‘Black Women Own the Conversation,’ Featuring Oprah Winfrey Premieres Tonight

by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D, NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor 05/28/2021

A special two-hour episode of “Black Women OWN the Conversation” premieres TONIGHT at 9p ET/PT. The special program will follow “OWN and P&G Present: Widen the Screen – A Fuller View of Black Life.”

The special episode features an audience of Black women in an in-depth conversation regarding mental health and trauma impacting the Black community led by media icon and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey, Emmy-award winning host and journalist Adrienne Bankert, and leading social impact strategist Jotaka Eaddy. The conversation will feature special guests California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Activist, Scholar, Educator Dr. Dena Simmons and Dr. Gail Wyatt, Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Airing on the anniversary of George Floyd’s tragic death, “Black Women OWN the Conversation: Mental Health and Trauma” offers resources and key takeaways to start healing from trauma, particularly after a difficult year where the Black community has been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the emotional toll of the ongoing fight for racial justice and equality.

In this new one-hour episode, the guests discuss childhood trauma in the Black community, how it affects mental health, and how it manifests in adulthood. This meaningful conversation will destigmatize mental health issues and offer suggestions of how to do the work to heal both individually and as a community, all through the lens of asking “What happened to you?” The critical question is a shift posed by Oprah’s recent New York Times best-selling book of the same name co-written with trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry. The conversation around mental health and wellness is also the topic of “The Me You Can’t See,” the documentary series from Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry that premiered May 21 on Apple TV+.

Through this conversation Oprah, the panel, and the audience will educate, inspire, and help others feel less alone and hopeful for the future. Expert panelists will suggest resources and key takeaways for those who are looking to start examining and healing from trauma.

This special is a part of OWN’s popular eye-opening, topic-driven series “Black Women OWN the Conversation” which first premiered in 2019 and is the first of several episodes planned for 2021 focused on health in the Black community, in conjunction with OWN’s first-ever health initiative, OWN YOUR HEALTH. The Emmy award-winning series features intimate conversations about important issues with honest opinions and surprising solutions that put Black women first.

Follow OWN on social media at @OWNTV and join the conversation using #BlackWomenOWN.

Excerpt:
Airing on the anniversary of George Floyd’s tragic death, “Black Women OWN The Conversation: Mental Health and Trauma” offers resources and key takeaways to start healing from trauma, particularly after a difficult year where the Black community has been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the emotional toll of the ongoing fight for racial justice and equality. 

Photo Caption:
This special is a part of OWN’s popular eye-opening, topic-driven series “Black Women OWN the Conversation” which first premiered in 2019 and is the first of several episodes planned for 2021 focused on health in the Black community, in conjunction with OWN’s first-ever health initiative, OWN YOUR HEALTH.

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