“Put the Hot Comb down”

Put the Hot Comb Down
Black Women, Corporate America & The Politics of “Professionalism”

In this week’s episode of A Mouth Full Experience, Kawasi and Andre step into a conversation that has been simmering for generations — the unspoken, unchallenged, and often unaddressed pressure placed on Black women in corporate America to shrink, straighten, soften, and “adjust” themselves just to be seen as equal.

From the boardroom to the break room, Black women are expected to be brilliant but not “too much,” talented but not threatening, and polished — but only in ways that fit someone else’s definition of acceptable.
And at the center of that tension sits one of the most policed expressions of identity: our hair.

This episode unpacks the emotional, professional, and psychological toll of being Black, gifted, and constantly having your finish line moved because of the color of your skin — and the texture of your curls.

We’re joined by two powerhouses:

• Dr. Arianna Walker, Behavioral Scientist and cultural truth‑teller, who breaks down the systemic biases that shape corporate culture and the coded language that keeps Black women boxed in.
Follow her on all platforms: @abundantly_ari
• MAVRYCK, R&B legend in the making, who brings her voice, her vulnerability, and a LIVE performance of her hit single “Checking In” — out now on all platforms.
Follow her everywhere: @immavryck


Together, we explore:

• The emotional tax of being “the only one” in the room
• The politics of professionalism and why Black hair is still treated as a workplace threat
• The invisible labor Black women perform to make others comfortable
• The shifting goalposts that keep promotions out of reach
• The liberation of authenticity — and what happens when Black women stop apologizing for existing


This episode is a mirror, a megaphone, and a moment of truth for every Black woman who has ever been told her brilliance was “too bold,” her voice was “too direct,” or her hair was “too distracting.”

And MAVRYCK’s performance?
A whole sermon.

✨ New episodes every Sunday at noon
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Live video available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AMouthFullExperience 

Kawasi, @kawasiofficial [Singer, Songwriter, Executive Producer]
Andrew Wells, @iamandremonroe [Writer, Actor, Executive Producer]

Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:26

Hey, what's up everybody? I'm Quacy. And I'm Andre. And this is So we have a new episode today, and we have some lovely guests joining us. I got one of my dear friends, Dr. Ariana Walker, is in the building. Hello. We got the legend in the making Maverick in the building. Hey, hey. Andre, tell us what we're sipping on.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Alright, so you know, first we have to give a shout out to Ricky. Shout out to Ricky. Ricky is somebody that he coordinated our good charcuterie and Famage boards. So I have to give a shout out to that. And also we have our Lavender Liverne, our associate producer. You know what? The best thing. But you know, when you are uh having a nice charcuterie board, these are some good wines. First of all, for those who don't drink, uh we have a good uh non-alcoholic sparkling character board. But you know what? You still want to enjoy the festivities. You know, it's a good sparkling Chardonnay. A lot of people don't know that uh champagne, one of the main bridal grapes is Chardonnay, so that's something that people need food for thought. And then also, right here, we have a Gruner, another good Austrian wine, something that's good with um with our charcuterie. Uh it's it's easy drinking. Yeah. Uh Somaliers call it the Somalier white wine because it's just something that it cleans the palate and is easy.

SPEAKER_07 1:40

Don't we love to hear Andre talk about wine?

SPEAKER_02 1:41

All right, and then finally we have a vino verde. I personally love this because it's a Portuguese uh a little, there has some there's some little effervescence to it. Yeah. It's very drinkable, very easy drinking, and it's very light, so you can actually handle a lot of it and you will be fine. Why do you look at me when you say that though? Some you know, some people tap out at a certain time, some people don't. I don't know. But like, you know, if you don't want to do because you know they say rose all day, you can do vina verde all day. It's one of those types of times.

SPEAKER_07 2:08

Yeah, and look, the setup looks a little different, but just know we are still on the mark of highlighting local eateries, local businesses, and just incredible people. And guess what? We're gonna do this really quick. We're gonna let these beautiful women introduce themselves. Dr. Walker, tell us about who you are and where you're from.

SPEAKER_01 2:26

So my family is originally from here, Los Angeles. LA Native LA native, born and raised. And I am a doctor of behavioral health, and my specialty Say that one more time. I am a doctor of behavioral health. And my specialty is in neurophysiology, and essentially that is the brain-body connection. I'm also a yes, a licensed professional clinical counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist as well.

SPEAKER_07 2:57

She's everything.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

I'm everything. I'm I'm Barbie. She could do anything.

