71. Netflix + Black Ill with Megalyn Echikunwoke
Mamas, I know I don’t have to tell you: if you’re a black woman in America, you know your needs are ignored. That’s why we typically don’t trust the medical industry; there’s this idea that we’re superhuman, that our pain means nothing. Especially for those of us who have experienced pregnancy, we’ve had to make sure that we have a plan in place, that we have friends in the space where we’re giving birth, and have people there to truly advocate for us. Here on Mamaste, we’re never going to adhere to some fake timeline—Juneteenth is all year round, every month is Black History Month and we’re always in tune to Black Maternal Health.
Today, I’m welcoming an actress, an artist, and my new friend, Megalyn Echikunwoke. Megalyn is a deeply introspective and powerful artist who recently wrote and directed Weathering, a short film that explores the intense and often traumatic experience of Black motherhood, loss, and grief.
Tune in and listen to episode 71 of Mamaste with Tanika Ray. Megalyn is telling me about her very famous friend that helped her with her artistic process and why the topic of Black maternal health resonates so strongly with her.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- A bit about Megalyn and the process that brought her film to fruition (07:11)
- How taking a leap of faith opened up the door for her (13:20)
- The racism in the US healthcare system serves as a microcosm of racism in this country as a whole (16:19)
- About Megalyn’s writing process and the place she had to go to create her narrative(19:23)
- Megalyn wrote Weathering for Black women (20:58)
Connect with Megalyn:
Let’s Connect!