Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 384

Media and Democracy with Marc Lamont Hill and Barbara Ransby

'Award-winning journalist, professor, and activist Marc Lamont Hill is recognized for his bestseller Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond. In it, he investigates “what it means to be Nobody in 21st-century America”: ill-protected; considered disposable; violated by and abandoned by the state. In Fall 2018, while being paid as a political pundit for CNN, Hill became known for something else, too: criticizing Israel in a speech at the UN, and getting immediately fired. Joining Lamont Hill in conversation about media, democracy, and change is Barbara Ransby, UIC professor and author of Making All Black Lives Matter.' -- Chicago Humanities Festival

Anderson .Paak Opens Up About His Difficult Childhood

'It's been a busy year for singer-songwriter Anderson .Paak. In February, he won his first Grammy for best rap performance and in April, released his fourth studio album. This month he began a national tour and will be headlining Madison Square Garden next Thursday. "CBS This Morning" co-host Anthony Mason sat down with Paak to discuss his difficult childhood, early influences and career.' -- CBS This Morning

Kenny Leon, Danielle Brooks & Grantham Coleman On The Public's All-Black Production of 'Much Ado About Nothing'

'Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon ("A Raisin in the Sun") directs a bold new take on Shakespeare’s cherished comedy of romantic retribution and miscommunication, Much Ado About Nothing. In this modern production, we find the community of Messina celebrating a break from an ongoing war. But not all is peaceful amid the revelry, as old rivals engage in a battle of wits, unexpected foes plot revenge, and young lovers are caught in a tumultuous courtship – until love proves the ultimate trickster, and undoes them all. Leon and stars Danielle Brooks, Grantham Coleman took the BUILD Series stage to discuss the play.'

'Two Wings: The Music Of Black America In Migration' Celebrates Journey Millions Took

'Singer Alicia Hall Moran and pianist Jason Moran mix original music works with 20th century spoken word to reflect on The Great Migration, when African Americans moved from the South to the North.' -- All Things Considered

Wayne Frederick, Howard University President on the Future of HBCUs

'A question that leads most conversations about historically black colleges goes something like this: The purpose of black colleges was clear before Brown v. Board of Education, but now that black students can attend any college, why are these schools still necessary?  The president of Howard University, Dr. Wayne Frederick argues that “it is a danger to the national interest to not invest in these institutions”.' -- AtlanticLIVE

Saving Palestine's Forgotten Food

'Meet Mirna Bamieh, the artist and cook who is fighting the appropriation and disappearance of Palestinian cuisine by reviving old food practices and forgotten dishes.' -- AJ+ 

Left of Black S9:E19: Sylvia Chan-Malik on A Cultural History of Women of Color and American Islam

Left of Black host Mark Anthony Neal (@NewBlackMan) is joined in the studio by professor Sylvia Chan-Malik (@schanmalik), author of Being Muslim: A Cultural History of Women of Color and American Islam  (New York University Press, 2018), which Zareena Grewal describes as a “ fascinating cultural history of Islam in the United States will surprise readers with its insights and subtleties of argument. By centering the lives, labor, and perspectives of US American Muslim women, and Black Muslim women in particular, Chan-Malik makes a powerful case for conceptualizing Islam in the US in terms of its foundational blackness and the religious opposition to racism and sexism.“ Chan-Malik is an Associate Professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University.

S2*EP 5| Professional Black Girl QUEEN TAHJ WILLIAMS

'Tahj Williams. College Student. Track Coach. Mardi Gras Indian. Big Queen of the Golden Eagles. aka "Queen Pocahantas." Professional Black Girl.' 

We Gon' Be Alright S1*E2: The Odds: Is Hollywood Finally Diverse?

'Despite recent gains like the successes of Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians, black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat, Hollywood remains overwhelmingly white. In this episode, Jeff Chang goes to Hollywood where actors and directors--including Dianne Doan, Adam Rodriguez, Dante Basco, Reggie Hudlin and Justin Chon--explore how the segregation of popular culture affects how we think about each other and how far we have actually come.' -- Indie Lens Storycast

Sekou Sundiata: “Come on and Bring on the Reparations”

'The late Sekou Sundiata was a poet, performer, playwright, band leader, Grammy-nominated recording artist, and teacher. His work drew from African diasporic traditions and reflected the culture and experience of black America, with subject matters ranging from the work of Jimi Hendrix to the scourge of addiction to the need for reparations. His poem “Come on and Bring on the Reparations” deals with the debts that white culture and society owe to African-Americans; it was read for The New Yorker Radio Hour by Sundiata’s friend and fellow-writer Carl Hancock Rux.'