
10 Black Podcasters Keeping You Learning, Laughing & Glowing Up

It seems like when you search for a good podcast, there are millions to choose from, and sifting through them all can be overwhelming and exhausting. There's something there for everyone, from music to politics to history to comedy to late-night raunchy. Well, if you want to get a good start of a few worth checking out, we got it for you. Check out 10 podcasts that uplift, inspire, inform and empower:
Passing Through Podcast
1. STORYTELLING: Passing Through
Nneka Julia's Instagram page gives enough clues as to why you'd want to know more from just one glimpse of something. Her photos from her off-the-beaten-path travels around the world---from Oracabessa, Jamaica to Abua, Nigeria to Havana Cuba, to Siem Reap Province, Cambodia---have allure and mystique that she further excites via the captions. So it's no surprise that her podcast would do the same, offering clever storytelling and intriguing nuggets of wisdom.
2. POLITICS: Code Switch
If you want to hear discussions from super-smart journalists about race and current events, this is a good one. What's great about this is that it includes both female and male perspectives and puts things in a historical context so that you'll feel like you've been schooled after every episode. One recent episode about the agitators within protests had me rethinking my opinions about the moving parts of a successful activist movement.
Therapy For Black Girls The Podcast
3. MENTAL HEALTH: Therapy for Black Girls
This isn't your usual chat about mental health and therapy. This podcast makes the subjects less taboo and more relatable. Hosted by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist and speaker, the podcast covers hot topics like Insecure's inclusion of Molly's pursuit of therapy, managing anxiety related to COVID-19, coping with workplace stress, and how to talk to your children about race.
4. BOSS MOVES: Side Hustle Pro
Nicaila Matthews Okome features candid conversations with women entrepreneurs, and past guests have included Myleik Teele of CurlBox, Lisa Price of Carol's Daughter, and Nicole Walters of The Monetized Life. The show promotes the impact of small steps that lead to big results, whether in launching that new idea, business or upgraded life.
Sip On This
5. WORK: Sip on This
Ashley Nicole Black, an actress, comedian, and writer, is that breath-of-fresh-air coworker at the new job who actually tells you why you shouldn't ask too many questions at the first staff meeting and point out who will actually answer your emails. She covers topics like how to channel anger, find work-life balance and survive struggle jobs. Yeah, thank me later sis.
6. CULTURE: The Read
If you don't know by the title what you're in for, you might want to go ahead and consult your urban dictionary and then review the expiration date on your Black Card. Veteran blogger Kid Fury and co-host Crissle give us real talk and raw opinions on every day issues like responding to cities opening back up, celebrity Internet beefs, and the prevalence of white privilege violations. These two would make any salon, coffee shop, bar lounge or barbershop visit a treat because this is the type of when-keeping-it-real-goes-right that makes any conversation that much more enjoyable.
Identity Politics
7. CULTURE: Identity Politics
Ikhlas Saleem and Makkah Ali talk race, gender and life as Muslims in America in a way that not only invites understanding but puts them among the ranks of friends in your head. (Am I the only one who does that? Wendy Williams, Tracee Ellis Ross, Shioni Turini, and Janelle Monae are on that list, too, but I digress). Whether you share their faith or not, you'll find so many similar issues to evoke "Yasss, sis," that you won't want to stop listening once the episodes are done.
8. TRAVEL: Let's Go Together
Pilot and explorer Kellee Edwards talks with guests about what their travel experiences have taught them about life, people, purpose, and choices. Kellee has traveled to more than 50 countries herself, built a huge following on YouTube before joining the team at The Travel Channel and has redefined what it means to be a black traveler. This podcast just launched June 10, but if it's anything like her previous shows, you won't want to miss it.
Brown Vegan
9. HEALTH & WELLNESS: Brown Vegan
Monique Koch, a vegan family coach, shares how to transition into a healthy lifestyle, and even if you're still not too sure about cutting your favorite jerk pork or fried chicken from your diet, you'll find more information from featured guests about the specific health benefits of using essential oils, incorporating adjustments for fitness goals, or adding more interesting seasonal veggies to your meals.
10. SEX & LOVE: Whoreable Decisions
Anytime you hear the words "one night stand", "on her face", "got a rash", and "parasites" in the same sentence, you know it's going to be an interesting night. This is definitely NSFW, but once you get a private moment and hear hosts Mandii B and WeezyWTF break down the tea and crumpets on trending news, celebrity shenanigans, girl-did-you-know wise cracks, and issues of sex and love that raise more than an eyebrow.
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
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Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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