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Are you willing to sacrifice security to follow your dreams? Have you ever had dreams that you gave your whole heart to, and then life happened? This week, Dr. Venus talks about putting this podcast and social media on hold while she focuses her energy on her first TV show. She is willing to take the risk and go for a life where she surrenders to her calling and goes full time as a creative. This sparks a conversation on how to believe in yourself, why it’s important to take a risk and let go of the false God of security in service of what you are REALLY meant to do. She talks about how her brother Tory’s transition led her to really take a deep look at the point of life, and why it’s time to get rich or die trying. Stay tuned.    Key Takeaways: [1:32] Dr. Venus is choosing to walk away from security in order to go for her dreams as a full time creative and sell her TV show. Where have you tolerated staying in the same place because you didn’t want to risk the unknown, or possible heartbreak?  [6:16] Dr. Venus shares how she wanted to write and it has always given her joy, but life got in the way, until now. She talks about the decision to get back into writing after George Floyd and how articulating how she sees the world gives her joy and connects her with her purpose.  [9:26] It takes courage to let go of the false God called security. Most of us are so addicted for our need to know and be comfortable, that we would rather stay in situations that harm us before we walk away.  [10:10] Being brave is different from being courageous. You are brave when you go into something with your eyes wide open, knowing that you could fail and lose it all. However, you know that there is a purpose worthy of your life being at risk, and your fulfillment goes above everything else.  [11:25] What if you gave YOURSELF the passion that you give to others? Dr. Venus contends with giving herself the attention and support that she has given to other causes, movements, and people.  [12:20] Dr. Venus explains her break from the podcast and how she is not taking any money from things that don’t fall under her creative worth. As she transitions to entertainment and focuses all her energy on selling her first TV show, she is giving herself a real chance.   [13:59] Are you doing what you are born to do, or are you staying safe?  [18:31] Dr. Venus knows that it’s time to have a bigger platform and have her own show. She’s grown beyond social media, so for now she is even pausing her social media while she works on her show.  [21:32] The more Dr. Venus heals her father wounds, the more extraordinary Black Men show up and are there to give their expertise and support.  Quotes:  “If I can win with money, how come I can’t win with words?”  “I trusted God with my needs, but I did not trust God with my dreams. Until now.”   “I am claiming my fulfillment. I'm claiming my joy. I’m claiming me.”   “Have you ever had dreams that you gave your whole heart to, and then life happened?” “It takes courage to let go of the false God called security.”  “I say your fulfillment is worth risking your life. My fulfillment and doing what God has built me to do is worthy of me putting my ass on the line.”  “I refuse to live with regret and I refuse to die with it. I’m going to get rich or die trying.”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition Healing With Him Event    RESOURCES How to (Finally!) Find The Courage to Pursue Your Dream! 

Living is never easy after death. Whatever or whoever you are grieving, it can be the loss of a loved one, a dream, or a waistline, the very process REQUIRES you to transition to a new reality. It can feel daunting and overwhelming, but transition is what gets us to fully step into our destiny and who we were born to be. This week, Dr. Venus reflects how grieving is another form of transitioning from what was, to what can be. She talks about how to keep going when you don’t see a point, and when something you love is no longer there, and why that’s an invitation for new traditions and beautiful possibilities. Are you willing to let go of what you had to become who you were born to be? Let’s talk about it.   Key Takeaways: [2:55] While you are grieving, Dr. Venus invites you to take the case that the transition of where you are coming from to where you are going can be a very magical space, one that is ripe with possibility. [3:13] Sometimes letting go of the past can feel very scary and painful, even if the future is something you are looking forward to. It’s the death of something you knew, and losing that comfort can be anxiety producing. [4:05] With change and transition can come new alliances, relationships, expectations and new futures. If you think of your grieving not just as a loss but a transition from the old to the new, you can begin to see some blessings. [5:13] Dr. Venus is fully committing herself to being an artist, and opportunities and people are showing up in ways she wouldn’t believe. However, she wouldn’t necessarily have those if she wasn’t also grieving the loss of what she used to be and open to the transition of who she is becoming. [6:15] The right people will find you, but they won’t define you. And you will find people who help redesign you. Even in the sadness, there’s always some good stuff. [8:20] As Dr. Venus grieves the transition of her brother Tory, she honors his sense of humor and by doing comedy herself, feels as though a piece of him is still with her. [10:04] As you transition from grieving to new traditions, one just may make you laugh or surprise you in ways you didn’t expect. Dr. Venus shares her first “couples non-Christmas Christmas” with her partner, and the mix of grieving, playing, laughing, and building something new. [15:37] God softens our hearts when we grieve and makes us open and available for new futures. Transition is required to fully step into our destiny. [19:02] Transition can be in everything, to deciding you are eating better and saying no to choices you made before, to changing the way you see the world or a politician.   Quotes: “Going from having to be alone while I grieve to being supported while I grieve, that’s a transition.” “Take the case that the grieving is a transition that you’re going from what used to be, to what could be, and that is a very magical space. That’s a space ripe with possibility.” “Are you willing to let go of what you had to become for who you were born to be?” “God is softening my heart by grieving, and making me open and available for new futures.” “Transition is required for my destiny.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   RESOURCES Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief   

It’s okay to have sad days. For those who are grieving, the holidays can be an extra hard time and while the world seems cheerful and celebratory, it can be hard to even just get out of bed. This week, Dr. Venus just asks you to grieve with her as she contends with the angelversary of her brother Tory passing away from COVID on last Christmas Eve. She shares resources that can help in the darkest of times, and reminds you that you aren’t alone if you are grieving.    Key Takeaways: [1:56] There is a difference between grieving and suffering. As humans, it’s natural to grieve and even healthy to let yourself have the time and space you need to know when are sad and grieving.  [2:42] While it hurts so deeply that Tory transitioned on last Christmas Eve, there would be no good day for it to have happened.  [4:39] If you are grieving during the holidays, you aren’t alone. The holiday experience is different for everyone and can change during each passing year.  [6:17] A book to understand grief more deeply and to observe the different stages that Dr. Venus recommends is The Five Stages of Grief.  [8:59] It can feel extra painful to try and understand why God takes the good people, when there are so many people left on the planet doing so much damage. It’s okay to feel frustrated about fairness. Life can be very unfair and confusing.  [10:11] If you know and love someone grieving, please don’t ask them to be positive. On some days that is just impossible.  [13:27] It can be comforting to find something that helps you systematically medidate. For Dr. Venus she is learning to cook a few dishes just to keep her hands busy. It doesn’t matter if you are great at the skill, it just matters that you are trying.  [14:50] COVID was extra hard because we couldn’t prepare for it. The suprise was just as bad as the loss, and there’s no way to grieve together in the way we normally do.  [16:47] It’s healthy to grieve, and it’s okay to surrender. If you need to go right to bed today, there’s always tomorrow.     Quotes:  “It’s healthy to grieve.”  “I get mad at God. We go back and forth a lot.”  “It’s okay to surrender.”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition RESOURCES  The Five Stages of Grief 

As Dr. Venus approaches the 1 year anniversary of her brother Tory’s transition on Christmas Eve, she is experiencing heavy feelings of grief, sadness, and deeply missing a loved one. She contends with the fact that the holidays can be brutal, especially when you have lost a loved one during a season of cheer. How do you put up holiday lights and deal with this festive time when it’s hard to even get out of bed some days?    This week, she shares resources to deal with that grief, and ways to cope through the holiday season and beyond. If you are grieving this December, you are not alone, and you are seen and heard.    Key Takeaways: [3:35] Words often can’t communicate the feeling of grief when you have lost someone that you love.  [4:19] Dr. Venus is experiencing her brother Tory’s first “angelversary”. He transitioned due to COVID complications last Christmas Eve, after 8 days of fighting the disease. Many families that lost loved ones during COVID also were not able to even see or touch their loved ones, making saying goodbye even more painful and heartbreaking. Tory was a great man and Dr. Venus honors his sense of humor and role as a protector and provider.  [5:07] It’s hard enough to get out of bed when you are grieving, but how do you put up holiday lights and act cheerful during a festive time? First, know that you aren’t alone. Second, know there are different resources and many hotlines and providers that are there to provide support.  [14:29] Next, tell the truth about how you feel, and take the space you need. Some days, Dr. Venus doesn’t try to get out of bed or dressed. Other days, she knows it’s important to take care of herself. If you have a pet or animal, spend time with them and take them for a walk. Try to create new memories, and plan for the future.  [17:02] What ways can you nurture yourself? Can you learn a new skill? Finding even one thing to be grateful about per day can help, as well as moving your body and expressing your grief without words such as painting or dancing.    Quotes:  “There’s a whole community of us grievers who when we see Christmas lights, we want to spit. Know that you aren’t alone.”  “My prayer for you is that you allow yourself the healthy response, which is grieving.”  “My prayer for you is to nurture yourself during the holidays while you allow yourself to be a human being. To let yourself grieve, and to let yourself feel.”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition RESOURCES Create Your Own Calm  The Five Stages of Grief How to Cope with Grief During the Holidays COVID, grief and the holidays: How to handle the loss of a loved one The First Holiday Without a Loved One Untangling trauma and grief after loss

