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.
Episodes
164 episodes
Ep164 Can one partner be everything? Part 2 with Ethical Non-Monogamy Coach Taylor K. Sparks
Ready to rethink the intimacy rules you didn’t know you were following? The Besties continue their conversation with ethical non-monogamy coach Taylor Sparks for a candid, laugh-out-loud and deeply practical tour through radical honesty, jea...
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Season 17
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Episode 2
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46:06
Ep163 Let’s Talk About Ethical Non‑Monogamy, Sexual Wellness, And Dismantling Shame
What if the rules you grew up with about love and loyalty aren’t the only ethical guides for successful relationships? Clutch your pearls this week as Besties Angella and Leslie sit down with Taylor K. Sparks, the 65 yr old Owner of Organic ...
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Season 17
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Episode 1
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30:53
Ep162 What’s Really In The Way Of Our Retirement
What really stands between you and retirement: the numbers, or the story you tell yourself about them? Besties Angella and Leslie open the closet—literally, with a funny cashmere moment—and then open up about the deeper calculus of stepping ...
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Season 16
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Episode 11
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31:54
Ep161 A candid conversation about self-care and burnout
Angella and Leslie discuss caregiver guilt and the risks of letting health gains slip. The Besties of nearly fifty years share how small, steady habits can protect mood, sleep and identity when stress seems to take over life. From intermitte...
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Season 16
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Episode 10
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25:21
Ep160 The Flu, Friendship, And Fresh Starts in 2026
Besties Angella and Leslie ring in the new year with flu-brained humor, a surprise holiday reunion, and a grounded reset on health, money, and meaning. Between tissues and the usual laughs, they share what to watch for with flu symptoms, set...
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Season 16
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Episode 9
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25:51
Ep159 When Family Hurts: Going No Contact And Healing
Angella and Leslie wrestle with how to set boundaries with loved ones without guilt, why the concept of “no contact” is gaining language online, and what healing looks like on both sides of estrangement. As usual, humor li...
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Season 16
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Episode 8
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51:17
Ep158 Rethinking Celebration: Acts Of Care As Resistance
The holidays can feel like two different seasons at once: sentimental and sparkly on the surface, heavy and hectic underneath. Besties Angella and Leslie speak honestly about both and offer a way forward that doesn’t require a shopping cart—...
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Season 16
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Episode 7
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28:29
Ep157 How do you make peace last when life moves on fast?
Ever notice how after the prayers and the crescendo of miracles, the next wave of worry comes to snatch it away? Our family just lived through a medical crisis and a hard-won turn for the better, and we’re honest about the whiplash that foll...
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Season 16
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Episode 6
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33:04
Ep156 The African Hair Braiding Salon: Examining This Messy Nexus of The Diaspora
The Besties return this week after taking a much needed “peace pause”. They return to unpack a viral video of a salon arrest and the deeper tensions it exposes between Black Americans and African immigrants. Angella and Leslie weigh boycott ...
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Season 16
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Episode 5
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33:29
Ep155 A Praise Report to celebrate with us
The Besties reflect on a morning of quiet prayer that turned into a cascade of miracles: a son spoke, moved, answered questions, and became eligible for a transfer to acute rehab. Leslie describes the emotional whiplash o...
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Season 16
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Episode 4
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56:27
Ep154 She Left A Safe Career To Build Joyful Work On Stage
The Besties trace Angella’s pivots from a 30 plus year corporate career in IT to becoming an entrepreneur who works in theater, showing how one bold choice can open a chain of unexpected doors. Craft, culture and courage meet in scenes from ...
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Season 16
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Episode 3
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41:29
Ep153 A Mother-Physician Navigates Her Child's Crisis, Care, And Community
The Besties share a candid and honest account of navigating a son’s sudden critical illness while balancing the roles of mother, physician and partner. Joy and grief sit side by side as they lean on community, faith and psychotherapy to move...
