Unerased | Black Women Speak

Black women speak in a myriad voices, capturing a wide range of experiences, issues and interests. Our podcast Unerased, is like a seat at the kitchen table where intimate, honest and common threads get sewn. Our audio adventures explore topics sometimes top of mind, other times unspoken, but always invoking ideas and opinions for, by and about Black women. Each 30-minute episode connects with causes and change agents – literally giving voice and inviting our company. Mashups, conversations and culture pop engagements leave you wanting for more.

Big Summer Beach Reads 06/22/2022

Big Summer Beach Reads Summertime and the reading is easy. As work slows and we flock to the beach, lakes, and pools, a great beach read should be right beside sunscreen and a cool drink. Our season finale episode brings together editors, authors, and bookstore lovers to talk about Summer escape, reading lists and the delicious ease of getting lost in characters and stories across all genres. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/23506022

Wading in the Weeds 06/08/2022

Wading in the Weeds Mary J, joint, reefer, jah, pot, herb, weed…No matter what you call it, cannabis is enjoying a make-over, decriminalized coast to coast and legalized in 38 states for medical use. In the recreational space, big profits are also being reaped. But Black folks have paid the heaviest price in the government’s racialized war on drugs that exacted marijuana possession as the entry level for mass incarceration. This episode wades into the weeds with Black women exploring stigma, culture, health and business opportunities. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/23363807

The Expat Experience: No Place Like Home 05/25/2022

The Expat Experience: No Place Like Home Surely, Black people began dreaming beyond the American shoreline soon after their arrival. Centuries later, spurred by racist policies, a need for political and professional affirmation, and an expanded worldview following World War 1, Black people began an exodus to build lives in other countries, with different languages, and new possibilities. In this episode, we center the Black woman expatriate—growing in numbers in recent years—and the experiences that led her elsewhere. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/23223500

Beating Back The Blues 05/11/2022

Beating Back The Blues The Blues have been memorialized in books, films, and music. But feeling the blues, or depression, has been a taboo topic for centuries. Even as the stigma is lifted in some corners, millions of people worldwide fail to identify the symptoms, suffer in silence, or are unable to find a good, sustainable solution to the problem. In this episode, we explore the blues and introduce three powerful and accomplished women who have battled depression. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/23075321

All That Jazz 04/27/2022

All That Jazz Birthed between Bourbon and beignets, jazz is, as Nina Simone once said, Black classical music. An art formed from sporadic instrumentation, bodies moving freely, and soul. It is the mother of pop, Hip Hop, funk, R&B, and more. As we bid farewell to National Jazz Month we celebrate it with the voices of the women who are preserving and shaping the music today. What does it take to archive America’s classical music and who are the unknown women who built it and will carry it forward? /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/22928546

Legacy and Voice: A Tribute to Valerie Boyd 04/13/2022

Legacy and Voice: A Tribute to Valerie Boyd Valerie Boyd entered life’s stage as an old soul with Zen-like calm and pointed yet quiet grace. Her commitment to raise the voices of Black women pierced through the silence of history, demanding that the world listen closer to us all. She was a researcher, writer, documentarian and the definitive biographical voice on Zora Neale Hurston. In this week’s episode, we pay tribute to her life, her legacy, and her love. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/22782344

Poised For Power: Midterm Voting Matters 03/23/2022

Poised For Power: Midterm Voting Matters Many issues that may shape the political and cultural future of the country are on ballots in the 2022 midterm elections in November. This episode of Unerased is dedicated to exploring the issues that will affect Black women. We will also examine the historical significance of the Black female vote and why it is imperative in 2022. Our guests represent thought-leading political education organizations who will offer perspectives on matters that must be kept front-and-center in this year’s election. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/22542764

Black Women Liberators 03/09/2022

Black Women Liberators On the heels of Black History Month, this episode recounts both the heroic and tragic circumstances of enslavement: not merely regarding self-determined liberation prior to 1865, but also incidents of debt enslavement that persisted in America’s Deep South well into the 1970s. If none of us are free until all of us are free, the invisible chains of our bondage linger still. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/22390157

Shades of Colorism 02/23/2022

Shades of Colorism In this episode, we offer candid conversation about the lingering scourge of colorism among melanated people, both here in the United States and across the globe. This esoteric scale of beauty extends much further into areas of economic and social mobility, self-worth, and community acceptance. Our guests ask you, the audience, to deeply consider how we–as individuals and on the institutional level–must take responsibility for ending this defeatist practice and do the hard work of healing the generational trauma that colorism causes. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/22228880

