Ready or not, you can’t run. You can’t hide; America’s unjust, racist economics are gonna find you!! In this episode, Amber and Erika are joined by Dr. Algernon Austin, the Director of Race and Economic Justice at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, to discuss how capitalism and economics often function as the invisible, undiscussed arm of American racism. Dr. Austin starts with a historical exposit on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and this nation’s intentional attempts to sanitize, downp...
Jan 15, 2022•53 min
Here we go again, Brokers! Amber and Erika are back for the Season 6 opening episode. Not only do we catch up, but we discuss all the new things coming this season. From audio and visual episodes (we fancy now!), to our new membership in the Black Power Media Network, and our expanded platform - we are giving you the scoop on everything you can expect in the upcoming episodes. We can’t wait for y’all to join us in our new adventures as we try to expand our reach and dive deeper into the broken “...
Jan 01, 2022•50 min
They say, “Time flies when you’re having fun!”, and Season 5 has definitely flown by so quickly. On this Season 5 recap, Amber and Erika take a stroll down memory lane and discuss all the highs and lows of the season, including the takeaways from each episode and the wisdom imparted by our guests. We also spill the tea on what we’re working on and the new things you can expect in Season 6. Tune in to look back at it with us!! Links for giving: 1. Haiti: http://www.elevateherinternational.org/ ht...
Oct 15, 2021•56 min
On this episode, Amber and Erika are joined by Haitian native, Dieula Previlon, to discuss both the beautiful history and present-day environmental and political crises in Haiti. Dieula, who is a trauma counselor, ordained minister, and non-profit executive, offers us unique insight into both the factual occurrences and the real impacts on the hearts and bodies of people living and surviving through it. We start by recounting the courageous history of Haiti’s founding, which is rooted in a succe...
Oct 01, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 54
On this episode, Amber and Erika are joined by Dr. Jared Ball, Professor of Communication and Africana Studies at Morgan State University and expert in media literacy. Dr. Ball, an honorary member of the Broke-ish family, helps us to trace the origins of the media’s power in our society and the ways that powerful elites profit by curating the messages that they want society to believe and buy into. Dr. Ball gives the Brokers a historical overview of how racism within the media shapes the message...
Sep 15, 2021•59 min
On this episode of Broke-ish, Amber and Erika are discussing how not all skinfolk are kinfolk in Black social justice circles. It gets a bit messy as we call out some of your faves and interrogate whether they do more harm than good elevating the stories of victims of police brutality. We question the motives and methods of well-known activists and try to figure out where all the Black Lives Matter money is. Take a listen to the episode to hear what we’re talking about!
Sep 01, 2021•55 min•Season 5Ep. 52
On this episode, Amber and Erika discuss money, marriage, and the unique ways that systemic and economic inequities burden Black love. The impacts of mass incarceration, wage and education gaps, student loan debt, and gender expectations can combine with other societal and cultural barriers to make building an effective financial partnership within a marriage especially difficult. Tune in to hear the hosts’ personal experiences and the objective data on the joys and pains of combining romance wi...
Aug 15, 2021•51 min•Season 5Ep. 51
Broke-ish is officially fifty episodes in, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than a family reunion! Broke-ish co-founder and former co-host, Delina McPhaull, stopped by to interview Amber and Erika. No topic was off-limits as we strolled down memory lane, discussed current events, and of course, we cut up a little and had some fun! Through our reflections on Broke-ish’s past impact and our hopes for its future, this fiftieth episode is all about the love, joy, and familial conne...
Aug 01, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 50
On this episode of Broke-ish, Amber and Erika are discussing Black Athletes - the challenges faced at the highly competitive collegiate level, the impact on mental and physical wellness, finances, and of course, the increasing social and political activism in and out of the sports arena. Joined by Jarrett Drake and Destanie Sykes, two former NCAA Division I athletes, who provide a firsthand account of the unique ways Black collegiate athletes are commodified and expected to produce without the b...
Jul 15, 2021•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 49
In this episode, Amber and Erika debunk the lies surrounding Critical Race Theory and discuss why so many people are invested in disseminating false information and political misstatements around what was, until recently, a relatively unknown interdisciplinary area of study usually reserved for graduate students. Tracing its historical origins to the aftermath of the 1960s Civil Rights Movements, CRT combined legal reasoning and sociological concepts to explain why desegregation did not lead to ...
