At Planned Parenthood, we know that self care is health care. That’s why we launched Be Seen TONE: Planned Parenthood’s series of self-care playlists created in collaboration with Refinery29 Unbothered and Refinery29 Somos. Made by and for Black women, Latinas, and nonbinary folks, TONE is a collection of culturally relevant meditations, visualizations, affirmations, and words of wisdom. It's a wellness tool meant to link self-care to health care and help ease the burnout that we all feel. With the heaviness of a pandemic still lingering, and the relentless attacks on our rights, TONE is a gentle reminder to Black women, Latinas, and nonbinary folks to fill their cups by taking time to put themselves first.
TONE was launched in two volumes: Volume One encourages Black women and nonbinary folks to practice self-care in a way that fits into their dynamic lives. TONE Volume One includes nine tracks, featuring the voices of Black wellness leaders: Sasheer Zamata, Blair Imani, Isis King, Steph Long, Jade Fox, Jacquelyn Ogorchukwu, Brittany and Germani from Black Girl Bravado, Cheyanda Onuoha, and Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson.
Volume Two was created for Latinas and nonbinary folks, and features tracks in Spanish and English. Its nine tracks feature the voices of Latina wellness leaders: Johanna Toruño, Jessica Marie Garcia, Diosa Femme and Mala Muñoz of Locatora Radio, Mercedes Viera, Evelynn Escobar, Lee Rodriguez, Juliana Luna, Silvia Beltran, and Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson.
TONE is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
TONE was designed to connect Black women, Latinas, and nonbinary folks with the mission and services Planned Parenthood offers.
The past few years have carried enormous energy for social change. People have shown up for human rights like we’ve never seen before, and given us all a renewed hope for real progress. But we recognized that the relentless fight to protect and care for others was leading to burnout, with repercussions on our audience's own well-being and the well-being of their communities.
Black and Latino/x people have been on the front lines of change and they were burning out from endless “make or break” moments. One in two activists who reported experiencing burnout and didn't take time off, ended up leaving their movements for good. For Black and Latino/x people who were at the forefront of these fights, self-care was often last on their list. And in this moment, with the heaviness of pandemic life and relentless attacks on our rights, we wanted to remind Black women, Latinas, and nonbinary folks to fill their cups by taking time to put themselves first. We know that self-care isn’t just a nice-to-do; it’s a must-do — especially for Black and Brown people. We live in a society where the people who most need to prioritize themselves with self-care practices don’t always have the time or culturally relevant resources to access that care.
Building off of these insights, we partnered with Refinery29 Unbothered and Refinery29 Somos, experts in tapping into the Black and Latino/x experiences, to create TONE. TONE is a series of self-care playlists made by and for Black and Latino/x communities. Every element of TONE was created with intent and was specific to the communities they were made to engage: We wrote scripts that lifted experiences and practices from Black and Latino communities, engaged Black and Latino wellness experts as talent; worked with Black and Latino/x composers, sound designers, and audio mixers to create culturally accurate sounds; and incorporated traditional cultural instruments like drums and accordions and more modern, beat-driven cultural music like hip-hop and reggaeton. This was not your typical set of meditations and affirmations with a British male voice and Eastern instrumentation — this was a sonic experience that came from the communities it was meant for.
Black women, Latina women, and nonbinary people are leaders and trailblazers, planning and building support systems for their communities. They pour their whole selves into others — caring for their families, loved ones, and communities. And let’s be honest, sometimes guilt and shame surround the idea that they should prioritize themselves, let alone their sexual health and pleasure. The premise of TONE is clear to those audiences: your needs, your joy, and your pleasure matter. Self care is health care. And because no one knows health care like Planned Parenthood, we recognized that now was the time to give every kind of health care a space to be seen.
Since its launch in February 2022 - TONE Vol. 1 and 2 have collectively earned 4,400+ downloads. TONE social posts reached 460K followers with an average engagement rate of 1.36%. We’ve earned media coverage in national and trade publications including Refinery29, MM&M, Muse, Black Enterprise, PR Week and Essence.
Reviews of TONE on Apple Podcasts from listeners praised the collection writing, “This is for you if you’re sick of the idea of self-care being something only some people get to benefit from. I hope they make many many many more.”
TONE is successful because it satisfied a previously unmet need for an important community of people, and it was developed by that community themselves. TONE was designed as a digital safe space for Black women, Latinas, and nonbinary people — to find comfort through reflections on life and shifting societal norms and expectations. TONE is a curated experience delivered in an easily accessible and free podcast format, that can adapt to any lifestyle. This collection was voiced by creators who know what it’s like to seek balance and peace of mind amid the pressures of being Black and Latino/x caregivers, activists, friends, sisters, students, and more, in a world that doesn't always affirm their bodies, goals, or lived experiences.
At Planned Parenthood, we know that self-care is about nurturing from the inside out. Access to health care and education is the foundation for social change — because when care for your body is limited, so is your potential.
