Blacktivities is where Black women gather to talk about life, history, and everything in between. It’s a celebration of Black culture, Black perspectives, and the shared experiences that shape how we move through the world.
With the perfect balance of humor and depth, Blacktivities connects Black America’s past to the present through conversations that are thoughtful, relatable, and sometimes nostalgic. We talk about everyday life, current issues, and cultural moments the way they’re actually discussed off-mic.
Hosted by Shannon, Lisa, and Karen, the show centers Black women’s voices while showing that no two experiences are the same. Different viewpoints, real dialogue, and honest reactions all live here.
If you enjoy smart conversations that don’t feel preachy, cultural commentary that still knows how to laugh, and a podcast that feels like home, welcome to Blacktivities.
Press play. Stay awhile.
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Blacktivities, a podcast by Shannon Chatmon, Talisa Hale, and Karen Roberts - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data
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Why Black Women Are Still Dying in Childbirth — The Truth About Black Maternal Health
Season 8 · Episode 8
Monday, April 20, 2026 • Duration 01:06:14
Black women are 2–3x more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women — and that gap exists regardless of income, education, or celebrity status. In this episode of Blacktivities, we trace the roots of the Black maternal health crisis from the experimental surgeries performed on enslaved women in the 1840s to the racial bias still showing up in delivery rooms today.
Hosts Shannon and Mona Lisa are joined by Tanessa, a certified full-spectrum doula, for an honest, culturally grounded conversation about why Black women aren't being heard in healthcare — and what we can do about it.
In this episode:
The disturbing history of J. Marion Sims, the "father of modern gynecology," and the enslaved Black women his career was built on
The weathering hypothesis — why Black women's bodies age faster biologically due to the cumulative stress of racism
Why a college degree won't protect you: how provider bias affects Black women at every income level
What a doula actually does — and why having one can reduce your C-section risk by up to 39%
Lotus births, home births, water births, and birthing centers — your options beyond the hospital
How to advocate for yourself if you can't afford a doula (hint: know your state's birth rights)
Why going to the hospital alone is one of the biggest risks Black women face
How herbalism and ancestral healing practices connect to modern holistic care
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Follow our Guest: Tanessa
@HarmoniaSanctuary
@MavenProductions423
@Tavernobeauty
@mysticmaven33
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:
Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
From Minstrel Shows to Memes: The History of Blackface in America
Season 8 · Episode 7
Monday, April 13, 2026 • Duration 40:52
From minstrel shows to modern politics — Shannon and KK break down the deep history of blackface in America, why it was never just entertainment, and why whiteface is not the mirror image people claim it is.
This past week, a blackface photo of a sitting Georgia state representative surfaced, and it sparked a response that hit every note of the classic "I'm not racist" playbook. The receipts are read and the hosts give their thoughts on his response.
In Big Facts, Shannon traces blackface from its roots in 1828, when Thomas Dartmouth Rice stole a dance from an enslaved man and built a minstrel empire, all the way through Hollywood's golden age, the birth of Jim Crow laws, and the documented ways minstrel stereotypes still shape how Black people are perceived today.
Then the conversation opens up: Druski's conservative woman skits, the Wayans Brothers' White Chicks defense, Jack Harlow going full R&B, and the difference between resistance and racism.
No Lisa this week, but Shannon and KK hold it down.
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Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:
Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices.
Black Men’s Mental Health: Why So Many Suffer in Silence
Season 8 · Episode 6
Monday, April 6, 2026 • Duration 01:04:37
In this episode of Blacktivities, the conversation shifts to something deeper—Black men’s mental health and the silence that often surrounds it.
Why don’t more Black men talk about what they’re going through?
Is it cultural… generational… or something bigger?
The hosts unpack the layers behind emotional suppression, stigma, and the expectations placed on Black men to always be strong. Also, Dr. Camillia Harris, founder of justUs, HM, shares how her father's death prompted her to create the organization and host black men's mental health conferences nationwide.
This isn’t just a conversation—it’s a call to understand, to listen, and to create space.
What We Discuss
Why many Black men struggle to express emotions
The cultural expectation of strength vs. vulnerability
How silence becomes survival—and isolation
The role of community, family, and relationships
What it actually looks like to create safe spaces for Black men
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Breaking Down Black Stereotypes: History, Truth, and Misconceptions
Season 8 · Episode 5
Monday, March 30, 2026 • Duration 51:49
You've probably heard all the stereotypes, but where do they come from and is there some truth to any of them?
In this episode of Blacktivities, Shannon, Lisa, and KK discuss common stereotypes about Black people and ask a simple question: are they BIG Facts, BIG Lies, or more complicated than we think?
