Stay ConnectedAnd THAT’s That! is a wickedly smart, thought-provoking, and accessible conversation tying together current events and Black culture. Hosted by Taryn Finley, Ja’han Jones, and Shaquille Romblay.
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This week kicks off Women’s History Month with a discussion about trailblazing Black women, and we're making sure to include the Black women shaping U.S. history in real time.
Republican governors in Texas and Mississippi recently announced they are ending face mask requirements in their states and allowing businesses to open at 100% capacity — even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage throughout the country.
Black communities have been among the hardest-hit by COVID-19. Many of them have been ignored in states’ haste to reopen, and very often, it has been Black women performing the essential work ― both professional and nonprofessional ― to keep these communities going.
Similarly, Black women have been key in responding to recent infrastructure failures across the South, including a weeks-long water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, after bitterly cold temperatures destroyed dozens of water mains and left thousands without access.
On this episode, hosts Taryn Finley, Shaquille Romblay and Ja’han Jones talk about Black women leading the charge during times of crisis and how best to celebrate women without burdening them with expectations that they are simply here to serve others.
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It’s the last week of Black History month, fam! And on this episode, drawing from the lens of Black history, the hosts imagine a future where all Black people have access to proper medicine and technological advancements, and imagine a moment in time where Black trans women are protected, loved and respected by all members of the community.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 27 transgender and gender non-conforming people were violently killed in 2020 — more than any other year since HRC began tracking this data in 2013. Asanni Armon, a transgender activist and founder of the organization For the Gworls sat down with Shaquille Romblay to explain why we have to continue to emphasize that “Black Trans Lives Matter.”
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Black history needs to be celebrated all year long, but Black History Month is an apt time to give flowers to our giants whose talents and contributions often go overlooked. This week on the podcast we're uplifting some of the unsung living legends of today. We sing singer-songwriter extraordinaire Jazmine Sullivan’s praises, shine a light on Black artist and scholar David Driskell and give props to Hollywood veteran Vivica A. Fox.
Later in the episode, Producer Felicia D. Henderson sits down with HuffPost senior enterprise editor Erin E. Evans to talk about her career journey. Henderson has worked on “Moesha,” “Soul Food,” “Sister, Sister,” “Family Matters” and other TV shows. While Henderson has helped break the mold of how Black stories are told on television, she tells Evans that her work breaking down boundaries wasn’t planned, but a result of her following her “creative curiosity.”
And That's That!
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Without question, “Judas and the Black Messiah” is one of this year’s most highly anticipated films. The project, co-written and directed by Shaka King, is a star-studded story of betrayal ― here, the killing of Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton as told by Bill O’Neal, the police informant who did him in.
Hampton’s killing by Chicago police is a story familiar to many, but in “Judas,” depictions of Hampton’s surroundings during that period ― aswirl with friends, family and foes ― add color to an iconic figure we often experience through black-and-white photos and video. That’s why we were so hyped to welcome this week’s guest, Dominique Fishback. In “Judas,” Dominique stars as Deborah Johnson (who now goes by the name Akua Njeri), Fred Hampton’s fiancee, political partner and the mother of Fred Hampton Jr. In her scenes, Fishback makes clear that Johnson was not a role-player in anyone’s story ― she was an activist in her own right whose teachings guided Hampton and the Black Panther Party spiritually.
Also on this episode, we talk about what Black love means to us, then give our take on Netflix's new film Malcolm and Marie, and offer some suggestions for how to love on yourself and others this Valentine's Day.
Shaquille: Haus of Hoodoo
Taryn: Lit Brooklyn | Addie Rawr | McBride Sisters Wine | FORIA Wellness
Ja'han: Chicago South Side Film Festival
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Happy Black History Month, fam!
It’s the time of the year, when we get to be unapologetically us and pay homage to our legends, angels and heroes. On this episode we focus on the legacy of Hollywood icon Cicely Tyson, who recently died at age 96. We also discuss the Nobel Peace Prize nominations for both Stacey Abrams and the Black Lives Matter movement, notable snubs from the Golden Globe Awards nominations, and why you should probably watch the NAACP Image Awards instead.
