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Ep 13 Part 2: + The Next Generation with the Beauty + Justice Team- It’s a myth that science and research have to be impersonal and devoid of humanity—and in the final part of the Finale Episode, the Beauty + Justice team dispels the myth! Dr. Tamarra James-Todd, Marissa Chan, and Lissah Johnson share what beauty and beauty justice means to them, and how their positionality (life experiences and how we show up in the world) has inspired their beauty justice work. There’s also a special treat at the end—a message on what beauty means to the next generation. 

Ep 13 Part 1: + The Path Forward with Marissa Chan and Lissah Johnson- What’s on the horizon for the beauty justice movement? As we bring this limited series podcast to a close, we thought it only fitting to hear from the folks behind the scenes who helped make it happen. In Part 1 of the finale episode, Dr. Tamarra James-Todd is joined by Marissa Chan, the Beauty + Justice podcast producer, and Lissah Johnson, podcast narrator, to talk about their dissertation research and their perspectives on the future of the beauty justice movement.

Ep 12: + The Power of the Collective with Dr. Ami Zota- How can we go about effectively building partnerships to advance beauty justice? And what voices and perspectives should we strive to elevate and make space for? In this episode, Dr. Tamarra James-Todd is joined by Dr. Ami Zota to discuss her research on racism and beauty product use, holding space for historically neglected folks in beauty justice work, and how to build partnerships with folks across disciplines.

Ep 11: + The Role of Cosmetologists with Susan Peterkin- Cosmetology courses aim to teach participants everything they need to know to care for their future clients’ skin, nails, and hair. But are there racial equity concerns when the care and styling techniques taught in these courses are typically for clients with straight hair, leaving behind a predominantly Black audience with textured hair? In this episode, Susan L. Peterkin joins Dr. Tamarra James-Todd to discuss the role of cosmetologists in beauty justice. They also discuss Susan’s career in the natural hair field and why helping others learn how to nurture and embrace their own, or their clients’ natural hair is essential in beauty justice efforts.

Ep 10: + Black Beauty Liberation with Dr. Teiahsha Bankhead-How does our relationship with beauty and hair influence how we feel about ourselves? And how is our relationship with beauty impacted by others? For folks with minoritized identities, like people of the African diaspora, how beauty ideals impact identity and sense of place in the world is even more critical because of the way racism influences the dominant standard of beauty. In the latest podcast episode, Dr. Teiahsha Bankhead joins Dr. Tamarra James-Todd to explore some of these themes and what it means for moving beauty justice forward.

 Ep 9: + The Role of Research and Advocacy with Dr. Dede Teteh-How does community engagement work with research and advocacy to achieve beauty justice? In this episode, Dr. Tamarra James-Todd is joined by Dr. Dede Teteh to discuss how her work is rooted in all three of these practices and what she has found in her research on the relationship between Black identity, breast cancer risk, and beauty product usage. They also discuss Dr. Teteh’s journey from being a “bench scientist” to becoming a community-engaged researcher and health educator, the joy she’s found in doing Community Based Participatory Research (known as CBPR), and the value in bringing your whole self to your research.

Ep 8: + A Conversation on Clean Beauty with Heather McKenney of The Honest Company- In this latest episode, we continue exploring the role of business in making beauty justice a reality. Dr. Tamarra James-Todd is joined by Heather McKenney, MPH from the clean beauty and baby brand, The Honest Company. They discuss what the Honest Company has done to prioritize safety in their product formulations, how beauty companies can manage uncertainty regarding the effects of chemicals on consumer health, and what it will take to have a clean chemical standard for all beauty product manufacturers.

Ep 7: +The Role of Businesses with Boma Brown-West- Is it possible to move the needle towards beauty justice by going to the source? In this episode Dr. Tamarra James-Todd is joined by Boma Brown-West, previously at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), to discuss how partnering with beauty product manufacturers, distributors, and retailers is an effective way to drive systemic change. Included in their conversation is how clean beauty has historically left women of color out of the picture and some of the strategies and frameworks EDF has utilized to get businesses to commit to producing and selling cleaner products that are marketed to all of their clientele.

Ep 6: + Experiences of the Asian Immigrant Community with Dr. Lucy Chie- How do beauty justice issues impact Asian immigrant communities? In this episode, Dr. Lucy Chie joins Dr. Tamarra James-Todd to discuss their research regarding beauty product chemical exposures among the Chinese immigrant community in Boston. They also discuss how clinicians can best serve their patients who are a part of immigrant communities and what we can learn from folks from other cultures about living more healthfully.

Ep 5: + The Role of Dermatology with Dr. Chesahna Kindred-How does dermatology, the study of skin, hair, and nail health, intersect with the beauty justice movement? In this episode, Dr. Tamarra James-Todd is joined by Dr. Chesahna Kindred to discuss some of the dermatological conditions that predominately affect Black people as well as how lack of representation in the medical field and in clinical trials is hindering our knowledge of and our ability to treat conditions that disproportionately affect people of color. They also discuss how dermatology and dermatologists have a role to play in reaching beauty justice.

Ep 4: + The Role of Clinicians in Beauty Justice with Dr. Blair Wylie- What role do clinicians play in beauty justice? Dr. Blair Wylie joins Dr. Tamarra James-Todd to discuss how clinicians can work towards educating patients about simple changes to reduce exposures, informing other clinicians and practitioners about environmental health, and advocating for more upstream, structural changes. She also highlights the importance of clinicians and health educators listening when entering communities—and how lasting and creative solutions can be developed through working with communities.

Ep 3: + A Look into Beauty Product Chemicals with Dr. Robin Dodson- What are the chemicals of concern in our beauty products and what can we do to make safer beauty decisions? Dr. Tamarra James-Todd is joined by Dr. Robin Dodson, Associate Director of Research Operations and a Research Scientist, from the Silent Spring Institute to discuss not only what these chemicals are but also what is driving these inequities in beauty product chemical exposures. They also discuss ways to empower consumers and hold regulatory agencies and beauty product manufacturers accountable to achieve beauty justice. 

Ep 2: + The Cost of Black Hair with Dr. Tamara Gilkes Borr- How do the pervasive Eurocentric beauty ideals in our culture cost people not only financially, but socially and physically? In this episode, our guest Dr. Tamara Gilkes Borr, US policy correspondent at the Economist and author of “I spent thousands on chemical straightening”: the price of having black hair in a white world joins Dr. Tamarra James-Todd to unpack this question. Intersectionality again plays a big role as these beauty ideals are a much larger burden on Black women and other folks whose identities do not align with the standard of beauty. Tamara also shares why she’s hopeful about the beauty justice movement and where she’s already seeing change.

Ep 1: + A Little History on Black Hair & Diversity with Lori Tharps​-  How do historic attitudes about race, identity, and beauty impact our current beauty industry and standards? How is diversity the key to the path forward for the beauty justice movement? In this episode, Dr. Tamarra James-Todd is joined by Lori Tharps, author of Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, to dive into these questions. Lori shares wisdom from her personal experiences and professional body of work. She also underscores the importance of diversity and intersectionality in moving towards a more just and equitable future of beauty for everyone.​​​​​​

Ep 0: I​ntroducing: Beauty + Justice-Get a sneak peek of what our new podcast, Beauty + Justice, is all about in this trailer episode. Check back on November 10^th for the first full episode—streaming on all major podcast platforms. New episodes will drop every two weeks.

 

EP 1 Extended version: + A Little History on Black Hair & Diversity with Lori Tharps​