SPEAKER_07 3:01

You're everything, period. Yo, Maverick, tell us about who you are.

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Yes, so I am Maverick. I am a singer-songwriter. RB is my name. Um, I'm born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, so Naptown, shout out. Um, you know, I'm also a mom. Oh, you know, yes, I'm a mommy. I'm a mommy. Um, but yeah, I'm just super excited. Uh, I'm actually gonna be dropping a project pretty soon in the summer, so check that out. And um, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 3:32

And y'all don't know this, but Maverick is gonna stick around and give us a special performance later on the show, right? Yes, we don't shed it.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

We cannot wait.

SPEAKER_07 3:39

All right, so Andre, what what what what's the topic today?

SPEAKER_02 3:42

So our main topic is basically talking about um, you know, put the hot comb down. That's the name. Put the hot comb down. You know, it's basically talking about um people of color, especially black people, especially black women, when it comes down to being in spaces where they're not recognized or they're not like they have to fight for their fight. Right. And it's just about trying to, you know, it's always about walking that fine line. You can't, you know, you can't come in like hot and speak up your mind because you'll be perceived as aggressive. But also, if you're too dim and docile, they'll walk right over you. So it's about always balancing that fine line.

SPEAKER_07 4:15

And and the other side of this conversation is so much of who we are, so much of who you all are, is a part of your identity. And a lot of times we don't advance, we don't go farther, especially black women. You all have to change who you are, you know, externally to fit other people's narrative.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

But we have to work 12 times as hard. So if there's a bar or a standard, we have to not only meet it, we have to be better and better and better. Because if we're not, then we don't end up where we want to be.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

Right. All while still having a smile on your face.

SPEAKER_01 4:54

Uh and right, we better smile. Right. Or else. Right.

SPEAKER_07 4:58

Wow. So I I want to get into this really quickly. Uh Doctor.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_07 5:03

I love to say that, doctor.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

Hey.

SPEAKER_07 5:06

What challenges have you faced being a black woman, pursuing your doctorate degree? I know we spoke in lengths about you know the obstacles that even came in, just even graduating and pursuing it.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Right.

SPEAKER_07 5:19

And the the the the readily pushing the finish line, just, you know. Brilliant woman, by the way. But what what what have you faced just in this part of your life, even pursuing that?

SPEAKER_01 5:29

So, in pursuing my doctoral degree and even being a doctoral candidate, they were recrafting and recreating our program as we were doing it. So, where the finish line should have been, uh they pushed it. I pushed it. And when I spoke up about it, I received a lot of pushback from that.

SPEAKER_07 5:53

The aggression.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

And then, of course, you know, they they'll see on my paperwork that I'm black because I'm light, bright two shades from white. So people don't know that I am black, but then when they find out, they're like, Oh, and it could be a a good oh, it could be like an oh, okay, you're black. Or it could be a oh, you're one of them. And it's like, Well, what do you mean, you know? So I think the biggest struggle I had was making myself known and then being represented in a space, and the majority of my doctoral program was black women. Wow, and all of us were being treated unfairly in the program, and I called it out. Yeah, and of course, the school was trying to do their management around that, yeah. But I had a great mentor that actually helped me through a lot of those things, and he was a white man. So, and and then he even touched on the dichotomy of being a white man in a position of power, right? And how he knows and understands that that is something that is very difficult for us as women, but then us as black women in educational spaces, because we were never supposed to be there in the first place. Let's talk about it.

SPEAKER_07 7:12

And and and mind you, black women are leading America as being the most educated group in America. You got all the degrees. By the way. So, Andre, you know, you can ask Maverick, you know, you know what? Similar question though, Maverick, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

You know, actually, it's like this do you find yourself censoring yourself uh with certain conversations when it comes down to your colleagues, especially in just in the music.

SPEAKER_07 7:32

Especially in music, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

Yeah, oh my goodness. So the thing is with music, it's like so for me, for instance, I am an RB artist. That's usually what I present myself as. Right.

SPEAKER_07 7:42

However, it's not all who you are.

SPEAKER_03 7:44

Right. I dabble in pop, I dabble in country, I dabble in folk, you know. I grew up doing theater. A lot of people, you just don't associate that sometimes. And so, yeah, you know, I will say what I'm noticing now, there is a shift I'm not seeing happening where they are embracing black women in um other genres, you know, and we're actually winning. Because we exist, you know, it's not just the RBs, we're not putting in the vibes.

SPEAKER_07 8:09

And probably created the drama, the the genre.

