Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 184

Exhausted, Drained, Overwhelmed: How Burnout Is Affecting Work And Life During The Pandemic

'For many Americans, the onset of the pandemic has led to increased burnout. Millions of Americans are experiencing burnout, says Paula Davis, founder of the Stress & Resilience Institute and the author of “Beat the Burnout: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Well-Being and Resilience.” Davis says the simple formula behind burnout is “too many job demands and too few job resources.” Many employees also lack the motivational and energy components needed in their jobs, like recognition and support from leaders and teams. An unmanageable workload also contributes.' -- Here & Now

The Beat: Lil Baby On BLM, The Trap, Drake, White House Visit And His Drawl

'In an extensive interview from his Atlanta studio, Lil Baby talks about music, his signature "drawl," his approach to success, the trap, why he rarely orders platinum plaques for his hits and what it meant to make Barack Obama's playlist and meet with Vice President Kamala Harris. The 26-year-old talks with MSNBC anchor and music lover Ari Melber, and answers "lightning round" questions about what he thinks of artists like Drake, Jay Z, Young Thug and Diddy. (This video is the entire interview; excerpts aired on Melber's MSNBC news show "The Beat").'

Newcomer Samara Joy Makes An Imposing Debut On Her Self-Titled Album

'Samara Joy sang some Jazz in high school, but didn't get serious about it until later. Her debut album, The Trouble with Me is You, which she recorded as a college student, could be a public service announcement for jazz education.'

Efforts To Restore A Once Booming Black Community See Renewed Push

'Dearfield, Colorado, was a booming Black community a century ago. Now there's a renewed push to preserve the ghost town that remains. Colorado Public Radio's Bente Birkeland has more.'

Director Liesl Tommy on Aretha Franklin Biopic 'Respect'

'Director Liesl Tommy joins All Of It to discuss her debut feature film, Respect, an Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson.'

Detroit's Eight Mile Wall Still Stands as a Reminder of Codified Segregation

'Sometimes discrimination is systemic. Sometimes it’s emotional. And sometimes, it’s made of brick and mortar. The Eight Mile Wall in Detroit, also known as the Birwood Wall or the Wailing Wall, was built in 1941 to separate Black and white residents in what is now known as the Wyoming neighborhood. Erin Einhorn is an NBC News national reporter based in Detroit. She recently teamed up with Olivia Lewis, a reporter and editor for the local nonprofit newsroom Bridge Detroit to outline the creation of this half-mile-long wall, financed by one of the city’s most prominent families, and its impact on Detroit residents. Host Trymaine Lee sits down with Erin and Olivia to learn about the history of the Eight Mile Wall. And he speaks with Rose and Teresa about the legacy the wall left on their families.'

Stay Human with Michael Franti: Speech of Arrested Development

'Speech is the frontman of the 2-time GRAMMY Award-winning hip-hop collective Arrested Development, and he's received high acclaim from MTV, Rolling Stone, VH-1, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and many others. True trailblazers in the genre since 1991, Arrested Development have been cultural champions of consciousness and empowerment across the planet. Their representation of eclectic and vibrant African sounds and presence has produced a unique clash of rhythms and style that continues to contrast the expected look and sound of hip hop culture.'

Farmers Markets Build Community Across the U.S.

'Extreme weather is everywhere, whether it's the drought and wildfires currently consuming the Western U.S. or the floods that recently devastated communities in Europe and China. That reality was recently confirmed in a sobering new report on our planet’s future from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or the IPCC. The landmark study found that human behavior is changing the climate in unprecedented and sometimes irreversible ways. One popular way to address the climate crisis in our own backyards is to shop local, including at farmers markets. Farmers markets have become staples in cities and towns all across the U.S. They’re places where you can not only buy locally-grown fruits and vegetables but also connect with your wider community. For more on the importance of farmers markets,
The Takeaway spoke to Willa Sheikh, deputy director of the Farmers Market Coalition.'

Samora Pinderhughes Poetically Merges Art and Urgent Protest

'Composer, pianist, and vocalist Samora Pinderhughes writes urgent, poetic and immersive music that responds to the times and fits neatly into no genre, all while putting his heart right on the table. His large-scale projects frequently marry art song, protest song, and raw honesty. San Francisco-born Samora Abayomi Pinderhughes (named for the political leader in Mozambique, Samora Machel) is committed to liberation and art as a foundational part of movement-building, on a similar path of artists from Fela Kuti to Nina Simone, Pete Seeger, and Miriam Makeba. Samora hears music everywhere, and his work often weaves poetry, music, and theatre together as he addresses big ideas like prison reform, racial capitalism, and police brutality in his lyrical and direct radical songwriting.'

Helga—The Armory Conversations: Jason Reynolds

 “Everything I know about gender politics or gender identity as it's changed and continues to change and shift and be named in all these glorious and intricate ways, have come from 16 year-olds. Thank God for them.”

'Youth author Jason Reynolds joined Helga Davis to talk about what it means to make work during the pandemic and how important it is to make space for the next generation.'