The most LUCRATIVE capitol AND labor in American history are Black Men. If Black Men made their own money, America would go bankrupt - after Emancipation & today. This has nothing to do with spirit or work ethic, and everything to do about a system setup to discredit him and position him as a natural born criminal. In the early 1800s, enslaved People of African ancestry were considered loyal and nonthreatening; after 1865, they were considered criminals. Today, our systems are still designed to keep Black Men broke and working for free or very little, with a price tag attached for success. Dr. Venus discusses how when we’re talking about race, what we’re missing is dealing with economics. She reveals the ways Black Men are positioned to stay financially handicapped, from sharecropping to convict leasing, foster care to jail pens.     Black Men are not broke because they are trifling or lazy. They’re broke because their hands are tied and they’ve been checkmated by a series of systems that they are born into. How do we begin to heal? Let’s talk.    Key Takeaways: [3:03] Most people do not understand the word system. Dr. Venus defines it as nothing more than a series of actions, practices, and procedures that are invisible to you that impact your behavior. You don’t have to see a system to feel it or be affected by it.  [5:00] As Dr. Venus applies her brain on Black Men, she is dealing with the brutal brilliance of White Supremacy. While we are focusing on race, they are focusing on profit and keeping the money machine going for White Supremacy.  [8:13] Dr. Venus breaks down the tricky manner in which they created many different ways to keep Black Men poor and criminals, all the way up to the 1940’s. Peonage is when you do a lot of work for a little bit of money, in order to work off a debt. It wasn’t just Black people affected by this and who couldn’t get ahead, it was White poor people as well. Sharecropping is a system where the landlord would allow the tenant to use the land in exchange for a share of the crop, but the tenant would struggle to profit or leave due to inflation and a never ending list of labor. [10:45] Convict leasing was also another way to replace slavery. They worked men to the bones, and when they died, they just replaced them with another convict. Dr. Venus needs you to get this: it’s the exact same system we have today - White Supremacy making money off Black Men and benefiting from free labor, most obviously through the prison industrial complex.  [20:38] If you don’t know a White person who has the same kind of values that you have, you won’t make it through the system. There’s no Black person who has made it through any American systems without some type of support or help from some kind of abolitionist in whatever language they use. Black Men don’t have that type of help more readily than Black Women, and there’s always a price tag for the ones that do. Do not be seduced when they say there are Black millionaires and billionaires. Relative to how many White millionaire and billionaires there are, we’re talking less than 1%.  [24:55] If you take away the people who helped you, you would not be here whether it’s a teacher, reverend, friend, etc. Black Men don't have the same type of help, and the ones who do always have a giant price tag attached to their success.   [25:19] Black Men are caught in a cycle created by White Supremacy where from a young age they may get expelled from school, not able to further their education and land a job. To get by this may lead them to become a felon, and now they are in jail working for free.  [27:22] Slavery had nothing to do with race and everything to do with profit and economics.  If a Black Man has his own money, he doesn't have to go into racist structures to try to make money. [29:13] Black Women have become the voice of White Supremacy in our relationship to Black Men. We hold them in every way to the standard White people have set for them, but don’t contend with the target on their back or think about their struggles and what they’ve done to protect us. Dr. Venus knows we have been hurt by Black Men, that is clear. However, none of that negates the structures he has to deal with, his humanity, fears, phobias, and a right to heal.  [30:12] While Black Women are the most educated group in North America, Black Men are the least. Why is that?  [33:42] When we talk about history, we talk about how we tended to him. We don't talk about what he gave up to protect us. [35:55] If we want to have love on the other side of trauma and have thriving Black families, we have to address the humanity of our Black Men and really be there to heal with them.                                                                    Quotes:  “You don’t need to see a system to feel the impact of it.”  “If you take away the people who have helped you, you would not be here. I promise you. It could be a teacher, Reverend, a friend.”  “America is set up to have felons work for free, because that is how they replace slavery.”  “Black Men are brilliant. They’re strong and they have a willpower that is ridiculous.”  “When we talk about history, we talk about how we tended to him. We don't talk about what he gave up to protect us.”  “Black Men are not broke because they are trifling or lazy. They’re broke because their hands are tied and they’ve been checkmated by a series of systems that they are born into.”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition RESOURCES PRISON SYSTEM:  Report Finds Two-Thirds of Private Prison Contracts Include “Lockup Quotas” Private Prison Quotas Drive Mass Incarceration and Deter Reform, Study Finds Private Prisons Punish States for not Having Enough Prisoners FAMILES AND FATHERS Government policies based on racist myths help dissolve black families The War On Drug’s Ongoing Impact On Black People 10 REASONS TO OPPOSE "3 STRIKES, YOU'RE OUT" MOVIES Driving While Black Race: The Power Of An Illusion Amend: The Fight for America The 13th Slavery By Another Name Reconstruction: America After The Civil War

Recently in Michigan, a 15-year old White man opened fire in his high school, killing 4 people and injuring 7. White Supremacists were quick to point out how Black-on-Black crime shows just how violent young Black males are, and why they deserve to go to jail or be shot on sight. But when it’s a young White male who murders, they are called “disturbed” and “troubled”. They need mental health care, not the death penalty. This week, Dr. Venus opens up a conversation about the roots of the representation of white male mass shooters and Black on Black crime. First, we must contend with the structural oppression and positioning of Black Men in society as criminals, even when they are young. Then, we can see why the media positions them as inhuman, not worthy of empathy or the grace of humanity. Two different pathologies, both racially specific. Let’s talk.   Key Takeaways: [4:45] Black Men are positioned with no empathy, compassion, or humanity, while White Men are given the benefit of the doubt, humanized, and it is argued that their actions took place because they were lonely or unstable. Why doesn’t society contend with the fact that Black Men can have mental illness and PTSD as well? [5:50] Dr. Venus is not saying we have not been criminalized, but she wants you to also observe the difference in how we respond to White Men and Black Men after they commit a crime. When a White boy shoots someone, they say he was a good boy, that he had hopes and dreams, and he just did what he thought was right. [7:10] As Black Women, if we are really committed to breaking generational curses and having generational wealth, we have to have compassion for each other’s wounds and help Black Men heal. [9:05] Black Men are positioned to never make their own money and to be a criminal, even in the eyes of the media. White Men are positioned as innocent, while when a Black Male kills another Black Male, it becomes more proof that Black Men are animals, not that he may be mentally ill. Black Men are systemically positioned as the thug, the brute, the villain, and it justifies why they are put into jail and penalized. Despite 60% of gun-on-gun violence in America by White Men, they don’t seem to say the same about White crimes. [15:25] How come women can give each other support and compassion, yet he gets nothing? [17:17] Dr. Venus opens up and shares a story about when she was so righteous about punishing and proving her point to a Black Man that it caused him intense pain and almost irreparable self-harm. [21:58] Dr. Venus discusses epigenetics, and how we can be predisposed to different behaviors. What we think of as character flaws can really be passed down behaviors from generation to generation, and also as a result of breeding farms, where men were forced to have sex to keep producing free labor. [23:23] There’s no hierarchy to pain, and no hierarchy of grace. Some of us have had more grace from White people than we have from our own people. [27:13] Dr. Venus discusses how when White Males get angry, they tend to harm others outside themselves (EVERY race), where young Black Men seem to take their violence on members of their community, killing mostly other Black people they know personally. [35:26] Real healing will begin to happen when we make the case that people have wounds, they need care, and sometimes they even deserve the benefit of the doubt. [36:34] We can actually relate to the Black Men that we love as someone’s baby boy, as someone’s son. A human who may need help, but who systematically is portrayed as the criminal and shown in the media as a monster we should be afraid of.                                                                   Quotes: “I’m not saying you have to be responsible for healing the Black Man. But what you can do is have some grace and mercy and give him the benefit of the doubt.” “If we’re really committed to having generational wealth, being well, whole and healthy, then we have to get into each other’s worlds. We have to have compassion for each other’s wounds.” “There’s no hierarchy to pain and no hierarchy of grace. Some of us have had more grace from White people than we have from our own people.” “If you want to raise daughters who are loved and really can be the kind of human being that is empathetic to other human beings, it has to start with you.” “We can actually relate to the Black Men that we love as someone’s baby boy, as someone’s son.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Slavery By Another Name Colorado supermarket mass shooting suspect determined "incompetent to stand trial currently," district attorney says Why Nearly All Mass Shooters Are Men Race of mass shooters influences how the media cover their crimes, new study shows The Dangerous Racialization of Crime in U.S. News Media What the ‘black-on-black crime’ fallacy misses about race and gun deaths

