Empowering Conversations: 'You Can't Touch My Hair' | BGR Book Club Podcast S2E1 - BLK Girl Reads: A Book Club Podcast

Episode Transcript
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Jann (00:01):
phoebe Robinson is a stand up comic, which means that often
her everyday experiences becomepoints of comedic fodder.
As a Black woman in America, shemaintains sometimes you need to
have a sense of humor to dealwith the absurdity of what
you're handed on the daily.
Robinson has experienced herfair share over the years.
She's been unceremoniouslyregulated to the role of the
black friend, as she is somehowthe authority on all things

(00:23):
racial.
She's been questioned about herlove of U2 and Billy Joe.
Isn't that white people music?
She's been called uppity forhaving an opinion in the
workplace.
She's been followed aroundstores by security guards.
And yes, people do ask herwhether they can touch her hair
all the time.
Now she's ready to take thesetopics to the page and she's

(00:44):
going to make you laugh as she'sdoing it.
All right, guys.
Welcome back to Black Girl Readsseason two.

Joi (00:51):
Hey, I'm

Jann (00:55):
Okay.
I'm Jan.

Joi (00:56):
Joy.

Jas (00:58):
And I'm Jasmine.
I'm visiting.

Jann (01:01):
For our first episode.
We're reading, You Can't TouchMy Hair and Other Things That I
Still Have to Say by PhoebeRobinson.
Um, all right, so let's getright into it.
Let's do ratings.
Joy, what did you think?

Joi (01:15):
Um, I'm giving it a 2.5

Jann (01:19):
Okay, any non spoiler reasoning, or you want to stick
to when we get into discussion?

Joi (01:25):
get into it.

Jann (01:27):
Okay, Joy, Jas, what do you think?

Jas (01:31):
I would give it a 3.
5.

Jann (01:35):
Okay, all right, and I'm sticking at a solid three, so
right in between you two.
All right, well, it doesn't seemlike any of us have really an
explanation without getting intospoilers So just a disclaimer
that there will be spoilers fromhere on out and let's get right
into it Where are your guys'sfirst impression like with the

(01:55):
title and then with the overallbook?
So first title and then overallbook when you were done

Joi (02:02):
I think coming off of the season finale.
Um, I was all for it.
I was really excited for like,yeah, let's continue the
discussion, especially becausewe're going to have Jasmine as a
guest again.
And then it kind of just, um, Idon't know, like it wasn't what
I expected.

(02:23):
So yeah, goodbye Jasmine.

Jas (02:26):
Just a reminder.
It's told by a comedian.
So yeah, it was a little bit, itwas way.
Uh, different than, um, the lastnonfiction book we read.
We all read together.

Joi (02:39):
I didn't know she was a comedian either, um, going into
it, so I came in completelyblind, so I had no clue.
And then I heard like the firstfew sentences, and I was like,
oh, she's kind of goofy.

Jann (02:50):
I feel like if you didn't know, she was a comedian and
coming into it blind, especiallyafter reading Elizabeth Liber's
book, I would be completelythrown off.
Um, and, you know, when I readthe title and I knew it was
Phoebe Robinson, um, I knew itwas going to be funny.
But the title still like drew mein, like, you can't touch my
hair and other things I stillhave to say, like, yes,

Joi (03:12):
Hehehehe.

Jann (03:12):
definitely.
I feel like I'm going to relateto this book.
And then when I started readingit, I felt a little annoyed

Joi (03:19):
hmm.

Jann (03:19):
just because she, like her sense of humor, um, she fits in
so much cringy slang that isalso outdated.
I wanted to stop listeningalmost immediately, but.
I would say after the 1st, 2chapters, I had gotten used to
it and started relating to thebook a little bit more.
Um, but it was definitelyannoying me a lot.

(03:40):
Just because

Joi (03:40):
I'm glad you

Jann (03:41):
I listened to it.
So her valley girl twang andwith like all the cringy slang
that's like, I can't evenexplain it.

Joi (03:49):
Yeah.

Jann (03:50):
Yeah.

Jas (03:51):
I'll say my first impressions of it.
I felt the same way you felt,Jan.
Where I was drawn in because Ican't tell you.
If I had a nickel for every timeI had to tell people, you know
you can't touch my hair.
Or, you know, I don't get anopportunity to say that because
they already have their hand inmy hair without asking.
Um, yeah, I would have a nicelittle savings account there and
it'll be, it'll be good.

(04:13):
So yeah, the title drew me in.
I didn't know a whole lot aboutPhoebe Robinson, but, um, seeing
the cover of the book, she hasher hair natural curly.
She's looking at her faceexpression says.
Uh, again,

Joi (04:29):
hmm.
Mm

Jas (04:31):
I still have to like deal with this again.
So like I'm all for it.
Like just seeing the book andthe title.
What I will say, I felt thesame.
You mentioned it was outdated.
So this book came out in 2016.
And um, uh, fun fact, I readthis in 2016 when it first came
out.
And that was a reallyinteresting time for us.

(04:53):
Uh, in 2016, that was like oneof the worst years prior to
COVID, in my

Joi (04:58):
hmm.
Mm

Jann (04:59):
Hello.

Jas (05:00):
So it was like reliving it, but also she has some nostalgic
things in there as well.
And then the other part of it,on top of her being a black
woman, she's also fromCleveland, Ohio.
So there was a lot of things inthere that I'm like, I'll stick
this out.
I got to see where this goes,even with the cringy, annoying
little things that she hasthere.

(05:20):
So yeah, that was my firstimpressions.
Thanks for watching.

Joi (05:22):
was a couple of times where, you know, the meme with
the old white guy, he's liketaking his headphones off, like
kind of disgusting.
I feel like that sometimes.
Like I couldn't, she would docertain verbally things.
I listened to audibly as well.
And I'm just like, I can'tlisten to it with headphones.
So I just listened to it throughmy speaker turned like halfway
down.
I'm like the vocal, but like thevolume goes up and down

(05:44):
throughout the book and she'lllike, Um, expand her words for
like a while.
She's like, I want to see howlong I can do it before I can
get annoying.
I was like, well, you did it.
It was too long.
And I was like, the only reasonI stuck it out.

Jann (05:59):
about that.
It was funny about that is whenshe, after she said it, she said
mission accomplished and it mademe that much more annoyed.
Like,

Joi (06:11):
Basically, but Jazzy said you stuck it out because you
knew her and it was kind offunny.
Whatever.
I stuck it out because we havethis.
I was just like, I was over.
I tried listening to it in thecar.
I tried listening to it withheadphones.
The only thing that worked waslike having it on my phone a
little far away from me turnedhalfway down.
I was just like, I gotta getthrough it, you know?

