Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 305

'I May Destroy You' Let Michaela Coel Explore Dangerous Areas In A Safe Place

'The new HBO series I May Destroy You is a stylish, sometimes funny drama about a very serious subject: rape and sexual assault. The series centers on Arabella, a young writer who is raped after her drink is spiked at a bar. Michaela Coel, the show's creator, writer, director and star, was assaulted in a similar way when she was writing and starring in her first TV series, Chewing Gum. Coel says she initially wanted to create a series about sexual assault because of her own experiences. But as she heard from other people who had similar stories, she began to think more broadly.' -- Fresh Air

Why 10 U.S. Cities Are Testing Universal Basic Income Policies

'The mayors of Los Angeles; Oakland, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Tacoma, Washington, Newark, New Jersey; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Jackson, Mississippi; Compton, California; Shreveport, Louisiana and Stockton, California, have joined Mayors For A Guaranteed Income, a coalition advocating for UBI policies, or the idea of giving out recurring cash payments to all individuals without any strings attached.  Mayors For A Guaranteed Income was founded by Michael Tubbs, the 29-year-old mayor of Stockton who launched one of the first guaranteed income pilots in the U.S. last year, along with the Economic Security Project, a non-profit supporting the idea of creating an income floor for all Americans.' -- Forbes

Remembering Radio Host Patrick Ellis, Who Brought The 'Gospel Spirit' To D.C.

'For more than 40 years, 96.3 WHUR-FM broadcast Patrick Ellis's beloved and popular radio show Gospel Spirit Sunday mornings, filling the homes and cars of Washington, D.C., with the sound of church.' -- Weekend Edition Sunday

Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (2020) | Official Trailer

'A deeply emotional film with chilling resonance in today’s America, Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn, explores the 30-year legacy of Yusuf’s murder as his family and friends reflect on the tragedy and the subsequent fight for justice that inspired and divided New York City.' -- HBO

How Running's White Origins Led To The Dangers Of 'Running While Black'

'Since two white men killed Ahmaud Arbery while he was out for a jog, there’s been a lot more conversation about “running while black”. What’s strange is that-- for a few years in fact-- there’s actually been increasing discussion of runner’s safety inside the running community. The catch? It’s focused primarily on (white) women. So why-- until recently-- has it been easier to talk about runner’s safety for white women than for runners of color? The answer involves World War II, the founder of Nike, yuppies and the Central Park Five case.' -- NPR
 

Remembering The 'Divine Diahann Carroll'

'Code Switch is celebrating the legacy of actress, model and singer Diahann Carroll on what would have been her 85th birthday, . Reporter Sonari Glinton went to her estate sale and took a tour of some of the objects that represent important moments in Ms. Carroll's life. And because Diahann Carroll achieved so many firsts, the exhibit was more like a civil rights exhibit than an auction.'  

‘Hood Feminism’ Makes a Case for Women Ignored by the Movement

'In her most recent book, Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot, author Mikki Kendall calls for solidarity in what she describes as a non-inclusive movement. She spoke with PBS NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker about her book, a New York Times bestseller, and her struggles with finding common cause with mainstream feminism, which she says has largely ignored women of color.'

Terrace Martin: “Pig Feet” (feat. Denzel Curry, Kamasi Washington, G Perico & Daylyt)

"Someone asked, how do I feel? I told them hurt, fearless, angry, aware and fully ready to protect me, my family & my people at all cost. I got together with Black men that felt the same way and created a work of truth." -- Sounds of Crenshaw

Prison by Any Other Name: The Perils of Prison Reform

'In the past few years, there has been a growing bipartisan demand to reduce the extraordinarily high rate of incarceration in the United States, on both moral and fiscal grounds. But some of the key reforms, according to some prison abolitionists, are actually expanding the “carceral web”—the means by which people are subjected to control by the corrections system. “Reform operates according to a logic of replacement,” the journalist Maya Schenwar tells Sarah Stillman. Drug courts and electronic monitoring are widely popular reforms that, Schenwar argues, only funnel people back into physical prisons, and may cause addicts further harm. Stillman spoke with Schenwar and Victoria Law, the authors of

Dinner Party Listening Party

'Musicians Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington join us to discuss forming the supergroup Dinner Party with Robert Glasper and 9th Wonder, and their eponymous album.' -- All Of It