Battle Fatigue

The 90s were a TIME to be Black and be in film. And a lot of us were raised by the content from this film. It was also a moment for relevance, connectivity, and realizing that the spectrum of Blackness was a lot closer together than we may have realized. Set It Off? Above the Rim? Friday? New Jack City? Black folks were living on the silver screen. In this episode, Dalin and AJ dive into the subject of 4 movies from the 90s - Boomerang, Soul Food, Bad Boys, and Love & Basketball - that influenced their relationships with the culture and how it cultivated who they became as adults. They'll also talk about the relevance these films may have today. So grab that popcorn, chocolate of your choice, and extra large icee (go to the bathroom first) because Battle Fatigue is taking you to the movies!

At Battle Fatigue's core, finding reasons for joy and laughter amongst the madness is key. And today's history re-telling is no different. Prepare yourself for a wild ride and very true story. In this episode, AJ regales us with the story of what happens when a counterfeit prodigy, a big bad with Thanos vibes, a relentless secret service agent (think Tommy Lee Jones in U.S. Marshals), and a smooth talking informant get together for an insane plot with more twists than a pretzel factory! Oh, what's the plot?  To steal Abe Lincoln's body. Join a fully-invested Dalin as he tries to keep up with everything going on in an episode we call: Counterfeit Lincoln! 

In this episode of Battle Fatigue, AJ and Dalin slow things down for a second for a check-in with each other. The world is literally going to hell in a daisy-painted handbasket and the duo wants to chill and process some of the major moments happening around us, together. If you are feeling overwhelmed or unmoored and need something to help give you words that make you feel like, “yup, I felt that too,” join these best friends for a very honest check in. 

***Trigger Warning*** This episode of Battle Fatigue deals with a reaction to the decision to overturn Roe v Wade. AJ and Dalin will be discussing the history of experimentation on Black people - specifically Black women - from the time of slavery until today.    AJ will break down how deeply rooted gynecological studies have been in causing trauma to the bodies of Black women. And you will hear about how methods of bondage, abortion, breeding, and overall sexual assault with Black women have been used to further the American agenda and other scientific advancements. If it wasn't clear, this episode is about Black women. Listener discretion is highly advised. Tune in if you can, but please take care of yourselves. 

Okay BF community, we have a ridiculous treat for you today (and us as well)! As you all know, AJ has her list of top 5 favorite historical figures, one of which is Robert Smalls. We spoke about this legendary life in a previous episode (Regulators, Mount Up! We're Stealing A Boat) and received amazing responses from you! One of those responses came in the form of (*deep breath*) educator, thought leader, legacy keeper, CEO, father, husband, and great-great grandson of Robert Smalls: Michael Boulware Moore! And he chose to share his story on the show. Excuse us while we do a wildly choreographed dance break of joy. During this special guest-featured episode, the dynamic duo interview Mr. Michael B. Moore on the connective tissue that is his life and the legacy of his great-great grandfather, Congressman Smalls. We'll get into - as AJ puts it - “my man Rob's” existence outside of the history books too. Did he laugh often? Did he enjoy Sunday afternoons on the porch with a glass of iced tea? What section of the paper did he read first? We'll also hear how the legacy of Robert Smalls continues in Mr. Moore and what it's like to carry the beauty and weight of it all throughout fatherhood. This is not an episode to miss! 

The office is often a not-so-conventional space for Black people to exist. Most people are told to hang up their problems when they get to work, but what about having to hang up your Blackness? Working in predominantly White spaces can come with its own sets of prejudices and stresses. In this episode, AJ and Dalin recall some of their early and more current experiences of systemic racism in and around the cubicle. They'll talk microaggressions and other discriminations as only they know how.

***NOTE: This episode was recorded one day before the horrific events in Uvalde, Texas at Robb Elementary School.*** In this blerd-to-end-all-blerd episodes, AJ and Dalin are back with another Debate Mixtape throw down. In volume 4, they tackle the still unresolved issue: Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie and is there a middle ground for the two? We'll also discover the best and SECOND best Disney villains with their friend-affirming answers and hear the moment when Dalin renders AJ speechless (not for long, but still). Then things get more serious when they ponder whether OG Justice League member Martian Manhunter chose Blackness as a visual representation and home of his personal grief. Go deep into the questions inside of the questions on this blerd-i-sode ep of Battle Fatigue. 

Sometimes you just need a Black joy and friendship session to get through the day... to get through the week, even. And if a good laugh is the medicine you need too, then join us for a little comedy and camaraderie. 

Well, it finally happened. AJ finally gets to nerd out about one of her other favorite historical figures: her main man Rob. In this episode of Battle Fatigue, the duo journey through the fascinating life of Robert Smalls. This spy story is wild and winding and just when you think it's over, there's more. The reveals are too many to count and Dalin has a lot of questions. There aren't too many stories from the days of enslavement that end with a sense of unbridled hope and overflowing pride. This isn't just a tale of survival. It's a tale of what's possible. So buckle up, buttercup! We're going on a wild ride with the badass, Robert Smalls. Hope you don't get seasick. 

Well, it was a wild Women's History Month and Black women are still getting the sh*t end of the deal. In this episode of Battle Fatigue, the bestie duo look at the treatment of Black women, past and present. And Dalin, like only he can, gets AJ to give some insight into what being a Black woman looks like in her slice of reality. Between the confirmation hearings of Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson to the countless moments during Women's History Month, in which Black women have not been cared for, this one is a heavy episode. If you have Black women in your life and don't know how to love and support them, maybe this is the episode for you. In true BF fashion, we get through it with love, laughter and friendship. 

What do the Greenwood, Mississippi-based McGhee family, the KKK, and Marlon Brando have in common? Well, apparently the answer is Bob Zellner, civil rights activist and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee's (SNCC) first white field secretary. In this variety session of Battle Fatigue, AJ recalls some of her favorite stories as heard from the living legend in the movement himself. We know that Black history is often one of violence and despair and it can be easy to forget that in times of crisis and survival, there can be pockets of joy and relief. How did Mrs. McGhee beat on a police officer in his place of business and get away with it? Why would you ever need to tell an episcopal pastor to shut up? Why does Marlon Brando go through so many shoes? Tune in to find out these answers and more in this multi-tale episode of "one day you'll look back on this and laugh. If the trauma lets you." SHOW NOTES: https://snccdigital.org/people/mcghee-family/

"Do you know why today's a great day? Because we are gonna be...nerrrrds!" In this nerdisode, AJ and Dalin catch up on some much needed discussions regarding the latest in things Marvel, DC,  Disney, Star Wars, comics, and more. It's a beautiful thing when one of your versions of self-care and recharge can happen with another person. Tune in for verbal shenanigans and other outlandishness as our hosts with the most talk nerdy to you.

At it again. BF community, this one hits deep. In this episode of Battle Fatigue, we exist in this show's namesake. Hard. AJ and Dalin talk explicitly through the odd and frustrating infatuations non-Black folks have with saying the N-word. What is this perpetual verbal tug-of-war about? Is gatekeeping the only reason it's such a magnet for toxicity? Could a day of freedom from the inconsiderations of whiteness towards Black people be bartered for? Will we ever catch a break? Tune in with us because things are weird and we're very much over it.