Jann (06:30):
there was, like, after you got over the, like, the way she
was speaking, at least for me,there were a lot of relatable
stories in the

Joi (06:36):
Yeah, I was gonna say.

Jann (06:38):
speaking of, like, podcasts, since we're on right
now, um.
I did not realize the first timeI was acquainted with Phoebe
Robinson was the stand up likekind of sketch show she does
with, um, her friend, Jessica,

Jas (06:52):
Hmm.
Jessica Williams.

Jann (06:55):
Williams.
Yeah, I forgot her last name,but the two dope Queens show,
and I didn't realize that thatwas based off of a podcast to
dope Queens.
They had done for a while, and Itried to go back and see if they
were still a thing, but it lookslike they stopped in 2019.
So.
Yeah, that was the last episode,but it was interesting to me
that, you know, her wholejourney where she wanted to be,

(07:18):
um, an actor, and then shewanted to be a standup comic,
and then she was writing theblog, and then she wanted to be
a novelist, and then she had apodcast, I was like, this is
interesting, like, it's veryrelatable for a millennial,
like, you kind of have your toesin so many different things to
kind of find your path.
Um, so yeah, I thought that wascool.

Jas (07:39):
then you start spoke about her being a millennial and
hearing this in 2016 to, um,some of the things she said were
very much like, I thinksomething shifted drastically
from this time that she'sspeaking of.
And then 2020 and that bigdrastic thing, it was we're not
putting up with this shitanymore.

(08:01):
Like the world hasn't exactlygotten better.
But we're not tolerating itanymore.
And I think some of the mostcringe worthy things is like her
explaining the racism that sheendured and how she just.
took it like, this is just howit is.
I don't have the flexibility tobe a full emotional human.

(08:23):
I don't have the ability tospeak up when I'm being treated
badly.
And I just have to deal with it.
And I think a whole lot of blackpeople post 2020 was like, no,
you don't, you don't got to dothat.
Regardless of the repercussionsjust do it because like your
mental health is a thing

Joi (08:41):
Mm hmm.

Jas (08:41):
So

Joi (08:42):
Her story about her waiting at the, at the, um, picture
counter for her frame.
I was like, I can't even sitthrough this story and talk
about you were waiting for 10minutes and they waited on three
other people and you just stoodthere.
I'm like, if you don't get upthere and get some help, girl! I
can't believe that!

Jas (09:01):
time I relate to it.
She is me in 2016.
I was doing that same stuff justgrinning and bearing it and just
sucking it all down and justdoing what you can to maintain
your mental health right thenand there, not thinking about
how this can impact you longterm.
Um, so yeah, it was interesting.

Jann (09:24):
So it's interesting, cause we're talking about a lot of the
same stuff that we did in ourlast episode.
Um, but from her point of view,like we said, she's a comedian.
So did that take away?
I know, I know joy, like me, youkind of didn't relate to her
humor, but did you think likebringing humor into it?
The conversation in general madeit more relatable, less

(09:47):
relatable.
Like, did you feel like she wasmaking light of it?
Like, what do you guys thinkabout using comedy to talk about
it?

Joi (09:53):
I never felt like she was making light of anything.
I think it's a way of coping.
I think that our family inparticular, we're very funny and
even when we're hurt, we'remaking jokes, you know?
So I don't mind the comedy.
It's just when it slips intobeing annoying and annoying your
audience, I don't get it.
And that's pretty much where Iwas at.

(10:14):
Like I understood the stories.
Um, I loved hearing about themand.
I could relate to them is, is,it was, you know, I like the
comedy.
It's just some of the delivery.
I didn't care for it.
So, you know,

Jas (10:29):
From a comedic standpoint, I, I didn't feel like she made
light of it.
She even mentioned that in thebook where she said, like, this
is my coping mechanism, like Joymentioned, but something that I
didn't particularly like Is howshe delivered it.
I felt like this book waswritten for white people.
Like, she kept addressing whitepeople.

(10:51):
And she talked to black people,kind of.
But it was almost like, whitepeople, I'm gonna let you in on
a little secret.
And I don't think that's who thetarget audience is here.
I think the title is a littlemisleading.
Um, for who, for the way shedelivered the message.

Joi (11:09):
especially when she kept saying you bought this book.
So you're here already.
So listen to it.
Like, well, actually I rented itfrom the library.
So, yeah.
Goodbye, Jan.

Jann (11:24):
Yeah.
It kind of seemed like she wastrying to explain black people
to white people.
In a

Joi (11:30):
And a book for black women, I feel like, too.
Like, how that's it.
Yeah.
laughing

Jann (11:43):
the story she told about Ice Cube and how all Black
people know he can't

Jas (11:47):
Yeah.
That

Jann (11:51):
act.
But white people keep talkingabout how he can't act.
So now we have to support him.
Um, Funny enough, I was thinkingthat same thing about this book,
like, girl, you don't even know.
Like...
That was, I feel like that wasearly on when I was still kind
of annoyed by her Valley Girlaccent she was pretending to

(12:13):
have, so...
Yeah, I...
She was spot on with thatthough.
The fact that she said it was ablack secret.
That's not really a secret Yeah,mm hmm

Joi (12:25):
I thought it was funny too when she was like, I don't know
where, where the black peoplekeep the, um, the secrets, but
it's there, you know, I likethat part that made me laugh.

Jann (12:40):
So she kept talking about I'm gonna say this one thing and
then I want to get into the partof the book that I did like but
she kept Talking about how shewas gonna talk about pop culture
references throughout the bookand I feel like I didn't get any
of her references,

Joi (12:56):
Yeah.

Jas (12:56):
Really?

Jann (12:57):
like I had to look up so many of them, especially when
she was talking about Reese.
Um, and the

Jas (13:04):
at Reese

Jann (13:04):
where she was looking over her shoulder, I had to look that
up.
Like, I don't know what you'retalking about.
And then I had to just stopbecause I was thinking, okay,
she's from a different place.
So maybe it's just likeregional.
And then they said she was fromCleveland.
And I was like, wait, why don'tI get any of your references?
And it says she was.
I think she's 38 or something.

(13:25):
So she's older than us, but notthat much older.
I just didn't get it.
Like, girl, you must've grew upwith your grandma or something.
But yeah, for some reason I justdidn't get any of them.
Were there, what else did youguys have to look up?
Or is that the only one

Joi (13:41):
Honestly, I'm so used to, um, references that I don't get.
I'm just like, Oh.
That's why I didn't understandit.
Keep it moving.
I didn't look up any of them.
If I got it, I got it.
If I didn't, I was like,

Jas (13:52):
I got all of her references, with the exception
of Reese, that was the only oneI researched and I could not
find anything on a Reese fromthe 90s who was an R& B singer.
I didn't find anything.
Maybe I was spelling

Jann (14:02):
I found it?
It's spelled R E S.
And I had to like, look up thewhole album cover and I went
back and rewound it.
R E S Reese.
And I think the album was, um, Idon't, um, care or I don't, I
forget now, but I saw the albumcover.
She was looking over hershoulder and I was like, I don't
recognize this person at all.

