In the wake of the of the murders of dentist and former First Lady of Virginia Cerina Fairfax, Coral Spring Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, activist Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray and Pastor Tammy McCollum—along with countless others— a devastating truth remains largely unexamined: Black women in the United States are being killed at alarmingly disproportionate rates. These are not isolated tragedies. They reflect a profound and ongoing public health crisis with life-and-death consequences.

Black women are killed at rates 2 to 3 times higher than women of other races. And these deaths are rarely the result of random violence. More than half of Black women who were murdered were killed by a current or former intimate partner, and in nearly 90% of cases, the victim knew the person who took her life.

In this episode, we talk withDr. Tameka Gillum, Associate Professor in The University of New Mexico College of Population Health (COPH). Dr. Gillum has over 25 years of research experience in exploring and addressing intimate partner violence/dating violence. She is also the author of the recent manuscript The murder of Black women in the United States: A Public Health Crisis.

For more information about this episode visit https://www.psychologyofblackwomanhood.com/post/black-femicide

The “good girl/bad girl” sexual scripts Black women are expected to navigate create impossible double binds. From respectability politics and purity myths to hypersexual stereotypes and desirability, these scripts shape how Black women are seen, judged, and treated in intimate relationships and public life. Public figures like Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B make this tension especially visible—their images are often flattened into “hot girl” or “explicit” personas that don’t necessarily reflect the full reality of their lives or identities.

Research shows that awareness of stigmatizing race-based sexual scripts influence sexual decision-making, sometimes reducing feelings of empowerment around safer sex practices and intimate relationship choices.

This episode features Dr. Nikki Coleman, an award-winning licensed psychologist, sexologist, and founder of Dr. Nikki Knows, PLLC. A former tenured professor turned entrepreneur, her work blends cultural expertise and psychological depth.

Click here for more information about this episode.

Eating disorders have long been portrayed as issues affecting mostly young, White women, but research shows that Black women are also impacted—often in different ways and with less recognition. Studies reveal that while anorexia and bulimia are less common, binge eating disorder (BED) is a significant concern. For example, one national survey found BED to be the most common eating disorder among Black adults and adolescents, while anorexia was much rarer.

Despite these realities, Black women are less likely to receive treatment or even a diagnosis. In community samples, Black women report binge eating and other weight-control behaviors at rates comparable to or higher than White women, yet they face cultural stereotypes, stigma, and limited access to culturally competent care.

This episode will explore the prevalence of eating disorders among Black women, the cultural and structural factors that shape their experiences, and the urgent need for more inclusive approaches to treatment and recovery. We are talking with Dr. Rachel W. Goode, the Wallace Kuralt Distinguished Early Career Scholar Associate Professor at the School of Social Work and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Center for Eating Disorder Excellence, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Read more about this episode & related links here.