The Stoop

The Queen is here! Today we’re Stoopin' it with award-winning Nigerian author and ground-breaking cultural icon, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie!
Hana has SO many questions for her favorite author- from how African stereotypical narratives are changing, to being a Nigerian mama in 2025 America, to book bans, and returning to writing fiction after 12 years since her groundbreaking novel Americanah. 
We’re chillin’ with Chima...

Do you ever feel like you may be carrying patterns that aren’t yours? Do you notice the way you deal with stress, love, parenting, or hustling feels inherited?

In this episode, Leila asks herself these questions as she recalls a story from her childhood, and we dig into epigenetics—the science that says the trauma of our ancestors can leave marks on our DNA that echo through generations.

We discuss the toll o...

You know it is Black History Month all year long on this podcast!

And we know that this Black History month has a lot of us feeling heavy, fixated on the news- from DEI being dismantled, to government agencies being shut down...

It's alot. The changes are daily, and drastic and… exhausting. 

So, we wanted to step back, reflect and highlight what we know will keep us going- our stories, our voices.

Today, we're sharing an episo...

When Hana was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2011, she went on a research quest to find a donor that could save her life. Through this process, she discovered that another Black donor who shared her ethnicity would be the best fit. But studies show there aren’t enough Black donors to fill the need for Black folks who need transplants. Why?
In this episode, we explore Black organ donation through the story of Arlinda Timmons...

CPT, African Time—yeah, we’ve all heard of it, but are we really running late, or are we just moving to our own beat, on our own terms, in our own rhythm?

In this episode, we hear from some folks who dig deep into theories, and ancestral philosophies and practices, related to time.

Do we need to rethink how we define time? 

One thing’s for sure—we know what time it is. Time to press play on this episode.

'Have a seat in my chair..'
Today we're at the braiding salon with Ghanaian American playwright Jocelyn Bioh, creator of the Tony Award-winning Broadway play,  Jaja's African Hair Braiding.
We chat with her about braiding salon culture, and the different kinds of people she portrays in the play. We explore the African American-African immigrant dynamics that can happen at braiding salons, we talk immigrant life,  aud...

As Black country music is having its moment, Hana has always wondered why her Sudanese mom loved Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. You can hear country music playing in cafes in African capitals. There is a love of American country music among our African elders, many say they grew up with it. 
While for many, country music is associated with white culture and isn't relatable, for many African elders it hold...

We don't hear alot of personal stories about what it is to be a big man in Black spaces. 
Today we go there with Ronald Young Jr., award-winning podcaster and creator of the hit show “Weight for It.” We stoop it out as he takes us back in time to when he was roasted at church, and unpacks what it feels like to be on the receiving end of ridicule by those who you feel closest to. 

Ring Ring! Is anyone there?

 After George Floyd’s death in 2020, companies across the US were called upon to acknowledge the ways they were discriminatory and inequitable towards Black people. In response, they vowed to create space for Black voices, support Black content, and put Black people in positions of power. Black projects were greenlit and Black creators were asked to pitch their ideas. 

The “Black jobs” were on fir...

What if we told you there's an entire book dedicated to the things Black folk say?  Historically Black Phrases by jarett hill and Tre'vell Anderson introduces and explains sayings like "I AIN'T ONE OF YOUR LIL' FRIENDS"  to  "WHO ALL GON' BE THERE?".  The book is a blend of the many things you grew up hearing and their definitions and usage all in one place. We sit down with the authors to talk about what makes a phrase "B...

We should all be free to be, free to love, and be celebrated in that process - if not by others, then definitely by ourselves. In this episode, Hana and Leila explore three stories that center queerness and spirituality, Black drag culture, and shifting relationship structures through polyamory. Through it all, the episode guests had to wrestle with disapproval from their communities - and sift through feelings of being ou...

It's our 100th episode!

We're celebrating by going back to some special episode moments over 10 seasons of the show. Some made us laugh, others made us cry, some moments made us question whether we should really go there, and others made us even question ourselves.

It's a look back, behind the scenes, of what makes The Stoop, The Stoop.

Thank you for Stoopin' with us for 100 episodes!

Welcome to our Mother's Day special!

There are many unexpected ways that people step into parenting. In this special from The Stoop, we hear stories about redefining family on your own terms. 

We explore the term ‘Auntie’ and how some women find it problematic, we hear about the challenges of IVF for Black women, and we meet a family that shows us how co-parenting can evolve. 

Hana loves perfume, and there’s a long heritage of traditional perfume making in Sudan. But sometimes, sweet smells come with some controversy. As she explores the history of racism and colonialism in the global perfume industry with perfume enthusiast and historian Razan Idris, she discovers an intriguing story about an iconic Sudanese scent that has her bothered.

This is an ode to Black men's voices. Celebrating some of the voices that soothe, excite, or give us a sense of feeling grounded. Over the years, Black men’s voices have symbolized comfort, affection, and authority in pop culture. From the baritone of Barry White to the reliable tone of James Earl Jones, we're celebrating voice. We also meet voice actor and writer Kingsley Okafor of the group that became a viral sensation:...

“When can we allow somebody to cry and be transparent?” WNBA player Chamique Holdsclaw asked at the height of her career as a pro basketball player. Chamique's willingness to address her mental health changed her life. 

In this episode, Chamique talks about the Black pride that can get in the way of healing, what she’d like for people to consider when they have loved ones struggling, and she shares her story of survival and...

Hana is trying to enjoy the Sudanese music she loves, but something isn’t feeling right. The war in Sudan continues, and has destroyed with it a lot of the country’s cultural landscape, including places where the country’s music once lived. She’s wondering - what will happen to Sudan’s musical heritage? She talks it out with Leila and with Haneen Sidahmed - someone who is preserving music on her site Sudan Tapes Archive, p...