Black people are expected to carry the weight of racism while continuing to work, lead, care for others, and prove their worth. It’s exhausting. That exhaustion has a name: Black fatigue, a phrase coined by Mary-Frances Winters to describe the cumulative, intergenerational toll of racism on the mind, body, and spirit. In addition to being the founder and CEO of The Winters Group, Mary-Frances Winters is the bestselling author of “Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit” (Berrett-Koehler, 2020). Her daughter, Mareisha Winters Reese, is the president and chief operating officer of The Winters Group, and coauthor of the newly released second edition of Black Fatigue (Berrett-Koehler, 2026). In this episode of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, Lisa welcomes this powerful duo to unpack what Black fatigue looks like, why it persists, and what can be done about it. In “Black Fatigue: Rest, Resistance & Reclaiming the Self,” they explore: 🖤How racism creates chronic, cumulative, and intergenerational stress 🖤Why Black fatigue results in even more adverse health impacts in a post-COVID world 🖤What it means to reclaim the self beyond work, proving, and survival 🖤Why Black people deserve to experience rest 🖤How individuals and organizations can move from awareness to meaningful change Join Lisa, Mary-Frances, and Mareisha for an honest conversation about naming the harm, resisting depletion, and creating space for Black people to heal, flourish, and rest. 💚 Enjoying Space To Exhale? 🎧 Listen, follow and rate on Spotify 🎧 Listen, follow, rate, and review on Apple 🎧 Listen, follow, and rate on Audible ▶️ Watch, subscribe, and comment on YouTube 📤 Share your favorite episode with a friend who needs a little space to exhale 😊 🙏🏾 Get The Gentle Breath Newsletter The Gentle Breath is Lisa Hurley's Sunday newsletter featuring affirmations, reflections, wellbeing resources, podcast updates, and gentle encouragement for living a soft, centered, serene life. More than a newsletter, The Gentle Breath is a weekly invitation to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and begin each week from a place of peace. 📚 Get your copy of Space To Exhale If you are ready to move beyond burnout and create a life rooted in rest, self-love, boundaries, and wellbeing, Space To Exhale offers practical tools, affirmations, breathwork, and gentle guidance to help you get there. Already read it? Please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. ABOUT SPACE TO EXHALE: THE PODCAST Space To Exhale: The Podcast is a wellness show exploring rest, self-care, soft living, burnout recovery, mental health, boundaries, work-life balance, joy, and personal growth. Each week, Lisa Hurley sits down with advocates, experts, authors, and changemakers for uplifting conversations designed to help listeners create lives they don’t feel they need a break from. CREDITS: 👸🏽Guests Mary-Frances Winters, Founder, The Winters Group, Inc.; Bestselling author, Black Fatigue Mareisha Winters Reese, President & CEO, The Winters Group, Inc.; Co-author, Black Fatigue 👸🏽Host & Executive Producer Lisa Hurley, five-time Anthem Award-winning author of Space To Exhale, Host of Space To Exhale: The Podcast, and Founder of The Great Exhale CONNECT WITH MARY-FRANCES and MAREISHA: Connect with Mary-Frances on LinkedIn and Instagram Connect with Mareisha on LinkedIn and Instagram Follow Black Fatigue on Instagram For updates, visit Black Fatigue.com CONNECT WITH LISA: Connect with Lisa on: LinkedIn Intro TikTok Instagram Facebook IYKYK Learn More Space To ExhaleBook.com JOIN THE CONVERSATION What resonated with you most? Share your biggest takeaway using #TheSpaceToExhaleShow and tag Lisa so we can continue the conversation.