Later on Taryn sits down with a very special guest: TV producer Mara Brock Akil, who is responsible for legendary Black TV classics such as “Girlfriends” and “The Game.” In the interview, Brock Akil talks about her legacy, the shows she created, her new Netflix deal and the future of storytelling.
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Colorism is centuries old, yet some folks wanna act brand new.
Singer DaniLeigh dropped a Triller video of her bopping to her latest single “Yellow Bone” on Sunday. In the song, she expresses her man’s love for “yellow bones,” a very problematic way to describe light-skinned women. Not only was the song terrible, but it was drenched in colorist language.
After people on social media called her out, the Dominican singer issued an apology that made it clear that she didn’t understand why her song was offensive and feeding into a colorist and misogynistic system.
On this episode, journalist Ivie Ani joins the podcast to break down colorism in music and entertainment and how it is specifically dangerous to Black women.
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Welcome back, y’all! This Inauguration Day ― held in spite of violent white supremacist insurrectionists who just weeks ago waged a war on the U.S. Capitol to prevent it ― simply hit different.
On our first episode of 2021, we reflect on the inauguration and how we each celebrated the transition of power from Ol’ Boy and His Friends to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
There is a lot of work ahead for the new administration, but the inauguration afforded us all deserved time ― a few moments ― to acknowledge how dire things have been over the past four years and to celebrate the people who worked hardest to rescue the U.S. from the grips of authoritarianism.
We knew we had to kick this season off right, so we were excited to welcome HuffPost’s senior enterprise editor and friend-of-the-show Erin E. Evans, who joined us to discuss her recent piece reflecting on the Capitol riot, America’s history with white terrorism and the way forward for the Biden-Harris administration.
We touch all bases in this one. Come for our sober-minded deliberation, stay for our best “so-you-just-survived-four-years-of-pseudo-fascism” tips.
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It’s the last episode of the year, and we have to be honest and, most important, we have to be real: 2020 done snatched everyone’s wigs off their heads in some way, shape or form. However, 2021 is approaching like a thief in the middle of the night, and we’re hoping the new year comes with some wig glue to stick our crowns right back on our heads.
This week, Taryn and Shaquille talk with author and wellness consultant Alex Elle about her new book, “After the Rain: Gentle Reminders for Healing, Courage, and Self-Love.” Elle gives listeners advice on what steps they should take to go into the new year with a positive state of mind.
But first, the hosts break down the highs and lows of the year 2020, talking about everything, including the rise of Verzuz battles to Kanye West’s shocking run for the presidency. And That's That!
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While President Trump continues to spread misinformation about the 2020 election results, talk show host Zerlina Maxwell is calling for the end of white politics. This week on, “And That’s That” Taryn and Shaquille talk with Maxwell, author of “The End of White Politics: How to Heal Our Liberal Divide,” about the future of the Democratic Party, rising progressive stars such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Jamaal Bowman and how Trump used identity politics to win the 2016 election.
“Donald Trump ran on identity politics too,” Maxwell told HuffPost. “White is an identity. And he effectively exploited that in order to play to certain types of voters, frankly. He did that even more so in 2020, but I think in 2016, Americans were a little bit naive about the fact that he was playing to white identity with explicitly racist messaging.”
Also on this episode, Shaquille and Taryn chat about Aunty Dionne’s Twitter fingers and the Verzuz battle everyone’s waiting for: Ashanti versus Keyshia Cole.
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Just because Black Friday and Small Business Saturday have passed doesn’t mean you can’t continue to support Black-owned businesses.
This week, we're joined by We Buy Black CEO Shareef Abdul-Malik to discuss the importance of cooperative economics and supporting Black businesses this holiday season and far beyond.
Elsewhere in the episode, we cover former President Barack Obama’s critique of the phrase “defund the police,” Chet Hanks’ audacity, plastic surgery double standards and Keyshia Cole’s anticipated Verzuz battle.
