Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 197

Reckoning With Racism On The Blue Ridge Parkway

'America’s Favorite Drive. That’s what the National Park Service calls the Blue Ridge Parkway, and they have the numbers to back it up: 14 million visitors in 2020. But like the rest of the South through which it winds, the Blue Ridge Parkway wasn’t always welcoming - or even accessible - to all of America. "Lots of people have become much more cognizant that so many of our institutions are shot through with racist assumptions, racist policies, all the things, and the National Park Service was no different," said Anne Mitchell Whisnant, Blue Ridge Parkway historian and director of the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Duke University.'

Brief But Spectacular: Catherine Coleman Flowers

'Environmental health advocate Catherine Coleman Flowers is the founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice (CREEJ), where she works on multiple fronts to improve public health and economic development, including access to water and sanitation amidst the growing threat of climate change. She gives her Brief But Spectacular take on fighting America’s dirty secret.'

How Much Should We Be Policing Language?

'The newly-released “Oppressive Language List,” by the Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center at Brandeis University, aims to address language that can be seen as violent in nature. The list is only a suggestion for how one should approach certain words, but at least one linguist has expressed concerns about the slippery slope this type of language policing can cause.  John McWhorter, a contributing writer at The Atlantic who also teaches linguistics at Columbia University, hosts the podcast Lexicon Valley, and is the author of Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter Then, Now and Always, joined The Takeaway's guest host Melissa Harris-Perry to talk about the impact of what he calls the “performative policing of manners”.'

The Hip-Hop Song That's Driving Cuba's Unprecedented Protests

'Cuba is suffering through a summer of dire shortages, from food and electricity to medicine. Fed-up Cubans are taking to the streets in unprecedented protests — and they're voicing their outrage through a song called Patria y Vida — homeland and life. The slogan is a spin on the communist regime's decades-old slogan of "patria o muerte" — homeland or death. In strong terms, the song accuses the government of destroying the quality of life in Cuba, a message that quickly found traction with protesters who are demanding change.'

Kara Walker Unveils Never-Before-Seen Drawings that Grapple with Race, Gender, and Violence

'Shot in her New York studio and at Kunstmuseum Basel, this episode of Meet the artists sheds light on one of the most intimate facets of  Kara Walker’s oeuvre. Kara Walker: A Black Hole Is Everything a Star Longs to Be gathers over 600 pieces of art executed over the last 28 years. The collection consists of sketches, collages, and written reflections from her zealously-guarded private archive.' -- NOWNESS  

‘Maconomics’: The Importance of Owning Real Estate

'On this episode of Maconomics, host Ross Mac has a conversation about why owning real estate is so vital.' -- REVOLT

No Boundaries On The Island: The Music Of Puerto Rico

'Puerto Rico is an island full of sonic diversity. We take you across time, genre and musical boundaries through interviews with pop star Rauw Alejandro, vocalist Sebastian Otero and punk rocker AJ Davila.' -- Alt.Latino

Faith Ringgold's Art of Fearlessness and Joy

'Ninety-year-old artist Faith Ringgold is best-known for her story quilts – a patchwork of lush, colorful and daring images with a story written right onto the fabric. CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Nancy Giles talks with Ringgold, who for decades refused to bow to convention during her career, as she stitched a vibrant tapestry of art, history and social commentary, currently featured in an exhibition at the Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland.'

The Quarantine Tapes 198: Sasha Frere-Jones

'On episode 198 of The Quarantine Tapes, host Paul Holdengräber is joined by Sasha Frere-Jones. Sasha is a music critic and writer. In his conversation with Paul, Sasha begins by discussing the past year in his life with a personal and moving account of the experience of loss under the unique circumstances of the pandemic.'

Sanya N'Kanta - I Don't Remember [Official Video]

Official video for Sanya N'Kanta's "I Don't Remember" from These Are the Days. Directed by Ben Clarkson.