Truth Be Told American Public Media

Tonya Mosley is on a journey to experience the depths of freedom and liberation and discovers new research that shows psychedelics as a promising treatment for all forms of PTSD, including racial trauma.

Tonya sets out to try magic mushrooms and discovers the psychedelic renaissance is overwhelmingly white despite its Indigenous and African roots. Episode 1 kicks off this 6 part journey led by Tonya which explores the latest science, the push for FDA approval, and the movement to get Black and Brown therapists trained in psychedelic therapy.   

Wise Ones: Monnica Williams, Researcher; Sara Reed, Licensed Family Therapist; Jazmin Hupp, Psychedelic Guide.  Website: deartbt.com Instagram: deartbt TikTok: tonyatalks

Psychedelics work by allowing us to have an experience with ourselves — To face our biggest traumas without being retraumatized.

This episode explores what that experience is like. But first, Black people (rightfully skeptical of altered states) must trust enough to let go.

Decades after Richard Nixon declared the war on drugs, our evolved understanding of drug addiction has ushered in a new understanding of mental health and the flaws of the criminal justice system, and with it, a resurgence of an age-old medicine, once criminalized — now used as a form of healing.

In Episode 3, we meet the children of the drug war and discover how they’re navigating this newfound exploration of psychedelics to find personal healing.

Wise Ones: Ayize Jama Everett, Educator; Mary Pryor, Detroiter, Entrepreneur.

We explore the magic in magic mushrooms and the ancestral and Indigenous origins of using them to heal. What does ancestral knowledge mean for Black people disconnected from our lineage? Wise Ones: adrienne maree brown: author, activist.

Undrea Wright, The Ancestor Project.

We’re taking a break from our series to answer your questions about psychedelic-assisted therapy and the use of psychedelics to help alleviate depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The public's perception of drugs and drug use is changing. And with it, the decrim movement is in full swing. Soon the FDA is expected to approve psychedelic-assisted therapy.

But are these steps enough for Black people in America? Enough to keep us safe in a world of racial bias and over-policing?

There’s the potential for liberation but also for oppression.

Episode 6 explores what could happen if psychedelics become legal. Wise Ones: Dr. Carl Hart, Neuroscientist; Natalie Ginsberg, Global Impact Officer, MAPS. We want to hear what you think about Truth Be Told! You can help us out by filling out a short audience survey at deartbt.com/survey.