Episode 3

full
Published on:

30th Jun 2025

Backlash Against Black: Fighting Erasure and Reclaiming the Narrative

In this powerful episode of Blacktivities, Shannon welcomes special guest Rick Willis — a proud HBCU alum, veteran, journalist, and outspoken advocate for Black empowerment — to unpack the growing backlash against Black culture, history, and unity.

From banned books and rewritten curriculums to erasure in media and targeted attacks on Black progress, this conversation exposes the patterns of fear, propaganda, and historical amnesia that continue to impact our communities. Through storytelling, facts, and unapologetic truth-telling, Shannon and Rick examine the difference between playing the victim and naming injustice, the danger of the "white victimhood" narrative, and what Black folks can do to resist erasure, restore pride, and go on offense.

Topics Covered:

  • The historical and modern-day backlash against Black progress
  • Big Facts: documented attacks on Black political power and education
  • Why white fear is fueling efforts to silence Black truth
  • The myth of meritocracy and the reality of stolen opportunity
  • The emotional and strategic dilemma of protecting Black spaces
  • DEI, CRT, and the "incompetence" narrative
  • What solidarity between Black men and women should look like
  • The call to action: love each other louder, lead with truth, and educate our own

Guest Info:

Follow Rick Willis on Facebook and Instagram:

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About the Hosts


Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production - a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.


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About the Podcast

Blacktivities
Blacktivities connects the black history we never learned in school to everyday experiences and issues facing black Americans today. A blend of humor and insight, this podcast connects the past and present in an engaging and entertaining way.
Blacktivities is where Black women gather to talk about life, history, and everything in between. It’s a celebration of Black culture, Black perspectives, and the shared experiences that shape how we move through the world.
With the perfect balance of humor and depth, Blacktivities connects Black America’s past to the present through conversations that are thoughtful, relatable, and sometimes nostalgic. We talk about everyday life, current issues, and cultural moments the way they’re actually discussed off-mic.
Hosted by Shannon, Lisa, and Karen, the show centers Black women’s voices while showing that no two experiences are the same. Different viewpoints, real dialogue, and honest reactions all live here.
If you enjoy smart conversations that don’t feel preachy, cultural commentary that still knows how to laugh, and a podcast that feels like home, welcome to Blacktivities.
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About your host

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Shannon Chatmon

Shannon is a veteran educator, wife, mother of two, and host of the U Talk, I’ll Listen Podcast and Blacktivities Podcast. She started podcasting during the quarantine of 2020 at the height of arguments over racial justice, politics, and mask mandates when she decided to create her first podcast centered around listening to others’ stories, perspectives, empathy, and mental health. Check out Shannon’s SAC’s Facts segment on Blacktivities Podcast where she adds her own panache to black history.