Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 194

The Fashion Industry Reckons with Systemic Racism

'In response to the reckoning over systemic racism prompted by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, many industries grappled with their role in perpetuating racism. Among those was the fashion industry. Designers, editors, stylists, and casting directors in the industry have long been accused of holding thin cisgender white women up as the ultimate standard of beauty. Often they themselves fit that mold. But now there’s a new guard shaking up the status quo, demanding greater inclusion and representation on runways, in editorials, and behind the scenes. The Takeaway with guest host Melissa Harris-Perry talks to Lindsay Peoples Wagner, editor in chief of The Cut, about this moment.'

MLB Pitcher C.C. Sabathia Shares Stories From The Mound — And Of Sobriety

'The six-time All Star C.C. Sabathia pitched for the Yankees and the Indians during his 19-year career. He also struggled with alcoholism. Sabathia  reflects on baseball and sobriety in the memoir, Till the End.' -- Fresh Air

The Pandemic's Severe Toll On The Already-Strained Foster Care System

'Here & Now hears from two young people who have aged out of the foster care system about how the pandemic has affected their lives.'

Meet The Music – A Cappella to Zydeco with Tom Corley -- Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, Author Songs in the Key of Black Life: A Rhythm and Blues Nation

'On this episode of Meet The Music – A  Cappella to Zydeco with Tom Corley, American author, Duke University Distinguished Professor, and Host of Left of Black,  Dr. Mark Anthony Neal discusses how the R&B genre has a rich historical legacy in black popular music. Listen as we laugh about our youth and how we take a little detour talking about Todd Rundgren and Don McLean.'

How to Raise a Black Boy

'Justice Jamal Jones is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York City. Their debut narrative short How To Raise a Black Boy follows four boys as they journey through a fantastical world of Black boyhood, Queer identity, and fraternity in a modern reimagining of the fairy tale genre. “How To Raise A Black Boy was originally an analysis of my childhood, that happened to be Queer and Black,” says the director, “but it grew beyond my childhood to become a collage of my academic career, current American politics, and the shared experience of childhood secrets that haunt our adulthoods”.' -- NOWNESS

U.S. Census Directors Were All White Until James F. Holmes Stepped In

'More than two decades before the Biden administration announced its historic pick to lead the U.S. Census Bureau, James F. Holmes quietly blazed a trail at the federal government's largest statistical agency. President Biden's nominee — Robert Santos, who is a leading statistician and Latinx — is on track to become the bureau's first permanent, Senate-confirmed director of color. But Holmes — who is African American and served as acting director in 1998 — was the first-ever person of color to oversee the head count that forms the foundation of U.S. democracy.' -- Weekend Edition Sunday

Invisible Blackness with Adrian Younge – Elvis was a Hero to Most, an Interview with Chuck D

'Public Enemy was constantly viewed by the White media as a Black radical group; a nonsensical tension to the guard that spread hate opposed to consciousness. In this episode of Invisible Blackness, host Adrian Younge and Chuck D discuss the meaning behind their music and the posterity for Black America.'

We Should Tell Stories Of Black Joy: Will Liverman Talks With Lara Downes

'On this episode of Amplify With Lara Downes, Will Liverman, the rising young baritone searching for diversity in the opera house, tries on his composer hat by putting a Black spin on Rossini's The Barber of Seville.'

Zaila Avant-garde Talks About How She Came To Her Spelling Success

'Zaila Avant-garde, the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, talked about how she got started in competitive spelling and what she has planned for the future.' -- All Things Considered

The Black Church | Gospel and Disco’s Gay Anthems

'The Love Center, a Bay Area Pentecostal Black church, adopted their community’s countercultural mentality ushering in a new era in Christianity, becoming a haven for gay and lesbian singers who felt alienated from the church they grew up in. But what had been repressed would find a novel way to be expressed in sacred church vocals fused with secular club rhythms to form disco’s gay anthems.' --PBS