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Just in time for Thanksgiving week, Nikole Hannah-Jones joins the podcast to discuss revisionist history, which often omits the ways slavery provided a foundation for the U.S. to thrive. She is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The New York Times Magazine and creator of the 1619 Project. In the time since its debut, “The 1619 Project” has been widely celebrated for its candor and creativity, and some schools around the country have even introduced it into their curricula.
Predictably, the project has had vocal, vitriolic detractors — most of whom are white and one of whom is an outgoing president — revolt against its honest depictions of America’s founding, which deviate from the rosy images they have seen for years.
In short: They big mad!
But ― to borrow a trite phrase ― “facts don’t care about your feelings.” Hannah-Jones is as powerful a truth-teller as you will find today. Listen and learn.
Later in the episode, Ja'han and Shaquille dissect the 2021 GRAMMY award nominees, and discuss Hasan Minhaj's viral video, as well as the powerful 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' reunion special, and why Netflix is pulling 'Chapelle's Show' from its catalog.
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Y'all, 2020 has put her foot in it! This year we've seen heavy news of all sorts, from endless instances of police shooting Black people, to a deadly pandemic and an election that saw the nation teetering on the brink of autocracy. Many Americans are coping with these traumas while in isolation.
Joining us this week is licensed therapist Nicola Pierre-Smith, an expert in mental wellness who offers guidance as several states across the nation prepare to impose some form of lockdown to curb the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Pierre-Smith specializes in advising clients who have undergone trauma, and she is the founder of Melanated Women’s Health, an organization focused on destigmatizing mental health care in Black and brown communities. Luckily, Pierre-Smith has some tips to help us keep our spirits high during this time.
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Hell week — er, election week is finally over, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been announced as president-elect and vice president-elect. For the first time in history, a Black, South Asian American woman who graduated from a historically Black university has been elected vice president. And, of course, Donald Trump is having a hissy fit instead of bowing out gracefully.
After four long days of vote-counting drama, Four Seasons (Total Landscaping, not the hotel chain!) mix-ups and Black women carrying this election on their backs yet again, HuffPost front page editor Phil Lewis joins the latest episode as a special guest to help break down this historic news.
Plus, we get into the nitty gritty of this week’s latest headlines that have nothing to do with politics at all, because truth is, we’re tired, including what King Von’s death means for Chicago’s drill music scene, Alex Trebek’s multigenerational importance in Black families and Keke Palmer’s tweets about electronic benefits transfer cards.
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The madness surrounding the election just could not keep us away from our listeners this week. We’re back and switching it up this episode for an election special, and we’re joined by Jamelle Bouie, New York Times columnist and political analyst for CBS News, to discuss all there is to know about the 2020 election and the potential results.
“Going into election night, the expectation was that this was either going to be a total repudiation of the president’s party or they hold on somehow.” Bouie told HuffPost. “It looks like we’re getting basically a combination of both outcomes.”
Bouie talks with the hosts about the huge turnout among Black voters in swing states across the country, America’s debt to Black voters, especially Black women; and how Trump has used his platform as America’s most famous fraud to his advantage. And the hosts share what it was like to vote this election.
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2020 isn’t just the year of COVID. It’s a year of crossroads. And there is no turning back now amid this historic social justice movement, with millions taking their rallying cries to the streets *during a pandemic*
On this week’s episode, we are joined by one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alicia Garza to discuss her new book, ”The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart.” Garza drops gems, rubies and pearls about the history of the Black Lives Matter movement and explains the importance of voting in this upcoming election.
Also joining us this episode is HuffPost UK producer and friend of the show, Jayson Mansaray, to discuss Black History Month in the UK, which is commemorated in October. We talk about the legacy of the celebratory month, the racism Meghan Markle experienced at the hands of the British press, and how the Black Lives Matter movement in the US has influenced protests and discourse in the UK.
