Therapy for Black Girls – Session 402

Flipping the Tables & Owning Our Futures with Alencia Johnson
Original air date: March 12, 2025

Episode Overview

In this milestone episode, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford welcomes political strategist and author Alencia Johnson for a powerful conversation about disruption, Black women’s political labor, and the urgent need for self- and community-care. Fresh from releasing her book Flip the Tables: The Everyday Disruptor's Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change, Johnson delves into political realities post-2024 election, the nuances of advocacy and messaging for Black communities, the collective soul-searching of Black women, the meaning of rest as resistance, and practical paths to personal and social transformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Alencia Johnson’s Journey & Work

• What Led Her to Consulting

  • Alencia shares her shift from corporate communications at GEICO to political work—including the Obama 2012 campaign, six years at Planned Parenthood (where she founded Stand With Black Women), and advising multiple presidential campaigns.
  • She describes 1063 West Broad, her consultancy named for her late grandmother’s address, representing her legacy and inspiration (05:40).
  • “I became kind of an accidental entrepreneur. I had my LLC because as Black women, we're always ready, right?” – Alencia Johnson (08:04)

• The Art and Psychology of Political Messaging

  • Alencia stresses the necessity of building community trust through listening, not just polling (08:55).
  • She favors focus groups over polling to gain authentic feedback, citing the “who, not what” principle (“most of the time it's not the message, it's the messenger.”) (10:38).
  • “You gotta check your ego, Mr. or Ms. Politician, and really get the messenger out there that people already trust.” (11:31)

Navigating Resistance & Disruption in Campaigns

• Pushing Campaigns to Listen
  • Alencia reflects on the courage needed to challenge leaders to step back as the primary message-bearer when they’re not the community’s best advocate (12:11).
  • “We have to have those just uncomfortable conversations in order to get to the win. And I would rather sit in my discomfort with my boss…if that means that the greater community, my community especially, is going to benefit from that.” (13:18)
  • Real-life examples: Honest race conversations with Cecile Richards at Planned Parenthood and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (13:45).

Black Women, the 2024 Election, and Collective Disillusionment

• Vice President Harris’s Candidacy and Its Symbolism

  • Discussion of society’s struggle with multifaceted Black women; Alencia notes the resistance to Harris’s authenticity and joy (14:43).
  • “Our society doesn't want women, doesn't want people of color, and it definitely doesn't want Black women to be multifaceted.” (15:12)
  • “Are you ready for that intersection? Do we have the apparatus that is going toe to toe…build a protective apparatus for a Black woman in this position?” (16:06)

• Personal & Professional Fallout Post-2024 Election

  • Alencia recounts hope turning to deep sadness after the election loss and realizing the “resistance requires your rest” epiphany during a long walk (18:01).
  • “You are going to be the only person that saves yourself…this resistance requires your rest. It requires your health. It requires you to get your finances in order.” (19:19)
  • Disclosure of her sexual assault on national TV led to further reflection on the costs of political labor (20:27).
  • “I am reimagining the conversations that I want to have with the public about our values, how we show up, because politics is just an extension of our values.” (21:40)
  • Isolation on-air: “Nobody stepped in to acknowledge what I said. No one stepped in and said, hey, this argument has taken a turn. And I said, I'm not putting myself in that position ever again.” (21:58)

The 92%: Collective Pause and New Directions

• What the “92%” Moment Means
  • Dr. Joy and Alencia discuss Black women’s collective withdrawal and the powerful “rallying cry” effect of 92% (the percent of Black women who voted for progress in recent elections) (26:19).
  • “It's like our souls had a meeting, right? Or like our ancestors gave us the language…” (26:58)
  • Rest framed as both necessity and radical act: “Our divine right to rest, to have joy…and at the same time, it is such resistance under capitalism to say, I'm tapping out.” (28:03)
  • Moving activism offline and finding safety and strategy in community and out of the public eye (29:49).

