Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 318

Protests, Police Brutality, And A Pandemic

'Protests have taken place throughout North Carolina, and across the country, in response to the death of George Floyd. Floyd, who was born in North Carolina, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis last week. In a video, Floyd can be heard saying “I can’t breathe” while the officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. The ongoing protests are also fueled by historic and longstanding violence and institutional inequalities perpetrated against black Americans- inequalities that have been illuminated by the pandemic’s death toll. We talk with William Darity, director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center for Social Equity at Duke University, and the co-author of the new book From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century. We also hear from Brianna Baker, a public health analyst with RTI International, about attending a protest in Raleigh on Saturday and why she feels an urgency to organize despite a pandemic.' -- WUNC

The Law Police Used To Discriminate Against Musicians Of Color

'Jazz musicians have always faced systems of discrimination in America. One insidious example was the cabaret card, a form of identification required for any musician to work in a New York nightclub from 1940 to 1967. The New York Police Department administered these licenses and revoked them for any minor infraction. As a result, some of the biggest names in the music at the time, like Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker, lost their right to work at a crucial points in their careers. In this Jazz Night in America video short with host Christian McBride, we trace the history of the cabaret card starting with its racist origins and its toll on the music, and we'll reflect on what might have been.'

Left of Black S10:E15—Richard Brent Turner on Black New Orleans

New Orleans persists as the premiere hub of Black Creole culture in the U.S., preserving a direct connection to traditions ranging from the first & second lines in jazz funerals to the ongoing practice and performance of Black Indian tribal customs. Richard Brent Turner, the author of Jazz Religion, the Second Line, and Black New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina (Indiana University Press, 2015) and Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa joined Left of Black host Mark Anthony Neal to discuss the culture and music of Black New Orleans. 

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum on Talking to Kids About the National Uprising

'Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, the author of "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" and Other Conversations About Race, shares ideas on how to talk to your kids about racism, discrimination, and the events that have sparked the protests across the country.' -- All Of It
         
        

Why Police Unions Have So Much Power

'There are many reasons why achieving police reform is so challenging in the United States. One reason is the role of police unions. In some cases, these unions have pushed back against reforms meant to increase transparency. In other cases, they’ve established collective bargaining agreements that make it difficult to hold officers accountable and some have increased their power by forming political action committees.  Melissa Segura recently reported on the power of police unions. She’s a reporter for BuzzFeed News and a Fellow at the think tank New America, and she joined The Takeaway to discuss.'

#BackChannel: Processing Protests And Police Violence On Top Of A Pandemic

'The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis is a flashpoint and sparked protests across the nation over the weekend. In many communities, police officers donned riot gear and used tear gas, rubber bullets and other means to subdue those demonstrating — and peaceful protests turned violent, leading to fires, broken windows and vandalism. On this edition of #BackChannel, WUNC host host Frank Stasio talks to State of Things contributors Natalie Bullock Brown and Mark Anthony Neal about the protests, the police response and how communities are reacting to the most recent victims of police brutality: Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. They also discuss the pain of this recent violence in addition to the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on African Americans.'

How COVID-19 has Heightened Economic and Racial Inequality

'Sparked by the death of George Floyd, thousands of people marched in America's major cities to speak out against racism and police brutality. Racial inequality has plagued the American economy for centuries, and the coronavirus pandemic has only heightened the dangers of the existing racial wealth gap. Notably, African Americans are disproportionately dying from COVID-19. Black-owned businesses are also far less likely to receive financial relief from the CARES Act, the enormous government aid bill passed by Congress in March. On this episode of The Indicator from Planet Money, Valerie Wilson and William 'Sandy' Darity discuss why Black Americans are being harder hit by the pandemic than other racial groups, and how the novel coronavirus is in no way, as some have called it, "the great equalizer".' 

What The George Floyd Protests Reveal About Policing In The U.S.

'Protests erupt against police brutality and use of force. In many cities, police are responding with even more force. We look at why it's happening and what it means about policing in America.' -- On Point's Coronavirus Hours
Jeh Johnson , partner in the litigation department at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Former secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. (@PaulWeissLLP)
Jamiles Lartey , staff writer for the Marshall Project. (@Jamiles)
Edward Maguire , professor of criminology and criminal justice at Arizona State University. (@ERMaguire)
Jane Castor , mayor of Tampa, Florida. Former Tampa chief of police. (@JaneCastor)

All The Songs We Sing: A Celebration Of North Carolina’s Black Writers

'Twenty-five years ago, renowned poet Lenard D. Moore invited a group of his peers into his basement for a session of writing critique. That monthly gathering evolved into the Carolina African American Writers’ Collective, which has supported over 60 writers across a variety of styles through their careers. The State of Things on WUNC host Anita Rao reflects on the CAAWC’s history with founder and editor of All the Songs We Sing Lenard D. Moore. Journalist and author Bridgette Lacy joins the conversation and shares her memories of the collective. And writer Angela Belcher Epps talks about how working with the collective helped sharpen her writing.' 

Understanding the Pain Fueling Nationwide Demonstrations

'Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across the country, in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. While George Floyd’s killing is galvanizing the uprising, his death is only the latest in a series of events that make this such a painful moment for Black people in the United States. At the same time that people of color are disproportionately dying of COVID-19, and as the crisis leaves millions unemployed, violence against Black people remains. The uprising we’re seeing are also fueled by anger over the death of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, who was shot and killed by police officers in her home in March and the killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery by two White men in Georgia this February.  Joining The Takeaway from Minneapolis is  Aaron Morrison , national race and ethnicity writer for the Associated Press, and Marc Lamont Hill, professor of media studies at Temple University.'