From tipping culture and timeliness to swimming, food, and social habits, the conversation blends humor with historical context to unpack where these stereotypes come from and why they persist today.
Key Topics:
The origins of tipping culture in America
Cultural vs. systemic explanations behind stereotypes
Access, history, and generational impact
How stereotypes are formed and reinforced
Why Black identity is not one-size-fits-all
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What the Black Family Survived — And Why It Still Stands
Season 8 · Episode 4
Monday, March 16, 2026 • Duration 46:39
The conversation about the Black family always starts in the middle. On this episode of Blacktivities, Shannon, KK, and Mona Lisa go all the way back to the beginning — and what they find rewrites everything.
The Black family's structure wasn't random. It was shaped by centuries of slavery, post-emancipation terror, discriminatory policy, mass incarceration, and a welfare system designed to penalize two-parent households. Shannon delivers the Big Facts, the hosts unpack the history, and then they talk about where we go from here.
📚 BIG FACTS This Episode:
Enslaved marriages had no legal recognition — children could be sold from their parents at any time with no recourse
After emancipation, freed Black people immediately began placing newspaper ads to find children who had been sold away — family always mattered
The 1965 Moynihan Report labeled Black family structure 'pathological,' shifting public narrative away from systemic causes and onto the community itself
War on Drugs mandatory minimums systematically removed Black men from households
Some welfare policies penalized the presence of adult men in the home, deepening economic instability
Extended kin networks, fictive family, multi-generational households, and the Black church all became survival structures — not dysfunction
The nuclear suburban family ideal was post-WWII — and it was never universally accessible or the only valid family structure
💬 The Conversation Goes Deep:
Did forced breeding during slavery leave an epigenetic mark on how Black men show up in families today?
Why does the 'broken family' label stick to us when every culture has family challenges?
Diaspora wars, gender wars, and the strategy of keeping us divided
The village is gone — and what we lose when communal accountability disappears
Vetting partners with intention and building legacy on purpose
Resources:
Black Books & Literature: Identity, Access, and Book Bans
Season 8 · Episode 3
Monday, March 2, 2026 • Duration 51:57
There was a time in the U.S. when Black people could be punished for learning to read. Today, books by Black authors are among the most challenged in schools. In this episode, we talk about Black literature, how it shapes identity, and why access to our stories has always mattered.
In this episode we discuss:
Anti-literacy laws during slavery and why literacy was seen as “dangerous”
Frederick Douglass (1845) and Harriet Jacobs (1861) as examples of early Black narrative documentation
The Harlem Renaissance (Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston)
Why representation in books matters for identity development
Modern book bans and what it means when access to stories is restricted
Keisha’s recommendations across genres, plus why “listening is still reading”
Listener question: What’s the first Black book that made you feel seen?
Guest: Keisha Green
Instagram: @plantedbookedrooted
📚 Keisha’s Recommendations:
- Fast by Millie Belizaire https://a.co/d/032SKqAK
- Gravity by AshleyNicole https://a.co/d/00tISPDN
- Dominion by Addie E Citchens https://a.co/d/02W15LfX
- Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward https://a.co/d/0h2K27c8
- Last Stop From Innocence by Takerra Allen https://a.co/d/05MYnhi9
- Secret World of Maggie Grey by Granger https://a.co/d/0d1tjGKG
- Losin' Control by Ladii Nesha https://a.co/d/0b6w8vlP
- Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby https://a.co/d/084XkbG4
- Savvy Summers by Sandra Jackson-Opaoku https://a.co/d/0iXHNezx
Black Joy Is Resistance
Season 8 · Episode 2
Monday, February 23, 2026 • Duration 44:07
When Black stories get told, the spotlight usually lands on struggle, trauma, and survival. This week on Blacktivities, Shannon and Mona Lisa (with KK joining mid-episode) center what often gets left out: Black joy. The cookout laughter. The line dancing. The group chat jokes. The deep exhale that reminds us we are still here.
In “Big Facts,” Shannon traces Black joy from slavery to the Jim Crow era and beyond, showing how music, movement, community, and recreation weren’t “extras.” They were survival. Then the hosts unpack why Black joy can make people uncomfortable, the difference between happiness and joy, and how protecting your joy is part of protecting your humanity.In This Episode
Join the Conversation
How do you define Black joy?
What are your favorite Black joy memories (funny ones included)?
Drop a comment. We read them and respond, and we may feature your responses in a future bonus episode.
Support the Show
If you enjoyed this episode, follow/subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.
Share this episode with a friend who needs a reminder to breathe and laugh.]
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Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:
Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices.
What Was the Education System Really Built For? | Black Kids, Big Facts, & Hard Truths
Season 8 · Episode 1
Monday, February 9, 2026 • Duration 01:03:25
Right now in this country, black students are more likely to be suspended, mislabeled, and denied access to advanced opportunities. But the question isn’t whether black kids can learn. The real question is what the education system was actually designed to do.
