Shifting can mean changing how you speak in a professional setting, modifying your appearance to fit workplace expectations, carefully managing how you express anger or emotion, or adjusting your behavior depending on whether you are in predominantly White or predominantly Black spaces. This episode features the authors of the groundbreaking book Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America- journalist Charisse Jones and psychologist Kumea Shorter-Gooden.

Emerging research on Black women’s mental health increasingly emphasizes that joy is not merely an outcome of well-being, but a critical mechanism that supports it. In this powerful episode, we sit down with Dr. Kanika Bell, Associate Professor of Psychology at Clark Atlanta University and licensed psychologist, to explore how research and therapy can move beyond trauma-focused narratives and intentionally cultivate joy, balance, and healing.

Many neuroscience and health technologies have historically excluded Black women, often because of hair texture, protective styles, or biased research practices. Many widely used techniques—such as EEG, fNIRS, and other scalp-based measures—rely on direct contact with the scalp. But these tools were designed for loose, thin textures. We talk with Dr. Courtney Louis, a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital/ Harvard Medical School.