Advertise on podcast: In Those Genes

When Janina Jeff Ringo learned she was pregnant with her first child, she knew pretty quickly she wanted a home birth. People have been giving birth at home for time immemorial, so it seemed straightforward. What she found was anything but.  In this episode, In Those Genes host and your favorite neighborhood Geneti-SIS Dr. Janina Jeff Ringo tells her story of pregnancy, home birth, and postpartum care. She traces how birthing moved from the home to the hospital, what genetics can tell us about the disproportionately poor outcomes Black birthing people experience, and how the professionalization of obstetrics decimated the number of Black midwives.  . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language and discussions about pregnancy, abortion, childbirth, maternal mortality, medical racism, postpartum complications, and reproductive healthcare that may be difficult for some listeners. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript, affectionately known as The Nucleus, which will be available soon. . Want to learn more about the experts featured in this episode? Check out their work below. Dr. Monica R. McLemore is a nurse scientist, professor, and leading scholar in antiracist birth equity research, reproductive health, rights, and justice. Her work examines how research, healthcare systems, and public policy can better support the dignity, autonomy, and lived experiences of pregnant and birthing people. She is also the Professor in the department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing and the Interim Director for the Center for Anti-Racism at University of Washington. University of Washington profile:https://nursing.uw.edu/person/6239345-monica-rose-mclemore/ Instagram: @mclemoremr Nicole Deggins, CNM, MSN, MPH, is a certified nurse midwife, birth advocate, Black doula trainer, community educator, and the founder of Sista Midwife Productions. Her work supports Black midwives, doulas, birth workers, and families while challenging the historical and present-day systems that shape birth in the United States. Learn more about Nicole and Sista Midwife Productions:https://www.sistamidwife.com/ https://www.sistamidwife.com/our-founder Instagram: @sistamidwife . This episode is part of our 3-part mini-series on reproduction. It’s funded in part by the Greater Good Science Grant on Intellectual Humility, the National Academies' Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, and listeners like you who donate to the show. In Those Genes is a Black woman-led, independently produced podcast funded by listeners like you. Every episode takes weeks of research, reporting, and production and we’re in the final stretch of producing Season 3. Help us finish the season strong by donating $5, $10, or $20 today!   Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes PayPal:https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/inthosegenes If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend! Follow the show so you don’t miss new episodes, leave us a rating or review to help others find us, and connect with us on socials. However you choose to show your support, thank you fam. We appreciate you! . Additional Resources: Sista Midwife Productions Birth education, advocacy, training, and support centered on Black families and birth workers. https://www.sistamidwife.com/ Black Doula Directory Find Black doulas providing support in communities across the country. https://www.blackdouladirectory.com/ Black Midwife Directory Find Black midwives and learn more about the different pathways and models of midwifery care. https://www.sistamidwifedirectory.com/ National Black Midwives Alliance A Black midwife-led organization working to honor the legacy, build the power, and amplify the voices of Black midwives. https://blackmidwivesalliance.org/ Black Mamas Matter Alliance Resources, advocacy, research, and community initiatives advancing Black maternal health, rights, and justice. https://blackmamasmatter.org/ https://blackmamasmatter.org/resources/ CDC Hear Her Campaign Information for pregnant and postpartum people, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals about recognizing concerns and listening to patients. https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/ Urgent Maternal Warning Signs Some pregnancy-related health concerns can occur during pregnancy or up to one year after delivery. Learn which symptoms require immediate medical attention. https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html Birth — Birth Without Bias A community-centered platform where Black and brown parents can find and share prenatal, birthing, postpartum, and pediatric healthcare experiences. https://irthapp.com/ To learn more about doulas and continuous labor support: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2019/02/approaches-to-limit-intervention-during-labor-and-birth . Credits: Featured Story: Dr. Janina Jeff Ringo Experts: Dr. Monica R. McLemore Nicole Deggins, CNM, MSN, MPH Lead Producer: Sam Riddell Producers: Janicia Francis, Cinthia Pimentel Music Composition: Warner Meadows Theme Song: DJ Chopp A Lott Additional Music: Chad Mil-Ner Mixing Engineer: Kayden Wong Sound Design: Sam Riddell Booking Producer: Angela Sabblah Marketing Support: Danya AbdelHameid Cover Art by David Perrin Host & Executive Producer: Dr. Janina Jeff Ringo . Follow Us Instagram: @inthosegenespod Threads: @inthosegenespod Bluesky: @inthosegenespod TikTok: @inthosegenespod www.inthosegenes.com

