If you grow up in the city like I did, you know what "the stoop" means to you. It is often the centerpiece of social interaction. It is your stage to entertain, to listen, to connect, to laugh, to make others laugh, and to cry.
Now, Radiotopia has announced a new podcast with hosts Leila Day and Hana Baba about the concept of "the stoop."
Radiotopia talked with them about their new podcast The Stoop, their favorite episodes, and what they hope listeners will gain from listening to the show.
Q. What led you to create The Stoop?
A. We are both journalists who worked in the same newsroom at public radio station KALW in San Francisco, on the local newsmagazine Crosscurrents (which Hana still hosts). We would have these side conversations about Black topics, things we read in articles, things we were seeing on social media, things we don’t talk a lot about as Black communities, at least openly. Leila is African American, Hana is Sudanese American, and as we talked, we both realized, we are Black but not the same kind of Black.
At times we agree, and at times we don’t, and we come from very different types of Blackness. That’s a perspective we weren’t seeing anywhere, exploring stories with the premise that Blackness is diverse.
Q. How has the show evolved over the years that you've been working on it?
A. We actually started with this idea that we would record conversations on stoops. It sounded like a great idea but it was a sonic fiasco: cars, planes, it was messy. Eventually we realized that we wanted the stories to be more reported, more in-depth storytelling because that’s something we both do. I think over the years we’ve gotten much more comfortable being our true selves, not our journalism selves.
There were a lot of times when we thought, can we have an opinion on this? Can this story affect us in some way? Can we say we are upset, annoyed, scared, angry? The answer was absolutely yes, let's figure out how to do this, objectively but with some soul.
Q. How does it feel to return to Radiotopia more permanently after collaborating with them for Showcase a few years ago?
A. We loved our experience with the Radiotopia Showcase. It was a wonderful opportunity to spread our wings a little wider, and see what can happen with the right partnership.
Q. Why and how is Radiotopia the right fit for The Stoop?
A. We both come out of public radio, so the shared public media ethos is something dear to our hearts. We are all cut from a similar cloth in public media, and feel a kinship with the mission. Also, through our partnership, we intend to do something else that’s close to our hearts: grow Black audio audiences, and connect with communities, both Black American and immigrant, who’ve long felt neglected or unseen by media.
Q. What have been some challenges of reporting and putting together the show?
A. Covid. Covid and Covid. This past year has been a production challenge for sure. We are used to going out and gathering tape, conducting interviews in person, and that wasn’t possible this year. But we pivoted and changed formats for this past season, and we're looking forward to gearing back up safely for the next!
Q. What do you hope listeners will gain from listening to The Stoop?
A. We hope Black listeners can connect, relate, and engage with conversations that are relevant and nuanced. We hope non-Black audiences will gain a more nuanced understanding of the Black experience, in all its diversity, complexity, and joy.
Q. Which episode of The Stoop so far has been the most fun to make and why?
A. We like to strike a balance between ‘heavy’ material, and lighter, more fun episodes, for sure! One we really enjoyed making was The Sounds of Blackness, where we asked people to tell us what sound embodies Blackness for them.
The episode features celebrities like LeVar Burton, Stacey Abrams, and actors Uzo Aduba and David Oyelowo. Answers ranged from the Black National Anthem, to the sound of sizzling chicken on the griddle, to the sound of Timberland boots on a basketball court. The joy was real in that episode!
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