She Wrote The Book 02/09/2022

She Wrote The Book In this new segment premiere, we provide an inside look at all aspects of the reading and writing communities: established authors, would-be authors, editor/publishers, and book club organizers. If diving into a good book is your personal passion, listen to these women tell you how that bright idea turns into a tangible product, and the hurdles that must be overcome to get it into your hands. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/22075667

Let's Talk About Sex (Work) 01/26/2022

Let's Talk About Sex (Work) /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/21903032

Breast Cancer Vigilance 01/12/2022

Breast Cancer Vigilance Moving beyond the hoopla and pink ribbons of October, we explore the elevated life-threatening stakes for Black women in detecting and fighting breast cancer, through the voices of women at various points of their own personal journeys. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/21751745

The Best of Unerased 12/22/2021

The Best of Unerased Producers of the Unerased podcast got together for end of year reflections, looking back to move forward. Along the way, they pulled out some seminal conversations from the 2021 season. Over a virtual feast of shrimp and grits and audio treasures host/audio producer Carolyn Malachi, coordinating producer Stephanie Renee’ and executive producer/creator Gwen McKinney explored our body, our temple; the art of beauty; the economics of aging and reparations. Join us for a toast of the season! /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/21572357

Labor Pains — Unions, Yes! 12/01/2021

Labor Pains — Unions, Yes! The global pandemic national lockdown transformed work as we knew it, creating the “great resignation.” /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/21337400

Women Making Media 11/17/2021

Women Making Media This episode embraces the raison d’etre of Unerased | Black Women Speak. No one can tell us what to say, how to say it, write it, or when we Scream, Stream, Blog, Record it. We’ve sounded our drums for centuries, before a printing press or radio airwaves existed. This show celebrates our narrative, stories and content conceived by, for and about Black women. In the spirit of patriots, pathfinders, poets, publishers and scribes — listen up! /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/21193082

Reparations — Beyond Acres and the Mule 10/20/2021

Reparations — Beyond Acres and the Mule How can you measure the damage from four centuries of bondage and soul pillage? What is the price tag on the sustained striping of our agency and possibilities? Blacklisting. Redlining. Whitewashing. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/20877935

Pennies, Paychecks and Plans — The Economics of Aging 09/08/2021

Pennies, Paychecks and Plans — The Economics of Aging Episode 16 takes a sober look at how older Black women carry the triple jeopardy of racism, sexism and ageism—especially from our wallets. We tap into our soon-to-be launched Primetime55+ campaign saluting older Black women, who are masterful at what they do. We are also joined by younger counterparts who plan to embrace the inevitable journey of aging with grace, wisdom and reverence. We close with a debut of a new theme song that embodies our spirit and mission. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/20412080

Reproductive Justice – From Past, Possibilities and Enlightened Policies 08/30/2021

Reproductive Justice – From Past, Possibilities and Enlightened Policies Mississippi civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer once described the hysterectomy without her consent as a Mississippi appendectomy. Black maternal death in the U.S. is the highest rate in the developed world – and the toll is rising. Black women are more determined than ever to strip away gross structural racism and push for policies that affirm our right to the full ownership of our bodies within ourselves, our children and the communities we inhabit. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/20305760

Preconception Health – Our Life Cycle From the Womb to the Tomb 08/04/2021

Preconception Health – Our Life Cycle From the Womb to the Tomb If maladies like fibroid tumors, preterm birth, or maternal death are the window into our life cycle, preconception health is the house that contains the burdens, opportunities and realities of our health outcomes before, during and prior to birth -- whether we decide to conceive at all. We meet health professionals and equity advocates who share insights and tackle the complex labyrinth with overlapping birth, life and health consequences. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/20033606

Fibroids the Female Curse. Period. 07/18/2021

Fibroids the Female Curse. Period. We begin with an exploration of fibroid, uterine tumors swirling in more questions than answers. With little info on cures or causes, Black women are plagued with the benign tumors three times more frequently than White women. We kickoff this trilogy with the White Dress Project in marking July as Fibroid Awareness Month. Two project leaders join us to share their personal journey, confront myths, & propose action that breathe hope and unity into a condition that we once suffered in silence and alone. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/19845704

No Place Like Home 04/30/2021

No Place Like Home From urban cities to rural landscapes, the U.S. crisis of the unhoused is yet another pandemic. It’s estimated that nearly 200,000 people sleep on the streets every night and countless more are invisible, on the brink of foreclosures or evictions, dwelling in substandard housing or resorting to vehicular shelters. While this episode makes plain the national dilemma, we share stories about defying gentrification, beating the odds and tapping into the indomitable spirit that makes a way out of no way. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/18925421

