Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 125

Duke Science and Technology: An Algorithm for a Better World

'Duke University Computer science professor Nicki Washington is developing a new formula for equality in the tech industry: Disrupting the policies, practices and points of view standing in the way of marginalized computer science students. Making sure we all count, now that’s an algorithm for a better world.'

Nikole Hannah-Jones on the Power of Collective Memory

'What stories do we learn about the history of the United States? Who dreamed up those stories? And what happens when we challenge them? NPR's Throughline podcast talks to journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones about the historical argument she tried to make with the 1619 project.'

The Business of Art: From Earning A Living To Building A Legacy

'Collectors of the works of Alonzo Adams are a who’s who of Black excellence, ranging from the late Dr. Maya Angelou to former NBA greats including Alonzo Mourning. Adams joins Beyond The Hype to reflect on his 25-year journey as professional artists, and on the changing realities of creating, marketing, selling, and investing in Black art.'

Africa's Lost 'Motown' Years Rediscovered

'A young Senegalese music producer is digitising one of the largest back catalogues of African music in the world. Binetou Sylla's father founded the African label Syllart Records and discovered some of the continent's biggest names. Until the project began, much of the music from the legendary label had only been available on vinyl records and CDs. Binetou wants to make this forgotten heritage the future of African hip-hop.'

Ibram X. Kendi Explains Why White Supremacy Is the Ultimate Diversion

'Racist ideas have long cast Black people as dangerous to the nation and White people as safe. But if there’s anything Jan. 6 showed us, it’s the perils of misplaced fear. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award winner, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, and founder of BU’s Center for Antiracist Research, offers insight on the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, where a violent mob tried to stop the certification of 2020 presidential election results. He illustrates how White supremacists have long cast Black people as dangerous to evade detection and responsibility. Kendi explores the safety ascribed to Whiteness, which he says serves as the ultimate diversion for dangerous White supremacists.' -- The Emancipator   

 

Solidarity! Third Worldism and The Activist Origins of Asian American Studies

'In this Wednesdays at the John Hope Franklin Center, Duke University professor Calvin Cheung-Miaw addressed the activist origins of Asian American identity, with a focus on how Asian Americans thought about multiethnic and multiracial solidarity.'

Why US Prisons Don’t Want Prisoners to Read

'In a recent piece for Protean magazine entitled “The American Prison System’s War on Reading,” Alex Skopic writes, “Across the United States, the agencies responsible for mass imprisonment are trying to severely limit incarcerated people’s access to the written word—an alarming trend, and one that bears closer examination.” In this episode of Rattling the Bars, The Real News Network Executive Producer Eddie Conway speaks with Skopic about the American prison system’s war on reading and its deep (and racist) historical roots. Alex Skopic is a freelance writer from Springville, Pennsylvania. His work has appeared in Anthracite Unite, Current Affairs, and Vastarien: A Literary Journal, among other places.'

The Power and Necessity of Treating Criminal Defendants with Dignity

'Judge Victoria Pratt recognizes the power and empowerment of the written word and how reframing your narrative can help envision a new path for yourself. As Chief Judge of Newark Municipal Court, Judge Pratt assigned essays to criminal defendants in her court, which allowed young adults to embrace new truths and take responsibility for their future. Judge Pratt discusses these essay assignments as well as treating defendants with dignity in her book about the theory and implementation of procedural justice, The Power of Dignity: How Transforming Justice Can Heal our Communities.'

The World of 'Khat' in Ethiopia Examined in 'Faya Dayi'

'Filmmaker Jessica Beshir makes her feature-length debut with the documentary, Faya Dayi. In the documentary Beshir returns to her birthplace, Ethiopia, to explore the world around 'khat,' a stimulant leaf, that is both culturally and religiously significant, but also the country's biggest cash crop. Beshir joins All Of It to discuss the documentary.'

Lynn Nottage: Unexpected Optimist

'Two-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage (Ruined, Sweat, Clyde’s) breaks down her remarkable career and shares how, as an optimist at heart, she finds the light and resilience in unexpected stories. Plus, she tells The United States of Anxiety host Kai Wright about her hopes for the future of theater and her interest in making the medium accessible and meeting people where they are.'