About
Frankly. is a podcast that explores the health and wellbeing of youth from the perspectives and lived experiences of young people on Chicago’s South and West sides. Co-produced by Chicago youth Kaya Thomas and Alizha Vernon and the University of Chicago’s Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health, Frankly. is a seven-episode series that builds on the findings from Ci3’s Adolescent X study, a research project that studies narrative methods to explore the messages that young people receive about their bodies, identities, and sexual health. Frankly. centers the voices of young people marginalized by race, gender, and/or sexual orientation as they navigate various social environments, develop their identities, and understand the world around them. Frankly. aims to contextualize the stories of young people by examining the ways in which structural barriers and institutions impede their health and wellbeing.
Trailer
Homecoming: The Importance of Community
We hear from other young people who will describe how their family’s and community’s expectations – and oftentimes how these individuals silence young peoples’ voices – made it difficult for them to get the love and support they need.
The Frankly. Mixtape Episode 1
The Frankly. Podcast Mixtape is a discussion guide that accompanies the Frankly. podcast. It includes links to relevant articles, archival and audio-visual materials, films and documentaries, findings from the Adolescent X research study, and resources that provide additional insights into the topics explored in each episode. Additionally, it highlights Chicago-based community spaces that uplift the brilliance and diversity of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
Reimagining Relationships
In this episode, our co-host Kaya shares the types of messages and behaviors she learned as a child regarding romantic and platonic relationships and her process of unlearning them. She unpacks how the “Strong Black Woman” stereotype impacted how she connected with others.
The Frankly. Mixtape Episode 2
The Frankly. Podcast Mixtape is a discussion guide that accompanies the Frankly. podcast. It includes links to relevant articles, archival and audio-visual materials, films and documentaries, findings from the Adolescent X research study, and resources that provide additional insights into the topics explored in each episode. Additionally, it highlights Chicago-based community spaces that uplift the brilliance and diversity of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
Filling the Gaps in Sex Ed
In this episode, we’ll delve into the Chicago Public Schools evolving sex education curriculum. We’ll share findings from our Adolescent X research study, and we’ll identify the gaps within sex ed that have yet to be filled, like queer and disabled sex. We’ll hear from Sonam Rikha and our co-host, Kaya Thomas, about their experiences learning about sex within the CPS system, as well as from sex educators Eva Sweeney and Angela Townsend, who created spaces outside of school systems to fill those gaps.
The Frankly. Mixtape Episode 3
The Frankly. Podcast Mixtape is a discussion guide that accompanies the Frankly. podcast. It includes links to relevant articles, archival and audio-visual materials, films and documentaries, findings from the Adolescent X research study, and resources that provide additional insights into the topics explored in each episode. Additionally, it highlights Chicago-based community spaces that uplift the brilliance and diversity of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
Unpacking the Miseducation of Consent
In this episode, we explore the mixed messages we receive about consent within our relationships, medical settings, and our family homes and how they affect our sense of bodily autonomy. We will hear from Kaya Thomas, our co-host, about the ways family members have crossed her boundaries. Dr. Candice Norcott, clinical psychologist at the University of Chicago, will discuss how the dynamics we learn around consent when we’re young might play out in our romantic relationships.
The Frankly. Mixtape Episode 4
The Frankly. Podcast Mixtape is a discussion guide that accompanies the Frankly. podcast. It includes links to relevant articles, archival and audio-visual materials, films and documentaries, findings from the Adolescent X research study, and resources that provide additional insights into the topics explored in each episode. Additionally, it highlights Chicago-based community spaces that uplift the brilliance and diversity of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
Freedom to Move, Freedom to Be?
In this episode we will explore how the adultification of Black teens impacts their mobility, safety, and bodily autonomy, and how these restrictions become everyday experiences of over policing and sexual harassment. We hear from Alizha Vernon and Nayla Vasquez about their experiences witnessing sexual harassment within their schools, as well as an Adolescent X study participant who shares her experience being harassed and stalked while taking the CTA to and from school. In response to these stories, psychologist and researcher Dr. Darnell Motley talks about the process and impact of adultifying Black children and teens.
The Frankly. Mixtape Episode 5
The Frankly. Podcast Mixtape is a discussion guide that accompanies the Frankly. podcast. It includes links to relevant articles, archival and audio-visual materials, films and documentaries, findings from the Adolescent X research study, and resources that provide additional insights into the topics explored in each episode. Additionally, it highlights Chicago-based community spaces that uplift the brilliance and diversity of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
Honoring Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy
In this episode, we will examine how white supremacy is enmeshed with issues we discussed from previous episodes. We hear young people describe their experiences of how overt and covert racism impact their mind, their media, and their bodies. We also hear from experts Drs. Candice Norcott and Melissa Gilliam as they break down racism as a public health issue.
The Frankly. Mixtape Episode 6
The Frankly. Podcast Mixtape is a discussion guide that accompanies the Frankly. podcast. It includes links to relevant articles, archival and audio-visual materials, films and documentaries, findings from the Adolescent X research study, and resources that provide additional insights into the topics explored in each episode. Additionally, it highlights Chicago-based community spaces that uplift the brilliance and diversity of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
Frankly Speaking with Kaya and Alizha
This episode was included to ensure that the voices and perspectives of youth during the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest were centered. Ireashia will develop a brief introduction to the conversation that was recorded between our two TS fellows: Kaya and Alizha.
The Frankly. Mixtape Episode 7
The Frankly. Podcast Mixtape is a discussion guide that accompanies the Frankly. podcast. It includes links to relevant articles, archival and audio-visual materials, films and documentaries, findings from the Adolescent X research study, and resources that provide additional insights into the topics explored in each episode. Additionally, it highlights Chicago-based community spaces that uplift the brilliance and diversity of Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods.
Meet the Frankly. Hosts
Credits, Team
Melissa Gilliam, MD, MPH
Ireashia Bennett
Kaya Thomas
Alizha Vernon
Valerie Reynolds
Erisa Apantaku
Liz Futrell
Crystal Tyler
Erin Garcia
Adriana Brodyn
Soo-Young Lee
Melissa Sherwin
Robin Cogdell
Creator, Ci3 Founder and Director
Co-Host, Executive Producer, Sound Engineer
Co-Host, Ci3 Fellow, Producer
Ci3 Fellow, Producer
Senior Producer, Story Editor
Podcast Consultant
Project Manager, Producer
Story Editor
Story Editor
Story Editor. Researcher
Story Editor. Researcher
Story Editor
Lead Graphic Designer