Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 117

50 Years Ago, 'Zoom' Spoke to Children About Their Real Lives

'For pre-teens watching TV in the early 1970s, the opening to Zoom was captivating with seven, charismatic, barefoot kids in rugby shirts running, jumping, dancing and singing on a bare stage. They beckoned young viewers with the lyrics, "Come on and zoom, zoom, zoom-a zoom. You gotta zoom, zoom, zoom-a zoom." 'Zoom was created during a period of experimentation in educational television. Think Sesame Street and The Electric Company. Zoom was partly created to help model interpersonal relationships. Its legacy, however, may have been making a Boston zip code famous. To celebrate Zoom's 50th anniversary, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting has made more than 100 episodes available to stream online for the first time.'

How Gun Violence Looks in Hospitals

'Jody Schiliro, producer and director of the documentary GSW Gun Shot Wound, talks about the film, which looks at routine gun violence through the eyes of the nation's leading trauma surgeons.  She's joined by Noe Romo, MD, medical director of Jacobi’s Stand Up to Violence program and director of pediatric inpatient services at Jacobi Medical Center (NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi), who is featured in the documentary.'

Indigenous Children are Overrepresented in Minnesota's Foster Care System

'The foster care system is supposed to provide temporary housing and assistance to children whose families may be in a time of crisis. And while it is a system that is often overburdened and under-resourced, something more troubling seems to be happening in Minnesota where indigenous children are overrepresented in the foster system at a rate of 15 times that of their population. Over the course of eight months, Jessica Washington, a reporter with the Fuller Project spoke with Native families, lawyers, and other experts to understand why Minnesota has the highest disproportionality of Indigenous children in the child welfare system in the country. The Takeaway speaks with Washington about her investigation and one of Washington's sources, Teresa Nord, who is a Navajo and Hopi Indian descendant, and who has personal experience with the child welfare system in Minnesota.'

Understanding and Addressing Increasing Rates of Suicide Deaths Amongst Black Youth

'Academy Award winning actor Regina King lost her only child to death by suicide. The tragic loss of a loved one to suicide is a pain far too many have endured. The Takeaway speaks with Dr. Michael Lindsey, Executive Director, NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research about rising suicide rates among young people of color. Dr. Lindsey served as Chair of the Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health which presented its research to Congress on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus to call attention to the crisis of increasing numbers of suicide deaths amongst Black youth in the United States. The study, Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America, addressed issues surrounding awareness, accessibility to mental health services, prevention, and policy.'

Book Looks Inside the World of NYC's Ballroom Community

'Writer Ricky Tucker’s new book, And the Category Is...: Inside New York's Vogue, House, and Ballroom Community, takes readers behind the curtain into the ballroom community spotlighting its icons, values and history. Tucker joins All Of It to talk about the book.'

Historically Speaking: How Corporate Branding Impacted Hip Hop

'An esteemed panel will discuss corporate branding's inclusion of hip-hop in strategies to reach a broader range of consumers and markets and consider both the growth of the culture and the complicated legacy of the co-opting of Black art, style, and innovation. Naima Cochrane will moderate a panel conversation with Bill Stephney, Nicole Plantin, Gabriel Allan Tolliver, and Carlton Keith Harrison.'

Removing Racist Language From Home Deeds

'Redlining clauses are legal language written into deeds to stop families of color from moving into white neighborhoods. Although the practice is illegal now, the language still lingers and groups are working to change that.' -- Newsy

Left Bank Books: Keith Boykin - Race Against Time

'Left Bank Books welcomes St. Louis native, CNN political commentator, New York Times best-selling author, and a former White House aide to President Bill Clinton, Keith Boykin, who discusses his book, Race Against Time: The Politics of a Darkening America.' 

Speaking Out of Place: A Conversation on Reclaiming Our Political Voices with David Palumbo-Liu and Robin D. G. Kelley

'Renowned scholars and activists David Palumbo-Liu and Robin D. G. Kelley discuss Palumbo-Liu's urgent new book Speaking Out of Place, which asks us to reconceptualize both what we think “politics” is, and our relationship to it. Especially at this historical moment, when it is all too possible we will move from Trump’s fascistic regime to Biden’s anti-progressive centrism. We need ways to build off the tremendous growth we have seen in democratic socialism, and to gather strength and courage for the challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead. As Nick Estes said of the book, “It’s not enough to be against the rising tide of authoritarianism and climate chaos. David Palumbo-Liu examines how only through “a positive obsession with justice” and a collective willingness to learn to speak a new language and remake the places do we have a chance at saving the planet and building the world we all need”.'

Theologian Candice Marie Benbow Discusses ‘Red Lip Theology’

'In her book entitled, Red Lip Theology: For Church Girls Who’ve Considered Tithing to the Beauty Supply Store When Sunday Morning Isn’t Enough, theologian and essayist Candice Marie Benbow embraces alternative spirituality and womanist theology. She challenges religious institutions, faith leaders and communities to reimagine how faith can be a tool of liberation and transformation for women and girls. She has written for publications such as Essence, Glamour and The Root and was named by Sojourners magazine as one of “10 Christian Women Shaping the Church in 2020.” Benbow joins Marc Lamont Hill on Black News Tonight to talk about her book.'