Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast

Black children deserve better than the lies and partial truths that are often taught in U.S. schools. So what do we teach them, and how do we teach them? Dr. Joshua M. Myers , an associate professor of Africana Studies at Howard University and author of the forthcoming book "Cedric Robinson: The Time of the Black Radical Tradition," joins the ladies for What's On Your Heart? in this episode on edu...

The ladies flip the script and ask THE Jemele Hill more than a few uncomfortable questions in this very special episode of J.ill! Call 866-HEY-JILL and leave us a message with your comments on this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Loving, messy, joyful — our relationships with our fathers can be complicated. We take some of their advice, and we leave some of it behind. But chile do they teach us some things. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SPECIAL EPISODE ALERT! Emcee Phonte is in the building, joining the ladies for real talk on parenting and playing the hands we're dealt. Twitter & Instagram: @phontigallo Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God knows, real-life trauma is enough. Has Hollywood veered into trauma porn territory with all the Black historical horrors and thrillers? How much is too much? The ladies get into it. Resources: Antebell u m Get O ut Th e m 12 Years a Sla v e Django Unchain e d U s The Falcon and the Winter Soldi e r Ma Rainey’s Black Bott o m Misha Gre e n Barry Jenki ns Katori Ha l l Black Lightni n g Jingle J...

Well chile ... you know a person's public persona may be at odds with who they are behind closed doors. In this episode, the ladies knock down some high and mighty pedestals and discuss what we do when we KNOW the real deal. Resources: The Long and Tortured History of Cancel Cultu re The Second Wave of "Cancel Culture" Americans and ‘Cancel Culture’: Where Some See Calls for Accountability, Others...

Raw. Raw. Raw. Raw. Raw. Raw. Raw. Raw. Raw. Raw. Resources: More on Dr. Kameelah Rash ad Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S*** ain't always sweet in the music industry. Fortunately, we can count on Laiya, Aja, and Jill to give budding artists game. So you and/or your kids wanna be in the business? Pause and listen to this episode. Resources : "The Music Business Toolbox: Actionable Business Guidance for Musicians from Recording to Royalti es," by Bryan Calhoun with Kristin Thoms on "Everything You’d Better Know About...

According to Aja's mother, there's petting, and then there's heavy petting. Don't know the difference? Find out in this episode, where the ladies share what their mamas taught them about sex and relationships. Shanicia Boswell, an author and the creator of Black Moms Blog, continues the conversation in a "What's On Your Heart?" about motherhood, womanhood, and making space to accept love. Resource...

Sometimes, boxes are comfortable and safe. But other times, boxes are suffocating. And being confined to stereotypes and assumptions is for the birds. We all contain multitudes. Today on the show, the ladies do some unboxing. Resource s: Paul Laurence Dunbar's "We Wear the Ma sk " Paul Laurence Dunbar b io Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/...

Not everything passed down through generations should stay in the family. You can name curses, and you can break them. This week on the show, the ladies talk about knowing and growing from the problems that plague us.    Resource:  Bogleheads' Guide s   Call 866-HEY-JILL and leave us a message with your comments on this episode! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork....

Medicine is a practice. But be careful practicing on Black women, because "fire burn." This week on J.ill, a sensitive conversation about what Black women face when dealing with many medical professionals. In "What's on Your Heart?" actor, comedian, and author Michelle Buteau joins the ladies for a candid conversation about her experience in coloring outside the medical lines. Resource s: Black Ma...

Sex is supposed to be pleasurable, but a lot of times, it's purely transactional. On J.ill this week, one of your sista friends is completely intrigued. Light on the judgment – chile, who has the time? – but heavy on the yummy curiosity. Resource s: Vanessa del Rio: Fifty Years of Slightly Slutty Behav i or Urban Justice Center's Sex Worker Proj ect Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www....

Jill, Laiya, and Aja have talked about a lot on the show so far – from cultural appropriation, to the relationships between Black women and Black men, to loneliness. There's a lot to unpack, and we know we can't fit it all in the show. But we know that y'all have a lot to add to these discussions, so we want to hear what you have to say. Ever listened to an episode and ended up in a debate with yo...

"Black does not crack, but it sure does crease." Laiya, Aja, and Jill reminisce about the shows they grew up on and the wellness practices their parents and grandparents followed. They also reveal some of more embarrassing signs of aging, the lifestyle choices they've made to stay healthy as they get older, and the things they've learned from the millennials. On What’s On Your Heart, media coach,...

The past year of isolation and social distancing has changed the way we relate to solitude. The absence of touch, separation from loved ones, and lack of fellowship and intimacy have presented many challenges. We can be lonely when we're alone, but we can also be lonely when we're surrounded by people or in intimate relationships. On the other hand, we can crave more alone time. Aja, Jill, and Lai...

The media often portrays the relationships between Black women as adversarial and difficult. If you believe the stereotypes and the propaganda, you might think that Black women don't like each other and don't get along. Of course, that's fallacy and harmful generalization – some Black women are incompatible, just like some people of any other race or gender may be incompatible. If you actually kno...

The relationships children have with their mothers are so diverse and dynamic. But many of us expect our mothers to be our provider, our teacher, our savior, and our source of comfort. When we are naive, growing children, it's hard to recognize our mothers as whole human beings who have lives beyond those roles. But as we get older and gain more distance and perspective, we realize that our mother...

What's wrong with 'em? It's a simple question that's hard to answer. Jill, Laiya, and Aja try to get to the bottom of some of the questionable things people do, like being unable to have conversations with nuance or wear a mask properly. On the subject of white people with locs: Jill presents pros, and Aja comes back with some strong cons. Of course, these are all observations, not judgments. The...

That Louisiana drawl. The way "you straight?" can mean a dozen different things depending on the tone and situation. The Black mama classic: adding the word "the" in front of everything. And even the Head Nod. Black language is full of beauty and music. Laiya, Aja, and Jill celebrate Black speech and all its nuance, variation, and ingenuity.  Resources: Twitter thread about Black units of measurem...

"Compassion, empathy, respect, trust." That's a word from Aja on the qualities that are important in relationships with Black men, whether they are platonic or romantic ones. But we all know that building solid, healthy relationships takes time and looks different for everybody. There's a delicate balance between Black women loving and caring for themselves, and loving and caring for Black men. Ji...

We need all the Black stories. The mundane ones. The extravagant ones. The heartbreaking ones. Black life is expansive, and the more we get to see ourselves on screen in new ways, the better. Uplifting the real, raw humanity of Black people on film and television is so important. Jill, Laiya, and Aja talk about the value of slavery narratives, the stories that they want to see produced, and how gr...

Jill, Laiya, and Aja have all been the subject of rumors -- some based in truth, some comically false, and some wildly insulting. It's human nature to speculate and gossip, but sometimes we go too far. According to rumors, Jill had a baby with D'Angelo; Kindred the Family Soul performed at a wedding in the early '90s; and Laiya has a big mouth. (OK, Laiya says that one may have been true at one po...

Being "the other woman" comes with a whole host of stigmas and assumptions. Having a relationship with a married person can be toxic, and like Jill says in this episode, "You cannot win by causing someone else harm." Relationships built on infidelity and dishonesty will deal damage in one way or another. But the desire to cheat or to be a mistress can come from a deeper place than surface-level se...

From music, to hair, to fashion, non-Black people prove time and again that they're willing to take from Black culture without giving credit where it's due. What's the line between appropriation and celebration? How can we make sure that we value and take pride in what we own? Laiya, Jill, and Aja explore how we check ourselves, protect ourselves, and hold others accountable when it comes to cultu...