Jas (14:24):
Yeah, okay.
I just found it.
Thank you for telling me thatand also I didn't know who that
was either but Yeah, veryinteresting.
I know the one where she talkedabout how they were when Zendaya
where Was it locks?
To a grammy situation and it waslike, Oh.

(14:44):
she looks like she smells.

Jann (14:45):
that she still,

Jas (14:47):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So all the controversial thingsthat happened when she
mentioned, I knew all the, Iknew all the references.
And it's funny because like, Ialmost feel like as black women,
we take note.
of all these things.
Like, I'm not, I don't watch thered carpet, anything.
I don't like watch award showsreally.

(15:08):
But when these things happen andit pertains to like a black
woman, like, I'm just addingthat to my repertoire of
something that I need to beaware of.
This is how we are perceived.

Joi (15:18):
Right.
Like, put it in your back

Jas (15:20):
because it's so rare, exactly, it's so rare where
people are just upfront andhonest with us and we just deal
with so much passive, aggressivegaslighting that it's almost
like a survival mechanism beingaware of these different pop
culture references, at leastwhen it pertains to like black
women and negative.
in a negative light.
But for the most part, yeah, Iknew her references.
References that she, she had.

Jann (15:43):
yeah, I guess I was exaggerating.
Some of them I got, but therewas one, she was talking about
like James Brown in a mug shot.
With his hair messed up.
And I was like, I don't knowwhat you're talking about.
I had to look that up too.

Jas (15:55):
Oh, wow.

Jann (15:56):
to look up.
Yeah.

Jas (15:58):
Interesting.

Jann (15:59):
like, Oh, black people know this.
And I hate when people say thatand I don't know it because I'm
like, shit, much closer togetting that black heart
revoked.

Jas (16:10):
That's another thing, too, that, that felt like the
pandering to me.
The whole, she speak, she has awhole section about how she
hates like having to be theperson to speak for all black
people.
When you're doing a lot of thatin this book.
You're not speaking from yourexperience, which those are the
parts of the story that I enjoythe most.
But she does a lot of, well, allBlack people, this is what Black

(16:33):
people think when you, yeah, toWhite people.

Jann (16:37):
So let's talk about something that was a huge part
of the book.
I feel like almost 50%, which isher hair journey.
Um, what did you guys thinkabout that?

Joi (16:49):
Now, something about that part, I really like that she
discussed it, I really like whatshe said about it.
It's just that sometimes, like,and she's did this a couple
times, and I don't mean to beoverly critical of this book,
you know, I like, I like whatshe talked about, you know, but
um, I just feel like it was alittle long run.
You know, the list of peoplethat she had to mention and
like, you know, throughout thedecades and like all the

(17:09):
different hairstyles, you knowwhat I mean, when she went
through like poetic justice andthis one was the perm, this was
the Supremes and this and this,I'm like, girl, talk about your
hair journey.
We're good.
That's all we need, you know, soI don't know.
I just feel like it went on fora little while, you know.

Jas (17:25):
love that part.
I love that part of it.
Like, how often do you see ajourney, a pop culture for Black
women, particular to our hair?
I feel like it's such an unknownthing for like, most of our
society.
But I love, she talked aboutHalle Berry, and she talked
about how like, each of thesehairstyles But impacted black

(17:48):
women and I think joy youprobably weren't as interested
because this is probably one ofthose things like all these
references are over your headyoung and, um, Those are all
momentous things where it wasn'tjust, Oh, Halle Berry changed
her hair and it was just in thismovie, Sore Fish, um, by the
way, but our whole, everythingchanged.

(18:11):
She said, all your aunties hadthat hairstyle.
Mom had that haircut.
Mom had an auntie pumpkin hat.
All of our aunts had thishaircut.
So it's not just somethingwhere, you know, she's relating
to this and saying this is howmy hair journey is like, this
was culturally how things changefor us.
in the 90s, of course.
So yeah, I like that

Joi (18:31):
my thing is though, it's like, it's not about the
references.
I feel like those are momentousoccasions in the black
community.
We know about them.
I knew about them.
It was just like, it was one ofthose things, again, it was
like, you're explaining to blackpeople what black people, like a
lot of black people alreadyknow, you know, I was like.
Yeah, I, yeah.

Jann (18:49):
already knew about it, but, um, I like seeing in a
timeline the way that she did.
I'll be honest.
Like I feel like the hair partof this book was probably the
best part of this book.
Um, once we moved away from it,I felt like, and it's funny
because when I was listening toit, I was like, this is crazy.
Then I'm halfway through thisbook and we're still talking
about this.
Like, is this just a hair book?
And then she got into otherthings and it was fine, but I

(19:11):
felt like I was more engagedwhen she was talking about her
hair journey because she had herhope.
own hair journey in there, butwas still putting it out like a
timeline of like Black historymoments with the hair.
And which I think is funny thatyou call Joy a youngin because I
like, feel like I fit right inbetween you two like I am
because I've never seen themovie Swordfish, but I know that

(19:32):
hairstyle, but I know it likethe first time I've noticed her
with that hairstyle was in theFlintstones.
I don't know, like, I thoughtthat was the first time she
showed up with that hairstyle.
Um, but I knew the hairstylestill, you know?
So when I was listening to it,the only thing going through my
mind was, this is the good hairdocumentary that we deserve.

(19:56):
Like, I hate that Chris Rockmade that hair documentary when
I feel like he had a lot of goodinformation, but at the ti same
time, he was still socondescending and like kind of
abusive to black women and likemaking jokes still.
Like, it's not funny though,like you're making this hair
like documentary to make blackwomen feel better about their

(20:17):
own natural hair while stillmaking them the butt of the
joke.
Whereas I feel like she did thesame thing.
Maybe not as detailed because itwasn't a whole documentary, but
she actually had her ownexperience going through that
and like how she didn't like herhair and how she had it like, or
she didn't have to, but shespent time in her classroom
looking at other woman's hairand saying, I wish I had more of

(20:40):
this hair type or more of thathair type.
And so she finally, like, foundacceptance with how she looked
at herself.
Um, I love that.
And I wish that would have beenthe whole documentary and that
Chris Rock wasn't involved in itat all.

