Truth Be Told: Time to Thrive

How do you maintain a relationship with your homophobic family when you're financially dependent on them? How do you manage these relationships while sheltering-in-place? We talk to a queer college student who's out at school but feels unaccepted at home. Wise One Steven Canals, co-creator of FX's Pose joins us to discuss growing up gay in the Bronx, what character in the show is most like his mother and ways to find community apart from your family.Episode transcript here: https://rb.gy/lmtyrg

Millions have taken to the streets to protest the police killing of George Floyd and systemic racism that black people are subjected to everyday. Wise One Dr. Eddie Glaude says we are seeing the accumulation of grief, disregard and contempt for black lives. He is the chair of Princeton's African American Studies Department and joins Tonya this week to parse out nationwide actions and to recenter black joy and resilience.Episode transcript here: shorturl.at/lpEF6

We’re making space for something we don’t talk a lot about - the mental health burdens of black men. In this week’s episode, we have three Wise Ones - Bakari Sellers, author and CNN commentator, Karamo Brown from “Queer Eye” and Ron Finley, the Gangsta Gardener. They offer wisdom on meeting the needs of their heart and minds as black men in white America.Episode Transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qlnHaSaoseLFFtcn2Afxkv-fuzxnVmd0/view

This Mother’s Day we tackle the complicated relationship some women of color have with their mothers. This episode’s Wise One is Kulap Vilaysack who shares lessons from her experience in mending her relationship with her Lao refugee mother. Episode transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ub7UippPt6uu1BMTKZGu1Y6hdesnjrDR/view

Before physical distancing, seeing loved ones through a screen was already “normal” for our producer Isabeth Mendoza. Her dad was deported 11 years ago. Since then, her family was doing their best to cope , but they have not healed. Now, Isabeth wants to work towards a future that she’s always imagined — one where her family is thriving regardless of borders. Wise One and Latinx Therapy founder Adriana Alejandre, LMFT offers some advice.Episode Transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F8Y99rx0vbRap7CrZom_SZyv7Tk13lBM/view

Wise Ones Virgie Tovar and Chloe Hilliard move in this world as big women. They’ve faced covert fatphobia from doctors and co-workers and even experienced it on dates. Being a fat person of color means confronting the intersection of being unseen and taking up too much space. You don’t have to stand there.Episode transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/114T70aCd17yvEMxL8mMSABwWcrb6uIV7/view

Public health emergencies hit differently for people of color. Historical trauma and lack of systemic trust all contribute to deep angst. As both a medical doctor and journalist, Dr. Seema Yasmin answers your questions about living in the time of COVID-19 as a person of color, and offers some validation - “We have the right to feel whatever we feel.”Episode transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ustlU9tFXWl2bzoItEJoYhbb8kkM4mud/view

"How are Black Americans expected to overcome and thrive in this country without the necessary mechanisms of healing?" Tonya called on the help of two Wise Ones for this question. Ibram X. Kendi gives helpful framing on how to even start thinking about this and Kiese Laymon offers a dive deep into Black healing in America.Episode transcript here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zf9nr4xXdA1BpIVXY7ZaK7Wh13Qlx309/view

We all experience life in our unique bodies and skin. And yet, we’re alone in surviving, growing, and thriving. The world we live in gaslights us into thinking anything to do with identity is in our imagination. Well, Truth Be Told is here to tell you it’s not. You are not the only one, you are not alone, and guess what? There’s a podcast for that. Us. We're that podcast.

Truth be Told is all about building community and connecting people of color to find collective wisdom and joy in these dangerous and difficult times. We are also a podcast proudly made in the Bay Area, so we knew from the start that we HAD to do a live show and get our people together. On June 13th in downtown Oakland, over a hundred people gathered to share the love and seek advice from wise ones Ashara Ekundayo and Bari Williams, in conversation with TBT’s Tonya Mosley. (Slight problem? It was the same night as the Warriors final game. But people still came out y’all — to laugh, cry, and listen). Take a listen to our live, bonus episode. It’s what community sounds like! Why the Three of Cups tarot Card? The Three of Cups tarot card signifies the joy of community, sisterhood, and collaboration. We couldn’t think of a better card to represent our live show, which brought so many people from all over the Bay Area to heal, talk, and connect with one another.