Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 271

Celebrating Black Influence on American cuisine

'Chef Marcus Samuelsson's new book, The Rise, is his recipe for a national conversation on the contributions of Black chefs and Black cooking to the American table. Mark Whitaker also talks food history with chef and restaurateur Edouardo Jordan and writer Jessica B. Harris.' -- CBS Sunday Morning

'The Last Shall Be First': A Lost Chapter Of Gospel, Saved From Extinction

'The Last Shall Be First: The JCR Records Story, Vol. 1 is a collection of gospel music first recorded in 1970s Memphis and released for the first time after years spent tracking down master tapes.'

The Quarantine Tapes 118: Ramsess

'Paul Holdengräber is joined by Los Angeles-based artist Ramsess on episode 118 of The Quarantine Tapes. Ramsess speaks about the early days of his art career in Leimert Park, telling stories about the jazz musicians and other artists that surrounded him. He also discusses how he believes that people are becoming more and more aware of the necessity of knowing history, which has long been a core goal of his artistic practice. Ramsess contributed a piece to the Onassis Foundation’s ENTER project. His Quilted Masks video shows how Ramsess made and distributed beautiful, brightly colored masks to community members. He explains about how this project embodies his artistic practice by creating something that is simultaneously a work of art and a protective object to help keep people safe.'

Making Space for Grief: A Conversation with Joan Morgan and Daniel José Older

'Writers Daniel José Older and Joan Morgan have a candid conversation about grief, creativity, process and productivity during the pandemic and the healing value of stillness.' -- Artist Relief

The Other Epidemic: US On Track To See Another Record Year Of Drug Overdoses

'The coronavirus isn't the only epidemic America is facing right now. Last year, a record number of people died from drug overdoses, and the U.S. is on track for another record number of deaths in 2020. Here & Now speaks with NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann about the increased use of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, and the latest with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma.'

Michael Kiwanuka: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

'Enter the unassuming and innately talented Michael Kiwanuka from a "rainy London" flat that's dimly lit with a vintage feel. The Mercury Prize-winning musician evokes an all-encompassing softness in spirit as he leads viewers into the "Light," the first of five songs in his Tiny Desk (home) concert. The warm texture of his voice and tenderness of his soul belie the depth of his songwriting, which ranges from sociopolitical works to songs revealing the inner chambers of self-exploration. Featuring material from both Love & Hate and his more recent award-winning Kiwanuka, this is an absolutely stunning performance.'

'Small Axe': A Searing Portrait Of Racism And A Community's Will To Survive

'Steve McQueen has made searingly powerful films about historical injustice, from slavery in the American South to a 1981 hunger strike in a Northern Irish prison. But only now has he dramatized the experiences of Black women and men in the U.K., specifically the West Indian neighborhoods of London where he grew up. He clearly has a lot to say: His anthology Small Axe, which he directed and co-wrote, consists of five dramatic films, each one telling a different story set between the 1960s and the 1980s.' -- Fresh Air

Coffee and Books – Marc Lamont Hill talks with Kiese Laymon about His Collection of Essays ‘How To Slowly Kill Yourself And Others In America’

'On this episode of Coffee and Books, host Marc Lamont Hill and Kiese Laymon discuss Kiese's decision to reissue his book How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Kiese reveals his motivation for reissuing the book with six new additional essays, how little he got paid for his first publishing deal, thinking he would never live to see people read his art, and how a popular book written by Toni Morrison taught him to "see".

Trailer – Keith Haring: Street Art Boy – American Masters

'International art sensation Keith Haring blazed a trail through the legendary art scene of 1980s New York and revolutionized the worlds of pop culture and fine art. This fascinating and compelling film – told using previously unheard interviews that form the narrative of the documentary – is the definitive story of the artist in his own words. The film also includes exclusive, unprecedented access to the Haring Foundation’s archives, capturing the wild, creative energy behind some of the most recognizable art of the past fifty years. Following Keith Haring’s diagnosis with AIDS in 1989, he asked writer and art critic John Gruen to write his biography. For five days in the summer of 1989, Keith gave Gruen in intimate and candid detail the story of his life and these interviews are included in the film. Haring’s closest friends, family and collaborators – from the sleepy Pennsylvania of his youth to the mythic clubs of gay New York – share their revelatory encounters, touching poignantly on the AIDS crisis, which made a tragic icon of this life-affirming artist.'

Africa Is a Country: Bling Politricks

'After the high drama of the US election and a week off from AIAC Talk to collect ourselves, we're back to discuss hip hop and its relationship to politics. Today's episode looks at the relationship of hip hop to politics, both on the continent and in the US. Taking as a point of departure Su'ad Abdul Khabeer's article on the site, The Hip Hop President?  Su'ad is joined by Tseliso Monaheng and Warrick Moses. Tseliso, a longtime contributor to the site whose writing has appeared in print and online in Chimurenga, The Guardian, The Fader, Red Bull and Rolling Stone as well as New Frame, joins us from South Africa to give some perspective from the continent. Warrick Moses received his PhD in African and African American Studies with a secondary field in Ethnomusicology from Harvard University in May 2019. His dissertation project, "In the Mix," explores expressions of “mixed race” or “coloured” socio-political, linguistic, and cultural identity in Cape Town-based hip hop music. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the CIPHER Hip Hop Interpellation project at University College Cork, Ireland.' -- Africa Is a Country