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Season 16
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Episode 2
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28:44
Ep152 Bones, Estrogen, And Aging Strong
Changes in menopause are more than just mood and temperature swings; it is a rewiring of bone biology. The Besties sit down again with Dr. Toni Otway, a New Jersey Board Certified OB-GYN physician, to unpack how falling estrogen levels...
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Season 16
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Episode 1
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38:50
Ep151 Am I trippin? Facing the truth about over shopping
A thirty-year-old sweater sparks a surprising truth: when your clothes outlive trends, milestones and possibly lifespan, maybe the smartest style move is to stop buying and start noticing. The Besties celebrate their three-year mark by repla...
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Season 15
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Episode 10
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38:43
Ep150 Navigating midlife love: Get smaller or get clearer
The moment someone says you’re “too much,” you face a fork in the road: get smaller or get clearer. We chose clarity. To mark three years of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn, the Besties rebroadcast a past episode where a relationship that...
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Season 15
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Episode 9
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50:00
Ep149 She said yes at 63: A second proposal 40 yrs later
A FaceTime that wouldn’t connect, a birthday ice cream run, and a red box hidden under a saucer—then four words that change everything: will you marry me? We’re celebrating a surprise engagement that’s decades in the making and unpacking wha...
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Season 15
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Episode 8
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38:29
Ep148 Wildcard Questions : Do we really know each other after 50 years?
Two best friends trade wildcard questions about possibility, mortality, love, and “enough,” mixing belly laughs with clear-eyed truth. We unpack being overlooked, parenting triggers, belonging in medicine, and building a good life rooted in sel...
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Season 15
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Episode 7
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37:26
Ep147 Boomers Doing AI
Besties Angella and Leslie, two 60-something year old Black women, reveal their concerns over artificial intelligence and explore how AI can enhance rather than threaten their lives.They reference an episode of John Hope Bryant...
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Season 15
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Episode 6
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44:59
Ep146 Joy Over Fear: What Scares Us Most About Leaving
The Besties explore their fears about moving to Panama while choosing to let joy shine through instead of letting fear take control. This candid conversation reveals their concerns about relocating abroad and how they're working through them...
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Season 15
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Episode 5
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50:38
Ep145 Joy Over Fear: Your Body Deserves More Than You're Giving It
Dr. Dianah Lake shares her journey from personal crisis to fitness transformation, creating a holistic wellness program specifically designed for high-achieving women who prioritize everyone else's needs above their own. Her approach address...
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Season 15
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Episode 4
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45:11
Ep144 Joy Over Fear: Why we left the trappings of our marriages
Angella and Leslie explore how choosing joy over fear transformed their lives, particularly in relationships. They share personal stories about leaving marriages that weren't serving them, despite the comfort of familiarity and fear of the u...
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Season 15
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Episode 3
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49:54
Ep143 Joy Over Fear: Conquering Money Shame
Michelle Malawer is a money coach for women. She joins The Besties to explore how unresolved financial issues may create barriers to joy and fulfillment in our lives.She explains that money struggles affect people at all ...
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Season 15
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Episode 2
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46:30
Ep142 Legacy Work: Guiding girls into STEM/STEAM with global travel experiences
Black Girls Go Global is changing the world through their one-week STEAM educational program where young Black women travel internationally to learn about sustainable development. Board members Rolanda Goodwin and Lisa Randolph share how thi...
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Season 15
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Episode 1
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45:49
Ep 141 Freedom Dreams: How Black Women Shaped American Education
When Emory University professor and scholar Dr. Karida L. Brown began researching America's segregated education system, she didn't expect to uncover a radical history of resistance, innovation, and profound courage. Yet after eight years of...
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Season 14
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Episode 10
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53:07
Ep140: A fabulous future starts today
This week Besties Angella and Leslie explore how to invest now to create a future that their older selves will thank them for. They were inspired by an 82-year-old patient who's maintained friendships since high school and lives vibrantly in...
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Season 14
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Episode 9
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35:54