Episode 19. Gender-Expansive Parenting for the Free Black Child
**Originally Recorded Summer 2021**
Happy Black History Month, Everybody!
It’s always a good time when we can get out new episodes—and this moment is one that is LONG overdue! In this episode, Dr. G sits down to talk all things gender-expansive parenting with friends and scholars Monique Walker, Shane'a Thomas, and Jeanae Hopgood. The trio share their experiences with both childbirth and childrearing, sharing both expertise and insights on how we might create a world in which Black children feel free to evolve as their Divinely known selves, without interruption.
NOTE: While this original conversation was recorded some time ago, the content in it is still quite timely and relevant for the present day. Please note while you listen that while there were some technical difficulties in recording this interview, the final product is our best attempt at salvaging audio quality. Your grace in advance, is sincerely appreciated.
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Guest Bios:
Dr. Shanéa Thomas, LICSW(He/She/Dr.) is a seasoned scholar-practitioner with more than 15 years of professional social work experience in the Washington D.C. metro area. His main commitment is training and strategizing with social workers, educators, and service providers around building safer therapeutic and educational spaces for all people. This is especially for those working in communities who are underserved and under-resourced, and those identifying as Black, Indigenous, people of color, and LGBTQI+ folks. Dr. Thomas has facilitated over 80 workshops centering DEI needs, grief and loss, mental health, sex and gender, and LGBTQI+ populations. When creating organizational change through strategic planning, Dr. Thomas' work unapologetically centers marginalized voices with community organizations and healthcare institutions to help shift power, privilege, and organizational accountability. Dr. Thomas has been a Senior Lecturer within the University of Southern California's Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work for the last 10 years, and has recently been appointed as the LGBTQ+ Training Specialist and Assistant Clinical Research Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health’s Prevention Research Center.
IG: @drkchocolatenoir
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Jeanae M. Hopgood, LMFT, M.Ed, PMH-C is an individual, couple & adult-family therapist, clinical sexologist, perinatal mental health specialist, blogger, speaker, and author in the Philadelphia area. Her private practice, JHJ Therapy, LLC centers individuals, couples and partners of marginalized identities addressing communication challenges, fertility challenges, perinatal loss, family-of-origin dynamics, sexuality concerns, and reconnecting to one's sexual energy. Jeanae has created several resources to support those healing after perinatal loss including the Black Angel Mom Guided Journal; a support journal for loss-parents and professionals who work with them, as they move through their grief journey, and the Little Feet, Big Footprints: BAM Card Deck; a conversation deck for individuals, support people, and partners. She is also the creator of www.BlackAngelMom.com - a blog and virtual community focusing on perinatal loss and healing while centering the Black experience; inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
IG: @jhjtherapy
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monique d. walker (aka dr. mo, she/her/hers) is a southern + black+ queer + femme presenting licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), MD board approved supervisor, and AAMFT approved supervisor candidate. she understands the unique healing path necessary to overcome racial, gender, and sexuality-based oppression because of her own personal + professional experiences navigating these challenges, as well as her own healing journey. dr. mo works from an eclectic + integrative + culturally humble perspective, utilizing ancestral healing practices along with evidence based methods in her clinical work. she has advanced training in several trauma-informed modalities + is a certified imago relationship therapist (CIRT) +holds advanced training in many other therapeutic + somatic-based approaches. dr. mo is actively involved in community-based work related to many socio-political +social justice issues that our society continues to grapple with. she specializes in working with LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, families + groups, as well as folx in myriad relationship structures (kinky + poly/non-monogamous). dr. mo also has extensive experience working with individuals who have experienced complex and persistent trauma, folx dealing with perinatal or postpartum + other family planning issues, as well as families navigating acceptance of sexual and gender minoritized young people (her dissertation topic). in her copious amounts of spare time, dr. mo is also mommy to a 7 year old rambunctious little one, an adjunct professor + clinical supervisor/trainer, and a business owner x2. if you want to know more, just ask... she’s a (mostly) open book… a very wordy, multi-volume, hilarious book!
IG: @conscientious_coupling