Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 310

'John Lewis: Good Trouble'

'Director Dawn Porter discusses her new documentary, John Lewis: Good Trouble.  -- All Of It

         
        

For Some Black Americans, Love Of Country Means Holding It Accountable

'For many African Americans, patriotism is complicated because the promises of America aren't fulfilled equally. The Fourth of July brings a challenge: reconciling national pride with systemic racism.' -- NPR

Throwback Session: Cymande live on MBE

'Cymande — whose name is derived from a calypso word for "dove" — have also been influential in hip-hop; being sampled by De La Soul, The Fugees, and others. The group broke up shortly after their 3rd record but reunited for a few rare performances in the past 40+ years — including this one, recorded at KCRW in 2016.' -- Morning Becomes Eclectic

What Systemic Racism Means And The Way It Harms Communities

'NPR's Noel King speaks with Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want To Talk About Race, about systemic racism. What is it, and how does it affect people day to day?' -- Morning Edition

When Essential Workers Earn Less Than The Jobless: 'We Put The Country On Our Back'

'Congress has yet to pass a measure that would ensure a pay boost for people who have been asked to keep going to work during the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns.' -- Morning Edition

Op-Docs: The Scars of Being Policed While Black

'Based on more than a decade of research, this Op-Doc from anthropologist Lawrence Ralph serves as an instant primer on the roots of police violence. Right now, somewhere in the United States, similar episodes of police violence are still playing out.' -- New York Times

Following the Killing of George Floyd, Public Murals On Display in Communities Across the U.S.

'From Minneapolis, Minnesota to Miami, Florida, public murals memorializing George Floyd and others killed by police are popping up in communities across the country.  These public artworks are more than just beautiful tributes to the Black lives lost. They’re part of a deeper history of public rituals and displays of Black mourning in the U.S. And with the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, traditional funerals, which have a particular significance for Black Americans, have been largely on pause, giving more weight to public art and even protests as spaces to collectively mourn Black lives.  The Takeaway spoke to Elizabeth Alexander, poet, scholar, and president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Karla FC Holloway, professor emerita at Duke University and author of the books, Passed On: African American Mourning Stories, A Memorial and A Death in Harlem.'

How Pop Smoke and Fivio Foreign Took Brooklyn Drill Global

'A hyper-local strain of hip-hop that started in Chicago was tweaked by bedroom producers in the United Kingdom before taking over Brooklyn. Now it’s the soundtrack to a summer of unrest. The latest episode of Diary of a Song breaks down “Big Drip,” one of drill’s defining anthems.' -- The New York Times
 

Racism in Feminist Media Spaces

'Rebecca Jennings,  culture reporter for The Goods at Vox, discusses her recent article, “The Racial Reckoning in Women’s Media,” which covers accusations of racial discrimination within women-led media and lifestyle brands.' -- All Of It
         
       

Hilton Als’s Homecoming and the March for Queer Liberation

'In the summer of 1967, a young black boy in Brooklyn was shot in the back by a police officer. The writer Hilton Als recalls the two days of “discord and sadness” that followed, and reflects on the connection between those demonstrations and this summer’s uprising following the killing of George Floyd. Plus, an activist group sees an opportunity to reclaim the mantle of gay pride after New York cancels its official parade; and we explore the trauma of being released from jail for some mentally ill inmates.' -- The New Yorker Radio Hour