Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn
This is what the world needs now: two free-thinking “seasoned” Black women speaking their truth and inspiring others to do the same. Shaped by 45 years of friendship that began at the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School through the Ivy League, medical school, marriages, divorces, triumphs, parenting queer children, life-threatening illness and many many amazing adventures. Each week, besties Leslie Osei-Tutu and Angella Fraser will push against boundaries in love, culture, careers, faith, politics and out-dated assumptions about women of a certain age. Remember, you’re never too old to change your mind…or your hair! (but more on that later :-)All views are our own and do not reflect the views of our institution/company. Information provided is not intended to serve as medical advice.
Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn
It's Our Anniversary
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The Besties celebrate their one year anniversary and reflect on some of the hilarity and highlights of the past 12 months. After it took 22 takes to record the 1 min trailer though, Leslie was convinced that her brief stint at podcasting was over. She pushed through and the rest is, well, history.
Enjoy excerpts that take you on a brief journey of the early years, how they bonded despite their differences, grew through hard times and the best of times, together. (Episodes & timestamps below)
01:58 Trailer Bloopers
03:40 Trailer
03:41 S1 E1: Our Bestie Beginnings: But Can She Sew?
05:19 S1 E3: Mental Health Morning0
07:13 S1 E8: Some Questions Change Everything
08:56 S2 E1: Season 2 is in the Building
10:56 S1 E6: Gratitude: We Get To Do This!
14:27 S1 E9: Kidney Swap
17:12 S1 E4: You Gotta Have Faith
18:26 S3 E4: Ageism & Othering in the Spotlight
19:40 S1 E10: Coach Kim Coles is in the Building
21:35 S3 E3: F*ck Mr Reiner
Angie and Les look forward to welcoming their 5th season with new guests and new opportunities to continue bringing you their bold, unapologetic selves.
This episode and all previous episodes are available on YouTube. Please join our Besties Quad Squad as a Patreon subscriber at the $5 or $10 monthly level. You'll receive exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Visit Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn website for behind-the-scenes extras.
Hey Les. Hey and you excited? I am so excited. You want to tell them why?
SPEAKER_05Well, this is the last episode of our fourth season. And it's a special episode because it's a special time. Why? It is. Because on October 24th, 2022, we launched our podcast. And our podcast, Black Boomer, Boomer Besties from Brooklyn.
SPEAKER_03We just reached one year, Anch.
SPEAKER_05We did. We reached one year. And let me tell you, um, we've come a long way, baby. We certainly come.
SPEAKER_03A long way. Can I sing you a little song? Happy anniversary. Happy anniversary. Happy anniversary. Happy anniversary.
SPEAKER_05Anniversary.
SPEAKER_03You know what?
SPEAKER_04You weren't supposed to tell them. That was gonna be like our anniversary quiz. Oh, is it? Who would we be quizzing exactly?
SPEAKER_02Uh, our millions of fans.
SPEAKER_05I'm sure we do have them. Um, so this is going to be a nice little compilation episode. It's obviously not a best of. That would be so hard to do because we just really love all of them. All of them. We love our guests, we love the ways that we push each other and challenge each other and how all of that, how vulnerable we've been over the past year. But we did want to first show you, have you hear how it all began.
SPEAKER_04One, two, three. Come on, be honest. I'm sorry. That's okay. Come on, be honest. Isn't it about time you made those changes that keep you from living your best life?
SPEAKER_05We're Leslie and Angela, two free-thinking 60-year-old black women with Brooklyn grit and groove in our veins.
SPEAKER_04We've been best friends for 45 years, folks, and through it all.
SPEAKER_05College cries, work woes, parenting panics, divorce drama, and many, many amazing adventures. We found our voice, and there's no keeping us quiet now.
SPEAKER_04Podcasting may be podcasting may be new to us. Be honest. Isn't it about time you made those changes that keep you from living your best life?
SPEAKER_05Where Leslie I'm sorry, I'm hearing your stomach too much. So if I heard it, then yeah. Yeah. That was hilarious, right? I know. I know. That was I think we had 20. No, it was 22. 20 some takes.