Sis, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery — with one caveat: except if a former slave committed a crime. Laws were then put in place to have Black Men locked up for the tiniest infraction, mistakes, or missteps. Now, Black Men are still the workhorse for White wealth. This week, Dr. Venus breaks it down very slowly so we can get an understanding of what the Black Man’s existence has been like since 1831, and how they have been forced to do labor: from peonage to convict leasing to simply stealing. The practice of enslaving Black Male bodies as free labor is as alive as real in 2021 as it was in 1831. Black Men are not afforded the freedom or opportunity to work for THEIR families or THEIR wealth, only for White Men through everything from the jail system to entertainment. Let’s talk about it.    Key Takeaways: [2:33] In the 13th Amendment, after slavery was abolished, there was a clause that stated people cannot be enslaved unless they commit a crime. That crime could be anything from having papers on you to being on someone else’s property, to even sneezing the wrong way. That became the basis of criminalizing Black Men, so much that it wasn’t as much about the crime as it was replacing the labor force that was lost with the abolition of slavery.  [5:37] Black Men have been blocked from every possible avenue of making their own money legally since 1831. [8:32] Dr. Venus explains why she is sick and tired of Black Men being the scapegoat, and for people saying she is just making excuses for them. Not many account for what he has to go through just to stay alive and sane. It’s also not common for people to think about what he needs in terms of actual medical care, mental health help, or more resources to just succeed. [9:38] They created what we now call the penal system and a structure that puts Black Men in prison. His body can now be used for labor by the state and by private companies (owned by White Men), so much so that the prison industrial complex is actually traded on the stock market.  [10:18] In 1946, California State camp programs used inmates as firefighters, but once they got released, the felony on their record prevented them from going out and getting work in that skill or trade. [16:38] We tend to blame the artist or rapper for putting out harmful lyrics and music, but how come no one points the blame at the record company or the larger powers that distribute this “dangerous” music? [17:54] There’s no conversation about Black Men as people, only as providers and protectors. And if he messes up, then we take away everything he has. [19:22] While Black Women are now the most educated group in North America and the fastest-growing in the entrepreneurial space, Black Men aren’t afforded the same opportunities and education. [20:37] One of the benefits Dr. Venus loves about being Black is how our ancestors knew they were not their bodies. They knew they were spiritual beings having a human experience. We come from a people who are spiritually grounded. [24:42] Black Men are positioned by the media in a way that makes them violent or sexualized. What they don't tell you is that that positioning is designed to flood the market to have Black boys continue to see themselves a certain way, which then will have them acting out. Then, they are pulled out of class, unable to continue their education, and need to go make money in a way that ends up with them getting picked up by the police and working for the government. [27:00] As Black Women, we have not looked at the social structures that have created a level of depression, anxiety, trauma, and mental unwellness with Black Men. [28:16] If a Black Man cannot make money for himself legally, he’s going to make it another way to take care of his family or himself. When he does that, it gives White Supremacy a reason to enslave him and monetize him in a way that does NOT account for him as a human being. [30:28] Black Men were sexually exploited. They were forced to have sex with females White people put in front of them in order to produce more free labor. [34:41] Black Men are wounded, just like you. Just like all of us. To heal, we are going to have to come together and give Black Men grace and compassion.                                                                   Quotes: “We don’t relate to Black Men as people. We relate to them the way White Supremacy has taught us to.” “When we penalize Black Men, we become the extension of White Supremacy in our relationships. We police them, we correct them. We speak down to them as if they are stupid. They are not stupid. They are wounded and hurt.” “Our ancestors knew they were not their bodies. They knew they were spiritual beings having a human experience. We come from a people who are spiritually grounded.” “Black Women, we have not looked at the social structures that have created a level of depression, anxiety, trauma, and mental unwellness with Black Men.” “We have been so pimped by White Supremacy that we have very little compassion for what Black Men go through.” “Look at the lessons and all the pain. There are plenty and their blessings from the pain. Personally, I think the pain is God's training ground for your calling.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Convict Leasing Fact check: Southern states used convict leasing to force Black people into unpaid labor Was Convict Leasing Just Legalized Enslavement? - ThoughtCo TIMELINE 1881 to 1900  |  African American Timeline: 1850-1925  |  Articles and Essays  |  African American Perspectives: Materials Selected from the Rare Book Collection  |  Digital Collections  |  Library of Congress 1901 to 1925  |  African American Timeline: 1850-1925  |  Articles and Essays  |  African American Perspectives: Materials Selected from the Rare Book Collection  |  Digital Collections  |  Library of Congress Race Relations in the 1930s and 1940s Change in the Labor Market For Black Americans, 1948-1972 Black-white wage gaps expand with rising wage inequality | Economic Policy Institute Mental Health and The School to Prison Pipeline How the Black Man Became Schizophrenic | Psychology Today Metzl, Jonathan. The Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease | Richardson | Disability Studies Quarterly HIP-HOP MUSIC AS SHARECROPPING &  PEONAGE Stop Blaming Rappers for a Problem America Created Are Rappers truly rich? Kanye’s Contracts Reveal Dark Truths About the Music Industry | by Annia Mirza | Dialogue & Discourse | Medium ATHLETES WORKHORSE FOR WHITE WEALTH Race, money, and exploitation: why college sport is still the ‘new plantation’ | College football | The Guardian Athletes As Slave Labor  Why are black males supported only when they’re athletes? Is the NFL exploiting black players? | The Tylt ENTERTAINMENT EXPLOITATION OF BLACK MALES Media Portrayals and Black Male Outcomes | The Opportunity Agenda  

What we know for certain, is that there are two Americas. One America for people of African ancestry, and another for those of European ancestry. While we also know there are different races inside of America, the founding principles and ideals of this country were bought with Black blood. This week, Dr. Venus goes deep on why it is that a White Male can walk, but a Black Male ends up in prison. It’s not only an issue of race, but being with the notion that Black Men are seen as non-human, and it happens from when they are babies. To walk it back, Dr. Venus explores how the criminal justice system was built for ONE thing and ONE thing only: to protect Whiteness by criminalizing Black Male bodies. Since the 1800s, after the Nat Turner Rebellion, America has constructed systems of oppression to enslave, jail, in-prison & murder Black Men—legally. When we see Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted of all charges and Julius Jones sentenced to life WITHOUT parole, we can see how the “system” is working. Let's talk about it.   Key Takeaways: [5:30] The difference between Kyle Rittenhouse and Julius Jones is that as a Black Male, Jones is seen and positioned as a criminal before he even steps out of the door. [6:44] Dr. Venus discusses how the 13th Amendment was created to abolish slavery and said that slavery no longer existed, except for criminals. The loophole was when they say “except for criminals”, which was to protect White people and keep Black Men enslaved. [7:54] Yes, you are right saying there is systemic racism. You are right about racial dynamics. All of that is correct. But Dr. Venus also invites you to contend with the fact that Black Men are seen and POSITIONED as criminals, while White Men, like Kyle Rittenhouse, are positioned as innocent from the beginning. [10:00] What Rittenhouse had that Black Men never get, is mercy, grace, compassion, and empathy. Black Men are criminalized, and not even humanized. [13:44] Until we as Black Women see Black Men as humans that have feelings and who make mistakes but are worthy of love, we will never win or be able to give each other the support structure needed to create our own lanes. No one wins until we see Black Men as humans, and until then, people will think they have the right to kill a Black Man on the spot with no judge, or no jury. [18:36] What’s missing in our relationship with Black Men is that they are human too. They make mistakes, and they do awful stuff that every human being on this planet does. If Kyle deserves grace and empathy, then so does Julius Jones. So did George Floyd, and so did Ahmaud Arbery. [19:42] Your marches are valid, but Dr. Venus explains why she thinks it’s foolish to expect justice from an organization and a group that has demonstrated for over 400 years that they have no interest in you. [20:21] When you position Black Men as criminals and non-human, people think they have the right to shoot at them at will or take everything from them. They think Black Men have no feelings or no ability to think through complex ideas. They view them as nothing more than an animal that needs to be caged. Until that conversation shifts, we will always be held back. [23:18] If we can evoke change in terms of political and social norms and laws, then we can change how we relate to Black Men. [23:38] Some people try to blame Hip-Hop music and the Black men who are the artists, but why not include the record labels and distributors who are promoting violence and the degradation of music? We focus so much on justice that we ignore the humanity of Black Men, and then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy where they become all kinds of things that White people and the media have taught us to say about them. [26:43] Dr. Venus says we are instruments of White Supremacy, and most of us don’t even know it. She’s not blaming anyone, but instead shining a light on something we can impact. [27:49] The system is set up in a way that keeps Black Men from continuing their education, or never starting in the first place. It starts when they are babies, getting kicked out of school, adding a mark to their name, or providing them with little to no resources. You can pretty much guess that by the time they get to college, Black Men will be in jail, have a mark on their record, or a felony. [28:45] What Dr. Venus is doing is taking on the healing and really tending to the Black Men in her life. That doesn’t mean she has to agree with them, but she will love them, and with the right love and healing, they can thrive in entrepreneurship. [31:58] Everybody on the planet has fallen from grace. Dr. Venus prays that we realize that we do much better together than we do apart.                                                                    Quotes: “What’s missing in our relationship to Black Men is that they are human too. They make mistakes, and they do awful stuff that every human being on this planet does.” “When a Black baby is criminalized and when a White baby is innocent, what gets lost in translation is...humanity.” “I’m clear about the sentencing. I’m clear about all of that. The only thing that I’m interested in now is humanizing Black male bodies.” “The way you can kill a criminal is either you keep them in bondage, you keep them enslaved, or you kill his credibility.” “If we heal enough of us, we won't need their jobs.” “What is predictable is that the humanity of Black Men will never be on trial. It will always be a criminal on trial.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES The Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict Reinforces a Long American Tradition: White Animus Against Black Grievance The Rittenhouse Trial Could Never Have Been What Americans Wanted Tamir Rice and Marissa Alexander deserved the Rittenhouse treatment With Julius Jones’ Commutation, Cruelty Is the Point The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons Impact and Legacy of Nat Turner's Rebellion

