The Daily Show: Ears Edition - The Life of a Black Beekeeper - Black Monomyth

Episode Date: April 1, 2022

Dulcé Sloan visits a bee farm and works with the Black beekeepers to learn how and why they have decided to get into the raw honey industry. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. I'm meeting with Cam and Summer Johnson who are raising a family and... Killer Bees. I'm going to follow them for the day. To mainly find out why. I'm meeting with Cam and Summer Johnson, who are raising a family and... Killer bees. I'm going to follow them for the day to mainly find out why.

Why in God's name not leave this honey farming with death boxes to follow them for the day to mainly find out why. Why in God's name not leave this honey farming with death boxes to white people? All right fine I'm here but don't know where I'm at. What's the first step in this beekeeping situations? This is your first step. This will keep you safe. I'm supposed to be saving his laundry hamper? Yeah. Keep the bees off your face, no problem. Keep it cool. I think one of the reasons black people haven't gotten into beekeeping is because of the outfits.

No. They're planned and boring. So I put my own together. You know, I just wanted to wear something like low-key, slightly embellished, just you know, real simple. Whoa, that's a bee suit. Right! A little pop, little razzle, dazzle? I mean, you look like a big flower. They might try to pollinate you. She's gonna get stoned.

Now, as black people, we're in a constant state of danger, right? What made y'all want to be in more danger? So we moved out to the suburbs when Zach, our second child was five years old. He had really bad seasonal allergies, he struggled with asthma, we'd be in the emergency room, you know, a couple times a year and so we wanted something natural instead of pumping his body full of steroids and medicine and so we read about raw honey, rightthe antinflammatory properties how good it was for him we said you know what we got some land let's experiment with beehives and we got hooked. Hold up hold up hold up hold up hold up that had a jump nobody

makes right like you know like oh my kid is lactose and tolerant let me start an almond farm it actually worked he had no like allergies or asthma after we cured he he he the he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he he the he the he he the he the he he he he he the the the the the the the they the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the they. they. they. they. they. they. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th is th is th is the the te te te an te an te an tenton tenton tenton te te is te is te is the the the the the the the to tolent-tolerant, let me start an almond farm. It actually worked. He had no like allergies or asthma after. We cured him in a year's worth of honey. Turns out if you have seasonal allergies, local raw honey has healing properties with allergens native to your area. Over time, a person may become less sensitive to that pollen. So basically, raw honey saves lives.

That's cheaper than health insurance. Like I've been saying from the beginning, more black people definitely need to get it on this. It's more black people the beekeep thing you think. It's predominantly white, but it's changing. Okay, so there's y'all and... Dozens. We know dozens of beekeepers. A dozen is only 12.

Oh, that like beekeepers for the most part are white? I mean, there's a lot of like, systemic reasons of like access to like land and, I mean, you do need some space to bekeep and so, uh, you know. We always amonished African Americans to buy in the country too. So they'll have more land and there's more agriculture going on. So, uh, land and racism. Got it, all right. Yeah. If sacrificing myself will inspire others in the black community to become beekeepers, then I'm ready to meet these bugs with dagger bucks.

But mainly, I'm doing this because I'm stuck in the millin' over in New Jersey and can't get it over home. Well, it's the good thing your son wasn't allergic to electricity. I'll be the first black Amish people. All right, hold up, hold up. This is too many bees. I'm not comfortable, this doesn't feel like a safe space. How do you make them like calm down? Smoke. Yes, bat will keep you safe.

Some where puts lavender in it. So it's like flavor. Yeah, so it simulates like a forest fire, right? So they're distracted from us, the intruders are thinking. How do I get out? How do I get out of this? And they just get calm. So the smoke makes them think that their hive is on fire. But they get calm about it.

Yeah, because if my apartment was on fire, I'd be real calm. I was insane. My only knowledge of beads is that a swarm of them killed McCully Coker than my girl. Young man, fucks this. So if they'll do that to a little white boy, I don't know what they would do to a grown black woman. Ready? We're open in the box? Yes, girl. One, two.

It's thrown. It's d'a'l, that's your job. Nice. Keep them smoke. Yes, girl. It's doing great, see? Calm them down. See all this hunting here? Oh, they just bust it out the front of the fray. But see how calm there? So you're not getting stung.

If they're aggressive, they'd be stinging the queen in the bottom chamber. You want to make sure the hive is healthy and those bees can go off to another hive and find a queen or vice versa. Well yeah, you gotta take care of the queen first in any situation. That's why my doorman gives me my packages before anybody else in the building. It's kind of obvious that she's not like aware of bee-keeping at all. So can you tell me more about their bee behavior? See what I did there? Now isn't honey just regurgitated? Bee vomit, yeah, it's bee vomit.

Hey, America, honey is bee vomit? Did you know that? So now we'll, now we'll, we'll take this one and go in there and harvest? And we'll show you how we extract it. What began is a beautiful story of parental love has blossomed into a trailblazing black-owned business. This is pure yuminess. What do you think?

It's really good. And it has been inspiring to see the symbiotic relationship that has formed between humans and nature. Just keep me away from them fucking bees. transformed between humans and nature. Just keep me away from them fucking bees. So it's young Zachary. You see that your parents have done all of this and they got a whole bunch of death boxes in the back.

They worked very hard to keep you alive, young man. What do you plan to do with your life? I already like trying to pitch in, do the most they can for the business. Okay. What they had done for you?? the their their their tha. tha. tha. thiiiiiiii. thi. thi. thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, thi, thi, to be to be, to be, to to to to be, to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to do, to do, to do, to be th. th, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. I theea, thea. I's, tomoooooomoomorrow, tomorrow, thaea. We's, toea. So, toea. So, tha. So, tomorrow, trying to pitch in, do the most they can for the honey in for the business. Okay. What have they done for you? Well, my name is on it too. It's Zach and Zoe, so it's for me too. Yes. Listen, I hope through this whole thing is that we've inspired more people to be beekeepers, especially more people of color to keep bees.

Mind your bees wax. The puns. To everybody. Anybody who reaches out. We're willing to help. Help them get started. Help them get started. Help them point them in the right direction, talk about the books, the beekeeping clubs. Dolce can do it. You can do it. Yeah. I really hope we made a beekeeper out of her. You know? I think we did, right. It's trash! No! Yeah! Watch the Daily Show, weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.