Brown Sugar: The Podcast

In the final episode of Season 2, we reminisce on our not-so-smooth transition from university students to young 20-somethings with full-time jobs. We share our horror stories from missed flights to maxed out overdrafts and discuss how our relationship with money has changed from our teenage years to present day. 

In episode 9, we explore the nuances of having a hybrid identity - being an ethnic “minority” raised in a white majority country. With our special guest, Vietnamese-German Jeuni Tran, from the platform @hyphenative, we discuss the similarities between the Asian and African diasporas. We address the discrimination faced by both communities and how we can better form solidarity and be allies to each other.

Get in touch and share your thoughts with us on our IG at @brownsugarpod or email at [email protected]. 

This past year has been a difficult one for most. We know we’re all sick of talking about the pandemic, and most of all, we’re sick of being inside. But the light at the end of the tunnel is steadily approaching,  and as things are opening back up, it means the turn up is on the horizon. So in this episode, we share some of our favourite night-out memories, discuss the dos and donts of partying and explore some of the political meanings behind clubbing.
So consider this your podcast prees to June 21st. 

In Episode 7 we are joined by special guest Fe Oj of The Motion Podcast to discuss the notion of 'black excellence'. We explore its historical roots in opposition to slavery and oppression. However, who defines what 'excellence' looks like? Is promoting 'exceptionalism' even more harmful? To deconstruct viewing blackness through a monolithic lens, we discuss the importance of epistemic agency and continually defining blackness on an individual, rather than societal, level.

TW: Topics around Sexual assault, harassment and violence are discussed

In episode 6, we talk about how although misogynistic microagressions might seem "micro", they are one of the foundations that uphold the extreme acts of gender-based assault and violence. 

In order to bridge the gap between genders in this important discussion, we have special guest Peter Andu (@thepgpodcast) to talk practically about how men can do better to tackle misogyny and toxic masculinity. 

In episode 5, we talk about the importance of authentic allyship and the fine line between allyship, saviourism and performative activism. We also have a special guest, Meghan Wimlett, who helps us navigate these muddy waters.

Today's health-focused episode sheds light on the intersection between racial inequality and poor health outcomes for the black community. 

We dissect the foundations of racism within clinical trials and the medical curriculum. We then discuss how this can trickle into clinical practice and the disproportionately higher rate that black women die during childbirth. We also discuss the poor uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among the black community. Finally, we touch on barriers to seeking mental health care among the black community and the importance of representation in the psychiatric field.

We propose solutions to how, during a pandemic, the health system can benefit public health by looking at how better serve its minority communities.

Inspired by the podcast "Call Your Girlfriend" by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, the Brown Sugar ladies discuss platonic relationships, particularly female friendships, and how friends often make connections based on "stories of sameness".

But what happens when your friends are just too different from you? Can you brush it off as just a friendship fight or does it ultimately end in friendship divorce?

Lastly, we discuss the different levels of friendship and the delineation between good friends and best friends!

So, this episode is going to be discussing the friend zone - how to get in and stay in the friend zone, and what happens when your arse gets kicked to the curb? 

In episode 2, we discuss the polarisation of politics and whether we can or should find middle grounds with views that are so different from our own. We also take part in a "radical rethinking challenge" where we each research and explain the opposite side to one of our beliefs. 

Your favourite girls are back, and for the first episode of Season 2, we've brought a friend, Yomi Adegoke! Yomi is an award-winning journalist and co-author of Slay in Your Lane and Loud black Girls. Join us as we find out more about her, hear her take on Brown Sugar Season 1, and discuss her views on Black Love.