The Science of Stress, Resilience & Black Divinity

In a time of fear and uncertainty, what does it mean to truly feel safe in your own body? Following the sold-out Crown of Times, ReRooted Productions returns to the Museum of Science with Soul Speak, a conversation and performance series exploring cultural identity, community activism, and Black self-care. Facilitated by Michele Avery and Yvette Modestin-Lepolata Aduke Apoukissi-Empress Modest-I, this installment, Unveiling the Divine: Reclaiming the Sacredness of Black Bodies, examines what it means to ground ourselves amid chronic stress, particularly racialized stress, which takes a measurable toll on the body over time. Research shows that practices like meditation, prayer, music, and communal gathering can regulate the nervous system and restore a sense of safety. Reclaiming sacredness is physiological. It is a return to breath, stillness, and embodied presence. Rooted in ancestral wisdom and radical self-love, Soul Speak honors the inherent divinity of Black people as an enduring truth, not a reaction to erasure. Through storytelling, creative expression, and communal reflection, Avery and Modestin explore how ancestral practices like prayer circles, drumming, and collective movement embody what researchers call collective resilience, the power of belonging and social connection to buffer stress and strengthen well-being. This series calls us to reclaim visibility, embody sacredness, and envision a future where Black divinity shines unapologetically. #Science #Psychology #MentalHealth #PublicHealth #CommunityHealth #HumanBehavior #WellBeing #YouTube Chapters: 00:00 – Welcome & Opening Reflections 02:49 – What Is Black Divinity? 10:09 – Honoring Ancestors & Spiritual Connection 21:22 – Grounding Practices for Uncertain Times 32:49 – Facing Fear & Erasure 43:43 – Finding Joy as Resistance 52:00 – Walking in Community & Shared Healing 58:50 – Audience Q&A 1:07:00 – Closing Reflection & Call to Action SubSpace with the Museum of Science:    • SubSpace   Yvette Modestin-Lepolata Aduke Apoukissi-Empress Modest-I is a writer, activist, poet, and storyteller from Colón, Panama, and Founder and Executive Director of Encuentro Diaspora Afro in Boston. Profiled by the Boston Globe as "The Uniter," she is a leading voice for Afro-Latino communities, a Diaspora Coordinator for the international Red de Mujeres Afrolatinoamericanas, and co-author of Boston's Reparations Commission ordinance. Michele Avery is Co-Founder of ReRooted Productions and a media producer and curator of Black cultural stories with over 15 years in the entertainment industry. Her collaborators include OWN Network, Food Network, and Warner Bros. Discovery. She co-wrote and directed Crown of Times and co-curated What's Hair Got to Do With It?, both exploring the beauty, politics, and history of Black hair through storytelling. Dr. Tahirah Abdullah-Swain is an Associate Professor of Psychology at UMass Boston and co-founder of Black Advocacy, Resistance, and Empowerment (BARE) for Mental Health & Wellness. Her research examines how racism and discrimination affect mental health in Black communities, and she is committed to reducing stigma and improving access to quality mental health care. Georgios "Geo" Costomiris is a community engagement manager at the Boston Ujima Project and an organizer for the Black Men's Collective of Boston. Born and raised in Dorchester to immigrant parents from Greece and South Africa, he studied Youth Justice and Advocacy at Bunker Hill Community College and Boston University. Driven by a lifelong commitment to his community, Geo works at the intersection of cooperative economics, arts, and culture. Among the world's largest science centers and New England's most attended cultural institution, the Museum of Science reaches over 300 million people a year — at Science Park and in museums around the world, in classrooms, and online. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic experiences as the Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. The Museum influences formal and informal STEM education through research and national advocacy, including through its Youth Exploring Science (YES) program through the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center. Around the world, the Museum is known for digital experiences such as Mission: Mars on Roblox and traveling exhibitions such as Science Behind Pixar. The Public Science Common, a state-of-the-art programming and event space featuring sweeping 270-degree views of Boston and Cambridge, and is a space to bring together people for a wide variety of programs and events. Learn more at https://www.mos.org/ Copyright © 2026. Museum of Science. All rights reserved. This video is owned by the Museum of Science and may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used in any manner without prior written permission from the Museum of Science.