Lastly, we discuss virtual homecomings and the new trailer for Cheaters with “Love & Hip Hop New York’s” own creep squad captain Peter Gunz, and much more. And THAT’S That!
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This year, a confluence of social catastrophes in America has shed light on longstanding, life-altering power imbalances. The coronavirus pandemic, protests against police violence and numerous high-profile incidents involving sexual and domestic violence have all revealed that suffering is not shared equally. Even during times of universal crisis, there are always groups who fare better than others by exploiting their privilege.
Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too movement, has spent decades dismantling these kinds of power structures. Burke is the brilliant mind behind the modern movement against sexual violence and abuse, which was founded in 2006. Today she is ushering the movement into its next phase. Her new platform, called “Act Too,” is designed to give users tools to combat abuse and to ensure that marginalized voices have a stake in how the movement proceeds. With Me Too entering its “second act,” Burke joined “And THAT’S That!” to discuss ways the pandemic is endangering victims of assault.
This episode is good for the soul and will leave you with some powerful action items. Check it!
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While Americans are calling to defund the police in the United States, Nigerians are demanding an end to police corruption and violence through the global hashtag #ENDSARS. For nearly two weeks, protesters in the West African country have taken to the streets to fight for an end to the federal police force Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) after a video emerged of officers allegedly killing a man. Though the global attention to this issue is new, Amnesty International Country Director Osai Ojigho, our guest this episode, tells us that the call to end SARS has been going on for about five years.
Elsewhere in the episode we discuss the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, the unimpeachable legacy of Lebron James after the Lakers championship run in the NBA bubble, the return of Supermarket Sweep, and much more.
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It’s mask-on mask-off at the White House. The news surrounding COVID-19 in the White House shows no signs of slowing down. On this week’s episode of “And THAT’S That,” we discuss the latest updates on the coronavirus in chief spreading germs in the Oval Office and the historic vice presidential debate featuring Sen. Kamala Harris who let everyone know she’s not here for the lectures from that “fly” guy VP Mike Pence.
But with no love lost on politics, the president is not the only one trying to get chose in 2020.
Cuffing season is early this year as folks are trying to find pandemic partners to make it through the second wave together. We welcomed this week’s guest, career and dating coach Charreah K. Jackson. Jackson is the bestselling author of “Boss Bride: The Powerful Woman’s Playbook for Love & Success,” and talks to us about what might go down in the DMs when looking for a cuffing season boo, safe sex in a pandemic and how social distancing mixes with social networking for likes and love.
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For our first episode, we knew we had to welcome a guest who could match our steez ― someone proudly, loudly and unquestionably Black, unbothered by his haters and with an uncommon amount of energy. We wanted someone whose spirit would help set the tone for the types of wide-ranging convos we’ll be having with y’all each week. Enter Jamaal Bowman from New York, a rising star of the Democratic Party, a former school principal and ― we should say ― a certified rhyme-spitter.
Bowman, a first-time candidate for Congress and a progressive, rode a wide wave of multiracial support to defeat his opponent, 16-term incumbent Eliot Engel, to become the Democrats’ pick to represent New York’s 16th District. And he did it all in true style and slight flex. Bowman’s got that Baldwin-like fire inside him, and he chops it up with us to break down power, the pandemic and Raekwon’s classic album “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.”
We also discuss the latest updates in the Breonna Taylor case, the presidential debate shitshow, Wendy verzuz Nene and how Hippolyta teaches us all how to truly support Black women. Check it!
“And THAT’S That!” is produced and edited by Izzy Best, Nick Offenberg, Sara Patterson, and Becca DeGregorio. If you have a question or a comment about the show or a suggestion for an episode, email us at andthatsthat@huffpost.com
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Introducing And THAT'S That! A new HuffPost podcast covering the latest in Black news and culture. Every week you'll hear a mix of roundtable conversations and guest interviews that bring nuance to pressing issues facing the Black community today. Step into our virtual living room and join us as we process the heaviness and balance it with joy. New episodes drop weekly on Fridays this fall.
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