Grinding isn’t wellness — and rest isn’t laziness. In this episode of Reimagining Black Health, Dr. Melicia Whitt-Glover explores the dimension of occupational wellbeing, asking what it truly means for Black people to thrive in the spaces where we work, lead, create, and care for others.

Guests Kelsie Bonaparte and Dr. Monique Johnson join the conversation for a grounded, honest look at how hustle culture has shaped our health, why productivity has been glorified at the expense of rest, and how Black communities can reclaim joy, agency, and balance as essential parts of work-life wellbeing.

Together, they examine:

● How grind culture disguises itself as “self-improvement” and “wellness”
● Why the pandemic forced a reckoning with our relationship to labor
● How rest, autonomy, and boundaries protect our mental and physical health
● Why optimal health must include joy, community, and meaningful purpose
● Practical ways to rethink your workday and redefine success on your own terms

This episode is an invitation to reimagine work — not as a measure of worth, but as one dimension of a full, liberated, and healthy life. Because optimal Black health includes rest, play, purpose, and the freedom to choose how we show up.

EPISODE CHAPTERS — Occupational Wellbeing

00:00 — What Does Occupational Wellbeing Really Mean?
00:30 — The Rise of Hustle Culture
01:15 — How “Wellness Challenges” Reinforce Overwork
03:00 — Rest as Resistance
05:00 — Is a Shift Happening Post-Pandemic?
07:00 — Redefining Wellness Outside the Medical Model
10:00 — Joy, Agency, and Autonomy at Work
14:00 — Balancing Roles Without Burning Out
18:00 — Boundaries, Intention, and Working Smarter
23:00 — Giving Yourself Grace
27:00 — One Action You Can Take This Week
38:00 — Closing

💡 Connect and Learn More

Visit councilbh.org to learn more about the Council on Black Health’s mission to advance health equity and reshape the future of Black wellness.

Follow us for future episodes, resources, and tools to help reimagine what it means to be well.

Loneliness isn’t just a feeling — it’s a public health crisis. In this episode of Reimagining Black Health, Dr. Melicia Whitt-Glover digs into the dimension of social wellbeing, exploring why real connection is as vital to our health as sleep, nutrition, and movement.

Guests Michele Paul, creator of Let’s Get Social Raleigh and founder of the Adult Recess movement, and Chelsey Reese, therapist and somatic practitioner, break down how community, joy, play, and vulnerability shape our emotional and physical health.

Together, they examine:

• Why loneliness raises the risks of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and early death

• Why joy is a birthright, not something we have to earn

• What “being seen” truly feels like — and why it's deeper than just being around people

• How play and community events can spark radical healing

• Practical, simple steps anyone can take this week to strengthen their own social wellbeing

This episode is an invitation to step outside, reconnect, and remember that we’re designed for community — and that connection is a core part of thriving.

EPISODE CHAPTERS — Social Wellbeing

00:00 — Joy as a Birthright

00:26 — What Is Social Wellbeing?

01:00 — Meet Michele Paul & Chelsey Reese

01:20 — Loneliness as a Public Health Crisis

03:00 — Systemic Barriers to Connection

03:35 — Social Media’s Role

04:45 — Is Loneliness Really That Serious?

05:30 — Ubuntu and Community

07:00 — Adult Recess & the Power of Play

09:00 — Rethinking Optimal Health

10:00 — Inside Chelsey’s Therapy Practice

11:00 — How Disconnection Shows Up in the Body

14:30 — The Hardest Step: Getting Out of the House

18:00 — Creating Safe, Welcoming Spaces

23:00 — What It Means to Be Seen

27:00 — Why Adults Lose Touch With Joy

31:00 — Teens, Tech, and Isolation

36:00 — One Simple Step to Improve Social Wellbeing

38:00 — Closing

💡 Connect and Learn More

Visit councilbh.org to learn more about the Council on Black Health’s mission to advance health equity and reshape the future of Black wellness.

Follow us for future episodes, resources, and updates on how you can join the movement to reimagine what it means to be well.

What does it mean to be truly well — not just free from illness, but whole, joyful, and liberated?
In this premiere episode of Reimagining Black Health, Dr. Melicia Whitt-Glover brings together a dynamic panel — physician and activist Dr. L. Toni Lewis, wellness advocate Jerica Robinson, and trainer Antoine Hudson — to unpack how health extends beyond numbers on a chart.

Together, they explore how rest, joy, boundaries, and community care are central to Black wellness. From grind culture to mental health, from body scans to Beyoncé, this conversation challenges traditional health models and celebrates a vision of optimal health rooted in freedom.

⏱️ Episode Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: Redefining “health” beyond the medical model
02:00 – The Wellness Trap: Are challenges like “75 Hard” helping or harming?
06:30 – Anti-Grind Culture: Dr. Toni Lewis on rest as resistance
10:00 – Joy and Liberation: Why community, play, and happiness matter
17:00 – Defining Optimal Health: Perspectives across generations
29:00 – Decentering Grind Culture: Setting boundaries and working smarter
39:00 – Balancing Roles: The cost of “doing it all”
44:00 – Takeaway Round: One thing you can do this week to move toward optimal health
50:00 – Closing Reflections: A win is a win — give yourself grace

💡 Connect and Learn More

Visit councilbh.org to learn more about the Council on Black Health’s mission to advance health equity and reshape the future of Black wellness.
Follow us for future episodes, resources, and updates on how you can join the movement to reimagine what it means to be well.