Dem Black Mamas answers all the questions yo mama won't! From sex & dream chasing to adulting & raising free Black children, Crystal Tennille Irby, NeKisha Killings, & Thea Monyee, three #BlackMamaCreatives give you all the #BlackMamaMagic your heart can hold.
This is for Black girls/women who need an auntie. This is for Black Mamas who believe healing is a form of generation wealth. This is for Black girls/women who believe creativity is tool for liberation. This is for Black mamas who believe motherhood is not the graveyard of dreams.
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What if I told you much of the growth our children may need to show up in the ways we’re nurturing them to show up comes through falling in love? When we tell our children not to focus on love, are we parenting out of fear? What message does that send to our children about the priority to place on intimate relationships, and what generational impact does that have on our culture? How do we raise children who know how to love?
In this raw and reflective episode, we take a deep dive into the Netflix series 'Forever,' using it as a powerful springboard to unpack the complexities of Black motherhood, teenage love, and generational parenting. We’re talking parenting fears, the tightrope between nurturing and protecting our babies, and the real-life challenges that come with raising Black teens in a world that doesn’t always love them back. Y'all know us! So honest storytelling, aha moments, and of course, plenty of laughter and love.
We also get into: ✨The roots of catastrophic parenting styles and the fear of raising fuck boys ✨How generational trauma shows up at the dinner table (and in the group chat) ✨Teaching our children vulnerability & letting go ✨Why was Keisha’s Daddy so triggering
PLUS - Crystal gives a s/o to Mara Brock Akil for putting text on the screen, NeKisha questions Crystal is good at training real dogs or Ques, and Thea offers advice on how to live like we'll survive this moment in time. In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is “Let Me Hush Though.”
EPISODE PAUSE FOR THE CAUSE:
"Imma keep it 100. I don't raise f*c? boys. I don't wanna raise men who women have to manage." - Crystal Tennille Irby
IMPORTANT CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS:
JOIN US for Talk Back: Black Keisha, Black Mamas & Forever - We'll be watching & discussing the scenes that made you TALK BACK to the screen. REGISTER NOW!
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into. This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
DBM Ep 70: Communtity, Culture, Books & Black Motherhood w/ Alliah Agostini
Episode 70
Monday, August 4, 2025 • Duration 01:38:01
Dear Mama, What if I told you the saying, “real gs move in silence is killing your dream? What if I told you to tell everyone and anyone you know what you want to do? What if I told you your notes app and Evernote are the keys to the manifestation of your dreams? What if I told you every time we tell our stories, we reclaim what was stolen? Every time we create, we declare: We are still here. These are our takeaways from our conversation with prolific children’s book author, Alliah Agostini, who wrote The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States & one of my favorite children’s books, Great Idea Malia.
In this episode, we explore the intersections of Black motherhood, creativity, community, and freedom. Alliah provides invaluable insights for other Black mama creatives, encouraging them to trust their journey and to navigate the world of storytelling with authenticity and courage. Her experience is a testament to the power of community and culture as a treasure trove of inspiration.
We get real about: ✨Complexities of Black culture ✨The importance of always telling our stories, but especially right now ✨Handling critique and nurturing creativity ✨Building community and managing ideas
PLUS - If you’re looking for some hope right now. We got you. In our Black Mama Say segment, where we put our own twist on sayings from Black Mamas, we talk about what’s giving us hope while this country is on fire.
ABOUT ALLIAH AGOSTINI
Buffalo, NY native Alliah L. Agostini has marketed everything from iconic brands to scrappy start-ups, but motherhood helped her return to her first love: children's literature. She writes to spread joy, truth, and to help more children see themselves reflected on the page. Alliah is the author of 10 books for children including Junior Library Guild Selection BIG TUNE: Rise of the Dancehall Prince (starred reviews, Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly, NYPL and Chicago Public Library Best Picture Book of 2023), Black KidLit Award-winning , , and recently released . She and her work have been featured on Oprah Daily, Essence.com, TODAY with Hoda + Jenna, Morning in America, Good Housekeeping, CNN, and NPR.
