Liberation Now Ep 7: Black Women and Radical Healing

Liberation Now Podcast

In this episode, Helen Neville speaks with award winning Black feminist scholars and psychologists, Drs. Bryana French and Jioni Lewis about Black women and radical healing. Drs. French and Lewis share their own radical healing journeys. They also discuss what radical healing for Black women looks like, identify practices that can promote radical healing among Black women as individuals and collectively, provide an analysis of the R. Kelly racketeering and sex trafficking conviction (min. 33), and share dreams for a more liberated future. Learn more about the role of gendered racism on Black women’s health, the importance of prioritizing mind-body healing, the curative function of therapy, the potential harms of the strong Black woman schema, and the joys of Black women sister networks.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Bryana H. French, PhD, LP is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas. Her research, teaching, and community engagement focuses on racial and sexual trauma and recovery, specifically among BIPOC. Dr. French’s training interests focus on multicultural counseling development, and she provides intersectional education and consultation for universities and nonprofit organizations across the country. Dr. French has received several local and national awards including the Minnesota Psychological Association Outstanding Early Career Professional Award.

Jioni A. Lewis, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research is focused on investigating the influence of discrimination on the mental and physical health of people of color, with a specific focus on the impact of gendered racism on Black women’s health and well-being. She also examines protective factors that buffer individuals against the negative effects of gendered racism, such as gendered racial identity, coping/resistance strategies, and radical healing. Dr. Lewis has received several national awards for her research and scholarship, including the 2019 Emerging Professional Contributions to Research Award from the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race (APA Division 45), the 2020 Social Justice Award from the Society of Counseling Psychology (APA Division 17), and the 2020 Emerging Leader for Women in Psychology Award from the Committee on Women in Psychology. She is also the current President of the Psychology of Black Women, APA Division 35, Section 1.

GUESTS SELECT PUBLICATIONS

Dr. French Select Publications:

• French, B. H., Lewis, J. A., Mosley, D. V., Adames, H. Y., Chavez-Dueñas, N. Y., Chen, G. A., Neville, H. A. (2020). Toward a psychological framework of radical healing in communities of color. The Counseling Psychologist, 48, 6-13.
• French, B. H., Teti, M., Suh, H. N., & *Serafin, M. R. (2018). A path analysis of racially diverse men’s sexual victimization, risk-taking, and attitudes.Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 20, 1-11.
• French, B. H., *Suh, H., & Arterberry, B. J. (2017). Exploratory factor analysis and
• psychometric properties of the sexual coercion inventory. Journal of Sex Research, 54, 962-970.
• French, B. H. & Neville, H. A. (2016). What is nonconsensual sex? Young women identify sources of coerced sex.Violence Against Women, 1-27.
• French, B. H., *Bi, Y., *Latimore, T. G., *Klemp, H. R., & *Butler, E. E. (2014). Sexual victimization using latent class analysis: Exploring patterns and psycho-behavioral correlates. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29, 1111-1131.
• French, B.H. (2013). More than jezebels and freaks: Exploring how Black girls navigate sexual coercion and sexual scripts. Journal of African American Studies, 17, 35-50.
• French, B. H., *Lewis, J. A., & Neville, H. A. (2013). Naming and reclaiming: An interdisciplinary analysis of Black girls' and women's resistance strategies. Journal of African American Studies, 17, 1-6.
• French, B. H. & Neville, H. A. (2013). Sexual coercion sequelae among Black and White teenagers: Sexual stereotypes and psycho-behavioral correlates. The Counseling Psychologist, 41, 1185-1211.

Dr. Lewis Select Publications:

