In this episode, Cynthia McCoy Miller and her co-host Arena Turner discuss the significance of Black History Month 2024. Cynthia introduces the episode by highlighting the importance of celebrating African-American leaders who have made and are making significant contributions. Arena then reflects on the continuous relevance of Black History beyond just February, emphasizing the need for recognition and appreciation of trailblazers in the African-American community.

She specifically mentions Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American woman to win an Oscar, as an example of resilience and pioneering spirit. Arena shares a quote that has inspired her, encouraging listeners to maintain their faith and persistence through challenges. Cynthia concludes the episode by expressing gratitude to the listeners and inviting them to stay connected for future episodes, reminding them of the importance of support from the audience and sponsors.

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Welcome back to Cynthia@theTable. I am your host, Cynthia! A year ago, we launched the Cynthia@theTable or CATT Book Club Corner to offer a shame-free, unapologetic space, and an opportunity to ensure we are taking time away from our busy schedules to decompress, dialogue, interact, celebrate, and share some good reads together in a meaningful way as well as to contribute to the betterment of one another. The bottom line and end goal is to elevate our overall well-being and self-care.


I am especially excited today for 2 reasons:


1. This is our first time coming to the table since the launch of the Book Club to have a candid conversation about a topic that continues to chronically, and sometimes lethally, maneuver in silence and we, especially people of color, must bring this subject to, and keep it at, the forefront.


2. For our May episode, we are celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month. This is such a critical topic.

I have joining me here today for this special episode of our CATT Book Club, my BFF Deloris, and some of my other sistah, sistah friends, and colleagues Arena and Lori. Ladies say hello to everyone!
I also want to take a moment to give a special shout-out and thanks to my niece, Marlo Washington, for designing our very nice and blinged CATT Book Club t-shirts. That’s right, we have our very own merch for the CATT Book Club. Thank you, Marlo! I’m also wearing lipstick by Mulan V and want to give a special shout-out to Mulan as well. Thank you, Mulan! Now, back to the topic at hand (laugh).

Our featured book that we will be discussing today is Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen: The Emotional Lives of Black Women by Dr. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University. We will be lifting up some of the primary points addressed in the book around some of the mental health challenges faced by Black women as well as explore how to identify and navigate through what healing looks and feels like.

I recently learned that depression rates in the U.S. have surged to record highs, especially in young adults and women. Now we won’t take a deep dive into the research on mental health disorders, particularly major depressive episodes, but I do want to share a few statistics to hopefully add some context to our book discussion. According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 21.0 million adults in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 8.4% of all U.S. adults. The prevalence of major depressive episodes was higher among adult females (10.5%) compared to males (6.2%). The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25 (17.0%).


We hope you have enjoyed our first book reading and this episode as much as we have! And we are looking forward to vibing with you in our future CATT Book Club episodes. Please also feel free to share your suggestions regarding other books we can feature on our CATT Book Club Corner. As we continue to lift up self-care, we are asking you to submit nominations for a person who you believe deserves and would greatly benefit from a CATT Self-Care package as our way of saying “Your self-care matters and you matter”. We will be doing a drawing for a free giveaway of a CATT Self-Care package, so look out for this special announcement. More information will be sent out to CATT followers soon.

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Welcome back to Cynthia@theTable I want to kick off 2023 with a celebration of Black History Month. This New Year has already presented its challenges and struggles around the pervasive homelessness issues, poverty, racial inequities, and other acts of social injustice.

But as I think back on the blood, sweat, and tears that my ancestors gave to make my future a better one, I can still hold my head high. I'm talking about the pioneers, prominent figures, trailblazers, abolitionists, civil rights leaders, unsung heroes, and advocates who have relentlessly given of themselves, many of them up until their dying days.

It is because of them that I proudly celebrate my Black History, even if it is only formally recognized in the month of February. It is because of them that I can be resilient and still have hope. It is because of them that I boldly and intentionally step into 2023 with my newfound mantra of “Leveling Up.”

If we really want to see the impact of our labor and move the needle in a meaningful way, we must level up. Leveling up, to me, means being accountable, being proactive, stepping up to the plate, and acting on integrity even when no one else is watching.

This applies to both our personal and professional lives. I believe that in all things, one must level up in order to move up. And I hope YOU are up for the challenge. So as we celebrate Black History Month, let's show up and level up - not just for our generation, but for the generations to come!

In closing, I'll leave you with this quote by Martin Luther king. It says... The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.

Until next time, stay safe, stay well, and stay connected!

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