SPEAKER_03 8:11

Hello, yes, yes, if we really think about it. So, yeah, I I would say over the years I've I've had to kind of people assume, you know, RB or you know, the urban category that they like to generalize or whatever, but yeah, uh-huh.

SPEAKER_07 8:26

I I I think it's a very important conversation because I know me, even me as a singer-songwriter, right? I write songs from country to banda caritos, and a lot of times, because I'm a black man, I'm automatically an RB artist. And even think about even Chris Brown and Tyler the Creator and all these artists that are in these Grammy categories, they they are such prolific artists, but they are they're mitigated into these categories because of the color of their skin.

SPEAKER_02 8:54

Right, right. Well, you know what's funny, it's just like with K Michelle, who actually, you know, from Memphis, and so her her origin is bluegrass. Yeah, bluegrass. So country was her like first like love, yeah, and they automatically just kind of pushed it up into the RB, and then that's when she people were so shocked when she wanted to do the whole country album. She's like, Well, no, this is my origin. I grew up, she yodels. You can yodel in the voice. Yeah, you can yet in the voice. And that's the thing, is sometimes when you hear that ballot, you hear that, and you can tell that she has that country, she has that little dolly in her. Right. You know, my everybody knows me.

SPEAKER_07 9:27

Andre's convinced that Dolly Parton is a light-skinned black woman.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

Okay, you know, every black person, every black person, we are allowed to have one thing that we can say, and you can't argue, you can't question them, you just have to let her have it. Mine is I believe Dolly Parton is a light-skinned black woman. Oh my god. You cannot tell me until her, like until it's released. You know what? Like, I'm telling you. When one of the greatest things is like I remember my mom like watched me, it was with her and Patty LaBelle where they were like harmonizing with the acrylic man. You cannot tell me. You can't tell me. You're right. I saw that. I'm like, mommy, is she black? And she's like, my mom's like, I don't know. But like she goes, like, that's not not a number white woman can do that. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Well, black, black folks, we have to be honest. We created everything. You wanna you wanna talk about it? We created everything, and that includes music.

SPEAKER_07 10:26

So And it's it's wild because it's not is not you know elite elitism, is not you know, trying to put down anything else, but it's just it is what it is.

unknown 10:37

Right.

SPEAKER_07 10:37

Hold on, I'm gonna segue off of that. Okay. What type of microaggression do you face currently in terms of and a microaggression, if you guys don't know, these are the silent dog whistles you know, that people say to you, they the underhanded compliments are the things that they say where they want to get under your skin. Right. What microaggressions have you faced in your career being a black woman?

SPEAKER_03 11:03

Yeah, you know, I would kind of piggyback off of what uh already had said, where they we have to work ten times harder. And I know for me personally, you know, I the type of singer I am, I feel like I'm like a powerhouse. You know, I sing, I really be singing down for real. And I'm very soft spoken, but also when I perform, it's like night and day, almost. And there have been assumptions.

SPEAKER_02 11:31

Those are the best ones though.

SPEAKER_03 11:33

You know, and like I will say in certain spaces I've been in, there have been people who I walk in, I'm very nice, I'm humble, I'm positive, you know, and I guess people assume that I'm not that, or I've been told, oh, like I thought you were like I'm you're so positive, you're so nice. Like I didn't, I didn't know, I didn't expect that from you, you know. So I would say I've experienced that quite a few times. Um, and I just I just love to just, you know, just pull my tricks out of my hat, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_04 12:03

Oh my gosh. How about you, Doctor?

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Oh my gosh. So I actually have a story that goes with this. So I was I know story time. Okay, so I was working in Texas, okay, and I worked for a legal research firm. I won't say any names. So uh I actually had a supervisor, and my hair is very curly. So uh yeah, oh thank you. Um so my hair is very curly, and I'll as you could see I will make it up in many different ways.

SPEAKER_07 12:34

And by the way, can we zoom in on her hair? Get into it, get into it. Because when she did her own hair, I did my own hair. Hello, and thank you. For what?

SPEAKER_01 12:46

For what? Sorry, you're fine, you're fine. So I would come into work and obviously my hair is down in natural.

SPEAKER_06 12:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

And my supervisor would go, Why didn't you put a brush through your hair?

SPEAKER_02 13:01

What the fuck?

SPEAKER_01 13:02

Why didn't you why didn't you did you feel like you didn't want to do your hair today? Excuse me. And then my colleague, who is also a black woman, said, like, looked over and she would be giving me eyes like I know this motherfucker didn't. Pardon me, I'm sorry, I didn't know. Can I cuss?

SPEAKER_07 13:20

You can cuss. Because I cuss.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

I do too. Okay.

unknown 13:28

Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

So uh, and it got to a point where I was just fed up and I was telling HR about it, and and HR was and when I was leaving, HR was asking, is there any particular reason why you're leaving? Uh yeah, yeah, there's racism. And nobody is checking it. Nobody, and then actually, my uh my man my manager above that, she she was a white woman, and she's like, You're never gonna be able to get a job better than this. Mind you, it was making like, I don't know, 40 grand a year. I was like, please, this is the this is the bottom level for me. Uh and so, and and I I respect that she was trying to help me as a woman in a corporate field, but as a white woman speaking to a black woman, it was very degrading. And then my supervisor also with his little you know, microaggressions every single time. So, what is it like, you know, being out here from California? And and I'm just like, bitch, shut up. But you know, you have to be professional.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

You know, you you said I picked up a hobby called tipping cows, so you know, there we go.

SPEAKER_07 14:35

That's an incredible, incredible. I love that. I I think so so many times, so oftentimes, black women have to be above reproach. Absolutely gotta be above reproach. You have to uh speak the right way, say the right thing, do the right thing. And even when you're above reproach, it's still not enough. I I want to segregate really quick because I know you want to speak about, you know, someone that I adore, that I love, I think is doing really great. Jasmine Crockett. Congresswoman Jack is Jasmine Crockett.

SPEAKER_02 15:03

I feel you when it comes to, I know you are very you follow politics like that one. So this our this is my whole thing. I feel she's constantly always getting judged, even though she holds her own. Brilliant woman. She's when she talks, she speaks, and it's all about actions. And my whole thing is it's like no matter what, she gets criticized, and it's just like when we even come down to the primary, I people are pretty much saying, Well, she's not gonna win anyway, so don't try to don't even try to fight the right. I feel like that's such a disparaging thing. That's a terrible advice. You know, it was people who are even like advocates of the LGB community were even saying that to her.

SPEAKER_07 15:41

Well, let's get it, let's get it right. There were gay white men saying that shit. You know what I'm saying? And an Asian one that also is a podcaster. You know, we gotta call it where it is. What do you how do you think, or what do you think black women, especially in politics, do you think they are treated fairly? Or you think it's the same old game?

SPEAKER_03 16:02

Nah, it's the same game, same day, same thing, same shit, different day. You know, it's we've seen it, and again, there's not that many of us. Yeah, and uh it seems like everyone, yeah, they're experiencing that. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 16:16

And I would just say this you meet someone like a Kamala Harris, right, who is probably the most qualified person ever to be president, right? She was 90% great. 10% of things people didn't agree with. And especially in our community, we focus on the 10% more than the 90, but then you go and elect this orange motherfucker who is what 99% wrong? Right? And now and now you complaining like you didn't know this motherfucker was gonna do what he did. Yeah. Come on, like let's do fucking better, bro. Strong and wrong. Strong and wrong. My grandmother says loud and wrong.

SPEAKER_04 16:55

Loud and wrong. Loud and wrong. Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 16:58

Do you feel like you have you seen you facing challenges embracing your blackness? Do you or do you do you have to pussyfoot around it and tiptoe around who you are sometimes in your profession?

SPEAKER_01 17:11

Let me tell you this. I don't tiptoe around shit. Period. I hear that. And I am very loud and boisterous about the fact that I am black.

SPEAKER_06 17:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

And I I really have to give credit to my mama. Oh, I love your mama. Um because my mom is actually the white party, and then my father is so so so can you can you let the audience know your ethnic, your ethnic background? Yes. So my mama is white, right? My dad is black. Right. However, my mama is not the fetish black folk type, right? My mom is very pro-black. And she is so pro-black that when we were growing up, she would buy us only black Barbie dolls and black baby dolls. And it was just amazing. And like, how did you find those in the middle of the day? What do you do with the bed? And so but she and and something she said to me was so profound. She said, I didn't want you to grow up hating yourself.

SPEAKER_06 18:16

I hear that.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

And I said, Wow, that is the most beautiful thing. No, don't get me wrong. She got a lot of help from my auntie and my grandmother about how to raise us appropriately, how to how to fix our hair, how to make sure to do intricate styles. And that's really where I started to do my own trick.