Banking on the Unbanked 04/19/2021

Banking on the Unbanked Living wages, pay equity and business ownership are critical to economic power for Black women and the Black community. The longstanding reality of Black women as the principal earner for her family has intensified. Add to this the sprint to cryptocurrencies and cashless exchanges. Tossed into the unbanked of our economic and social structures, Black women are resilient workers and creative earners. This episode takes a peek at the status quo and provides insight into new century banking and finance. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/18784712

The Art of Beauty – Owning Our Image 04/12/2021

The Art of Beauty – Owning Our Image The mirror reflects only what it sees – strength and power or insecurities that we hide. For centuries, external forces have rendered Black women subhuman in the foils of Mammy, Jezebel, tragic mulatto or emasculating beast. External forces notwithstanding, Black women have pushed back and are embracing a revolution. We are also embracing our images with natural hair and rainbow hues on screen, becoming wiser beauty consumers and resisting powers that would diminish and define who we are. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/18691694

If You're Black Get Back 02/22/2021

If You're Black Get Back The history of Black resistance & survival is often contorted and swept quietly into corners of internalized racism. This virtual dinner party goes in many directions, brings heat & light along with shared appreciation. We convened an intergenerational sister circle to reflect on on everything; from anti-Blackness to bootstrap respectability, to mass incarceration to social justice marketing. Our guests also react to words and wisdom of Vivan Nixon and Nat Chioke Williams, guests from previous episodes. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/18040718

The Power in Our Magic 02/08/2021

The Power in Our Magic The 2010s saw passage of the ACA, the second inauguration of President Obama, marriage equality become a Constitutional right, protests for Black Lives and a swift whitelash with the 2016 election. Intersectionality is the meal from which we all eat – the entree, the sides and dessert. This week's dinner party guests listen to Susan Taylor, Deon Haywood and Adrienne Shropshire. The conversation takes us from AIDS stigma to Black people's hesitance to healthcare to the hope of a Governor Stacey Abrams. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/17864732

Making A Difference 02/03/2021

Making A Difference The election season is one for the history books. We’ve scored significant firsts, and at the top of the list Kamala Harris wears the title MVP. Black women’s voting power remains an undeniable force. Our dinner party guests – a sister, an aunt, a grandmother – break bread at our kitchen table and react to Glynda Carr and Julianne Malveaux taking a stab at nailing our voting behavior. Their reactions, traveling across generations, give light to politics, possibilities and our power. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/17803796

Navigating the Bars Beyond the Cage 11/11/2020

Navigating the Bars Beyond the Cage The threads that weave the human story of mass incarceration of women are complex, often tangled in a legacy of abuse and injustice behind and beyond the prison walls. The tropes and caricatures are so different from the limitations confronting men. They follow formerly incarcerated women into the “free world” as they confront intractable barriers to economic and civic engagement that defy the notion of “returning citizens.” /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/16763486

Health Care, Self-Care, Who Cares -- for Us? 11/11/2020

Health Care, Self-Care, Who Cares -- for Us? From in utero, to cradle, to grave, Black women suffer gross health disparities that are rampant externally, but also live in our bones. Our guests interrogate myths and perceptions about the Black super woman. For generations we’ve been bold and resilient, even as our bodies endure the racist structures that have created a public health crisis. Insights, affirmations and tips defy the obstacles and embrace the opportunities to Black women’s health and self-care. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/16763426

She, Her, They, Us 11/11/2020

She, Her, They, Us This episode gives voice to opening up and coming to terms with identities (and non-identities) that paint the rich mosaic of the Black woman’s realities in the long and continued march to democratic inclusion. Unfettered dialogues with trans, queer and hetero Black women give heat and light to the quest for a landing space on common ground that declares Ain’t I A Woman. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/16763030

Power Generations 09/03/2020

Power Generations Going into the Presidential election Black women are generally a united front. But in the cultural sphere, deep gulfs separate Boomers from Millennials. Mores, technology, perceptions and expectations carve a divide and In the middle, GenXers (41 – 55), straddling between the Boomers (56 -76) and Millennials (24-39), seek paths to build upon Black women’s unity and collective power. Our cross-generational conversation will explode myths and embrace common ground that will take us to November 3. /episode/index/show/srpunerasedpodcast/id/15871796

Unerased | Black Women Speak

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