For as long as Vena Moore can remember, she’s had painful periods. She started menstruating earlier than most, in fifth grade, and later found out that the years of discomfort and pain were due to fibroids growing in her uterus. So when in her late 30s Vena entered perimenopause – the pregame to menopause – she found the change freeing and firmly embraced it.  In this episode, we dive into the science behind why Black people tend to start puberty earlier, what scientists know about the genetic and environmental factors behind fibroids, and how genetics may influence when menopause begins and how it is experienced. . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language and discussions about early puberty, sexual harassment, menstruation, reproductive pain, fibroids, menopause, asexuality, and gender-affirming healthcare that may not be suitable for all listeners. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript, affectionately known as The Nucleus, which will be available soon. . Want to learn more about the guests featured in this episode? Check out their work below. Vena Moore is a Brooklyn-based writer whose personal essays and social commentary explore race, gender, aging, relationships, neurodivergence, and the freedom of living life on her own terms. You can read her work on Medium, where she writes about everything from dismantling white male supremacy to proudly embracing life as a cat lady. https://vmoore472.medium.com/ Omisade Burney-Scott is a seventh-generation Black Southern feminist, storyteller, social justice advocate, and the creator of The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause. Through storytelling, art, community gatherings, and intergenerational conversations, her work centers the experiences of Black women, femmes, trans people, and gender-expansive people navigating menopause and aging. https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/ Instagram: @omisadeburneyscott Instagram: @blackgirlsguidetomenopause Dr. Sarah-Ann Anderson-Burnett is a pediatrician and adolescent-health physician whose work centers on reproductive justice, health equity, and patient autonomy. Her insights help us understand puberty, menstrual pain, precocious puberty, puberty blockers, and why young people deserve a voice in decisions about their bodies. Dr. Anderson-Burnett is also the Assistant Vice President of Health and Wellness & Director of Health Services and Quality Improvement at Barnard College. https://barnard.edu/magazine/spring-2023/meet-dr-sarah-ann-anderson-burnett Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and nationally recognized expert in uterine fibroids and women’s health. She specializes in helping patients understand the full range of treatment options available for fibroids, including alternatives to hysterectomy. Dr. Gillispie-Bell is also an associate professor for Ochsner Health in New Orleans.  https://www.ochsner.org/doctors/veronica-gillispie/ . This episode is part of our 3-part mini-series on reproduction. It’s funded in part by the Greater Good Science Grant on Intellectual Humility, the National Academies' Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, and listeners like you who donate to the show. In Those Genes is a Black woman-led, independently produced podcast funded by listeners like you. Every episode takes weeks of research, reporting, and production and we’re in the final stretch of producing Season 3. Help us finish the season strong by donating $5, $10, or $20 today!   Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes PayPal:https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/inthosegenes If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend! Follow the show so you don’t miss new episodes, leave us a rating or review to help others find us, and connect with us on socials. However you choose to show your support, thank you fam. We appreciate you! . Additional Resources: The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause A Black woman-led, queer-centered multimedia platform using storytelling, art, and community to normalize menopause and aging across the experiences of Black women, femmes, trans people, and gender-expansive people. https://blackgirlsguidetosurvivingmenopause.com/ Power in the Pause A menopause resource hub from the Black Women’s Health Imperative featuring information, tools, and perspectives created with Black women in mind. https://powerinthepause.bwhi.org/resources The Asexual Visibility and Education Network, or AVEN Educational resources, community conversations, and information for people exploring asexuality and the ace spectrum. https://www.asexuality.org/ To learn more about menopause and perimenopause: https://womenshealth.gov/menopause https://womenshealth.gov/menopause/menopause-basics To learn more about uterine fibroids:https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine/conditioninfo/treatments To learn more about puberty and precocious puberty: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/puberty https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/puberty/conditioninfo . Credits: Guest: Vena Moore Experts: Omisade Burney-Scott Dr. Sarah-Ann Anderson-Burnett Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell Lead Producer: Sam Riddell Producers: Janicia Francis, Cinthia Pimentel Music Composition: Warner Meadows Theme Song: DJ Chopp A Lott Additional Music: Chad Mil-Ner Mixing Engineer: Kayden Wong Sound Design: Sam Riddell Booking Producer: Angela Sabblah Marketing Support: Danya AbdelHameid  Cover Art by David Perrin Host & Executive Producer: Dr. Janina Jeff Ringo . Follow Us Instagram: @inthosegenespod Threads: @inthosegenespod Bluesky: @inthosegenespod TikTok: @inthosegenespod www.inthosegenes.com

***UPDATE: In May 2026, PCOS was renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). At the timing of this recording the medical name for PMOS was PCOS*** Arrows Fitz lives a very public life. In 2014, he was a cast member on MTV’s The Real World and he’s since racked up millions of views online talking about fashion, androgyny, and his experience navigating the world as a Black transmasculine person. But behind the scenes, Arrows has quietly been dealing with Polycystic Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS, formerly referred to as PCOS), a complicated hormone disorder that often goes undiagnosed. In this episode, we follow Arrows’s journey from puberty into adulthood and the years of symptoms that ultimately led to his diagnosis. We break down why puberty is a lot like the New York City subway system: kind of messy and hardly ever on schedule. We also dig into the role genetics plays in PMOS, the unanswered scientific questions about PMOS in Black communities, and why turning 35 doesn't automatically close the door to pregnancy.  In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language and discussions about reproductive health, gender identity, menstruation, fertility, and sexuality that may not be suitable for all listeners. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript, affectionately known as The Nucleus, which will be available soon. . Want to learn more about the guests featured in this episode? Check out their work below. Arrows Fitz is an artist, filmmaker, musician, and fashion influencer living in Los Angeles. He works for a nonprofit by day and makes rock music under his stage name PTEROS by night. You can check out his creative work, including his acclaimed short film "My Mama Wears Timbs," on his YouTube channel and follow his fashion journey on Instagram @ArrowsFitz. Dr. Sarah-Ann Anderson-Burnett is a pediatrician who specializes in reproductive health and sees her patients navigate puberty in real time. Her insights on hormonal development, PCOS, and patient-centered care were invaluable to this episode. Dr. Anderson-Burnett is also the Assistant Vice President of Health and Wellness & Director of Health Services and Quality Improvement at Barnard College. You can follow her work at @drsarahannab on Instagram. Dr. Monica McLemore is a birth equity researcher and advocate for trans and Black birthing people. Her work centers on reproductive justice for marginalized communities. She also holds a Professor position at NYU Meyers. You can follow her work at @mclemoremr on all social media platforms (except Twitter).  This episode is part of our 3-part mini-series on reproduction. It’s funded in part by the Greater Good Science Grant on Intellectual Humility, the National Academies' Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, and listeners like you who donate to the show. In Those Genes is a Black woman-led, independently produced podcast funded by listeners like you. Every episode takes weeks of research, reporting, and production and we’re in the final stretch of producing Season 3. Help us finish the season strong by donating $5, $10, or $20 today!   Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes PayPal:https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/inthosegenes If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend! Follow the show so you don’t miss new episodes, leave us a rating or review to help others find us, and connect with us on socials. However you choose to show your support, thank you fam. We appreciate you! Additional resources: Black Women Birthing Justice: Birth Justice and reproductive justice resources created by and for Black birthing communities. https://www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.com/ Birth Injustice: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the State (2nd Edition) by Black Women Birthing Justice. Free digital versions available online.  Includes stories, chapters, recommendations from trans people who've had both births and abortions in the latest edition. https://buyetextbook.com/product/birthing-justice-black-women-pregnancy-and-childbirth-2nd-edition-original-pdf/?gad_source=1 The Power and Limits of Classification: A Trans Man's Medical Case Study. Lisa H Harris, MD, published in The New England Journal of Medicine (2019). A case study examining how medical classification systems can both help and hinder care for trans people navigating healthcare systems. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7395710/ . To learn more about PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, formerly known as PCOS): ACOG (American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists) - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome FAQ: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos ACOG NICHD PCOS Resources Page: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pcos/more_information/resources NICHD Monash University PCOS Center of Excellence (International Guidelines): https://www.monash.edu/research/explore/research-impacts/health/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos NICHD The Endocrine Society - PCOS Information: https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/pcos N Endocrine Society - PMOS Name Change Information: https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2026/pcos-name-change . To learn more about intersex health and variations in sex development:https://interactadvocates.org/https://isna.org/faq/what_is_intersex/ To learn more about fertility, reproductive aging, and ovarian reserve testing: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/quizzes/having-a-baby-after-age-35. Credits: Guest: Arrows Fitz Experts: Dr. Sarah-Ann Anderson-Burnett, Dr. Monica McLemore Lead Producer: Sam Riddell Producers: Janicia Francis, Cinthia Pimentel Marketing Support: Danya AbdelHameid Music Composition: Warner Meadows Theme Song: DJ Chopp A Lott Additional Music: Chad Milner Mixing Engineer: Kayden Wong Sound Design: Sam Riddell Booking Producer: Angela Sabblah Cover Art by David Perrin Host & Executive Producer: Dr. Janina Jeff Ringo Follow us Instagram: @inthosegenespod Threads: @inthosegenespod Bluesky: @inthosegenespod TikTok: @inthosegenespod www.inthosegenes.com

Three crucial moments in the reproductive lives of people with a uterus. One series exploring the genetics, history, and lived experiences of Black people that medicine too often overlooks.   Join us for a journey through puberty, menopause, and birth and the genetics behind the stories our bodies carry.   The Genetics of Reproduction begins July 1, wherever you listen to podcasts.

There’s a commonly held belief that Black folks are thicker, bigger, and carry more fat than others…but where did this idea that our bodies only look a certain way come from? Join us as we disentangle fact from oftentimes fat-phobic fiction when it comes to assumptions about how our bodies are shaped. . In our Season 2 finale, "Baby Got Black", we dissect whether here is a genetic difference between the body shape of Black folks compared to other populations. Black women and men have consistently been exoticisized for their unique body features. We explore the genetics behind this starting with a publication by Dr. Jeff on the genetics of body shape and tell the historical stories behind Venus Hottentot (Sarah Baartman). . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language that might be difficult for some to hear. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript we affectionately call The Nucleus that will be posted soon. . This is our last episode for Season 2, thanks for being part of the fam! Be sure to follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on Season 3. . Want to learn more about the guests on this episode? Check out their work below. Da'Shaun L. Harrison,@DaShaunLH (Twitter), https://dashaunharrison.com/. Da'Shaun recently published a book on the overlap between anti-fatness and anti-blackness — Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-fatness as Anti-blackness. Here’s where you can get a copy: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670607/belly-of-the-beast-by-dashaun-harrison/ We also recommend you check out Da’Shaun’s reading list on fat studies, body and desirability politics: https://dashaunharrison.com/fat-studies-body-and-desirability-politics-a-reading-list/ + this video from PBS on why diets fail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLtUrvnmOfc&t=1s . Dr. Sabrina Strings, @SaStrings (Twitter) https://www.sabrinastrings.com/. Dr. Strings is the author of Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia (NYU Press) – a book that was instrumental to this episode. Here’s where you can get a copy: https://nyupress.org/9781479886753/fearing-the-black-body/ . Want to unpack this episode with other In Those Genes Family and like minded folks? If so, be sure to come to our after show, In Our DNA ( https://kinkofa.com/inourdna/ ), hosted by our good friends over at Kinkofa (https://kinkofa.com/ ) every other Wednesday (the week following an episode drop) at 7:30PM EST. Register here, https://lu.ma/INOURDNA ! . Kinkofa is the future of genealogy. Connect to culturally-relevant tools, resources, and support needed to uncover your unique #familyhistory. Join their community here, https://kinkofa.com/community/! . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. And as an independently funded podcast, we depend on our community to sustain us. Please consider donating $5, $10, or $20 to In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