Many (1 out of 4) Black Women have experienced sexual violence. In fact, sexual violence is one of the worst crimes against humanity, specifically as it was employed and monetized during Chattel Slavery. The impact is felt generationally in our relationships, in our bodies, and most importantly, in our sense of self and personal power. We know this historical trauma, and because we can talk about it, we can get the support to heal it. But what about the GROSS sexual trauma and violence against Black Men? Why is it not included in our history books or addressed in society now, when Black Men are molested and violently raped in our current society?   This week, Dr. Venus talks about having empathy and compassion for Black Men and their trauma, and how we can start to heal WITH them instead of prioritizing our pain over theirs. She shares 5 horrifying ways that enslaved African men were sexually exploited throughout slavery, and how we can begin to create a safe space for Black Men to open up.   Key Takeaways:  [2:23] This is a conversation about sexual violence against Black Men, both then and now. The reason why we are talking about this is that Dr. Venus is really contending with her own internal racism and sexism against Black Men. If we were talking about women and sexual trauma, there are libraries of readings, but she was shocked to the degree that there’s nothing really out there about Black Men. [4:14] We relate to Black Men the way that White Supremacy has taught us to, and we think it’s the truth. Because we’ve had bad experiences with Black Men and been wounded viciously by Black Men multiple times, we see all Black Men as bad. Dr. Venus validates that you have had this experience, and it was real. She is also not talking like a theorist, but a survivor. The damage is there, but on the other side of healing, we can see someone as a human being that has been damaged and wounded. [6:16] Dr. Venus gives an example of seeing that her mother was wounded and giving someone grace for their traumas. [9:22] How trapped is a Black Man that can’t say anything because no one will believe them? Black Men are supposed to be strong. As far as history is concerned, they’re not even people. [10:17] When Black Men act out after being wounded, we equate it more with character and go after the tropes of him being lazy, no good, or trifling. How come we don’t account for history? [13:00] Black Boys are completely unprotected not just from men, but from older women. The women are taking advantage of Black younger boys, and those boys end up being with our daughters. We believe that since he is strong and he can fight, he won’t be raped. [15:38] Dr. Venus hasn’t had compassion for Black Men, until now. The reason she can is that she has been healing her father wounds. [18:35] You create a safe space when you share your truth. When Black Men feel safe to share their story with no ridicule or judgment, it is healing and they will feel like it’s okay to open up. [19:25] Women in general, and this includes Black Women, are trained to be self-reflective earlier than Black Men. Black girls are trained to go read books, while Black boys are trained to go play with toys or play sports. Black Women are the most educated group in North America, while Black Men are not given the time to think through things. [22:47] The ways that men were sexually exploited and abused by White Masters: Aristocrats often used enslaved Black Men as a form of sexual entertainment. They were lined up and were laughed at, scrutinized for their body, and humiliated. Enslaved men were castrated or sexually mutilated as a form of punishment. Enslaved men were often raped by both the slave owners themselves and forced to have sex with their master’s wives. Black Men were sexually exploited and abused by their White Masters in a horrific punishment called buck breaking. This form of sexual abuse was very popular in the Caribbean and it involved White Supremacists, slave owners, and merchants, raping a male slave in front of the public to embarrass him and make him feel less than a man. Breeding farms that exploited the sexuality of healthy Black Men, not caring if it was their own family members that they were impregnating. [30:48] Dr. Venus realized that Black Women, herself included, have internalized racism and sexism against Black Men that we don’t even know we have. It’s so real for us, just like White Supremacy is very real for White people. It’s not personal, it’s just that we have drunk the Kool-Aid. [35:59] When you don’t have a safe space, to tell the truth, you will implode. Black Men are wounded, and they don’t know they are wounded, because no one has taken the time to listen to them talk. [37:10] When we can relate to Black Men as human beings with feelings who have faults, who are amazing, and who deserve to be heard, that is when the healing will begin. [39:59] If we are committed to thriving as a community, we as Black Women are going to have to step into the emotional maturity and spirituality it takes to relate to Black Men as humans that are fabulous despite their flaws. And until we do that, we will not be able to empower their power.                                                                                Quotes: “Anything a person has done to you has been done to them.” “I haven’t had compassion for his humanity, until now.” “For all my brothers who are listening or will listen, I apologize. I'm sorry that I privileged my pain over your humanity.” “As Black women, we are the White Supremacists in our relationship to Black Men and our communities and our families. And it's not personal to you or me. It literally is that we drank the Kool-Aid.” “I'm committed that we relate to Black Men as human beings, with feelings, who have faults, who are amazing, who deserve to be heard and seen just like you and me.” We want White people to see us as equals, so how can we expect that from them when we don't give it to each other?”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Rethinking Rufus: Sexual Violations of Enslaved Men (Gender and Slavery Ser., 2) 5 horrifying ways enslaved African men were sexually exploited and abused by their white masters Behind the Pain Nobody Talks About Sexual Abuse of Black Boys Mychal Denzel Smith An NFL player says United ignored his reports of sexual assault. The problem's bigger than him. Understanding Male Socialization, Stigma, and Reactions to Sexual Violence Yes, Sexual Abuse of Black Boys Is a Problem — and We Need To Pay Attention   SUPPORT Help for Male Survivors The Psychological Consequences of Sexual Trauma For Male Survivors of Sexual Assault

Sis, I believe the very nature of God is to provide. If we are made in the image and likeness of God, then that means we are here to provide for one another. However, what if the structures - political, social, and historical made it not only next to impossible for one to provide, but positioned some peopole as worthless and always up to no good. This week, Dr. Venus invites us to reexamine what it really means to be a Black Man in North America. She gives the historical context on how Black Men have been systematically held back, undermined, and pushed down in terms of being a provider in the name of White Supremacy. She discusses the different types of provision we can get from our Black Men, and why it’s crucial for us to work on our own wounds so we can open up and receive the love our Black Men are trying to give and provide them with a purpose and feeling of spiritual fulfillment as well.    Key Takeaways: [2:21] This week’s conversation is not about willpower or pulling yourself up by the bootstraps. Nor is about hustling. It is Dr. Venus giving historical context on why, as a people, Black Men and Women are still at the bottom of the economic ladder in North America. Our men have not been able to prosper by virtue of different effects of systematic racism and by the virtue of gender.  [7:10] Dr. Venus walks through a historical timeline of how society has made Black Men seem like a threat and indoctrinated the belief that Black Men are trifling, no good, and to be feared.  [8:10] If White people related to Black people the way that Black women who have been hurt by Black Men relate to Black Men, we would call them racist.  [9:05] Black Men get a harsher punishment starting from kindergarten because of how they’re perceived. They are not afforded the opportunities to help them get ahead in life, whether that’s education, money, social skills, etc.  [12:30] Under Jim Crow segregation, we had convict leasing and debt peonage. Dr. Venus talks about how these predecessors to the prison industrial complex had Black Men working off their debt to the White man for pennies, and enslaved just as if they were a workhorse.  [15:41] When Black Men are expelled early or given punitive consequences in school, they are not given what they need to succeed, and in turn to provide. Either they are positioned to slave for White Men, a White system, or they go to jail.  [16:53] Imagine being targeted your whole life as a threat. You’re trying to do good, but you can’t get a handout, a hand up, anything. There’s a level of resentment that comes with it, along with a level of helplessness and hopelessness. No matter what you do, you bump into walls, and at some point, you become frustrated and start making your own way. This all too often can mean someone getting into illegal activities.  [17:50] Dr. Venus now looks at the good Black Men in her life as somebody’s little man. She’s looking for his humanity, for his vulnerability. Not the protective walls he puts up in the name of survival and self-preservation.  [20:16] As Black Women, we have unfulfilled expectations based on gender roles of what Black Men should and should not do. When a Blck Man can not provide, Dr. Venus invites you to consider that he’s not always being difficult or lazy, or that he just doesn’t care. She wants you to consider that maybe he’s hopeless, depressed, and feels like he can never win.  [24:51] In healing her father wounds, Dr. Venus realized the cost of not having a father. She was used to a certain kind of Black Man but opened up her world to the men that wanted to be providers and protectors. She shares how in her relationship now, she began to see her partner as a man who was spiritually providing for her, rather than providing as a way of domination.   [31:30] Provision isn’t just money. Men can provide for us emotionally, physically, spiritually, and show us a level of transparency that makes us feel safe and secure.  [36:41] There’s a level of healing required to allow yourself to receive the love of a Black Man who is willing to do the work and heal with you.  [37:23] Dr. Venus invites you to have some grace for Black Men and relate to them in a way that values their vulnerability. History has set him up to feel powerless and purposeless, but God gives us each other so we can remember who we are. When you allow the Black Men in your life to provide in any way they can, they have an organizing principle in which to live their life.    Quotes: “When you love a Black Man, if you allow him in, you become that for him. And it gives him some reason to provide like God.”  “There is some spiritual provision that when you're being with a Black Man who is healing or healed, or well, or any combination thereof, he can give you things that you can't give yourself.”  “I am accounting for the humanity of every Black Man in my life. I'm taking the case that he is wounded, that he's not malicious. He's wounded.”  “There’s a level of healing required to allow yourself to receive the love of a Black Man who is willing to do the work and heal with you.”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Why Young, Black Men Can't Work The inheritance of Black poverty: It’s all about the men BLACK BOYS IN CRISIS: THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE Stress About Money Is Doing a Number on Your Heart Health Black History: A History of Permanent White Oppression, from 1619 to 2016 Bible Verses about God Provides

