Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 373

Bodega Boycott: Uniting to Bankrupt the New York Post

'Bodegas have been a part of the New York City landscape for decades. But more than being a 24/7 source of everything imaginable, bodegas all over New York have recently started to play a more active role in their communities. One of their common goals is an ambitious one: to boycott the New York Post, one of the oldest tabloid newspapers in the country. To this end, bodega owners across the city have dropped the New York Post from newsstands over a provocative front page they fear could incite violence against Muslims.' -- NBC Left Field 

Saidiya Hartman & Arthur Jafa: in Conversation

'Saidiya Hartman’s new book, Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Social Upheaval, delves into the lives of young black women in the early 20th century, exploring the forms of kinship and intimacy that created a revolution of black intimate life. Hartman joins filmmaker, artist, and award-winning cinematographer Arthur Jafa. In addition to creating acclaimed works such as the video essays The White Album and Love Is The Message, The Message Is Death, Jafa has worked with collaborators ranging from Spike Lee and Julie Dash to Kanye West and Solange.' -- Hammer Museum

The Underground Rap Battle for Japanese Businessmen

'Corporate culture in Japan involves strict hierarchy and long hours that have led to cases of death from overwork – so some 'salarimen' started an underground rap battle to let off steam, express themselves...and say things to each other they never could in the office.' -- Guardian Culture

Sudan Archives: The Electro-Soul Artist Reimagining the Violin

'Sudan Archives started playing the violin when she was a kid. Her family couldn’t afford to pay for lessons, so she learned how to play by ear. The only violinist at her church in Cincinnati, Sudan (born Brittney Parks) felt like an outcast. She didn’t grow up seeing other black people playing the instrument. When she finally learned about the deep history of violin culture in Africa, she felt inspired. Today, Sudan is a solo artist known for incorporating loop pedals and electronic beats into her soulful, experimental violin music.' -- Great Big Story

Author Colson Whitehead on 'The Nickel Boys' and Fantasy vs. Realism

'Pulitzer-winning author Colson Whitehead’s latest novel, The Nickel Boys, is based on the true story of a boys’ reform school in the Florida Panhandle that became notorious for horrific abuse. Jeffrey Brown sat down with Whitehead recently to discuss why the topic drew him in, the choice between realism and fantasy in his books, his evolving career and worries about the American cultural moment.' -- PBS NewsHour

Ashley C. Ford: Imagination Is a Creative Superpower

'In her inspiring 99U talk, writer Ashley C. Ford explains how significant life experiences opened up her ability to expect things she didn’t previously think were possible for herself and others. The lack of imagination, Ashley tells us, is what holds us back as humans. But nurturing the superpower of imagination within yourself opens up endless possibilities for your work, life, and impact on other people.' -- 99U

Black Lives Matter: The State of Activism Five Years After Eric Garner's Death

'The Takeaway convened a roundtable to discuss how the activism behind Black Lives Matter and other groups has evolved in the five years since Eric Garner’s death.  Wesley Lowery is a national reporter at The Washington Post; Charlene Carruthers  is a community organizer and founder of the national director of Black Youth Project 100, and Melina Abdullah  is chair of the Department of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and a co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter. '

In Lost Essay, Langston Hughes Recounts Meeting A Young Chain Gang Runaway

'This lost essay from Langston Hughes was previously published only in Russian, was discovered by Professor Steven Hoelscher. The encounter occurred in 1927, when Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston went on a road trip through the South.' -- All Things Considered

What the Media Gets Wrong About Racism

'Jemele Hill, a reporter for The Atlantic, and Errin Haines Whack , national writer on race and ethnicity for the Associated Press, joined The Takeaway to discuss the media's coverage of Trump's tweets, why this moment has captured the nation's attention, and what it says about the experiences of women of color in the United States.' -- The Takeaway

Data Company Directly Powers Immigration Raids in Workplace

'Palantir Technologies, co-founded by a Trump advisor in Silicon Valley, has created a smart-phone app that helps ICE round up undocumented workers. The number of arrests has shot up.' -- WNYC