This week we travel to 1989 to a conversation with Dr. Edwards and NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw and we bring in the science we learned last week about what role genetics has in athletic ability to this critical conversation about Black superior athletes. . Blackletes Fact and Fiction dissects the claims made in the NBC News Tonight broadcast, “Black Athletes Fact and Fiction” featuring our guest from last week, Dr. Harry Edwards. We use the scientific method as a basis to critique the claims made then with available genetic technology at the time as well as what is available now. We also hear Dr. Edward’s sociologist expertise then and now critiquing the segment. . You can watch the full broadcast here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdN9DDZqabQ . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language that might be be difficult for some to hear. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript we affectionately call The Nucleus here, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Htc1qZSTH9g3lF9EydHhZEsdxjs4W90R/view?usp=sharing . As a reminder this season airs every OTHER week. . Want to learn more about the guests on this episode? Check out his work below. Dr.Harry Edwards @@drharryedwards (Twitter) . Want to unpack this episode with other In Those Genes Family and like minded folks? If so, be sure to come to our after show, In Our DNA ( https://kinkofa.com/inourdna/ ), hosted by our good friends over at Kinkofa (https://kinkofa.com/ ) every other Wednesday (the week following an episode drop) at 7:30PM EST. Register here, https://lu.ma/INOURDNA ! . Kinkofa is the future of genealogy. Connect to culturally-relevant tools, resources, and support needed to uncover your unique #familyhistory. Join their community here, https://kinkofa.com/community/ ! . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. And as an independently funded podcast, we depend on our community to sustain us. Please consider donating $5, $10, or $20 to In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by -- rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

Serena Williams. Usian Bolt. Michael Jordan. Some of the world’s strongest, fastest, and most decorated athletes are Blackity Black. Sometimes people chalk this up to genetics, claiming that this sort of extraordinary athleticism is unique to Black folks’ ancestry. Is there any truth to that claim? In this episode, we untangle what role genetics has in athletic ability and map out how Black Americans came to be viewed as superior athletes in the first place. . Blackletes explores the genetics behind athleticism with sports culture and biomechanist experts. We understand why there is an overrepresentation of Black athletes during certain periods of time vs others and explore if that difference is cultural or innate ability drive physical ability for competitive sports. To do this, we take a deeper look at the science and culture to develop a historical and present day narrative as a basis for trying to disentangle whether athleticism could be traced to Blackness. Are there unique qualities of phenomenal athletes like Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, or Simone Biles that are not seen in other groups of non-Black athletes that can be explained by genetics? . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language that might be be difficult for some to hear. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript we affectionately call The Nucleus here, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Htc1qZSTH9g3lF9EydHhZEsdxjs4W90R/view?usp=sharing . As a reminder this season airs every OTHER week. . Want to learn more about the guests on this episode? Check out their work below. Dr.Harry Edwards @@drharryedwards (Twitter) Dr. Erica Bell @BellePhd (Twitter). Learn more about Dr. Bell’s work: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Erica-Bell-8 . Want to unpack this episode with other In Those Genes Family and like minded folks? If so, be sure to come to our after show, In Our DNA ( https://kinkofa.com/inourdna/ ), hosted by our good friends over at Kinkofa (https://kinkofa.com/ ) every other Wednesday (the week following an episode drop) at 7:30PM EST. Register here, https://lu.ma/INOURDNA ! . Kinkofa is the future of genealogy. Connect to culturally-relevant tools, resources, and support needed to uncover your unique #familyhistory. Join their community here, https://kinkofa.com/community/ ! . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. And as an independently funded podcast, we depend on our community to sustain us. Please consider donating $5, $10, or $20 to In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by -- rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

