In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health: Navigate an Unequal System, Learn Tools for Emotional Wellness, and Get the Help You Deserve by  Rheeda Walker, PhD. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "An unapologetic exploration of the Black mental health crisis - and a comprehensive road map to getting the care you deserve in an unequal system. We can’t deny it any longer: there is a Black mental health crisis in our world today. Black people die at disproportionately high rates due to chronic illness, suffer from poverty, undereducation, and the effects of racism. This book is an exploration of Black mental health in today’s world, the forces that have undermined mental health progress for African Americans, and what needs to happen for African Americans to heal psychological distress, find community, and undo years of stigma and marginalization in order to access effective mental health care. In The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health, psychologist and African American mental health expert Rheeda Walker offers important information on the mental health crisis in the Black community, how to combat stigma, spot potential mental illness, how to practice emotional wellness, and how to get the best care possible in system steeped in racial bias. This breakthrough book will help you: Recognize mental and emotional health problemsUnderstand the myriad ways in which these problems impact overall health and quality of life and relationshipsDevelop psychological tools to neutralize ongoing stressors and live more fullyNavigate a mental health care system that is unequal It’s past time to take Black mental health seriously. Whether you suffer yourself, have a loved one who needs help, or are a mental health professional working with the Black community, this book is an essential and much-needed resource." To purchase the book, visit: The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health via Amazon To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In part two of our Modern Love episodes, we will be discussing an episode entitled, Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am, from season one of Modern Love (Anthology TV Series) directed and produced by John Carney. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the producers: "An unlikely friendship. A lost love resurfaced. A marriage at its turning point. A date that might not have been a date. An unconventional new family. These are unique stories about the joys and tribulations of love, each inspired by a real-life personal essay from the beloved New York Times column "Modern Love." It is directed by John Carney, Sharon Hogan, Emmy Rossum, and Tom Hall." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is: What song can be used to depict your happy mood or your down mood? To watch Modern Love, login to Amazon Prime. For more information about the show, click here. To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To learn more about me or consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In part one of our Modern Love episodes, we will be discussing an episode entitled, Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am, from season one of Modern Love (Anthology TV Series) directed and produced by John Carney. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the producers: "An unlikely friendship. A lost love resurfaced. A marriage at its turning point. A date that might not have been a date. An unconventional new family. These are unique stories about the joys and tribulations of love, each inspired by a real-life personal essay from the beloved New York Times column "Modern Love." It is directed by John Carney, Sharon Hogan, Emmy Rossum, and Tom Hall." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is: What song can be used to depict your happy mood or your down mood? To watch Modern Love, login to Amazon Prime. For more information about the show, click here. To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To learn more about me or consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this episode of Critical Reads, we will discuss The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Ignorance is bliss―except in self-awareness. What you don't know about yourself can hurt you and your relationships―and even keep you in the shallows with God. Do you want help figuring out who you are and why you're stuck in the same ruts? The Enneagram is an ancient personality typing system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. In The Road Back to You Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile forge a unique approach―a practical, comprehensive way of accessing Enneagram wisdom and exploring its connections with Christian spirituality for a deeper knowledge of ourselves, compassion for others, and love for God. Witty and filled with stories, this book allows you to peek inside each of the nine Enneagram types, keeping you turning the pages long after you have read the chapter about your own number. Not only will you learn more about yourself, but you will also start to see the world through other people's eyes, understanding how and why people think, feel, and act the way they do. Beginning with changes you can start making today, the wisdom of the Enneagram can help take you further along into who you really are―leading you into places of spiritual discovery you would never have found on your own and paving the way to the wiser, more compassionate person you want to become." To purchase the book, visit: The Road Back to You via Amazon To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To learn more about me or consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Are u ok?: A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health by Kati Morton LMFT. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Everyone struggles with mental health issues from time to time, but the greatest level of misunderstanding comes from knowing the difference between mental health and mental illness, figuring out whether we need professional help and, if so, how to find it. Are u ok? walks readers through the most commonly asked questions about mental health and the process of getting help. From finding the best therapist to navigating harmful and toxic relationships and everything in between, licensed family therapist and YouTube sensation Kati Morton clarifies and de-stigmatizes the struggles so many of us go through and encourages readers to reach out for help. What are the red flags of a mental health issue? How do you go about making a first therapy appointment? How do you know if your therapist is a good fit for you? What are the best ways of talking about mental health with your family, friends, and colleagues? There are so many questions and concerns, and in the down-to-earth, friendly tone that makes Kati Morton so popular on YouTube, Are u ok? informs and reminds us that we can get through the difficult times and we are never alone." To purchase the book, visit: Are u ok?: A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health via Amazon To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To learn more about me or consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this bonus episode of Critical Reads,  I wanted to take some time to provide you all with more updates about my life. I know I tried to relaunch the podcast last year and that was an EPIC FAIL. This episode is the start of "Take Two." Like the last time, I figured it would be nice to let you know what is happening behind the scenes before sharing new episodes again. I really hope you enjoy this listen!  To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To learn more about me or consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this bonus episode of Critical Reads,  I wanted to take some time to provide you all with a few updates about my life. I will answer questions including: Where have you been? How are you doing emotionally and spiritually? Where are you at in your career? What are you wrestling with? Since I haven’t been able to post content in a while, I figured it would be nice to let you know what is going on behind the scenes before launching this podcast again. I really hope you enjoy this listen! Source mentioned in this episode: Dean, W., Talbot, S., & Dean, A. (2019, September). Reframing Clinician Distress: Moral Injury Not Burnout. Federal Practitioner. To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com.