This one was special! Battle Fatigue is a show about history, mental health, and Blackness. Interwoven between these topics are joy, pain, growth, music, laughter, learning, unlearning, and community. And it's within that community that we find a connection that reinforces what this show is all about. In a fantastic collaborative effort with The Seattle Repertory Theatre, AJ and Dalin spent some time with the creators of Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Now, if you didn't already know, Mrs. Hamer is easily AJ's favorite historical figure and the “history shakes” haven't stopped since she found out this 2 part series was happening. Join us in Part I as we get the amazing opportunity to sit with the dynamite trio of playwright Cheryl L. West, director Henry Godinez, and music director Felton Offard about the history of the first show to open Seattle Rep's doors since the pandemic began. We'll discuss how the “little play that could…maybe” got it's outdoor start in Chicago and traveled from neighborhood to neighborhood to share the story of a Mississippi sharecropper who would change who would change the world. We'll hear about how the creative team came together, the impact of having a song in your heart, and how the play has evolved over the years. This crew has a ton of chemistry that you can hear and feel. And of course, AJ gets to fangirl about Fannie Lou Hamer. In Part II of our collaboration series, we have the esteemed privilege of speaking with the accomplished, decorated, and legendary actress and Chicago native, E. Faye Butler. The conversation discusses the culture, how Mrs. Hamer taught us to show up for Blackness, what makes Mahalia Jackson so special (aside from being, you know, Mahalia Jackson), and why this play is the perfect story for right now. We also learn why becoming Fannie Lou Hamer is more of an ancestral embodiment and in true Battle Fatigue fashion, what E. Faye's self care regimen is.  Both of these episodes are not to be missed! Whether you go see Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer (virtually or physically) and then press play on us or the other way around… just make sure you do both! ******* SHOW NOTES: Tickets to Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer - https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202122-season/fannie/ Have a refresher! Battle Fatigue episode “Fannie Lou and the Crew” (aired Oct 2021) wherever you get your podcasts!

This one was special! Battle Fatigue is a show about history, mental health, and Blackness. Interwoven between these topics are joy, pain, growth, music, laughter, learning, unlearning, and community. And it's within that community that we find a connection that reinforces what this show is all about. In a fantastic collaborative effort with The Seattle Repertory Theatre, AJ and Dalin spent some time with the creators of Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Now, if you didn't already know, Mrs. Hamer is easily AJ's favorite historical figure and the “history shakes” haven't stopped since she found out this 2 part series was happening.  Join us in Part I as we get the amazing opportunity to sit with the dynamite trio of playwright Cheryl L. West, director Henry Godinez, and music director Felton Offard about the history of the first show to open Seattle Rep's doors since the pandemic began. We'll discuss how the “little play that could…maybe” got it's outdoor start in Chicago and traveled from neighborhood to neighborhood to share the story of a Mississippi sharecropper who would change who would change the world. We'll hear about how the creative team came together, the impact of having a song in your heart, and how the play has evolved over the years. This crew has a ton of chemistry that you can hear and feel. And of course, AJ gets to fangirl about Fannie Lou Hamer.  In Part II of our collaboration series, we have the esteemed privilege of speaking with the accomplished, decorated, and legendary actress and Chicago native, E. Faye Butler. The conversation discusses the culture, how Mrs. Hamer taught us to show up for Blackness, what makes Mahalia Jackson so special (aside from being, you know, Mahalia Jackson), and why this play is the perfect story for right now. We also learn why becoming Fannie Lou Hamer is more of an ancestral embodiment and in true Battle Fatigue fashion, what E. Faye's self care regimen is. Both of these episodes are not to be missed! Whether you go see Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer (virtually or physically) and then press play on us or the other way around… just make sure you do both! ****** SHOW NOTES:  Tickets to Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer - https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202122-season/fannie/ Have a refresher! Battle Fatigue episode “Fannie Lou and the Crew” (aired Oct 2021) wherever you get your podcasts!

Happy new 365 y'all! (Hacked by AJ, don't mind her…) *ahem* It's a new year for Battle Fatigue and we hope you had the holidays you deserved. So we know AJ loves rabbit holes and Dalin loves trying to dig her out, but this trip in a history wonderland is as ridiculous as they come. Kick back as AJ leads you through the ridiculous story of how one man's misguided ambition led to a fake slave insurrection and the secret squirrel henchmen discovered to be [no spoilers!]. It sounds wild, but like many parts of history, it's true. And if that's not enough - and more importantly - the duo will show just how closely related we are to it all today. It's the ties that bind in this one!

So how was your Turkey Day? Ours was full of amazing food, family, friends, and music. AJ, Dalin, and the entire BF Team are incredibly thankful for every single one of you and the opportunities we have to be in your ears; we can't express that enough. It continues to be an honor that we don't take for granted. In this freestyle episode, AJ and Dalin use their time together to check in on each other and talk what food might show up on the table in this pre-holiday conversation posted after the holiday! Enjoy!!