Oral history is such an integral part of our family history and our collective story as African descendents; without our elders passing this history to us much of our Black History would remain unknown. This Black History Month, we revisit an episode from Season 1 that features one of my newest ancestors, the late “Uncle Warren” and other elders in my hometown of New Orleans as they discuss their views and concerns about commercial genetic testing. . Bonus Episode - “A Tribute to Uncle Warren- Re-airing of “Ion Trust Dem People from Season 1” - In this episode Sam and I travel to my hometown-- New Orleans to hear the perspective of our elders' concerns around privacy within the context of direct to consumer genetic testing companies. We go deep into how to teach our elders what they need to know when taking consumer genetic testing--what to look for and break it down step by step. We address their concerns and even get serenaded by one of our elders, LOL! We will also learn how you can be identified by the forensic scientist using your DNA and of course we have affirmations! . . As a reminder this season airs every OTHER week. . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. This Black History Month, we’re asking you – our community – to donate $10, $25, $50 or whatever you can to help cover our production costs for a single episode of Season 3. Your donation will cover the cost of things like the salaries of our three producers, our fact checker, music composer, audio engineering, social media, marketing and stipends for our college interns. Black History Month Funding Campaign, https://gofund.me/53180694 . You can also support In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

It isn’t hard to point out the person in the room who is clapping off beat. But how can we use the scientific method to study why some folks are rhythmically coordinated and others not? How does one’s ancestry play into this? In this bonus episode, we head to the In Those Genes lab with neuroscientist AZA Allsop, MD, PhD to map out a hypothetical study using genetics and neurology that could help explain why some of us can catch a beat and others not. . Be sure to listen to the first part of this episode! Episode 4: R&B: Rhythm and Blackness: https://pod.link/1489257965/episode/7fae62b2aad7a9434f42ebd315e127a2 . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language that might be difficult for some to hear. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript we affectionately call The Nucleus that will be posted soon. . As a reminder this season airs every OTHER week. . Want to learn more about Dr. AZA Allsop? Check out their work below. Dr. AZA Allsop, @DR_tr3 (Twitter). Dr. Allsop is also a multi-instrumentalist – listen to some of their music here: https://www.azafortheculture.com/about-1 . Kinkofa is the future of genealogy. Connect to culturally-relevant tools, resources, and support needed to uncover your unique #familyhistory. Join their community here, https://kinkofa.com/community/! . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. And as an independently funded podcast, we depend on our community to sustain us. Please consider donating $5, $10, or $20 to In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

We all got that one friend that just can’t seem to catch the beat. And yes…yes, they usually are. But is rhythm really a thing you either have or you don’t? Are some of us just born with a rhythm and others not? Could this be explained by genetics? In this episode, we break down what rhythm actually is, and talk to experts who help us understand how neuroscience, genetics, and culture shape the conversation around Black people and our relationship to rhythm and music. . Episode 4: R&B- “Rhythm and Blackness” dives deep into the notion that Black people have rhythm and that it is genetic. We speak to geneticists, neuroscientists, and music experts to better understand if there is a cultural or biological difference between the social construct of race and catching the beat! We will test this hypothesis through an interactive experiment and use music in our community to elicit feelings and memories of some classic tunes that started trends in popular dance culture we see in America today. . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language that might be difficult for some to hear. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript we affectionately call The Nucleus that will be posted soon. . As a reminder this season airs every OTHER week. . Want to learn more about the guests on this episode? Check out their work below. Dr. Fredara Hadley @fredaraMareva (Twitter), http://fredaramhadley.com/ Dr. AZA Allsop, @DR_tr3 (Twitter). Dr. Allsop is also a multi-instrumentalist – listen to some of their music here: https://www.azafortheculture.com/about-1 . Want to unpack this episode with other In Those Genes Family and like minded folks? If so, be sure to come to our after show, In Our DNA ( https://kinkofa.com/inourdna/ ), hosted by our good friends over at Kinkofa (https://kinkofa.com/ ) every other Wednesday (the week following an episode drop) at 7:30PM EST. Register here, https://lu.ma/INOURDNA ! . Kinkofa is the future of genealogy. Connect to culturally-relevant tools, resources, and support needed to uncover your unique #familyhistory. Join their community here, https://kinkofa.com/community/! . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. And as an independently funded podcast, we depend on our community to sustain us. Please consider donating $5, $10, or $20 to In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