Jul 01, 2021•41 min•Season 5Ep. 48
On this payday, Amber and Erika are joined by special guest, Jen Kinney, to break down the ins and outs of anti-racism. Jen, our editor, is not only a treasured member of the Broke-ish family; she is also a writer, podcaster, and true ally in the fight against injustice. Through historical references, sociopolitical analysis, and Jen’s personal experiences, we lay out what it means to be truly anti-racist, and why it’s not the same as just being “not racist”. Take a listen and learn the differen...
Jun 15, 2021•52 min•Season 5Ep. 47
In a Broke-ish first, Amber and Erika venture beyond the borders of the United States to discuss the current unrest in Israel and Palestine, specifically the unjust displacement and evictions of Palestinians and the Israeli government’s discriminatory policies towards Palestinian people. In diving into the creation of the State of Israel, Amber and Erika expose the connections to European imperialism and settler colonialism, which are the roots that this nation is founded upon as well. In explor...
Jun 01, 2021•43 min•Season 5Ep. 46
This week Amber and Erika are joined by Reverend Mia Michelle McClain to discuss how weaponized theology combines with insidious White Supremacy and latent self-hate to render the Black Church socially and politically ineffective while also perpetuating harmful pathologies of pain and spiritual dysfunction. Pastor Mia helps us to challenge many long-standing beliefs held by Black evangelicals, in addition to offering insight into how the Black Church can reclaim its place as a center of empowerm...
May 15, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 45
Season Five is here, and Amber and Erika are kicking things off by catching up with the Brokers about what’s been going on in both their personal lives and current events. From COVID to the murder of George Floyd, they highlight the broken “ish” around us that continues to disproportionately impact Black America. And finally, the ladies spill the tea about what you can expect from this season’s episodes and how we highlight not only systems but the people working to both rise above and deconstru...
May 01, 2021•35 min•Season 5Ep. 44
In this episode, join Amber and Erika as they “look back at it” and discuss the highlights of Broke-ish season 4! If you missed any of this season’s episodes, this is the perfect way for you to catch up and get the scoop on the discussions and fabulous guests. We hope you’ll tune in to the finale episode and look back at this season with us!
Feb 15, 2021•33 min•Season 4Ep. 43
This week, Erika is talking about all things Black History. She explores the history of Black History Month and asks if we still need it, does it benefit us, and is it broken. Pull out your best MLK suit or Rosa Parks dress and listen as we think about the celebration in a new way.
Feb 01, 2021•19 min•Season 4Ep. 42
This week, Amber and Erika are joined by Dr. Cindy Ayers Elliott, CEO of Footprint Farms, LLC in Jackson, Mississippi to discuss the substantial, but little known role that Black farmers play in American agribusiness as well as the ways that systemic racism and White Supremacy have undermined Black farmers’ industry prominence and financial gain. Using both a historical context plus her own unique experiences as a Black business owner and woman, Dr. Ayers Elliott offers us a unique insight into ...
Jan 15, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 41
In a capitalistic world where “the hustle” and “the grind” are consistently glorified, productivity is prized as proof of both inherent value and meaningful ambition. In this week’s episode, Amber and Erika discuss the unique ways that we as Black people often feel the pressure to be productive and define ourselves by what we do. Starting with the brutal commodification of chattel slavery, the episode explores how American capitalism has imbued into Black bodies a belief that rest is laziness an...
Jan 01, 2021•49 min•Season 4Ep. 40
In this week’s episode, Amber and Erika are joined by former Broke-ish co-host Delina McPhaull and attorney Tiffany Kamuche to have an honest conversation about the intricacies and nuances of Blackness. So often American Blackness is framed against a subtext that assumes we all have the same experiences and beliefs. In this two-part conversation, we first discuss Blackness as an identity - where we enter into it, how our childhoods shaped it, and our beliefs about now in adulthood. Next, we disc...
Dec 15, 2020•49 min•Season 4Ep. 39
In this week’s episode, Amber and Erika are joined by former Broke-ish co-host Delina McPhaull and attorney Tiffany Kamuche to have an honest conversation about the intricacies and nuances of Blackness. So often American Blackness is framed against a subtext that assumes we all have the same experiences and beliefs. In this two-part conversation, we first discuss Blackness as an identity - where we enter into it, how our childhoods shaped it, and our beliefs about now in adulthood. Next, we disc...
