The Melody of Learning With Toni Kennedy of "What's Poppin' Penny?"

Episode Transcript

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[00:00:00] How To Support Queue Points

Jay Ray: Hey, what's up? Good people. It's Jay Ray, the cohost of Queue Points. And I wanted to come to you because there are two really important ways that you can support our show. One is by subscribing to it, wherever you listen to, or watch your podcast. Queue Points is pretty much everywhere. The other thing that you can do is you can visit us on Apple podcasts.

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We're always appreciative of you supporting Queue Points. We thank you so much for all that you've done for us so far and enjoy the show.

[00:00:50] Sponsored Ad: What's Poppin' Penny? Juneteenth Spec

Jay Ray: Hey everyone, it's J. Ray. Podcasting is not just a passion for me and DJ Sir Daniel. It's a way for us to educate and inspire. There are a number of podcasts doing that for children, and one of them is What's Poppin Penny, a podcast created and written by Tony Kennedy and voted 2023's best podcast for children three and up and families by Common Sense Media.

Penny is a preschooler who discovers that an ancestral poem holds the key to unlocking the magical secrets of a teddy bear passed down from her grandpa. Which is filled with her family's history. Tune into the upcoming 2024 Juneteenth. What's Popping Penny Special? The show will feature guest star Ms.

Betty Reed Soskin. Miss Betty was a well-known songwriter in the Civil Rights Movement. She became the oldest national Park ranger at the age of 85, and among her many honors and awards. President Barack Obama presented her with a presidential commemorative coin at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in 2015.

Subscribe to What's Poppin Penny wherever you listen to your podcasts and be sure to share the show with young people. They will be sure to have a good time. Peace.

[00:02:08] Intro Theme (Music by Danya Vodovoz)

[00:02:38] Welcome and Introduction

Jay Ray: Hey, what's up everyone. We are so excited for this special episode of Queue Points to welcome Toni Kennedy to the show. Hey Toni, how are you?

Toni Kennedy: Johnny, long time fan, turning into a friend.

Jay Ray: Yes. I, first of all, before we get started with the questions, I want to say. Thank you for you supporting Queue Points. We are honored. We love what's popping penny over here, and we're so grateful that you thought of us to help you spread the word about your show. And we really, really appreciate it. So just thank you for the support.

Toni Kennedy: my goodness. This is my pleasure. Like, as I've been listening to your show long before, like, I met you. And so I was a little fan struck when I first met you. And you're so down to earth. And you're so inviting. And, you know The relationship developed just so naturally. You're so warm. And, um, I always like to put my money where my mouth is.

Right. And so supporting you helps to just support me and it, because it makes, it just makes all the difference in the world for me.

Jay Ray: Thank you. Thank you.

[00:04:00] Toni's Journey in Education and Music

Jay Ray: Um, so Toni in preparation for our conversation. So we're of course going to talk about "What's Poppin' Penny?" Because you have some really cool things upcoming that we want to talk about. It is Juneteenth and we want to talk about that. But before we go there. So I was getting ready to getting ready for this interview.

And I realize that Toni, you have this very interesting history. Well, first of all, you're an educator and have been doing that for many years, and you have been using your gift of song and puppeteering. to aid children in learning for a really long time. So let's go back before what's popping Penny. Some young people may remember you as miss Toni and have heard your music.

So talk to us a bit about you and the use of music for education. How did all of that start for you?

Toni Kennedy: Um, I think it started when I was a little girl. Because I grew up the youngest of nine and nobody in my family had the same musical taste. So my brother loved the Doobie Brothers and my sisters loved Aretha Franklin and one sister loved Betty White. Like all those lessons in that music. When you're just a little teacup listening to all of these things And they're quite and they were quite literal to me lyrics are quite literal like to me and so Um, it's your thing do what you want to do.

My little thing was oh, I want a popsicle at breakfast It's what I want to

Jay Ray: what the lyrics say.

