Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast

The past year of isolation and social distancing has changed the way we relate to solitude. The absence of touch, separation from loved ones, and lack of fellowship and intimacy have presented many challenges. We can be lonely when we're alone, but we can also be lonely when we're surrounded by people or in intimate relationships. On the other hand, we can crave more alone time...

The media often portrays the relationships between Black women as adversarial and difficult. If you believe the stereotypes and the propaganda, you might think that Black women don't like each other and don't get along. Of course, that's fallacy and harmful generalization – some Black women are incompatible, just like some people of any other race or gender may be incompatible. If you actually know Black women, you know that their friendships are multifaceted...

The relationships children have with their mothers are so diverse and dynamic. But many of us expect our mothers to be our provider, our teacher, our savior, and our source of comfort. When we are naive, growing children, it's hard to recognize our mothers as whole human beings who have lives beyond those roles. But as we get older and gain more distance and perspective, we realize that our mothers were trying to navigate this challenging world, just like we are...

What's wrong with 'em? It's a simple question that's hard to answer. Jill, Laiya, and Aja try to get to the bottom of some of the questionable things people do, like being unable to have conversations with nuance or wear a mask properly. On the subject of white people with locs: Jill presents pros, and Aja comes back with some strong cons. Of course, these are all observations, not judgments. The question is also: What’s wrong with us? Resource mentioned in this episode: More on Sara Baartman

That Louisiana drawl. The way "you straight?" can mean a dozen different things depending on the tone and situation. The Black mama classic: adding the word "the" in front of everything. And even the Head Nod. Black language is full of beauty and music. Laiya, Aja, and Jill celebrate Black speech and all its nuance, variation, and ingenuity. Resources: Twitter thread about Black units of measurement Facebook post by Ade Efunbukola on similarities between African languages and AAVE

"Compassion, empathy, respect, trust." That's a word from Aja on the qualities that are important in relationships with Black men, whether they are platonic or romantic ones. But we all know that building solid, healthy relationships takes time and looks different for everybody. There's a delicate balance between Black women loving and caring for themselves, and loving and caring for Black men...

We need all the Black stories. The mundane ones. The extravagant ones. The heartbreaking ones. Black life is expansive, and the more we get to see ourselves on screen in new ways, the better. Uplifting the real, raw humanity of Black people on film and television is so important. Jill, Laiya, and Aja talk about the value of slavery narratives, the stories that they want to see produced, and how grateful they are for how far Black storytelling has come...

Jill, Laiya, and Aja have all been the subject of rumors -- some based in truth, some comically false, and some wildly insulting.

Being "the other woman" comes with a whole host of stigmas and assumptions.

From music, to hair, to fashion, non-Black people prove time and again that they're willing to take from Black culture without giving credit where it's due.