SPEAKER_07 18:32

Clearly, you know what the fuck you're doing. Clearly.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

Of course, of course. Yes. And so um, I am very boisterous about it. And then a lot of people, because I'm so light, come up to me and they'll want to talk about racist shit with me.

SPEAKER_06 18:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

And and I always go, I'm gonna stop you right there. I just want to let you know that I'm black. And then they go, Oh my god, Ariana, I'm so sorry. I I'm so sorry. I'm so no, don't be sorry now.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

Just be better.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

Right, just do better. Because why are you why did you feel like it was okay to fix your lips and come talk to me about anything racist? I don't know how you thought that was alright.

SPEAKER_07 19:07

And and and we're gonna just say this black comes in all different fucking shades. Thank you. Listen, I have cousins that are lighter than you, and cousins that are darker than me. And the experience, I don't we we used to call it what, the one-drop rule, Andre? Yeah, yeah. You know, or the paper bag test.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

The paperbag test. The brown bag test.

SPEAKER_07 19:27

If you're darker than the paper bag, you're basically a nigga nigga. Yeah. Um catch me in the summer. Catch me in the summer, bitch. But but but you know, the experiences, they do not change. And, you know, and especially other parts of the world, our last episode were called, it was called Brown Girl Blues. If you haven't seen that yet, go back and watch it.

SPEAKER_06 19:50

It's amazing.

SPEAKER_07 19:51

It is it is about colorism, you know, and intra-racial racism that we face in communities uh of of color.

SPEAKER_06 19:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 19:59

Yeah. I I want you to just uh how has your race, your how you identify as a black woman, uh uh like affected your music? Do you do you sing through that place? Do you um go to the side?

SPEAKER_03 20:14

Oh no, just like Arsa, I don't tiptoe, I don't maneuver for anyone. I am a proud black woman. And just speaking from personal like experiences, I know when I was younger, um society was different, you know. Right your your hair is a little nappy, you know. Yeah, or you know, you got the exotic. Oh, it's like, you know, I I am lighter skinned, but both of my parents are black. My all my family members are are black in different shades. And so it honestly took me um growing and maturing to love my natural hair and embrace my natural hair and my blackness. And you know, I always love saying black girl magic because we are magic for real. We are, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 20:57

And so I say we, like I want it. I'm one of y'all too.

SPEAKER_06 20:59

Listen, we're like, ah, black girl magic. There we are.

SPEAKER_07 21:03

You know what?

SPEAKER_03 21:03

Honestly, okay. You came from a black woman, right? Okay, so let's get to it. Clearly, but yeah, so I just I love being able to embrace that. I love uh uh advocating and voicing just black women. I love it. We got doctors, we got a we got a doctor, we gotta do it. Clearly, you know what?

SPEAKER_02 21:24

And I actually could because first of all, Mike, my little sister, one of her things, she wants to go to medical school, and I even I shout out to Mariah. You know, I encouraged her because initially she wanted to be a nurse and I, you know, respectable field, but I'm like, if you're gonna do all that, you might as well go for the big thing because she's her one big thing is neuroscience.

SPEAKER_07 21:40

And by the way, his little sister graduated with a 4.6 GPA. Can we just give on to Mariah?

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Speak on it.

SPEAKER_02 21:47

And I told her, I'm like, you know what? The one thing is about going to the medical field. I'm like, you're being STEM. Go into that. If you're gonna do it, go big. And then I when she was doing her college tour, she was being so meek and quiet about it. I'm like, you aren't good. Going into it into a very, very hard, uh, very, very hard profession. Be proud about that because there's not a lot of black women going into neuroscience.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

No, there's not. In fact, it's 0.06%. So it's actually an anomaly that we exist. And it's an anomaly that she's going for. We, the capital, W E. We are in that field. And and kudos to you for being the type of brother that kudos to you for being the type of brother that is empowering her. I had a lot of resistance from my dad when I was first going into the field, and uh and behavioral science and neuroscience is not studied to the extent that we would hope it would be. And so, you know, going into that field, it's already something that is very niche. But then on top of that, add insult to injury, you're black in in a healthcare field, and right, and then and then you get so much pushback. And to your point about her being so quiet about it, I was very quiet about it. I think the first full year of my degree program, I didn't tell anybody. It my my partner at the time knew, and I knew, and that was it.

SPEAKER_07 23:17

Did you feel like you had imposter syndrome? Oh, do you feel like it now?

