This week they bring to you Part 1 of a two part interview with Karl Chen, Esq.  Karl is an estate and business planning attorney whose practice revolves around Estate Planning, Probate Matters and Business Law issues for businesses and individuals. Before they get into financial matters, though, the old high school friends meander down memory lane.

Clearly, their classmates from NYC’s elite Brooklyn Technical High School Class of 1980 form quite a successful and supportive village (check out Pam Skinner from S3: Black Legacies Matter, Kay Benjamin from S3: More Stories on Caribbean Ancestry, and Kim Coles from S1: Coach Kim Coles is in the Building) 

Karl has been on quite a circuitous journey indeed: pivots galore and a disappointing “un”encounter that led to the book Think & Grow Rich that totally changed the trajectory and outlook of his life.

Come back for Part 2 for Estate Planning essentials.

This episode and all previous episodes are available on The Besties’ 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.

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This episode comes out of the Besties Vault, recorded back at the start of our season 2. The Besties began a discussion about a few interesting documentaries and have decided to delve deeper into them as separate episodes this season.  

The 1619 Project chronicles African Americans from the first enslaved Africans brought to America in 1619. Another is Contradiction, which examines the role of the Black church in the lack of prosperity in the Black community.

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.

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This week has been a week of deadlines for Ang - commitments to theater, making custom wigs, and preparing for her first (of many, God-willing) talk on the topic of Black Hair Culture. Leslie keeps firing questions like she’s sitting at the feet of a sage - LOL.

There’s so much more than meets the eye when it comes to the culture of Black hair and Ang just wants to shout it from the rooftops. Did you know that there are mathematical and technological connections to hair braiding? Check out the research of two ethno-mathematicians, Dr Gloria Gilmer and Dr Ronald Eglash,and be amazed!

It’s so refreshing to see the Besties genuinely supporting each other’s pursuits. Thanks for listening. See you next week.

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.

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The Besties start Season 5 with a  heady discussion about voting and the devastation caused by the war in Israel. 

Today is Election Day in the US where many local and state representatives will be decided.  Since few voters realize the impact of these elections on their day-to-day lives, focusing instead on the presidential ones every 4 years, Leslie & Angie make a plea for getting out and making all voices be heard.

Conceding that this is not a politically-based podcast, they find it important to add their views on the bloodshed in southern Israel and Gaza to the cacophony of opinions.

In fact this podcast was created to bring the perspectives of two free-thinking 60-something year old Black women from Brooklyn. And bring it they did. 

Senator Natalie Murdock brings CROWN Act to NC Senate floor

Election Day 2023: What to know from Governor races to Ohio's abortion measure

Your quick guide to the most-watched races of Election Day 2023 | PBS NewsHour

Schoolhouse Rock!

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.

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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.

Leslie felt left out when Angella appeared on television and didn't tell her about it ahead of time. She couldn’t understand why Angella downplayed it as “no big deal”.  The incident led the Besties into a discussion about the ways in which we tend to judge ourselves and engage in negative self talk.  Others may recognize our accomplishments while we experience imposter syndrome.

As Season 4 comes to a close, remember why this podcast was created: to remind you to live out loud and honor the unique ways you show up in the world.  

The well referenced biblical scripture in Matthew reads:  "No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house”.  Let your light shine.  

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.

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Do you ever reflect on your past to remind yourself of the mountains you’ve climbed, the monsters you’ve vanquished, and the lessons you’ve learned? One Bestie does, and thinks it’s a necessity; the other doesn’t and wouldn’t even know where to start.

Ange, the entrepreneur and deep thinker, ran into a dilemma as she did some "mining" of her accomplishments throughout her career: she uncovered a new viable income-generating idea that also totally aligns with how she wants to serve.  Should she stay focused on her current, long-term plan or detour to this new juicy one?

All singularly-focused-for-life-Lez seems to care about is how much time will be left for her in this equation. The comically contentious dialog unfolds in this new episode. If you enjoy this episode or our podcast overall, we welcome your support.

