Podcast Summary: Decisions, Decisions — Selective Ignorance Ep. 50 | Black History Month: Mr. Morale & The Lemon Pepper Steppers
Date: February 10, 2026
Hosts: Mandy B & WeezyWTF (with producers AK, Jason Rodriguez, Aaron A. King Howard)
Network: The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts
Main Theme / Purpose
This Black History Month special of “Selective Ignorance” dives into the complexities of Black history, cultural ignorance, and generational learning (and unlearning). Mandy B leads a candid, often comedic, conversation exploring historical and current Black experiences. The episode covers racist laws, propagation of negative stereotypes, the evolution of Black pop culture, the intersectionality within Black identities, and the fun debate over what headlines might look like if the internet existed during key moments in Black history. In classic “Decisions, Decisions” style, the episode’s playful vibe is grounded in real talk about how Black Americans make sense of legacy, identity, and change.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Histories and Blackness in America
Timestamps: 02:17 – 09:00
- Mandy B shares her Caribbean lineage, experiences in a multicultural Florida, and the gaps in Black history education she received (“My lineage is Caribbean…Most of my family is here on green cards and visas. My family's roots is not rooted in America.” – 07:00).
- Discussion of New York’s diaspora: many Black New Yorkers with roots in South Carolina due to the Great Migration (05:09).
- They address “biracial ignorance” and “leaning into ignorance” as a way of approaching history with openness.
Notable quote:
“There is so many New Yorkers with South Carolina roots.”
– Mandy B (05:29)
2. Black History Education—What Was Missed?
Timestamps: 09:00 – 16:10
- Mandy admits to only learning about Fred Hampton through the film “Judas and the Black Messiah” (10:42), highlighting how mainline history education is limited in scope.
- Discussion about how Black history in schools is often reduced to a handful of figures (MLK, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, George Washington Carver), and the deeper stories often left out.
- Local celebrations: Zora Neale Hurston festival in Eatonville, FL, and the importance of first Black towns.
Notable quote:
“Yes, we only got 28 days to learn Black history, but also, they limit it to maybe five people.”
– Mandy B (13:51)
3. The Folding Chair, Swimming Myths, and Living Black History
Timestamps: 16:10 – 19:00
- They discuss the folding chair as a new Black historical symbol after the viral Montgomery brawl (16:10).
- Debunking the myth that Black people can’t swim—rooted in historical exclusion and danger rather than biology.
- Intertwined with humor and pride about contemporary “living Black history” moments.
Notable quote:
“The folding chair is different now…that’s like a crown.”
– AK (16:25)
4. Reclaiming and Inventing Language
Timestamps: 19:00 – 23:07
- A playful segment about racial slurs for white people: “cracker,” “honky,” “peckerwood,” “Ofe”; their origins and reclamation.
- The hosts discuss how “Karen” has become a contemporary slur, and riff on names and their declining popularity.
Notable quote:
“Karen is now a slur that white people really don’t want to be associated with.”
– Mandy B (21:53)
5. Racist Laws in America—History and Present
Timestamps: 24:22 – 36:07
- Discussion of historic racist laws:
- Sundown towns: Towns that kept Black people out after dark—a practice not limited to the South but found even in places like Bel Air and Compton (25:59).
- Miscegenation (interracial relationship) laws: Not repealed nationally until the 1967 Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia. Personal anecdotes about growing up as a biracial child in the South/Florida.
- Reflections on how integration is still fraught with social critique and skepticism.
Notable exchange:
“So miscegenation laws were the prohibiting interracial marriage, cohabitation or sex…these laws existed in 38 states. The Supreme Court ruled all these laws unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.”
– Mandy B (30:22)
6. Interracial Relationships and Public Perception
Timestamps: 31:45 – 46:53
- Hosts react to NFL player RG3’s post defending his interracial marriage, critiquing “colorblind” rhetoric:
- “Never let skin color determine your love…” (read aloud at 32:16)
- Conversation about public figures and their white partners: Omari Hardwick, Eddie Murphy, Ice-T, RG3, et al.
- They joke about how “doing white woman right” means not having to explain or justify your choice or centering whiteness in your relationship narrative.
- The group discusses Barack Obama’s presidency and how a white wife might have changed Black Americans’ support.
