Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 364

Brittany Howard Makes Her Declaration As A Solo Star

'As lead singer and guitarist of Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard has earned her accolades and then some. Since 2009, the band has won four Grammys, performed at the White House and heralded some of roots rock's biggest hits this decade. Still, Howard feels the urge to try something new every few years. Now, Howard strikes out on her own. The musician's debut solo album, Jaime is named for the older sister Howard adored — the sister who taught her how to play the piano and write poems.'-- Morning Edition

The High Price of Fast Delivery: Amazon Contractors are Crashing, But the Company Does Not Take Responsibility

'Online shopping continues to grow more and more convenient. Shoppers browse around for items on Amazon, plugin payment information and a few days later, the items arrive at their home. For some, the box just magically appears on their doorstep. But according to Patricia Callahan, a senior reporter at ProPublica, there is a human cost to those deliveries. Since 2015, Callahan has been looking into an underlying layer within this industry, that many may not be paying attention to. Throughout the country, drivers have been involved in crashes while delivering Amazon products — and fast delivery may be to blame.' -- The Takeaway

Mary Wilson of The Supremes Talks New Book 'Supreme Glamour"

'Singer Mary Wilson  of The Supremes joins us to talk about her career and the book, Supreme Glamour, which covers the group's fashion.' -- All Of It
         
       

Maimouna Youssef: Mixing Soul Music and Social Activism

'Soul singer Maimouna Youssef describes herself as a "musical healer". Also known by the stage name Mumu Fresh, Youssef has bared her own soul while displaying the talents of a highly versatile singer, songwriter and rapper. In several independently released albums, she sings about experiences including single motherhood, black hair politics, and her identity as a Native American and African American woman.' -- Al Jazeera English 

"The Very Thought Of You" : Corinne Bailey Rae x Jon Batiste : UNREHEARSED

'Late Show musical director Jon Batiste and Corinne Bailey Rae perform a one-take performance of Nat King Cole's "The Very Thought Of You." Recorded live at beautiful Steinway Hall in New York City.' -- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Walter Mosley Thinks Everyone Should Be Able to Say "N-----"

'Recently, novelist Walter Mosley penned a provocative opinion piece the New York Times about his experience in a television writers room regarding his use of the n-word. It's an issue newsrooms and media organizations nationwide have long grappled with to form a consensus for standard guidelines. But for Mosley, a prolific and critically acclaimed black writer, there isn't that much to grapple with. "I believe in freedom of speech. Period," Mosley said, in a spirited conversation with WNYC News' cultural critic Rebecca Carroll. "Feeling uncomfortable is part of free speech."
         
       

Drawn & Recorded: Chemirocha -- How an American Country Music Pioneer Entered African Mythology

'In 1933, the US country music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers died of tuberculosis. Just 35 years old and at the peak of his career, his demise left a legacy of a life and career unfinished. This instalment from the US animator Drew Christie’s Drawn & Recorded series, which tells little-known stories from the annals of modern music history, recounts the improbable story of how, in death, Rodgers would go on to inspire not just luminaries of American music, but also the Kipsigis peoples of the Rift Valley in Kenya – whose folk music found its way back to the US decades later.' -- AEON
Drawn & Recorded: Chemirocha from Drew Christie on Vimeo.

Cite Black Women S1:E9: Dr. Vilna Treitler on Trauma, Resilience, Memoir and Artistic Vision

'At the American Sociological Meeting 2019, Cite Black Women sat down with Dr. Vilna Treitler. In this conversation, she discusses her experiences with trauma and resilience, mentorship, her work as a visual artist and her newest project: her memoir.  Vilna Bashi Treitler is Professor of Black Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara, a sociologist, and an artist. Her scholarship theorizes about international migration, race and ethnicity and the dynamics of hierarchical socioeconomic structures. Bashi Treitler is the author of The Ethnic Project: Transforming Racial Fiction into Ethnic Factions and Survival of the Knitted: Immigrant Social Networks in a Stratified World, a study of the help immigrants get from the transnational aid networks they create for themselves.' -- Cite Black Women  

Left is the Only Way Forward: Generational Politics at the Brink of Disaster

'Activist Keir Milburn explains how left politics opened up for young people - as left/right politics increasingly align over generational lines in the decade of austerity and political crisis post-2008 financial collapse, a massive restructuring of society must happen to save humanity from the disasters of capital and climate, and today's leaders have no plans for tomorrow. Milburn is author of the book Generation Left from Polity.' -- This is Hell!

Bio Hackers versus Big Pharma: Tackling the Rising Cost of Insulin

'As the cost of insulin continues to skyrocket patients are dying from trying to ration their medication. It's an extreme example, but not unusual - the cost of insulin mirrors the broader health crisis in the United States. Medicine is too expensive and inaccessible. Making Contact looks at ways to combat health costs associated with diabetes. Making Contactvisits a group of community scientists called the Open Insulin Project, an organization trying to create its own insulin outside the lengthy FDA process and whether it's worth the associated risks. Making Contact talks about the benefits of Medicare for All, a policy which would get rid of private insurance and make all medicine and medical care accessible and affordable.'