DBM Ep 69: Clarity, Reclaiming Space & Black Motherhood
Episode 69
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 • Duration 01:33:24
Dear Mama,
What if I told you your mess tells a story, and your clutter can block your clarity? What if I told you to reframe cleaning as a way to express gratitude, practice self-care, and create a sacred space where your spirit can operate effortlessly and creativity flows freely? What have you put down that you need to put away? What items are you holding onto that no longer serve you? These are the questions our guest professional organizer, Kendra Littlejohn of Organized by Kendra, brought to the forefront. In this episode, she gently stepped on our toes and helped us reframe our approach to organizing our creative space. We dive into:
✨Accepting and honoring the season you're in ✨Clarity and how Mamas can reclaim or create space for themselves ✨And the plot twist we didn’t know we needed, how reducing laundry ✨PLUS Kendra is offering a free, yes FREE Virtual Space Audit to the first three people to sign up & use the code: demblackmamas
ABOUT KENDRA
Kendra Littlejohn is the founder and Chief Organizing Officer at Organized by Kendra, a premier home organizing and styling firm based in Southaven, MS, and serving the greater Memphis metropolitan area, and beyond. With her background in corporate finance experience, Kendra brings a unique blend of business acumen, creativity, and passion for helping ambitious professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives cancel clutter, optimize space, and create systems that seamlessly balance aesthetics with practicality. Being laid off after 20+ years in corporate finance became the catalyst for Kendra to lean into what had always come naturally—turning disorganized spaces into peaceful, functional environments. Since launching OK, Kendra’s insights have been spotlighted in prominent publications like ESSENCE, REAL SIMPLE, and SOUTHERN LIVING. Kendra specializes in customized organizing solutions that create ease and enhance both function and beauty.
DBM Ep 68: All About Annie, Sinners & Black Motherhood
Episode 68
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 • Duration 01:50:35
Dear Mamas & Magic Makers,
Lissen yall Sinners was all about Annie for us! We ain’t gon hold you with our normal intro.
In this episode we dive into:
Annie, power, and Black motherhood
Loss, longing, and sex
Black humanity, spirituality, and grief in Ryan Coogler’s films
Black migration & the resurgence of Southern Roots
PLUS - we have social proof that a Black mama would have made a COMPLETELY different decision than Grace.
And we’re excited to have some listeners on The Muthaship, live inside the Black Mama Magic room for this episode. We welcome:
Clem the Doula, doula and creator of The Gift: A Breastfeeding Journey in Black, a cultural care circle for Black families navigating feeding, healing and identity.
DBM Ep 67: Noncustodial Parenting & Black Motherhood with Erica M. Freeman
Episode 67
Friday, May 2, 2025 • Duration 01:39:05
Dear Mama, What if I told you Black mamas aren’t superheroes, that the cape is choking us, and our backs are brittle? What if I told you motherhood ain’t killing us, though, but the narratives we buy into hook, line, and sinker are? What if you had the option not to be the primary custodial parent? Would you decline out of obligation to the belief that a good Black mama would never choose to leave their children in the care of others, even the other parent? How does a Black mother respond when what’s best for her or her destiny clashes with cultural norms?
In this Mother's Day episode, we speak with Erica Michelle Freeman of Sisters In Loss Podcast about the complexities and challenges of non-custodial parenting and Black motherhood. When Erica and her husband decided to divorce, they also agreed to shared custody. Each parent would have primary custody for 3 years of their son Maxwell who was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy 10 years ago.
We dive into: ✨Confronting societal norms and cultural stigmas ✨Navigating health and care decisions for children with special needs as a noncustodial parent ✨Historical trauma and Black motherhood ✨Renegotiating Black motherhood
PLUS - Crystal and perimenopause are NOT friends, especially under the current administration, and Thea is in search of Jill Stein. In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas, and the saying we're twisting this episode is “Oh, you got time for dat.”
ABOUT ERICA M. FREEMAN
Erica M. Freeman is the Founder and CEO of Sisters in Loss, is a savvy, creative engineer, known for her results-based, no-fluff approach as a podcaster, grief educator, and motivational speaker. Sisters in Loss provides pregnancy, birth, postpartum, bereavement doula, and grief services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and into trust and peace after loss. Its self-titled award-winning podcast spotlights resilient Black mothers who share intimate details of their journey to motherhood through painful, but inspirational loss and infertility stories. Sisters in Loss has been featured in Forbes, BBC News, Black Enterprise, Women's Health, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and The White House.
