Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the Black community, and we need to be about helping to save these lives. Today’s guest, Starla Gay, believes that she was born a community health advocate because she has been standing up for what is right since childhood! Starla is a health insurance specialist, community health activist, and BLACC activist. In this conversation, you’ll hear about Starla’s life and what led her to her career, what BLACC is and what they do, and a little bit about their Peer Navigation Research Project. We delve into the importance of a peer navigator before hearing about their partnership with Stanford and what they learned from it. Finally, Starla tells us how we can support BLACC. Thanks for tuning in!

Key Points from This Episode:

• An overview of today’s impressive guest, Starla Gay.

• Starla tells us how she became a community health advocate.

• What BLACC stands for, what they do, and their research study.

• What a peer navigator does and why they are so important.

• Starla shares what it’s been like to partner with Stanford.

• What the public can do to support BLACC and this project.

Quotes:

“Even though Black women experience breast cancer at a lower rate than white women, — we die from it far more often, we get far more aggressive and deadly forms, [and] we tend to discover the breast cancer at a later stage.” — Starla Gay [0:15:15]

“We’re trying to spread the work that we’re doing and our relationship with Stanford has really made that possible.” — Starla Gay [0:23:23]

“This work is so important because we are trying to save the lives of Black women.” — Starla Gay [0:24:58]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Starla Gay on LinkedIn

Starla Gay on Instagram

BLACC

Peer Navigation Program Recruitment

Charlotte Maxwell Clinic
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Self-love in times of physical and mental challenges is the best medicine.’ This powerful quote comes from today’s guest, Ms. Delorme McKee-Stovall, in her letter that was part of our first Love Letters to Our Bodies booklet. An ordained minister, peace and social justice advocate, and retired human rights and healthcare administrator, Delorme brings a wealth of wisdom and experience. In this episode, we delve into her career and educational journey, what sparked her passion for human rights advocacy, and her deeply personal experience of being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. She shares the challenges of navigating disparities in the healthcare system, the need to advocate for herself, and the profound importance of truly understanding and loving your body. Don’t miss this inspiring and insightful conversation on the Love Letters to Our Bodies podcast.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction and background of our guest, Delorme McKee-Stovall.

• Delorme shares the details of her career journey, from nursing to human rights advocacy.

• What compelled her to pursue religious studies.

• She breaks down what her work as a human rights advocate looked like.

• Her journey through the diagnosis, treatment, and process of breast cancer.

• What it felt like being forced to advocate for herself.

• She recounts her most vulnerable experience during her breast cancer treatment.

• The importance of loving and understanding your body.

• How embracing a vegan lifestyle became a cornerstone of her healing journey.

• Discovering and embracing gratitude and joy amidst life’s challenges.

• What motivated Delorme to keep the faith and continue moving forward.

Quotes:

“[My religious studies] helped me to understand not only the basis of religion and why human beings require religion in their lives these days — but also to help me to understand rituals that helped people to heal.” — Delorme McKee-Stovall [0:05:36]

“When you’re diagnosed [with breast cancer], you’re in a state of unrest, concern, your mind isn’t working really well. You can’t focus really well on anything else but that and so you really need people around you that are going to help you stay focused on healing.” — Delorme McKee-Stovall [0:10:06]

“Loving your body is really important because that means you are paying attention to it as well.” — Delorme McKee-Stovall [0:16:21]

“So I was meditating three times a day in gratitude, not meditating asking for a cure, but in gratitude for the life that I've been given, for the family, and oh, the career that I had. I mean, everything that happened in my life when I looked back on it, wow, am I grateful…” — Delorme McKee-Stovall [0:28:36]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Delorme McKee-Stovall on LinkedIn

Delorme McKee-Stovall on Facebook

Love Letters to Our Bodies Vol 1

Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Show Notes

What if cancer care could go beyond managing symptoms to help patients truly heal in mind, body, and spirit? Joining us today is Melbra Watts, Executive Director of Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, a women’s health clinic in Oakland, California, offering free integrative care to under-served, low-income women with cancer. Melbra shares how this clinic goes beyond conventional care to deliver acupuncture, energy healing, nutritional counseling, and more, all in a space that honors the full person. Discover how their holistic support helps women manage pain, renew their spirits, and reclaim power in their healing journeys, transforming their treatment experience. This episode reveals not only the clinic’s impact but also the inspiration and resilience that drive Melbra’s work to make compassionate care accessible to those who need it most. Listen in for a heartening look at how love and dedication fuel a healing community!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A warm welcome to today’s guest, Melbra Watts.

