real people. real stories. real progress.
Hosted by Myra René
When Kim Young became the "Dope Black Social Worker," she got mad about the gaps in mental health care for Black communities and started talking about it. Now she's leading a movement to transform social work licensure and reclaim helping professions for the communities they're meant to serve.
From San Diego to Richmond, Virginia, Kim shares her journey of professional identity crisis to becoming one of the most influential voices in social work reform. She breaks down why the exam-based licensure system is broken, how fashion becomes resistance, and why Black folks already have the playbook for surviving what others are just now experiencing.
What You'll Learn:
Why social workers are the "middle child" of mental health professions
How the Black Panther Party's community care work was actually social work
The three key lessons: you're only an expert in your own life, build intergenerational bridges, and never make a job your identity
Why licensure exams are barriers that don't measure competence or ethics
How 2018's tragedies shaped Kim's approach to the work and self-care
Why eliminating barriers to dreaming is central to liberation
How making progress means reclaiming freedom of time and choice
Featured Guest:
Kim Young
Founder, Dope Black Social Worker
Host, Revolutionary Hood Rat Podcast
Named in Essence Magazine's Essential Heroes list
Connect:
🎙️ Host: Myra René
→ https://www.myrarenee.com/
→ https://www.instagram.com/therealmyrarenee
🔗 Kim Young
→ Instagram: @dope_black_socialworker
→ Threads: @dope_black_socialworker
→ Podcast: Revolutionary Hood Rat
→ Website: https://dopeblacksocialworker.com
Produced by Puente Creative Studios