Jas (20:55):
I love that.
And one thing I will add tothat, what you said, Jan, um,
that I liked about her hairjourney is how she was able.
to pinpoint specific racistthings that happened to her
because of her hair.
And I was impressed with thatwhen we read the Elizabeth Liba
book too, because she also hadexperiences where she was like,

(21:17):
Oh, you feel a certain way aboutme because of my hair.
Not because of my skin color.
Like I have, it's rare that I'vehad moments where I know that
I'm being mistreated because ofmy hair.
So I felt like that speaksvolumes about like, Just how
much journey work you've done onyourself and just being able to
understand, um, why you're beingtreated a certain way.

(21:39):
The whole spiel she had aboutthe reality TV show that she was
on and they didn't like.
Her picture and they said shelooked awful and she said, it's
because of my hair.
I had a, I had a little fro andthen she went back and said,
okay, if you don't understand,here's the history of the little
fro and why this is so likeappalling to white people.
And I loved, I loved, I didn'tlike that whole experience for

(22:03):
her.
It was super cringe.
I understood why she didn't likefight in that moment because
yeah, editing don't do that toyourself, but also like.
She knew, I don't know if sheknew at that moment what it was,
but maybe after someintrospection and thinking about
it, she knew why, um, theytreated her that way.

Jann (22:23):
Yeah, that was an awful moment.
And I don't know, I can't evenspeak to the rage you feel when
you hear about these experienceshappening to other women,
especially by other women.
That's another thing that Iwanted to bring up, just the
intersectionality of like herbeing Black and being a woman
and how that woman judge.

(22:44):
doubled down on what he saidabout her looking old when it
had nothing to do with why shewas there.
Like, why is that, like, whatyou say immediately is that you
don't like my picture when I'mstanding right here and I'm
making jokes.
Like, judge my comedy.
Why are you talking about how Ilook older, older than your
mother?
On this picture, like liesimmediately because you're a

(23:06):
Black woman.
You don't look older than hismother.
Just

Joi (23:10):
that's what I'm saying.
I was like, I doubt that that'strue at all.
I feel like all three of themare haters.
crazy.

Jas (23:19):
The most offensive part is when she said, You come off as
the smartest person in the room.
You want to like not do thatanymore.
And the first thing I thoughtof, the first thing I thought of
was my last story I told in ourlast, our last call where I had
someone just honestly say, Idon't feel confident in a room,

(23:41):
in a meeting with Jasmine.
And that is a real thing, likewhite woman jealousy, and they
will make sure to.
So

Joi (23:50):
That's what you

Jas (23:51):
just thought that was interesting

Joi (23:52):
another one you just put in your pocket like, Oh, you show
me behind the screen a littlebit.
Gotcha.
I got it.
Mm hmm.
I thought about that incidenttoo.
I thought about that story.
I was like jasmine just saidthat's some shit You know when
she brought that up too she waslike, you know woman solidarity
black women and white men womenalways work together and I was

(24:12):
like, yeah sometimes to ourdetriment like Like um, I don't
know that was just like fromrecently when we've been like
kind of Going back intoourselves a little bit as black
women, but I'm just like, Idon't know why girl Yeah, I

(24:32):
don't know why you expected thathelp mm

Jann (24:37):
Yeah, it's interesting because I feel like majority of
the time, if I'm working withanother woman in the office, and
I worked in finance for themajority of my career, um, I
didn't work with a lot of women,you know, like finance is a male
dominated industry.
So when I did see another woman,white, Indian, Asian, black,

(24:58):
whatever, like we did have acertain solidarity.
And, you know, the higher thatyou go up, for some reason, the
less you can, like, rely onthat, which is sad, but that's
just how it is.
Like, when I first got in, wewere all, like, close, and then,
as I got to manager, like, inother, like, levels, it's just,

(25:19):
yeah, everybody for themselves.

Joi (25:21):
that's true Bonkers

Jann (25:22):
I can see why, like, to, to bring it back around, I can
see why she would rely on it,but, yeah, you can't always.
And it's disappointing when youcan't, because I feel like I
always give people the benefitof the doubt, but it takes less
and less for them.
Like they get less chances withme.

Joi (25:39):
hmm.

Jann (25:39):
Like now with some, before someone were to like screw me
over, I say, okay, maybe thatwas a mistake.
I'm gonna give them the benefitof the doubt and give them a
couple more chances.
Now they get one.
And then you have to prove to methat you're not trying to screw
me over.
I've just been burned too manytimes.
So.

Jas (25:59):
and that sucks too, because I want to add on to what you
said, Joy.
Why would she trust it?
Because you have to, we'realready like working against the
patriarchy, right?
There are plenty of men whodon't want us, men of all
colors, by the way, who don'twant us to succeed, who don't
want us to grow.
And a lot of times all you have.

(26:20):
And I will say like black womenfor the most part, like, I, I, I
see another black one.
I'm like, yes, I got your back.
Please hope that you have mine.
Although I've heard some storiesbefore where that's not the
case.
And that makes me very sad.
But, um, you need that you needto have that camaraderie in
order to.
to be able to succeed in yourcareer and unfortunately there

(26:43):
are a lot of people out therewho want to make sure even at
their own demise that you don'tsucceed and that is just bizarre
to me that there are people outthere yeah you're willing to
risk your career and your wellbeing to like screw me over like

(27:04):
man like just go to therapy justgo to therapy

Joi (27:06):
I don't know.
I feel like I'm kind of like theopposite of Jan which is
surprising It's like, you know,the only people I let in
immediately It's black women,you know, I'm like you're gonna
have my back.
Hopefully, you know, that's theones I give the opportunity to
hurt me Everyone else I havethat wall up.
I'm like if i'm at work.
Oh, hey girl, that's it We don'ttalk about my weekend or things

(27:28):
like how are you today?
That's it, you know, and thenlike if you Do something or say
something.
I'm like, not surprised.
That's why that wall was up.
And the only people that I givethe chance to actually, like,
get to know, like, further thanjust, like, my co workers are
other Black women.
Which isn't very often becauseI'm in Abilene, Texas.
But, you know, that, that wallisn't there as often as it is

(27:50):
for everybody else.
But that's today, 2023 too, so,mm hmm,

Jas (27:54):
Question for you Joy, how often have you been the only,
not even black woman, only blackperson at an organization?

Joi (28:03):
um, here in Texas, um, 100%, um, over when I lived in
D.
C., um, it's, I was a nanny, soit was just me and I worked for
a black family, um, living in D.
C., like, doing, like, differentjobs, like, um, customer
service, it was a good amount ofus, so it just depended on where

(28:25):
I was, but here right now, um,yeah.
There's nothing but, um, me andthen white women, Asian women,
it's fine.
You know, I like them, but that,um, sisterhood isn't there, you
know, like we have a good timeand

Jann (28:42):
I was gonna,

Joi (28:43):
yeah,

Jann (28:45):
what I was going to say, um, is that I would have, there
weren't any other black women.
There was one other black womenand she was a manager and I
eventually moved to her team andshe was like the best manager
I've still had to this day.
So that was awesome.
But yeah, there weren't anythere were, like I said, barely
any women there at all.