After some time traveling, and understanding why we all look so different, it’s time we look at the age old question: Why aren’t Black people aging? Through all of the beauty products, and magazines that promote youth, Black people never really seem to age. It’s cultural at this point with its cornerstone being JET magazine’s 1970 “Black Don’t Crack” . “Black Don’t Crack” is an adage that assumes that Black people age slower. This episode addresses the genetics behind physical characteristics we associate with aging such as skin (wrinkles and folds), hair loss, memory and telomere length (cellular aging). The science is supplemented by the story of Mrs. Irma Shaw, a 94 year old Black Guyanese woman living in Queens, NY. In “Magic School Bus” -esque vignettes, this episode also uses fictional skits to demonstrate how our cells age over time. . These questions are answered with the help of our guests anthropologist Dr. Tina Lasisi and fellow geneti-“SIS” Dr. Marquitta White. . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language that might be be difficult for some to hear. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript we affectionately call The Nucleus here, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Htc1qZSTH9g3lF9EydHhZEsdxjs4W90R/view?usp=sharing . As a reminder this season airs every OTHER week. . Want to learn more about the guests on this episode? Check out their work below. Dr.Tina Lasisi @TinaLasisi (Twitter), https://www.tinalasisi.com/ Dr. Marquitta White, learn more about Dr. White’s work here, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marquitta-White . Want to unpack this episode with other In Those Genes Family and like minded folks? If so, be sure to come to our after show, In Our DNA ( https://kinkofa.com/inourdna/ ), hosted by our good friends over at Kinkofa (https://kinkofa.com/ ) every other Wednesday (the week following an episode drop) at 7:30PM EST. Register here, https://lu.ma/INOURDNA ! . Kinkofa is the future of genealogy. Connect to culturally-relevant tools, resources, and support needed to uncover your unique #familyhistory. Join their community here, https://kinkofa.com/community/ ! . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. And as an independently funded podcast, we depend on our community to sustain us. Please consider donating $5, $10, or $20 to In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by -- rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

How will humanity continue to evolve? Will our distinct physical features stand the test of time? Do we still adhere to social constructs like race and gender? Find out on this week’s bonus episode as we continue our journey from last week and head 15,000 years into the future with Afrofuturist Ytasha Whomack . . “The Future is Black AF” is a short mini BONUS episode that continues the journey from episode 2 with Afrofuturist Ytasha Whomack. One thing we learned last week traveling through all of the years of our ancestors is how long it takes for populations to change. So this week we take a trip to see what humanity might look like in another, let's say, fifteen thousand years in the future. . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language that might be difficult for some to hear. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript we affectionately call The Nucleus here, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HxkVIEhZSeM2kVH0hXuUa5AOsFopUZcW/view?usp=sharing . As a reminder this season airs every OTHER week. . Want to learn more about the guests on this episode? Check out their work below. Ytasha Whomack @ytashawomack (Twitter) and https://www.ytashawomack.com Dr.Tina Lasisi @TinaLasisi (Twitter), https://www.tinalasisi.com/ Dr. Brandon Ogubuno, @big_data_kane (Twitter) , https://fas.yale.edu/book/new-ladder-faculty-2020-2021/c-brandon-ogbunu . Cover Art this season was designed by David Perrin, check out his work here https://www.instagram.com/dpicting/?hl=en and buy some of his artwork here https://society6.com/dpicting1/wall-art?sort=random . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. And as an independently funded podcast, we depend on our community to sustain us. Please consider donating $5, $10, or $20 to In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by -- rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

