Ep. 107 - Myth Buster #4: The Computer Doesn’t Know What Race You Are
Release Date: 01/01/2025
Ep. 126 - Reflection as Resistance: What We Learned From Conversing With Our Mothers
Broke-ish®
On this payday, Amber and Erika pause to reflect on the season opening conversation with their mothers. We discuss the wisdom we gleaned while also noting the parts of their legacy that felt unacknowledged or minimized. Our hope for this conversation is to speak the truth while illuminating how our own entrenchment in patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism often prevents us from fully recognizing their impacts on our actions and the normalization of harm. Through interrogating the legacies our mothers left to us, we endeavor to carry on with the good while courageously discarding actions...
info_outline
Ep. 125 - Family Legacy: Mamas, Daughters, and Black Womanhood
Broke-ish®
It’s a special episode of Broke-ish! Amber and Erika are kicking off the season on Legacy with both their mothers as guests. Amber’s mom, Eleanor Webb, and Erika’s mom, Thelma Taylor, join their daughters to discuss what legacy means to them. We start with their joyful recollection of one of segregation’s few benefits - thriving, loving Black communities - and then glean their insights on church, faith, marriage, and relationships. They recount the legacies of their families and the ones they sought to forge for themselves. Finally, the Queen Mothers leave us with their hopes for the...
info_outline
Ep 124 - It’s a New Season(12)! It’s a New Day!
Broke-ish®
It’s a new season! Amber and Erika are back for Season 12, and it feels surreal to be kicking off a new journey of Broke-ish. This season our theme is “Legacy,, and we’re exploring key areas of Black life - such as media, the church, civic organizations, and financial literacy - and the things we appreciate and hope to preserve while also acknowledging the problem areas that we need to leave behind. We open the season examining Broke-ish’s legacy and how we hope to impact the lived reality of Black Americans with this work. Press play and join the conversation. Welcome back!
info_outline
Ep. 123 - Farewell, Season 11!
Broke-ish®
They say, “all good things must come to an end”! On this episode, Amber and Erika bid farewell to Season 11. We start by reflecting on the last seven years and Broke-ish’s journey to 11 seasons, including Delina’s departure and Amber’s journey from guest to co-host. Next, we discuss the looming government shutdown and the Democratic Party’s decision to strike a deal with Republicans to seemingly end it. We then pivot into how Minister Malcolm’s teachings offer insight into this situation and our current political climate. His work and pedagogy served as the inspiration for this...
info_outline
Ep: 122 - The U.S. and Facism: As American as Apple Pie - Part 2
Broke-ish®
On this episode of Broke-ish, Amber and Erika continue their discussion on the signs and implications of fascism and authoritarianism in the U.S., particularly its impact on Black people. Through current events such as Trump’s unilateral decision to initiate renovations to the White House, the targeting and criminal prosecution of Black politicians, and the government shut down’s disproportionate impact on Black people. We finish out the conversation with the reminder that, although the current political climate lacks civility and refinement, it is very much a continuation of...
info_outline
Ep. 121 - The U.S. and Facism: As American as Apple Pie - Part 1
Broke-ish®
On this episode of Broke-ish, the discussion centers on the signs and implications of fascism and authoritarianism in the U.S., particularly its impact on Black people. Amber and Erika explore the cultural shifts towards nationalism, the politicization of institutions, and the removal of neutral bureaucrats. They highlight the recent death of Assata Shakur, the controversial speech by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and the introduction of legislation targeting political dissidents. The conversation emphasizes the historical and contemporary manifestations of fascism, the role of patriarchy,...
info_outline
Ep. 120 - In God We Trust?: Race and Religious Extremism
Broke-ish®
This payday, Amber and Erika are joined by their guest, Pastor Kristian A. Smith, a pastor and public theologian, to discuss the rise of radical American religiopolitics and the insidious racism that fuels it. Malcolm X once said, “The greatest single reason for the Christian church’s failure . . . is its failure to combat racism.” This episode explores the racist roots of the most prominent American denominations and their long complicity with racism. Pastor Kristian helps us identify the ways that White Evangelicals have weaponized the Bible to advance a political agenda filled with...
info_outline
Ep. 119 - Chickens Coming Home to Roost: Lessons on Political Violence from Malcolm X
Broke-ish®
This payday, Erika and her guest, Dr. Kehinde Andrews, discuss political violence and the political theory of Malcolm X. We use the death of Ch@rlie K1rk as a springboard to interrogate the role liberals and Black leaders play in stifling political organization and outrage to ultimately act as tools of counterinsurgency. We grapple with what it means to be political and who qualifies. Because Kehinde literally wrote a book on Malcolm X, we dive into what Brother Malcolm said on the topic of political violence and intuit what he might have thought about this political moment. Tune in to see...
info_outline
Ep. 118 - The Pitfalls of Black Capitalism: Lessons from Uncle Nearest and Target
Broke-ish®
This payday Amber and Erika are discussing Black capitalism and why money isn’t enough to save us from the pitfalls of the system. Using two hot-button current events - the Uncle Nearest lawsuit and receivership and Target boycott - we breakdown why capitalism is inherently anti-black and an ineffective liberatory tool. Both examples point to the limitations of capitalism and why Black people’s lack of ownership of the means of production prevents the independence necessary to generate capitalistic gain. Gleaning wisdom from Malcolm X’s evolving beliefs on Black economics and capitalism,...
info_outline
Ep. 117 - The Ugly Truth About Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill
Broke-ish®
On this episode, Amber and Erika are unpacking the details of the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, the legislative centerpiece of President Trump’s presidential agenda. We take a deep dive into who the tax cuts and who benefits from them, and we also explore the areas, such as military and immigration enforcement, where the bill has increased spending. But most importantly, we delve into the largest cuts to social safety net programs in American history. Cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and student loan funding are all existential threats to all working class people, but especially Black...
info_outlineOn this New Year’s Payday, Amber and Erika are busting another myth from our interview with John Hope Bryant. Bryant casually remarked, “If you go to the computer at midnight, the computer doesn’t know what race you are.” The evidence, however, suggests that that is false, and technology and AI is laden with the same biases and racism present within our society. Our guest, Memme Onwudiwe, a Harvard trained space lawyer and EVP of AI company Evisort, breaks down the basics of emerging AI and explains how bias can creep into seemingly neutral technology. We also discuss real examples of how technology bias has caused harm to people and the resistance of some developers to acknowledge the problems. Finally, we discuss whether AI can be used as a tool of resistance to remediate racism and human bias. Press play and join the conversation!