Corporate & Societal Shifts: DEI, Backlash, and Strategy

• Target, DEI Rollbacks, and Corporate Performances
  • Insights on why Black women are often caught in crossfire during corporate DEI battles, and reminders that “we clearly haven’t been paying attention to their values.” (30:51)
  • “DEI…is just these white conservatives' way of getting away with not saying the N-word with a hard er. They are gaslighting us…these are dog whistles.” (32:38)
  • “We have to protect how we're going to show up. Pick a couple of issues that you care about and focus on those, but do not get caught up in a tizzy about every little thing that Donald Trump says…” (34:14)

Flip the Tables: Disrupting Self, Vision, and Community

• Origins and Spiritual Foundations of the Book

  • The title inspiration: Jesus flipping tables in the temple—embracing righteous anger and an uncompromising spirit (35:09).
  • The book explores disrupting oneself, crafting a bold vision, and then disrupting community—starting personal to public (41:17).
  • “Facing myself has been the hardest thing ever. I can stand up…on national television and talk about how the world's supposed to be, but you want me to be vulnerable about my feelings and about what I've been through. That's hard, but it's necessary.” (41:34)

• Letting Go of Perfectionism & Over-Achievement

  • “As a Black woman, I can't say I want love…as a Black woman, I can't say that I want to not have to work 40 hours a week…why do I feel like I can't do all of that? Yeah, that's because of trauma, and that's the space that I had to get to.” (49:57)

Disruption Within Systems

• Practical Disruption in the Workplace
  • For those inside larger institutions: Start by sticking to your job description, leveraging strength in numbers, being intentional about meetings and table-setting, and learning to “speak their language” about money and value (52:55).
  • “At the end of the day, they've hired you for your job description...to be honest, it's okay to stick to that job description. And that will disrupt the notion that, oh, the Black people, we can underpay them, keep them at a certain level, and they're going to go above and beyond.” (54:17)
  • “We got to remove the desire for these corporations to show up related to values. They show up because of dollars and cents.” (57:14)

The Future: Black Women’s Ongoing Political Power

• Looking Forward – Black Women and American Politics
  • “What went wrong is you all don't listen to Black women. And I think that Black women in this moment continue to realize our power…” (57:57)
  • Emphasis on supporting Black women in office with money and community engagement—and that showing up is vital, but “we will not have our labor be exploited. I think we are over that.” (60:05)
  • Alencia’s vision: “I do believe that a Black woman can be president and will be president. And you know what? This country will be better.” (60:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Our society doesn't want women, doesn't want people of color, and it definitely doesn't want Black women to be multifaceted.” — Alencia Johnson (15:12)
• “This resistance requires your rest. It requires your health. It requires you to get your finances in order.” — Alencia Johnson (19:19)
• “It literally was like the 92% we were all saying the same thing. It’s like our souls had a meeting.” — Alencia Johnson (26:58)
• “Pick a couple of issues that you care about and focus on those, but do not get caught up in a tizzy about every little thing that Donald Trump says.” — Alencia Johnson (34:31)
• “None of these politicians are actually going to save us. But how can you build yourself up to be a disruptor for the rest of life and what that looks like?” — Alencia Johnson (39:43)
• “As a Black woman, I can't say I want love…as a Black woman, I can't say that I want to not have to work 40 hours a week…why do I feel like I can't do all of that? Yeah, that's because of trauma.” (49:57)
• “At the end of the day, they've hired you for your job description...to be honest, it's okay to stick to that job description. And that will disrupt the notion that, oh, the Black people, we can underpay them, keep them at a certain level, and they're going to go above and beyond.” (54:17)
• “I do believe that a Black woman can be president and will be president. And you know what? This country will be better.” (60:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Alencia’s path and career background: 05:40–08:22
• Political messages and community trust: 08:55–11:52
• Advocacy discomfort and tough conversations: 12:11–14:20
• Reflections on VP Harris and Black women in politics: 14:32–17:43
• Election aftermath & self-care: 18:01–22:52
• On the 92%, rest, and resistance: 26:19–30:32
• Corporate communications and responses to DEI backlash: 30:51–34:52
• Flip the Tables book inspiration: 35:09–41:17
• Disruption in workplace systems: 52:55–57:42
• Vision for Black women’s role in the future: 57:57–61:04

Final Thoughts

This conversation stands as a testament to both the exhaustion Black women feel and their enduring, creative resistance. Alencia Johnson’s candor about the personal cost of advocacy, her call for strategic rest, and her practical tactics for disruption at every level resonate as deeply needed guideposts in a tumultuous era.

For resources and Alencia’s book, visit flipthetablesbook.com and follow @alenciajohnson on social platforms.
For more from Dr. Joy, visit therapyforblackgirls.com.

This summary was created for listeners who want deep insight into Session 402 and reflects the spirit, tone, and key lessons of the episode without promotional or non-content segments.