Toni Kennedy: I'm, just following instructions um and i've Just gravitate it to the happiness, the joy, even within the sadness, the expression, there's nothing like music. There is nothing like a lyricist. There is like nothing like it to make you feel seen as a human being. And I think that must have been in my subconscious because whenever I, I am with children, that's what, that's my go to. Everything's a song. Everything is a song. Um, had a little boy, Tristan. He would cry every morning at the door to come into my classroom and I tried everything and his mother tried everything and one day I just looked past Tristan at the kid behind him.

And I said, who's that walking through the classroom door like she did the day before? It's Aubrey. It's Aubrey. Good morning, Aubrey. And I'm like, break it down, Aubrey. And she broke it down and she came into my class. And I did every time. And then Christian, Tristan was like, wait, no, it's my turn.

Jay Ray: right? . I want a song.

Toni Kennedy: okay, you ready?

Come in. Like, uh huh. I'm like, okay, here we go. Who's that? And by now the parents are singing it, the kids are singing it and it became our routine every morning, but you can't be sad when you're dancing and you can't be sad when you're singing. There is hope in music, at least that's how I view it, or how it hits me.

I

Jay Ray: Yeah.

Toni Kennedy: think that's how it hits kids, takes all the scary stuff away.

Jay Ray: Yeah. Yeah.

Toni Kennedy: And it's also, um, a community builder. We're all singing the same song. We're all breaking it down together. And so him leaving his mom coming into the classroom was such an individual act for him that he wasn't quite sure he was brave enough to do until we set it to music.

Jay Ray: Wow. Um.

[00:08:09] The Birth of Little Chick from Miss Toni Sings

Jay Ray: When you take that idea and put it to Little Chick, the, the, which I was YouTube video, um, as well, watching you interact with Little Chick. How did that concept of Little Chick come to be?

Toni Kennedy: Well, I'm an old head, so you know, dudes and chicks, that's what I grew up on, right?

Jay Ray: yeah, yeah.

Toni Kennedy: And with friends, you're going to bring the little chick with you. Sure. Okay. So as a preschool teacher, I've taught in a lot of different environments, but most of the environments were, um, month, they were monolithic and what's the word I'm looking for Johnny.

Um, there wasn't a lot of diversity

Jay Ray: yes, yes, understood. Mm hmm.

Toni Kennedy: and.

[00:09:14] Toni's Experience With School Integration for the First Time, And Her Mother's Unspoken Wisdom For Her Lunch Box

Toni Kennedy: My knowledge, my wisdom through my lifetime is that we grow up in, in, I, let's see, I grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida to a degree and in St. Petersburg, integration came in 1972. So I was in second grade. The first time I walked into a classroom with people who were outside of my race, right?

And And my mom gave me a rock and put it in my lunchbox.

Jay Ray: Just in case you needed it. Get it, Mom!

Toni Kennedy: It's just clanging around in my lunchbox. I must have thought, wow, that's a very small thermos just clanging around in there. But every morning she'd give me a rock.

Jay Ray: Wow.

Toni Kennedy: So, and funny enough, when we moved back down to Florida, my daughter was in, I think, fifth grade and my mom walked her to the bus stop and she came home and she said, Grandma gave me a rope.

Jay Ray: You're like, okay, did you need it? Did you need the rock?

Toni Kennedy: The tradition lived on generational feel like I got to give my grandkids rocks

Jay Ray: Right?

Has that ended up in a Penny story yet? Does Penny like his No.

Toni Kennedy: not.

Jay Ray: Oh. Mg.

Toni Kennedy: putting the rock aside, um, we don't normally kids don't, we, we come together in, um, integration, but the older you get, the more separated we become. Yeah. Yeah.

Jay Ray: Absolutely. Yes.

Toni Kennedy: Right by high school. You got the AP program. You got the theater kids. You got a lot of stuff going on where a person of color notices that there's less and less and less and less of us unless you're in the athletic realm, right?

And then the next time you meet each other, you're on a job

Jay Ray: Absolutely. Yes.

Toni Kennedy: that job. The way it works in our society, chances are your boss is not going to, if you're black and brown, your boss is not going to look like you. So I get them when they're real young.

Jay Ray: So here comes, here comes little chick.