Dec 01, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 38
In this episode, Amber and Erika are joined by Joshua Poe, an urban planner, community organizer, and geographer from Louisville, Kentucky to discuss gentrification and urban capitalism, and the threat to Black lives resulting from White Supremacist greed. Utilizing Breonna Taylor’s tragic murder, Mr. Poe explains how many of the issues in Black communities - such as militarized policing, food deserts, and inequitable education - are tied to gentrification and predatory, racist real estate pract...
Nov 15, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 37
In this episode, Amber and Erika discuss the multi-billion dollar dieting industry in America, and how it works in tandem with White Supremacy to push an image of health and wellness that often leaves Black people - particularly Black women - feeling inadequate, insecure, and unable to achieve the “ideal” of healthiness. We discuss how dieting often conflates healthiness with Eurocentric beauty standards, ignoring body diversity, and promoting the cultural superiority of White bodies and food no...
Nov 01, 2020•51 min•Season 4Ep. 36
On this episode, Amber and Erika are joined by activist and political thinker, Corregan Brown, to discuss the importance of the local political landscape and why Black people must start leveraging their political power in ways other than just voting. By recalling his own personal experiences running for local office, Corregan shares with Brokers the impact that Black voices can make being involved in municipal, county, and statewide policy making. Looking beyond presidential politics and nationa...
Oct 15, 2020•54 min•Season 4Ep. 35
In this episode, Amber and Erika discuss poverty shaming and the ways that racism and capitalism conspire to propagandize us into believing that the working poor and impoverished are only on the bottom due to bad choices and lack of ambition and work ethic. However, we break down the data and systemic ish that reveals some of the real reasons behind wealth inequality and the myth of working one’s way up from the bottom to the top. Tune in to get the scoop!
Oct 01, 2020•46 min•Season 4Ep. 34
In this week’s episode Amber and Erika are joined by Dr. Calvin Schermerhorn of Arizona State University to discuss slavery, capitalism, and reparations. Dr. Schermerhorn helps draw a straight line from slavery’s fueling of American capitalism to the inequity and wealth disparities that plague Black America today. We also discuss the need for reparations and this nation’s antagonism to righting the wrongs inflicted by chattel slavery. Tune in to see what we’re talking about!
Sep 15, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 33
Amber and Erika are back in this inaugural episode of Season 4! Not only are they taking a stroll down memory lane to recount the origins of the Broke-ish Podcast, but they also spill the beans on the new direction the show is headed. Tune in to get the scoop on the remixed Broke-ish and what’s in store for Season 4!
Sep 01, 2020•33 min•Season 4Ep. 32
In this episode, Amber and Erika are recapping Season Three of Broke-ish. They discuss the highs and lows of the season, including Amber’s arrival as a permanent co-host, the amazing guests who have joined us, and the topics covered. But we also wax about the impacts of COVID-19 on the podcast and our nation, discussing ways we can hopefully emerge from this historical moment with a renewed commitment to our shared humanity and true equity. Press play to hear what we have to say!
Jul 01, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 31
On this week’s episode, Amber and Erika are joined by Dr. Jeanelle Hope, an Assistant Professor of Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies at Texas Christian University, to discuss the historical and current disparities in the American educational system. From slavery to Brown v. Board of Education and beyond, Dr. Hope discusses both the historical underfunding of Black schools and the inequitable treatment our students have suffered and the long term economic impacts of those disparities on our com...
Jun 15, 2020•52 min•Season 3Ep. 30
In this epsiode Amber and Erika continue their conversation with Dr. Jared Ball of Morgan State University in a discussion of his new book, “The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power." Dr. Ball sets the record straight and provides insight into real ways we can leverage our power to affect change. Tune in to see what else he has to say.
Jun 01, 2020•30 min•Season 3Ep. 29
This week, Amber and Erika are joined by Dr. Jared Ball of Morgan State University to discuss his new book, “The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power”, where he debunks many of the racist misconceptions about Black capitalism and purchasing power. Dr. Ball enlightens the Brokers on the unholy alliance between White capitalists and the Black business elite that fueled the notion that Blacks have one trillion dollars worth of spending power. Discussing both the motives for this falsity and th...
May 15, 2020•36 min•Season 3Ep. 28