SPEAKER_04It took it took 22 takes to get a minute of that trailer done.
SPEAKER_05But then when we finally got it, I think it was amazing.
SPEAKER_02Remember when I had to go and lay down because I was just too frazzled, and I'm like, I'm never gonna be able to do this. I'm never cut out to be a podcaster. I had to go take a nap and you had to finish it up, and then we got it right.
SPEAKER_05We got it right, and it was amazing.
SPEAKER_04Come on, be honest. Isn't it about time you made those changes that keep you from living your best life?
SPEAKER_05We're Leslie and Angela, two free-thinking 60-year-old black women with Brooklyn grit and groove in our veins.
SPEAKER_04We've been best friends for 45 years, folks, and through it all.
SPEAKER_05College cries, work woes, parenting, panic, divorce drama, and many, many amazing adventures. We found our voice, and there's no keeping us quiet now.
SPEAKER_04Podcasting may be new to us, but we're not at all new to pushing against boundaries in love, careers, faith, and outdated assumptions about women of a certain age.
SPEAKER_05Remember, you're never too old to change your mind. Or your hair, but more on that later.
SPEAKER_04Each week, we promise to bring you uncommon perspectives to help you step into your best view.
SPEAKER_05And we'll do it with honesty, humility, and plenty of humor. Please listen and subscribe to Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn.
SPEAKER_04Our new podcast starting October 24th on Apple, Spotify, and your favorite podcast platforms.
SPEAKER_05See you then. So after 45, it's probably now close to 46 years, we had to reflect on how it all began. And it turns out that we were, we got close right at the beginning. We both saw something in each other and we found a home in each other.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Um, so I really appreciated the structure that Mom Gladys provided, you know, when I was over your house and the sleepovers and things. It was a safety feeling, too.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Wow. So imagine that, folks. Um this chick here wanted more structure, and I was dying to be free. I was dying to be free. And I think what what Leslie, what I saw in Leslie and and what remains true, is that she's a safe place. So I was able to kind of push my boundaries without feeling like she was going to put me in any danger. Right. So what what a what a level of freedom that is when you feel like you can fly, but you're protected by someone who loves you and and and wants, you know, the best for you. And that's what I had with Leslie. And um, and we've we felt this way about each other from pretty early on.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, even before we had words to talk about it. Exactly. And how ironic it is for you to say about a place of safety in lack of structure when we met in the middle, me yearning for more structure, you appreciating less structure. And man, we clicked so early on.
SPEAKER_05But we're definitely not the same. We're wired very differently. Um, so I am definitely a night owl. Leslie is Little Miss Sunshine, and so there's been some tension around her giving me issues because of how late I wake up.
SPEAKER_04I know, but who is still sleeping at 8:30, nine o'clock in the morning? It's just so odd to me that my alarm goes off at five in the morning, you know.
SPEAKER_05So I I I have like I'll wait because you asked the question and I'm waiting for you to allow me to answer.
SPEAKER_04Well, what I'm what I'm saying is I think it's courtesy that I gave you three and a half hours more sleep than I had. Right. You know, before I called. Understood. But I I appreciate the fact that you always answer. And and this is the end of that conversation.
SPEAKER_05Still, I'm not allowed to answer the question. Well, listen, I get this pretty often, but at this point in my life I tune it out more than I really um allow it to get into my psyche. But we have different schedules. You know, I'm a night owl, you know that my flow happens later than yours. And what I've been working on is getting enough sleep instead of worrying about opinions like yours that it's too late to be sleeping and only getting four hours sleep. I've been doing better at staying my butt in bed and getting my full seven hours sleep before I get up, no matter what time I go to sleep. But it's okay. It's okay. I I I don't feel the judgment as badly as I used to. Yeah, no job. It was my it was my choice. It was okay. It was my choice to not put the phone on, do not disturb. And even when I do, your call comes through. I don't know what that is. What is that? It's voodoo. But she's got some issues too. Come on, Ange.
SPEAKER_04I don't have any issues.
