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The Melanin Reset is more than a podcast—it’s a call to reclaim our power. Hosted by Valarie “The Realist” Winn—educator, photographer, and your unfiltered homegirl—this visual podcast challenges how Black Americans see ourselves and how we demand the world see us. We’re breaking free from the boxes they tried to put us in, rewriting our narratives, and standing ten toes down in our excellence. From unapologetic conversations about race, culture, and politics to real-life talk about self-wor ...
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Powered by Melanin MeetUps, Illuminate is a dynamic Ted-Talk-like series featuring leading Black luminaries, visionaries, professionals, and changemakers tackling society's most pressing challenges. Hear powerful stories and innovative ideas from established and emerging voices across all industries, addressing imaginative and solution-based ideas from climate change, mental health, entertainment, social justice and more. Illuminate aims to unlock human potential and forge a new path of enli ...
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When Love Ain’t Enough: Mental Health & the Messiness of Black Relationships
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🧠💔 Love is powerful—but what happens when it’s not enough to hold our relationships together? In this raw and real episode of Melanin Reset, the Realist Winn along with her husband and the Jacksons dive deep into the unspoken struggles of mental health in Black relationships. From emotional triggers and trauma bonds to the hard truths we often avoi…
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Welcome to The Melanin Reset: Our Power, Our Truth, Our Narrative!
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🌟 Welcome, Beautiful Souls! 🌟 I’m Valarie “The Realist” Winn—host of The Melanin Reset 🎙️—a bold, unfiltered space where we reclaim our narratives, challenge limiting beliefs, and speak truth to power with no chaser 💥. This quick intro is just for you—all my new followers tapping in for the first time 👋🏽✨. I see you. I appreciate you. And I can’t w…
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Dish It, But Can’t Take It: Can Marriage Survive Infidelity? (Part 2)
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🎙️“Can a Marriage Survive Infidelity? (Part 2) – The Hard Truths About Love, Betrayal & Healing” We’re back with Part 2 of “Can a Marriage Survive Infidelity?”—because this conversation was too real to stop at just one episode. In this unfiltered discussion, we go even deeper into the complexities of love, trust, and betrayal. 💔 Can a relationship …
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They Can Dish It, But Can’t Take It! 🤡 The Hypocrisy Exposed | Living, Loving, and Winning Ep. 4 Part 1
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Why do some people love to throw shade but crumble when the heat is on them? In Episode 4 of Living, Loving, and Winning, we’re calling out the folks who can dish it but can’t take it! 💅🏾 From fragile egos to straight-up hypocrisy, we’re breaking it all the way down. 🔥 Topics Covered: ✔️ Why people love to critique but hate being critiqued ✔️ The p…
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Communication & Understanding: Breaking Barriers for Deeper Connection | Living, Loving, and Winning! (Part 2)
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We’re back with Part 2 of our deep dive into Communication & Understanding in marriage and relationships! 💬❤️ In this episode, we’re picking up where we left off—unpacking how to break down communication barriers and create deeper connections with your partner. We’re sharing: 🔥 Practical tools to improve active listening 💡 How to clarify intentions…
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Communication & Understanding | Living, Loving, and Winning! (Part 1)
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The Melanin Reset presents Living, Loving, and Winning! This week, we’re diving into one of the biggest keys to a healthy relationship—Communication & Understanding. 💬✨ We’re getting real about how therapy helped both of our marriages and the powerful “aha” moments that turned miscommunication into clarity. Because let’s face it—love without unders…
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“PDA or Doing Too Much? Setting Boundaries for Love in Public & Keeping It Hot at Home! 🖤
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Living, Loving, and Winning! This episode, we’re getting real about PDA (Public Displays of Affection) and Comfort Zones in relationships. How much is too much when it comes to showing love in public? 🫣 We’re discussing: 💋 Balancing affection and respect in public spaces 🛑 The importance of boundaries—every couple is different! 🏠 Why being discreet…
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Living, Loving, & Winning | Love In Action: Dating Your Spouse Part I
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Living, loving, and winning—together! In this episode, we’re diving into the beauty of dating your spouse and keeping the romance alive with intentional love. Whether you’re newly married or celebrating decades together, nurturing your relationship takes effort, faith, and a whole lot of heart. We’ll talk about how couples can prioritize each other…
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Drag, at the cross sections of glitter and social action | Amber St. James
