Content Warning: There are mentions of racial violence in this episode. If you have sensitivities around this subject, I urge you to take breaks as needed, or step away if it becomes too difficult.

In 2023, the murder of Ajike “AJ” Owens shook the country–another Black mother taken too soon in a moment of senseless and unnecessary violence. In the years since, AJ’s story as told on Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ has prompted a larger conversation around race, fear, Stand Your Ground laws, and the everyday realities and dangers Black families navigate in America and in their communities. But AJ was more than a victim of racial violence, she was a woman whose life was filled with love, ambition, and unapologetic hope for her children and her future.

Today, I’m pleased to be joined by two women who are integral to carrying AJ’s story forward with courage and purpose. Pamela Dias, AJ’s mother and co-founder of the Standing in the Gap Fund, has turned unfathomable grief into a mission to protect families who face race-based violence and its aftermath. Here with Pamela is her co-founder Takema Robinson, producer, and advocate for racial justice who helped bring AJ’s story to the masses.

In this conversation, we explore how their relationship formed, what it means to tell a story shaped by grief, and how storytelling, advocacy, and memory can become pathways to collective healing. We talk about community, justice, and the ongoing fight to ensure that AJ and so many others like her are not forgotten.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week.

Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast.

Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals.

Where to Find Our Guests

Watch 'The Perfect Neighbor'

Standing in the Gap Fund

Stay Connected

Join us in over on Patreon where we're building community through our chats, connecting at Sunday Night Check-Ins, and soaking in the wisdom from exclusive series like Ask Dr. Joy and So, My Therapist Said. ​

Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox.

If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory.

Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop.

The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession.

Make sure to follow us on social media:

Twitter: @therapy4bgirls

Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls

Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this conversation we're joined by singer-songwriter and actress Kiana Ledé for a deeply honest and heartfelt conversation about her journey with bipolar disorder, how she’s learned to navigate her diagnosis with compassion, and the ways therapy, boundaries, and connection have supported her along the way. Kiana and I also explored the emotional world of her deluxe album, Cut the Ties, and the themes of self-love, closure, and transformation that run throughout the project. She opened up about the creative process behind the music, the tenderness required to tell the truth about her experiences, and what it means to heal while still being in the public eye.

Make sure to follow us on social media:

Instagram

TikTok

Interested in being a part of a future TBG U episode or suggesting a topic for us to discuss, send us a note HERE.

Order a copy of Sisterhood Heals for you and your girls HERE.

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producer: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s that time of year again where we reflect on all of the astrological insights we got heading into 2025 as well as get a sneak peak of what to look forward to in 2026. Our favorite Astrologer, Mecca Woods is back with her annual astrological report. From transits to retrogrades to major planetary shifts, she’s here to unpack it all.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

Resources & Announcements

You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week.

Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you'd like some feedback on, topics you'd like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast.

Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals.

Where to Find Our Guest

Website

Instagram

Stay Connected

Join us in over on Patreon where we're building community through our chats, connecting at Sunday Night Check-Ins, and soaking in the wisdom from exclusive series like Ask Dr. Joy and So, My Therapist Said. ​

Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox.

If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory.

Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop.

The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession.

Make sure to follow us on social media:

Twitter: @therapy4bgirls

Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls

Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls

Our Production Team

Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins

Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis

Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.