• The history of Charlotte Maxwell Clinic and its mission.

• How complementary therapies can support cancer care.

• Melbra's journey and how she joined Charlotte Maxwell Clinic.

• Understanding the difference between curing and healing.

• How unresolved trauma and shame can affect your health.

• The surprisingly positive impact that the pandemic had on the clinic.

• Unpacking some of the funding and support challenges that the clinic faces.

• Volunteer practitioners and their indispensable contributions to the clinic.

• Why integrative care is essential for comprehensive cancer treatment.

• Reflections on the beauty in helping clients reconnect with their mind, body, and spirit.

Quotes:

“Studies have shown that complementary therapies actually do improve the quality of life. They actually do boost the immune system so that the women can recover from the radiation and the chemotherapy and surgeries and different kind of things that they go through.” — Melbra Watts [0:08:47]

“I have to say, the pandemic, in a way, was a gift for us because it really helped us to shift what we were doing, and we were able to take advantage of some resources that became available during that time.” — Melbra Watts [0:16:54]

“One of our principles is making sure [women don’t] – blame themselves for having contracted the illness or the disease.” — Melbra Watts [0:18:43]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Melbra Watts

Melbra Watts on LinkedIn
Charlotte Maxwell Clinic
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

There are many ways in which your health and nutrition affect your chances of getting cancer and how your body recovers from a cancer diagnosis. Today on Love Letters 2 Our Bodies, Assistant Professor of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Howard University, Dr. Linda Thompson joins us to discuss food and nutrition in relation to cancer. In this conversation, you’ll hear all about our guest and what inspired her to work in nutrition, how certain lifestyle choices increase the risk of cancer, the effect of chronic disease, stress, mental health, and food on cancer, and so much more! We delve into the kinds of foods to avoid with a cancer diagnosis and what you should prioritize in your diet before discussing organic fruits and vegetables and their benefit. Dr. Thompson even shares tips for eating nutritious foods on a low budget, shares examples of carcinogenic foods, and warns us to avoid genetically modified foods. Finally, our guest tells us what has inspired her in her nutrition journey. Thanks for tuning in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An overview of today’s guest, Dr. Linda Thompson.

• How Dr. Thompson became interested in nutrition.

• She discusses the lifestyle factors that increase the risk of cancer.

• How chronic disease and stress are related to breast cancer.

• The foods that may increase the risk of getting breast cancer.

• Recommended foods for breast cancer survivors to eat.

• Dr. Thompson shares her thoughts on organic fruits and vegetables.

• How you can manage to eat nutritious foods on a lower budget.

• The danger of eating genetically modified foods.

• Why grill food (that’s been charred), processed foods, and fizzy drinks can cause cancer.

• What inspires Dr. Thompson in her nutrition path and life.

Quotes:

“In order to live, we have to eat and what we eat affects our quality of life and our risk of disease.” — Dr. Linda Thompson [0:04:13]

“It doesn’t matter what size you are as long as you are in good health.” — Dr. Linda Thompson [0:09:20]

“There’s so much going on in the [food] industry that we have to keep up instead of just being blind consumers. We need to really be paying attention to what we’re putting in our bodies, particularly if we’re dealing with an issue like breast cancer, or any cancer.” — Dr. Linda Thompson [0:25:31]

“We may not be able to control a lot of things in our [lives] but we can control what we put in our [mouths] for sure.” — Dr. Linda Thompson [0:29:28]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Linda Thompson

Dr. Linda Thompson Email

‘Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention’
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Episode 8: Show Notes
Could the beauty products you're using be silently harming your health? In this powerful episode of the Love Letters 2 Our Bodies podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Astrid Williams, Director of Programs and Initiatives for the California Black Health Network, to reveal a disturbing truth: many of the beauty products marketed to Black women contain toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other serious health issues. Join us as Dr. Williams dives into the heart of the Conscious Black Beauty Movement (CBBM), which is fighting to protect our communities from these dangers while challenging the harmful Eurocentric beauty standards that pressure women to conform. From exposing startling truths, like the fact that the $7.5 billion Black beauty industry often promotes carcinogenic products, to sharing practical ways to choose safer products and support legislative efforts that are pushing for better regulation, this episode is an urgent wake-up call. If you want to reclaim your health, embrace your natural beauty, and take a stand against toxic beauty norms that don't serve you, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Dr. Astrid Williams and the California Black Health Network.

