Black men are not supposed to talk about being hurt. Especially not by the church.

In this episode of Surviving the Black Church, Adrian Taylor breaks that silence. As a Black man who grew up in the Black church, endured spiritual abuse from church leadership, and wrestled with the weight of religious trauma alongside the expectations of Black masculinity, his story puts a face on a conversation that too many Black men have had to carry alone.

This one is for every Black man who knew something was wrong — and was told that saying so made him less of a man, less of a believer, or less of both.

Surviving the Black Church — because your story doesn't end there.

For Black LGBTQ+ people, the church is often the first place they learn that who they are is wrong. And the harm that follows can last a lifetime.

In this episode of Surviving the Black Church, we sit down with Nikiya Pruitt — licensed clinical social worker — for an honest conversation about queerness, QTBIPOC identity, and the Black church. Drawing on her clinical work with some of the most marginalized communities at the intersection of race, faith, and sexuality, Nikiya helps us understand what religious trauma looks like for queer Black people — and what real healing requires.

This one is for the ones the church told didn't belong — and everyone who is still finding their way back to themselves.

Surviving the Black Church — because your story doesn't end there.

In many Black church spaces, holiness isn't just a doctrine — it's a culture of control. And the psychological toll it takes on Black people runs deeper than most are willing to admit.

In this episode of Surviving the Black Church, we sit down with Dr. Desiree Robinson — therapist and integrative practitioner specializing in faith, trauma, and intimate wellness — for an honest clinical conversation about what sanctification and holiness culture actually do to Black people who are raised inside them. From shame-based theology to suppressed identity, Dr. Robinson helps us name what so many survivors have felt but never had words for.

This one is for everyone who performed holiness to belong — and is still trying to find their way back to themselves.

Surviving the Black Church — because your story doesn't end there.

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What does it cost Black people to stop believing — in a community where faith is woven into identity, family, and belonging?

In this episode of Surviving the Black Church, we sit down with Mandisa Thomas — founder and president of Black Nonbelievers, Inc. and co-recipient of the 2020 Harvard Humanist of the Year award — for a frank conversation about non-belief in the Black community. From the stigma of leaving faith to being shunned by family, Mandisa has spent over a decade creating space for Black people who are done pretending — and building community on the other side of belief.

This one is for the doubters, the done, and everyone quietly asking questions they've been afraid to say out loud.

Surviving the Black Church — because your story doesn't end there.

Some stories need to be told because someone else is living them in silence right now.

In this episode of Surviving the Black Church, Ebony Brice steps forward to share her experience as a Black religious trauma survivor — from growing up in the Black church, to enduring spiritual abuse at the hands of church leadership, to finding her voice on the other side of it all.

No credentials. No platform. Just a survivor telling her truth — and in doing so, giving language to what so many others have been carrying alone.

This one is for everyone who knew something was wrong but was told to pray through it and keep quiet.

Surviving the Black Church — because your story doesn't end there.

What do you do when the family that introduced you to God is the same family that caused your deepest wounds? And what does faith look like when the trauma is that close to home?

In this episode of Surviving the Black Church, we sit down with Carolyn J. Murphy — survivor, Mindshift Coach, and Founder of Firm Foundations Community Outreach, LLC — for an honest conversation about holding onto faith after familial trauma. Carolyn's journey from wounded to whole inspired her book God, Why Did You Save Me? and a mission to help others unshackle from their past and step into freedom.

This one is for anyone still carrying wounds from the family they were born into — and still reaching for faith anyway.

Surviving the Black Church — because your story doesn't end there.

What does spirituality look like for Black people on the other side of religious trauma? And what happens when the tools that bring you healing are the same ones the church told you to fear?

In this episode of Surviving the Black Church, we sit down with Brooke "Bee" Sanders — intuitive reader, self-published author, and Black empowerment advocate — for a real conversation about reclaiming your spiritual life outside of institutional religion. Drawing on Tarot, Dream Interpretation, and Ancestral Channeling, Brooke has helped countless people reconnect with themselves and their ancestors after the church told them that door was closed.

This one is for the spiritually curious, the religiously wounded, and everyone still figuring out what healing looks like on their own terms.

Surviving the Black Church — because your story doesn't end there.

What does Black religious trauma actually cost us — mentally, emotionally, spiritually? And what happens when a Black psychiatrist who studies race-based trauma turns her clinical eye toward the Black church?

In this episode of Surviving the Black Church, we sit down with Dr. Jessica Isom, MD, MPH — board-certified psychiatrist, racial justice advocate, and founder of Vision for Equity LLC — for an honest, clinical conversation about the psychological toll of Black church culture, the failure of Black leadership, and what healing actually requires.

This one is for the survivors, the still-questioning, and everyone who deserves a name for what happened to them.

Surviving the Black Church — because your story doesn't end there.