Do you feel like there's a blanket expectation for Black folks to forgive in the face of racial terror? On this episode of Battle Fatigue, your favorite twosome dig into their current ideas around forgiveness. With a historical backdrop, AJ and Dalin delve into the layers of forgiveness within the context of racial terror. How do you feel about forgiveness? Do you ask for it or just expect it? Join us as we explore what the post credits scene looks like after an apology.

You know what it is. Press play.

***TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains graphic content describing racial violence that leads to the death of Black people. 5:32-6:09 - Dalin reads a quote from JW Milam justifying his violence against Black people and has excessive use of the word “n*gger”.  43:10 - 44:50: Trigger warning – AJ describes the graphic murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner*** A Tupac diss track on racists? In this episode, AJ talks with Dalin about her favorite historical figure, Fannie Lou Hamer, and the movement she pioneered called the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. The civil rights activist blazed trail after trail in the Jim Crow South, championing for Black voices and increasing awareness of voting rights. This story is difficult. The story is necessary. So bring your notepad and a pen because class is in session for this one. I think AJ has a test at the end. Spoiler Alert: She doesn't. SHOW NOTES: JW Milam confession on murder of Emmett Till: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/till-killers-confession/ Browder v. Gayle - The women before Rosa Parks https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/browder-v-gayle-the-women-before-rosa-parks The Freedom Riders https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/browder-v-gayle-the-women-before-rosa-parks The Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brotherhood-sleeping-car-porters-1925-1978/ “The Big Six” Organizers of the Civil Rights Movement https://www.thoughtco.com/men-of-the-civil-rights-movement-45371 Freedom Summer aka the Mississippi Summer Project https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-summer Who Was Ella Baker? https://ellabakercenter.org/who-was-ella-baker/ The Legacy of Bob Moses (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2021/07/25/1020501110/bob-moses-1960s-sncc-civil-rights-leader-math-educator-dies-at-86 Strom Thurmond's secret child was a Black woman. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/us/essie-mae-washington-williams-secret-child-of-famous-father-dies-at-87.html

Last summer, we saw a worldwide movement for Black lives and a resurgence of Black Lives Matter. This brought many who considered themselves allies much visibility. Now, as conversations around social justice, allyship, and advocacy are brought into spaces they weren't in before, we take a deeper look at the often self-proclaimed moniker of “ally”. Should allies self-identify? Should you get a pat on the back for being an ally? In this episode, Dalin and AJ explore what allyship looks like from their individual perspectives. They'll also have a candid dialogue about hesitation around deeper friendships with white folks and how the risk of racial trauma can weigh heavily on that potential relationship. This one's definitely a ride!

It's been a while, but that Disney Money Energy is officially in full effect with a brand new logo and brand new theme music, dubbed Powerline Funk! Your favorite Blerds are back and ready to give y'all “what I did over the summer” essays like we used to do in school...but with way more laughter. Season 2 kicks off AJ and Dalin being themselves and finding safety and solidarity in each other. So basically, the friendship continues! You're about to hear about all kinds of life changes and adventures, like the trip to the heart of the Confederacy to find the burial location of a spy; true story when half your squad is a certified Historical Scavenger Hunter. So come press play and have a check in with Battle Fatigue. We love that you're here!

***BATTLE FATIGUE RE-RELEASE ALERT! Its the anniversary of our August 28th Episode about...August 28th! Take another listen to one of our favorite episodes on it's one year mark. We have new episodes coming very soon!*** “What we're gonna do right here is go back, way back, back into time...” The month of August holds an incredible amount of Black history in it, particularly August 28th. From the murder of Emmett Till to the March on Washington to our forever President, Barack Obama, accepting the Democratic nomination, August 28th holds a generational connective tissue in the fight for Black freedom. In this chapter, Dalin and AJ discuss when and how they were affected by these symbolic moments in the timeline and take a deeper dive into some of the lesser-known parts of these stories.

