Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 286

Code Switch: A New Look For The Fashion Industry?

'Fall is the time for glossy fashion magazines, full of dazzling looks and the seasons hottest looks. But this year, we noticed something unusual: The covers of a bunch of major magazines fashion magazines featured Black folks. So we called up fashion critic Robin Givhan to talk about fashion's racial reckoning...and how long before it goes out of style.' -- Code Switch

Romare Bearden's Prevalence of Ritual with Dr. Kelli Morgan

'Romare Bearden's Prevalence of Ritual with ​BAIA Scholar in Residence, Dr. Kelli Morgan. Produced in part by the generous support of our Patreon members with a special shout out to Zadig & Voltaire.'

Word Watch: Is It Time To Say R.I.P. To 'P.O.C.'?

'Suffice it to say, we use the term "POC" a lot on Code Switch. But critiques of the initialism — and the popularization of the term "BIPOC" — caused us to ask: Should we retire POC? Or is there use in it yet?'

Embodied: The Future Of Sex Work

'Working from home looks a little different for sex workers. With most strip clubs closed and dancers excluded from larger pots of money in the coronavirus relief package, the sex trade has  largely gone online. From strippers to erotic masseuses to full service workers, virtual sex work required innovation.  On this edition of the Embodied series, host Anita Rao explores how sex workers are making online work more equitable and secure. Looking towards the future of the sex trade, Rao is joined by three activists: Antonia Crane, SX Noir and Teddy B. Ruxpin.'

Compton Native Serves Up Healthy Options in a City Filled with Fast Food

 

'Compton is a community whose portrayal in music and movies eclipses the lives of real people who live there. It's also a city where healthy food can be hard to come by and life expectancy is five years below the Los Angeles County average. Jamie Yuccas talks with Lemel Durrah, chef and owner of Compton Vegan for the CBS This Morning series A More Perfect Union.' -- CBS This Morning

SANKOFA TALKS: Boricua Identity in Black Movements

'Former Young Lord and poet, Felipe Luciano joins social justice activist, Iman Abdul, as they discuss the Boricua community and its involvement in Black liberation movements.' -- Caribbean Cultural Center [CCCADI]

For Many Black Women, Hair Is Identity |

'In more than 40 states, it is legal for Black individuals to be sent home from school or fired from their jobs for wearing their natural hair. While legislation is currently working to make hair discrimination illegal in the United States, the Black female experience is greatly impacted by the Eurocentric standards of beauty that are introduced to girls at a young age. Just Hair explores Makeba Ross’ journey of growing up with Black hair and her ultimate decision to wear her natural hair with pride.' -- Bustle

The Tight Rope: Mahershala Ali on Becoming #Blade and Finding his Faith

'Mahershala Ali, star of the upcoming Blade reboot, goes inside his unique upbringing, conversion to Islam, the controversy behind his Green Book Oscar win, and hopes for his exciting new role as an iconic Black superhero.' -- The Tight Rope

The Forgotten “Wade-Ins” That Transformed the US

'When we think of the iconic moments of the Civil Rights Movement in the US, we might imagine bus boycotts, lunch counter sit-ins or the March on Washington. Most of us won’t think of protests at beaches and pools. Yet these battles in the country’s waters played a crucial role in transforming America. The campaign in the waters of St. Augustine, Florida, became one of the most critical in the movement to desegregate the US. The photos were published around the world, but the full story has often been left out of our history textbooks. And now, the legacy of segregated public waters continues to this day.' -- Vox

Candice Hoyes: "Zora's Moon"

“I feel like Zora Neale Hurston has had a connection to me since the first day I turned the page of Their Eyes Were Watching God when I was in high school...And I was immediately connecting with so much of the issues she was referencing — colorism and sexism, the negotiation of what's respectable behavior — all those things that a Black teenage girl is defining for herself.” -- Candice Hoyes