In light of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many others, and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests that are demanding race equality around the globe, the latest episode of The Gurls Talk Podcast sees host Adwoa Aboah in conversation with activist and International Ambassador for Black Lives Matter, Janaya Future Khan.
Following an illuminating Instagram Live conversation between the two, Adwoa and Future take a moment to break down systemic racism and white privilege, the intersection of police brutality and mental health, the link between feminist and anti-racist activism and the importance of the narratives we are born into.
“The story that black girls are born into is one of hypervisibility and invisibility, in this world and this society, if we aren’t protected from the world, then it is very easy for black girls to become brutalised by it,” says Future. “Instead of funding mental health services, we criminalise. And if you are someone who is already criminalised because of your race, you’re being criminalised two-fold. It’s a razor-sharp, very specific and precise kind of hatred.”
The two also discuss their journeys as activists as well as challenges they face in their efforts to create social change. Adwoa notes:
“Sometimes [activism] feels so segregated, “I’m for this” or “I’m for that”, but actually it is all the same thing. If we all worked together, we’d be so much stronger. For those who don’t understand and feel confused, I feel it would benefit them to understand that you don’t have to choose one singular cause…though mental health is where I speak most naturally and where the birth of my activism started, it crosspolliantes and I know in my head that it can flow in many different directions.”
The Gurls Talk Podcast engages experts, activists, thought-leaders, and those with lived experience to create a new approach to mental health that’s inclusive and progressive. Season Two sees host and Founder of Gurls Talk Adwoa in conversation with the likes of Dua Lipa, Clara Amfo, Lucy Sheridan, Megan Barton-Hanson and Gurls Talk’s Chief Clinical Advisor, Dr. Ciara Dockery, amongst others.
At this time, a selection of previous episodes of The Gurls Talk Podcast feel more relevant and poignant than ever. round-up below:
For a list of anti-racism resources and ways to educate yourself on racial inequality and Black Lives Matter, click here. The Gurls Talk podcast is presented by NIKE.
Episode 9 of Season 2 with Janaya Future Khan, out now. Listen here.
Gurls Talk is a community-led organization dedicated to promoting the mental health and wellbeing of adolescent gxrls and young womxn. For more information visit www.gurlstalk.com. Follow Gurls Talk here.