Guess what! It’s the season finale and we are incredibly grateful you let us in your ears for all this time. But like Pringles, we couldn’t stop at just one so the friend goals that is AJ and Dalin... will return for season two! [movie trailer voice] “And this time, it’s personal.” We’ll be back with more Blackness, more therapy, more history, more laughs, more flats vs drums and did we mention more Blackness? Whew! Ok, all that said, how about one more ride to wrap the season properly? In this episode, AJ and Dalin dig into Marvel making Blackness more canon with series like The Falcon and Winter Soldier. They’ll make some very real life ties to our healthcare system and it’s experimental history with Black people, which leads to the question: to vax or not to vax? We had a blast with you this season and can’t wait to do it again. Be sure to keep it locked on our Twitter/FB/IG @BattleFatiguePC for more news and shenanigans. See you there! SHOW NOTES: Little Marvin on why he created Them: https://collider.com/little-marvin-interview-them-amazon/#:~:text=And%20so%2C%20first%20and%20foremost,hasn%27t%20stopped%20since%20then. Marsai Martin article on what type of content she will not produce: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/naacp-image-awards-marsai-martin-reveals-no-black-pain-project-rule-4154489/ Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: https://www.joydegruy.com/post-traumatic-slave-syndrome Will Smith's Emancipation: https://deadline.com/2020/06/antoine-fuqua-will-smith-emancipation-runaway-slave-movie-package-the-scourged-back-photo-timely-virtual-cannes-market-title-1202959110/ Gabrielle Byndloss’s Role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/atlanta-actress-gabrielle-byndloss-enters-marvel-cinematic-universe-with-small-role/GI7MTUWPTFASDPZUGWOLEZ5PFM/

Class is in session! In our final episode for this year’s Women’s History Month, Battle Fatigue goes into a little more History 101 on the Civil War and talk about the brilliant, elusive, larger than life being who is THE Conductor of the Underground Railroad. Join us on a journey that explores the self-liberation Black folks have always engaged in and learn about how an illiterate, formerly enslaved Black woman led one of the most successful and daring raids during the Civil War. AJ and Dalin were on one this episode, with disrespect and recklessness levels on full display. Come peep game and laugh with us before we get sent to the Principal’s Office. ************ SHOW NOTES: Black American Sign Language: https://splinternews.com/asl-and-black-asl-yes-theres-a-difference-1793840928 "Lincoln’s Address on Colonization to a Deputation of Negroes” https://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/lincoln5/1:812?rgn=div1;view=fulltext The Emancipation Proclamation https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation#:~:text=President%20Abraham%20Lincoln%20issued%20the,and%20henceforward%20shall%20be%20free."

It’s Women’s History Month and boy, do we have an story for you! In a world, where America was in Civil War and the country was on fire. The South was trying to keep Black folks in bondage and the North was trying to keep Black folks in bondage...but way less. Both sides with ulterior motives and in the center, as always, the often political statement that is Black people. But in the midst of all that, we learn about two women who women’d in a way only badass women can women. Feel free to let that sink in then come with us on a trip  of suspense and intrigue crafted and curated by Battle Fatigue’s very own historical scavenger hunter, AJ. It’s a tale of espionage unlike any we have ever heard.  This episode goes deep undercover. Bring your secret decoder ring. Passwords at the door.

It all started with Carter G. Woodson and Negro History Week in February, 1926. Now here we are, 94 years later, at the tail end of another Black History Month. And although BHM is everyday for these two, AJ and Dalin wanted to dedicate time to put some “respek” on the lesser-known names that inspire them. In this episode of Battle Fatigue, the dashing duo take a winding Black road through some major moments in history. From a lawyer to a rock and roll innovator to a poet laureate,  listen as this pair revel in the joys of Black brilliance - the Battle Fatigue way.

It was bound to happen and the time is finally here, you know, four months later! In the latest episode, AJ and Dalin choose violence and chaos with another Debate Mixtape. Last time, their friendship hung in the balance over pizza toppings and movie classifications. This time it’s...well, still pizza toppings and movie classifications; but it's also ranch vs BBQ sauce, the battle of Black women, and more. Before all of that though, the argumentative and yet somehow friendsome duo pause to give Amanda Gorman her flowers. Dalin will also don the historical scavenger hunter mantle (borrowed from AJ) to share some facts on past inaugurations and their infrequent relationship with poetry. Will the friendship survive another low down, dirty deliberation? Does Dalin just decide to keep the mantle? Is AJ still team bougie pizza? Will ketchup enter the chat before it’s too late? Find out in the next (this!) episode of Battle Fatigue Z!

