
Have you ever chatted with an Unapologetically Black Unicorn? Someone who symbolizes freedom, power, strength and is a true force of nature and thought, ‘WOW people need to hear this’? Now you can and learn how to be a U.B.U. too! Join the weekly conversation with host Keris Jän Myrick, an unapologetically black unicorn in their own right, and nationally recognized mental health advocate chatting with amazing U.B.U. folk who are advancing all things mental health, racial justice, and anything cool to enhance human existence.
Episodes

Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
“Representation and Intention Matters” with Pat Deegan
Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
Pat Deegan (she/her) Ph.D. has a doctorate in clinical psychology, the founder of Pat Deegan & Associates and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Pat shares when she got her “Prognosis of Doom” and how she eventually turned it around. They talk about Certified Personal Medicine Coaches, medication empowerment and a column she co-edits entitled “Personal Accounts. She also speaks about the importance of representation and intention in her work to ensure people ‘see’ themselves in her work and the rage that comes with oppression.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Tuesday Aug 06, 2024
Tuesday Aug 06, 2024
LaMont Green (he/him/they) is the Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the Technical Assistance Collaborative and Rachel Post (she/her/hers) is a Senior Consultant at the Technical Assistance Collaborative and they are Unapologetically Black Unicorns. Lamont and Rachel explain how they are attempting to decolonize research and providing emotional capacity building support. They talk about how the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is taking a bold step and why we need to ensure that we’re impacting the communities that we are serving.
Technical Assistance Collaborative: Systems Alignment Innovation Hub: https://www.tacinc.org/resources/saih/
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Tuesday Jul 30, 2024
"Reverence"
Tuesday Jul 30, 2024
Tuesday Jul 30, 2024
Keris shares a poem about the complexity of our nation’s history surrounding race in this country.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Tuesday Jul 23, 2024
#BlackMentalHealth with Ellis Gordon Jr.
Tuesday Jul 23, 2024
Tuesday Jul 23, 2024
Ellis Gordon Jr. (he/him) is treasurer of NAMI Urban Los Angeles and he is the former husband of Bebe Moore Campbell. Ellis shares the story of how he met Bebe Moore Campbell and why it was so important to name the month of July after Bebe. They talk about the inception of NAMI Urban Los Angeles, how NAMI is community-centric and community-centered and continuing the goal of erasing the stigma.
This episode is sponsored by Janssen Neuroscience and Supported by The Painted Brain, a California based Peer Run Organization.
https://paintedbrain.org/ubu-black-mental-health/
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
“Mindfuling” with Nandini Nema
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
Nandini Nema (she/her) is a gap year student who is making an impact in mental health and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Nandini shares the work she’s done as a youth representative with UNICEF by help building child friendly cities. They talk about how mindfulness is a process, working in tech as a Google summer scholar, what they would do encourage people to get into the field of mental health and they share some of their healthy coping mechanisms.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
For more information visit:
- Child friendly city initiative: https://childfriendlycities.org/
- Boulder, Colorado’s child friendly initiative: https://www.growingupboulder.org/

Tuesday Jul 09, 2024
“The Family Royal”
Tuesday Jul 09, 2024
Tuesday Jul 09, 2024
Keris tells a story about a typewriter that’s been passed down through the family and the memories it holds. She talks about the significance of the typewriter to her family, how it brings her joy whenever she looks at it and she discusses the positive impact memories can have on your mental health.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Tuesday Jul 02, 2024
“Providing Humane and Compassionate Care” with Dr. Rupi Legha
Tuesday Jul 02, 2024
Tuesday Jul 02, 2024
Dr. Rupi Legha (she/hers) is a psychiatrist focused on anti-racism and providing humane and compassionate care and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Legha walks us through her path to becoming a psychiatrist and how she was not convinced by the biomedical approach. They talk about safety concerns in mental health, community-oriented care and working to not problematize a child and their mental health.
For more information on Dr. Rupi Legha visit: www.rupileghamd.com
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Tuesday Jun 25, 2024
“Conquering the Mickey”
Tuesday Jun 25, 2024
Tuesday Jun 25, 2024
Keris talks about how her birthday’s used to be a time where she isolated but describes how she was able to break out of it. Keris lists some alarming statistics about the life expectancy of those with serious mental health conditions and why she’s now wild about wellness.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
“Caring Responses instead of Scaring Responses” with Dr. John Draper
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Tuesday Jun 18, 2024
Dr. John Draper (he/him) was the Chief Officer of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Draper helps us understand the genesis of the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and what he hopes gets accomplished through the new lifeline. They talk about geolocation, how to serve people where they are and building trust and making others feel empowered.
Inseparable’s Better Response Report: https://www.inseparable.us/abetterresponse/
Unapologetically Black Unicorns 988 & Crisis Systems Reform Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUdw451JL3w&list=PLxolYqklWoEND-6LQRnqJXi4mG5k_8HLx
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Tuesday Jun 11, 2024
“Value The Connection to Community” with Dr. Jorge Partida del Toro
Tuesday Jun 11, 2024
Tuesday Jun 11, 2024
Dr. Jorge Partida del Toro is a Curandero, a Psychologist with international experience working with child soldiers and building intentional communities and he’s an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dr. Partida Del Toro gives the backstory for how he got into psychology and how his grandmother played a significant role. They talk about institutional and structural racism, mixing Curanderismo Healing and Western Psychology and valuing the connection to our communities.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline