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The Stoop

Hana Baba and Leila Day

The Stoop podcast digs into stories that are not always shared out in the open. Hosts Leila Day and Hana Baba start conversations and provide professionally-reported stories about what it means to be Black and how we talk about blackness. Come hang out on The Stoop as we dialog about the diaspora.

2017

The Stoop podcast digs into stories that are not always shared out in the open. Hosts Leila Day and Hana Baba start conversations and provide professionally-reported stories about what it means to be Black and how we talk about blackness. Come hang out on The Stoop as we dialog about the diaspora.

2017
53hr 9min
Thumbnail for "Ep 35: Je suis noir".
In this episode we meet Deborah from Brooklyn, who’s about to pack her bags and move to  Paris. It's a place she’s always adored, along with the likes of other famous African Americans; Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Josephine Baker to...
Thumbnail for "Just Following Up".
What happened to the promises?
Thumbnail for "Who all gon' be there? ".
Thumbnail for "PRIDE: Black, Queer, and Free ".
Thumbnail for "The 100th Episode!".
Celebrating 100 episodes on The Stoop
Thumbnail for "It's a Mother's Day Special ".
Thumbnail for " Eau de problème".
Thumbnail for "Talk That Talk ".
Thumbnail for "Self Love and Basketball ".
Thumbnail for "Love Song for Sudan ".
Hana is trying to enjoy the Sudanese music she loves, but something isn’t feeling right.
Thumbnail for "Wildin' Out(side)".
Black bears, giraffes and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant
Thumbnail for "S10 E2 Lights...camera...LOVE!".
It’s movie night on The Stoop. We explore the history of love in Black movies with film scholar Dr. Artel Great.
Thumbnail for "S10 E1 Croissants in the Sky ".
Sutanya Dacres transforms her life after heartbreak
Thumbnail for "The Stoop Season 10 Trailer ".
What's next on The Stoop
Thumbnail for "To Be Honest ".
Hana and Leila get real.
Thumbnail for "Hope in Nairobi".
When you decide America ain't for you.
Thumbnail for "The Moth on The Stoop ".
A tale with two stories. The Moth visits The Stoop
Thumbnail for "Mother Tongue ".
What’s it like when everyone at home speaks a language you don’t understand?
Thumbnail for "Cuba Libre: A Meditative Story ".
Leila meditates in this collab
Thumbnail for "Don't Call Me Auntie".
Why does being called 'Auntie' feel this way?
Thumbnail for "You Trippin'?".
Interest in psychedelics is ramping up, but can we believe the hype?
Thumbnail for "Pausing for Sudan".
Hana and her community are feeling the pain of war
Thumbnail for "A Diaspora Dilemma ".
Hana has a dilemma. As a diasporan, is she basically a diluted African?
Thumbnail for "Legacies ".
Leila explores legacy through a conversation with her mom.
Thumbnail for "Stoop Special: Black Enough".
What does it mean to be Black enough?
Thumbnail for "Once Upon a Problem".
Hana's writing a folktale book, but she has some questions
Thumbnail for "I Belong to Me".
Looking inward
Thumbnail for "His Saturn Return".
Tighten your durags and brace yourself for an intergalactic Black comedy
Thumbnail for "Infertility: A Black Man’s Journey".
Infertility: A Black Man’s Journey
Thumbnail for "Inside These Walls".
The Black hands that built the town
Thumbnail for "Home is where the hustle is".
A story from our friends at NPR's Rough Translation
Thumbnail for "Black Don't Crack?".
Is the phrase 'Black don't crack' causing us more harm than good?
Thumbnail for "Reclaiming Black in Australia".
Exploring Blackness Down Under
Thumbnail for "Pious & Pleasured".
Meet The Village Auntie
Thumbnail for "Watermelon".
The foods we eat, the shame we fight
Thumbnail for "It Was All a Dream".
What's in a dream?
Thumbnail for "Sashay, Queen!".
Celebrating the Black queens of RuPaul's Drag Race
Thumbnail for "A Listen to S***hole Country".
An audio memoir about achieving the Ghanaian-American dream
Thumbnail for "Mothers, Daughters, and Home".
When you're caught between two generations- where's home?
Thumbnail for "Can We Cuddle?".
Exploring touch with strangers
Thumbnail for "The Glamorous Life".
When you crave a different portrayal on TV, but have conflicting feelings when it actually happens..
Thumbnail for "Dance with Me".
A tribute to slow dancin'
Thumbnail for "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?".
I'll have my meal sans racism, please
Thumbnail for "I'm Black and I'm Jameela".
Making space for Black Arab beauty
Thumbnail for "Making Trouble: Hair Trouble".
Is it fair to charge kinkier textures more when it comes to hair braiding?
Thumbnail for "Salam, Is this thing on?".
Sometimes, it's complicated to be an African comedian in America.
Thumbnail for "Black, Grown, and Autistic".
What it means to be a Black autistic woman
Thumbnail for "EP 59: IVF and Us".
Why is it harder for Black women to get pregnant through IVF?
Thumbnail for "EP 58. 40 Acres and a Question".
When it comes to reparations, not everyone agrees on who should get paid.
Thumbnail for "EP 57: Sounds of Blackness 2".
It's that time to celebrate the Black sounds we love - what's yours?
Thumbnail for "EP 56: Give me heebie-jeebies".
When the horror is just too close to reality
Thumbnail for "EP 55: This Booty of Mine".
The Booty- sometimes shunned, sometimes celebrated, but always ours.
Thumbnail for "EP 54: Polyfree".
Polyamory. Loving multiply. We talk love with Black folks who are loving on their own terms.
Thumbnail for "EP 53: Invisible Scars".
How we discipline our kids & the consequences we may not think about
Thumbnail for "EP 52: Buffalo Soldiers".
Sometimes the parts of our history we're proud of can also make us feel conflicted, when we know the whole story
Thumbnail for "Season SIX sneak peek!".
Season SIX of The Stoop is comin' soon
Thumbnail for "EP 51: We see you, dads".
An ode to the dads doing their thing.
Thumbnail for "EP 50: Young, Gifted, and Podcasting".
We celebrate some Black podcasters who are starting young
Thumbnail for "EP 49: The Gatekeeper".
Sometimes, the ones keeping us from entering the gate are Black like us.
Thumbnail for "EP 48: Butter on a Burn".
Our wives tales, superstitions & folk sayings - do we believe them?
Thumbnail for "EP 47: Craving a different world".
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
Thumbnail for "EP 46:  That Blaxpat Life".
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...
Thumbnail for "EP 45: Zamunda on The Stoop".
It's been 33 years since the original film Coming to America, a film that gave many of us some laughs at a time when tensions were high. Now with the new film are we still laughing? We get into the African perspective and talk about what made us laugh...
Thumbnail for "EP 44: The Sounds of Blackness".
What is a sound that embodies Blackness?  Today we invite you to unwind, lean back, disconnect and drift while we ask some phenomenal personalities, like LeVar Burton, Stacey Abrams, David Oyelewo, Shangela and more what is a sound that is...
Thumbnail for "Ep 43:  Sellassie's Choice".
Sellassie doesn't plan to take the Covid vaccine. He doesn't trust it. But it feels like the whole world is trying to convince him to. We unpack 'Black hesitancy' and talk to some of the people tasked with convincing their communities to vaccinate. 
Thumbnail for "Ep 42:  Head on a Swivel".
Lately,  some of have been watching our back. It's not something we always want to admit, but the current vibe is triggering. We're back, a new season, and today we get a bit personal. We meet two people with different takes on maneuvering their...
Thumbnail for "Ep 41: Connecting Black".
African responses to the Black Lives Matter protests have been complicated and varied- some marched, others didn't. We explore some different African points of view. Let's Stoop this out. 
Thumbnail for "Ep 40: From the Queen: Black is King".
Black is King, the visually stunning film by Beyoncé has brought up a lot of conversation. We talk to “the blue man” dancer Papi Oji about his role in the film and dig deeper into some of the praise and criticisms from Africans and African...
Thumbnail for "Ep 39: For Ima".
We're at that moment — again. Another black person gone, and another, and another. It hurts. Everyone seems to be watching, and everyone seems to have questions.    But this isn't new, and we're not here for everyone. We're here for...
Thumbnail for "Ep 38: That Black Tax".
For many of us, success and 'making it' also means you're expected to help out and support your family. Whether you're Black American, or a child of Black immigrants- that 'Black Tax' is often something you're going to be thinking about. Today we get...
Thumbnail for "Ep 37: Together and apart".
We're getting into the myths surrounding the coronavirus and discussing how Covid-19 could have a different impact on black people. We also hear from workers in the service industry who share their stories about how they are pushing through. Let’s...
Thumbnail for "Ep 36: Black on air".
The pen, the mic, the camera - all powerful tools that people in media have used to get our attention, but for Black women journalists, getting a hold of that power and keeping it, has been a tough path to navigate. From how we sound, to what we look...
Thumbnail for "Ep. 34: The Black Introverts".
Why might things be different for a Black introvert? When writer Sequoia Holmes broke it down in her essay "Black Women aren't allowed to be Introverted"  we wanted to stoop this out some more. So we sent our introverted producer Jessica Jupiter...
Thumbnail for "Ep 33: All Black Everything?".
Should we support Black no matter what? We discuss the pressure to conform with liking all things Black, even when you don’t. Whether it’s Black art, the Black politician, or a hashtag. The feeling that we have to always align is tied to a...
Thumbnail for "EP. 32: In Deep Waters".
Season 4 is here! In this episode we're talking about Black folk and water. Yes, swimming.  We hear from a man who nearly lost his life while on vacation, and take a deeper look into our relationship to swimming. There are a lot  of jokes...
Thumbnail for "Ep. 31 The Unexpected Family".
It's our season finale and we're getting into issues of the fam; the things that our families say and do that have helped us or hurt us. We get into what it's like to gain a family unexpectedly and hear from a family whose cultural differences and...
Thumbnail for "Ep. 30: Black Enough".
Whether it's the music we hear, the clothes we wear, or the way we talk- a lot of us at some point have felt 'not Black enough.' In this episode, we go deep with comedian W. Kamau Bell who's felt awkward in Black circles and before Black audiences,...
Thumbnail for "Ep 29: Sounds from a Well Read Black Girl".
What’s a sound that embodies blackness? In this episode we ask around and then get deeper into conversation with Glory Edim, the founder of Well Read Black Girl, a Brooklyn based book club and online community. What’s it mean to be well read? This...
Thumbnail for "Episode 28: Killer Mike calls it like it is".
Killer Mike calls it like it is
Thumbnail for "Episode 27: Assalam Alaykum, BMW".
Being Muslim, black and a woman; that’s something that deserves some stoopin’ out. Anti-blackness in Muslim America is real, and in this episode we look at how it often seems to fall on BMW’s (Black Muslim Women). What happens when the shade or...
Thumbnail for "Episode 26: Mad Hotep".
Sometimes conversations stop when you walk into a barbershop, but sometimes they keep going no matter how uncomfortable you may feel. In this episode we unpack what it means to be a hotep; from personal experiences, to the root of the word, to online...
Thumbnail for "Episode 25: You may not get it, but I love you".
What can love look like when your partner might not ‘get it’? In this episode we talk to interracial couples having difficult conversations around race, love and identity at a time when racial tensions are high. We also hear from Professor Shantel...
Thumbnail for "Episode 24: What's in your blood?".
Thin nose, high cheekbones, kinky hair, what you got in your blood? Your blood won’t lie, but does it determine your identity? We meet two women- Uzaz Shami, a Nubian woman who didn’t expect her results, and Shonda Buchanan who has always...
Thumbnail for "Episode 23: The Nod".
It's that silent acknowledgement. That "I see you," moment. But not everyone is a nodder. We send producers on the streets to see if the nod is still going strong, and hear from one hesitant nodder who breaks down why it's not always been her thing.
Thumbnail for "Episode 22: Gullah Geechee".
The Stoop goes to the low country of South Carolina to uncover some of the hidden history of the Gullah Geechee. The mix of African cultures in the deep south eventually transformed into a unique language and culture that is Gullah. Lean in...
Thumbnail for "Episode 21: Rhythm & Spirit".
We end this season by going deep into how we express ourselves at the intersection where spirituality meets artistic expression - and how that intersection can be complicated.  We meet - a Black Muslim woman hip hop artist who raps about her...
Thumbnail for "Episode 20: My child's hair".
Our babies and their hair. We hear how two parents discuss hair with their kids. Author Robert Trujillo wrote a book about his son, Furqan's, first flat top. Then we meet  Fatima Jones and he daughter Aponi, and listen in on an intimate...
Thumbnail for "Episode 19: Summer Series- Buffalo Soldier".
It's summertime and we're sharing some stories, portraits essays and things that you've been telling us you want to hear more of. In this episode we hear from Shelton Johnson, a park ranger at Yosemite National Park who reenacts the story of a Buffalo...
Thumbnail for "Episode 18: Afro-vegan stirrin' the pot".
Black veganism and Joloff rice
Thumbnail for "Episode 17: Black, Queer and Free".
Black homophobia is real- and we meet two influential people who are fighting it - each in their own inspiring way. Bishop Yvette Flunder, and author and activist Darnell Moore are Black, queer and free. This episode is delves into the language we...
