The Bees review our August book of the month and one of our personal all time favorite novels, "The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives" by Lola Shoneyin. The story follows the goings-on in the household of Baba Segi, a polygamist Nigerian man, following the arrival of his fourth wife. Told through the perspective of multiple characters, the story touches on several themes including child labor, arranged marriages, marital deceit, and so much more.
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This week's discussion is a hodge-podge of topics trending across the internet, along with the usual sidebars and tangential rants. The Bees discuss a young woman making the difficult choice to self-deport from America back to Cameroon, while analyzing the current political landscape in both countries. Other topics include a popular motivational speaker allegedly abandoning his daughter, and a couple of AITA posts from Reddit. We hope you enjoy and as always look forward to hearing your comments.
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There's only one Bee in the pod today! B.E. Lyonga shares her thoughts on today's "attention economy", and the ethics of being entertained by other people's real life experiences such as psychological crises, marital problems, and more. As examples she discusses recent viral videos including: a woman claiming that her psychiatrist manipulated her romantic feelings for him, a wife having second thoughts about her marriage, and a homeless mother contemplating suicide. What is the benefit versus the cost of the current oversharing culture?
It's another throwback! While we're "out of office" again this week, we're replaying an episode from 2024. We discuss the history of feminism, the current wave of feminist movement, and trending discourse on gender roles in heterosexual relationships.
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In this previously released episode of Two Bees in a Pod, the cohosts, Bee Lola and B.E. Lyonga dive into the realities of love and relationships in African diaspora communities, gender stereotypes, roles, and expectations that immigrants have when seeking romantic relationships in the U.S: unpacking how patriarchy back home collides with Western dating ideals. Along the way, they share hilarious and jaw-dropping personal stories, blending cultural insight, humor, and unfiltered honesty in a way only the Bees can.
We're diving into our book of the month for July, "My Parents' Marriage" by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond. This is a story about a complicated but all too familiar (for us West Africans) family dynamic, and a daughter who is determined not to repeat the past. In this review we discuss various themes from the book including polygamy, secret families, and the games women play to survive in patriarchal systems.
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This week we're clutching our pearls at a scandalous affair, and answering the question "am I the asshole?".
Let us know if you agree or disagree with our takes.
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This week The Bees are joined by Frank Oben to continue our conversation on queer experiences in the Cameroonian community and beyond. Frank shares his story of struggling with feeling different from an early age, and how the weight of tradition and cultural expectations impacted his mental and physical health. He recounts his experience coming out to friends and family, and the journey of finding self compassion while navigating the world as a Black gay man and an immigrant.
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The Bees discuss our June book of the month, "These Letters End In Tears" by Cameroonian author Musih Tedji Xaviere. We examine how the characters in this queer love story navigate a homophobic society where love can cost you your life. We share our thoughts on how class, gender expression, and other factors may shape how queer people are perceived and treated in the world. That and much more in this episode!
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The Bees are joined by Dr. Sirry Alang, a health services researcher and medical sociologist, to talk about attitudes towards LGBTQ people in the Cameroonian community and beyond. Sirry shares her personal journey from growing up in Bamenda to becoming a prominent academic in the U.S. She shares her experience coming out as gay to her family and friends, and gives examples of what it means to be truly accepting and affirming. We discuss the way forward in having difficult conversations about homophobia, and how to create safe spaces for queer people in our communities.
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The Bees chat with Dr. Tema Fodge about growing up as a Cameroonian-American 'third culture kid'. She shares her experience navigating two different cultures, and some of the pressures placed on TCK by their immigrant parents. We discuss the nuances of cultural identity, code switching, and fitting in.
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The Bees talk with Ijeoma Azubuko, founder and CEO of the Ruby Ball Foundation, an organization that advocates for sickle cell awareness, research, and support for people living with the disease. Ijeoma shares her personal experience living with sickle cell, and cultural taboos around the disease. She also discusses recent developments and progress in treatments, and encourages people living with the disease and their caregivers to have an empowered mindset.
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In honor of Juneteenth, the Bees welcome two guests from the birthplace of Juneteenth. Creshonda Collins and Angela Taylor share with us some of their childhood memories of celebrations on the island, and historical context that is often left out of discussions about Juneteenth in popular media. We discuss the lack of awareness about the holiday and why it took so long for this day to be formally recognized by the U.S. government. We encourage our audience to honor and celebrate this holiday by taking some time to learn more about June 19, 1863 and Galveston, TX.
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We're replaying an oldie but goodie! In anticipation of Juneteenth and our upcoming episode honoring this special holiday, we thought we'd rerun this conversation about bridging gaps and dispelling negative stereotypes amongst the Black Diaspora.
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It's part two of our most popular episode to date! This time we're talking about the history of the Catholic church, women finding community in the church including Bee Lola's return to church, and Christian influence in politics and social media. Be sure to check out the part one which aired on January 22, 2024.
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The Bees return for Season 3. We're catching up on what we've been up to this year, and some of the events that have occurred since the new administration took office in America. We discuss changes in immigration policy that would affect Cameroonian immigrants, layoffs of federal workers, and the impacts of funding cuts to various programs. We finish off with recent pop culture news.
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We’re back! This season on Two Bees in a Pod, we’re diving into My Parents’ Marriage by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and getting real about relationship dynamics in African marriages and of course, cheating in relationships! From African family dynamics to hard truths about love and betrayal—this one’s for our 35+ diaspora fam in North America. Hit play and let’s talk. Our first episode of the new season drops Monday, May 26!
The Bees reflect on the lessons we've taken away from our guests and the inspiring stories they've shared with us this season. As we enter the holiday season and the new year, we give thanks for everyone who has chosen to be part of our community.
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The Bees review our final BOTM for this season and the year, "Arrow of God" by Chinua Achebe. In this novel, a prequel to the classic work "Things Fall Apart", we are taken back to 1920's Nigeria under British colonial rule. We discuss the culture and traditions of the Igbo society where the story takes place, and the impacts of colonization and Christianity on traditional authority structures.
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This week The Bees discuss the concept of 'Black Tax,' a term that refers to the financial support that Black professionals provide to their families and communities. We extend this definition to include financial support that immigrants send back to their families in their countries of origin; we discuss the perception versus reality of life as an immigrant in America in this context.
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