Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 185

Jessamyn Stanley's 'Yoke' Breaks Down Being Black In The Thin, White Yoga World

'Author Jessamyn Stanley's new book Yoke is a series of honest, challenging, humorous and poignant essays about her life — mostly seen through the lens of her yoga practice. The self-described Black, fat, queer yoga instructor tackles topics ranging from her weight, white supremacy, cultural appropriation and Blackness. The title comes from when Stanley tried writing that yoga yokes people together but instead mistakenly spelled it “yolk.” Stanley is concerned about her health but doesn't want to wait to love her body. And mostly she's concerned about race and appropriation: Why is a practice steeped in spirituality in India, represented by thin, white, American women wearing expensive yoga garb in wealthy neighborhoods.' -- Here & Now

'Put Me On Blast': Kenan Thompson On 'SNL' And His New, Self-Titled Sitcom

'Kenan Thompson says playing a widowed dad on his new NBC sitcom Kenan and being a dad in real life has been "a bit of a whirlwind." "I'm living my character kind of 24/7 in a weird way," he says. "I wake up and make breakfast for my kids and then I go do a scene where I'm making some sort of meal for my TV children, too."It doesn't help that the show is named after him. Calling the show Kenan, wasn't his idea, but he also didn't object: "I was like, 'Yeah, sure. You know, if that's how you guys are feeling, like, let's go. Put me on blast. I'm all about it,'" Thompson tells Fresh Air.'

Kemba Walker's Bronx Tale

"Kemba Walker is coming home."

IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit: 'Underground Railroad' Director Barry Jenkins and DP James Laxton

'Barry Jenkins returns to IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit with his long-time cinematographer James Laxton to discuss their epic journey in shooting all 10 episodes of the Amazon Original Series Underground Railroad.'

The Argument: Are Workplace Diversity Programs Doing More Harm Than Good?

'It’s time to rethink what’s working in the modern workplace and what’s failing. Amid a pandemic that overturned how so many work, increased calls for racial and social justice put a new pressure on companies to ensure — or at least to seem as if they ensure — equality among their employees. Diversity, equity and inclusion (D.E.I.) programs are an increasingly popular solution deployed by management. But do these initiatives do marginalized employees any good? And who are the true beneficiaries of diversity programs, anyway? Jane Coaston has spent years on the receiving end of diversity initiatives, and for that reason, she’s skeptical. To debate D.E.I. programs’ efficacy, she brought together Dr. Sonia Kang, the Canada Research Chair in Identity, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Toronto, and Lily Zheng, a D.E.I. strategy consultant and public speaker, to argue what works and doesn’t when it comes to making workplaces fair for all.'

Health Crises, War, Refugees, Dying Reefs: A Look At Impacts Of Climate Change

'The U.N.'s newly-released climate report is sending shock waves through much of the world. Among its findings are that even if nations immediately cut carbon dioxide emissions, global warming is likely to rise by about 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next two decades — a number long-cited as a crisis point where the planet struggles with worsening storms, water shortages, dying reefs, fish and animal die-offs, refugee crises and more. Author David Wallace-Wells wrote an example-packed, science-filled, in-your-face book called "The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming" in 2019. When he spoke to Here & Now host Robin Young about the book, he ended the conversation by saying nothing is baked in stone besides a few more tenths of a degree in temperature rise. He believes humans have the power to cut carbon and create policies to make the future liveable.'

Netflix’s Bozoma Saint John Shares The Power Of Living Life Urgently

'Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John discusses how she’s carved her own career path and the importance of listening to your inner voice. The brand building expert shares with Moira Forbes the guiding principles behind her personal and professional success, the power of celebrating differences, and why her most important advice to others is “don’t wait”.'

Life and Times with Gil Scott Heron: Interview with Brian Jackson

Musician Brian Jackson, a long-time collaborator of Gil Scott Heron, discusses with Jazz Is Dead Official his relationship with the late poet, activist and musician.

Politics, Power, and Abuse: A Conversation with Vanessa Tyson

'New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is far from the first politician to find himself facing allegations of sexual harassment or assault. Interim The Takeaway host Melissa Harris-Perry sat down with Professor Vanessa Tyson. Professor Tyson publicly accused Virginia’s Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax of sexual assault in 2019, at the time it looked like Fairfax would ascend to the governorship as the state’s Governor Ralph Northam faced pressure to resign after a yearbook photo surfaced of him in Black face. In this case, neither Northam nor Fairfax resigned. Despite the allegations, Fairfax went on to run for governor, but he lost the primary in June with less than 4% of the vote. Professor Tyson reflects on her experience in the context of the Cuomo report and reactions from within the Democratic Party.'

At Liberty: Kimberlé Crenshaw on Teaching the Truth about Race in America

'Kimberlé Crenshaw was among the scholars who developed Critical Race Theory. Crenshaw also coined the term “intersectionality,” a framework that takes into account how a person’s identities combine to create unique forms of discrimination or privilege. A Distinguished Professor of law at Columbia University and at UCLA, co-founder of the African American Policy Forum at Columbia, and host of the podcast “Intersectionality Matters” Crenshaw joins At Liberty to help us understand the true meaning of Critical Race Theory and how it became a political flashpoint in schools and beyond.'

At Liberty · Kimberlé Crenshaw on Teaching the Truth about Race in America