraced the changes that comes with passing of time? Changes in our bodies, intimate relationships, friendships, career paths, etc. What if we didn't view these changes as a bad thing to be feared? What if we shifted the narrative to explore the liberation and joy in this process of becoming something new? What if menopause is more than hot flashes and gray chin hairs? What if we are more than fluctuations in weight and our moods? What if.... We are sexyWe are creativeWe are lushWe are powerfulWe are reimaginingWe are reinventingWe are vulnerableWe are wiseWe are divineWhat if perimenopause or menopause wasn’t an ending, but a portal to the next sacred iteration of you?  What if? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.  https://anchor.fm/app

What if? What if we fully embraced the changes that comes with passing of time? Changes in our bodies, intimate relationships, friendships, career paths, etc. What if we didn't view these changes as a bad thing to be feared? What if we shifted the narrative to explore the liberation and joy in this process of becoming something new? What if menopause is more than hot flashes and gray chin hairs? What if we are more than fluctuations in weight and our moods? What if.... We are sexy We are creative We are lush We are powerful We are reimagining We are reinventing We are vulnerable We are wise We are divine What if perimenopause or menopause wasn’t an ending, but a portal to the next sacred iteration of you? What if? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. <a href="https://anchor.fm/app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://anchor.fm/app</a>

What if?

Delores Sanky “Mama Dee” Eaton was born June 30, 1930 in Montgomery, Alabama. My mother, Mary Kinsey Mcconner Burney, Ibaiye, was born 16 days later on July 16th that same year in Pitt County, North Carolina. Though born under different circumstances and realities in the American south, their paths in life were oddly similar. If you know anything about Cancerian women, you know they are fiercely protective of their loved ones, nurturing, emotional, affectionate, funny, trustworthy and steadfast. Having been raised by two Cancers as a fire sign, you would think I would have had an adverse reaction to all that watery moon mutability. But tell me what child doesn’t want to feel that their parents, especially their mother, thinks that they are the most special being in the world while reminding you that you have to move the furniture when you vacuum or the house isn’t really clean? What l also know about these two women is that they always rose above their circumstances and realities their entire lives to know more, to do better and to make a way for their children. They rose above Jim Crow south to attend college seeking to be educated to whole new worlds. They rose above gender norms and roles to boldly chart their own path in the world leaving the South behind for a period of time to experience the world on the west coast and in New York. They rose above conventional wisdom around marriage and partnership to autonomously choose their partners in love and life with their eyes wide open seeking radical love based on mutual trust, bold communication, respect and intelligence disregarding age or station. The same year my mother left this earthly realm, Delores "Mama Dee" Eaton became Che's teacher at her African-centered Sankofa Children's House. That year, she not only deprogrammed him from a terrible first year in public school, she pressed her loving wisdom and belief of his Black Genius into his 6 year old body. He is 27 years old now and that time, care and belief carried him all the way through to graduate from Howard University 4 years ago. Mama Dee not only bears witness to the truth of our brilliance and trauma, she speaks on it with white heat precision and eloquence. She has used her Cancerian magic to massage the poison of white supremacy out of the skin and spirit of our children and she replaced it with fierce protection and audacious joy. She is nurturer. She is warrior. She is teacher. She is love. I give thanks to have her in our lives and I continue to follow her amazing blueprint for always believing in and loving our people she has shared with me all those years ago. I’m honored that she agreed to be my first Crone interview.

Delores Sanky “Mama Dee” Eaton was born June 30, 1930 in Montgomery, Alabama. My mother, Mary Kinsey Mcconner Burney, Ibaiye, was born 16 days later on July 16th that same year in Pitt County, North Carolina. Though born under different circumstances and realities in the American south, their paths in life were oddly similar. If you know anything about Cancerian women, you know they are fiercely protective of their loved ones, nurturing, emotional, affectionate, funny, trustworthy and steadfast. Having been raised by two Cancers as a fire sign, you would think I would have had an adverse reaction to all that watery moon mutability. But tell me what child doesn’t want to feel that their parents, especially their mother, thinks that they are the most special being in the world while reminding you that you have to move the furniture when you vacuum or the house isn’t really clean?  What l also know about these two women is that they always rose above their circumstances and realities their entire lives to know more, to do better and to make a way for their children. They rose above Jim Crow south to attend college seeking to be educated to whole new worlds. They rose above gender norms and roles to boldly chart their own path in the world leaving the South behind for a period of time to experience the world on the west coast and in New York. They rose above conventional wisdom around marriage and partnership to autonomously choose their partners in love and life with their eyes wide open seeking radical love based on mutual trust, bold communication, respect and intelligence disregarding age or station. The same year my mother left this earthly realm, Delores "Mama Dee" Eaton became Che's teacher at her African-centered Sankofa Children's House. That year, she not only deprogrammed him from a terrible first year in public school, she pressed her loving wisdom and belief of his Black Genius into his 6 year old body. He is 27 years old now and that time, care and belief carried him all the way through to graduate from Howard University 4 years ago.  Mama Dee not only bears witness to the truth of our brilliance and trauma, she speaks on it with white heat precision and eloquence. She has used her Cancerian magic to massage the poison of white supremacy out of the skin and spirit of our children and she replaced it with fierce protection and audacious joy. She is nurturer. She is warrior. She is teacher. She is love. I give thanks to have her in our lives and I continue to follow her amazing blueprint for always believing in and loving our people she has shared with me all those years ago. I’m honored that she agreed to be my first Crone interview.

It’s Cancer Season! Meet Crone Delores “Mama Dee” Eaton! 