Toni Kennedy: It's their first peer of color is their first little black girl. friend, she is nervous because she doesn't know if she can get through the preschool day. What if the teacher asked me something? I don't know. What if I don't make friends? So in my show, it's less than 30 minutes. It's a musical. It's also very interactive with games.

But the crux of it is They are the proxy. They, I, I have made them the expert, the kids, the expert.

Jay Ray: So they, ah, so they learn that they, they hold power and they can help others.

Toni Kennedy: Yes, specifically the reason I think little chick is so powerful for, for them is because it's their first introduction to a vulnerable black kid. Girl and their empathy for her. I think it is triggered. I'm triggering their empathy that hopefully will last forever and we can pretty much get rid of the strong.

Black woman Because Starting with the babies they understand People are vulnerable and when they are if we have the power let us help them along

Jay Ray: And have a good song to go along with it.

Toni Kennedy: Oh, yeah And the teachers love it because it's all told I have um, I have a uh a cd out Um, and it's 18 songs that follows a nancy accredited preschool day and there's even a potty song You

Jay Ray: Awesome.

Toni Kennedy: there's even a wake up song. Um, but the potty song is the only song that's directed to adults and it's called just be patient. The rest of it is through the lens of the preschool teacher or the child.

Jay Ray: That idea of the trusted adult.

[00:14:08] Creating the "What's Poppin' Penny?" Podcast

Jay Ray: So I want to, I want to segue us into what's popping penny because I remember when I first heard the show. And of course, hearing T. A. I did not connect. The TA until I talked to you and you were like, no, it's TA because I think I said something else So you were like, oh actually it's TA and TA stands for trusted adult and I was like, oh That makes sense Penny has this trusted adult to help her along the way and go on these adventures But I want to talk about the show a bit.

Um, how did that evolve that story, the idea for the show and to make it a podcast, right? So you go from this, uh, in person experience with a puppet named little chick and now, and, and music, and this evolves into, you know, something different and new. How did that come to be?

Toni Kennedy: I was minding my business in my house when my daughter came to me with an application for Spotify sound up program. Um, And she said, mom, this is saying everything except, Hey, Toni. The program was looking for children's writers, right? And it didn't matter what your, as a matter of fact, they were encouraging people of color.

They weren't encouraging queer people. They weren't encouraging, um, Oh, Hey, it's like me. They were like, there were no boundaries to walking through that door. And I have been writing TV scripts and everything Um, you can imagine I've even written a play just for Children and their families, right? And she said, you should apply.

So she sat down with me because I wouldn't do it. And she opened up the computer and she, we sat down and we started the application. And once we started the application, it was such an in depth application to, um, it just started to flow. My fear went away. You know, when you thinking about doing it, it's the scariest part when you're doing, you know, you got this.

So, um, I applied, uh, with the idea actually of, uh, they needed two ideas. And the one I was really focused on was down on the farm with Nori. And it was an ABC 123 colors kind of show, right? And then they asked for a second show. And it was like, looked around my house. We're a multi generational family.

I've got a little girl with Brown skin and curly hair. And I just started to write about Penny and her family. And when, uh, we went through the rounds of app of interviews at a thousands, we were down to 10 that got accepted. And I was one of the 10. And when we got in, um, We met people like they brought in people to, um, mentor us and talk to us.

Uh, like, uh, Pierce Freelon and, um, camp powers like, um, princess from Molly of Denali, like all of these people who are just Jasmine Rodriguez from Sesame street, you know, all of these people were there I, the way I put it is to, with their bumpers, right.

Jay Ray: hmm.

Toni Kennedy: Us in line of what's best, what's going to be fun and funny and what's going to be great for the kids.

Right. Um, I used to say, Johnny, a long time ago, as I would write, I would say, I want to write a show for adults. Hidden in a kid show

Jay Ray: Yeah,

Toni Kennedy: and people would say, well, that's not, that's not good. That's who would, who would watch that? Not realizing whatever your child is watching, you are watching. You

Jay Ray: saying like, what's this? Tell me about this. I want to hear it. Take them headphones off.

Toni Kennedy: know,

Jay Ray: Right.

