Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 204

Your Hometown: Sherrilyn Ifill – Jamaica, Queens

'Sherrilyn Ifill walks into court with history behind her as president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal and Educational Defense Fund. It’s the legal arm of the civil rights movement, and Sherrilyn is in its vanguard. Her hometown is Jamaica, Queens, a neighborhood in New York City where she grew up in the 1960s and ’70s. That’s what Kevin Burke explores with her in this conversation, starting with the first question Sherrilyn asks whenever she takes on a new legal case: “Tell me about the history of this place.” That’s because she knows every town has one: the layers of time, buried and built over, that reveal why things are the way they are, from the bulldozing of Black neighborhoods to make way for highways to brutal acts of violence like lynchings, erased from the public square and, over time, memory. Sherrilyn wants us to see these scars of history all around us and how they impact the struggle for equal justice in America. She’s compared this process of discovery to swallowing the red pill in the sci-fi action film, The Matrix. Once you see the past in the present, you can’t unsee it. What is the connection between Sherrilyn’s civil rights work and her powerful personal story and all she experienced in her New York? Join us at the intersection of place, time, and memory for another episode of Your Hometown.'

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Julius Eastman, A Misunderstood Black Composer, Returns To The Light

'A visionary who died young and alone in 1990, Julius Eastman is making a slow but richly deserved comeback thanks to a curious younger generation. A new interpretation of his 1974 work Femenine is out now.' -- All Things Considered

Jazmine Sullivan on Using Her Voice to Push Health Equity for Black Women

'Known for using her incomparable voice and vivid lyrics to stand for Black women, now Jazmine Sullivan is partnering with Novartis to call for health equity for Black women with breast cancer. On this episode of "The New Norm," the Grammy-nominated artist opens up to Selena Hill about her mother's battle with breast cancer, the racial disparities in healthcare affecting Black women, her career journey, and her relationship.'

Pete Rock Shares The True Story Behind “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”

'In this clip from People's Party with Talib Kweli, Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh talk with producer, DJ, and rapper Pete Rock about the 'T.R.O.Y.' sample, the song itself, and the man behind the track -- "Trouble" T Roy of Heavy D & the Boyz.'

Let's Talk Bruh – Black Boys Don’t Get Taught How to Use Their Bodies: a Conversation w/ Joél Leon

'In this conversation with storyteller, father, and recovering rapper, Joél Leon, we cover a little bit of everything. Let's Talk Bruhtalks with Leon  about what divesting from patriarchy looks like for him including: being mindful of the ways his privilege shows up as his platform grows, the frustrations associated with trying to reach Black men, and how early childhood experiences with porn shaped our conceptions of sex and sexuality.  We're grateful to have had Joel share his vulnerability and gifts with us on today's show. Tune in now and let us know what you think.'

Making The Music to Accompany 'Mary J. Blige's My Life'

'Someone recently said Mary J. Blige's voice articulates with laser precision the pain of a generation. That's especially true of her 1994 album My Life. And on Friday audiences can stream a new Amazon documentary that explores this seminal album that lays bare some of Blige's biggest life struggles. Five-time Grammy winner Mervyn Warren composed the score for Mary J. Blige's My Life. To the beat of Warren’s music, Blige dives into her childhood growing up in the projects, abusive relationships and depression.' -- Here & Now

The Vanishing of Harry Pace: Episode 2

'The story of the post Black Swan years. Following Harry Pace’s Supreme Court battle to desegregate the South Side of Chicago, and then the mysterious decision which forces him into seclusion, before his untimely death.'

 

On 'Sesame Street,' Two New Black Muppets Teach Kids About Systemic Inequality, Racism

'Sesame Street has a few new neighbors. The children's program introduced its first gay couple earlier this month in an episode called "Family Day." And now, the world meets two new Black muppets who are taking on race and racism: 5-year-old Wes and his father Elijah. Throughout the show’s 52-year history, Sesame Street has taken on many societal issues. The new characters are part of a series called "The ABC’s of Racial Literacy”.' -- Here & Now

How Jazz and Hip Hop Harmonize: J Dilla, Herbie Hancock, and Nas

'Hip hop’s foundation and evolution owe itself to jazz. And it’s reciprocal. Jazz has borrowed from all facets of hip hop culture and musical contributions, showing that one of the country’s oldest genres is still young at heart. Together Linda Diaz and LA Buckner work together to break down how these two genres cross-pollinate. LA Buckner talks to Karriem Riggins about the J Dilla formula. Linda Diaz interviews Lakecia Benjamin about the ways hip hop has influenced her as a jazz saxophonist. Make sure to stay for the end to see their original jazz and hip-hop inspired track.'

Musicians in Nigeria Speak Out Against Twitter Ban

'The Nigerian government banned Twitter throughout the country. The move came in the wake of a dust-up between the social media site and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari. Twitter removed a tweet from the president, which seemed to threaten dissidents with death by the way the president referenced the brutal Civil War of the late 1960s. Shortly after the President’s tweet was removed, the Nigerian federal government suspended Twitter. But to be clear, there is much more at stake here than the ability to craft cute hashtags and launch pithy zingers. In many places around the world, Twitter has been a democratizing force allowing ordinary citizens to share information, organize resistance, and draw international attention to abuses by the state. In Nigeria, last fall young people used Twitter to reveal the brutality of the country’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad with the hashtag #EndSARS. Mankaprr Conteh, a staff writer for Rolling Stone, joined The Takeaway to discuss her reporting on how artists in Nigeria are fighting the suspension of Twitter.'