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.

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Open wide and say “AHHH-Mazing”! That’s what Ange and Lez thought of the revelatory information Dr. Nicole McGrath Barnes shared.  Dr. Nicole is a longtime friend and a New Jersey based pediatric dentist who is saving the lives of marginalized children, one mouth at a time.

Oral health is the gateway to total health and is a number one preventable disease. Poor oral health can lead to diabetes, heart disease, low birth weight newborns and other conditions that few would link to the mouth as the source. Seeing the inequities of a broken oral healthcare system firsthand, Dr. Nicole established Kindersmile Foundation in 2007. Kindersmile has treated and educated more than 40,000 children at its 3 locations in NJ and throughout the world.

This episode explores the tragic stories that touched Dr. Nicole deeply and led her to pivot from a profitable private practice and why she feels joy from knowing that she has transformed the trajectories of children and their families. Stay tuned for her documentary, Toothache: The Painful Truth About Oral Healthcare Inequity premiering on Oct. 21, 2023.

If you enjoy this episode or our podcast overall, we welcome your support. 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.

Clitoris. Say it out loud: Clit-o-ris. That glorious organ of the female/traditionally female body has been a topic that Angella has brooded over since listening to Maria Rosok’s TED Talk and learning about  Sophia Wallace’s Cliteracy movement (no pun intended), a couple of years ago. 

In her then 58 yrs, she had never learned anything about the significance, size, or sensitivity of this important part of her body. She felt robbed. She was angry! Of course Leslie heard all about this outrage. To add insult to injury, Leslie recalled that the clitoris was never mentioned in anatomy class in medical school. But the stars aligned and as it turns out, Leslie’s colleague had done extensive historical & anatomical research on this amazing pleasure center.

In this long awaited episode, the Besties talk with  Princeton NJ based gynecologist Dr Maria Sophocles. Dr Sophocles has a thriving medical practice where her 25,000+ patients come from all over the country to receive gender and culturally affirming gynecologic care.  

Angella, Leslie and Maria discuss the patriarchal biases and restraints placed on the clitoris specifically and female genitalia in general, and how these constraints permeate society. Lean in as the Besties explore all things clitoris.

Dr Sophocles’ Practice - Women's Healthcare of Princeton

Gray’s Anatomy

Sigmund Freud’s theory on vaginal orgasm debunked

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You’ll be a fly on the wall in this episode. The Besties catch up after a busy work day and consider, in disbelief, that the 1 yr anniversary of the podcast is fast approaching.  

Did Angie manipulate Leslie into becoming her co-host? Why was Leslie apprehensive and when did their roles switch? 

At some point in their friendship, Leslie had been the risk-taker while Angie was known for and sought as a moral compass.  Marriage played a role in Leslie quieting her 'shenanigans' and divorce has opened Angie up to being more of her authentic self.

Their exploration leads to a discussion of the adventurous good ‘ol days and their views on Christian marital dynamics.

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Leslie looked at the blank wall in her new pool area and immediately an idea hit her. 
She would search for an artist to paint a mural on the wall. 

But is that something that people actually do? How does one move a ‘want’ from idea to inception? Leslie’s search led her to the Orlando area based artist Delia Miller.  As you’ll learn, Delia’s talents stretch way beyond her 20 years.

In this episode, Delia talks about the rollercoaster ride of her journey to becoming a commercial muralist, the historic significance of her largest mural to date, and her many ambitious pursuits with the support of her Jamaican & Belizean parents.

The Besties have a heart for young folks who pursue their dreams; extending support through encouragement, opportunities and of course buying whatever they're selling!

Delia's website
Delia's 7-story mural in historic Parramore
More on the historic African American community of Parramore, Orlando

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Does one really need a “bestie”?  That Ride or Die, Against All Odds, Knows Where the Skeletons Are Buried pal who just seems to ‘get you’? Ang doesn’t think it's a requirement and just when she thinks Les has been convinced, no dice. 

What they absolutely do agree on is the integrity, trust and freedom that continues to strengthen their special bond; and both hope others can find the same.