Toni Kennedy: So it's like beneficial to make programming that adults will enjoy as well, because you know, when it's down to two choices, okay, so what do you want to watch? I want to watch that talking frog that screams all the time. Okay. I can't take him right now. Can we watch that?

Jay Ray: Right. Yes,

Toni Kennedy: so that's that's always been how I I think through Being a preschool teacher. I learned kids They don't come all by themselves They have a whole family

Jay Ray: Yeah.

Toni Kennedy: That comes with them and if you're not nurturing the adult You're not nurturing the child

Jay Ray: Yes.

Toni Kennedy: so my parent and listen to me my parents

part of my focus of How are you doing as much as the child is if not even more so?

Jay Ray: hmm. You definitely feel that. when listening to "What's Poppin' Penny?". You definitely feel that As an adult, you can enjoy these adventures as much as the kids do. And it helps to be able to, it was easy for me to share the show.

I'm like, Oh my God, like play this in the car. You know what I'm saying? Like if you need something else for them to play, play this instead. Right. Um, so if you can tell us a bit about Penny and Penny's family. And who inspired, so we know your granddaughter inspired Penny. Like, how did all these other characters come to be?

[00:20:25] The Inspiration Behind Penny's Family

Toni Kennedy: um When she was born my daughter lived in Brooklyn, right? brownstone buddy And her boyfriend, her partner, they didn't live together. They chose not to live together. Right. But he would come over and be there all the time. And every time he would walk in, he would say, and to me, he has a, a voice that's a cross between Tone Loke and the Kool Aid man.

Jay Ray: Yeah, so it's deep, it's kind of gravelly and you know, right?

Toni Kennedy: And he would walk in and he would say, what's popping little baby like that. Right. And one side of my brain was like, but it's not how the father converses with the child. The father must be, you know, but the other side of my brain was, that is the warmest, most loving thing I have ever heard. He says it.

Every time he'd walk in, he wouldn't say hi, Ma, he wouldn't say hi to my daughter. He'd be like, what's poppin little baby? And then he'd scoop her up, and that, and it was just like, one day I asked him, because I was, honestly, Johnny, I was in conflict and I finally asked him, what does what's popping mean? And he goes, it means what's up? How you doing? What's going on? And it's like, that is the most beautiful thing I have ever felt. Where this guy comes in and he scoops up that little baby and he's, first thing, how you doing?

Jay Ray: Right. Yes.

Toni Kennedy: And it stuck with me. And apparently when I started writing Penny, Penny is obviously my granddaughter. The loving relationship that I first saw with her and her dad is the foundation of the relationship with Penny and her dad.

I have a really great friend who voices Jabari, Steven A. Hart. Steven is the king of dad jokes. And. Honestly, Jabari is Steven. And I've told him this before, I'm like, don't sue me, I ain't got no money. Um, but Jabari, he's, he is. Stephen. Stephen is that dad. And, um, Zoe is my daughter. She's the artist, multi talented artist.

And the mom, trying to, in the thick of raising a child. and interacting with her parents. You know, she's that is in that in between stage, right? She's not the caregiver of her parents quite yet, but there is some responsibility there. So Zoe is like your age, right? And, um, then T. A. Is actually My brother, Joe, I'm the youngest of nine and the age difference is when I was born, my brother was 22, 23 years old and um, he was my trusted adult.

He was the person who always just made sure I was okay. I could say anything specifically, what's wrong with my belly button? And like, instead of getting, leave that thing alone, girl, stop before you break it. You know? You'd say there's nothing wrong with your belly button and he's playing and he's an outies to me. And that mine was perfect. Like no matter what it was, he was my trusted adult. And I'd already had some experiences where I didn't have trusted adults, right? That lineation, right?

Jay Ray: Yeah.

Toni Kennedy: reading what I'm writing and telling others or, um, telling my teacher something I said in confidence at home.

And then my teacher's like, Hmm, I heard you talking trash about me. And I'm like, Oh my, like that feeling of devastation. Um, when your trust has been

Jay Ray: Right! How dare you tell her!