Sis, you & I relate to Black Men the EXACT same way that the Police do. Hear me out. We relate to them with suspicion, hostility, looking for SOMETHING to accuse them of. We instantly judge them based on their clothes, diction, the car they drive, & their neighborhood. We have ways of talking that are designed to dehumanize and tear down Black Men. The ONLY difference between the Police and us is this: the cops terrorize Black Men physically; we do it emotionally. This week, Dr. Venus unpacks the historical wounds that have led to Black Men being positioned as savages, violent, and up to no good. She discusses how WE make it a self-fulfilling prophecy, and how we can get back our power and give each other grace and the space for healing.   Key Takeaways: [2:50] In this conversation, Dr. Venus is not talking about the Black Men who are so wounded and so violent that they are a detriment to your life. Nor is she justifying Black Men who hurt or abuse you. This is a grown conversation about those committed to having an empowering partnership with the Black Men in their life. [8:07] As Black Women, we are so powerful, but we squander our power on gossip and bring each other down. Dr. Venus isn’t doing that anymore. She only wants Black Women that are committed to winning together. [11:33] Your wounds have more to do with the Black Men that you attract than Black Men at all. It has to do with what you will tolerate. [13:51] Dr. Venus discusses how the representation of Black people has gone through different iterations. After the Nat Turner insurrection of 1831, more oppressive legislation was put into place. The language started to change because White people got scared, and they started portraying Black Men as violent, dim-witted and that it was necessary for them to be put in jail. This was also seen in popular culture, such as movies and plays. [21:07] Yes, Black Women have also gone through hell and back, but it is up to us to put the work in for our own healing. Notice how you approach Black Men. Do you approach them with caution, test them, and then give them punitive consequences if/when they are wrong? Do you lie to try and make yourself right? Our approach can be similar to how police approach Black Men. [25:32] We expect Black Men to give us that which they have not been taught to. Then, when they don’t, we withhold and punish. What if they are just hurt, but don’t know how to articulate it? [30:32] As the mothers of civilization, it is important for us as Black Women to know we have the power. Instead of lessening that power when we are wounded, we must both do the work. Dr. Venus discusses going to therapy with her partner, and how it has helped open their communication. If he isn’t willing to do the work, staying with him doesn’t mean love, it means codependency. He must do the work to be your equal. [32:55] We have been taught that Black Men are violent, but we also don’t give a chance to the quiet, shy, nerdy ones, or the men we deem not attractive or too attractive. [34:20] If you are committed to breaking generational curses and setting a new example, you have to do the work and heal.[35:10] Healing lets you have real conversations and create boundaries together. We can learn to have grace for one another’s wounds. Dr. Venus opens up about having to undo racism even in her own relationship. [41:53]  He can be your companion, but not your savior. He’s not responsible for your happiness. You can teach him how to love you and if he’s willing to heal with you, then there is a future. If he’s not, it’s time to go in and heal some more. [42:21] When you do know your power, you start to handle it like it’s precious.   Quotes: “I want to love the Black Men in my life who love me.” “I need you to look at yourself as the author of your own life.” “We weaponize our emotionality. We weaponize our love. The same way the police do.” “He has to take on his healing, and that is between him and God.” “You have to model healing, so he gets that he can’t be with you if he doesn’t heal.” “When you heal, you become a force to be reckoned with for generations to come.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES The Man God Has For You  7 Famous Slave Revolts From “brute” to “thug:” the demonization and criminalization of unarmed Black male victims in America 'It’s like we're seen as animals': black men on their vulnerability and resilience Emmanuel Acho on the myth of the 'Angry Black Man' US justice is built to humiliate and oppress black men. And it starts with the chokehold Raising Hell Or Raise Them Well: Withholding your children out of spite

Within every powerful Black Woman is a little girl. Within every powerful Black Man is a little boy. Both genders have historical wounds that are not named but felt in the way we interact with each other, especially when it comes to vulnerability.    This week, Dr. Venus talks about how both Black Men and Women have inherited historical trauma due to North American Chattel slavery, and how these survival strategies can cause us pain and suffering when we don’t tend to each other or work to heal these wounds. She discusses the double standard when it comes to Black Men tending to their pain and healing, and shares seven teaching points on how to empower Black Men without losing your own power.    When we see how the sensitivity Black Men can have around respect is so rooted in trauma, we can work on healing with him by tending to his little boy within. Let’s talk.    Key Takeaways: [6:25] When it comes to loving a Black Man, one of the things we have not accounted for as Black Women are the wounds that they have. Black Men were whipped, punished, demeaned, and pimped out in front of their family because of North American slavery, and made to feel disrespected and powerless.  [8:00] For Black Women, there are certain survival strategies that we have to combat feeling invisible and like our voice doesn’t matter. One of those survival strategies is relating to Black Men like they are well, and they are not. There is no way they could be well because we are still healing, but at least we as women have safe spaces to self-reflect. They don’t.  [9:30] We have a historical wound around being heard. Our voice was not honored, and even when we said no, they still took from us and forced us to work, have babies, and give our bodies to them. To try and contend with these wounds, we have a practice of needing to get the last word in, which can trigger and get tangled with Black Men’s historical wounds around being disrespected. The viciousness in which they were penalized and hurt has led to a very high sensitivity to respect, which makes them feel a certain way when a Black woman speaks up.  [12:27] The more we speak up, the more he can feel like we are talking down. Until we unpack this cycle, it will run us and get perpetuated generationally. This means as we take accountability for our own emotional wellness, Black Men must do the necessary internal excavation. This doesn’t necessarily mean religion, it means going inward and doing the real emotional labor.  [18:31] Black Men have wounded Black baby boys in them, just like Black Women have wounded baby girls within ourselves. When we tend to that, we can have mercy and grace.  [20:39] Until you understand how to empower the Black Men in your life, you are going to be struggling.  [21:48] You need to start accounting for the humanity of Black Men and see him as someone’s little boy that didn’t get taken care of, who was neglected, traded on, and wounded. You don’t need to do anything about it, just to account for it.  [22:14] This does not mean to let a man off the hook for bad behavior, and to accept abuse or cheating. This is about something different.  [23:10] As a Black Woman, you have more power than you realize, especially in terms of your impact and influence on the Black Men in your life. [27:00] Teaching Points:  You can not empower a Black Man until you have healed your own relationship with your father. You can still heal even if your relationship is broken or non-existent. Dr. Venus shares how she took on her father wound.  Don’t speak until you can say it with love.  Stop dating men that are projects, thinking you can change him. When you turn a man into a project, you shackle yourself to a person who has no commitment to the version of himself that you see. Don’t date, marry, or get in bed with someone’s potential.  Hang out with the people who are where you want to go. Get into new networks, and stop fishing from a pool of people that will waste your time.  Don’t expect him to emotionally heal you. Be accountable for your own emotional wellness.  Only God can heal you. Your man is not equipped, the same way you can’t take on his healing or fix him.  Schedule baby boy love. Tend to the aspects of him that he doesn’t tend to, and make it about fun and emotional connection rather than sex. Whether it’s a weekend of playing with trucks, coloring, or something that makes him feel safe and tended to.  [42:03] There is nothing wrong with having trauma. It’s part of being alive, but we must be accountable for seeing Black Men in light of compassion and grace.  [43:50] America is built to tear us apart and to keep us oppressed. It’s going to take healing at the level of cultural consciousness and we are going to have to do it together.    Quotes: “My women may support me, but my brothers carry me.”  “When you can actually account for the humanity of the Black Men in your life and throw some grace and mercy on it, it gives you access to influence.”  “Now I have it that Black Men love me and take care of me. They provide for me and protect me. Because it’s true.”  “When you put yourself in his orbit and be your amazing self, he will find you.”  “Let’s meet the brothers who love us and who are taking care of us halfway. Let’s give them space, the grace, and room to speak their truth with no penalty, condemnation, or correction.”  “In order to heal, you’ve got to access grace and mercy. You’ve got to forgive and let go.”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Be a Great Husband (feat. TD Jakes) Internal Arguments: It’s Worth The Fight! - The Self-Esteem of a Man Healing With Him The Power of Agreement - Bishop T.D. Jakes

