When you meet Greg Eskridge, you’ll notice his smile, how easy it is to talk to him, and you’ll lean in when he tells you his story. After being incarcerated for 30 Christmases, he's making this one special. Today, award-winning journalist and storyteller Greg Eskridge reflects on love, family, and what this season means to him.…

'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 dyna…

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…

Let’s take a moment. It was a tense few months leading up to the election. Today we want to pause, and share an ode to the Black women who continue to show up. Featuring an essay by writer Stacia Brown.By Hana Baba and Leila Day

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 wit…

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 f…

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 h…

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 …

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 …

“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 wh…

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 S…

Many children dream of being wildlife experts after watching hours of nature shows, but as grown-ups, it’s rare to meet a Black nature ecologist. Today we hear some unbelievable nature stories with carnivore expert Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. She shares the most fascinating challenges in her career from facing the racialized history of conservation work to…

Get your popcorn! It’s movie night on The Stoop. Whether during filmmaking booms or busts, Black entertainers and filmmakers found a way to show Black love on screen. We explore the history of love in Black movies with film scholar Dr. Artel Great. From the first Black kiss filmed in the 1800s, to the 90's romance renaissance and beyond, we go down…

This season we're leaning into love in all its forms — starting with the city of love, Paris. Leila meets with Sutanya Dacres, an American in France, who transformed her life after heartbreak through the joy of cooking. She also lets us in on the secret ingredient that makes French life feel so romantic.…