Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 205

Invisible Blackness – Follow the Money, An Interview with Estelle

'British singer/songwriter Estelle began as a rapper in London. She rose to international fame, keeping her African and West Indian roots intact. In this episode of Invisible Blackness, host Adrian Younge and Estelle discuss the African diaspora, Britain's National Front and Parallels between the racial justice movements in the UK and the United states.'

One of the Most Influential Black Journalists You Probably Never Heard Of

'Record numbers of journalists formed unions over the last few years, surpassing data even from the surges of labor organizing in the 1930s. And the pandemic didn't slow the trend. Just this week journalists at the Atlantic announced that they were forming a union affiliated with the News Guild. But even with all the recent coverage, it's unlikely that you've heard of the very first person to lead a journalism unionization effort. Marvel Cooke was a crusading Black journalist who organized one of the first chapters of the Newspaper Guild...and she reported on labor and race until she was pushed out of journalism by redbaiting.  Lewis Raven Wallace is the creator of The View from Somewhere, a podcast about journalism with a purpose, and author of the book The View from Somewhere: Undoing the Myth of Journalistic Objectivity.' -- On the Media

Death, Sex & Money | Mahershala Ali and Rafael Casal: Envy Is A Hell Of A Drug

'Today, Mahershala Ali is an Oscar-winning actor who lands leading roles in TV shows like True Detective and Hollywood blockbusters like Green Book and the upcoming Blade Marvel series. But he got his start as a poet-turned-rapper in the Bay Area, where he grew up.  Rafael Casal is another Bay Area poet and musician who made his big screen debut in the film (and upcoming TV series) Blindspotting, which he co-wrote and co-starred in with his creative partner, Daveed Diggs. "We put a movie out and everyone back home thinks I'm on," Rafael says. "And I'm like, that was an indie movie. I lost money." In this guest hosted episode of Death, Sex & Money from 2019, Mahershala interviews Rafael about his childhood as a "knucklehead," his life-changing discovery of slam poetry when he was a teenager, and how he and Daveed handle uncomfortable discussions about money and creative credit.'

The Vanishing of Harry Pace: Episode 1

'It was Motown before Motown, FUBU before FUBU: Black Swan Records, the record company founded by Harry Pace.'

Amythyst Kiah's Old-Time, Deeply Honest 'Wary + Strange'

'NPR's Noel King talks to musician Amythyst Kiah, who deals with tough subjects, like being "othered" as a Black woman on the bluegrass and folk circuit.'

Enlightened with Lisa Borders: Lizzy Jeff -- Changing Culture with Cannabis and Sensuality

'Artist, alchemist, and activist Lizzy Jeff sits down with Enlightened host Lisa Borders for what can only be described as an awakening of the soul. They talk about changing the narrative around cannabis, the discomfort that comes with the fight for restorative justice, and the generational trauma she witnessed growing up in LA. On this episode, Lizzy provides an illuminating perspective on finding power in surrender, making declarations to the universe, and activating miracles on the other side of tragedy. A one of a kind medicine woman, Lizzy reaches some rarified air in this discussion — and in doing so, shares her singular and almost supernatural radical energy with the Enlightened community and the world.'

One Hundred: The Ed Gordon Podcast with Loretta Devine

'Host Ed Gordon talks with actress Loretta Devine. From being an original Dreamgirl on Broadway, to one of the girlfriends in movie Waiting to Exhale, to a recurring role on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy Devine has made her mark as an actress. She talks about her long career, learning the craft of acting and fans acting out their favorite scenes.'

Do African Americans Have Second Amendment Rights?

'In her new book, The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America, Professor Carol Anderson  argues that the right to self-defense is not applied equally to African Americans.' -- The Takeaway

Bringing Untold History to the Screen in 'Small Axe's' Activist Scen

'Director Steve McQueen and actor Shaun Parkes break down crafting Small Axe's protest scene and how music played a key component in making the scene powerful. The scene discussed is the landmark moment when demonstrators march through the streets of Notting Hill to fight back against police intimidation in the "Mangrove" installment of Amazon Prime Video's film anthology series.'

Ursula Burns' New Memoir Chronicles Her Journey From New York Tenements To Xerox CEO

'When Ursula Burns was named the CEO of Xerox in 2009, her promotion was hailed as a groundbreaking achievement: Burns was the first Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company. She took over Xerox at a critical time when the country was just coming out of the 2008 recession. And as Burns writes in her new memoir, she began as an intern and worked her way up over three decades. Along the way, Burns was fortified by the wisdom of many mentors including her mother, who inspired the title Where You Are Is Not Who You Are. Her mother — a first-generation immigrant, single parent and welfare recipient — always believed Burns would be successful.' -- Here & Now