Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 128

Adolph Reed Jr. on Race Reductionism and Liberational Politics

'What is race reductionism and how does it close off possibilities for liberational politics? How is it that we’ve come to have such a restrictive understanding of race, culture, identity, and “authenticity” today? How have the political, economic, and ideological changes to society that comprise what we call neoliberalism created a situation where discussions of race and racism are divorced from analyses of class and “capitalist political economy”? As part of a new collaboration between The Real News Network and the podcast THIS IS REVOLUTION, co-hosts Jason Myles and Pascal Robert speak with scholar and activist Adolph Reed Jr. about the genealogy of American conceptions of race and racism, and about the folly of fighting neoliberalism on neoliberalism’s own terms.'

Big Lux's Beautiful Resistance: A Veteran's Violin Sings Black Lives Matter

'“The entire concept of art is to create something where before there wasn’t anything else,” says Big Lux, a violinist and activist. “In social justice, it’s the exact same thing — people who see that the world can be different, better than it is right now. And they have the talent, persistence, persuasion, and anger to see it through. If you are somebody in the social justice system, you have to be creative. You are literally trying to create a whole new world.” The strength of the arts were instilled with him as a little boy in Westerly, R.I. His parents cultivated a mix of arts and academics, offering him music lessons. He chose violin. Now, Big Lux uses his strings to protest injustice and as a way to change narratives around Black folk.' -- A Beautiful Struggle/Boston Globe

"Capitalism Generates Death Worlds" – On Necrocapitalism with Alyson Escalante, J. Moufawad Paul, and Devin Zane Shaw

'In this episode of Millennials Are Killing Capitalism, a conversation with three of the contributors to On Necrocapitalism: A Plague Journal, which is available from Kersplebedeb and you can find that at leftwingbooks.net. On Necrocapitalism was collectively authored by a writing group known as M.I. Asma which included J. Moufawad-Paul, Devin Zane Shaw, Mateo Andante, Johannah May Black, Alyson Escalante, and D.W. Fairlane. In this conversation we speak with Alyson Escalante, J. Moufawad Paul and Devin Zane Shaw.'

Mahershala Ali Breaks Down His Career, from 'Moonlight' to 'Swan Song'

'Mahershala Ali takes Vanity Fair through his illustrious career, including his roles in Crossing Jordan, House of Cards, Moonlight, Luke Cage, Green Book, True Detective, and Swan Song.'

How Love and Relationships Have Changed in the Time of COVID-19

'Dr. Lexx Brown-James, a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of the Institute for Sexuality and Intimacy, and Logan Ury, the author of the book, “How To Not Die Alone” and director of Relationship Science at Hinge, join  The Takeaway talk about the changes the pandemic has brought about, give advice for making time for intimacy, and give tips on how to get out there and date for those folks who are looking.'

Nashville's New Black Wind Symphony Aims to Inspire a New Generation of Classical Musicians

'The Nashville African American Wind Symphony is entirely made up of Black classical musicians. Its mission is to educate the younger generation of musicians and advocate for musicians of color. Paige Pfleger of WLPN has the story for Here & Now.'

Parenting During the Pandemic

'For parents, the pandemic has been full of challenges, from balancing work and life to figuring out remote learning. There’s often not enough time left for them to just be people.  The Takeaway spoke with Yasmeen Khan the host and managing editor of a new podcast about parenting called “Childproof,” from Ten Percent Happier, about how parents can raise their kids without losing track of themselves.'

Grammy Nominated Artists: Jazz Vocalist Nnenna Freelon And Her Son, Musician Pierce Freelon

'Both Nnenna Freelon and her son, Pierce Freelon, were nominated for a Grammy for their respective projects. Nnenna's project, Time Traveler, is a love letter to her late husband, Philip Freelon, who passed away in 2019. Pierce's project, Black to the Future, is a children's album featuring the voices of over four generations of his family. They both speak with All Of It about the music, their careers, and their relationship.'

The Shady Business Behind Tree Equity

'When people hear the term “tree equity,” they might think it has to do with comparing one species of tree to another. In actuality, tree equity refers to the equitable distribution of trees in order for everyone to realize the many benefits from trees regardless of who you are, how much money you make, or where you live.  The Takeaway spoke with Vivek Shandas, Professor of Climate Adaptation at Portland State University, about tree equity and how we might get closer to achieving tree equity with funding earmarked in the Build Back Better bill.'

New Documentary on Street Photographer Ricky Powell

'"Ricky Powell: The Individualist," a new documentary about the quintessential New Yorker and street photographer Ricky Powell, is streaming now on Showtime. Director Josh Swade joins All Of It to discuss the film and Powell's impact on pop culture.'