SPEAKER_05More recently, I was speaking to someone who works with me in theater, and we were just kind of conceptualizing some work that we would do together. And nothing laid out, just kind of really just um, I wouldn't even call it brainstorming. It was, it was more pitching a loose idea, and then um we each started talking about what could really come of these ideas. And I was talking to Leslie about it, and I could just see her face like, what are you talking about? And I'm like, Les, you're okay. We're we're not trying to solve anything right now, we're not trying to make anything like sequential. It's just, we're just thinking something. I was just right, and Leslie was like, give me an example. There is no example to be had. We're just thinking, and at some point, things are gonna gel and we're gonna say, yeah, that sounds it's almost like, you know, when you see a dog kind of circling and circling and circling, and then they finally get the spot that they want. We both have dogs, so we see this all the time. It's kind of like that, and so it became this, oh my gosh, there we go again. Me being my right brain self and Leslie being her left brain self, and it was hilarious, it was just hilarious because she was really struggling, and then I'm like, oh, okay, maybe I need to make it something so Les would understand it. And then it's like, no, this is called ideation, it is not called solutioning, it's called ideation, and I don't believe well, but there's something about Leslie, she loves details, she loves details, she wants to uncover every single thing, so it's not hard for me to to nail it whenever she asks me a question. It's never hard for me to nail it.
SPEAKER_04One thing that comes with all of the correspondence I get from all of us research is that they go on and on about counseling whether or not we want certain information. And I have to tick so many boxes after they give me more and more information. For example, forthcoming to me will be genetic predispositions to certain illnesses.
SPEAKER_05Do you want that?
SPEAKER_04And genetic predispositions to certain traits and familial traits.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_04And before I got to the final yes, no, or I I'm not sure, there were probably six pages of things I had to read and click through.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_04What are some of the ramifications? What are some of the downsides? What if how this information can be helpful? How it will not be helpful, what it will not mean things like this, where to get more information. What do you think I've answered? How do you think I've answered? All right, let there were two different decisions I had to make. Um I know how you answer what illnesses or diseases I might be um more susceptible or predisposed to in the future. How might I have answered that?
SPEAKER_05Uh you want to know everything.
SPEAKER_02Hell yeah, baby! Microp. Are you kidding me?
SPEAKER_05Release the hounds. Release the hounds. Let me tell you, yeah, yeah. I I I I not so much. Not so much. And I always get it right. Even even though she doesn't like to give me credit, I always get it right.
SPEAKER_04Wow, my mind is flown. So I don't want to really say that you were right.
SPEAKER_02So I'll just stop right here. In case it starts to slip out, I'll just stop right here. You are a piece of work.
SPEAKER_05I already have it written down like 10 times, you saying that I'm right. I've had it recorded, all the things. So there's no there's no turning back. I know how you feel.
SPEAKER_04Whispered it in in my sleep.
SPEAKER_02It might have come to you in a dream.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, it's it we're making an impact.
SPEAKER_05We are, and we will continue continue to do so. And sometimes life gets really, really hard, and it's great to know, Les, that um no matter how hard it gets, we're writing it, we're riding through it together.
SPEAKER_04So helpful for me during that difficult period. But thankfully, and thank God that it ended well because Omari got his kidney and I donated mine. So thank God we're both doing well. At this point, Omari is 26.
SPEAKER_05And how what does dialysis mean? Like how often and for how long? Because I think that when you think about a 26-year-old and going to dialysis as frequently and for as long, it really puts into context what his life was like.
SPEAKER_04And it makes me sad that you asked that question in that way because I realize now that and I was so clueless. I was in close communication with the dialysis centers, and they would just call us up and say he didn't show up. Omari needed to have dialysis three times a week for about four plus hours each session. And I would essentially just beg him, like, why don't you just do it like it's a job? Why don't you just go? It's just 12 hours a week. You know, just do your dialysis. It's like, do you want to die? Are you trying to kill yourself? And here I am, like throwing the medicine part about it. Like, are you depressed? Are you suicidal? Do you need therapy? We can get you therapy. We can, you know what I mean? It's I had no idea until talking to him that it's okay, Larson.