Originally planned to be released just after the holidays (before the January 6th insurrection), AJ and Dalin had a great deal of words and feelings about Pixar’s film, Soul. As they hearken back to the first episode of Battle Fatigue – Mic Check 1,2 1,2 – the duo gives their thoughts about the film’s depiction of Blackness, while exploring their own impressions of representation in the medium. It’s a conversation older than Uncle Remus and Br’er Rabbit and one that can’t seem to stop rearing it’s ugly, prejudicial head over and over again. So let’s talk about it! SHOW NOTES:  https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/8/22149552/soul-pixar-interview-character-afterlife-designs - Dana Murray interview discussing the fact that Joe wasn't originally Black. https://youtu.be/w9AelHh5zwg - Honey deleted scene and why they physically left her out of the movie.

New year, same BS. The start to 2021 was, to no surprise, a continuation of 2020’s shenanigans. The first week was met with Whiteness storming the Capitol in a months-planned effort to throw Congress and prevent the presidential transfer of power. It was a production-freezing moment in time where all eyes were glued to the nearest screen for live-streaming and doom-scrolling at light speeds. But in the midst of all off the madness, our bodies and minds were collecting and processing trauma that, for some, may have been a heavier burden than usual. To witness the treatment and actions of the “patriots” and Capitol Police alike was to watch an almost collaborative effort to slap Black activism in the face. How is it that a White insurrection was met with more peace and humanity than a Black protest? It was a lot to take in, but again, not surprising. In this episode of Battle Fatigue, AJ and Dalin search through the emotional debris of January 6th. Tune in to hear how they saw that day and the effects it held on them in the aftermath. **SHOW NOTES** Andrew Yang Interview about living situations durIng the pandemic Article Open Path Collective Affordable Counseling Here Find a therapist via representation filters here

It’s the conclusion of FUBU NOT U. In Part 2, the kid gloves are off! Dalin, AJ and Project Pilgrimage’s Nathan Hamlin Bean continue their conversation about allyship and whiteness. They discuss Black exposure in White upbringings and how that translates in adulthood. It’s a conversation that feels heavier and more intense than Part 1, culminating in a moment surrounding the question of what it is that White people didn’t know when White people say, “I didn’t know”.  With racism being so prevalent and so American, how has Whiteness developed excuses and other justifications in order to go on with their lives amidst normalized social injustice? Nathan offers a blunt insight to these questions and more as AJ and Dalin continue to hold nothing back. Additionally, they’ll talk Project Pilgrimage - a Seattle-based organization that aims to create conversations around race through intergenerational and interracial experiences. So come rock with us. Because this is one episode where the sequel is just as good as the original.  For more information about Project Pilgrimage: https://projectpilgrimage.org 1619 Project  

It’s Episode 15 and we have our first guest! In this chapter, Dalin and AJ have a socially distanced Zoom chat with Nathan Hamlin Bean – the Community Relations Manager for Project Pilgrimage. The duo hears about Whiteness from the perspective of a New Hampshire-born White person whose only initial exposure to Blackness was tv and Spike Lee. Nathan talks about how his experience and origin story in the city of North Conway - or as he calls it: “the originator of Whiteness” – shaped a racial narrative that he would eventually learn to escape and discover a path to allyship.  This episode also digs into how some of that allyship looks in its infant stages and in what ways White folks can show up with consistency even after that proximity infatuation for justice starts to die down. There ends up being so much to examine, the topic turns into a two-parter. So be sure to check out the first half of this necessary dialogue and stay tuned for part 2, coming really soon!   SHOW NOTES: Project Pilgrimage (Donate to support!) https://projectpilgrimage.org/ Resources for White Allies https://www.dismantlecollective.org/resources/

