The MJE Living Room Conversations – Details, episodes & analysis

This week in The Living Room, we are joined by the incredible Desiree Decoo — Founder of HOPE, therapist, public health leader, and advocate who has spent nearly 20 years helping individuals, families, and whole communities move toward healing and wholeness.

In this episode, we shift the conversation from simply talking about wellness to truly living it every day. Desiree guides us through what it means to practice wellness in real life — in our routines, relationships, and in the quiet moments we often overlook. She reminds us that healing is not a destination, but a daily commitment to caring for ourselves with intention and compassion.

Join us for a grounded, uplifting conversation that invites us to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with what wellness looks like in our own lives. 💜

#changeyourmindsetchangeyourlife #community #boston #love #stopgunviolence #podcast #mothersforjustice #leadlearnlivelove

This week, as we reflect on gratitude and community, we celebrate MJE’s Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, where we provided 100 turkeys to families in need. Just as we nourish bodies, we also need to nurture minds and spirits. Join us for a heartfelt conversation with Nana Akomaa Kyerematen, Master’s Clinician, cultural competence advocate, and MJE Board Member, as we explore cultural and ancestral healing and honor our ancestors through the power of community and storytelling. 💜 Tune in and join us in The Living Room—where gratitude, healing, and community intersect.

#MothersForJusticeAndEquality #MJE #stopgunviolence #talkshow #womensupportingwomen #TurnPainIntoPurpose #stopviolenceagainstwomen #HealingJustice #boston #CommunityHealing #podcast #ItsNotOkay #culture

Welcome to episode 5! This episode dives deep into the role of culture—how our ancestry, our identities, and the transitions we navigate across countries, communities, and generations all shape the way we heal. Healing is never just personal; it is tied to the stories we inherit, the values we grow up with, and the spaces we move through.

We’re honored to welcome Nana Akomaa Kyerematen, author of Is America Constitutionally Unconstitutional? Nana brings a unique perspective as both a writer and cultural thinker. Together, we explore how cultural identity can become both a source of strength and a site of tension, how migration reshapes emotional landscapes, and how understanding our roots can open new paths for recovery and resilience.

#MothersForJusticeAndEquality #MJE #stopgunviolence #talkshow #womensupportingwomen #TurnPainIntoPurpose #stopviolenceagainstwomen #HealingJustice #boston #CommunityHealing #podcast #ItsNotOkay #culture

Welcome back! This week, let's continue discussing our powerful question: Who heals the healers? After last time’s heartfelt stories, this follow-up dives even deeper into what it means to sustain those who give so much of themselves to others. 💜

#boston #community #selfhealingcommunity #love #stopgunviolence #mothersforjustice #stopviolenceagainstwomen #equalityplusjustice #podcast #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #mavlearning

In this conversation, we explore the often-overlooked question — who takes care of those who dedicate their lives to helping others?

Our special guests include Jacqueline Monteiro, Founder of W.S.R & Wellness Coaching LLC, who shares her personal experiences and insights on healing, self-care, and emotional balance, and Eileen Paterson, a grandmother, MJE board member, and peer leader whose powerful story has inspired a movement.

Together, they remind us that healing is both personal and collective — and that even those who nurture others need care, reflection, and community to sustain their strength.

#boston #equalityplusjustice #mothersforjustice #healingthroughconnection #healingjourney #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #healers #stopgunviolence #selfcare #love #stopviolenceagainstwomen #wellness

A bridge between local roots and national voices. Join Nortasha Stingley, Milagros Burgos, and Eileen Paterson from the MAV Learning Community as they share insights from the 2025 MAV National Conference — how they bring healing, justice, and service back to their communities.

💜 Why does connection matter? Tune in and find out — you won’t want to miss this.

#boston #community #equalityplusjustice #womenempowerment #stopgunviolence #stopviolenceagainstwomen #talkshow #podcast

Welcome to the very first episode of The Living Room Podcast, where real conversations find a home. In this debut, our host Monalisa Smith sits down with community leaders and mothers who’ve turned pain into purpose, sharing stories of healing, growth, and change that start right here—within our neighborhoods. Pull up a chair, settle in, and join us in the Living Room — where every voice matters, and every story inspires.

We welcome back Renée Ọmọladé as she shares a powerful reflection on balancing motherhood, faith, and leadership while raising three Black sons in Boston and advancing educational equity across Massachusetts. Grounded in her Christian faith, Renée describes motherhood as both a gift and a radical act—intentionally affirming her sons’ identities, teaching them to love their brown skin, preparing them for societal realities, and building strong community ties through their schools and family networks. She speaks candidly about the emotional weight Black mothers carry in preparing their sons for a world that can misjudge them, referencing the broader national conversations sparked by tragedies like Trayvon Martin and George Floyd. Through mentorship, asset-mapping, and what she calls a “championship mentality,” Renée encourages Black women to see themselves as powerful leaders within their families and communities. In the spirit of Black History Month, the conversation celebrates resilience, legacy, and the ongoing responsibility to build a stronger, more just future for the next generation.

Our salute to Black History Month continues with Renée Ọmọladé—educator, activist, mother, and board chair—for an inspiring discussion on leadership, identity, and community impact. A South End native and Dorchester resident, Renée shares her journey from navigating educational inequities to organizing major racial justice efforts in Boston, bringing Michelle Obama to Dorchester through her work with Black Girls Rock, and advancing educational equity in her role at United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Grounded in faith and a belief that “when you make an observation, you have an obligation,” Renée reflects on code-switching, mentorship, and what it truly means to lead with courage, authenticity, and purpose.

We are honored to feature Ronia Stewart — a corporate leader, philanthropist, and Founding President & CEO of Garden of Eden & Associates, Inc. With over 25 years of experience across the financial, legal, and nonprofit sectors, Ronia has dedicated her career to empowering others through leadership development, training, and service.

This episode focuses on the heart-centered leadership that sustains women and changemakers in their work. It highlights the importance of grace, faith, and self-reflection as tools for navigating leadership challenges and personal growth.