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Leslie lost a friend last week. She wanted to honor him by speaking his name and saying goodbye; something she wasn't able to do because he went into solitude a few years before his death.

Dr Andrew Citron left behind two daughters and a wife of 29 years when he lost his two year battle with a rare brain cancer.  Leslie first met Andy 16 years ago when she interviewed with him for her current position as a staff anesthesiologist.

They bonded and formed a friendship from the very beginning. Dr Citron was not only a talented anesthesiologist but he was also her boss, a mentor, a friend and an ear to listen  empathetically during those rare but inevitable tough times in the operating room.  Andy was funny, in a soft spoken way, and he was so good-natured that Leslie often told him he was too much of a pushover to be anybody’s boss. 

This episode is a cathartic conversation about her loss.  Through tears, she talks about her connection to Andy, wondering if he knew that he held a special place in her heart. The Besties contemplate to what extent the dying should  consider the grief of those left behind.

Visit Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn website for behind-the-scenes extras.

The Besties separately were brought to tears when they first viewed Ira’s (Ayirani) art - strong, feminine, queer, love-filled, flower-powerful, beautiful, voluptuous, all the things that feel right with the world. 

Ira is an illustrator from New York whose work primarily focuses on the experience of the South Asian Queer-identified community. Their soft-spoken and shy demeanor belies the courageous imagery they create. 

Ira’s art seamlessly juxtaposes a rejection of patriarchal, ageist and colorism-based socialization, especially of girls, in South Asian culture while embracing traditional Hindu symbolism. 

Join the Besties as they get to fall more deeply in awe of this amazing young artist.

Shop Ira's art 
Follow Ira on IG

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It started out innocently enough - Leslie called Angie to talk about what she called a “pet peeve”. Why do some Black women wear satin sleep bonnets outside the house? 

In this episode you’ll hear the besties discuss this seemingly superficial issue and watch it turn into a more serious conversation about respectability politics. Did Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his fellow marchers get any less violent reactions from police than did The Black Panthers? Should being seen as “respectable” continue to be the expectation of Black & brown people?

The Besties go all the way in - not always agreeing but always respectable.

Bonnet Cheerleading Video Courtesy of @cheerlebridee tiktok

Respectability Politics (according to Wikipedia): a political strategy wherein members of a marginalized community will consciously abandon controversial aspects of their cultural-political identity as a method of assimilating, achieving social mobility, and gaining the respect of the majority culture. As a sociological term, it is often pejorative, typically used in a manner critical of the ideology.

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In 2020 the Pew Research Center determined that although, Black people represented 14.2% of all Americans they are only 2.4% of all employer-firm owners. The Federal Reserve System’s 2021 Small Business Credit Survey (SBCS) revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges that small businesses owned by people of color faced prior to the pandemic. 

Leslie and Angella are well aware of these disparities in Black business ownership and they have long been committed to supporting Black owned businesses with their patronage and recommendations.  In this episode of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn they highlight a few of the products and owners whose products they utilize and support.

www.Harlemcandlecompany.com Harlem Candle Company is a luxury home fragrance brand specializing in scented candles inspired by the richness of Harlem. Founded in 2014 by travel and lifestyle expert Teri Johnson, the Harlem Candle Company is the manifestation of her love affair with fragrance, jazz, and Harlem.

https://www.instagram.com/_____komaribathbody347/.  Yolonda Berry, owner of Komari Bath & Body creates handmade & aromatherapy based soaps, body butters, body scrubs, lip balms, & hair care.

https://marche-rue-dix.myshopify.com/ A Brooklyn based Senegalese marketplace of sorts offering clothing and accessories, perfumes, a nail salon and a cafe. 

https://www.harlemsheaven.com/ Milliner Evetta Perry has over 30 years of designing gorgeous one-of-a-kind hats of all kinds for all occasions. Her designs are featured regularly on television and in national and international magazines.

https://www.oiawellness.com/home-fragrances  Oia Wellness is a Brooklyn based Black female owned line of small batch handmade home fragrances.

https://bklynbarsoap.com/  BklynBarSoap is a clean skincare + wellness brand that focuses on sensitive+ eczema +acne-prone skin.  Each product is handcrafted with responsibly sourced  all-natural ingredients with no preservatives and no unnatural additives.

