Guests: Chelsie Esek-Onyeahialam, MS, CCC-SLP, and Jordyn R. Montique, MS, CCC-SLP

Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/blackslpmagic-part-2

FREE Black History Month Conference: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/culture-care-knowledge

This course meets ASHA's Content Area 2 PD requirement for providing culturally responsive services and effective self-reflection, adaptability, and collaborative practice.

In this episode of First Bite, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, continues the conversation with Chelsie Esek-Onyeahialam, MS, CCC-SLP, and Jordyn R. Montique, MS, CCC-SLP, founders of #BlackSLPMagic. Part 2 shifts from awareness to action, focusing on practical ways to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field of speech-language pathology.

Together, Michelle, Chelsie, and Jordyn examine systemic barriers that continue to impact BIPOC professionals and discuss evidence-based strategies for creating more welcoming, supportive, and inclusive professional environments. The conversation centers on reducing obstacles to professional growth, increasing representation, and strengthening meaningful connections across the SLP community.

Listeners will gain concrete tools for advocacy, professional networking, and allyship, along with actionable steps they can take within their own workplaces, organizations, and professional circles. Chelsie and Jordyn share grounded insights on how intentional actions, not just intentions, can help shift culture and create lasting change.

Whether you identify as an ally, advocate, or leader in speech-language pathology, this session offers practical strategies to move beyond awareness and toward meaningful action, supporting a profession where all voices are valued and reflected in the communities we serve.

Show Notes:

Contact Chelsie: @esekhealth on Instagram

Contact Jordyn: @jrc_theslp on Instagram

Black SLP Magic: @blackslp magic on Instagram, www.blackslpmagic.org

Donate to Black SLP Magic: ko-fi.com/blackslpmagicslpsocialseen

SLP Social Scene: @slpsocialseen on Instagram

Professional Identity in Speech-Language Pathology Students: pubs.asha.org/doi/abs/10.1044/2024_PERSP-24-00043

Cultural Competence Check-ins: www.asha.org/practice/multicultural/self/

Cultural Responsiveness: www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/cultural-responsiveness/

Bias, Appraisal Tools, and Levels of Evidence: www.asha.org/research/ebp/bias-appraisal-tools-and-levels-of-evidence/

Related Courses:

1. #BlackSLPMagic Paving the Way for the Future

Guest: Tracy Camille Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, MSPA-CPSP

Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/allyship-advocacy-pfd

Related Course: Lactation and the Interprofessional Practice Seminar: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/lactation-and-ip

First Bite is back for an all new season, and host Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, kicks things off with a powerful conversation on allyship and advocacy. She’s joined by Tracy Camille Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, MSPA-CPSP, Founder and CEO of Buttercup Therapy Services. Together, they explore barriers that BIPOC clinicians may encounter on their journey to becoming an SLP, how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) shape service delivery, and ways to identify functional, community-based resources that truly uplift caregivers supporting children with pediatric feeding disorders. If you’re ready to reflect, grow, and strengthen your advocacy lens, this episode will meet you there. Come hungry for growth and leave feeling full.

About the Guest: Tracy Camille Johnson is a Speech Language Pathologist, Pediatric Feeding Specialist, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Advocate. Originally from Chicago, she now calls Austin, Texas home. She is the founder and CEO of Buttercup Therapy Services which services the greater Austin region across the lifespan for feeding, swallowing, and communication skills since 2022.

Show Notes:

Lactation Seminar: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/lactation-and-ip

Contact Tracy: @chattytraceface.slp on Instagram

Butter Cup Therapy: www.buttercuptherapy.org

Black Mamas ATX (Love Money Cause): blackmamasatx.com

National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH): www.nbaslh.org

Find Help: www.findhelp.org

Guests: Rachel S. Tyrone, PhD, CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Torrey Robinson, MS, CCC-SLP, doctoral student at UMMC.

Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/population-health

Y’all, this conversation exists because of a fantastic dress and a spontaneous chat outside the bathroom at the Mississippi Annual Speech-Language-Hearing Convention. That chance moment sparked a soul-filling discussion about population health, public health, and social determinants of health, and how all three directly shape our work as pediatric SLPs. As 2025 comes to a close and many of us are reflecting on our professional place in the world, this episode offers hope, perspective, and practical ways to think and act upstream. You will walk away inspired to become an “Upstreamist,” ready to lead gently and passionately for our field, our colleagues, and the children and families we serve in 2026.

Show Notes:

ASHA SDOH: https://www.asha.org/practice/social-determinants-of-health/?srsltid=AfmBOopPx1sLqvjVFTyhNQ3gM8f4tlJ3_e6otXZgc5w9S8gGNCKH5zWK

Healthy People: https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople

Mentioned in this episode:

This is a Speech Therapy PD Podcast

Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode when you complete the accompanying course on speechtherapypd.com.

This is a Speech Therapy PD Podcast

This Podcast is worth 0.10 ASHA CEUs when you complete the course on speechtherapypd.com.