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Panel Discussion: Parenting, Protection, and the Power of Showing Up

When I look around our community, I see so much resilience — but I also see how much weight our Black families are still carrying. That’s why I wanted to begin this series with a conversation that felt both courageous and critical. I wanted to gather women who have walked this road, who carry lived wisdom, and who can speak directly into what it means to serve, protect, and honor Black families in a system that wasn’t built for us.


Sitting at the table with ChaQuana, Mikilia, Porsche, Tatianna and Jebeh felt like being surrounded by aunties, sisters, and teachers all at once. Each woman brought her own story — as mothers, as advocates, as educators, as therapists — and together, we created a space where truth and love could sit side by side.


We didn’t sugarcoat anything. We talked about how cultural stigma too often keeps families silent about disability or mental health. We talked about how schools can fail our children when representation is missing, or when parents are left out of the conversation. We talked about shame, about the need to ask for help, about how to advocate without fear. And we named the reality: our children are at risk, not because of who they are, but because of the systems and the silence around them.


But what I will carry most from this conversation is not just the pain, but the possibility. Each of these women reminded me that representation matters. That showing up matters. That as parents, teachers, social workers, and neighbors, the way we advocate for our children today will echo for generations.


For me, this wasn’t just a panel discussion — it was a sacred reminder that our families deserve to be heard, seen, and protected. And that we as a community have the responsibility to step in, to tell the truth, and to create new cycles of healing and hope.

“Show up. Be visible. Our kids need to see us there, and so does the community.”

⏱ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Why we must have critical & courageous konversations

01:30 – Introductions: Shaquana, Michaela, Portia, Gemma

05:00 – What drew each woman into this work

07:00 – How identity as Black women shapes how we serve families

15:00 – Parenting lessons that influence advocacy

23:00 – Early signs of autism & why advocacy starts with parents (Michaela)

30:00 – Cultural stigma and the silence around disability

37:00 – Youth mental health, isolation, and the impact of COVID (Portia)

52:00 – How parents can advocate when schools are failing their children (Gemma)

1:00:00 – Safe ways to ask for help without fear of judgment (Shaquana)

1:08:00 – Prevention: how families can act before the system gets involved

1:13:00 – Final words of encouragement for families

Weekly Reflection

Where in your own family/community have you been silent when you could have spoken up?

What would it look like to choose courage over silence this week?

Watch & Listen

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