Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 24

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism: "It Is Not The Mountains Which Open Fire" -- Efemia Chela on Amilcar Cabral's Tell No Lies, Claim No Easy Victories

'In this episode of  Millennials Are Killing Capitalism,  an interview with Efemia Chela, a Zambian-Ghanian writer, literary critic, and an editor. Efemia joins us in her role as the commissioning editor at Inkani Books, which is the publishing division of The Tricontinental Pan Africa NPC, a research institute that collaborates with and is aligned with the work of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. In this conversation Efemia shares a bit about some of the current struggles in South Africa, and situates Inkani Books as a publisher within those struggles as well as within their broader African continental context as a Pan African publishing house.  The focus of this discussion is Inkani’s latest book, Tell No Lies, Claim No Easy Victories which brings together an extensive set of Amílcar Cabral’s interviews, official speeches and PAIGC party directives from 1962 through 1973. It features a foreword by Grant Farred and an introduction by Sónia Vaz Borges who we’ve previously hosted on the podcast.'

In Her Shoes: Audie Cornish

'Audie Cornish is a journalism vet whose voice was our north star on NPR’s, All Things Considered for ten years. After being a public radio girl for most of her career, she’s embarking on a new journey. She’s now hosting a weekly Podcast on CNN called The Assignment with Audie Cornish. She talked about leaving NPR, her career in public radio and of course, what it’s been like starting something new.'

A Brush with...Theaster Gates

'Ben Luke talks to Theaster Gates about his influences—including writers, musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work. Gates is an artist whose every gesture is transformative, whether that’s in the form of social projects in his native Chicago, works repurposing found materials from significant disused spaces in the city, presentations honouring and reimagining collections of materials he’s gathered over time, or the ceramic sculptures that were his earliest medium and remain at the heart of his work today. He discusses his engagement with artists as diverse as El Lissitzky, Agnes Martin and Arthur Jafa; his transformative encounters with Martin Puryear and bell hooks; how he came to be custodian of Chicago House pioneer Frankie Knuckles’s personal vinyl collection; and his abiding passion for ceramics, which, he says, are “made for the eternal as much as they are made for tea”. Gates also gives insight into his life in the studio and answers our usual questions, including the ultimate one: what is art for?'

The Gray Area with Sean Illing: The End of Social Media with Ian Bogost

'Sean Illing talks with technology writer and philosopher Ian Bogost about the state of social media — especially in the wake of Elon Musk's recent acquisition of Twitter. They discuss the recent but surprising history of the platforms that have come to dominate the lives of so many, and note a crucial shift that made social media what is today. Sean and Ian also talk about how Silicon Valley views "scale," whether Twitter should be treated as a public utility, and how — as a society — we might be able to quit.'

At Liberty | Bars Behind Bars: The Use of Rap Lyrics in Court

'When Ice-T and his band, Body Count, released the song “Cop Killer” in 1992, it spurred outrage. Officials and police departments called for a complete boycott of Time Warner Inc. for refusing to halt the sales of the song. In response, Time Warner publicly stated its unshakable commitment to stand by freedom of expression and argued that “Cop Killer” is an "artist's rap on how a person in the street feels." Professor Carrie Fried of Winona State University conducted a long study that year in an attempt to contextualize this dialogue in research; she found that participants exhibited several implicit biases as they were more likely to find one of two songs with the same lyrical content more threatening and offensive if they thought it came from a Black artist or fell under the genre of rap. She also found that participants were quick to pin violent lyrics on the rap genre, even when they came from folk songs. So what happens when these implicit biases sit on the jury in a real criminal case? Across the country, rap lyrics are on trial as prosecutors pull from the expressive words of artists, and judges deem these songs to be admissible evidence in court. Joining At Liberty today to discuss this evolution of this practice is Erik Nielson, professor at the University of Richmond and co-author of the book Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America. We are also joined by New Orleans rapper, songwriter, and former member of the 504boyz Mac Phipps, who experienced firsthand how the use of lyrics on trial can lead to a wrongful conviction.'

Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon: Sister, Sister

'Six months after losing her husband Phil Freelon in 2019, host Nnenna Freelon also lost her only sister, Debbie. It’s taken her a long time to process what that second, equally devastating loss has meant to her. In this episode of Great Grief, she tells the story of her sister’s life with breathtaking tenderness and love and explores what it means to be a sister.'

Creative Control: Unpacking the ‘Black Internet Effect’ with Shavone Charles

'Shavone Charles is one of those people who has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to help creators of color gain more visibility and recognition, and she lays it all out in her new book, Black Internet Effect.  In her conversation with host KC Ifeanyi,  Shavone, talks about her trailblazing career, how she’s developing her personal creative pursuits, and what she sees as the next step for creators of color.'

One Hundred: The Ed Gordon Podcast – April Ryan

'Ed Gordon talks with White House Correspondent, April Ryan. Ryan is the longest-serving African American female ever in that position. She’s covered five presidents and this year she marked a quarter century working at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They discuss her latest book, Black Woman Will Save The World: An Anthem, the upcoming midterm election and why people must invest in voting.'

Many Lumens with Maori Karmael Holmes: Amy Sherald

'Maori Karmael Holmes chats with renowned painter Amy Sherald, who documents contemporary Black American experiences through otherworldly figurative paintings. Amy talks about what life was like for her growing up in a small Southern city and her process of self-exploration and honing her craft. They discuss the nuances of her artistic practice, career trajectory, and what life has been like since the release of her portrait of Michelle Obama. They also explore a question we all want to know — when is Amy going to paint a portrait of Maori?'

Helga: Musician Bartees Strange on Indie Music’s Overlooked Audiences

" I was making it for the people who feel like they don't really get a shot or are not seen, talked about, or cared about at all." -- Bartees Strange

'Even with his surging popularity in indie and rock scenes, Bartees Strange strives to bring his music to unexpected audiences and to tease apart the racial boundaries between them. He reckons with the concept of what it means to write music for the kids who are not seen, heard, or cared about.  In this episode of Helga, Stange talks about growing up on a military base in England, working in the labor and climate movements in D.C., and how seeing an appearance by TV on the Radio on the Late Show with David Letterman was the cheat code for writing his own music.'