In the season eight premiere of Blacktivities, we break down the history and present-day realities of American education and how its original design still impacts black students today. From slavery-era laws banning literacy, to segregation, to modern book bans, the end of affirmative action, and the rise of school vouchers, we connect the dots between past and present.
This episode’s Big Facts unpack how public education was built to train workers, maintain social order, and protect power, not to develop everyone equally. We also discuss discipline gaps, special education labeling, curriculum control, and why “choice” policies often leave black kids behind.
Then we get into the real conversation:
Is school failing black kids, or are we expecting it to do something it was never built to do?
What responsibility do parents and communities have outside the classroom?
Should traditional schooling still be the primary path to success?
What are the alternatives, and how do we prepare our kids for a system that wasn’t designed for them?
If you care about black children, education, and telling the truth without sugarcoating it, this conversation is for you.
🎧 Listen, share, and join the conversation.
📣 Drop a comment and tell us: What’s something school never taught you that you had to learn later?
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Unmasked: Safe Spaces, DEI, and Being Our Authentic Selves
Season 7 · Episode 7
Monday, August 4, 2025 • Duration 43:52
In Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem “We Wear the Mask,” he wrote of a smile that “grins and lies” referring to our inability to show our authentic selves and feelings. This week on Blacktivities, we talk about what it means to take off the mask—especially while moving through workplaces and the world. Shannon, Lisa, and KK talk finding safe spaces, what diversity and inclusion was supposed to look like, and how culture and food can bring people together.
We also share our own “unmasking” moments, from podcasting to showing up more authentically at work, plus a hilarious conversation about why Carnival Cruise thinks y’all are doing too much.
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Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:
Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, , visit .
I’m Not One of Your Little Friends: Why So Many of Us Need Therapy Now
Season 7 · Episode 6
Monday, July 28, 2025 • Duration 36:34
In this episode of Blacktivities, Shannon, Lisa, and KK unpack the parenting phrases we grew up hearing—and how many of them still echo in our adult lives and therapy sessions. From “Because I said so” to “I brought you in this world, I can take you out,” we’re talking about how generational trauma gets passed down, sometimes biologically, and how we’re working to break the cycle for the next generation.
We dive into:
Common phrases Black parents said—and what they really meant
The mental health gap in the Black community and why so few seek therapy
Epigenetics: how trauma gets passed through generations
Shifting from survival-based parenting to emotionally healthy communication
Why Black folks need therapy, support, and permission to grow
Plus, Mona Lisa delivers a beautiful off-the-cuff poetic moment about Black motherhood and resilience. And of course, we leave you with powerful calls to action for the culture.
CALL TO ACTION:
Let’s talk—what’s something your parents used to say that stuck with you (for better or worse)? Drop a comment, DM us, or leave a review.
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:
Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
9. Black People & Dogs — Pacific Standard The People Who Are Scared of Dogs (cites research by psychologist Dr. L. Kevin Chapman)
Want to go even deeper? Check out these books:
"Forked: A New Standard for American Dining" — Saru Jayaraman (tipping history)
"Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America" — Jeff Wiltse
"Sundown Towns" — James W. Loewen
"Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine" — Adrian Miller
Copyright 2022-2026 Black Panache, LLC
Healing your own baggage before building something new
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:
Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Brennan Center for Justice — Race, Mass Incarceration, and the Disastrous War on Drugs
Banned Book List: https://pen.org/book-bans/
Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!
Other Ways to Join in the Blacktivities:
Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Zinn Education Project – “April 7, 1831: Virginia Literacy Ban Enacted” (on Virginia’s anti‑literacy law for enslaved and free Black people after Nat Turner’s rebellion, and why white lawmakers feared Black literacy).
National Humanities Center – “Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs: American Slave Narrators” (overview of slave narratives written by Douglass and Jacobs, and how first‑person accounts by enslaved people documented slavery from the inside).
Margo Anderson & Robert A. Margo – “Race and Schooling in the South: A Review of the Evidence” (National Bureau of Economic Research; documents rapid gains in Black literacy after emancipation and majority literacy by around 1900).
Encyclopaedia‑style overview of the Harlem Renaissance and Black literature (for context on Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Beloved, and Morrison’s 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature as the first Black woman laureate).
PEN America – “The 10 Most Banned Books of the 2021–2022 School Year” (on thousands of school book bans since 2021 and frequently banned titles including The Bluest Eye and The Hate U Give).
Smith College – “The Role of Fictional Narratives in Adolescent Identity Formation” (research on how stories and representation in books shape identity, belonging, and self‑concept in young readers).
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.