(29:06):
So, um, when I first startedout, there was just none.
Period and I would love to saythat there was like, some that
moved in because I was a brokerand there just wasn't any in
Austin.
Which is where I was at thetime.
Now in other centers, I can calland maybe talk to another black
woman, but it's not like we werethere in the office to together,

(29:27):
you know, so that would be thereason like I just wouldn't have
had an opportunity to open up toanyone if that were the case.
So,

Joi (29:35):
And that, and not for nothing, there's black people
here.
It's just, I have to seek themout in different, like, Black
people groups.
And that's kind of where I waslike, Oh, here's our daily
frustrations.
This is what we talk about.
You know, we meet up and have,like, game nights and stuff.
But at work, it's purely work,you know?
So,

Jas (29:53):
And that's so hard though, like you're a human at the end
of the day.
Um, so that's just, it's a toughbalancing act, especially if
you're in a male dominatedindustry.
I know my first job out ofcollege, I um, I worked for a
dealership group in thecorporate office.
It wasn't a big, Big corporateoffice, only 30 people, but I

(30:14):
was the only woman who worked atAutomotive.
I was the youngest person by atleast, you know, seven or eight
years.
And I was the only black person.
So add all those things in Idefinitely got treated
differently and a lot of peoplemade it seem There are some days
where I know I was treateddifferently because I'm a woman

(30:34):
working in automotive.
How dare she there's other daysI was treated differently
because like you you know, I'vebeen in this business before you
were even born How dare you tryto tell me what to do and then
there were instances where it'slike you're a black woman like
you have no how dare you haveconfidence and walk in here and
be this type of person.
so, you know, going into anenvironment where there are

(30:57):
people who are vicious, I'm justgoing to put that they're
vicious.
Like they are looking andcounting all the days until I
leave.
Like I asked someone to email myboss on my 90th day to say, I
don't think Jasmine's workingout.
I think we need to let her gosomewhere.
I barely, I saw him like twice.
Yes, I seen him like twice inthe, the three, the 90 days I

(31:19):
was there and yeah, he justdidn't like me for whatever
reason and luckily I had a bosswho had my back.
He copied me on the email andsaid, Jasmine's doing great.
Thanks for your opinion.
No one asked for do your job andleave us alone.
That's just what he like.
Reply to them, but I was sothrown off because like my whole

(31:42):
demeanor is like I'm friendly,you know If someone asks me for
help i'm gonna do what I can Tomake sure I can help them.
I'm here to make sure that y'allmake money and for someone to
just be like behind my back likeworking to kick me out of the
company is just It's bizarre.
So yeah, in those occasions,

Jann (32:01):
before that?
That he didn't like you

Jas (32:04):
he smiled, he shook my hand.
He was so happy to meet me.
Like the nicest guy you evermeet.
And I heard people likecomplaining about him, like,
yeah, he's not that great.
And I'm like, I don't even seeit.
Like he seems like a nice guyuntil I saw that, that email
that went through, which hedidn't last long at the company
shortly after that.

(32:24):
But, what I'm saying is.
In that environment where it'smostly men, there's probably
like two women in managementpositions in this whole, like it
was only 30 people in corporate,but there was like hundreds of
people who work within thedealership group and there's
only two, maybe three women inleadership positions.
I'm one of them, and I'm theonly Black one, and I'm the
youngest one.

(32:45):
So, of course, like, the otherwoman who was there, one of the
other women was like, Yes, I gotyour back.
Let me know if you needanything.
It's tough out here.
Here are the things that I hadto deal with.
Because that's your, that's howyou survive.
It's a survival mechanism.

Joi (33:00):
I think it's true, too.
I think it's important tomention that you both work in
very, male dominated fields andfinances.
And, um, when we said it was theautomobile, like, sales.
I work in a very woman centricwith kids.
I work in child care, so it's awhole different minefield.
Like it's mostly women.
I've seen one man who is ourcomplete director here and in

(33:23):
Dallas, but, the, theircircumstances are a little
different when it comes towomen, what a woman run kind of
company.
So it's just like, Oh, yeah,yeah, yeah.
Like, you know, this is nicetiesand I do my job well, and it's a
whole different level of justlike, Not trusting each other,
sort of, and just like, kind ofbitchness that naturally

(33:44):
happens, so it's just like,yeah, that wall is up, girl.
I can't trust none of them.
Yeah, but, luckily there'sanother black girl that's
getting hired, so I'm like, yes!New best friend, let's go! So,
yeah.

Jann (34:01):
well, it's interesting because yes, you said like that
happened to you where there'ssomeone spoke up against you
like that You didn't even knowdidn't like you so and that he
was a man So I think no matterlike men or women like you're
gonna have that I can think ofan instance where When I was a
broker on the phones, we hadweekly team meetings where we

(34:24):
really didn't need to have thismeeting, but the boss wanted to
be the boss.
So we had to go to the teammeetings.
So we did icebreakers.
Every week, even though it wasonly seven people on the team
and we knew each other verywell.

Joi (34:37):
Because of the icebreakers!

Jann (34:42):
well, we were doing an icebreaker.
We had to go around and say,like, something we liked about
everybody.
Ridiculous icebreakers.
And the one guy got to me andsaid, I like Janiece's hair a
lot.
And I just was going to say, oh,thank you and move on.
And the girl, one girl on ourteam scoffed so loudly, it was
like, huh, really?

Joi (35:06):
What a BITCH!

Jann (35:16):
And it was like, so uncomfortable.
She kind of caught herself.
It was like, Oh, I just meantthat, you know, because there's
so many things they like aboutJanice.
That's just such a superficialthing.
So.

Joi (35:27):
Clean it up.
Come on wrap it up girl wrap itup clean out your desk by night
by night.

Jann (35:34):
Like, thinking about it, thinking about it now, I can't
do anything but laugh, but hejust kind of awkwardly was like,
yeah, I like that it's versatileand you know, it's different all
the time.
I, you know, it's cool.
That was so awkward foreverybody.
Like, normally it's awkward forme because everybody will laugh,
but everyone was looking aroundlike, did that really just

Joi (35:56):
Am I part of the hate crowd?

Jann (35:57):
say that's.
That was a unique experience inthat it made everybody in the
room awkward, and it was alittle satisfying because of
that.

Joi (36:07):
You know what that's good, though,

Jann (36:09):
back in this just like I normally have to do.