SPEAKER_01 23:20

Absolutely, yes. Yes, because I'm like, who am I to be telling people about this? But then I think about all the work. I mean, it took me 18 plus years to do this craft and to be. But you're only 18. I know how does that work? Thank you. Look, black don't crack. But uh, but you know, it it does. It takes a lot of hard work and it's difficult to be loud about it because people don't realize how much work it is to become a doctor.

SPEAKER_06 23:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

And so you're going through it and you're going through the trials and you're going through your residency and you're doing all this stuff, and then people are like, oh, you're just a doctor. Just a doctor.

SPEAKER_02 24:01

You better put some respect on my neck.

SPEAKER_01 24:03

Right. Right. So I I love that your sister is doing that. I love that you supported her in that because it it means the world that there's people in her corner that are going to shout for her.

SPEAKER_07 24:15

Yeah. And and and to show her what love means before some pissy ass little boy come and tell her he loves you. This is I I want to I this is a a pivot as a mom.

unknown 24:25

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Ooh. Shout out to the mothers out here. Yeah, shout out to the moms.

SPEAKER_07 24:31

What are you teaching your child about their identity? And, you know, in in in in situational circumstances, like just surviving and being, do you feel like that's difficult? Um, or do you feel like you're you're geared, you know, prepared? Are you are you are you learning along the way?

SPEAKER_03 24:48

So coincidentally enough, my children are mixed race. Um I love it. They're yeah, they are black, uh, Japanese and Mexican. That's amazing. Oh, they're colleges, just like they are. Yes. And you know, the way I was raised, my dad, even when I were I can remember when I had my my first born, he's my oldest, he's 11. Wow. And I remember literally in the hospital, just gave birth, and uh someone in the someone in the room was like, oh, he's so light.

SPEAKER_07 25:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:24

And my father, yes, microaggression. My father, rest in peace to him, he uh passed away in 2014. My father made sure that my brother and I knew we were black, where we came from, who came before us, and but but while also embracing all race, all culture, all of that. And I remember my father specifically saying, make sure he knows he's black. Right, right, because the way this world is going to view him is such. And so with my children now, I I I try my best to um not only teach them, I show them, you know, their their latest thing is they're obsessed with Michael. Shout out to Michael Jackson. You teach them right, so I'm showing them all clips, you know, even when it comes to the N-word, you know, it's been used a lot, and so around them, and I have to let them know, like, listen, and I even I even went as far as back to finding the YouTube documentary because I'm like, oh, y'all think it's just a word? Oh no, baby. No, it's not. And we you need to know that. And so I don't think it's hard. I feel like they they know their mother is a proud black woman, they see it, I embrace it, yeah, and um I I know that that feeds into them, so yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 26:36

You know, I actually have a question. So for both of you guys, so what would you tell your uh younger black women to make them believe in themselves? We have you look in that camera right there.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

Right over here. Hello, y'all listen. So, younger black women, I think to believe in yourself, you have to know that you were born with ancestral magic. You were born with something that nobody else can take away from you, nobody else can possess. And anytime you find yourself doubting who you are or where you came from, look at your beautiful family and just see how much has been created because you are valuable for just existing, you are an anomaly for just existing. Say that. And when you are existing and being your true authentic self, that is how people are going to be able to perceive you, and it doesn't matter what you got going on, you are very much her, and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Period. And that's it. Period.

SPEAKER_03 27:49

I'm like, well, dang Mary, the same for you.

SPEAKER_07 27:52

You look in that cameraman.

SPEAKER_03 27:53

Yeah, so again, black, beautiful little black girl, you know, your skin, your hair, your essence is magic. It's gold. And don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Um, Ari touched on confidence, you know. One being a woman, being a black woman, you have to believe and know for yourself that I am worthy. I am supposed to be in the rooms that I set foot in. And um, me being being black and being a woman is just a cherry on top. And um to continue to embrace that, be unapologetically yourself and um keep shining, girl, because you magic. I love y'all trying to make it fried up in this dude. I love that. They're trying to get me cheers.

SPEAKER_07 28:45

So, one more time, we want to shout, shout out to Roland Sip, you know, LA for preparing this incredible juices, guys. We're gonna put shout out to O'Callie, shout out to Lexi. Uh, you know, just a little plug. And uh just shout out to y'all, man. Like, this is such an incredible conversation. That was a great question, Andre. You need your big one on that.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

Yeah, you know, and also too, it's just like, you know, you everybody always talks about, you know, uh, the people, like the icons before, like who, but who are like some curtain like innovators and fat like people rushmores? Who is somebody you let's go to Mount Russmore, but who are up and coming? Because I feel like these are the people that should be in knowledge right now. Yeah, because they're they're making noises, they're making who is somebody in your field that you think that is not getting recognized, but they should get like a little shout out.