Notable quote:
“There's a difference between ‘my wife is white’ and ‘I have a white wife’... when you're constantly talking about your white wife, like, that sounds a little bit crazy."
– Aaron A. King Howard (43:45)
7. Recent and Surprising Black History Legal Changes
Timestamps: 47:10 – 48:52
- The CROWN Act: New York law (2019) prohibits discrimination based on natural hair in workplaces/schools.
- Anti-lynching law: Not passed as a federal hate crime until 2022 (!)
- Revelations about how much Black people’s experiences are shaped by recent legislation.
Notable quote:
“Lynching did not become a federal crime until March of 2022.”
– Mandy B (48:47)
8. Lemon Pepper Wings as Black History?
Timestamps: 48:53 – 53:00
- Playful take on Georgia House Bill 1013, proposing lemon pepper wings as the official chicken wing flavor of the state.
- Hosts debate the seriousness (or not) of such legislative moves, referencing Lou Williams, strip clubs, and southern culture, but note this doesn't address real issues like homelessness or political inequity.
Notable moment:
AK describes the bill’s sponsor as “the lemon pepper nigga” and jokes about putting his face on the seasoning (51:26).
9. Black Twitter Headlines: Internet in Historic Moments
Timestamps: 54:24 – 61:38
- Jason, the editor of Bossip, revisits the art of writing internet-favored headlines as if moments like Rosa Parks' bus protest, Malcolm X’s prison release, or Jackie Robinson integrating baseball happened today.
- Playful, irreverent approaches: “Not gonna do it: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat for Salty Soup Cookies in bigoted Birmingham” (58:07)
10. Modern Black Culture through the Eyes of Ancestors
Timestamps: 61:40 – 69:32
- The group imagines what past Black figures might think of:
- The Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake beef (“Our ancestors would pretty much all be Kendrick stans.” – 62:35)
- TikTok dances and viral moments—likening them to minstrel shows or juke joints.
- Changes in music, from freedom songs to hip-hop and protest music; reflection on the depth and sometimes harmful messaging in hit songs (i.e. “What Would You Do?” by City High).
Notable quote:
“Music’s supposed to reflect what's happening in society…That was someone's experience.”
– AK (68:49)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, the Rock was landed on us.” – Aaron A. King Howard quoting Malcolm X (02:17)
- “You being conned by Edison…open your third eye, brother!” – Aaron A. King Howard (15:33)
- “When homie jumped in with the Timbs, it really is kind of like history, redefining, cause like, he’s swimming, he’s swimming.” – Jason Rodriguez (18:03)
- “I don't like the pro-Black men who have the white wives. Cause I don't see how…that's the hypocrisy in that.” – Mandy B (40:45)
- “Lynching did not become a federal crime until March of 2022.” – Mandy B (48:47)
- “Making it rain on them GOP hoes.” – Retro Bossip headline (55:38)
- “Cracker Jacks…Ooh, you could say Cracker Jacks in baseball.” – Mandy B (61:16)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:17 – Opening Salvo: What this episode will cover, personal Black history intros
- 09:00 – Ignorance & Black History Education
- 16:10 – Black inventions, folding chairs, swimming myth
- 19:00 – Reclaiming slurs (playful discussion)
- 24:22 – “This is America” Laws: Sundown towns, racist legislation
- 31:45 – Interracial relationships and media framing
- 47:10 – Modern legal advances: CROWN Act, anti-lynching
- 48:53 – Lemon Pepper Bill and Atlanta culture
- 54:24 – Simulated Black History Headlines
- 61:40 – How would our ancestors react? Culture, music, and current trends
Overall Tone and Style
- Casual, comedic, and honest—mixing irreverence and critical insight
- Mandy B and guests share personal stories and laughter while confronting heavy realities
- Language is frank, peppered with slang, humor, and Southern and New York cultural references
- The show excels at weaving in lived experience and cultural critique with pop culture fun
For Listeners Who Missed the Episode
This lively, wide-ranging episode offers both laughs and substance. It's a celebration of Black history’s deep roots and ever-evolving branches. It spotlights how much remains unlearned due to systemic erasure, how Black identity defies a monolith, and how everyday culture (from language to lemon pepper wings) both challenges and reclaims Black legacy.
Whether you’re looking for historical perspective, fun debates, or just a deep belly laugh, this episode sums up the “Decisions, Decisions” way: keep it real, keep it Black, keep it moving.