In this second part of their holiday themed episode, Jenn and Daren talk about the importance of chosen family, and not just for queer communities. With Jenn’s partner Jamelle as a guest, they share how they celebrated the holiday season together as a poly family.

In survey after survey, it shows that people, especially younger generations, are increasingly dreading going to family events. And some of the prime reasons for this are ideological differences and offensive lines of questioning. If the point of family holiday gatherings is togetherness, why do over half of Gen-Zers report having a heated argument at them? The trio share the circumstances of them having to “release people” and how fulfilling alternative celebrations have been in their lives. Moving away from traditional family and traditional structures can be difficult, but they stress how much better it was to center their own joy and happiness. It also creates an opportunity to honor the traditions that are meaningful and to build new ones.

They close things out by looking ahead and choosing a word that describes how they are moving forward into 2024.

Reference Material:
PREORDER Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism by Jenn M. Jackson PhD - https://amzn.to/3N5m4Yg
Set Boundaries, Find Peace, The Set Boundaries Workbook 2 Books Collection Set By Nedra Glover Tawwab - https://amzn.to/47Frf9U
What ‘Chosen Family’ Means — and How to Build Your Own - https://www.healthline.com/health/relationships/chosen-family
More than 1 in 3 Gen Zers are choosing friends over family this holiday season - https://fortune.com/well/2023/12/13/1-in-3-gen-z-friends-family-holiday-season-avoid-drama-key/amp/
Survey: Nearly 85% of Americans avoid family over the holidays - https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/travel-insurance/holiday-traditions/
5 Unexpected Insights About People Who Celebrate Friendsgiving - https://civicscience.com/5-Unexpected-Insights-About-People-Who-Celebrate-Friendsgiving

www.ThatBlackCouple.com
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Email: ThatBLKCouple@gmail.com

Podcast Summary:
This is an accidentally funny podcast about the realities of Blackness and adult life. We do “adult” differently. We are That Black Couple.
Our goal is to create a space for Black millennials to discuss and embody adult life on their own terms. We aren’t beholden to “traditional” gender or parenting roles, queerness is fluid and present in the ways we show up in our relationships and in the world, and we want to build community with other 30-something Black folx who are trying to figure this ish out.

S5E10 - Poly For The Holidays Part 2: Letting People Go

In this Rundown episode, Jenn and Daren get caught up on recent pop culture news. They start off talking about how apt it is that during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, it appears that accused abusers like Sea “Diddy” Combs and Russell Simmons are being held accountable. While they are not advocates of the carceral system of punishment, they are fully behind restorative justice, and accountability is a cornerstone of that.

In the second segment, Jenn and Daren give updates on the political landscape, from Joe Biden’s star-studded fundraiser to Candice Owens getting fired from Daily Wire to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. In each instance, they highlight how politically misguided the country is at the moment. At a time where literal genocides are happening, a flashy fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall might look a bit tone deaf. Candice Owens has been a blight for the Black community for years, but her finding her way to Black media after being fired shows the media’s willingness to platform anybody or anything that will draw eyeballs, ears, or clicks. And when the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed, conservative voices focused on trying to blame it on failed immigration policies or DEI, instead of mourning the loss of life and advocating for its restoration.

In the third segment, Jenn and Daren reflect on the space Shaun King and Amanda Seales take up in our culture.Shaun King has been accused of being a grifter for years, and his conversion to Islam to stand “in solidarity” with Palestinians feels like more of the same. And after Amanda Seales complained about articles pointing out that she might be getting iced out Black Hollywood because people might not enjoy working with her, it is time for folks to look at themselves in the mirror and take accountability for their actions. Everything can’t be someone else’s fault. Sometimes you create your own problems.

