Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 443

Andrea Ritchie: Chicago's New Loitering Law is a Police Weapon Aimed at Black and Brown Women

'Attorney Andrea Ritchie explains how a new "prostitution-related" anti-loitering law in Chicago expands policing of Black and Brown neighborhoods - giving the CPD another tool to target and abuse women, and control public spaces with the threat of criminalizing people already living precarious lives. Ritchie wrote the Truthout article "Prostitution-Related" Loitering Ordinance Promotes Racial Profiling in Chicago with Brit Schulte.' -- This Is Hell! Radio

"You're Dead America" -- a Short Film Based on a Poem by Danez Smith

'Filmmaker Jovan Todorovic presents a visceral and enigmatic dramatization of American poet Danez Smith's eponymous lyric on alienation, violence and salvation in the States. The poem, which was published and widely shared on Buzzfeed, and accompanies his heart-wrenchingly powerful book Don't Call Us Dead, explores race relations, social disintegration, and the failure of the American Dream, which receives a dystopian visual take from Todorovic.' -- NOWNESS

Black Radical Imagination -- Fugitive Trajectories

'Black Radical Imagination is an international touring program of moving image shorts that highlights new stories by filmmakers and visual artists from within the African diaspora. This year’s program, FUGITIVE TRAJECTORIES meditates on the various ways Black people are tending to our lives despite traumatic histories, both personal and collective, and a troubling present. Black Radical Imagination is cofounded by Erin Christovale and Amir George, and the 2018 program is curated by Jheanelle Brown and Darol Olu Kae. Participating artists include Ephraim Asili, Frances Bodomo, Alima Lee, Jenn Nkiru, Amelia Umuhire, and dana washington. This presentation at MOCA is part of SCREEN, a quarterly screening series run by Marco Kane Braunschweiler.' -- MOCA

Katey Red: The Original Queen of Bounce

'Katey Red is iconic. Hailing from the Big Easy, she’s become legendary for blazing the way as one of the first openly gay bounce artists. Bounce was first born with The Showboys, a DJ duo out of Queens who made it big with their single “Drag Rap (Trigger Man).” The genre soon made its way down south where New Orleans artists like Katey made the shake-that-ass music their very own. Today, bounce has gone mainstream, influencing everyone from Drake to Beyoncé.' -- Great Big Story

Fighting the Spread of HIV Among Trans Women of Color

'Tori Cooper, a HIV/AIDS prevention specialist at a health center on the outskirts of Atlanta, talks about challenges getting people treatment in one of the hardest hit areas in the U.S.' -- The Takeaway 

Growing Up Black, Gay And Catholic In Texas, Memoirist Put His Faith In Beyoncé

'Michael Arceneaux's new book, I Can't Date Jesus, is a collection of essays about his early years. Beyoncé, he says, taught him a valuable lesson: "Just be yourself and be very good at what you do."' -- Fresh Air

Dr. Myron Rolle: From Football Safety to Neurosurgeon

'Dr. Myron Rolle is a man of many talents. After graduating high school, he was considered one of the leading prospects for the NFL. