Jackie Vaughn and Myesha Mitchell Champion Black Women’s Health on 'The Day With Trae'
In an inspiring episode of The Day With Trae, host Trae Holiday welcomed two prominent Pacific Northwest community leaders: Jackie Vaughn, Executive Director of Surge Reproductive Justice, and Myesha Mitchell, owner of My Time for Massage. The conversation highlighted their joint venture aimed at tackling medical racism and chronic stress through a beautifully aligned fusion of grassroots policy and community-focused wellness.
Demystifying Policy and Advocacy
Vaughn broke down the mission of Surge Reproductive Justice, an organization centered on community-directed policy and advocacy. In turn, she advocated for Black women and the community in general to know their legal rights and stand strong in their experiences.
"You do not have to know how to write things in the legal language," Vaughn said. "What you need to know is your own lived experience and what it is that you want to see as the impact for our community."
By creating accessible spaces, even gathering at local parks where children can play while mothers talk strategy, Surge is working to ensure that Black maternal health, doula access via Medicaid, and holistic healing are shaped directly by those who live these realities.
Turning Trauma into Purpose
Mitchell brought a conventional-defying story of resilience to the table. She openly shared that she was unhoused when she first began building her massage therapy practice back in 2014. Navigating past traumas and noticing a stark lack of systemic support and representation for people of color in the wellness industry, she vowed to build a business deeply rooted in the people.
Today, Mitchell runs one of the top solo Black-owned massage practices in Seattle, operating entirely on an affordable, "pay-what-you-can" subsidized care structure. Following a traumatic birth experience with her second son, she also trained as a doula, further expanding her mission to support community maternal health on the ground.
Combating 'Medical Weathering' Together
The true magic of the conversation centered on how Vaughn and Mitchell bridged their unique expertise to address "medical weathering"—a phenomenon backed by institutional research showing that the chronic stress of enduring racism and sexism causes Black women to age faster, face higher rates of disease, and die younger.
Through their collaborative initiative, Black and Worthy of Wellness, they aim to shift the narrative of massage from an inaccessible luxury to essential physical maintenance. Having recently concluded a highly successful first cohort providing 90 days of continuous care to 10 Black women, they announced the launch of Cohort 2. Spanning King and Pierce Counties, this upcoming phase will offer 20 women 10 highly curated, 90-minute customized massage sessions over 90 days. Heavily subsidized by Surge, these extended sessions will cost participants only $50 each.
The partnership allows Surge to safely collect data from the program. This empirical research will be utilized to present concrete proof to state legislators that preventative health care directly dismantles toxic stress and significantly improves health outcomes.
Building Pure Political Power
Beyond localized physical healing, the segment dove into systemic political empowerment. Vaughn emphasized the immediate need for Black women to exercise their local voting power, reminding the audience that true accountability doesn't stop after Election Day.
To visually anchor this narrative, the duo showcased their new organizational t-shirts bearing a quote that captures their daily ethos: "When Black Women Vote, We Pull From the Sides and Lift From the Bottom."
For community members looking to get involved, applications for Cohort 2 of Black and Worthy of Wellness are opening soon. Follow Surge and My Time For Massage on social media for updates.
Meanwhile, Surge is actively seeking summer volunteers to help register voters at local community festivals; volunteers will receive one of the signature "When Black Women Vote" t-shirts. Updates and volunteer sign-ups are available on Surge’s Instagram.
Learn more about Surge at surgereprojustice.org and My Time For Massage at mytimeformassage.com
Catch “The Day With Trae” Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11 a.m. on all Converge streaming platforms.
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