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 of push-through culture (hey, John Henry!), and why some bodies feel like they’ve been weathered by storms they never experienced firsthand.
It’s science, personal, and a conversation about breaking cycles—before they break us.

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 episode that is one of our favorites to celebrate Black History Month: The Sounds of Blackness, where we ask people to share a sound that embodies Blackness to them.

Plus we sit down with the late and great, Nikki Giovanni, who was a Stoop fan.

So get that cup of tea, relax, and enjoy the episode!

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-Love, a mom who lost her 15 year old son, and navigated the complex feelings related to organ donation.