Reference Material:
S2E26 - Why We Aren't Rooting For Everybody Black - https://soundcloud.com/thatblackcouple/thatblackcouple-ep-26-why-we-arent-rooting-for-everybody-black
S1E8 - Harvey Weinstein and Gaslighting as Culture - https://soundcloud.com/thatblackcouple/thatblackcouple-ep-8-harvey-weinstein-and-gaslighting-as-culture
Op-Ed: It's Time To Admit That Being Liked Is More Important Than Being Good At Your Job - https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/amanda-seales-competence-likability-career/
Amanda Seales is not a victim of anything but her own hubris - https://thegrio.com/2024/04/02/amanda-seales-is-not-a-victim-of-anything-but-her-own-hubris/

www.ThatBlackCouple.com
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Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/podcast/that-black-couple
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/That-Black-Couple-Podcast/dp/B0C12M7Q34/
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Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnNvdW5kY2xvdWQuY29tL3VzZXJzL3NvdW5kY2xvdWQ6dXNlcnM6Mjc2MDExMzcwL3NvdW5kcy5yc3M
Email: ThatBLKCouple@gmail.com

Podcast Summary:
This is an accidentally funny podcast about the realities of Blackness and adult life. We do “adult” differently. We are That Black Couple.
Our goal is to create a space for Black millennials to discuss and embody adult life on their own terms. We aren’t beholden to “traditional” gender or parenting roles, queerness is fluid and present in the ways we show up in our relationships and in the world, and we want to build community with other 30-something Black folx who are trying to figure this ish out.

S6E4 - RUNDOWN | Amanda Seales, Diddy, and Gabrielle Confederacy

In the first segment, Jenn and Daren talk about Janelle Monae coming out as queer and what the resurgence of queerness means for this generation.

In the second segment, Jenn and Daren discuss queerness as a set of gender politics and a set of sexual politics.

In the third segment, Daren reflects on being a heterosexual Black man coupled with a queer Black woman and Jenn reflects on identifying as bisexual, then pansexual, and now queer.

Articles for reference:
* Why, As A Queer Black Woman, It’s Important That I Write About Culture
http://watercoolerconvos.com/2017/02/14/why-as-a-queer-black-woman-its-important-that-i-write-about-culture/
* To be a Black, Queer, Unrespectable Christian in an Era of Unrest
http://watercoolerconvos.com/2015/09/01/to-be-a-black-queer-unrespectable-christian-in-an-era-of-unrest/
* I was most comfortable with my identity when I was anti-Black
http://watercoolerconvos.com/2017/08/04/comfortable-identity-anti-black/
* Watch: Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer [Emotion Picture] 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdH2Sy-BlNE

www.ThatBlackCouple.com
FB: www.facebook.com/ThatBlackCouple
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Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I7nue367hsfjdjbsyxed2tpeoca?t=That_Black_Couple_Podcast
Email: ThatBLKCouple@gmail.com

Podcast Summary:
This is an accidentally funny podcast about the realities of Blackness and adult life. We do “adult” differently. We are That Black Couple.
Our goal is to create a space for Black millennials to discuss and embody adult life on their own terms. We aren’t beholden to “traditional” gender or parenting roles, queerness is fluid and present in the ways we show up in our relationships and in the world, and we want to build community with other 30-something Black folx who are trying to figure this ish out.

S2E17 - Janelle Monae-osexual

This is an accidentally funny podcast about the realities of Blackness and adult life. 

Our goal is to create a space for Black millennials to discuss and embody adult life on their own terms. We aren’t beholden to “traditional” gender or parenting roles, queerness is fluid and present in the ways we show up in our relationships and in the world, and we want to build community with other 30-something Black folx who are trying to figure this ish out.

We do “adult” differently. 


-About Daren and Jenn-

Jenn is a queer, Black feminist from Oakland. Daren is an introverted nerd and novelist from Anaheim.

They are boo’ed up and have been since 2002 when they bonded over a mutual love of Brian McKnight’s “Never Felt This Way”, their favorite Brandy lyrics, and nineties TV like Family Matters, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Living Single. It was a shared obsession with Black cultural icons, histories, and artistry that drew Jenn and Daren to one another even though they are actually completely different personality-wise.

Jenn and Daren have always said to themselves, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had a show?” Well, no major networks have reached out yet. So, until that happens, you can find the them here, sharing their views on race and culture and everything in between.

They are young thirty-somethings who have been married since for over a decade. Jenn and Daren have three beautiful, brilliant, radical, snarky kids who play no games.

S6E4 - RUNDOWN | Amanda Seales, Diddy, and Gabrielle Confederacy

That Black Couple

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