Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 124

Mark Anthony Neal: 'Actor Sidney Poitier was a Force for Change On and Off the Screen

'Ayesha Rascoe of Weekend Edition Sunday speaks to Professor Mark Anthony Neal of Duke University about Sidney Poitier's legacy as a racial justice activist. The actor passed away Thursday at the age of 94. "You know, part of it was this kind of stoicism that he had. Neal suggests, "his unwillingness to react in a way on screen that would empower, you know, white racism and white supremacists and all these other forces that were against him."

Bill T. Jones Remembers the First Time He Met Alvin Ailey

'In this outtake from Ailey, Bill T. Jones, guest choreographer of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recalls telling Alvin Ailey that he did not want to be considered a "Black choreographer," and Ailey reacting with compassion. "Now I can say it with confidence, but I was lonely," said Jones. "I was lonely for colleagues who were people of color".' -- American Masters PBS

Mark Driscoll: Blacks Weather, Whites Climate

'In this #WednesdaysAtTheCenter lecture, Mark Driscoll explored the racialization of fossil capitalism to give a long historical perspective on "Black weathering" i.e., the increased vulnerability and disproportionate impact on people of color of environmental degradation and pandemic illnesses. Beginning with the scientific revolution of Francis Bacon and Robert Boyle, Driscoll argues that techno-scientific interventions inadvertently altered global climate patterns with a focus on the reliance on African enslavement to perpetuate its "advances." He links the use of plantation-enslaved people to dig coal in the Southeast US, to convict leasing after the Civil War to establish the infrastructure of mines, roads, and railroads, leading to the current prison-industrial-climate complex where BIPOC prisoners are forced to work for fossil fuel companies in Louisiana and elsewhere, contributing to their own weathering. Mark Driscoll is a Professor of East Asian Studies and Global Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.'

Death Rituals in Black Communities Have Been Altered or Forgone in the Pandemic

' Weekend Edition Sunday's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with mortician Stephen Kemp about how the pandemic is affecting the role of funeral homes in Black communities.'

Some White Congregations are Paying to Use Hymns Written by Enslaved African People

'As the national reckoning over racism grew over the past few years, many churches put up Black Lives Matter signs. A few are now going a step further and are trying to acknowledge financially the origins of some of the songs they sing during services. From Weekend Edition Saturday member station WGBH in Boston, Craig LeMoult has the story.

Remembering Sidney Poitier and His Impact on Black Artists

'Sidney Poitier made history as the first Black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, establishing an unapologetically Black presence in Hollywood cinema as he paved the way for generations to come. Mark Anthony Neal, the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African & African American studies at Duke University, joins Marc Lamont Hill on BNC News to talk about Poitier’s life and the impact of his career on generations of Black artists.'

What a Philadelphia Rowhome Fire Tells Us About the State of Urban Housing in 2022

Urban housing, like rowhomes, is often designed to pack as many people as possible within as small an area as possible. But as the nation finally addresses its crumbling infrastructure, will urban homes get left behind? Here & Now host Peter O'Dowd speaks with Vincent Reina, associate professor at the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania.'

Healing through poetry in 'Light For The World To See'

'Poet and author Kwame Alexander was feeling the weight of being Black in America last summer and didn't know how to make sense of his feelings. So, he made sense of them through his book of poetry, Light For The World To See: A Thousand Words On Race And Hope. It's three poems on three historic events: the murder of George Floyd, Colin Kaepernick's protests, and Barack Obama being elected president. Alexander told NPR's Rachel Martin he wrote this as a call for Black people to remember their humanity.'

Julia B. Chan Discusses Her Role as Editor-in-Chief of 'The 19th'

'The Takeaway talks with Julia B. Chan, the incoming editor in chief of The 19th News, an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting at the intersection of gender, politics and policy.'

Remembering bell hooks and 'All About Love'

'In the aftermath of the death of author and social activist bell hooks, NPR's Book of the Day thought it would be nice to revisit one of our favorite interviews of hers. In 2000, she discussed her book All About Love: New Visions with NPR's Cheryl Corely. They talked about how most people misunderstand love and the many forms it can take and how transformative and powerful real love can be in all spheres of life.'