" Sister, You've been on my mind Sister, we're two of a kind So sister, I'm keepin' my eyes on you I betcha think I don't know nothin' But singin' the blues Oh sister, have I got news for you I'm somethin' I hope you think That you're somethin' too..."  Miss Celie's Blues, The Color Purple  WHAT DO OUR COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS SOUND LIKE? A laugh, greetings from old friends, sighs of understanding, tears of release and so much joy. Check out this clip from our very first intergenerational event in Washington,  DC  held at Calabash Tea and Tonics last fall. We co-hosted the event with DC native and community organizer/advocate Aja Taylor to a sold out room of Black women and femmes who were ready to talk to each other! 2020 will be the year we bring more intergenerational healing circle conversations to you where we talk about the same topics we explore on the podcast including change, pleasure, intimacy, vulnerability, love and life. We are kicking off 2020 with our first event in Harlem, NY on March 19th right in time for the vernal equinox!  Our co-host for this event is our movement and creative sister of the hear, Ebony Noelle Golden  who is the founder of Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative. Check the link! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bgg2sm-and-bdac-presents-tea-a… This is a BIPOC Space Only! See you March 19th Uptown! 

" Sister, You've been on my mind Sister, we're two of a kind So sister, I'm keepin' my eyes on you I betcha think I don't know nothin' But singin' the blues Oh sister, have I got news for you I'm somethin' I hope you think That you're somethin' too..." Miss Celie's Blues, The Color Purple WHAT DO OUR COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS SOUND LIKE? A laugh, greetings from old friends, sighs of understanding, tears of release and so much joy. Check out this clip from our very first intergenerational event in Washington,  DC  held at Calabash Tea and Tonics last fall. We co-hosted the event with DC native and community organizer/advocate Aja Taylor to a sold out room of Black women and femmes who were ready to talk to each other! 2020 will be the year we bring more intergenerational healing circle conversations to you where we talk about the same topics we explore on the podcast including change, pleasure, intimacy, vulnerability, love and life. We are kicking off 2020 with our first event in Harlem, NY on March 19th right in time for the vernal equinox!  Our co-host for this event is our movement and creative sister of the hear, Ebony Noelle Golden  who is the founder of Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative. Check the link! <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bgg2sm-and-bdac-presents-tea-and-toddies-tickets-95543191257?fbclid=IwAR0BYGZciyP7ZvJZk8_Z5LKOgJrw_d5rS8jQ4LtJhWUX-Q58E6MNNJDA_h4" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bgg2sm-and-bdac-presents-tea-a…</a> This is a BIPOC Space Only! See you March 19th Uptown!

Tea and Toddies

Hey Folks! The response to The Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause has been amazing! Thank you to all our new listeners and subscribers. We want to hear from you! Send us a listener letter to decolonizingthecrone@gmail and in the subject line put “LISTENER LETTER”. Your letters can be questions or thoughts that we can discuss with our guest host or they can be offerings the guide we will be creating. Either way, we want to share questions, thoughts and collective wisdom from you! We look forward to hearing from you on the dark side of the moon!

Listener Letters!

This is a new place. 52, divorced, one adult child, one preteen about to start middle school, parents gone, and reimagining what my work identity will be after 25 years of social justice work. It feels so foreign, exciting and scary. When did I arrive on the dark side of the moon? Am I alone here?There is so much ritual around your first period as a girl. Within in your family circle, culture and circle of friends, it seems like everyone is waiting the arrival of this marker-- the portal to womanhood. There are books like “Are you there God it’s me Margaret” and “Our Bodies, Ourselves. There is the painful 6th grade sex education class, training bras and the highly inaccurate information around what it is and what it will feel and look like from our peer group. There are no such things for women as they enter the white water of perimenopause to show you how to journey through to the end, to the other side of your cycle into cronehood. No dialogue about sex drive, weight gain, gray chin hairs (or any place else) ageing parents or parenting adult children, death, life, joy, life or learning. No reassurances that you are not crazy and there should be. This episode shares my personal journey and exploration around aging, menopause, the manifestation of Decolonizing the Crone and what people can expect in future episodes of The Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause. Our guest host is Angel Dozier of Be Connected Durham.

This is a new place. 52, divorced, one adult child, one preteen about to start middle school, parents gone, and reimagining what my work identity will be after 25 years of social justice work. It feels so foreign, exciting and scary. When did I arrive on the dark side of the moon? Am I alone here? There is so much ritual around your first period as a girl. Within in your family circle, culture and circle of friends, it seems like everyone is waiting the arrival of this marker-- the portal to womanhood. There are books like “Are you there God it’s me Margaret” and “Our Bodies, Ourselves. There is the painful 6th grade sex education class, training bras and the highly inaccurate information around what it is and what it will feel and look like from our peer group. There are no such things for women as they enter the white water of perimenopause to show you how to journey through to the end, to the other side of your cycle into cronehood. No dialogue about sex drive, weight gain, gray chin hairs (or any place else) ageing parents or parenting adult children, death, life, joy, life or learning. No reassurances that you are not crazy and there should be. This episode shares my personal journey and exploration around aging, menopause, the manifestation of Decolonizing the Crone and what people can expect in future episodes of The Black Girls’ Guide to Surviving Menopause. Our guest host is Angel Dozier of Be Connected Durham.

The Dark Side of the Moon 

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Best Non-Current Politics Podcasts

The best podcast episodes about true crime. For any thrill seeking podcast listeners who just can't get enough of the captivating stories of murderers and criminals. This topic has all the best episodes from many different true crime podcasts.  Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!