DBM Ep 66: The 92%, Boundaries & Black Motherhood
Episode 66
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 • Duration 01:29:03
Dear Mama,
How do we resist the urge to rescue when we’ve been taught our whole lives to be saviors? How do we set boundaries when the world is burning? What do we do when we’ve been deemed the backbone of the community, but our backbones are brittle and breaking? Since the election, these are the questions and conversations black women have been having online and, especially, in group chats. So, we decided to explore what this line in the sand means for Black mothers in the midst of state-sanctioned brutality.
In this episode, Thea and I explore the parallels between domestic violence relationships and Black mothers' relationship with America.
We dive into:
✨Why it’s more important than ever that Black mothers set boundaries
✨The role cultural coping plays in Black mothers ignoring their needs
✨Vulnerability & why Black mothers feel we must do it all
✨What Stevie Wonder songs reflect this moment
PLUS - Thea shares a testimony about getting a new mattress, and I’m excited to share the details of our next virtual event, Down By the Riverside, during our Church Announcements, Praise Reports, and Prayer List Requests segment. In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our own twist on sayings from Black mamas, we do something a little different this time. Instead of a Black Mama Say, we’re choosing theme songs to carry us through this moment.
To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus for each episode (s/o to Melissa Harris-Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into. This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc., that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our full syllabus, check out our website:
DBM Ep 65: Marriage, Hot Topics & Black Motherhood
Episode 65
Thursday, March 20, 2025 • Duration 01:19:50
Dear Mama,
What do Telvin Osborne, Black marriage, generational wealth, Altadena, data as currency, the TV show Paradise, and white women in Idaho have in common? We cover them all in this episode. Yup, it’s hot topics, and we got hot takes well, not hot takes. We got Black Mama takes on all the above. In this episode, we talk:
✨How Telvin Osborne is relevant to Black women resting ✨The real problem when it comes to marriage & Black folx ✨Why Paradise gets kudos & white women in Idaho don’t
PLUS - we talk all things Black Maternal Health, Roberta Flack, Thea taking on individual clients, and I share a big praise report regarding my nonprofit Creators Well during our Church announcements, praise reports, and prayer list requests segment. In our Black Mama Say segment for this episode, where we put our twist on sayings from Black mamas and the saying we're twisting this episode is “Let me put it to you like this.”
Donate to Creators Well. Founded by Crystal Tennille Irby, Creators Well is a series of FREE interactive writing retreats and writing and performance classes for Black girls/ femmes/ non-binary/gender-expansive youth ages 12-21 that teaches and affirms the power of their voices, pen, art, and individuality.
Thea Monyee, aka the Secretary of Joy, has nine spots available for one-on-one joy exploration and three spots for couples. Contact Thea for more details.
DBM Ep 64: LA Fires & Black Motherhood w/ Staci Mitchell
Episode 64
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 • Duration 01:50:18
Dear Mama,
What does it mean to make it home, to create a place of rest and reprieve, joy and sanctuary, an archive of your children’s treasures? What happens when you can’t make it home, return to your place of rest and reprieve, joy and sanctuary, a reflection of your taste and intention? What happens when the archive of your children’s treasure, what they left behind to be kept safe, is incinerated, covered in ash and your community physically fractured? In this episode, Staci Mitchell, a mother of 3 who was born and raised in Altadena, CA, and our very own Thea Monyee recount the night the Los Angeles fires ravaged their community, watching their city burn, and the creative rebirth they’ve experienced in the wake of this nightmare.
In this episode, we talk:
✨Mothering through displacement
✨Gentrification and anti-blackness amid natural disaster
✨The expectation of normalcy while healing from trauma
precious commodities
PLUS: We meet Thea’s new dog, Remy, have a church meeting during our Church announcements segment about boycotting and Black women minding their Black business, and in our Black Mama Say segment, each of us shares the word that will guide us through the year.
The Fierce Creative With Healing Tendencies; Pan-African Studies Scholar, Theatre & Performance Artist born in LA and raised in Altadena, California. Her epistemological and pedagogical focus balances on womanism and the complex of Black\woman identity and its performativity. Staci has performed on and written for the Los Angeles theatre stage, been featured in independent film, on television, voiceover and audiobook narration. Staci is also a certified Ayurvedic yoga teacher specializing in meditation. She approaches all of these practices with deep appreciation and acknowledgment of her Afrikan ancestors who helped shape the science.
