Podcast Summary: Trust Black Women with Kendrick Sampson & Monica Simpson

Unhinged & Immoral EP 60 | Diamond MPrint Productions
Released: March 5, 2026
Hosts: Jamila Bell & Mecca Evans
Guests: Kendrick Sampson (Actor & Activist), Monica Simpson (Executive Director, SisterSong)

Overview

This episode of Unhinged & Immoral brings together a dynamic panel to discuss the intersections of Black activism, reproductive justice, masculinity, and community healing. Hosts Jamila and Mecca are joined by actor/activist Kendrick Sampson and Monica Simpson, executive director of SisterSong, for a candid conversation on why trusting Black women is revolutionary, the challenges of advocacy language, creating constructive dialogue among Black men, and actionable strategies for collective liberation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Paths to Activism and Advocacy

Timestamps: 01:40 – 13:37

• Monica Simpson's Roots in Activism
  • Grew up in rural Wingate, NC, experiencing racial and gender inequities (02:06–04:46)
  • Witnessed disparities in sex education, police encounters, and bodily autonomy
  • Coming out as a gay Black woman at an HBCU brought further awareness to intersectional oppression

"I didn't have language around, like, economic justice... those experiences in my life is what really led me to this work of social justice."
— Monica Simpson (03:15)

• Kendrick Sampson’s Story
  • From “Samson University, the streets of LA” (05:27)
  • Grew up between country and city, across multiracial family lines, always feeling like a “misfit”
  • Early encounter with activism by organizing against racism in Houston schools (05:51–07:36)
  • Experience serving at a homeless shelter led to revelations about systemic inequities and the need for abolition (08:24–10:50)

"We think we cause it. ...But here, it's so unaffordable they here... the root causes led me straight to abolition."
— Kendrick Sampson (10:41)

• Reflections on Church & Cultural Contradictions
  • The church as both a site of community and learning “all the isms” (sexism, patriarchy, homophobia) (11:06–13:07)
  • Important observations on how Black queerness is both embraced and marginalized in faith communities

2. Trust Black Women: Centering and Protecting Black Women in Movements

Timestamps: 14:43 – 19:27

• Reproductive Justice as a Movement & Framework
  • SisterSong’s work is rooted in the RJ framework: bodily autonomy, the right to have/not have children, and to parent safely (15:04–16:33)
  • The “Trust Black Women” campaign emerged as a response to attacks on Black women’s autonomy, especially anti-abortion efforts (16:33–18:09)
  • Need for men’s involvement: creating intergenerational, intersectional roundtables for Black men to “do their work first” and address defensiveness around privilege and protection (17:02–19:27)

"If I had a dollar for every Black man that came up to me and was like, well, why do I need to trust Black women? ...We're gonna put them in a room and see how this plays out."
— Monica Simpson (16:58)

3. Barriers & Breakthroughs: Black Men in Dialogue

Timestamps: 19:29 – 33:07

• Resistance and Misunderstanding
  • Black men sometimes deny their relative privilege or are hesitant to enter uncomfortable conversations (20:00)
  • Monica shares personal reflections as a survivor and her hesitance to believe in Black men’s protection (20:09–21:06)

"I just did not believe that there was going to be a black man that would protect me if he did not have any opportunity or just even a possibility of being with me sexually."
— Monica Simpson (20:35)

• Importance of Safe, Vulnerable Dialogue
  • Black men’s willingness to be vulnerable at the roundtable is key (22:06)
  • Both misunderstanding and “under-communication” are issues — everyone has a story shaped by systemic oppression (22:19–23:21)

4. Language, Accessibility, and Cultural Translation

Timestamps: 23:21 – 30:11

• Bridging the Elitism Gap
  • Academic language can alienate, especially men new to social justice ideas (23:21–24:22)
  • Kendrick stresses “slowing down,” using relatable language rooted in lived experience, storytelling as power (24:22–27:57)

"A lot of it was terminology. ...Tell me how that relates to me on a regular. Honestly, it's how we get free."
— Kendrick Sampson (24:40)

• Effective Moderation
  • Monica praises Kendrick’s ability to ground definitions and keep conversations accessible (29:07–30:11)
  • Unscripted, authentic discussions are more impactful than over-moderated ones

5. Roundtable Insights and Community Healing

Timestamps: 31:28 – 39:39

• Navigating Heated Moments
  • Monica describes trusting Kendrick to mediate conflicts—letting masculinity “come out in the room” rather than at Black women (31:28–32:17)
  • Transformation and breakthroughs often happen just past the point of conflict, if handled constructively (32:17–33:41)
  • Respect for diverse perspectives and personalities among the men, including mention of key voices: George, Daniel, Clifton, Luke (34:44–39:14)

6. Interconnectedness of Justice: Reproductive Rights, Policing, and Policy

Timestamps: 39:41 – 54:28

• Black Maternal Mortality & Abortion Bans
  • High stakes for Black women—Texas and Georgia as case studies (39:38–48:02)
  • Impact of abortion bans goes beyond abortion — leads to hospital closures, criminalization of doctors, worse health care across the board (43:08–44:03)