Joi (36:12):
that's what they talked about in that last book they
were just like listen It's notmy job to be uncomfortable
because of your racism.
I'm glad she got uncomfortable,and I know she didn't say some
shit like that again.
Especially about you.

Jann (36:25):
But the thing was, the reason I bring it up is because
I had no idea that she dislikedme before this, or at least
didn't like my hair.
she would regularly come to mydesk and just sit and talk about
nonsense, and I'd just drown herout while I'm doing my job.
Like, you would have neverknown.
I don't think I was being rudeto her necessarily, but I would
have never known that she wouldhave done something like that.

(36:46):
So, yeah,

Joi (36:48):
The amount of

Jas (36:49):
think that's the scary part about it.
Yeah, it's very covert.
And the people who are the worstare the ones who are smiling in
your face and saying like nicethings and like going out of
their way to be nice to you in aweird, in a way that feels
artificial.
And you're like, okay, justplease just keep your distance.
Just keep your distance from me.

(37:09):
I mean, it's, it's very obvious.

Joi (37:14):
It's like that meme with the guy, he goes, Huh, Huh.

Jann (37:24):
Yeah, yeah, like I said, I can only laugh when I think back
on it, but at the time it waslike a roller coaster of
emotions, like first, like, oh,someone's calling out my hair in
a good way.
That's interesting.
And then to hear her scoff likethis bitch,

Joi (37:39):
I would have been petty after that.
Every time I changed it

Jann (37:41):
I'm waiting for the laughter.

Joi (37:43):
I'm like, what do you think of the hair this time?
Got a wig on.
Straight.
It's more your type.
More your flavor.
Yeah.

Jas (37:52):
Oh man, I would have, I would have scoffed when whoever
said anything about her.
I like so and so's personality.

Joi (38:03):
Were you not at the icebreaker last week?
Come on.
Whoa.

Jann (38:14):
Oh, man, we can laugh about it now.

Joi (38:19):
I would have been laughing then, too.
All the way to the bank.
I'm like, hostile workenvironment, baby.
Ah, good times.

Jann (38:30):
It's too funny.
All right.
So one of the questions I hadwritten about, um, A lot of her
experiences were relatable.

Joi (38:39):
Mhhm,

Jann (38:40):
we, have talked about that a lot, but there, were there any
instances that she talked aboutor experiences that she talked
about that you related more to,more so than others?

Jas (38:49):
Yes, So, really quick story.
This is my second time readingthis book and the first time I
read it, I remember beingannoyed specifically with how
she narrated it and also she hada sniffle, which I don't know if
y'all picked up on the sniffle,but it was driving me freaking
nuts.
She'll be talking and I'm like,Oh my God, she sniffles one more

(39:10):
time.
But despite that, despite that,there was one part in the story
that I felt like, yes, peopleneed to hear this.
And it stuck with me.
I didn't realize that I got itfrom this book and that is she
said in the book when you haveto explain a racist event to

(39:32):
someone and they don't believeyou and they make it so like
they're gaslighting you whenyou're saying something horrible
that you went through.
It's worse than actuallyexperiencing the racism itself.
And that's something that hasstuck with me for years.
Like I said, I read this in 2016when it first came out and I

(39:53):
couldn't have said that better.
And that's something that I'veexperienced so many times.
And it's way more disappointingbecause now You are, because
you're not going to just saywhat something racist that
happened to you to some randomstranger.
You're saying it to someone youcare about, someone you felt
like was a safe space.
And when that someone gaslightsyou, well, are you sure you just

(40:14):
worked on your period?
Or are you sure that it wasracism?
They probably were having a badday.
Like, you don't even know whothis person is.
And you're like, So I love thatshe shared that story and she
was able to to really spell itout like this is what it is
because I've experienced it somany disappointing times and it

(40:37):
is so true.
It is worse.
Been experiencing the racism.

Jann (40:42):
You know what's funny about that too, I completely
agree with everything you said,and we talked about this before
on this podcast and we talkedabout the wedding date.
And we talked about DrewNichols, even though he was
toxus AF.
One of his redeeming qualitieswas that every time she told him
about something she wasconcerned about with racism or

(41:02):
told him.
Tell him about a racistexperience.
There was no, are you sure?
Or maybe you're just like, itwas immediately.
Oh, I didn't know that.
Thanks for telling me.
What can I do?
You know, like there was nogaslighting involved, which was
a huge redeeming quality forhim.
So shout out to Drew Nichols.

Joi (41:22):
remembered that man's name.
That was like, episode 2.

Jann (41:27):
You, of course you don't, you didn't remember it when we
did the episode.

Joi (41:32):
You know, um, I did want to say one thing that I did, um...
I wanted to acknowledge when shesaid, when she was in high
school, um, when she, you know,even with her hair wasn't
natural, she had it likeprocessed and everything.
And she still wasn't beingnoticed by like the white boys
there cause she went to apredominantly white high school.
And she was like, I didn't wantto go to junior prom because no

(41:54):
one was asking me, the blackgirl out.
And I was like, Oh, and like, Ididn't have that experience, but
I was like, I heard it multipletimes before.
And, um, I'm not, it kind ofbroke my heart a little bit,
except I keep seeing the samething even today that there's a
lot of like, um, people whodon't appreciate the beautiful

(42:15):
black girls in high schools andasking them out and things, and
they feel like they're missing ahuge part of their high school,
You know, journey, you know?

Jas (42:24):
I think, I don't know if you read Gabrielle Union's book,
where I think we're going toneed more wine.
And she says something verysimilar.
She grew up in a very, she wentto a very white high school and,
felt very rejected because shewas the only black girl and no
one was asking her out.

Joi (42:39):
It's not like they were ugly, like, I'm sure if we were
to look at their pictures andeverything, because she was
there herself, she's like, Iwasn't the cute, like, the
cutest kid, but, you know, Iwasn't hideous.
I'm like, that's not the case.
You get basic bitches all thetime, boyfriends in high school.
You know, it just sucks you havethat, you had that experience,
you know?
So, you know.

(43:00):
Just wanted, that's what I

Jas (43:01):
Something that,

Joi (43:02):
hmm,

Jas (43:03):
it's funny, so really quick, Something that, that
reminds me of is, I had a friendtell me that she was having
trouble making friends with, youknow, some people and her.
Her friend circle, and I thoughtit was the weirdest thing
because she is the friendliestperson I know, like everyone who

(43:24):
meets her loves her, and I'mlike, who are these people?
Like, why don't they love you?
Like, it makes no sense at all.
And she's Latina, and the womenwho weren't very like warm with
her were white.
And I explained to her, like,the experience that I have had

(43:45):
is that when you are a person ofcolor and you try to befriend a
white person who is not into itbecause they're very afraid of
the fact that you're black, theykind of keep you at arm's reach.
Right.
They don't, they don't sayanything rude to you or they're,
they're cordial with you whenthey have to be, but they're not
going to invite you to anything.