In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Bipolar Faith: A Black Woman's Journey with Depression and Faith by Rev Dr. Monica A. Coleman. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Monica A. Coleman’s great-grandfather asked his two young sons to lift him up and pull out the chair when he hanged himself, and that noose stayed in the family shed for years. The rope was the violent instrument, but it was mental anguish that killed him. Now, in a gripping fashion, Coleman examines the ways that the legacies of slavery, war, sharecropping, poverty, and alcoholism mask a family history of mental illness. Those same forces accompanied her into the black religious traditions and Christian ministry. All the while, she wrestled with her own bipolar disorder. Bipolar Faith is both a spiritual autobiography and a memoir of mental illness. In this powerful book, Monica Coleman shares her life-long dance with trauma, depression, and the threat of death. Citing serendipitous encounters with black intellectuals like Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Angela Davis, and Renita Weems, Coleman offers a rare account of how the modulated highs of bipolar II can lead to professional success while hiding a depression that even her doctors rarely believed. Only as she was able to face her illness was she able to live faithfully with bipolar. And in the process, she discovered a new and liberating vision of God." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is #restinpiss, Rush Limbaugh, Kevin Samuels, and the legacies we leave behind. To purchase the book, visit: Bipolar Faith via Amazon To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing the Musical Drama Film, Rent, directed and produced by Chris Columbus. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Set in New York City's gritty East Village, the revolutionary rock opera RENT tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent. 'Measuring their lives in love,' these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness, and the AIDS epidemic. RENT is based on Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning musical, one of the longest-running shows on Broadway. The raw and riveting musical stars Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, and Tracie Thoms and is directed by Chris Columbus." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is the activist to white spouse pipeline (thoughts on interracial dating). To watch Rent, log in to your preferred streaming platforms like Amazon Prime or Apple TV to rent or buy it. To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In part two of our Stamped From the Beginning episode, I continue my discussion about Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by  Ibram X. Kendi. (As a refresher) Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Some Americans cling desperately to the myth that we are living in a post-racial society, that the election of the first Black president spelled the doom of racism. In fact, racist thought is alive and well in America - more sophisticated and more insidious than ever. And as award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi argues in Stamped from the Beginning, if we have any hope of grappling with this stark reality, we must first understand how racist ideas were developed, disseminated, and enshrined in American society. In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. Stamped from the Beginning uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to offer a window into the contentious debates between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and antiracists. From Puritan minister Cotton Mather to Thomas Jefferson, from fiery abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison to brilliant scholar W.E.B. Du Bois to legendary anti-prison activist Angela Davis, Kendi shows how and why some of our leading proslavery and pro-civil rights thinkers have challenged or helped cement racist ideas in America. Contrary to popular conceptions, racist ideas did not arise from ignorance or hatred. Instead, they were devised and honed by some of the most brilliant minds of each era. These intellectuals used their brilliance to justify and rationalize deeply entrenched discriminatory policies and the nation’s racial disparities in everything from wealth to health. And while racist ideas are easily produced and easily consumed, they can also be discredited. In shedding much-needed light on the murky history of racist ideas, Stamped from the Beginning offers us the tools we need to expose them—and in the process, gives us reason to hope." To purchase the book, visit: Stamped From the Beginning via Amazon To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In part one of our Stamped From the Beginning episode, we will be discussing Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Some Americans cling desperately to the myth that we are living in a post-racial society, that the election of the first Black president spelled the doom of racism. In fact, racist thought is alive and well in America - more sophisticated and more insidious than ever. And as award-winning historian Ibram X. Kendi argues in Stamped from the Beginning, if we have any hope of grappling with this stark reality, we must first understand how racist ideas were developed, disseminated, and enshrined in American society. In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history. Stamped from the Beginning uses the life stories of five major American intellectuals to offer a window into the contentious debates between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and antiracists. From Puritan minister Cotton Mather to Thomas Jefferson, from fiery abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison to brilliant scholar W.E.B. Du Bois to legendary anti-prison activist Angela Davis, Kendi shows how and why some of our leading proslavery and pro-civil rights thinkers have challenged or helped cement racist ideas in America. Contrary to popular conceptions, racist ideas did not arise from ignorance or hatred. Instead, they were devised and honed by some of the most brilliant minds of each era. These intellectuals used their brilliance to justify and rationalize deeply entrenched discriminatory policies and the nation’s racial disparities in everything from wealth to health. And while racist ideas are easily produced and easily consumed, they can also be discredited. In shedding much-needed light on the murky history of racist ideas, Stamped from the Beginning offers us the tools we need to expose them—and in the process, gives us reason to hope." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is engaging in Christian spaces and celebrating Christian holidays while deconstructing.  To purchase the book, visit: Stamped From the Beginning via Amazon To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In part two of our Medical Apartheid episode, I continue my discussion about Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington. (As a refresher) Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "The first full history of Black America’s shocking mistreatment as unwilling and unwitting experimental subjects at the hands of the medical establishment. No one concerned with issues of public health and racial justice can afford not to read this masterful book that will stir up both controversy and long-needed debate. From the era of slavery to the present day, starting with the earliest encounters between Black Americans and Western medical researchers and the racist pseudoscience that resulted, Medical Apartheid details the ways both slaves and freedmen were used in hospitals for experiments conducted without their knowledge—a tradition that continues today within some black populations.  It reveals how Blacks have historically been prey to grave-robbing as well as unauthorized autopsies and dissections. Moving into the twentieth century, it shows how the pseudoscience of eugenics and social Darwinism was used to justify experimental exploitation and shoddy medical treatment of Blacks. Shocking new details about the government’s notorious Tuskegee experiment are revealed, as are similar, less-well-known medical atrocities conducted by the government, the armed forces, prisons, and private institutions.  The product of years of prodigious research into medical journals and experimental reports long undisturbed, Medical Apartheid reveals the hidden underbelly of scientific research and makes possible, for the first time, an understanding of the roots of the African American health deficit. At last, it provides the fullest possible context for comprehending the behavioral fallout that has caused Black Americans to view researchers—and indeed the whole medical establishment—with such deep distrust." To purchase the book, visit: Medical Apartheid via Amazon or Medical Apartheid via Penguin Random House To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In part one of our Medical Apartheid episode, we will be discussing Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "The first full history of Black America’s shocking mistreatment as unwilling and unwitting experimental subjects at the hands of the medical establishment. No one concerned with issues of public health and racial justice can afford not to read this masterful book that will stir up both controversy and long-needed debate. From the era of slavery to the present day, starting with the earliest encounters between Black Americans and Western medical researchers and the racist pseudoscience that resulted, Medical Apartheid details the ways both slaves and freedmen were used in hospitals for experiments conducted without their knowledge—a tradition that continues today within some black populations.  It reveals how Blacks have historically been prey to grave-robbing as well as unauthorized autopsies and dissections. Moving into the twentieth century, it shows how the pseudoscience of eugenics and social Darwinism was used to justify experimental exploitation and shoddy medical treatment of Blacks. Shocking new details about the government’s notorious Tuskegee experiment are revealed, as are similar, less-well-known medical atrocities conducted by the government, the armed forces, prisons, and private institutions.  The product of years of prodigious research into medical journals and experimental reports long undisturbed, Medical Apartheid reveals the hidden underbelly of scientific research and makes possible, for the first time, an understanding of the roots of the African American health deficit. At last, it provides the fullest possible context for comprehending the behavioral fallout that has caused Black Americans to view researchers—and indeed the whole medical establishment—with such deep distrust." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is fighting insecurity to connect with others. To purchase the book, visit: Medical Apartheid via Amazon or Medical Apartheid via Penguin Random House To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana J. Burke. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "From the founder and activist behind one of the largest movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the 'me too' movement, Tarana Burke debuts a powerful memoir about her own journey to saying those two simple yet infinitely powerful words―me too―and how she brought empathy back to an entire generation in one of the largest cultural events in American history. Tarana didn’t always have the courage to say 'me too.' As a child, she reeled from her sexual assault, believing she was responsible. Unable to confess what she thought of as her own sins for fear of shattering her family, her soul split in two. One side was the bright, intellectually curious third-generation Bronxite steeped in Black literature and power, and the other was the bad, shame-ridden girl who thought of herself as a vile rule-breaker, not as a victim. She tucked one away, hidden behind a wall of pain and anger, which seemed to work...until it didn’t. Tarana fought to reunite her fractured self, through organizing, pursuing justice, and finding community. In her debut memoir, she shares her extensive work supporting and empowering Black and brown girls, and the devastating realization that to truly help these girls she needed to help that scared, ashamed child still in her soul. She needed to stop running and confront what had happened to her, for Heaven and Diamond and the countless other young Black women for whom she cared. They gave her the courage to embrace her power. A power which in turn she shared with the entire world. Through these young Black and brown women, Tarana found that we can only offer empathy to others if we first offer it to ourselves. Unbound is the story of an inimitable woman’s inner strength and perseverance, all in pursuit of bringing healing to her community and the world around her, but it is also a story of possibility, of empathy, of power, and of the leader we all have inside ourselves. In sharing her path toward healing and saying 'me too,' Tarana reaches out a hand to help us all on our own journeys." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is processing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's US Supreme Court confirmation hearing. To purchase the book, visit: Unbound via Amazon or Unbound via MacMillan Publishers Other sources mentioned in this episode include: FAQs - General Information about the Supreme Court by Supremecourt.gov How Does the Supreme Court Work? by Josephine (Jo) Bahn How Ketanji Brown Jackson’s path to the Supreme Court differs from the current justices by Adrian Blanco and Shelly Tan James Bevel by Wikipedia.com Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson may have set a new standard for future nominees - Opinion by Adam J. White Judging a Judge on Race and Crime, G.O.P. Plays to Base and Fringe by Jonathan Weisman and Jazmine UlloaThe #Metoo Movement Website To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "Native Women demand to be heard in this stunning anthology. Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book. In the same style as the best-selling Dreaming in Indian, #NotYourPrincess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a Native woman. Stories of abuse, humiliation, and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women making themselves heard and demanding change. Sometimes angry, often reflective, but always strong, the women in this book will give teen readers insight into the lives of women who, for so long, have been virtually invisible." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is [MBSW topic]. To purchase the book, visit: #NotYourPrincess via Amazon or #NotYourPrincess via Annick Press Other sources mentioned in this episode include: Canadian Indian residential school system by Wikipedia  Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada by Joanna Rice Why Canada is mourning the deaths of hundreds of children by Holly Honderich To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In part two of our Promising Young Woman episode, join Dianne and me as we continue our discussion about a great film written, co-produced, and directed by Emerald Fennell. (As a refresher) Here’s a brief summary of the movie courtesy of Focus Features: "From visionary director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes to a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman...until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling and wildly entertaining story." To watch Promising Young Woman, log in to HBO Max or you can rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and other streaming platforms. Movie extras can be found here. Other sources mentioned in this episode include: Promising Young Woman, Explained - Look In the Mirror by The Take To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In part one of our Promising Young Woman episode, my special guest, Dianne, and I discuss the Black Comedy-Thriller film, Promising Young Woman, written, co-produced, and directed by Emerald Fennell. Here’s a brief summary of the movie courtesy of Focus Features: "From visionary director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes to a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman...until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling and wildly entertaining story."  This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is "You know what grinds my gears" Women's Month Edition. To watch Promising Young Woman, log in to HBO Max or you can rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and other streaming platforms. Movie extras can be found here. Other sources mentioned in this episode include: Promising Young Woman, Explained - Look In the Mirror by The Take To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this bonus episode of Critical Reads, I am inviting you to listen to an interview conducted by my good friend Rosette Mamboleo. Rosette is a law student, a religious educator, and a mental health first aid instructor who is the founder of Elpida. Elpida is a faith-based low-profit limited liability company whose primary purpose is to spread hope and fight to see the total eradication of poverty. Through her organization, Rosette created a web series entitled Safari with Elpida, where she interviews people who are doing very dynamic and empowering work. In this episode, Rosette is joined by Christabel Yeboah to talk about ways to celebrate, train, empower and educate femmes - with special emphasis on black femmes who are survivors of sexual violence.  