Race is a social construct and not a distinction we make in biology. But as humans we do look very different from one another. Shoot, family members that share the same genes don’t look the same. Why do we look so different? Join three time-traveling scientists on an afrofuturist journey through the ages to trace how climate, migration, and mating patterns over the last 200,000 years have created all the different hair textures, skin, and eye colors we see today. . “Black to the Future '' is a time travel episode that follows three scientists (Janina Jeff, PhD,, Tina Lasisi, PhD, Brandon Ogbunu, PhD) who travel through time and space and learn how humans developed the physical features that make up the way we look today. Our spaceship Dedelorean guides us to many stops around the world starting South East Africa 200,000 years ago and travels to the many places humans migrated over time. We are looking for answers like, Why the hell do we look different? Who was hitting up which parts of the world and why? How did our adapting genomes interact with the climates around us? And what L’s did everyone catch along the way? . These questions are answered with the help of our guests and over 15 cameo voice guests in our fun skits that help place us in the time and space of our ancestors. . In Those Genes is an educational podcast that contains explicit language that might be be difficult for some to hear. No worries, we got you! You can still get all the facts dropped in our cleaned transcript we affectionately call The Nucleushere, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FKxNVzf5_OBkilT3_uaboMcwUpqwOH21/view?usp=sharing . As a reminder this season airs every OTHER week. . Want to learn more about the guests on this episode? Check out their work below. Dr.Tina Lasisi @TinaLasisi (Twitter), https://www.tinalasisi.com/ Dr. Brandon Ogubuno, @big_data_kane (Twitter) , https://fas.yale.edu/book/new-ladder-faculty-2020-2021/c-brandon-ogbunu . Want to unpack this episode with other In Those Genes Family and like minded folks? If so, be sure to come to our after show, In Our DNA ( https://kinkofa.com/inourdna/ ), hosted by our good friends over at Kinkofa (https://kinkofa.com/ ) every other Wednesday (the week following an episode drop) at 7:30PM EST. Register here, https://lu.ma/INOURDNA ! . Kinkofa is the future of genealogy. Connect to culturally-relevant tools, resources, and support needed to uncover your unique #familyhistory. Join their community here, https://kinkofa.com/community/ ! . Making a podcast ain’t cheap. And as an independently funded podcast, we depend on our community to sustain us. Please consider donating $5, $10, or $20 to In Those Genes through our PayPal or commit to a monthly donation through our Patreon, if you’re able. . PayPal: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards you can support us by -- rating and writing a review of the podcast, following us on social media, and sharing this podcast with everyone you know! . No matter how you show your support, thank you fam 3 We appreciate you. You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com and signing up to get email updates including our Nucleotide Newsletter. . Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @inthosegenespod

Is Race Genetic? . “How the World Inherited Blackness” answers a common question by many....."Is race genetic?" This episode takes the listener on a journey through time to understand how race was birthed and the history behind how race became a reputable (pseudo)scientific theory that justified an entire global system of oppression still used today. We leverage the genetics expertise of our host, as well as two Black scholars leading the field in sociology and anthropology, to dive deep into HOW the world inherited Blackness AND we voyage to what a world without race could be. As with any In Those Genes episode, the story of “How the World Inherited Race”, is seasoned with hip hop, fictional characters, and Black culture to create an entertaining , educational, yet personal eargasmic experience for “The Fam”. . As a reminder this season will be airing every OTHER week!! . Follow our guests on this episode Dr. Saida Grundy @saigrundy (Twitter), https://www.bu.edu/afam/profile/saida-grundy/ Delande Justinvil https://www.american.edu/profiles/students/dj6541a.cfm . In Those Genes is independently funded, to give, become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If you would like to give a one time donation, you can do that here: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards be sure to rate and write a review of the podcast. OAN, don’t forget to share this podcast with everyone you know! . You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com. . Follow us at @inthosegenespod on Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates. .

In Those Genes is BAAAAAAACCCCKKKK for Season 2! "She Get It From Her Moma”, the official title of Season 2 builds on Season 1 and asks the central question in each episode- “Is it genetic?!” Six brand new episodes in this season will focus on understanding the origins of long-held beliefs about inheritance within the Black community that, in some cases, are and are not supported by genetics. For example, one of our favorite episodes, “Black Don’t Crack,” will explore prolonged aging and will take a deep dive into the “fountain of youth” using a genetic lens. Additional episodes will cover the genetics of rhythm, athleticism, and body shape while simultaneously learning the history of how these traits became racialized. This season is filled with more narrative stories, skits, and of course Black culture analogies all paired with a healthy dose of hip hop and TRAP music! WE EVEN SPACE TRAVELING in this thang! Look out for six NEW episodes airing every OTHER week starting November 30th, 2021! In Those Genes is a Black Woman led podcast that is independently funded, to give, become a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/inthosegenes . If you would like to give a one time donation, you can do that here: https://paypal.me/inthosegenes . If a monetary donation isn’t in the cards be sure to rate and write a review of the podcast. OAN, don’t forget to share this podcast with everyone you know! . You can formally join the family by visiting www.inthosegenes.com. . Follow us at @inthosegenespod on Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates. .