(44:06):
They're not going to like say,Hey, what, what is your thoughts
on this topic?
They just want you to like justbe there.
And they'll be the first ones tocall out like, Hey, I have a
friend of color.
But that's it.
That's your only purpose ofbeing there.
which, you know, she had thewhole part of this book that was
about how do you know whenyou're the token, the token

(44:27):
black friend?
and that reminds me, thatreminds me of that when you say
that joy because it is a veryweird phenomenon and it's hard
to describe it because Theydidn't exactly do anything to
you, but you do notice thatthey're a lot friendlier and
more vocal and warmer with theseother women who are more
reserved than you are and theyjust happen.

(44:48):
So yeah, that's unfortunate andit just plays out in the dating
scene as well.
That's what it reminded me of.

Joi (44:55):
mm hmm,

Jann (45:01):
Okay, well, any other, uh, questions or topics you guys
were just burning to talk aboutthat I didn't bring up?

Joi (45:12):
Something I did want to mention that I, I don't know how
I feel about it, just, I like,once I figured out she was a
podcaster.
I feel like the book itself waslike almost a big podcast.
Like they could have beencompletely separate podcasts,
the different chapters of thebook.
And I was like, that's kind ofcute.
Like I like it.
Like it seems like a really longpodcast.

(45:34):
I feel like I'm listening to, Idon't normally listen to single
woman podcasts though.
Like it's usually.
Back and forth.
So I was like a long podcast,you know, that

Jann (45:45):
so.
The way I thought about it wasnot necessarily like a podcast,
but like a standup comedyroutine.
That's what it read as for me.
Like she's went throughdifferent stories and kind of
made jokes of her everyday life.
Yeah.
And she even said, I think, nowthat I think about it like that,
like, this was a conversation,just like in stand up comedy,
like, it's a conversation, eventhough I'm the only one talking.

(46:07):
Like, yeah, I guess.
So, yeah, that's interesting.
It definitely didn't feel likeother memoirs, to your point,
Joy.

Joi (46:16):
it didn't feel like a self help book either, like the last
one we've done, it's somewherein the middle.

Jas (46:23):
I,

Jann (46:24):
stats in this book.

Jas (46:28):
one thing I will say about her, her delivery, although I
think all three of us agree itwas a little annoying, but
there's still some parts of herthat I really liked.
I liked that she let her freeflag fly.
And I'm like, Oh, you're tellingme all the things that you have
no shame about.
Okay.
I already feel really close toyou.
So I feel like that's somethingthat kind of worked, worked for

(46:51):
her, like she's weird.
And once you get past that,like, okay, you're weird.
I get it.
We can just keep moving on.
But one part I wanted to callout that I actually liked and I
wasn't expecting to like it, Ikind of had my guard up, was her
friend that she had write thenote, her white friend, the
white guy who wrote the notesfor me.

(47:12):
And I'm like,

Jann (47:13):
goodness.

Jas (47:14):
you put a white dude on a book called Don't Touch My Hair,
I don't know how this is goingto go.
But it was actually really good.
He talked about how he neverthought of something he does as
white.
And it

Jann (47:31):
It was offended.

Jas (47:35):
yeah.
But I liked how he talkedthrough like, here are things in
white history that you can beproud of, but I'm not going to
give credit to any whiterappers.
And I'm not, you're a smartperson.
I'm not going to tell you whythat is.
And I just, I liked, I liked hiswhole, it was a very respectful
piece and I enjoyed it a lot.
I

Jann (47:55):
Yeah.
And can I just say when hestarted off that story talking
about an artisan mayo shop, mythoughts were, that's the
whitest shit I have ever heard.
And then the fact that his blackfriend was like, that's the
whitest thing I've ever done.
Yes.
Okay.
I'm not alone in that.

Jas (48:15):
like, is this for real?
Is there such a thing as anartisanal mayo shop?

Joi (48:19):
sure there is.
I'm sure.
Go to your local gentrifiedneighborhood, and I'm sure
you'll find one or two.

Jas (48:27):
Who loves mayo that much?
Jesus.

Jann (48:30):
I'm gonna Google it.

Joi (48:32):
Why is this a question?
Maybe it was like one of thoseunspoken things, I'm like, I
will put it on a sandwich.
But don't tell me that it'sthere.
Like, I will gag.

Jann (48:45):
there are shops.
The first one I pulled up is inBrooklyn, but, yeah, there are
artisanal mayonnaise shops.

Jas (48:53):
Wow.

Joi (48:55):
now we just have to go.

Jann (48:58):
No.

Jas (48:59):
Yeah, I have no interest in going to an artisanal Where do
you put in your mayo on?
Like what is this besides liketuna fish, egg salad, and a
sandwich?
What, where else could youpossibly be putting mayo

Joi (49:12):
I bet they have one

Jann (49:13):
I could use whipped salad dressing,

Joi (49:15):
Oh, yeah,

Jann (49:16):
eww.

Joi (49:17):
let's start cutie boy with the mayo different males

Jas (49:23):
Ew.

Joi (49:23):
They had a butter one i'm sure there's a mayo one i'm sure
of it

Jas (49:28):
Butter makes sense.
Butter is delicious in allflavors.

Jann (49:34):
Alright, I think we're regressing guys.

Jas (49:36):
Oh, sorry.

Jann (49:39):
So, after the conversation, is anybody
changing their rating?

Joi (49:44):
I think i'll bump it up to a three.
I like the book.
It was just the The annoyinglittle bits that it just kind of
like gave me an off puttingfeeling sometimes about it, you
know But I can't give anythingmore than that just because like
the books I really like i'vegiven fours and five on here so
I can't do that.

Jann (50:07):
fair.
I think mine would stay at athree, and the reason, I guess I
never really got into thereasoning for why I gave it a
three.
I gave it a three because again,I feel like she should have did
the good hair documentary.
Like if she did that documentaryas a book, I would have been
completely happy if that's allit was.
but I did listen to the audiobook and I feel like I would
have liked it a little bit moreif I had read it because of the

(50:27):
tone.
and that's a huge experience forme reading the books or like
listening to a book is the toneof the narrator.
So if I don't like it.
and is not the person whoactually wrote the book, who
wrote the book that's narrating.
Sometimes I'll just turn it offand like read the actual book
because I want to be fair in myrating and if it's annoying me
then I'm not going to be.

(50:48):
But you know, it's her book,it's her thought, so.

Jas (50:52):
Yeah.

Joi (50:53):
Agreed.