Toni Kennedy: that to the, for me, the crux of parenting is, um, You're stair stepping built, building trust. So by the time you say to that person, no, you shouldn't wear those shoes. We're going to be walking for a very long time. And they're like, but these are my favorites and I want to wear them. Like, well, they're not going to get you very far.

That they trust that you're just not trying to bring them down. Right? Parenting is an action. And that action, every single, for a long time, every single interaction is just a trust building exercise.

Jay Ray: Yes. Oh my goodness. All the parents need to hear what you're saying because you're dropping so many gems for parents in this. And to that, to that point, you, within the show, of course, this is a multi generational household because Penny is living in a house or in a, in a brownstone and her grandmom is there.

And then recently, uh, her grandfather has passed away, but there's something magical. That happens. Um, and we're not spoiling anything because it's, it's, you know, part of the show, but talk to us a bit about, uh, the, the, the role of the grandparents in this show.

Toni Kennedy: The role of the grandparents, like I said, T. A. is my oldest brother. Spice, Penny calls her grandma Spicey because she's sugar and spice and everything nice. And a long time ago, my daughter asked me, what do you want your grandma name to be? This is before she even had children. And we went through a lot of names and then she said, but you're so sweet.

They don't, those don't actually fit you, your sugar and your spice. And I said, then call me spicy. I'll be spicy.

Jay Ray: you're spicy.

Toni Kennedy: am spicy to my grandkids. And I love it.

[00:26:58] The Secret Ingredients of "What's Poppin' Penny?": Love and Toni's Sister Terry

Toni Kennedy: Um, So spicy is my sister, Terry. Terry was eight years older than me. She died a few years of ALS. And my stories around Penny actually are about my sister, Terry.

She made my childhood magical. Like Terry could make walking in the rain, a magical event, right? And spicy and TA, those are. Those are my, my happy places in me, right? That I get to bring and share with other people. Uh, but like you said, TA has passed away. So what happens to love when your loved one goes? And that was something that as a preschool teacher, as a parent, I've had to explain many, many, many times to children. And the show. That's the foundation. Love is the foundation of the show. So love in all of its forms, its familiar form, as well as those who are here and those who have parted and how that love never, ever, ever leaves you. And I know that I am nothing without my mother, without my grandmother, without my great grandfather. That's how far I can go back with people, right? But I also know that my grandchildren, my children are, they're nothing without me and my grandchildren are nothing without me. And so all of these people, no matter, I'm talking to my grandkids today.

Through the voice of my grandmother

Jay Ray: Yeah.

Toni Kennedy: that I've that is true. I think for many of us, especially in our culture.

Jay Ray: Yes. It's, it's interesting that you bring that up.

[00:29:06] Personal Reflections on Family and Loss

Jay Ray: Um, in 2021, actually at the beginning of Queue Points, um, uh, my dad passed away. I had been taking care of him, but it was sudden passing. Like I didn't expect him to pass away when he did, right? But it's so interesting now that I find myself feeling like him, like something will come out and I'm like, Oh my, I've heard that, or I sound just like dad saying this thing and that is special.

Or I hear my grandmother. So in 2020, myself, my mom, my brother, my cousins, we, um, supported my grandmother through her transition, which is something, uh, that none of us. expected to do, but it's one of the most special things I think we could do. And, um, I hear her and I see, I hear her come out often. And so you're absolutely right.

I think, you know, culturally, these lessons that, or these, these, these, these words and these lessons that have come in, we embody them and then they show up and it reminds us that those people are still here and therefore everything's okay. I love that about. our culture, about our experience here, is that I have all of these ancestors that are just like in the room.

He in here, my grandmama in here, part of this conversation. So that you feel it, it explains why the show feels the way it does, Toni.

Toni Kennedy: Thank you. Thank you for that, Johnny.

[00:30:57] Queue Points Mid-Roll Ad

Jay Ray: dJ Sir Daniel. My Walkman was my life. The other little boys would be playing basketball while I was over there fiddling with my cassettes.

DJ Sir Daniel: You were fancy because I had a small radio with a cassette player and I would stay up every weekend until 2 a. m. to listen to Mr. Magic and Cool DJ Red Alert and record their shows.

