Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 278

Alicia Garza on the Purpose of Power

'“Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter,” wrote Alicia Garza in a 2013 Facebook post after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag that emerged in response to the post, and the following movement (co-founded by Garza), remains as important today as it was then, with people across the country continuing to protest state-sanctioned violence against Black people. Garza returns to CHF to discuss her debut book The Purpose of Power, which details the two decades of organizing experience that guides her activism. Garza is joined in conversation by writer, pleasure activist, and social justice facilitator adrienne maree brown.'

Rhiannon Giddens Confronts Emotional Whiplash On 'Best Day / Worst Day'

'The Morning Edition Song Project, in which musicians compose an original song about the COVID-19 era, returns this week with folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens She explains how the new song she composed for Morning Edition's Song Project series grew from this year's extreme ups and downs.'

Marc Lamont Hill and Zaheer Ali On The Impact Of "The Autobiography of Malcolm X"

'On this special episode of Coffee and Books, the 55th Anniversary of the release of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, host Marc Lamont Hill examines the cultural significance of this piece of literature with oral historian and educator, Zaheer Ali. The two unpack what impact the book has had on their personal lives, Alex Haley and Malcolm X's process for writing the book, and what the enduring legacy of the autobiography will be.'

Office Hours: The Obama Generation is Discontented with Democracy

'The generation of folks who cast their first vote for Barack Obama, also known as millennials, are feeling down about democracy, according to a new global study by the University of Cambridge. Tricia Rose and Cornel West reflect on the reasons for their discontent and why much of it is noble and justified, in this special Office Hours session.'

Art Is Her Response To Inequity And Invisibility: Meet Cortina Jenelle Caldwell

'The world of artistic expression called to Cortina Jenelle Caldwell at a young age. As a child she dreamed of becoming an architect, spent a lot of time journaling and loved losing herself in a good book. Her early life was characterized by hard work and perseverance, but it was also marked by trauma. Today she is the founder and creative community organizer for Artists Designing Evolution, or adé PROJECT. Her organization brings together artists, students, organizers, entrepreneurs and community leaders in a cooperative model to create equity and opportunities for excellence.  The State of Things on WUNC host Host Frank Stasio learns more about Caldwell’s childhood and how her personal experience with systemic oppression informs her work today. They also discuss her spiritual journey, how she grappled with her sexuality and about adé PROJECT's upcoming event this Friday, Black STARSEED.'

Should art heal the centuries of racial violence and injustice in the US?

'The artist Winfred Rembert’s mind and body bear the scars of being a Black man in the Jim Crow South. Shirley Jackson Whitaker – a physician, artist and community activist – wants to help heal these kinds of wounds, in individuals and in American society as a whole. Both are from Georgia and now reside in New Haven, Connecticut, making work that grapples with the United States’ legacy of racial and political violence. The short documentary Ashes to Ashes, directed by Taylor Rees and produced by Whitaker, traces how their friendship intertwines with their life stories, exploring their deeply divergent ways of thinking about their respective artistic practices and the role of art in addressing histories of trauma.' -- Aeon/Psyche

Ashes to Ashes from Ashes to Ashes on Vimeo.

Mickey Guyton Talks Growing Up in Texas, Her Grandmother’s Influence, and the Inspiration Behind Her Song “Sister”

'In this week’s episode of Biscuits & Jam, Sid Evans, Editor-in-Chief of Southern Living Magazine, talks to Mickey Guyton about her journey from struggling musician to being the first Black woman to perform solo on the ACM’s. Plus her grandmother’s cornbread and how she first met one of her heroes, Dolly Parton.'

Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising

'Mother-daughter team Danell Cross and Melody McCurtis are determined to prevent what America witnessed during Wisconsin's April 7th’s primary election from happening again. It is estimated that the primary, held despite Covid fears, disenfranchised almost 16 percent of Black voters in Milwaukee, the largest city in a key swing state. Metcalfe Park: Black Vote Rising follows Danell and her daughter, Melody, as they organize their Black community of Metcalfe Park to not just prepare for reduced polling stations and see through disinformation campaigns, but to find a way to vote amid the challenges of job loss, furloughs, school closure and illness. As they canvass door-to-door to reach people who are missed by digital social media campaigns, they deliver food and Covid-19 safety kits along with voting instructions. And they try to convince cynical and distrustful neighbors to vote despite their tested faith in the system and legitimate musings about what a president will do to change things on their block.' -- The Intercept

Marcus Samuelsson: Erasing Black Culinary History Ignores 'The Soul Of American Food'

'"We've been programmed to say great stuff comes from Europe and not from Africa," Marcus Samuelsson says to Fresh Air. The chef's new book, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, is a celebration of Black excellence in the culinary world.'

 

Misty Copeland's Children's Book

'Ballerina Misty Copeland, who in 2015 became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theater's 75-year history, joins us to discuss her new children's book Bunheads, the first in a series of picture books inspired by Misty's own early experiences in ballet.' -- All Of It