Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 154

Michelle Murray | "Migration, Slavery, and the Black Mediterranean"

'Michelle Murray, author of Home: Immigrant Narratives, Domesticity, and Coloniality in Contemporary Spanish Culture, theorizes the Black Mediterranean through two examples. The first is the underwater sculpture “The Raft of Lampedusa” by British artist Jason deCaires located in Lanzarote. Combining critiques of ocean pollution and migrant deaths, Murray contends that the groundbreaking (or sea-breaking) artwork manifests an unprecedented engagement with ecological and racial justice. The second example is the Barcelona statue of the wealthy impresario Antonio López y López located in the plaza of the same name; this monument was removed on March 4, 2018 as the Barcelona city council stated it could no longer pay homage to someone who benefited from the slavery of others. Both examples build and enhance the work of Paul Gilroy and his theory of the “Black Atlantic” as an important space of Black cultural production. However, they also call into question the so-called “tyranny of the Atlantic” (Allen), to make space for a new approach to that rich legacy—one that is far less bound specific geographies and national traditions.'

Billy Porter Makes Peace with Himself: "I set myself free, honey. No more secrets"

'Fourteen years after his initial diagnosis, award-winning actor Billy Porter revealed publicly that he is HIV-positive. Porter says being open about his health status felt like a rebirth. Porter tells his story on in the new memoir, Unprotected.'

Yasmin Williams: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

'Yasmin Williams doesn't need much scenery to set your imagination in motion. For her Tiny Desk (home) concert, the Virginia-based guitarist keeps the background sparse (a rug, a folding table, curtains, a plank of wood) to foreground her inventive playing.'

Robin DG Kelley: Fighting for Freedom in the Face of Capitalist Apocalypse

'The world was a very different place when Robin DG Kelley’s renowned book Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination was first published in 2002. As the reality of post-9/11 America and the war on terror hardened into a dystopian, jingoistic consensus, and as the global economy careened towards impending catastrophe, the possibility of a future in which peace, justice, and equality reigned had all but disappeared. And yet, as people in the darkest of times throughout human history have done, many still had the audacity to dream of—and fight for—something better. Now, 20 years later, as we face the reality that unchecked capitalist pillage, endless war, and climate catastrophe have put humanity on a path to mutually assured destruction, the future seems bleaker than ever, and the possibility of averting disaster feels more unattainable than ever. How do we confront the enormity of all this devastation and still keep fighting? How can we keep hope alive that we can save ourselves, humanity, and the planet when the world around us gives us so little cause for hope? As we continue the impossible struggle for a better world, how do we deal with constant failure without succumbing to defeat? In this special interview, The Real News Network Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez and Kelley grapple with these questions and discuss the continued necessity of freedom dreaming—and fighting like hell—in the face of catastrophe.'

The Racial Politics of Abortion: A Short Film by Dawn Porter

'Acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter's intimate and personal view of the often-overlooked stories of Black women who seek out reproductive services in America. This documentary gives a snapshot into the lives of Black healthcare providers, mothers and pro-choice and pro-life activists and shows how laws that restrict abortion access impact Black women and their families.'

A Politician’s Shameless Bigotry by Ben Jealous

A Politician’s Shameless Bigotry

by Ben Jealous | @BenJeaous | special to NewBlackMan (in Exile)

 

There’s an old saying about bullies: they can dish it out, but they can’t take it. 

 

Witness North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. He abuses his position of authority to insult and demean people. But when he gets criticized for making harmful comments, he whines that he’s the real victim.

  

People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch recently began reporting on Robinson’s cruel and offensive comments. This summer, Robinson told one audience that Christians must take control of public schools because “there’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be teaching any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth.” In another speech, Robinson mocked transgender people and denounced the transgender rights movements as “demonic” and “full of the spirit of antichrist.”

 

Fortunately, a lot of people have called Robinson out. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called Robinson’s comments “abhorrent.” The White House called them “repugnant and offensive.” Multiple state legislators have called on him to resign. 

 

Robinson should be ashamed of himself. But he’s not. He is puffed up with pride about promoting bigotry. He is promising to “double down.” And that’s dangerous. Robinson’s comments send a message to students and everyone else that trans people are not worthy of being treated with respect or dignity. 

 

Robinson’s comments are part of a long and ugly history of politicians smearing LGBTQ people as threats to children. Those smears promote hatred and violence. Deadly violence against transgender people, especially Black trans women, has been on the rise in recent years.