Don Cheadle, Bart Samson, and Mike Tyson, oh my! With the holiday season in full swing, the hosts with the most wanted to keep it light this episode. AJ and Dalin take a trip down memory lane with a little (it’s a lot of) randomness. Why does AJ hate horror movies? How did Dalin end up in the library all the time? What are the statute of limitations to pretending to be a Planeteer when you’re 10? These questions and so much more in-between gets discussed all before ending with a little moment of gratitude. Because if you can’t be thankful, then you must not be staying hydrated. See? Random. This one’s for the background while you’re driving, shopping, cooking, cleaning, or really, wherever we can add Lawry’s to your coming holiday weekend and beyond. Word to Wednesday Addams.     

Self-Care in the Black community is a slowly dissolving urban legend that’s learning to be more necessity and less luxury. But the work to get there involves undoing certain cultural stigmas and inviting the type of vulnerability we’re often not allowed to be about in the open. In this episode of Battle Fatigue, AJ and Dalin talk through the idea of self-care, how they identify with it, and how they can show up for each other during a year like this one. Grab a warm drink and let’s take a walk - with a few forks in the road - towards taking care of oneself.

Where does the responsibility in Black storytelling lie? How do we handle expressing our truth in film while also staying accountable to our bodies? In today’s episode, Dalin and AJ try to unpack the ideas, progression, and personal experiences when seeing Blackness portrayed in tv, film, and books. They’ll discuss stories they can’t get through or don’t want to experience again and how generations of post-slavery trauma dictates the culture and the way we see ourselves. Can our stories exhibit joy without being obligated to historical and present pain? With some intense dialogue and pockets of laughter, the formidable twosome try to navigate their way towards answers while staying grounded through the difficult moments. Don’t forget to self-care! CHECK OUT BOOK IT REPERTORY THEATRE for Octavia Butler's Childfinder: https://book-it.org/2020/10/press-release-searing-short-story-opens-audio-season/  

If you haven’t already been clued into the friendship between Dalin and AJ, prepare yourself! On this episode of Battle Fatigue, the duo decide to share where they land on certain pop culture topics. Through a game of “This or That”, you’ll get to see how much these two actually do not agree on much of anything. From pizza toppings to best Disney animated film, AJ and Dalin argue with their whole hearts and still aim to remain amazing friends. This one’s a lesson in how a little judgement, friendly debate, and contagious laughter are a surefire formula to keeping the friendship spicy.

At its core, Battle Fatigue is a podcast and safe space for Black folks to be in community as best we can. As it’s often said on the show, the Black experience is specific to the individual going through it, but there are always similarities. In this episode, AJ and Dalin wade into the concept waters of Whiteness and discuss how the institution affects them on a daily basis. Using a little history, a bit of personal stories, and a dash of hypothesizing, the duo cook up some authenticity and laughs as they navigate  their way through the emotional deep sighs that come with existing in White spaces, while being Black. Spoiler Alert: It’s not often easy. Notes William and Ellen Craft: The Escape https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/news/slavery-escape-william-ellen-craft The Story of Homer Plessy https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/obituaries/homer-plessy-overlooked-black-history-month.amp.html Underground Railroad Records: https://www.hpb.com/products/the-underground-railroad-records-9781984855053

Welcome back, BF Community! By now, we know that AJ is against all things horror while Dalin is 100% all in and that dynamic makes for a unique take on their dive into the first four episodes of Lovecraft Country. Caution: There will be spoilers! This week, they’ll talk the real history the series invokes, in addition to what it looks like when Black folks operate in the sci-fi/horror genre unashamed and untethered. From mythical monsters and Indiana Jenkins to James Baldwin and sundown towns, this is a series that explores multiple spectrums simultaneously. It’s so good, even AJ is willing to catch what she can in-between fingers over her eyes! But before all that mess, the duo take a personal moment to honor the life of Chadwick Boseman, specifically his role in Black Panther and the connection it holds to their growing friendship. SHOW NOTES Seattle’s Segregated History  https://www.seattlepi.com/local/opinion/article/Remember-Seattle-s-segregated-history-1222098.php Article referencing Lovecraft Bobo and Emmett Till, shows a picture side-by-side https://metro.co.uk/2020/09/02/lovecraft-country-made-a-heartbreaking-reference-to-emmett-till-and-fans-had-no-idea-13215594/ History of Sundown Towns with reference to Lovecraft Country https://slate.com/culture/2020/08/lovecraft-country-hbo-sundown-towns-real-history.html Baldwin v Buckley Debate https://youtu.be/5Tek9h3a5wQ The racism of HP Lovecraft https://lithub.com/we-cant-ignore-h-p-lovecrafts-white-supremacy/