I wish I still had those cassettes.

Jay Ray: Man, I love you. Classics, me too. So, in the summertime, I would flip between BET and MTV all day long and record music videos on those big VHS tapes.

DJ Sir Daniel: Videos changed everything. I would catch the number 4 Express because it would get me home quicker to watch Video Music Box.

And on Fridays, our Uncle Ralph only played hip hop videos, so you know it was on.

Jay Ray: Yo, I wish we had video music box here, but listen, music, culture, and history from a black perspective. Cue points is all about the music that shaped our lives.

DJ Sir Daniel: And if this is music to your ears, check out cue points wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Yo, did you have a beeper growing up? Did I? Haha. Haha.

Jay Ray: Haha.

[00:32:17] The Magic of '"What's Poppin' Penny?"' Theme Song

Jay Ray: Okay There's "What's Poppin' Penny?". There's all of the characters, but okay So one of the most amazing things about "What's Poppin' Penny?" Though Is your theme song the "What's Poppin' Penny?" Theme song? This is a music podcast and the "What's Poppin' Penny?" Theme song is is jamming. So talk about that song And all of that.

So your daughter is singing on the song. Tell us all about the song.

Toni Kennedy: My daughter, uh, is a professional singer. There's a reason my audience is children, right? They're not as harsh. They haven't developed musical taste yet. So, you, you, my music is definitely for children, right? And so, but my daughter has actual talent. And, uh, you know, she, she is singing with Mac Miller.

She is, uh, she's been all around, uh, She's been a singer and doing her thing since high school, right? Um, so, but I am the writer. And when I came up with this, I'm a little bit special, Johnny. I say things, I'm using words right now, but I'm filtering them through my brain of, It feels sparkly. It has to feel like the color yellow.

Wow. It has to.

Jay Ray: So you have that. I see everything like a film. So literally everything you're saying is literally, there's a movie happening in my head right now, Toni.

Toni Kennedy: And it's an episode of My Little Pony in my head, right?

Jay Ray: We see each other.

[00:34:03] Creating the Perfect Theme Song

Toni Kennedy: So I contacted Lucas Morales. He's a composer and he's been musical director for a great many people. And I contacted him through a friend of a friend. No, just through a friend. And this is the email I sent to Lucas. Hold on, strap in, buckle up. Okay. So I tell him, uh, my podcast is for children, three to five years old. And I tell him about the show. And so I tell him that the theme song lyrics and inspiration. Opening, R& B 90s girl group in vogue, style harmonies, acapella. And this is me singing to Lucas, right, on the phone. "What's Poppin' Penny?"? Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Jay Ray: And Lucas is like, sure.

Toni Kennedy: Yeah! I tell him that the music begins with the bass, congas, West African style rhythm, like a train chugging toward a rhythmic beat. Forward and then the words come in and then I take it to the bridge and I literally wrote break it down with an exclamation point

Jay Ray: First of all, you said, take it to the bridge and then break it down. Exclamation point. This is why you win, Toni. You wrote that in an email to be like, here's what this production is going to give.

Toni Kennedy: This is all that it needs to give. Okay And then I said I tell him Where is the thing? Oh, then I write a rap

Jay Ray: Yes, as you should. Why not? You got, you got bars,

Toni Kennedy: And the rap is

Jay Ray: please tell

Toni Kennedy: I have tears in my eyes The rap is Uh, big city streets aren't for housecats, Penny. I think I'll stay right here and take a nap. Hmm. No rhymes. No stanza.

Jay Ray: it explains pinella Paul so perfectly. Pinella. Paul's a character on the show. Y'all need to be listening to the

Toni Kennedy: at my boy Stevie Wonder, I'm like, it's a hot mess. So the fact that Lucas took all of this in, and then my daughter kicked me out, I And she and he went in and they actually kept the good parts. I'll put quotations around that. They kept the good parts and they came out very patiently and explained to me why I couldn't have what I said I wanted. And this is what they gave me. And I was like, this is exactly how I heard it in my

Jay Ray: You like this is perfect. This is all of it.

