Truth Be Told: Time to Thrive

What does sexual freedom really look like? This week we interrogate the messages we’ve internalized about sex and we ask ourselves: Can we decolonize our sex lives to aid in the larger quest towards liberation for us all? To help us unpack some of the layers we called on Ev’Yan Whitney – a sexuality doula, author, and sensualist – who helps people better understand their core desires, needs, and h...

How do we raise Black children who feel free? One way, according to conscious parenting coach Yolanda Williams, is for caregivers to first deal with their own childhood trauma. Williams sat down with Tonya to offer some actionable tips on how to raise “free-thinking Black children” - and stop the tradition of spanking as a form of discipline. We gained so much insight from Yolanda in this episode...

In our society, Black parents may breathe a bit easier at night knowing their children are safe and accounted for. But when a tragedy takes that breath away, how do you persevere? What does it take to keep going after a painful loss?  Perseverance is defined as the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. This week, Tonya travels to Seattle to speak...

Black men have it hard in America.  And by and large, Black women have felt an obligation to show up, love, and support them. Is it too much to ask that they show up for us? That’s the topic we’re taking on this week with writer and cultural critic Jamilah Lemieux. She recently wrote a piece for Vanity Fair where she coined the term “the Black Ass Lie,” pointing out the harm that comes from the on...

For many of us, the church is a place of refuge. It’s where we first experience community and an understanding of love. But real talk: what do you do as a non binary person if the place that made you, doesn’t exactly accept who you are? That’s the dilemma from our very own editor James T. Green, who explores their identity and faith with renowned writer and poet, Nikki Giovanni. In this conversati...

It’s 2022 and we’re taking on two of the most urgent questions of our time: What does liberation look like for Black Americans? And what does it mean to be free?  Season 3, which premieres on February 17th, offers a compelling sonic exploration into what liberation looks, sounds, and feels like for Black Americans with some of the greatest thinkers of our time. Host Tonya Mosley takes us on a deep...

It’s been a long time. We shouldn’t have left you, but Truth Be Told is back! To ground you for the premiere of season three, our host, Tonya Mosley is popping in to share a personal reflection of two near-drowning experiences, once at 8-years old and the other on the day of the insurrection; January 6, 2021. Through wisdom from the greatest thinkers of our time, Truth Be Told explores what it mea...

The days are shorter, colder and 2020 isn’t over. Like you, we’re looking for inspiration to sustain us, so we turned to Shannon Lee and Arianna Davis who are passing on the teachings of great icons Bruce Lee and Frida Kahlo — timeless figures that we continually learn from decades after their deaths.  Episode transcript here: shorturl.at/ryzAR

What’s the world you’re fighting for? We posed this question to some of the most dynamic young voices of our time, including musician Alex Aiono and Good Call NYC founder Jelani Anglin who joined Tonya Mosley to talk about fighting for social justice in the midst of a pandemic and an election year unlike any other. Episode transcript here: shorturl.at/erzE4

What happens when two badass Black journalists get together to talk about the stakes of this presidential election? Real talk, that’s what happens. On this episode of Truth Be Told, Tonya Mosley checks in with veteran journalist Farai Chideya who believes the fate of this nation depends on women of color -- all it needs is for everyone else to get out of the way. Episode transcript here: shorturl....

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.a...

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 ho...

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 b...

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. Br...

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 h...

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...

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...

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 mot...

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 b...

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.goo...

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 Ad...