"The purpose of this work of reproductive justice is helping people understand that all of this is a continuum. ...If you believe in racial justice ...and you're not putting your fist in the air for reproductive justice... you have a very short sighted view of liberation."
— Monica Simpson (46:42)

• Need for Simplicity in Messaging
  • Republican messaging is often more direct and thus “irresistible” (52:05–54:49)
  • Democrats struggle with connecting emotionally and culturally, falling into overly technical or bureaucratic language

7. Culture as Survival & Revolution

Timestamps: 54:49 – 70:15

• Shifting the Narrative

  • True cultural power lies in Black creativity, survival, and mutual care (54:49–64:58)
  • Height of 2020 organizing came when systems shut down and people had to rely on each other — mutual aid as new/old power (63:02–63:43)

• Making the Revolution Irresistible

  • Toni Cade Bambara referenced: "We have to make the truth more irresistible than the lies." (56:07)
  • Need to break down silos, build third spaces—like SisterSong’s upcoming conference—where collective Black power and intersectionality are not just theories but lived practices (64:58–66:47)

8. Contesting Co-optation & Losing Folks to Right-Wing Narratives

Timestamps: 70:16 – 75:22

• Black Disaffection & Right-Wing Targeting
  • Republican/right-wing actors “surveil” the Black community to recruit alienated Black men (70:16)
  • Some hearts and minds may (or may not) be “turnable”; storytelling and deep connections are key, but “not everybody can go” (71:23–72:33)
  • Real community change doesn’t take everyone—critical mass can flip a culture (72:33–73:24)
  • Emphasis on grassroots and relational organizing over political-party dependence

"Our main thing...is to create the spaces for that slowdown. ...connect with each other...understand what you're going through. ...we realize that they've explored some things that we haven't and that we're suffering from the same thing."
— Kendrick Sampson (74:12)

9. Action Steps & Staying Connected

Timestamps: 76:33 – 83:54

• How to Get Involved with SisterSong & Build Power

  • Toolkits for hosting community conversations, roundtables, and organizing for change (76:33–80:00)
  • National Let’s Talk About Sex Conference in Chicago, August 6–9, 2026 (78:40–79:09)
  • Membership open to all; work emphasizes creative, intersectional, and accessible approaches to activism

• Final Remarks

  • Panelists share socials and encourage ongoing participation (83:10–83:54)
  • Reflection on the power, complexity, and joy of Black culture and mutual support

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On church and contradictions:
  "The it factor of gospel music is homosexuality." — Co-host (12:37)
• On Black men and privilege:
  "I've heard so many times Black men say ... they don't believe they have more privilege than Black women." — Host (19:46)
• On storytelling as liberation:
  "Understanding each other's story and taking that time to slow down is, in my opinion, the answer." — Kendrick Sampson (24:24)
• On culture as survival:
  "Culture is really survival...it's how you take care of each other. That is our culture." — Kendrick Sampson (69:00)
• On the political moment:
  "We have to make [the truth] more irresistible than the lies."
  — Monica Simpson quoting Toni Cade Bambara (56:07)
• On building trust in organizing:
  "We gotta give [Black men] time to do that so we don't have to absorb any more of that trauma."
  — Monica Simpson (31:49)
• On reaching the disaffected:
  "Not everybody can go... There's a famous quote ... we need what percent to change the world?... It's way lower than I would expect it to be."
  — Kendrick Sampson (72:33)
• On practical involvement:
  "We want more Black men to be in conversation... We also have a toolkit that we're putting out for folks to be able to have community conversations just like this."
  — Monica Simpson (76:44)

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |:-------------------------------------------- |:----------| | Personal activist journeys | 01:40–13:37 | | Reproductive justice & Trust Black Women | 14:43–19:27 | | Black men’s vulnerability & communication | 19:29–23:21 | | Approachable language in advocacy | 23:21–30:11 | | Managing heated roundtable discussions | 31:28–33:07 | | Maternal mortality & Black women's health | 39:41–48:02 | | Messaging and political critique | 54:49–63:02 | | Community and culture as survival | 63:02–70:15 | | Combating right-wing “pipeline” for Black men| 70:16–75:22 | | How to plug in & calls to action | 76:44–83:54 |

How to Connect & Take Action

• SisterSong – www.sistersong.net | IG: @sistersongwoc
  • Membership, conference registration, resources for hosting your own conversations
• Build Power – www.blpwr.com | Social: @BLPWR
  • Join fundraising events, follow for more on organizing and culture work
• Monica Ray (Simpson) – IG: @ArtivistMonicaRay
• Kendrick Sampson – IG: @Kendrick38

Closing Thoughts

This episode vividly demonstrates the power of collaborative, intergenerational conversation rooted in complexity, lived experience, and love for Black community. The panel insists that trusting Black women isn’t just a hashtag, but a call to collective liberation built on dialogue, shared vulnerability, and a commitment to making the truth “more irresistible than the lies.” Real change happens not with “everybody” on board — but with intentional, soulful organizing that centers survival, creativity, and radical trust.