Visit Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn website for behind-the-scenes extras.

Laughter warning: they're together again! After an intense work month at the theater, Ang visits Les to hit the thrift stores for a wardrobe update. In this delightful episode, Ang is in pajamas not knowing that while she slept, Les was called in to work on a case at the hospital at 5:00AM.   

The Besties have gotten thrifting for clothes down to a science - quality, style, fit (alterations are never a problem because they can both sew, remember S1 E1), and price. Les tends to push Ang a bit out of her comfort zone and she's here for it! New outfits are one way to feel fresh,  joyful, and sexy and it can be done without breaking the bank.

Spirits are high because the besties are both on new eating and exercise plans after their lab results (committed to in S2 E8 with guest Registered Dietician Chesha Hodge) showed elevated cholesterol levels. Maybe the increased endorphins from daily exercise had something to do with their decision to try-on pasties and share the hilarious outcome.

This episode is as much about fashion and fun as it is about health and wellbeing. Enjoy!

For behind-the-scenes content on the pasties, join the Bestie Quad Squad on Patreon 

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To bring Season 3 to a close, The Besties are back together in Leslie's infamous closet where the first episodes were recorded.  Episode 9 was planned as a Live on Facebook but the technology gremlins had other plans. Nevertheless, the conversation was filled with fascinating family revelations and ancestral discoveries. The Besties are joined by Natalie Hinds Scott, Colleen Hinds Rogers, their mother, Lilieth Ridguard (Jamaican heritage), and Kay Benjamin (Guyanese heritage), each with their unique tales of tracing their family history.  Both family's discoveries remind us that the world is smaller than we think. You never know when you'll cross paths with a distant cousin.

As our third season closes, we invite our listeners to become subscribers to help us continue to bring refreshingly uncommon perspectives from two free-thinking 60 yr old besties. 

Sign up for The Besties Quad Squad on Patreon at the low monthly $5 and $10 level. The $10 level will give you access to live events, behind-the-scenes content and give feedback to help share how the show evolves.

Click here to join!

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Discovering one's roots is like embarking on a treasure hunt, made even the more challenging when you are from a family of travelers, common in the Caribbean. Two sisters, Natalie Hinds-Scott and Colleen Hinds Rodgers, embarked on such a journey, unearthing fascinating stories of their family's rich heritage.  

One side of the family, where oral history was plentiful, connected Costa Rica to Jamaica to the United States and back. On the other side, the sisters could never have imagined the perfectly aligned convergence that would lead to the former Mesopotamia Plantation in Westmoreland, Jamaica.  Along the way, they would come to be embraced by newly discovered family from England and a white historian, who unknowingly, had been looking for them for decades.  

Let’s stop here to avoid divulging any of the incredible plot twists of the extraordinary story. Enjoy, and your comments are welcome.

Who Are The Winrush Generation? A British Scandal Explained

Richard Dunn - A Tale of Two Plantations: Slave Life and Labor In Jamaica and Virginia

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Now that the podcast is 31 episodes in and nearing the end of Season 3, it's a great time to reintroduce The Besties by rebroadcasting their very first episode. It's their origin story originally entitled: But Can She Sew.  They were brand new to podcasting but determined to jump in with both feet, excited to show how two 60 yr old Black women can live bold expansive lives, without the boundaries placed on them by expectations of age, race, gender, faith traditions, none of it!

 Leslie and Angella first met at Brooklyn Technical High School in 1977 as sophomores, two undercover nerds. They could never have imagined all that this bond would get them through over the next 46 years. 

Enjoy this rebroadcast and discover/rediscover all that created this truly amazing friendship!

