434: Co-Founder and CEO of 'For The Breast of Us' Marissa Thomas

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we chat with Marissa Thomas. Marissa Thomas is a patient advocate and breast cancer thriver who was diagnosed in 2015 at the age of 35 with stage II breast cancer. She is the CoFounder and CEO of For the Breast of Us, an inclusive community for Women of Color impacted by breast cancer. As a woman of color diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, Marissa co- founded 'For the Breast of Us' to provide women of color with a resource tailored to us and personal accounts expressed by us. Marissa's passion is to educate women on how to navigate the healthcare system to make it work for them.  She also wants women to know they can continue living their best life, regardless of the circumstance by advocating for themselves, embracing their community and expanding their education on the disease. Marissa holds a BS in Healthcare Administration, serves on the board of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, is a certified Living Beyond Breast Cancer Young Advocate and NBCC Project Lead graduate. Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we chat with actor Carl Lumbly of 'Captain America: Brave New World'. Carl has also appeared in such notable TV and film projects as Cagney & Lacey, Justice League, Supergirl, Doctor Sleep, This Is Us, Alias and The Fall of the House of Usher. He was the first Black superhero on prime-time TV, as the titular character in the short-lived 90s Fox series M.A.N.T.I.S. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast,  we have a 2-part episode about all things Sundance 2025. Segment 1: We chat with directors: Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy and Timeea M. Ahmed about their documentary film Khartoum that screened at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Forced to leave Sudan for East Africa following the outbreak of war, five citizens of Khartoum — a civil servant, a tea lady, a resistance committee volunteer, and two young bottle collectors — reenact their stories of survival and freedom through dreams, revolution, and civil war. Segment 2: Travis Hopson, of Punch Drunk Critics, joins us to chat about the films we loved and didn't love at Sundance 2025. This was recorded during the middle of festival, so not all films were screened at the time of the discussion. Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome Oscar-nominated actor Margaret Avery. 'A Man on the Inside' which premiered on November 21st features Margaret Avery, a Hollywood mainstay with decades of screen and stage experience. She brings an unforgettable warmth to the show.  Known for her Oscar-nominated performance in The Color Purple, Avery now charms as Florence, a spirited, poetry-loving resident in a retirement community that’s anything but typical. Avery’s portrayal highlights her enduring talent, blending humor and depth. This role not only reaffirms her versatility but positions her as a powerful presence in comedy. Host: Jamie  Edited by: Jamie Broadnax Music by: Sammus

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we have a 2-part episode welcoming comic book creators Denys Cowan and Michael Stradford and cast members from Dune: Prophecy.  The featured cast are: Jessica Barden, Aoife Hinds, Edward Davis and Mark Addy. Segment 1: Graphic Samurai: The Art of Denys Cowan is the first comprehensive celebration of the work of this groundbreaking comic book artist. Cowan has left an indelible mark on characters like Batman, The Question, Black Panther, and Deathlok, and co-founded Milestone Media, introducing  Hardware, Icon, Rocket and the comic and character that inspired the hit television show he would produce; Static Shock. These beloved characters would eventually find their way back into the DC Universe. Author and Gizmoe co-founder Michael Stradford joins us on the podcast. Host: Jamie Segment 2: Interviews featuring: Aoife Hinds (“Sister Emeline”), Jessica Barden (“Young Valya Harkonnen”), Edward Davis (“Harrow Harkonnen”) and Mark Addy (“Evgeny Harkonnen”) are conducted in this segment for the HBO series Dune: Prophecy. 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, following two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. Host: Stacey Yvonne Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome in this 2-part segment filmmaker Raoul Peck of Ernest Cole: Lost and Found and actor Emma Canning of Dune: Prophecy. Segment 1: Oscar-nominated filmmaker Raoul Peck’s Ernest Cole: Lost and Found  is a new documentary chronicling the life and work of Ernest Cole, one of the first Black freelance photographers in South Africa, whose early pictures, shocking at the time of their first publication, revealed to the world Black life under apartheid. Host: Jamie Segment 2: Emma Canning plays the young Tula Harkonnen in the HBO series Dune: Prophecy. Following a tragedy, young Valya Harkonnen flees her home planet to join the Sisterhood, but struggles with the decision to take her vows. Her younger sister Tula is carving out a new life for herself, but worries about being accepted for her family name. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

BGN interviews actor Rhenzy Feliz of the HBO series The Penguin. Rhenzy Feliz is best known for playing Alex Wilder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Runaways, voicing Camilo Madrigal in Disney's 2021 animated feature film Encanto and playing Victor Aguilar in the HBO series The Penguin. Host: Jamie  Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome co-creator and showrunner of the Netflix series 'Arcane' Christian Linke. Christian Linke  is the Head of Animation Studio at Riot Games, where he fuels animation development with the company’s Emmy-winning Netflix series Arcane and beyond. Linke co-created Arcane, which marked Riot’s first animated series, with Alex Yee and currently serves as its showrunner. He was also part of the League of Legends team that originally created Vi and Jinx, the beloved League champions who are the protagonists of Arcane. The show’s second season will debut in November 2024. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this 2-part episode, we chat with Niecy Nash Betts and Nick Cannon about TV specific episodes in two series they are starring in: FX's Grotesquerie and Fox's Accused. Segment 1: Niecy Nash-Betts is an actress, comedian, and television host. Nash received two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for starring as Denise "Didi" Ortley in the comedy-drama series Getting On (2013–2015). She has also portrayed Denise Hemphill in the horror-comedy series Scream Queens (2015–2016).  From 2017 to 2022, she played Desna Simms in the crime comedy-drama Claws (2017–2022). She currently stars as Detective Lois Tryon in the horror drama series Grotesquerie. Host: Jamie Segment 2: Nick Cannon is a comedian, television host, actor, and rapper. In television, he began as a teenager on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'n Out, America's Got Talent, Lip Sync Battle Shorties, and The Masked Singer. He acted in the films Drumline, Love Don't Cost a Thing, and Roll Bounce. He is currently starring in season 2 of the Fox series Accused. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome director Brandon Espy and actor Elvis Nolasco of the new Hulu film Mr. Crocket. In 1993, a mysterious children's show host, Mr. Crocket, magically emerges from television sets to kidnap young children, brutally slaying their parents in the process. After Mr. Crocket snatches her son, one determined mother embarks on a perilous quest to track down the demonic entertainer and rescue her boy. Host: Jamie Broadnax Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax