The Stoop

Imagine you were gifted a home, in Ghana. It’s your motherland, but not the place you grew up in. Would you move? That decision proved to be one of the most challenging ones that Afia had to make. She documented some of the most difficult conversations, honest observations and some self reflection that has us asking- should Afia be telling us all of this? Yes she should, she did- and you should he...

Hana's immigrant generation is called the 'one and a half'- those who came to the U.S. with their families as young children. Not 1st gen like her mom- they're more attached to their home countries. Not 2nd gen like her kids- they're settled in their Americanness. She's caught in the middle- and it's weighing on her. Where is home? We hear the stories of two women and their mothers- Khadega from S...

Imagine a space where everyone’s invited to cuddle up. We’re going to a Brooklyn cuddle party, where strangers and familiar faces negotiate being close, but it’s not all about touch. Producer Natalie Peart wanted to explore closeness- and ended up learning the importance of consent. Featuring Malika Cumbie of NYC Love house- plus, we get to meet some cuddle party guests. Learn about your ad choice...

U.S. media companies are producing new glitzy reality TV shows in Africa. It’s a different kind of portrayal of Africa - something Hana has always wanted: a change in the narrative of poverty, war and famine. But something doesn’t feel quite right. She’s trying to just get her popcorn and enjoy the drama and messiness, but she’s conflicted and she’s wondering why. She talks it out with Nigerian wr...

You see each other from across the room. You lock eyes, slowly walk towards each other and the dance begins. We're reminiscing about slow dancing - the rhythm, the beat, the Blackness of it all- and we’re wondering- is it still alive? We talk to Chicago Steppers who break down the power of the slow jam. Let’s slow it down and snap to the beat.. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

You walk into a restaurant all ready for a lovely evening, and you get this feeling - an expectation - that you’ll be treated a certain way. Whether it’s being seated near the bathroom, getting asked for another glass of water, or being totally ignored- sometimes we react, sometimes not, but are we reading too much into this? Why do we sometimes go into restaurants with our guard up? From Europe t...

Jameela means beautiful in Arabic- a description Black girls seldom would hear about themselves growing up in Arab countries. Beauty standards in the Middle East have been based on white Arabness- light skin, and long silky hair. So what is it like to navigate industries where what you look like matters? We meet three Black Arab women - models and influencers - who are part of a movement to push b...

It’s Season 7! And it’s the annual fundraising time for Radiotopia, they’ve asked artists across the platform to weigh in on the theme “Making Trouble” and here’s our take!  We’re wondering, is it fair to charge kinkier textures more when it comes to hair braiding? We asks stylists and each other, what’s the deal with the tax on our naps? We talk with natural hair stylist Marilyn Burks in Mississi...

Welcome to the Stoop Comedy Club! It's our last episode of the season and we are laughin’ it up with three African comedians - Nigerian-American Beverly Adaeze, Kenyan-American Dubai Denis, and Sudanese-American Ahmed Abdelrahman. Each has their unique style, and each has to deal with a complicating question that has to do with their Blackness in America. Plus, Leila tries to break into the comedy...

We explore what it’s like to be a Black autistic adult with the story of artist, author, and illustrator Ayanna Davis, AKA ‘Phenomenally Autistic.’ We also hear from advocate and autism media consultant Diane Wright, plus special education professor Dr. Jamie Pearson breaks down why Black autistic people are diagnosed so late in life. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Black women have lower success rates when it comes to IVF (in-vitro fertilization) But why? We hear from Charissa Jackson who shares her journey about going through IVF. We also look into some of the reasons why Black women tend to have higher infertility rates, something that's explained by Dr. Michael Thomas, a reproductive endocrinologist who says one of the reasons why this is happening, is a...

As reparations for African Americans come closer to being a reality, the conversation has led to a question - who should get paid? We’ll explore that question of eligibility and hear different perspectives from people pondering it, and people who have clear ideas of what the answer should be. Plus- Hana, Leila and producer Natalie have an honest chat about what this all means for them. Learn about...

It’s back! Sounds of Blackness. What is a sound that embodies Blackness to you? We’ve been asking high and low and the answers have us reflecting, laughing, tearing up and feeling absolute joy. Today we take a sonic dip into sounds that embody Blackness. We also sit down with poet Nikki Giovanni, and hear from many more about the sounds that move them. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org...

There’s a renaissance of Black Horror- many love it, but some of us still have our eyes closed. With more Black horror films being made, we explore what actually defines Black Horror? We talk with scholar and filmmaker Tananarive Due, and writer Carvell Wallace, to discuss the comeback of Horror Noire and the use of Black trauma in horror films. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-cho...

We get personal about our relationship with our booties. Not all of us were brought up in an era where there was so much booty appreciation. We stoop it out with hosts Josh Gwynn and Tracy Clayton from Back Issue Podcast, we talk about the booty blues, what’s wrapped up in calling a young Black girl “fast” and we meet Professor Kamille Gentles-Peart who has been studying sociology around Black wom...

Loving multiply. Polyamory. We already do it - you love your family, your friends, your pets- but what does it look like when it comes to romance? In this episode, we meet a polyamorous triad- Ambi, Ex and Intro. We also hear from Kevin Patterson, author of Love’s Not Colorblind: Race and Representation in Polyamorous and Other Alternative Communities. And, we meet Crystal Byrd Farmer, who practic...

Getting a whooping. Whether it’s a belt or switch, the homes we grow up in may normalize corporal punishment for kids- but do we understand the aftermath? You may not leave a visible scar, but there’s always an invisible one. We hear the story of Angela, we talk to a leading pediatrician, and we hear about immigrant parents struggling with those 3 dreaded numbers- 911. Learn about your ad choices:...

The Buffalo Soldiers- strong men from Black history. But a big part of their story has us conflicted about the role they played. In this episode, we hear their story, hear about a soldier who defected, and meet a man who ponders his own time in the military. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Season SIX is almost here y’all! Here’s a little taste of what you can expect this season from Hana and Leila. New episodes drop starting August 19th! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We hear from dads, people talking about their daddies, and we hear about the joys, and challenges, of Black fatherhood. We see you, Black dads. Featuring dads Chris Stewart, Rob Fields, and Sam Adewumi. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

From joy to trauma to history, our kids are expressing their Blackness through podcasting. We celebrate Black child podcasts, featuring Jackson and Avery - hosts of the podcast ‘Hey Black Child’, and Story Jean Brown - host of the podcast ‘Story on Stories’. Today, we listen to the kids! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Why do some people feel the need to gatekeep? From the art world to the corporate world, Black gatekeeping is real. Today we hear a classic gatekeeping experience from the comedy duo Frangela, and talk to author Jennifer Farmer about the deep-seated reasons why some people still feel the need to gatekeep. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Put butter on that burn. Don't put your purse on the floor. The wives tales, sayings, superstitions & home remedies - the things we heard from our mamas, papas and grandparents are all part of our folk heritage. In this episode, we hear some, we look at why they're important, we do some fact checking, and Hana and Leila explore why we believe some of the things we believe. Learn about your ad...

Some of us who chose not to go to HBCU's have some major envy, and regret.  In this episode we hear from people about their experiences at Black colleges. Stories about when they fit in and when they didn't. Featuring Special guest: Stacey Abrams Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We've heard people threaten to pack it up and move abroad, and today we to talk to two of them who followed through. Natalie Gill  now lives in Ethiopia and Noleca Radway relocated to Amsterdam. Two stories about making the move, and getting the hell out in order to redefine home. Includes interviews with: Noleca Radway, Natalie Gill,  Crishan Wright & Michael Oshindoro Crishan Learn about you...