• Harmful toxins in Black beauty products that contribute to breast and uterine cancer.

• How the CBBM advocates for access to clean, safe, and affordable beauty products.

• Legal protections like the Crown Act that safeguard natural hairstyles at work and school.

• The importance of rethinking (and reclaiming) our relationship with beauty.

• Eurocentric beauty standards that often pressure Black women into using toxic products.

• Why education and awareness are critical in the under-regulated beauty industry.

• Vote with your dollars: the buying power we have in the $7.5 billion Black beauty industry.

• Legislative initiative pushing for regulations to ensure safer Black beauty products.

• The scope of the CBBM and how the campaign is being received by communities of color.

• Practical tips and tools to help you choose safer beauty and fashion products.

• How to join the Conscious Black Beauty Movement and make meaningful change!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Astrid Williams on LinkedIn

California Black Health Network

California Black Health Network on Instagram

California Black Health Network on Facebook

California Black Health Network on X

Conscious Black Beauty Movement (CBBM)

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP)

Environmental Working Group (EWG) Healthy Living App

Think Dirty App

Clearya App

Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Today’s episode shows how a cancer diagnosis is not the end of one’s life. We are joined by Talaya Dendy, a renowned cancer doula (and 12-year cancer thriver!) who in her daily life and work, goes above and beyond to provide guidance & support. Talaya discusses what she prioritized before and after her cancer diagnosis. We learn about her diagnosis and how her view of her body has changed, how she processed the trauma of her diagnosis, how her lived experiences pushed her to become a cancer doula, and the ins and outs a cancer doula’s role and responsibilities. We also unpack the challenges that Talaya must overcome to serve those in need and what led to her podcast Navigating Cancer TOGETHER. Press play now for this thoughtful and insightful conversation about health, healing, and happiness!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Understanding Talaya Dendy: Her values before and after her cancer diagnosis.

• The stress of a corporate ladder pursuit.

• How she felt about her body before cancer versus how she feels about it now.

• Her approach to processing and accepting her diagnosis as a young, healthy woman.

• The ins and outs of being a cancer doula.

• The barriers that Talaya must overcome to reach the people who need her help the most.

• Why she started her important and inspirational podcast, Navigating Cancer TOGETHER.

• What you can learn from the Love Letters 2 Our Bodies Workshops.

• Talaya explains why Tabitha Brown is her current source of inspiration.

• The affirmations that help her navigate tough times.

Quotes:

“Like most women, you always find those things that you think are imperfect, but in reality, God made us perfectly. Being able to come to that realization took a lot of time, maturity, and self-love.” — Talaya Dendy [0:07:54]

“As a cancer doula, I walk with my clients; I guide them and support them; I make sure that they are heard and seen; and I make sure that they have the information and resources that they need to make informed decisions about their care and become the gatekeepers of their health.” — Talaya Dendy [0:10:51]

“It doesn’t mean that you’re going to die because you get a cancer diagnosis.” — Talaya Dendy [0:11:16]

“It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way that you carry it.” — Talaya Dendy [0:26:28]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Talaya Dendy | On the Other Side, LLC

Talaya Dendy on LinkedIn

Talaya Dendy on Instagram

Navigating Cancer TOGETHER

I Survived Cancer and Here Is How I Did It

Greater National Advocates

Tabitha Brown

Love Letter 2 Our Bodies Online Workshop – 19-20 October

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

What if setting a simple intention could transform your life? In this powerful episode, Gwendolyn Mitchell sits down with Astrid Richardson-Ashley, a licensed clinical social worker and Reiki practitioner, to explore the profound impact of intention and sacred space in healing and personal growth. Together, they delve into how the Love Letters 2 Our Bodies workshops create safe, transformative environments for Black women to heal, connect, and align their minds, bodies, and spirits. From the introduction of the Soma process, an ancient ritual that brings peace and joy, to the importance of resilience, conscious awareness, and community, this episode is filled with inspiring insights into how spirituality and intentionality can lead to profound change. Tune in today to find out how you can bring these healing practices into your own life!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Astrid came to be part of the Love Letters 2 Our Bodies Project.

