Truth Be Told: Time to Thrive

Here’s a truth: All of us know someone with mental illness, or experience it ourselves. So why are we ashamed to talk about it? Why is there a stigma about it in many communities of color? Author Bassey Ikpi is tired of the secrets and silence. And now more than ever, she says it’s time for us to get real with each other, for the sake of our collective healing. Episode transcript here: shorturl.at/awKMZ

How do you educate loved ones about your disability without making them feel like you’re shoving information down their throats? That is this week's question, answered by Alice Wong, founder of the Disability Visibility Project. Alice underscores the connection between disability justice and the Black Lives Matter movement.Episode transcript here: shorturl.at/abxEP

Chadwick Boseman’s death has raised awareness of colon cancer, but for the men behind TRAPMedicine, Jahmil Lacey and Dr. Italo Brown, it illustrates the healthcare disparities Black people face.Transcript link here: shorturl.at/QSUW3

At Truth Be Told, we’re all about honoring the wisdom of our peoples, and so is Walter Thompson-Hernández. He's the host of a new podcast, “California Love," a New York Times alum and author of “The Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America's Urban Heartland.” This bonus episode is from TBT’s Instagram Live where he joined Tonya to discuss new projects, his dedication to telling honest stories about Black and brown people and to answer your questions.Episode transcript here: https://rb.gy/yudnsp

Trauma, racism, and our bodies — that is what we’re talking about this week. Healer, trauma specialists and author Resmaa Menakem breaks down what is trauma, what it feels like and how racism contributes.Visit our website for more reading and listening, episode transcript and to submit your question: shorturl.at/iHUZ1

There's no right way to parent during the pandemic. Everyone's situation is unique, which is why we asked two Wise Ones to join us this week to answer your questions about parenting during this tricky time. Nancy Redd, author and mother, and Wajahat Ali, New York Times contributor and father join Tonya Mosley in answering listener questions from parents. Spoiler: No, you’re not failing, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

How do we fight an enemy like COVID-19 without the power of physical connection - the very force that has bolstered us through tough times in the past? That is the question we are unpacking in this week's episode, prompted by our very own host, Tonya Mosley. She talks with two friends from her hometown Detroit about the heartache of being away from home during the pandemic. And, author Sarah M. Broom joins as a Wise One to share her experience with displacement, healing, and distance.Episode transcript here: shorturl.at/fguHZ

This week we’re talking about friendships - how to make them better, if it's okay to take breaks and when emotional labor becomes too much. Tonya Mosley is joined by ‘Call Your Girlfriend’ hosts Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. They share what it was like to write a co-memoir called, “Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close” and offer advice to questions from our listeners. Episode transcript here: shorturl.at/rzKN7

We're revisiting the first episode of Truth Be Told to take on one of the biggest questions of our time: How can I feel joy when the world is burning?We've witnessed uprisings demand justice for Black lives; we're still living in the grips of a pandemic that is disproportionately hurting communities of color, and every industry is being held accountable for racial justice. It feels like the world is unraveling – and yet we still want to laugh, dance, and love. Truth Be Told’s host Tonya Mosley travels to her hometown of Detroit to talk with her grandmother, Ernestine Mosley and New York Times best-selling author adrienne maree brown. The three women share captivating conversations and life lessons on how we all can and should cultivate joy.Episode transcript: https://rb.gy/e1ik4k

We’ve got a special bonus in your Truth Be Told feed this week--it’s from our friends at NPR’s It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders. In this episode, Sam talks with author James McBride. McBride is the National Award-winning author of The Good Lord Bird and the best-selling memoir, The Color of Water. His latest book is Deacon King Kong, which is set against the backdrop of 1960s Brooklyn and tells the story of how one man’s decision upended an entire neighborhood. Sam talks to McBride about race, religion and community, the parallels he sees to the world we are living in today, and why he’s still optimistic, despite protests and a pandemic.