• Lewis, J. A. (in press). #SayHerName: The impact of gendered racism and misogynoir on the lives of Black women. In K. O. Cokley (Ed.), Making Black Lives Matter: Confronting Anti-Black Racism. Cognella Academic Publishing.
• *Gadson, C. A., & Lewis, J. A. (2021). Devalued, overdisciplined, and stereotyped: An exploration of gendered racial microaggression among Black adolescent girls. Journal of Counseling Psychology. Advance online publication.
• *Williams, M. G., & Lewis, J. A. (2021). Developing a conceptual framework of Black women’s gendered racial identity development. Psychology of Women Quarterly. Advance online publication.
• Lewis, J. A., Cameron, R. P., Kim-Ju, G., & Meyers, L. S. (2020). Examining the relations between racial identity and coping with race-related stress among African American, Asian American, and Latinx college students. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 48, 108-119.
• *Williams, M., G. & Lewis, J. A. (2019). Gendered racial microaggressions and depressive symptoms among Black women: A moderated mediation model. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(3), 368-380.
• *Moody, A., & Lewis, J. A. (2019). Gendered racial microaggressions and traumatic stress symptoms among Black women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(2), 201-214.
• Lewis, J. A., Raque-Bogdan, T. L., Lee, S., & Rao, M. A. (2018). Examining the influence of ethnic identity and meaning in life on career decision-making self-efficacy. Journal of Career Development, 45(1), 68-82.
• Lewis, J. A., *Williams, M. G., *Peppers, E., & *Gadson, C. A. (2017). Applying intersectionality to explore the relations between gendered racism and health among Black women. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(5), 475-486.
• Lewis, J. A., Mendenhall, R., Harwood, S., & Browne-Huntt, M. (2016). “Ain’t I a Woman?” Exploring gendered racial microaggressions experienced by Black women. The Counseling Psychologist, 44(5), 758–780.
• Lewis, J. A., & Neville, H. A. (2015). Construction and initial validation of the Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale for Black. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 62, 289-302.

BLACK WOMEN AND RADICAL HEALING RESOURCES

Looking for a Culturally Informed Therapist?

• Directory for Therapy for Black Girls https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.com/
• National Queer and Trans Therapist of Color Network https://www.nqttcn.com
• INNOPSYCH https://www.innopsych.com
• National Alliance on Mental Health https://www.nami.org/find-support/diverse-communities/african-americans

Black Women’s Wellness Organizations

• Black Women for Wellness (https://www.bwwla.org/)
• Black Women’s Health Imperative (https://bwhi.org/)
• Black Women's Blueprint (https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org)
• JOI Unlimited (https://joiunlimited.com/)
• GirlTrek (https://www.girltrek.org)
• Harriet's Apothecary (http://www.harrietsapothecary.com/)

Black Women’s Wellness Podcasts

• Therapy for Black Girls Podcast with Dr. Joy
• Homecoming the Podcast with Dr. Thema
• Intersectionality Matters with Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw

TED Talks by Black Women on Emotional & Physical Wellness

• Dear Black Women, Let’s Talk about Healing | Angela Bowden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deJd1X6YW-I
• Cultivating Unconditional Self-Worth | Adia Gooden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EirlZ7fy3bE
• Unpacking Bias in Seeking Mental Health Care for WOC | Chandra Carey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLhRbKV0ji0
• Emotional Well-being Affects Personal Growth | Simone Cox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBTiVXLbHWY
• Make Emotional Intelligence Great Again | Janice Gassam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS60_5bALFs
• Blueprint for the Black Joy Era | Jazmine Walker & Amber Phillips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzP3AxOmmjY
• Self -care as a Tool of Liberation | Malebo Sephodi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja4CE4s9gj4
• The Trauma of Systematic Racism is Killing Black Women. A First Step Toward Change... | T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8olL43PKJKw
• Moving From ‘Woke’ To Working for Black Futures | Della Mosley | https://youtu.be/Tqy77gIYFRw

Books by Black Women about Emotional & Physical Wellness

• Self-Care Prescription by Robyn L. Gobin
• Black Girls Heal by Shena Tubbs
• Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley
• Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health by Rheeda Walker
• Sisters of the Yam by bell hooks
• Soothe Your Nerves: The Black Woman’s Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic by Angela Neal-Barnett
• What’s for Dinner? A free digital cookbook by Dr. Lauren https://dinnerwithdrlauren.com/whats-for-dinner

Psychology of Radical Healing Collective: Healing through Social Justice Psychology Today Blog Posts

• The Psychology of Radical Healing: What can psychology tell us about healing from racial and ethnic trauma? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/healing-through-social-justice/201903/the-psychology-radical-healing
• #SayHerName: Radical Healing for Black Women and Gender Expansive Folx https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/healing-through-social-justice/202005/sayhername
• Radical Self-Care in the Face of Mounting Racial Stress: Cultivating Hope through Acts of Affirmation https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/healing-through-social-justice/201911/radical-self-care-in-the-face-mounting-racial-stress

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Episode Credits:  

Music: Amir Maghsoodi and Briana Williams

Podcast Artwork: B. Andi Lee & Amir Maghsoodi 

Episode Editing: Helen Neville 

Episode Transcript:

bit.ly/LibNowE7