Journalists Launched Tenaciously Black Podcast

North Carolina natives Tim Pulliam and Bernadette Jay have debuted a new podcast centered on Black stories and culture.

Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in African-American

Bold vector editorial illustration showing two professional broadcast microphones, symbolizing a podcast conversation on Black culture.
Journalists Tim Pulliam and Bernadette Jay have launched the new podcast Tenaciously Black to provide a platform for deeper cultural conversations and Black stories. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Journalists Tim Pulliam and Bernadette Jay have launched a new podcast titled Tenaciously Black. The show seeks to explore cultural conversations and Black stories beyond the traditional constraints of news segments.

Why it matters

The podcast provides a space for deep-dive discussions on topics ranging from the Black church and entrepreneurship to essential estate planning. It aims to elevate Black culture and family-focused narratives.

The podcast name serves as an acronym for the initials of the two North Carolina creators. The production is a collaborative effort with both Pulliam and Jay serving as the show’s writers, producers, and editors.

The players

Tim Pulliam

He is a journalist and North Carolina native who holds degrees from Winston-Salem State University and Johns Hopkins University.

Bernadette Jay

She is a journalist and North Carolina native who attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Tabitha Brown

She is a well-known media personality and guest featured on the podcast.

The details

The creators leverage their professional backgrounds to produce content that moves past news-cycle limitations to address community-specific topics. The show features a variety of guests, including notable figures such as Tabitha Brown, Zainab Johnson, and Mikel Welch.

Timeline

  1. The 30-year friendship between the journalists began in 1996.

  2. The podcast launch and project announcement occurred in September 2026.

Culture Shift

The transition of traditional journalists into the independent podcast space reflects a larger trend of media professionals seeking creative autonomy. This movement allows creators to bypass corporate formatting to reach audiences through more intimate, community-centered digital platforms.

Listeners can engage with community-relevant topics like estate planning and family entrepreneurship that are often overlooked in mainstream media. The series invites residents to participate in a cultural dialogue tailored to the experiences of Black families.

The takeaway

The show demonstrates how personal relationships and professional experience can be combined to build independent media outlets. Listeners should look for the podcast's expansion into future live events as the creators look to grow their physical community footprint.

Further reading

For more stories on cultural programming, visit African-American.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Los Angeles Sentinel.

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Do you prefer community-focused podcasts over traditional news segments for exploring culture and local stories?