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Send us a text Live at The Old Globe Theater, drag activist and artist Amber St. James delivers a transformative Illuminate talk on drag as a medium for social action. Discover how St. James uses the art of drag to challenge norms and create space for self-discovery and activism as they answer the question, what steps can we take to rewrite the nar…
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Amplifying black voices on stage | Jamila Demby
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Send us a text Live at San Diego Theatre's The Old Globe, join Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access (EDIA) at The Old Globe Theatre Jamila Demby as she takes us through her journey in regional theatre to discusses how Black stories on stage contribute to a deeper, more inclusive human experience. Through personal anecdotes, humor, an…
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Breaking barriers and how I found my voice as an artist | Andréa Agosto
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Send us a text Live from San Diego's world-renowned theatre, The Old Globe, San Diego artist and playwright Andréa Agosto shares a compelling personal journey to artistry in at Melanin MeetUps' Illuminate series. Discover how Agosto navigated obstacles to find her unique voice as an artist and how her experience offers insights into reclaiming iden…
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The power of theatre to break cycles of trauma | Kirk Brown
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Send us a text Founder of Melanin MeetUps, Kirk Brown discusses the power of theater as a tool for breaking cycles and inspiring personal growth in this riveting Illuminate talk. Live at San Diego Theatre's The Old Globe, Brown highlights the powerful role of storytelling to break cycles such as toxic shame, redefine masculinity and become a better…
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Theater and the arts in 'The Reset' | Ahmed Kenyatta Dents
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Send us a text Live at San Diego's The Old Globe Theatre, Performing Arts Administrator of Mainly Mozart Ahmed Kenyatta Dents discusses the evolving role of theater and the arts as we navigate a period of resetting and renewal. Dents shares strategies to help us redefine artistic identity, answering how the arts can better reflect diverse voices in…
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Black dreaming and divesting from the white imagination | Kelsey O. Daniels
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Send us a text Live at San Diego's The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego artist and founder of Black Dream Experiment, Kelsey O'Daniels explores the concept of Black dreaming and the urgency of moving beyond the white imagination in the arts in this powerful Illuminate talk. Daniels offers insights into the path toward true identity and creative freedom…
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Staging change, black performance and theatrical evolution | Amani Starnes
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Send us a text Live from San Diego's world-renowned theatre, The Old Globe, Dr. Amani Starnes examines the power of Black performance to drive societal change and personal evolution in Illuminate. Dr. Starnes unpacks the pathways to reimagining Black identity and representation in theater, offering a roadmap for meaningful transformation in the art…
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Bravery and shaping the new America | Malcolm Kenyatta
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Send us a text Ever feel that knot when it's time to act? "Don't wait on your neighbor because your neighbor may be waiting on you," says Pennsylvania Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, quoting his great-grandfather, a former slave. But what does bravery in leadership look like, especially for Black Americans? Support the show Join us at melaninmeetups.org and…
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What it means to be young, gifted, black and suffering | Dr. Nicole Green
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Send us a text Unaddressed trauma in young, gifted, Black youth often leads to anxiety, depression, and silence. Healing requires safe spaces, culturally sensitive support, and addressing both personal and generational pain. For the Black community, breaking free from systemic oppression can look like reclaiming identity, building independence, and…
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How trauma-informed services help voter turn out | Park Cannon
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Send us a text What happens when you're othered by a racist ad campaign or forced to vote in line during a pandemic? Georgia State Representative Park Cannon explores these questions in her Illuminate talk, connecting trauma with recent voting suppression initiatives in Georgia. She argues for trauma-informed services to help communities heal from …
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Using imagination to meet needs for change | Holly J. Mitchell
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Send us a text Join Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell in her Illuminate talk as she explores the power of imagination through Langston Hughes' "crystal stairs" and the vision of a 5-year-old in a NASA jumpsuit. She discusses how imagination can drive movements, inspire leadership, and address inequities within the California legislature. Recognized by O…
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Leading from within for change | Cory Booker