Christabel is a Women's Rights Lawyer, Activist, and Founder of the leading National Gender-based Violence Support Service for Black femmes - HERSANA CIC. HERSANA CIC (formerly known as The ASKFirst Campaign) was founded in 2016 by survivor and Black feminist Christabel to raise awareness around rape culture and advocate for survivors of sexual violence. Their mission is to create holistic, gender-specialist, culturally specific, and trauma-informed safe spaces for Black femmes affected by or at risk of gender-based violence across England and Wales, as well as campaign to eradicate violence against women and girls in all its forms. They aim to center Black women in every narrative and provide these services in a safe, Black femme-only environment. For more information about HERSANA CIC, please visit: https://www.hersana.org/  Instagram: @christabelkyeboah / @hersanacic Twitter: @hersana_cic Email: info@hersana.org  For more information about Elpida, please visit: https://www.elpidahope.com/   Instagram: @e.l.p.i.d.a_ / @a_rosette_mamboleo Email: contactelpidae@gmail.com Other sources mentioned in this episode include: Femme by LGBTQIA+ Wiki Femme by Nonbinary Wiki LGBTQIA+ Dictionary by UCONN Rainbow Center To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this bonus episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America by James Allen. With essays by Hilton Als, John Lewis, and Leon F. Litwack. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the publisher: "The Tuskegee Institute records the lynching of 3,436 blacks between 1882 and 1950. This is probably a small percentage of these murders, which were seldom reported, and led to the creation of the NAACP in 1909, an organization dedicated to passing federal anti-lynching laws. Through all this terror and carnage someone -- many times a professional photographer -- carried a camera and took pictures of the events. These lynching photographs were often made into postcards and sold as souvenirs to the crowds in attendance. These images are some of photography's most brutal, surviving to this day so that we may now look back on the terrorism unleashed on America's African-American community and perhaps know our history and ourselves better. The almost one hundred images reproduced here are a testament to the camera's ability to make us remember what we often choose to forget. " This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is  'Racism isn't a touchy subject if you're not a racist' from an Instagram post by @wearthepeace. To purchase the book, visit: Without Sanctuary via Twin Palms Publishers Other sources mentioned in this episode include: 3 Ways to End the School to Prison Pipeline for Good by Rehabilitation Enables Dreams (RED) Being Antiracist by the National Museum of African American History and Culture The School to Prison Pipeline: The Issue, the Solution, and Guiding Principles to Consider by Rehabilitation Enables Dreams (RED) Frequently Asked Questions about Lynching by withoutsanctuary.com To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!

In this episode of Critical Reads, we will be discussing The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone. Here’s a brief summary of the book courtesy of the author/publisher: "The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African American community. In this powerful new work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk. Both the cross and the lynching tree represent the worst in human beings and at the same time a thirst for life that refuses to let the worst determine our final meaning. While the lynching tree symbolized white power and black death, the cross symbolizes divine power and black life God overcoming the power of sin and death. For African Americans, the image of Jesus, hung on a tree to die, powerfully grounded their faith that God was with them, even in the suffering of the lynching era. In a work that spans social history, theology, and cultural studies, Cone explores the message of the spirituals and the power of the blues; the passion and of Emmet Till and the engaged vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.; he invokes the spirits of Billie Holliday and Langston Hughes, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ida B. Well, and the witness of black artists, writers, preachers, and fighters for justice. And he remembers the victims, especially the 5,000 who perished during the lynching period. Through their witness, he contemplates the greatest challenge of any Christian theology to explain how life can be made meaningful in the face of death and injustice." This week's "Musings of Tired Black Social Worker" segment topic is Celebrating BHM and Processing Florida's "White Discomfort Bill"  To purchase the book, visit: The Cross and the Lynching Tree via Amazon or The Cross and the Lynching Tree via Orbis Books Other sources mentioned in this episode include: Critical Race Theory by Wikipedia Florida Advances Bill That Would Ban Making White People Feel Bad About Racism, and No, That’s Not a Joke by Bess Levin Florida bill to shield people from feeling ‘discomfort’ over historic actions by their race, nationality, or gender approved by Senate committee by Amy Simonson To check out the CR podcast content calendar, visit: https://soulsessionswithneph.com/critical-reads-podcast To find out more about me or to consume more of my content, visit soulsessionswithneph.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @soulsessionswithneph, or email me at connect@soulsessionswithneph.com. Thank you again for your time and support!