Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 101

Duets: Black Creatives in Conversation with Asali Solomon and Mia Carter

'In this virtual conversation, Dr. Asali Solomon (award-winning author and Haverford College Professor) discusses her new novel The Days of Afrekete, writing process, and source for her inspiration with Dr. Mia Carter (Associate Dean for University of Texas College of Liberal Arts and English Professor).' -- John L.Warfield Center for African American Studies

Looking at the Way We Talk About Bipolar Disorder

'Words like 'unhinged,' 'insane,' and 'psychotic' have all been used to describe Kanye West’s behavior in recent weeks. Outbursts, twitter pleas to his wife, Kim Kardashian, and threats to her current boyfriend Pete Davidson have been met with understandable alarm. There’s also been a rush to pass judgement accompanied by potentially dangerous and demonizing language when it comes to his mental health. West has been public about his bipolar disorder in recent years. While Ye’s condition is not an excuse for harassment or dangerous behavior we should exercise caution and be very clear in how we characterize and talk about his bipolar disorder.  We look at bipolar disorder, the stigmatizing language used to describe West, and more with freelance journalist Kiana Fitzgerald who recently wrote, “Bipolar disorder is complicated. So is how we talk about Ye” for Vox.'

'Girl, Woman, Other' Celebrates Black British Women

'Bernardine Evaristo didn't think there were enough books being published about Black British women, so she wrote one herself. Girl, Woman, Other looks at the lives of many different British women, mostly Black women, from 19 to 93 years old. Some of their stories intertwine while others stay separate. Evaristo told NPR's Scott Simon that she wanted "to show the heterogeneity of who we are in this society, and to explore us as fully realized, complex, driven, flawed individuals whose stories are as worthy of telling as anyone else's".'

Conversations in Atlantic Theory • Kyle Mays on An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States

'A discussion with Kyle Mays, who teaches in the Departments of History, African American Studies, and American Indian Studies at University of California-Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of 2018’s Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes: Modernity and Hip Hop in Indigenous North America, published by State University of New York Press and a forthcoming book City of Dispossessions, an historical reflection on Black-Indigenous political and culture work in Detroit, Michigan. He is also the author of An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States, published in late-2021 by Beacon Press, which is our topic of discussion in this podcast. We cover issues of comparative study, the complex mix of conflict and complement in the hyphen in “Afro-Indigenous,” the past of solidarity in struggle, and the future of the same.'

The Constructive View of Reparations with Olúfẹmi O. Táíwò

'In this episode of Millennials Are Killing Capitalism a conversation with Olúfẹmi O. Táíwò,  an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and the author ofReconsidering Reparations,which examines arguments for reparations historically and offers a philosophical argument for a constructive vision of reparations.'  

Taking Back the Chagos Islands from the British: 'they uprooted us from our beautiful life'

'More than 50 years after they were forcibly removed from their homes, the former residents of Britain’s last colony in Africa are challenging the UK’s claim to the archipelago. After a five-day journey across the ocean, which they returned from this week, a small delegation of Chagos Islanders made an emotional return to their homeland. They were there to symbolically lay claim to the islands for Mauritius, in hopes of eventually resettling there. Olivier Bancoult was just four years old when his family was deported to Mauritius from the Chagos Islands. We follow his journey.'

Jazz Night In America: The Gospel According to Damien Sneed

'Damien Sneed doesn't believe in coincidences. Each event in his life set a purpose and path for what would follow. "For me, God has been everything in my music and everything to me," he tells Jazz Night in America, making it clear that he sees a divine hand in his own life story, which began with his adoption as a baby. His parents had a background in both early and special education — a perfect support system for young Damien, who had Autism spectrum disorder, and had difficulty speaking early on.'

America's Dirty Secret: the Majority Black Town Backed Up with Raw Sewage

'In the shadow of New York City, one of the world’s richest cities, the people of Mount Vernon, New York face an unpleasant problem inside their homes: sewage. The city’s under-resourced sanitation crew struggles to keep up with complications stemming from its crumbling, 100-year old sewer system — a system strained even further by the extreme rain brought on by climate change. Meanwhile, residents must shoulder the financial, emotional and health burdens when sewage backs up into their basements and homes.'

A Conversation with Civil Rights Lawyer and Activist Maya Wiley

'Civil Rights Lawyer and Activist Maya Wiley shared an educational and inspirational conversation with The New School community about the current state of racial equity in the United States and the journey we now face. This conversation was hosted by the university's Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice.'

Marita Golden in The Black Writer's Studio

'Marita Golden is the author of 19 works of fiction and nonfiction. Her most recent work of nonfiction is The Strong Black Woman How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women. She is the recipient of many awards including the Writers for Writers Award presented by Barnes & Noble and Poets and Writers, an award from the Authors Guild, and the Fiction Award for her novel After awarded by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She has lectured and read from her work internationally. Co-founder and President Emerita of the Zora Neale Hurston/ Richard Wright Foundation, Marita Golden is a veteran teacher of writing. She taught at the University of Lagos, in Nigeria and has served as a member of the faculties of the MFA Graduate Creative Writing Programs at George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University. She has served as Distinguished Writer in Residence within the MA Creative Writing Program at John Hopkins University, and Prince Georges Community College and the University of the District of Columbia.'