SPEAKER_01 29:33

No, she's getting recognized on at least on social media, but I think in general, I believe her name is Shanika Clark Moore or Moore Clark. I can't remember her hyphen. But yes, yes, she's on Instagram. She is a black clinician, and she talks about the spaces between us being black women, being human first, and then also being in the mental health field. The other day she just posted a video talking about like your therapist shouldn't be dancing on the internet, and so she was dancing, and she's like, and what? You know, and she's just very authentically herself, and I think that's so beautiful. And I I think that that really paves the way for other black women to see like we could still show up and be our authentic self and be in these medical fields and spaces, and I think she's definitely a pioneer that is uh hard-hitting and should be recognized more.

SPEAKER_07 30:37

Yes, and you love it. What about you?

SPEAKER_03 30:40

Yeah, so okay, so right now there is this artist, and I hope I'm pronouncing her name right, I think it's Isolt. She is a French black woman, and she does like rock. Yes. Yes. Eats down, she eats. Yeah, yeah. Oh, like she always looks beautiful, always looks gorgeous. You know, I always love seeing, like I said, we just talked about black women in different genres that they're not expecting us to be in. And she she kills it, she kills it. So shout out to her. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_07 31:09

What about you? Who you who you who's your Mount Rushmore? You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 31:13

Who's my Mount Rushmore? You know, um this is one of the and she's actually a popular, I think she's up in chewing bubblegum, Michaela Cole. I feel also I don't know if anybody ever seen the show. It was called I May Destroy You. Yeah, I have, I have, actually.

SPEAKER_07 31:33

Really good, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 31:34

I think she's one of, like, you know, like you know, when people look at Issa Rae, amazing. Yeah, she's another one because she wrote that whole show, too, as well. And I just think she's somebody that's really, really not as expressive or just like not as like kind of out there because people don't realize that she's actually a writer, too. Yeah, talented and just like striking. It's just one of those things where I know there's all those things with X-Men about her being Storm. I think that would be amazing.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

Yeah, it would be great.

SPEAKER_07 32:02

Yeah, look at you casting the shit.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

Right. Tell somebody, put it out there.

SPEAKER_07 32:07

I have a question for you guys. I know we're that this conversation is unfortunately ending, but what would you tell your 18-year-old self? I know that's loaded.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

That is such a good question.

SPEAKER_07 32:21

You know, like she needs to hear it.

SPEAKER_01 32:24

Okay, my 18-year-old self, I think I would tell her well now I'm getting emotional.

SPEAKER_06 32:30

I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Um I think I would tell her you did everything you said you were gonna do. And despite all the obstacles, you're gonna win.

SPEAKER_07 32:50

And are winning.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

And are winning and is winning, and will forever win. And and and you don't need to dim yourself for anyone, any reason, or any room that you're in because you are amazing for just existing. I think that's what I tell her. I love her.

SPEAKER_07 33:13

I love Hari. I love her. Can I hug you?

SPEAKER_03 33:16

Wow, yes, like amazing.

SPEAKER_07 33:23

Now I'm gonna hold your hand for the rest of the show.

SPEAKER_03 33:25

Don't be having me up here crying.

SPEAKER_07 33:27

I'm a crying.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

I'm crying. You're about to have black all over my egg.

SPEAKER_07 33:32

I'm leaking, leakage. I need some liquid band. Where are you at?

SPEAKER_03 33:37

What about you? What about you, mate? Uh uh. Listen, it's such a hard question. It is. And listen, I'm like, okay. The screen is. Um, that this the season is temporary, and you're gonna go through storms, but at the end of the storm, there's a rainbow. Um to continue to push forward. Um I know it seems like what you were going through, you were never going to get out of. Um, but you will, and as long as you continue to believe in yourself, to believe in your worth, um, yeah, you will see the other side. You will. Um and that you are going and getting what you've dreamed, what you've manifested, the things that you thought about when you were a little girl, you will see those things. So just keep going.

unknown 34:38

Beautiful.

SPEAKER_06 34:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:41

There's a tissue. I can't stand you guys right now.

unknown 34:44

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 34:45

I know.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

And I ain't even that type of gay to be crying.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

I ain't got time. Jeez.

SPEAKER_07 34:53

All right. Um, jeez. So you so you are gonna be sticking around and performing for us later, right? Yes, I am. What are you gonna be performing? And and and and tell us the reason behind the record.