Is there really such a thing as “choice?” Notice all the noise surrounding NBA Star, Kyrie Irving, standing for his “choice” to NOT be vaccinated. The amount of social and institutional pressure is huge. If one does not acquiesce, there are punitive consequences. Slavery was the exact same way.   This week, Dr. Venus does a deep dive into the illusion of choice, showing how those who have been historically marginalized have also been victims to “choose” a certain thing or action, or suffer the consequences. She gives examples of heartbreaking medical racism from Racial Eugenics (which Hitler modeled), the Tuskegee Experiment which sickened and killed HUNDREDS of Black Men, to Henrietta Lacks who had cells stolen for research.   Dr. Venus gives historical context as to why some Black people have a mistrust of vaccines, due to an industry that has a history of turning Black bodies into lab rats. However you feel about it, your feelings are valid. It’s a hot topic, but let’s talk about it.   Key Takeaways: [1:13] What is choice when there are punitive consequences if you don’t comply? Dr. Venus explains how medical racism goes deep, and when we combine eugenics, even deeper. [4:22] When an NBA player recently refused a vaccine, he lost money, playing time, and he was shamed by society. Is this really a choice? He lost more than half his income due to a policy, and Dr. Venus discusses how these policies are typically created by White people in power to affect those that tend to be marginalized even more. [7:03] This perceived choice runs parallel to both slavery and reproductive rights. First, Black Men and Women had the “choice” to evade death by acquiescing, giving up their bodies and doing what White Men said in order to stay alive. Women had the “right” to choose to have a baby, but sometimes at the cost of laws being created against that, and forced sterilization. The way the world articulates it, it makes it sound that if you choose something other than what is being presented, you are going against what is good for the people. You can choose, but you just may lose your friends, job, money, etc. [9:59] It is a historical wound and a FACT that the medical industry has taken our bodies and used them for science. Dr. Venus gives the emotional example of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, with HUNDREDS of African-American men unknowingly serving as human guinea pigs. They let them die and be sick for research. We don’t want to live at the effect of it or be made to feel like we are doing something wrong when we have mistrust and doubt about medicine. [16:32] Throughout history, rich White Men have tried to create the strongest race of people by sterilizing those that they deemed anything less than the best. Based on Darwinism, they sterilized over 8,000 people in the name of progress. If you were handicapped, poor, slow, of color, etc, you would have been killed. [22:04] The violation of medical ethics with Tuskegee had a direct impact on medical ethics, but how do we still trust the system today? Dr. Venus gives another example with Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cervical cancer cells were taken without consent in 1951, cloned and widely used for medical research. [25:00] Whatever your choice is around the vaccine, you have every right to that. However, please know that our historical wounds are valid, and you are asking Black Men and Women to lay down logic and trust an institution that has built policies against us. [30:20] Dr. Venus knows that at some point, she may have to take the vaccine. She can’t do a group Pilates class because she hasn’t gotten it. That’s just one example. They can take away people’s rights to fly, go to a restaurant, enter a bank, etc. There’s no choice. It’s a delayed punitive consequence, and it’s just the illusion of choice. [32:32] Black people have been lab rats for medicine in America. Even if we can’t articulate it, we can feel it. As a Black person whose people have been experimented on, that is a valid truth. Do not feel pressured into a decision that you don’t feel good about. [35:19] Dr. Venus does take health and COVID very seriously, and even lost her brother to it, and couldn’t be there with him because of the virus, or mourn him properly, in person, with her family. What she contends with is that if you have a right to choose to wear a mask or not, why can’t women choose to keep or terminate a pregnancy? If it’s my body my choice for reproductive rights, what’s the difference when it comes to vaccination?   Quotes: “When policies are put in place that have punitive consequences and they say you have a choice, what real choice do you have?” “If you have a right to choose a mask, why can’t I choose whether or not to keep a baby?” “Do not feel pressured into a decision that you don’t feel good about.” “There’s no choice. It’s a delayed punitive consequence. It’s the illusion of choice, that is the way supremacy works.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN: If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Racism and discrimination in health care: Providers and patients ‘My body, my choice’ mantra on vaccines should also apply for reproductive rights: Marvin A. McMickle Right-wing figures co-opted “my body, my choice” to attack vaccine mandates Reckoning with histories of medical racism and violence in the USA Racial Eugenics

Where there is a woman, there is magic. Specifically, a Black Woman. Black Women are the mother of civilization. Spiritually. Consciously. Emotionally. That is a lot of power, yet we tend to forget this and fail to see or relate to ourselves as the source of life itself. We see ourselves as victims and strong, but not the author of our own story, and the force behind the world’s energy and function. This week, Dr. Venus goes in on why we must embrace the truth of our power as the mother of civilization in order to heal. If we don’t, chaos will ensue. She also discusses how we can stop warring with Black Men and let them help in their own way to make our lives better, one toaster at a time.   Key Takeaways: [2:29] We can not have wholeness without each other, and Dr. Venus is creating a community for Black Women to support, learn from one another, and have fun! [4:27] Black Woman, you are quite literally the mother of civilization. The Eve gene is the mitochondrial gene in our DNA that goes back to Africa and points at the genetic makeup of humanity. Civilization started in your womb, but you have been indoctrinated to believe that other people do more and are worth more. No other race or nationality of women have this particular gene, and it’s important to understand your God-given power. [6:33] We check our bloodlines for disease and addictions, but what about blessings? How come we can’t be predisposed to power? Dr. Venus explains that we are born to transform this world and your bloodline is just one of many things that make you UNIQUE and special. [8:46] Yes, we have been victimized, but we don’t have to be victims. Bad things were designed to happen so you become stronger. It's a training ground for getting to the next level. It does not discredit your lived experience and valid story to move out of the pain and to be focused on the future. [12:20] Haters try to take away how special you are and deny your power. You don’t really realize that your power is SO amazing that they have to create lies, hide, and pretend that you are nothing in order to justify their behavior. Dr. Venus asks you to get more committed to your freedom than to being right about how you’ve been wronged. One way to do that is to contend with your bloodline. [19:32] When Black Women are mad and they don’t claim their power, the world falls apart. People can’t think straight, we have natural disasters, the world as a whole gets flustered. [22:36] Black Men have been attacked and exploited as much, if not more than Black Women. We position masculinity inside of a particular kind of paradigm, so it never gets talked about. Abused people tend to act out what has been done to them. These practices were created in the belly of White Supremacy, and the more we can empower our Black Men, the more they take care of us in their own way. [29:44] Dr. Venus shares how she is letting her man show his love through buying her a TV and a toaster, two things that she may not need, but can let him take care of her in his own way. When we stop fighting, even if we don’t agree, we can empower their power. [32:48] When we embrace our power from a spiritual and ancestral level, we can actually impact the people and climate from the inside out. But it can’t happen without you.   Quotes: “Where there's a woman, there is magic. Specifically, when she's a Black Woman.” “I’m asking you to embrace what you cannot see, touch, or taste. I’m asking you to embrace your spirit and to embrace that aspect of you that is eternal.” “Everything that is happening in the world is a function of Black Women not claiming our power.” “I’m never discrediting your lived experience, but what I’m doing is questioning how you deal with it.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Scientists Think They've Found 'Mitochondrial Eve's' First Homeland January 1988 Scientists Reveal That The Black Woman is The Mother of HumanKind ( Mitochondrial Eve /Mothers ) THE INNER WORLD Black Witches, African Priestesses, Wise Women And the Convergence of The Black Feminine in Spirituality Healing the black man and woman's relationship (The Revolution Is A Lifestyle pt.2)    

Dr. Venus loves Black Men. Their brilliance, their attitude, their mind, and perspective. Yet somehow, she finds her feelings get hurt when they do things that feel as if they are not standing with her. We march for Black Men when it comes to social change, and yet when it comes to our right to choose, you “man up” and side with patriarchy? REALLY? As more laws are introduced and passed to greatly handicap women of all races in America for their right to choose to terminate a pregnancy, Dr. Venus goes in this week on why some Brothers may agree with the government rather than with their Sisters. They support with their absence when we march, their silence on the topic, and their faith-based posturing. How is this possible? Well, America’s very nature is to be two-faced, and it has EVERYTHING to do with masculinity and power. Let’s talk about it.   Key Takeaways: [1:20] As laws are introduced AND PASSED to make it hard for women of all races to take care of themselves, Dr. Venus asks the rhetorical question; when it’s time to march for social justice, we are there. But why is it, when it comes to our bodies, Black Men go silent? [2:44] When it comes to Black power, a lot of men feel that it’s great when it is social and comes to the right to vote or for better policing standards, but not important when it’s concerning the Black female body. It may not matter to you now, but it will when it’s your niece or sister that is pregnant and needs help. [5:25] How do you expect women (and all communities) to stay alive and healthy if the government is pulling funding around reproductive rights and trying to take away the woman’s right to choose what is best for her body? [7:04] Dr. Venus gives the historical context around Black Men being pimped and sexually exploited, and how that may affect their view on being pro-choice. Black Men have been sexually exploited since they came to this country, and have a complicated relationship with sexuality. Plantation slavery not only turned the Black Female body into a factory but socially rewarded Black Men for producing as many babies as they could during slavery. [10:13] Because of this, there may be a level of numbness or emotional detachment from Black Masculinity around reproduction. We don’t talk about this, and it is a deep subject that calls for Black Men and Women to talk openly about these historical wounds. [12:12] Women are socially positioned as the homemaker, and there is a belief that women are responsible for the children. [16:42] Dr. Venus calls bs on the brothers who say they are our partners, but they are quiet. As we march and stand for our social justice, we need to feel it back when it comes time for us to be supported about our reproductive rights. [19:31] If you really love Black Women, and women in general, raise your voice. Pull up. [22:38] We don’t need to always agree to align. Dr. Venus gives this example through the man she is dating now. She doesn’t agree with him on many things and still finds a lot of his views to be patriarchal, but defends his right to say his piece. [23:02] Not everyone will be in agreement about abortion, but what we want is alignment. What’s going to empower us as a people is unity, and that is across the board. [25:06] If our men sit down around reproductive rights and we sit down around police reform, everyone loses. It’s hard to stand for something when the people you’re standing for don’t stand with you. Dr. Venus discusses the heartbreak she felt when she found out that 12% of Black Men voted for Trump. She had to adjust and realize that they have a right to vote for whomever they want to. [29:06] You don’t have to agree or understand to stand with someone having a choice, but you have to be aware of the impact. It’s going to affect not only your family but will show up in poor Black communities and POC communities first, when they start shutting down health care clinics and Planned Parenthoods where people also get vaccines and health care treatments.   Quotes: “I can align, even if I don’t agree.”  “Pro-choice is a choice. Empower me to have a choice.” “We want to talk about the politics of the police, but what about the politics of the Black female body?” “We are real quick to support each other around social justice, but what about reproductive justice?” “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” - Voltaire “What I want is alignment. What I want is solidarity. What’s going to empower us as a people is unity, and that is across the board.” “Even if you don’t agree with my choice, back  me on it.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES These Black Men Pushed Abortion Access Before ‘Roe’ Where Are All Of The Pro-Choice Men? Black man silences medical workers vocal for BLM by asking, ‘Do aborted black babies matter?’  On Rape Culture, Masculinity and Reproductive Justice Black Patriarchy: Where Men Rule but Refuse to Build The Rape of a Nation and the Reconstruction of Black Masculinity   Five Fundamental Arguments Men Historically Use to Legally Act Out “Power” on Women’s Bodies That Black Masculinity Empower. Women are the weaker sex. Women are not as intelligent as men. Women are emotional. A Woman’s role is in the home. A Woman needs a man.