Jas (50:54):
I agree.
I give it a, I'm keeping minethe same 3.
5.
And I think this was her firstbook that she wrote.
She's since written three morebooks and I liked her enough.
Well, well, so this is her firstbook.
My first blog post was trash.
So I'm going to just throw thatout there.
Like good on her.
She wrote a book.

(51:14):
It was her first one.
Despite the things that annoyedme, I still recommend this book
to people because she has somethings in it that still stick
with me years later.
So it did have an impact on me.
and I, it made me like her forit.
And she's weird in some waysthat I am not, but you know
what?
I love the complexity that itgives more black people.

(51:35):
She's a blurred all day.
And she is not afraid to talkabout that.
so yeah, I keep it at a 3.
5.

Joi (51:47):
Alright!

Jann (51:50):
Yeah.
Okay.
Well that about wraps up thisconversation.
let's talk about our book nextweek, which is the Violin
Conspiracy.
One second.
I'll give you a synopsis.

Joi (52:09):
I can do some violin music while we wait.
Do do do, zhu zhu, zhu

Jann (52:15):
Okay.
You already messed up.
That's

Joi (52:16):
Alright.
Zhu zhu zhu, zhu zhu zhu

Jann (52:21):
That's not violin music.

Joi (52:23):
zhu zhu

Jann (52:25):
want you to know that it's not.

Joi (52:27):
zhu

Jas (52:28):
Violins go, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo,
ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo.

Joi (52:32):
La la la la la la la

Jann (52:34):
goes

Joi (52:39):
You got it, you got it, Jared.
Perfect.
Keep

Jann (52:42):
I thought so.
All right, cool.

Joi (52:48):
it.

Jann (52:48):
All right, enough.

Joi (52:49):
Giggling.
Coughing.

Jann (52:49):
Come on now.
A mystery about a blackclassical musician whose family
heirloom violin is stolen on theeve of the most prestigious
classical music competition inthe world.
Ray MacMillan loves playing theviolin more than anything, and
nothing will stop him frompursuing his dream of becoming a
professional musician.
Not his mother, who thinks heshould get a real job.

(53:11):
Not the fact that he can'tafford a high caliber violin.
Not the racism inherent in theclassical music world.
And when he makes the startlingdiscovery that his great
grandfather's fiddle is actuallya priceless strav Devarvius,
Stradivarius, his star begins torise, Stradivarius,

Jas (53:30):
Oh

Jann (53:30):
star begins to rise.
Jasmine, shut up.
I'm trying to read it.
Enough, Joyce, shut up.

Jas (53:50):
Joy,

Jann (53:51):
How many other

Jas (53:52):
ignorant.
Joy's laugh is ignorant.

Jann (53:55):
it's very ignorant.

Joi (54:01):
I just feel like Jen went to pull out a metal chair on
Jazz for a second there.

Jann (54:05):
up, Joy! Can I continue?
Christ! All right.
Can you at least mute yourself,asshole?
Now Jasmine was a Stradivarius?

(54:27):
All right.
All right.
A priceless Stradivarius.
His star begins to rise.
Then with the international...
Oh, fuck.
Is it Tchaikovsky?

Joi (54:39):
You told us to shut the fuck up so I'm figuring it out.

Jann (54:59):
Joy, I'm trying to get off of this recording.
Now mute yourself immediatelybefore I murder you.
And Jasmine unmute yourself andtell me how to say it.

Joi (55:08):
Never, never, never,

Jann (55:09):
don't know shit about how to pronounce shit, but she won't
shut up

Jas (55:15):
Can you, I didn't hear, can you try to say it

Jann (55:18):
Joy mute yourself.
Yes, it is Fuck way to go theinternational Tchaikovsky
competition.
I'm gonna say Tchaikovsky itstarts with the T

Jas (55:40):
Oh,

Jann (55:42):
All right, I'm continuing

Jas (55:43):
okay.

Jann (55:45):
Then with the International Tschikowsky
Competition, the Olympics of theclassical music, fast
approaching, his prized familyheirloom is stolen.
Ray is determined to get itback, but now his family and the
descendants of the man who onceenslaved Ray's great grandfather
are each claiming that theviolin belongs to them.
With the odds stacked againsthim and the pressure mounting,

(56:05):
will Ray ever see his violinagain?
Alright, so that is The ViolinConspiracy by Brendan Slocum
that we'll be reading next week.

Joi (56:14):
Mmm.

Jas (56:15):
quick.
A Stradivarius violin, the mostexpensive Stradivarius violin is
worth 20 million dollars.
for reference.
They are very expensive.

Joi (56:26):
what's so special about them?

Jas (56:28):
They're handcrafted.
Oh, I'll, we can get into it,but they're the most expensive
violin and there are moviesbased.
There are several movies aboutStradivarius violins.
Um, so yeah, they're a thing.

Jann (56:43):
First I'm hearing of it, but I'm excited to read it
because it's actually her secondthriller that we've ever read on
the podcast.
So,

Joi (56:49):
I'm a, I'm a band girl.
I love my clarinet.
But violin, I love violin, tolike listen to violin.
So I'm excited to read thisbook.

Jann (56:59):
I would dare you to play one note on a violin, on a
clarinet, and I will give you ahundred dollars.

Joi (57:05):
girl, I can play you a whole song on Twanko Twanko.
The ants come marching in.

Jann (57:13):
Not the twinkle, twinkle.

Joi (57:20):
Pull out your wallets.
I got

Jann (57:27):
and on that note, we're gonna wrap it up for today.
Jazz, do you want to leteverybody know where they can
find you?

Jas (57:33):
Yeah.
You can find me on my blog,blogging money life.
And that's at blogging moneylife on Instagram, Facebook,
Twitter.
Tick tock and you can go to ourblog blog money life.
com

Jann (57:48):
And YouTube.
You didn't mention that one.

Jas (57:50):
and you too.
Of course.
I'm a youtuber Yes, you can findus on youtube And we have videos
about our journey moving fromthe united states to costa rica
As well as tips on how to growyour blog and make money

Jann (58:02):
What day do you have your lives?
Um, Q and A's on.

Jas (58:06):
I do a live blog and q a the last wednesday of every
month

Jann (58:11):
All right.
So if you guys want bloggingtips, make sure you tune in.
Enjoy where can they find us?

Joi (58:17):
on TikTok and Twitter, we're Black Girl Reads Pod.
The black is spelled BLK.
Be okay girl reads pod And oninstagram where black girl reads
podcast So add that cast but itstill be okay at the beginning

Jann (58:36):
All right.
Thanks everybody for joining.
This was a great conversation.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Empowering Conversations: 'You Can't Touch My Hair' | BGR Book Club Podcast S2E1