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Send us a text Join us for an inspiring talk by U.S. Senator Cory Booker at Illuminate, where he shares a transformative encounter with Ms. Virginia Jones, a tenant president in New Jersey. This powerful meeting shaped his worldview and creativity in advocating for justice and change. Booker emphasizes the importance of personal leadership in today…
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THE MELANIN RESET: The Realist Take on The Harris v. Trump Presidential Debate
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You wanted her unapologetic opinion and here it is! In the latest episode the Realist Winn's gives a bold recap of the 2024 Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Let's get into it!! The Melanin Reset PodcastBy Valarie Winn
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How to make fear your friend in the creative process | Charles Ray Hamilton
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Send us a text Fear is a powerful force for Black creatives like Charles Ray Hamilton, a Black, queer writer who made it to Hollywood, penning for STARZ's POWER. Fear doesn't disappear with success—it fuels creativity and resilience. Hamilton’s story reveals how embracing fear can drive you forward. Download now to see how fear can be your greatest…
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Van Lathan and the state of reshaping black narratives in media | Illuminate Fireside chat
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Send us a text The 2019 Illuminate Fireside Chat at hClubLA brought together Van Lathan and Jarrett Hill for a powerful conversation on what it means to be a Black American journalist in today's polarized media landscape. With the press labeled as a "threat" by former President Trump, Lathan and Hill explored the heightened responsibility of Black …
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Humanizing characters on television for self-love | Cameron Johnson
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Send us a text "You're cute, for a black guy." This microaggression is just one of the many experiences that inspired television writer Cameron Johnson's powerful short documentary titled as such. Through humor and insight, Johnson explores how television shapes the way we view Black gay men, and why it's crucial for them to be in the writer's room…
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Memorializing plantations to heal | Kirk Brown
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Send us a text What's in a name? For many southern Black Americans, their last name is not their own yet belongs to someone else beginning on American Plantations or was picked by themselves. With their identity so malleable and a society that has routinely tried to define them with labels and stats, how can they take more control of their narrativ…
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Emancipating the image of the black woman | Amani Starnes
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Send us a text What does it mean to be a strong black woman? Hollywood is transforming the portrayal of Black American artists, especially Black women, who are now breaking out of traditional roles and showing more nuanced experiences. Dr. Starnes explores how to challenge stereotypes and the impact of the "strong Black woman" trope and what it mea…
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How to reconnect to self after trauma | Dr. Thema Bryant
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Send us a text What does it mean to be disconnected from yourself? What does it mean to be disconnected from your body after trauma? What does healing look like for the African-American community and the Black American after historical and contemporary traumas? How will this impact our self-esteem and mental health? Support the show Join us at mela…
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In this episode of "The Melanin Reset," host Valarie Winn welcomes listeners to a new year filled with promise and challenges. She sets the stage by highlighting the critical importance of the upcoming election and the power of the Black vote in shaping the future of the country. Emphasizing the need for strategic voting and active participation in…
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Rise and Reign Moment | The Choice is Yours!!
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Introducing "Rise and Reign" Moments for @themelaninreset Podcast . Today's topic is The Choice is Yours!! It's up to you to elevate your frequency, rise, and reign. Asé! The Melanin Reset PodcastBy Valarie Winn
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Church Girl No More: Why I Left Christianity - Ep. 16 (S2)
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In this episode, Valarie Winn gives three reasons why she no longer identifies as Christian and why she left the church. She also gives a brief synopsis for the reasons church folks lost their minds when Beyoncé dropped the Renaissance album , specifically, the track "Church Girl". The Melanin Reset Podcast…
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Welcome to the second season of the Melanin Reset Podcast. In this episode, Valarie gives us three things we should know about Kanye West, the artist also known as Ye. She, also, takes time to explain 5 categories of the Black mentality and where she sees Ye is on that scale. Let's get into. The Melanin Reset Podcast…
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