Loving yourself as a Black Woman is a revolutionary act. It goes against everything we have been taught and have seen in society. Even harder is loving yourself and keeping yourself as the priority when you get in a relationship. Dr. Venus knows that self-love is often the first thing that goes out the window. Everything gets dropped, compromised, or pushed to the back burner. We self-sacrifice and twist ourselves up into a pretzel, all at the expense of our respect, pride, time, and energy.   But what if there was another way?   This week, Dr. Venus goes in on how loving yourself is actually the BASIS of being in love, instead of self-sacrifice. She explains why it has been our survival strategy to over-give and shares 8 teaching points on how to take care of you while you love someone that loves you.   Key Takeaways: [3:48] We are taught to self-sacrifice under the idea that it is what we need to do in order to get love back. How many times have you twisted yourself up into a pretzel for someone else, in hopes that if we love someone enough or be who we think they want us to be, they will love us back? [4:47] Have you ever had someone vilify you when you don’t love them the way they feel you should? Dr. Venus has, and it doesn’t feel good. As Black women, we are taught that in order to get love, it’s okay to put our respect and pride second to someone else’s needs. [7:23] Using your wounds as a weapon is not love, that is control. As Black Women, we tend to suffocate our love or push it away, because we aren’t used to just letting things be and feeling that what we are giving or who we are is enough. [8:04] When you heal enough to let love in, the question becomes — how do you keep taking care of yourself while you love someone that loves you? [12:21] There is a difference between changing your boundaries because you trust someone, and doing it because you feel you have to keep them.  [12:47] How do you hold your own boundaries and tend to yourself when someone else gives you their attention? Here are 8 Teaching Points that are key to putting yourself first while being in love. Raise your standards. What you need now is not what you used to need. Make and keep your personal boundaries as an act of EMPOWERING the relationship. Know what your wounds are and don’t take on your loved one's wounds. It will only handicap your love and exhaust you. Love someone who INSISTS you keep your routines so you are in your power. Love is different from workability. Focus on the workability of the relationship. Taking care of yourself does not mean you are neglecting your love. Don’t feel guilty! Heal, or leave with love. Everyone has wounds. If you or your love don’t put in the work to heal, leave the relationship with dignity, honor and respect. Fall in love with yourself daily. [18:28] We are accountable for our wounds. If you are triggered, take care of yourself first. You have to tend to yourself. When two wounded people get together who are not doing the work to heal, it is a bloody mess. [26:06] When you take care of yourself, it’s an act of love for others around you. [29:19] Leave the relationship with dignity and love, don’t ever leave in anger. We think love conquers all but when a person is wounded, they are in their past and sometimes it doesn’t mix with your needs. Don’t be mad at your love if they can’t change either, and give them grace as you leave.   Quotes: “Self-love is a radical act. It is telling history to kiss your Black ass.” “If you can’t be honest about how you disappear when someone else loves you, how will you ever know you are gone?” “I have to keep my routines to serve the relationship, not sacrifice them for the relationship.” “The more you love yourself, the more you make room for others to love you.” “There is a difference between changing your boundaries because you trust someone, and doing it because you feel you have to keep them.” “Love does not mean you tolerate people’s bad behavior.” “When you take care of yourself, it’s an act of love for others around you.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre-order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES SELF LOVE WHILE BEING IN LOVE THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF LOVE IN RELATIONSHIPS: 4 THINGS TO KNOW How to Develop Self-Love and Why This Will Strengthen Your Relationship How To Prioritize Self-Love While You’re In A Relationship Black Girl in Love (with Herself): A Guide to Self-Love, Healing, and Creating the Life You Truly Deserve

Absolute power creates absolute corruption. When a person is not held accountable, they take that freedom for granted and make others do what they want, and then penalize them (sometimes to the point of death) if they don’t. When a person has power and others don’t, without proper checks and balances, the person who has power will become corrupt. To fully understand this and the way of humans, we must look at the history of policing.This week, Dr. Venus goes in on slave patrollers in North America. What their purpose was, how they built their power into laws, and how our ancestors took a stand against them. In the present day, we see this clearly by the police knowing they have qualified immunity and the lack of accountability for their blatant abuse of power. But, what if at the source of all the killing - the problem ISN’T skin color, but absolute, unchecked power? Also, what needs to be created such that absolute power was a thing of the past? This is a deep one this week. Let’s talk about it.    Key Takeaways: [2:23] In order to know themselves as powerful, those with the most control often minimize humanity. Which is ironic, because oftentimes they got in the position of power in the first place because they were good with people.  [7:43] Dr. Venus shares how organized slave patrols served as a function to police slaves, especially the “ornery” and “defiant” ones. That means the ones who stood up for themselves and their rights.  The only reason we needed a slave patron is because we were fighting back and standing for ourselves. History makes us sound and weak and gullible, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is that we fought.  [8:11] Knowledge is power, and it’s important to know the real history of where slave patrons originated, and what exactly they did. Slave patrols were first established in South Carolina in 1704,  they had absolute control over Black bodies, and the laws made sure this was upheld and protected.  [12:23] Slave patrols were designed to “help” White people, and the laws written gave them the absolute power to do anything to the Black body to keep the White people safe. This includes monitoring, controlling, terrorizing, and maiming the Black body.  [14:21] If we look at the nature of human beings in different countries, we see the same breakdown of absolute power. Absolute power is unchecked power. It corrupts people, and it changes them.  [19:21] Dr. Venus breaks down the power and control dynamic between abusive relationships and pimps. It becomes so unchecked that they have absolute power over another person, and it turns into a form of damaging corruption. For the pimps and the abusers, their victims feel as though they need them and they are nothing without them. They are disconnected to humanity and see their power as a way of enforcing their rules.  [25:07] We are dealing with the very nature of what it means to be a human being when we look at what happens when someone gets absolute control. If something is left unchecked, the controller will dehumanize other people in order to know itself as powerful - whether it’s a pimp, slave patrol, or domestic abuser.  [29:45] As a human being, without accountability we default into selfishness.  [30:14] What if we can be a human that is being, instead of a human being?  [31:12] Dr. Venus’s tech platform is creating a space for Black Women that are healed and who love themselves, and that is the real power. Real power comes from not controlling others, but being able to lift them up and create structures that help everybody win.  [35:06] Ask yourself - where are you using your power to dominate and control? Where are you giving your power away? Where are you contending with power?    Quotes: “Absolute power is unchecked power. It corrupts. It changes people.”  “We aren’t fighting. We are standing.”  “As a human being, without accountability we default into selfishness.”  “What if we can be a human that is being, instead of a human being?”   “History makes us sound and weak and gullible, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is that we fought.”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN: If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Slave Patrols: An Early Form of American Policing The Birth Of American Policing, Slave Patrols THE ORIGINS OF MODERN-DAY POLICING Absolutism and Corruption The science behind why power corrupts and what can be done to mitigate it  

Sis, your bank account NEVER lies. Dr. Venus is not blaming you, and she comes from a place of love, but if you are not thriving, take the case that YOU have something to do with it. Manifesting is a power each of us have, yet there are many reasons we don’t get purposeful and intentional about what it is we want or take the necessary action to get there. The world can feel cray-cray, very negative, and it’s normal to feel hopeless and frustrated…if you are average. When you are average, you get pulled in by the currents of the latest catastrophe, celebrity gossip, or the most recent case of blatant racism/sexism/classism, etc. But YOU are not average. This week, Dr. Venus talks about INTENTIONALLY manifesting profit from a place of purpose instead of pain or problems. She also gives resources to become a conduit for money at an energetic level.    Key Takeaways: [5:55] We are built to manifest, and it is our divine birthright. Every human has an intrinsic power within themselves to manifest, but society and culture often makes us believe that we can’t, or don’t have it within us. We are often in survival mode, using our power to survive instead of purposefully manifesting. As Black Women, we pray from a place of desperation and need, and we typically manifest from there as well.  [9:16] You are a part of something bigger than yourself. You are cultural consciousness, not just individual consciousness.  [10:54] Dr. Venus speaks about the two types of manifestation: she found life saving resources of food and clothes in church, but it came from the prayers of need and pain. Her first million dollar home was manifested from a deep knowing and setting her intentions on what it was she wanted and what it would feel like when she got it.   [12:48] Both experiences showed Dr. Venus the power of manifestation, but the second one was from a clear intention that activated in her what was possible when you get aligned and clear.  [15:47] So often we get caught up in the human race's consciousness and go with the flow, and there is nothing wrong with that, but more comes when we are focused and intentional. Dr. Venus gives the example of the March, and how true change came from our leaders focusing their intention and taking inspired action.   [19:11] If you need to see how you are manifesting, look at your money.  [21:17] Whatever we believe we will get from a certain person or experience usually comes true. Dr. Venus discusses changing up her belief systems when it comes to working with certain people including White Women, and giving them the space to show up and be trustworthy and productive.  [23:57] Black Women are the measure, and it is up to us to heal, speak up, and stand up for ourselves. We must manifest what is possible and not from our pain and not from something petty.  [24:01] DDr. Venus is committed to helping birth Black Women Billionaires learn to step into their purpose and passion. We can learn from past betrayals and feel the emotions that come with them, but we can’t get stuck and let us block our future.  [26:55] Commit to manifesting that which moves you forward. In order to fully heal and create purposefully, you have to shift from “me” to “we”.  [28:17] If you start saying and believing that Black Men love you, they need you, and they are trustworthy, you will attract ones that fit the mold.  [29:11] When you stand in your power, you set the example for young women and generations to come. They will see your strength and model it. Dr. Venus saw her Nana model grace and mercy, two qualities that help her deeply today.  [30:22] You have to be willing to win energetically from your heart first. If you are constantly dwellimg in how you have been wronged, this will hold you back and keep you blocked. The things that have happened to you may not be your fault, but they are your problem and responsibility to heal.  [32:01] You are not average and not regular. You are exceptional, and once you fully know this, manifesting from a place of pain to manifesting from purpose will be easy. Dr. Venus’s intention is to empower you and your power. [34:34] You need to be committed to winning and accountable, and Dr. Venus will provide numerous resources and support to her Black Women that step up.  [34:43] If you are the only one around that has money or need to keep people small so you can feel big, that is not real winning. True wealth is being able to help those around you and change the infrastructure to help generations to come.    Quotes:  “If you need to see how you are manifesting, look at your money.”  “Commit to manifesting that which moves you forward.”  “You are not average and not regular. You are exceptional.”  “ It is an intentional choice, I am manifesting billionaires, called YOU!”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Are You Manifesting Pain? Manifesting Your Soul's Purpose with Dr. Wayne Dyer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nIAwUJv2Eo Life Visioning Kit: A Step-by-Step Process for Realizing Your Highest Potential You Can Heal Your Life (Gift Edition) The Prophet (A Borzoi Book) Hardcover – September 23, 1923 Wayne Dyer - Power of Intention part 1  

Love and money require one thing from you - you being willing to receive. However, it’s only fair that given the betrayal and oppression we have had as Black Women, we often have a negative relationship to money, opening our hearts, and loving each other. However, if we want to manifest and to live in our own power, we must heal the hurts of the past to make room for an awe-inspiring future.  This week, Dr. Venus shares a secret that changed the game for BOTH love and money. She shares how to bring more of each into your life with grace and ease, why our heart space is the conduit for both, and what it looks like when someone is “energetically constipated”. She shares a recent example where she switched from anger to forgiveness and mercy, and the blessings that flowed to her as a result. Ready to let abundant love and money into your life? Let’s talk about it. Key Takeaways: [4:42] Dr. Venus gives an update on her app, due to launch in early 2022. In the meantime, there will be plenty of opportunities to get in early, pre-order, and join a community of inclusivity and diversity. There will be monthly meetings and Zoom calls with powerful Black Women, and even some fun stand up comedy by Dr. Venus herself!  [7:36] We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Even our ancestors knew that we aren’t our bodies, but we can still have a vision for what we want our children and future generations to have. Since we are spiritual beings, we are connected to each other and all that is, and everything is a manifestation of God, however God or the universe shows up for you. Dr. Venus believes God is smart, and we can tap into the energy in whatever way feels right for us.  [9:57] God needs a conduit to manifest love, money, and abundance. You have to see it first before you can achieve it, and this energy has to be in our consciousness first before money or love shows up tangibly in our life. That conduit is your heart.  [11:55] When we are in the flow of grace, forgiveness, and self love, we can manifest more easily. When we are mad or desperate, the ability to become a conduit becomes less clear and more blocked.  [12:54] Dr. Venus explains “energetic constipation” and how to know if you are blocked or cut off from receiving directly from source energy. Life can break your heart and close your channels, but the more mercy and grace you allow, the more love and money will flow. But that means tending to your heart space daily.  [16:57] If you want your life to be easy and things to work, you are going to have to forgive and tend to you instead of tending to others.  [20:34] Dr. Venus shares her experience with her gentleman suitor, and how they communicated through a breakdown. She realized some triggers and how it was leading her to feel the same way she did when her mom put her on the streets at only 16 years old. She moved past the pain of the past, and cognitively chose to forgive him and receive from a place of mercy. As she softened her heart, she allowed not only that relationship to deepen and grow, but others that are an energetic match for her, including Black Women soon to be millionaires and billionaires.  [26:44] The easy part is money, but we often think it’s the hardest. The most difficult is often being open to receive guidance and instruction.  [28:01] If you are wanting to manifest millions and a partner worthy of your love, you have to be willing to receive.  Quotes:  “My spirit can not be tarnished. It can not be touched. It can not be finagled, and it can not be bought.”  “Money and love are energy, and they need a conduit to manifest in your life. That conduit is your heart.”  “Healing first, money second.”  “Love and money require one thing from you - you being willing to receive.”  “The more we heal, the more we are able to receive.”  “If you are wanting to manifest millions and a partner worthy of your love, you have to be willing to receive.”    Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Pre order the GurrlApp here: www.TheGurrlApp.com/presale  Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES The Energy Of Money And Love 3 WAYS TO UNDERSTAND THE ENERGY OF MONEY  Heart Energy: The Secret To Law of Attraction  Abraham Hicks | Let Yourself Be Open To Receive | LOA How I Learned to Love Black Women 10 Reasons We Love Dating Black Men

Does it always feel like you are fighting someone or something? Dr. Venus does. She’s had to fight daily her whole life, whether it’s against injustice, racism, sexism, or homophobia. Sure, fighting can help, but it’s also exhausting and often leaves us feeling like we have no room to breathe. But sis, what if the problem isn’t the woes of the world - from Haiti to Afghanistan to Racial injustice, but it is our approach?  If we aren’t fighting, how do we enact effective social change and make the world better than we found it? This week, Dr. Venus looks at the greats including Gandhi, Rosa Parks, and Dr. King. She shares the thread that they share and how they changed the world - and it wasn’t fighting. What can we learn from them that can help us blaze our trails without burning out? Let’s talk.  Key Takeaways: [4:26] It can feel exhausting just fighting what’s going on in today’s societies. Between hurricanes, the pandemic, and dealing with the Karen’s of society, we could all use a little rest and relaxation time. Dr. Venus takes personal development classes so she is always working on herself and getting some moments of growth and healing in between all these things we deal with. You are your first client, and make sure you are putting the time and work into yourself.  [6:34] How do we make a difference in a way that doesn’t burn us out? First, Dr. Venus knew it was important to look at the greats to see how they actually affected real change in the world without totally depleting themselves. She started with people she admired: Gandhi, Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Thoreau. She realized that they were not fighting. They were standing. Standing for something they deeply believed in. There were actions that went with their mission, but they didn’t fight.  [11:25] Fighting escalates things, while standing for something enacts real change.  [14:13] We can get more done with non-compliance than we can with fighting. Think about your strong suits and what you are naturally good at. For Dr. Venus, it’s healing and money. She knows that she can get more done by taking her superpowers and using them to create a digital platform for Black women to network and heal, without being shut down. Her platform is redirecting the conversation and non compliant to the structures that don’t allow us to talk, or that try to keep us held down.  [17:23] How compliant are you? Are you still fighting in your family, your relationships, or self? Dr. Venus is not fighting anyone anymore. She is standing for herself and what she’s using her life for. This brings a different energy to the table, and allows us to heal and grow in a new way.  [20:46] You aren’t free until you have your own money. Our ancestors built their own and spent so much blood, sweat, and tears getting us to where we are now. We owe it to them to take a stand in what we believe in and to show our non compliance by building and participating in our own structures.  [23:08] Since George Flloyd, Dr. Venus has been protesting, and now she is ready to start back up taking on private clients and helping birth Black Women millionaires and billionaires.    Quotes:  “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Albert Einstein   “Dr. King wasn’t fighting. He was standing for something.”  “I’m not fighting anyone anymore. I’m standing for myself and what I’m using my life for.”    “You aren’t free until you have your own money.”  “How compliant are you?”  Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Join the conversation! Hot Mess Millionaire Facebook Group Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   ATTENTION BLACK WOMEN:   If you want to be THE FIRST to know about ALL things Dr. Venus’ tech start-up, fill out the form below so you get access FIRST to updates, launches, and the behind the scene scoop! http://bit.ly/DrVenusAppInfo   RESOURCES Leave India King, Gandhi, Thoreau: Civil Disobedience Non-compliance: Montgomery Bus Boycott Why You Need to Stand Up For What You Believe In And How to Do It 10 Powerful Ways to Stand Up For Yourself in Any Situation How Standing Up Yourself Can Improve Your Financial Life