“What we're gonna do right here is go back, way back, back into time...” The month of August holds an incredible amount of Black history in it, particularly August 28th. From the murder of Emmett Till to the March on Washington to our forever President, Barack Obama, accepting the Democratic nomination, August 28th holds a generational connective tissue in the fight for Black freedom. In this chapter, Dalin and AJ  discuss when and how they were affected by these symbolic moments in the timeline and take a deeper dive into some of the lesser-known parts of these stories. A Kid from Coney Island:  https://www.netflix.com/title/81155851 NOTES: Angus Johnston @studentactivism the tweet thread was from July 18th  Twitter breakdown: https://twitter.com/studentactivism/status/1284472208006545408?s=20 Look magazine by way of PBS: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/till-killers-confession/

It’s been a month since Emmy nominations were announced and flowers need to be delivered: The Watchmen received an insane 26 nods! While Dalin and AJ try to process this achievement in Blackness, they end up down the melanin wormhole that is the Black actor’s career. From Hattie McDaniel to Regina King, they explore sci-fi magical negroes, Black men with swords, and even the identity of Wonder Woman’s sister (spoiler alert: she’s Black). Try to keep up because the nerd is extra strong in this one.  

BF Community, we missed you! Battle Fatigue took a brief, but necessary hiatus because sometimes life, am I right? And now AJ & Dalin - aka the Blerdnamic Duo - are back and ready to serve you all the things on the masterpiece that is Beyonce’s Black is King.  Whether Queen Bey’s dose of Black oxygen is giving you life or not, lean in as we reflect some greatness back to you and dish on The Spectrum of Blackness, Sara (Saartjie) Baartman, and one of the reasons Black folks don’t swim. Somewhere along the line, we might even get to hear from the one and only [spoiler alert]! Are you ready? Cause we are. So tune in now! Or...whenever  it’s appropriate to hold space for a podcast of this magnitude.

Juneteenth is here y’all! As AJ and Dalin celebrate being reunited, their joy coincides with the official day of freedom for Black folks in this country. As we face more dark days in the fight for equality, let this episode be your base, your bright spot and your reminder that being Black is an amazing gift. ------------------------- References on the show: The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln https://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/lincoln5/1:812?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

A lot has happened since our last episode so we thought some bonus conversation was necessary. This week is about identity and intersectionality. All black lives matter but how does that look within our community? How should that look?  The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson https://www.netflix.com/title/80189623 IG/Twitter for Roger on music @1014Rog Produced by: http://www.larjmedia.com      

Fam! It’s an understatement that 2020 has been a difficult one, but for us, May was especially painful. In this episode AJ and Dalin process their feelings on the murder of George Floyd, unpack the response to his death and add in some historical context fitting of the moment. We also take time to honor the 99th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, empower Black Lives, and figure out our Beyonce song of the moment. This one is raw.

This week, Dalin and AJ dive into Black parents and the complicated history of apologizing to children. The duo also discuss their apology language and break down how offering remorse hits different based on who you are. In the process, they sprinkle in a little nerd and Black History. Tune in to find out how this continued journey to shake off generational trauma unfolds! 

Powerline, Princess Tiana, and Soul: In their inaugural episode, AJ and Dalin discuss how the black identity in mainstream animation can be used and removed in order to appease a broader audience.

Every other week, AJ and Dalin dive into what it means to exist in a constant state of recharge and fatigue in today’s climate while finding the self-care necessary in Blackness, Beyoncé, and Batman. If you’re looking to foster community and discover more self-identity, we got you.