Okay, we need to let the people know y'all can go to Apple Music Spotify YouTube music and first of all go to Apple Music and buy it. How about that? Go to Amazon and buy it. How about that or you can stream it everywhere go stream the "What's Poppin' Penny?" Theme. It's a it's a it's a jam.

[00:37:26] The Importance of Representation in Children's Media

Toni Kennedy: It is a jam and what is funny about this I have to tell you when I wrote the lyrics during the Spotify sound up program and so we were getting feedback from a lot I mean a ton of different people right and I got feedback that the lyrics Which are literally she's a little girl with brown skin and curly hair living life without fear right

Jay Ray: hmm.

Toni Kennedy: to

Jay Ray: hmm.

Toni Kennedy: And the feedback I got from one person anonymously You Was is that something we need in the theme song?

Can't we learn that about her in the show? And my reaction was. If that is too much for you to handle straight out the gate, you are not my audience. And you will not tell this little girl to shut up, sit down. Because this song, the whole lyrics, she's a little girl with brown skin and curly hair. Okay. She talking to me, right?

Jay Ray: Mm hmm.

Toni Kennedy: Living life without a care

Jay Ray: Yes.

Toni Kennedy: for some people. That is going to resonate as true for other people for other parents that is going to resonate as an aspiration

Jay Ray: Mm hmm.

Toni Kennedy: this song is inspirational and it's aspirational because we do Sometimes raise our little brown girls to be strong, right? Which comes along with a lot of discounting of their feelings, their temperaments, their curiosity.

Jay Ray: Yes.

Toni Kennedy: Right. All of those childish childhood things of being child. And for some people, they're going to hear living life without a care and pause and think, I want that for my child.

Jay Ray: Yes. Ooh. It's inspirational and it's aspirational. Mm. I love that so much.

[00:39:47] The Juneteenth Episode of "What's Poppin' Penny?"

Jay Ray: you also have a Juneteenth episode of "What's Poppin' Penny?" Coming on Juneteenth, on June 19th. Tell us a bit about that episode.

Toni Kennedy: That episode is epic. It is epic when I tell you. It followed pen. Oh my God. You did. I just blew.

Jay Ray: You're like, oh, I see you. You're like, there's so many things to say about it.

Toni Kennedy: It is. I'm so excited because it's show it's full of history, right? It's full of history and it's history. I'm from Florida. So they burning books, banning books, you know,

Jay Ray: Your podcast is standing in the gap.

Toni Kennedy: Yes. Yes. So in, in the juneteenth episode, the family goes from big city down to the farm where T. A. was born. Grandpa T. A. was born for the family reunion. It is just off the hook with music. Lucas did, uh, like a, a cha cha slide for me of what's penny cha cha. Cause you know, at the family reunion, we got to get

Jay Ray: It's gotta be a line, James. There's gotta be something.

Toni Kennedy: there. So there's so much music in this show. That's incredible. That's one reason to tune in. But the other is. With my little slick self. They're driving through the country, right?

And Penny asks if they're lost and Spicy says Oh no, honey, you see that river over there? That's where the Clotilda went down. Now for a lot of people, that's gonna go phew! And for some people, they're gonna be like, Did she just say the Clotilda?

Jay Ray: Mm

Toni Kennedy: I

Jay Ray: hmm.

Toni Kennedy: keep dropping mystery all up in this thing for my baby to understand.

And yes I am. And it's followed by a cat joke. Uh, yes it

Jay Ray: love this. Oh my God. So there and there are different characters. So miss Betty Reid Soskin is going to be a guest star. What is the role miss miss miss Betty is playing in this episode.

Toni Kennedy: Uh, Jesse and Jesse is the family storytell. She's the history keeper of the family. And this is the first time that Penny learns. We all learn where did the magic come from? Like she's had this magical teddy bear since day one. All through episode 10. But where did the magic come from? And Miss Betty, uh, takes us back.

Her voice trans as she tells Penny and the magic starts to happen. Her voice transforms from the 102 year old Aunt Jessie to her granddaughter played her.