• The power of intention-setting as a catalyst for personal growth and healing.

• A ritualistic formula for setting intentions that unites mind, body, and spirit.

• Why it’s important to create a safe, sacred, grounded space to facilitate openness.

• Astrid’s favorite aspects of the workshops, namely the relationships.

• Acknowledging the courage and resilience of women throughout their healing journeys.

• An introduction to the Soma process and how it promotes joy and peace.

• Beautiful quotes from workshop participants about their transformative experiences.

• Astrid’s profound personal experiences as a result of the Soma ritual.

• How mentioning balance between mind, body, and spirit can enhance feelings of bliss.

• Insight into the Conscious Black Beauty Movement and its inclusion in the workshop.

• The unique integration of spiritual practices that fosters collaborative healing.

• Aspirations for the future of the Love Letters 2 Our Bodies project.

Quotes:

“We have a role in our consciousness and the thoughts that we put out there. The intentions that we set can change our lives. That has been my experience.” — Astrid Richardson-Ashley [0:06:43]

“We’re holding sacred space. You can feel it. It’s palpable – The women who [participate in these workshops] come back and they say, ‘Something happened here. I can feel it.’” — Astrid Richardson-Ashley [0:14:47]

“Intention has made a huge change in how my life has grown and evolved. I [now see] prayer as such. This is part of me co-creating with the universe, with the divine, to create the life that I want to have.” — Astrid Richardson-Ashley [0:32:44]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Love Letters to Our Bodies Project

Astrid Richardson-Ashley on LinkedIn

California Black Health Network

Conscious Black Beauty Movement (CBBM)

Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute

Show Notes

When a woman receives a breast cancer diagnosis, it can feel earth-shattering. However, as today’s incredible guest demonstrates, it can also serve as a powerful wake-up call to reevaluate and make meaningful changes that lead to a more authentic and fulfilling life. In this episode, we’re joined by Dee Manuel Cloud, an empowerment coach, author, speaker, and two-time breast cancer survivor. Her book, Beauty in the Breakdown: Finding Peace in the Midst of Life's Disruptions, encapsulates her mission to help women stop suffering in silence, reclaim their lives after trauma, and elevate their self-worth so they can live a life of freedom, love, and abundance. Join us as she shares how her diagnoses profoundly shaped her outlook on life and led her to embrace the immense power of authenticity. We also discuss why vulnerability is an essential component of strength, how our stories become survival guides for others, the importance of leaning on your community, and so much more. This inspiring conversation offers invaluable insights into how embracing both authenticity and adversity can lead to deeper growth, empowerment, and fulfillment. Be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Dee’s two breast cancer diagnoses shifted her outlook on life.

• The immense power of authenticity and embracing your uniqueness.

• Some of the biggest challenges Dee has faced and how she overcame them.

• The vital role of healing childhood trauma and doing the inner work.

• How Dee’s experience with breast cancer informs her work with other survivors.

• What she means when she refers to her cancer experiences as “divine disruption.”

• Practical and emotional advice for anyone who has recently received a diagnosis.

• The importance of self-advocacy and developing a strong support system.

Quotes:

“I don’t think there’s anything more powerful than being who we came into this world to be.” — Dee Manuel Cloud [0:09:13]

“When I share my story and I share about being vulnerable, coming out, living as my authentic self, and finding my voice, not only [was it] inspiring to other women, but it gave them the courage to find their authentic voice as well.” — Dee Manuel Cloud [0:19:27]

“[Divine disruptions] don’t come to destroy us. They come to put us on the right course.” — Dee Manuel Cloud [0:23:32]

“[Advocate] for yourself. You are your number one priority.” — Dee Manuel Cloud [0:31:39]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dee Manuel Cloud

Dee Manuel Cloud Email

Beauty in the Breakdown

Dee Manuel Cloud on LinkedIn

Dee Manuel Cloud on Instagram

Dee Manuel Cloud on Facebook

Dee Manuel Cloud on TikTok

Dee Manuel Cloud on YouTube

Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn

Love Letters 2 Our Bodies is sponsored by Moyo Institute, Inc and the Lloyd Symington Foundation
Gwendolyn Mitchell on LinkedIn
MOYO Institute, Inc
instagram.com/moyoinstitute