To be black and conscious

Years ago, during the first semester of my junior year in college, I decided to enroll in an Intro to African American Studies class. He schooled my classmates and me in all things Black. We learned about everything from the great pyramids in Africa to the social movements of the s. He exposed the contradictions of the Christian faith by explaining its origins and how it was a fairly new religion in the span of world history. Moreover, we discussed how many aspects and figures of Christianity—angels, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus—resembled and had probably been stolen borrowed from the faith traditions of my ancestors. Even more troubling were the ways most of my ancestors were introduced to the faith—through violence, manipulation, and coercion. I was black, conscious, and Christian.

Raquel Martin is a Ph. Justin Hopkins, Psy. Together they host The Black Un conscious podcast. Every week Martin and Hopkins discuss mental health difficulties faced by minorities in America. Topics discussed include trauma, relationships, biases, and mental health disorders. Martin says we should profile their podcast because its unique, not only because of the topics covered but also because who it is covered by. We also have a great dynamic when discussing topics, having a healthy balance between education and disclosure regarding how the topics have impacted our personal lives.