DBM Ep 63: Entrepreneurship & Black Motherhood
Episode 63
Sunday, February 16, 2025 • Duration 01:29:06
Dear Mama,
What if I told you I didn’t start a business because I wanted to be a boss? I started my business because I wanted to be free, because I saw no other path to fully realizing my dreams, and according to a 2022 article, I’m not alone in finding entrepreneurship on my liberation journey. In the article entitled Why Black Women Are the Fastest-Growing Group of Entrepreneurs, Erica Thompson writes, “As the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs, Black women say they are seeking more freedom, opportunity, fulfillment and stability. They also are escaping from discrimination and other barriers in the workplace.” In this episode, we have a raw and vulnerable conversation about Black motherhood and our entrepreneurship journeys.
Through this honest discussion, we aim to illuminate the real experiences behind the facade of 'glamorous' entrepreneurship and provide insights for others on a similar path.
In this episode, we talk:
✨The spiritual and sometimes lonely journey of entrepreneurship
✨The pressure we put on our dreams to provide
✨Building a business in the margins as a mom when time, mental wellness, and money are precious commodities
PLUS - We ponder what white people were doing in the 90s.
Donate to Creators Well. Founded by Crystal Tennille Irby, Creators Well is a series of FREE interactive writing retreats and writing and performance classes for Black girls/ femmes/ non-binary/gender-expansive youth ages 12-21 that teaches and affirms the power of their voices, pen, art, and individuality.
Episode Playlist: curated by Dem Black Mamas on Spotify
DBM Ep 62: Grief & Black Motherhood with Akilah Richards
Episode 62
Monday, January 20, 2025 • Duration 01:46:04
Dear Mama,
What if I told you to offer grief a seat at the table? What if I told you grief has no other duties except to be with you? It has nowhere to be and is not bound by time. Grief is patient. Grief is relentless, and as Akilah S. Richards, our guest for this episode and a DBM fave, says, “Grief is not something to be fixed but something for you to learn to be more skilled at processing.” Akilah is a mother, partner, liberationist and author of Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing.
She is now diving deep into grief work and in this episode we talk: ✨Grief, language and the body ✨Grief and generational shifts ✨Grief and creative projects ✨And of course grief, Black women and the political landscape
Plus Thea uses a Negro spiritual to describe Black women’s current mindset and Crystal is learning sign language and attempts to teach Thea.
Akilah S. Richards is a mother, partner and liberationist. As founder of Raising Free People Network and author of Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work, Akilah S. Richards partners with co-conspirators to challenge and encourage social justice-minded people to explore privilege and power in their relationships with personal leadership and all relationships. These days find Akilah tapped into the wisdom she gathered from her family’s transition from schoolishness to confident autonomy. She is savoring her life’s lessons after nearly a decade of location independence, and eight years of being invited into various conversations about intergenerational community care across the U.S., Southern Africa, and Jamaica (where Akilah is from). She guides discussions about how unschooling skills and other forms of decoloniality are shaping families and other cultures of leadership, change-work, and love.
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Collection Plate Cause: Learn more about & donate to Creators Well, a nonprofit founded by Crystal for Black girls living in South Carolina intersted in writing and performance.
💗Black Mama Magic Card Deck: Card #19 “I Honor My Child's Divine Path” 💗
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into. This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into. This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
In an effort to expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry) which is a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into. This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our full syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
For all links, full show notes & transcript, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
To expand knowledge and combat misinformation and disinformation, we create a syllabus (s/o to Melissa Harris Perry), a list of references/sources for our listeners to dive into. This list includes any books, videos, podcasts, etc. that we've mentioned in the episode or that will help you gain a well-informed perspective. For our complete syllabus, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Please share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
For all links, complete show notes & transcript, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us, or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
AND share this episode with at least one person. Sharing is not only caring; sharing builds community.
For all links, full show notes & transcript, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
For all links, full show notes & transcript, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
For all links, full show notes & transcript, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
In addition to private coaching and public speaking, she facilitates trainings, small-group experiences, and consultations that help resolve the ways that unexamined experiences with bias and oppression disrupt families’ and organization’s capacity to sustain cultures of belonging.
🗣️Engage: This is a conversation. Speak back to us! Share your thoughts about the episode using the hashtag #DemBlackMamas, DM us or email us at magic@demblackmamas.com.
For full show notes & transcript, check out our website: demblackmamas.com