  

Robinson’s attacks are also part of a broader right-wing campaign to demonize public schools for teaching about racism and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ students. Robinson says schools are teaching students “how to hate America” and “how to go to Hell.”  

 

He has defended himself by claiming that inappropriate materials are being “forced” on children in classrooms, but his charges don’t hold up to scrutiny. Some of the books that he complains about are reportedly not being taught in classrooms but are available in some high school libraries. 

 

More importantly, Robinson claims to oppose “indoctrination” in public schools. But in his remarks to right-wing political activists in September, he said that school shootings would be prevented if public schools taught students, “Jesus Christ is the way and the light, and only through him can you receive salvation.”

 

In fact, Robinson has a message for the millions of Americans who are not Christians: they don’t belong. At a gathering of religious-right political activists in September, Robinson declared that the United States is and always will be a Christian nation. He added, “If you don’t like it, I’ll buy your plane, train, or automobile ticket right up out of here. You can go to some place that’s not a Christian nation.”

 

I am a Christian. I revere the role the Black church has played in moving the U.S. toward justice. I am proud to be working side by side with religious leaders who are bringing their moral authority and prophetic voices to the struggle to defend voting rights. I was proud to be arrested alongside these leaders recently as we demonstrated at the White House.   

 

But I don’t want public schools to teach religious doctrine. And I don’t want public officials misusing religion as an excuse for using cruelty to divide us. 

 

Like a lot of politicians, Robinson clearly has a very high opinion of himself. At a political conference in September, he compared himself to Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. He also made it clear that he would like to be North Carolina’s next governor. That’s the last thing the people of North Carolina need.

 

A politician who uses their office to promote bigotry doesn’t deserve to hold office.  

 

+++

 

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way. Jealous has decades of experience as a leader, coalition builder, campaigner for social justice and seasoned nonprofit executive. In 2008, he was chosen as the youngest-ever president and CEO of the NAACP. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and he has taught at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

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Carole Hopson on Her Book 'A PAIR OF WINGS' and Inspiring a New Generation of Pilots

'Carole Hopson is one of the few women pilots of color who flies a Boeing 737 for United Airlines as a first officer. She was inspired to become a pilot by the story of Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman to earn a pilot's license. Now, Hopson has written a book inspired by Coleman in hopes it can help her mission to diversify the aviation industry. CBS Mornings's Michelle Miller has the details.'

Intersectionality Matters!: Believing Her–The Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill Hearings at 30

'In 1991, Anita Hill sat across an all-male, all-white Senate Judiciary Committee to testify that her boss, Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas, had sexually harassed her. A historic moment that brought visibility to the issue of sexual harassment, Anita's bravery during the 1991 confirmation hearing set the stage for countless others to better understand and speak out against their own experiences of gender-based violence. Decades later, questions of how gender-based violence intersects with race and power remain as relevant as ever. On this special anniversary episode of Intersectionality Matters!, host Kimberlé Crenshaw and Luke Charles Harris, co-founder of the African American Policy Forum, reflect on their memory of being at the 1991 confirmation hearing and the lessons learned through Thomas' confirmation that inspired AAPF's birth. With excerpts from a recent conversation between Crenshaw and Hill, this episode examines the legacy of Black women's truth telling, the persistence of gender-based violence, and the intersectional politics needed to pave a new way forward.'

Ruben Santiago-Hudson on the Joy of Bringing "Lackawanna Blues" to Broadway

'Writer, director, and actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson's one-man show Lackawanna Blues tells the story of Santiago-Hudson’s childhood and finds him embodying the many characters who populated his youth, including Nanny, the woman who raised him.  Santiago-Hudson first performed the show in 2001 and, in 2005, he adapted it into an HBO movie. In the fall of 2021, Santiago-Hudson  brought the show to Broadway for the first time, part of an exciting slate of works by Black playwrights being produced this season. The Takeaway spoke with Santiago-Hudson about putting on the show during the pandemic and what his dreams are for the next stages in his career.'

Buffalo Nichols Is Bringing the Blues of the Past Into the Future

'Austin-based guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist Carl “Buffalo” Nichols wants to remind folks of the value of the blues as a cultural art form. “Listening to this record, I want more Black people to hear themselves in this music that is truly theirs.” The self-described music nerd considers Delta blues, Chicago blues, West African Malian guitar rhythms, and the African ancestry of the clawhammer banjo in his sonic experimentation and ongoing study of chords and riffs. For his remote Soundcheck performances, Buffalo Nichols wields both a hollow body Fender guitar and a resonator-style guitar, as he plays tunes from his self-titled record.'