Join us on Zoom - November 25, 2025 at 8:00 pm EST for a meet & greet with Lisa & Shannon of Blacktivities! If you can't be there, help us make Blacktivities better by completing a listener survey. Thank you to everyone who listens and supports Blacktivities on the regular! Hope to see you soon!

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
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About the Hosts

Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet

Follow Karen - @theekkroberts

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

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Copyright 2022-2025 Black Panache, LLC

In Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem “We Wear the Mask,” he wrote of a smile that “grins and lies” referring to our inability to show our authentic selves and feelings. This week on Blacktivities, we talk about what it means to take off the mask—especially while moving through workplaces and the world. Shannon, Lisa, and KK talk finding safe spaces, what diversity and inclusion was supposed to look like, and how culture and food can bring people together.

We also share our own “unmasking” moments, from podcasting to showing up more authentically at work, plus a hilarious conversation about why Carnival Cruise thinks y’all are doing too much.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
2. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
3. Follow us on social media.
4. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices.

Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website

About the Hosts

Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet

Follow Karen - @theekkroberts

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

Copyright 2022-2025 Black Panache, LLC

In this episode of Blacktivities, Shannon, Lisa, and KK unpack the parenting phrases we grew up hearing—and how many of them still echo in our adult lives and therapy sessions. From “Because I said so” to “I brought you in this world, I can take you out,” we’re talking about how generational trauma gets passed down, sometimes biologically, and how we’re working to break the cycle for the next generation.

We dive into:

• Common phrases Black parents said—and what they really meant
• The mental health gap in the Black community and why so few seek therapy
• Epigenetics: how trauma gets passed through generations
• Shifting from survival-based parenting to emotionally healthy communication
• Why Black folks need therapy, support, and permission to grow

Plus, Mona Lisa delivers a beautiful off-the-cuff poetic moment about Black motherhood and resilience. And of course, we leave you with powerful calls to action for the culture.

CALL TO ACTION:

Let’s talk—what’s something your parents used to say that stuck with you (for better or worse)? Drop a comment, DM us, or leave a review.

Bring Blacktivities to your inbox - stay posted on what's happening with the pod... more black culture, black history, black perspectives, and black panache!

1. Share this episode with a friend. Word of mouth is the best tool for growth.
2. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
3. Follow us on social media.
4. Donate to the cause and help amplify more black voices.

Hear more episodes - Blacktivities website

About the Hosts

Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

Continue the Conversation on Social Media:

Instagram - @blacktivitiespod

Follow Shannon - @justshanofficial

Follow Lisa - @monalisathepoet

Follow Karen - @theekkroberts

Threads - @blacktivitiespod

Facebook - Blacktivities

• The Struggle of Growing Up With Black Parents