Durags & Degrees

Weed. Loud. Mary Jane. We all know someone who indulges in this plant. Despite marijuana being used recreationally in certain states, it has yet to be nationally legalized. Furthermore, the market for cannabis is beginning to bud (pun intended), considering the likelihood of its legalization changing within the near future. For this episode, we decided to discuss marijuana, cannabis culture, and certain hypocrisies within our flawed system with a special guest, Tyler Davis (@t_davis_). Tyler works with the company SAP XTRAXX, a fully integrated marijuana business. We're so excited to have someone who sees very clearly the business side add a different point of view to the discourse.

If you would like to give your perspective on a topic we have slated, or want to be featured yourself, feel free to contact us @duragsanddegreespod on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and rate on all your favorite streaming platforms!

Elitism is the belief or notion that individuals who form a select group of people perceived as having an intrinsic quality, high intellect, wealth, special skills, or experience—are more likely to be constructive to society as a whole, and therefore deserve influence or authority greater than that of others. Specifically, Black elitism is a term used to address classism in the Black community and is typically used to criticize the Black upper and upper-middle class. The conversation around Black elitism is very nuanced as some argue about where it shows up, where it stems from, and if it is harmful? We also know that Black elitism has its roots in Black capitalism. Though we love to see Black people succeed and have wealth, we have to discuss whether Black elitism and capitalism should even be a thing and should people even think they are “above” someone else in the Black community. Let’s be clear, capitalism is detrimental. So, Black capitalism will not push us towards equality but further away and closer to white supremacy.  

If you would like to give your perspective on a topic we have slated, or want to be featured yourself, feel free to contact us @duragsanddegreespod on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and rate on all your favorite streaming platforms! Check the links below!!

Molly & Issa, Dijonay & Penny, Joan & Toni, Noah, Alex, Ricky, & Chance from Noah's Arc. 

Black Twitter has been in shambles over each of these friendships more than once. These shows make us ponder the nuances of companionship. "Friend" is a term thrown loosely by some, and sacred to others. And just like our Blackness, our friendships are not monolithic. So for this episode, we are going to talk about these nuances, centering our own unique experiences with one another, of course. We intend on using this episode to better understand ourselves as a group. Outside of our Black and queer identities, what else do we connect on? What makes us tick? What do we expect out of one another? 

If you would like to give your perspective on a topic we have slated, feel free to contact us @duragsanddegreespod on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and rate on all your favorite streaming platforms! Check the links below!!

2020 and 2021 has been quite an era for music. We have been through not one, but two pandemics; racial and health. For many of us, we have leaned onto artists reflecting our emotions and stages of life best. This of course is no new concept. From childhood on through life, music has provided therapy during the happiest and worst moments. In fact, research shows music has a direct correlation with decreasing one's heart rate and relieving their anxiety. Check out this episode to hear how the host's different life experiences parallel the music of our lives, AND head to Spotify or Apple Music for a sneak peek into their music libraries. 

If you would like to give your perspective on a topic we have slated, feel free to contact us @duragsanddegreespod on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and rate on all your favorite streaming platforms! Check the links below!!

For our Season One Finale, we decided to base the discussion around the trailblazing favorite, POSE. POSE is a record-breaking show that spotlights a scene near and dear to the queer community, house culture. One of the main characters from Pose, Blanca, says, "your house is a family you can choose. And the balls allow you to celebrate the life others do not deem worthy." We couldn't do this episode without having a trans perspective, given the pivotal role that Black and Latinx transwomen played in the creation of house culture. For this reason, we are joined by our guest, Harmen (@himhunonline). We spoke with her about some of her house culture experiences, but also just about this show we know and love. 

If you would like to give your perspective on a topic we have slated, feel free to contact us @duragsanddegreespod on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and rate on all your favorite streaming platforms, and we'll catch y'all in Season 2! 

This week we dig into celebrities' struggle with the lack of privacy that comes with the price of fame. However, we don't agree that all of the world should have access to every aspect of a celebrity life simply because they are a public figure. Though some celebs embrace sharing all of their lives: whether through social media, books, and/or documentaries, others rarely allow the public to know what is going on behind the scenes. This struggle to maintain control of your privacy intersecting with the autonomy to disclose whatever, whenever begs the question, how transparent do you feel celebrities should be as public figures, if at all? 

If you would like to give your perspective on a topic we have slated, feel free to contact us @duragsanddegreespod on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and rate on all your favorite streaming platforms, and we'll catch yall next, next Wednesday.

Toxic seems to be a token word associated with the Zellenial generation. As it pertains to gender expression we see toxic masculinity repeatedly mentioned, and for good reason. Whether you are gay, straight, man, woman, non-binary, something in between, or do not subscribe to any of those identities, we have all experienced our fair share of toxic masculinity. For today's conversation, we want to unpack our experiences with toxic masculinity and indicate attributes that help to quickly identify this cultural pattern.

If you would like to give your perspective on a topic we have slated, feel free to contact us @duragsanddegreespod on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to follow, subscribe, and rate on all your favorite streaming platforms, and we'll catch yall next, next Wednesday.

As Black people, we have quite the hard time living without engaging in politics. The laws, funding decisions, and elected officials impact the Black community in a very real way. Plainly, Black do not really have the privilege to disengage from politics as often as some other communities do. And therein lies the importance in being not only politically engaged, but politically aware of the times. In the weeks since the Inauguration, Pres. Biden has pushed through a total of 44 Executive Orders. These executive orders or EOs range in topic from health care, equity, COVID-19, immigration and environmental issues. This episode talks about how these executive orders have impacted our community alongside our guest, Jordan Fields (Host of Black Girls Talk Back).