Thumbnail for "Episode 16: Black Kiwi, thick skin".
He is from Rwanda, grew up in New Zealand and lives in Australia.  Architect, Jean Yves Dushime has a unique diaspora story, not just because of where he lives but because of how he has chosen to handle situations that would make many of us very...
Thumbnail for "Episode 15: The African Writer's Dilemma".
Who gets to choose which African stories get told? We meet three writers, each of them pushing against a mostly white US and UK-based publishing industry in their own way. Guests:Siyanda Mohutsiwa, Sarah Ladipo Manyika, & Namwali Serpell ...
Thumbnail for "Episode 14: The birth of Solomon".
Black women birthing
Thumbnail for "Episode 13: Are you a 4C?".
Getting tangled up in the black hair chart
Thumbnail for "Episode 12: Breaking the line".
Black skin is my leotard
Thumbnail for "Episode 11: Pretty for a dark-skinned girl".
Struggling with colorism. Still.
Thumbnail for "Season 2 Preview".
New Season on the Stoop
Thumbnail for "Stoop Bonus: Black women are something else".
Black women are something else
Thumbnail for "Episode 10: Stoop on the couch".
Season Finale
Thumbnail for "Episode 9: Back to Africa".
We explore the phenomenon of African immigrants returning to the continent from the US through the stories of three 'returnees'. Guests include actress  Maame Adjei, award-winning author Yaa Gyasi, and radio entrepreneur DJ Taha Roubi.
Thumbnail for "Episode 8: Angry black woman".
Tone it down, Angry black woman. A conversation with two black women in the corporate world who sometimes tone it down in order to avoid stereotypes. What's behind the Angry black woman stereotype, and what's it doing to people psychologically?
Thumbnail for "Episode 7: Coming to America".
Many immigrants imagine the US to be heaven. A a moneymaking, perfect paradise but when they get here, it's a different story. We meet African immigrants who tell their stories of Coming to America, and what the wish they knew before they came.  ...
Thumbnail for "Episode 6: Music from the hyphen-line".
When you're from an immigrant community, becoming a successful musician isn't an easy journey. We meet 3 dope diaspora musicians: Meklit Hadero, Oddisee, and AlSarah - each with their own struggle that comes with belonging to two identities-...
Thumbnail for "Episode 5: You called me African what?".
"You're black, but you ain't BLACK black." Like many African kids in the US, Stoop host Hana Baba was ridiculed for being from Africa. She was called names like "African booty scratcher." And the name calling came only from the black...
Thumbnail for "Episode 4: The problem with "sounding white"".
Breaking down voice, stereotypes and linguistics
Thumbnail for "Episode 3: PAUSE".
Let's hit pause and take a breath. Hosts Leila Day and Hana Baba break from the chatter of stoop talk to send out a special double episode that allows for a moment of grace, a place where one can catch a breath and regroup in order to move forward....
Thumbnail for "Episode 2: Why is it so hard for some black folks to say I love you?".
"It's not hard for a black man of my caliber to say I love you." But is it?  Many black people say they never heard I love you much growing up, including both Leila and Hana, hosts of The Stoop. In Episodes 2, we examine the reasons why we...
Thumbnail for "Episode 1: Nice tribal wear. Now take it off.".
Can African Americans appropriate African clothing?
Thumbnail for "Preview The Stoop".
Preview Season 1 of The Stoop to hear the funk and flavor of the stories to come in Season 1, starting Summer 2017.  Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss an episode. We'll be dialoging about the diaspora all season long. The Stoop podcast...

Ep 35: Je suis noir

Thumbnail for "Ep 35: Je suis noir".
February 7, 202025min 41sec

In this episode we meet Deborah from Brooklyn, who’s about to pack her bags and move to  Paris. It's a place she’s always adored, along with the likes of other famous African Americans; Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Josephine Baker to name of few. Many black Americans have moved there for a particular reason, many were exhausted by the racial dynamics and conversations in the U.S. , just like Deborah,  who feels these are conversations that go in circles. France has prided itself on its citizens being “French” before identifying with an ethnicity and this is something that appealed to Deborah who’s chosen not to “lead with her blackness”. In this episode we go to France to talk about how black people are identifying and discuss some of the tensions behind a word like “noir” that can be seen as an insult for some and pure pride for others.

Thumbnail for "Ep 35: Je suis noir".
Ep 35: Je suis noir
00:00
25:41