SPEAKER_03 35:05

Yes, so I am performing my song, Checking In. It's out on all platforms right now.

SPEAKER_07 35:09

Checking in.

SPEAKER_03 35:10

Checking in. So basically, I'm gonna break it down for y'all. All right. We're ready. We're ready. I'm sure we've all had a situation, situation ship in the past, and it ended. We're thinking about that person. We want to go back, but we don't know how. So we wait until it's their birthday to send them a birthday text. Oh, please. To let that be the door in. So that quite literally. But you're like, actually. So literally, quite literally, that thought is what drove me writing this story.

SPEAKER_05 35:41

Somebody's guilty girl.

SPEAKER_03 35:42

Oh my god, let's go. Literally yesterday, like you gets in the giraffes. So yeah, so that is it's called checking in, for lack of better terms. You know, spinning the block on that op bag.

unknown 35:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 35:56

Can we can we toast the check-in in? Pull a little bit in your cub, because you're a little dry.

SPEAKER_03 36:01

No, no, she knows what we can.

SPEAKER_06 36:04

Oh no, this is gonna give me. This is good.

SPEAKER_07 36:06

Let's get a nice, you know, a little juicy just a little flacious.

SPEAKER_06 36:10

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_07 36:11

But so we just want to wrap this episode up. And and I want to look in this camera and just say to all the black women out there that are doubting yourselves, that are pushing your finish line, I just want to say you are enough today, not five months from now, not five weeks from now, not five years from now. You're enough today. And we're gonna put a fucking glass up for y'all. We love y'all. And we uh give them help.

SPEAKER_02 36:33

But before we go out though, hey, this is episode 13. And you know, there's a sip uh the superstition in the whole podcast world. If you go, you know what? If you go to episode 13, that means you're successful. Look, that means you actually you're sick, you stuck through it and you did it. So this is our episode 13.

SPEAKER_00 36:50

Congrats, episode 13.

SPEAKER_01 36:51

Congratulations.

SPEAKER_07 36:53

Pretty cool for two two two two two black boys.

SPEAKER_00 36:55

You know, hello.

SPEAKER_07 36:57

I'm a man now, though. And look, and thank you to 1050, thank you to Ukray, thank you to Lexi, and thank you to everyone that's had a part of the show. Shout out to Sean for uh being my forever um, you know, uh everything. And uh Andre, just shout out to you, man. Andre came to meet with this idea and we made it a thing. And I'm just proud of you. You're such a brilliant person and a great friend, and I'm proud of you.

SPEAKER_02 37:25

You know, I couldn't not ask to do this with anybody else but you. Oh because you know what we're gonna cry no more, though. Seriously. You know, it's like you have these conversations with your friends on brunch and whatever, and so I'm like, we might as well just do this. Put a camera for you. Crazy was like, bet. Let's go. And this, let's do it, and this is how we are.

SPEAKER_01 37:47

I love that.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

Well, y'all just stay tuned.

SPEAKER_07 37:50

We'll be back with a performance from the incredible, the incomparable maverick. Woo! Yes, my oh my. Like I promised earlier in the episode, we had an opportunity to have this artist not only be a panelist, but she's gonna bless us. The definition of a maverick is someone that doesn't fit in, someone that breaks rules, someone that does their own thing and makes their own path. And that's what this artist has done. Maverick is checking in with us and performing for the first time ever on a mouthful. This legend in the making is blessing us. So without further ado, Maverick's gonna be in the building. Let's go.

unknown 38:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 38:59

Yeah, I'm staying on memory. Time to stay the same. No more given it, just say I ran out of things to say. You went check on me anyway. I thought I was on the day, yeah. I forgot about it. I know you excited. I see you in a minute. Can we talk just a bit of it? Yeah. Stay the same, yeah. Don't give it just away. Here we go. You making it hard for me to get you out my mind. And it's been over doing come out of you holding out. That's more careful that I can take. I will have nothing to say. But you wake up anyway. I thought I was a day. I forgot about it. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I would have things to stay. But you wish it going anyway. I had a bit, I wanna know, are you down? Are you ready to go? I don't like the way you stay on the change of bumper. I wanna know, are you down? Are you ready to go? Hey, I forgot about it. Can we talk a little bit? Can we talk just a little bit? I forgot about it. I know you excited. I can see you in a minute. Can we talk just a little bit? Wondering if you can put it down on me, spin about me one more time. Put it down on me, spin above on me one more time.