SPEAKER_01Like for a 26-year-old person, he's always the youngest person there. Yeah, he's sitting there with people who are 70 and 80 years old who've lost limbs from diet from diabetes. You know, he's in a relationship and his skin looks different, yeah, his energy level is different.
SPEAKER_04So here I am accusing Omari of not having insight into his illness. And I'm the one that doesn't have insight into it.
SPEAKER_05I didn't even have a clue. Yeah, I didn't even have a clue. Yeah, and you've helped me through so much too. Um, I mean, just as I navigate life and trying to figure out how I want to um feel love and express love, and you've been there, you continue to rock with me.
SPEAKER_04You know, but throughout the podcast, we've always been able to celebrate the richness of our friendships and our connections. Remember when we talk about the Bible study, though? Yes. Our weekly Saturday morning Bible study started with six people.
SPEAKER_05Six people. And it ended with three. But wait, it started with six, but then we added people along the way. And then kind of more and they kind of either dropped off or got kicked off the boat, voted on, voted off the island, or they couldn't take the key.
SPEAKER_04I mean, some people Christians did not kick anyone off the boat. I'm just saying they may have tried to walk on water and it failed them.
SPEAKER_05Listen, we are just not for everybody. We're not for everybody.
SPEAKER_04That's the whole thing. And and what? And sadly, we're just not for every Christian.
SPEAKER_05That is so true. I think some of the funniest um episodes have been around um how we engage with other people in our circle. Remember this one? Why are you all dressed up? Where are you going?
SPEAKER_04Well, yeah, I just had to represent because we have a special guest today. So I want my aluminum foil.
SPEAKER_05And wait, it looks like you're wearing Lame. Listen, I'm a child of the 60s, so I can do that. Do you want to explain aluminum?
SPEAKER_04Well, I decided that since we had our first male podcast guest, I would dress up in a special outfit. So I wore what I call my aluminum blouse.
SPEAKER_05And then when we had our dear friend Kim Coles on, and she gave you that evaluation. This to me, I felt like I was gonna pass out laughing. With the two of you guys, it was a bit.
SPEAKER_04Well, you know, whenever the three of us get together, it's always a party. You know how when we eat when we go to restaurants together, people start looking at us because we get so loud. So what did you expect?
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna start with you, Leslie, since you seem to be a little reticent. Well, so wait till you hear your name. I'm gonna tell you your new name. Your your advantage is your, I'm sorry, your uh archetype is you are the change agent. Don't ask go, Leslie. Go, go, go, Leslie. Your advantages are power and innovation. I'm gonna give you just uh, you know, I wasn't gonna add this to the mix, but let me just give you this. I'm gonna tell you two things that I that I love, love, love about this. Number one, you have a twin, so I can call you either the change agent or I can call you, you're gonna love this, the maverick leader. Oh, not the maverick leader.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah. I want the maverick leader. Okay, ML for sure. ML for sure. The Maverick leader. Does it feel good? No. And I'll allow you to call me Maverick. Okay. It's no longer Leslie.
SPEAKER_00It's no longer the Maverick Leader. Now, here's what's really cool about this is that Maverick, excuse me. Dr.
SPEAKER_04Maverick Leader.
SPEAKER_00Wait a minute now. Dr. Maverick Leader.
SPEAKER_05And then that was funny. And then, dear Mr. Reiner. Oh my gosh. He is a whole, we had to have a whole episode. Mr.
SPEAKER_04Reiner was not the actual title of the episode.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_04We can't use that word. We don't want to make this one explicit. He just messed up with too many people's minds. Okay. And it's like, you're out of it. You're out of here. You're out of here.
SPEAKER_05Okay. I think we should. I think that's a great, I think that's a great idea. I think that's a great idea.
SPEAKER_04So listen. Stay tuned. Season four. Listen. No, no.
SPEAKER_00Season four.
SPEAKER_04Not season four. Return of Mr. Reiner. Okay, guys.
SPEAKER_05No, Mr. Reiner explained. Mr.
SPEAKER_04Reiner explained. We'll make it skull of it.
SPEAKER_00Okay, all right.
SPEAKER_04So uh you know what? This has been another episode of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn.
SPEAKER_05Brooklyn. See you next time.