Jay Ray: Oh, wow. So you have her her. Oh,

Toni Kennedy: Yes. So they, they become one. And so the young aunt Jesse, right. Cause it's all magical. She explains how the family story starts in Ghana, in West Africa. Right. So, because for many of us, that's where our start, you know, in America, that's where our roots started, but we know so little about it or anyway.

So, Betty. Um, then transformed that, that transforms, I reached out that this is not true. This is true. Krista Bell was a part, she was one of the high executives as a part of Spotify. And one of the nice things about Spotify and being in that program was that many of the people still reach out. How are you?

I see you doing your thing. How are you? How can we help? Right? Out of the blue, Krista Bell, who was from West Africa. And Johnny, you know, I have been trying to cast this role forever, like forever and one thing or another, I'll have it cast, they'll drop out all of it. So she reached out and asked, how can I help?

How are you doing? And I was like, I need someone who can speak Twi or Fanti. And she was like, girl, I got you.

Jay Ray: Oh, it all came together. Like you being in the program. It was all meant to be.

Toni Kennedy: It was, if you only knew how hard it was for me and how important it was. For me to cast a person who speaks a language from West Africa that children can hear and always be readily available to them. How important that was. And the fact that it was not happening was crushing my soul. And this lady came and she gave me a woman in her seventies.

Maybe eighties, cause you know, black don't crack and she spoke the words of encouragement and tell the story of how this little bear came to be for the, for this little child. Right. And then she says it in Fonty and then she, um, interprets it into English. Right.

Jay Ray: my God. I haven't heard the episode y'all. I cannot wait to hear this.

Toni Kennedy: It is powerful. It is powerful. My sister asked me, uh, no, she said, well, that sounds, that sounds really nice. And I said, um, yeah, but that's not what I was going for it. I was going for importance.

[00:46:25] Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Jay Ray: And that's why we over here at Queue Points, Sir Daniel and I are so grateful. Like I said, we're grateful for you. We're also grateful to just support "What's Poppin' Penny?" Because we feel like Kids need to hear this. Adults need to hear this show. You need, they need to hear it so that they can share it with children.

And I think it, it helps to build that bridge, right? Let's listen to what's popping penny together. So even if you, if, if me as an adult, I don't have children, but I have like cousins and I have like folks around me that I can share this show with. And so it builds a bridge and, um, So the show let me just so the special will be out on Juneteenth.

Right? So. People can tune in on Juneteenth. Um, listen to this on your way to whatever it is that you're doing on Juneteenth, play it in the morning as you're getting up and getting breakfast going, what's popping Penny should be one of the things that starts your day. That's my, that's my. Two cents, uh, around this, um, Toni, before we finish up anything else you would like to share, um, we'll make sure that all your contact info is part of this, but Hey, what's popping penny is where folks can connect with you online.

Anything else you want to leave the folks with as we head out?

Toni Kennedy: I just want to thank you and DJ Sir Daniel for keeping I want, I don't want to say our culture alive, but keeping our knowledge of our culture so present, so pristine in our minds, in our lives, one of my favorite shows you're always on in my house. Um, so your voice is very familiar. Um, want to thank everybody who listened to the show. Um, Yeah, that's it. I get really bashful about it. Um, but you know, like Erica Bardu, I'm I'm so happy that it's finding a home. It's finding its way. It's finding its people. I am very, very, very, very grateful for all of those things. So the thing I want to say is thank you for checking my show out. Thank you for supporting my show.

And thank you for having me here to talk about it.

Jay Ray: Oh, well, listen, we are down with "What's Poppin' Penny?". So make sure that all of you, and we've, we've been saying this, but we're going to say it again. Make sure that you follow "What's Poppin' Penny?" Wherever you listen to your podcasts, subscribe, share the show. That's really important. Just like we tell you to do with Queue Points.

We encourage you to do that with "What's Poppin' Penny?", um, because it is an incredibly important show y'all. Thank you so much, Toni Kennedy, for dropping by and having this amazing conversation with us. Yes.

Toni Kennedy: Thank you for having me. Greenville. Bye.

Jay Ray: y'all. Bye.

[00:49:47] Closing Theme