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Sit down, get comfortable and listen to the multigenerational stories of one family’s tragedies and triumphs.  Besties Angella and Leslie talk to storyteller and family archivist (and fellow Brooklyn Tech class of ‘80 alum) Pamela Skinner who has made it a mission to chronicle stories of her family from their southern roots as enslaved persons through their migrations north to New York City.  

Pamela unveils compelling narratives about the importance of preserving a legacy for future generations. A family torn by tragedy, yet resolute in finding ways to thrive, will leave you with a range of emotions; from sadness and sympathy to laughter and triumph.  What is particularly satisfying about this episode is the mix of glimpses of everyday life in beautiful Black communities and the larger than life barrier-breakers like her great grand aunt’s successful wrongful death lawsuit against a railroad company in 1913 (1913!!) and her grand aunt, artist & art educator, Mary Emmeline Godfrey, becoming the first African American full-time faculty member hired at Penn State in 1957.

These are the stories that need to be told,  the stories that need to be heard, and the stories we can all learn from. 

Pamela also shares her passion for curating discovered family art through photographs and one of a kind heirloom quilts.   
Sisters Godfrey Collection
A Bond Through Art in honor of my Grandma Ruth & her Sister Mary

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Another crushing step backwards. This is our view of the recent SCOTUS decision to strike down affirmative action in university admissions (except military schools, cunningly).

Plans were in place for a different episode this week but we were so intensely troubled by this breaking news, we decided to lend our voice and experiences to the chorus of outrage. It seems that America is destined to find opportunities to move further away from its promise.  

Connecting the imposition of Jim Crow Laws upon Black people after they had been given a glimpse of self-determination during Reconstruction to the chipping away of meager opportunities for equity since the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  We reflect on white affirmative action being the law of the land for over 300 years, and again now, with this ruling.

Our Blackness is a source of pride and resilience, despite experiences where it is acknowledged with suspicion (Angella at Penn) or made invisible by color-blinded ignorance (Leslie at the hospital). We get into our feelings, our history and our hopes in this compelling and unapologetic conversation.

References:

The Delaney Sisters
Sadie and Bessie Delaney were civil rights sisters born in 1889 and 1891 respectively, to a formerly enslaved father, just before the Jim Crow Laws bloomed into full-blown viciousness in the mid-1890s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Having_Our_Say:_The_Delany_Sisters%27_First_100_Years

With freedom came death & disease
About a quarter of the 4 million enslaved people freed during the  American Civil War died from disease and hunger after being liberated, according to a new book by historian John Downs.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/16/slavery-starvation-civil-war

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“Hmmm, what could you possibly talk about on a podcast about older bolder living?” Angella was in awe of Akron Watson’s talent when they worked together. Who wouldn’t be. He’s had roles on Empire, The Color Purple on Broadway, and so much more. But he’s a 40 yr old Black man so it just wasn’t obvious. When Akron said he wanted to discuss his experiences with ageism, The Besties were all in!

This week on Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn, we welcome multi award-winning actor & singer Akron Watson as we discuss his career, the effects of ageism and othering within the entertainment industry, and the ever-changing climate we're all learning to navigate from generation to generation.

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Mr Reiner was one of Leslie’s 5th grade teachers. Rather than encourage this A-student toward a love of learning and achievement, he secretly warned her new best friend’s mother to end the friendship because Leslie would be a bad influence. That was over 50 years ago, and Leslie has proven him wrong to the highest levels, yet his influence is still felt. For Angella, it was her 1st husband who put his sights on belittling her, despite her impressive accomplishments that far exceeded his own.

Haters gonna hate but you get to choose how much you allow the hater-a-tion to take root. Listen in on how The Besties turned things meant for harm to gain self-love and strength.

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Angella and Leslie have returned from their reboot week vacation. The gloves come off in this “tell-all” episode: what worked and what came up short of their expectations - or should we say “who” came up short?  Were the besties able to stay out of the big box stores? Did the accountability partners stay true to their missions? And what was that very thing that, much to Angella’s consternation, Leslie decided just had to come home with them?

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