Shades of Strong® | From “Strong Black Woman” to Supported Black Woman
Welcome to Shades of Strong® — the podcast helping Black women make the shift from “Strong Black Woman” to Supported Black Woman, one conversation at a time. Through real talk, storytelling, and the Support Languages™ framework, we unpack what strength has cost us, what support really looks like, and how to stop carrying it all alone. This is your space to be seen, heard, and held — without guilt, shame, or struggle.
Episodes
2025 had hands… but it also had layers. This 2025 reflection for Black women holds space for all of it — the joy, the grief, the growth, the tiredness that doesn’t always go away with sleep. In this season of goal-setting and high expectations, this episode offers something different: a pause.
Because before we move ...
When it comes to holiday support for Black women, it often looks like doing everything for everyone else — with little space to be supported yourself.
In this short but powerful Support Snippet, Shirl offers a tender nudge to come back to yourself....
Rest isn’t something we earn — it’s something we deserve. In this episode of Shades of Strong, I’m joined by writer and self-care coach Tara Pringle Jefferson, author of Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Ca...
We talk a lot about what it means to be a good friend. But what happens when the support we’re giving doesn’t match what the other person actually needs?
In this episode of Shades of Strong, I’m ...
At 56 years old, I’m walking into a Black woman’s dream I’ve carried for decades — sitting in New York, preparing to speak with agents and an editor from one of the Big Five publishing houses… about my book.
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We say it all the time — check on your strong friend — but do we really know what that means?
In this Support Snippet, Shirl goes deeper than the surfac...
Are you tired of being the strong one? The one everyone depends on but rarely checks in with? That’s what we’re getting into today… ewhat happens after you finally lay that weight down — when you stop over-functioning, stop fixing, stop pretending you’re okay… and the phone stops ringing.
What happens w...
You’ve put down strong. You’ve tried the self-care Sundays, the soft life rituals, the silence and the scented candles. But somehow, you still feel like you’re holding it all by yourself.
In this...
This week on Shades of Strong, we’re going all the way in. I’m sitting down with Dr. Cecily Moore for a raw, layered conversation about what it really costs to carry the “strong Black woman” narrative — and what it actually takes to start living well, for real.
So earlier this week I talked about what it feels like when you don’t have anybody to reach for. But what about when folks are around — and you still feel alone? That’s a whole different kind of grief.
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The world is a lot right now. Some weeks feel heavier than others, and this has been one of those weeks. I wasn’t about to just move like nothing was happening, so I came to the mic to sit with it for a minute.
So let’s pause,...
Have you ever rewritten the same text five times just to make sure it didn’t sound too harsh?
Ever softened your “no” so it wouldn’t feel like rejection?
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What do you do when you need to fall apart… but there’s no one there to hold you?
This Support Snippet is me sitting with that exact question — and remembering what emotional care looked like back when I didn’t have to ask for it
For so many Black women, emotional safety started in the kitchen.
The smell of Blue Magic, the sizzle of a straightening comb, the sound of “Hold your ear” — those weren’t just routines. They ...
When we talk about loyalty, most of us think about relationships, family, or friendships. But there’s another kind of loyalty we don’t talk about enough — our loyalty to struggle.
As Black women, we’ve been taught that struggle is p...
We love to romanticize Ruth and Boaz like it’s the ultimate love story — but what if it’s really a story about being supported… for once? In this first episode back after my summer break, I’m digging into the part church never talked about: the quiet power of being chosen without earning it, b...
Let’s talk about protecting your peace — and whether that’s really what you’re doing… or if you’re just getting your lick back in silence.
In this minisode, I’m breaking down the Room to Breathe ...
I’m just gonna say it — I get annoyed when I see Black women using the phrase “women of color” when I know they mean Black women.
In this episode, I’m talking about why that bothers me, where I ...
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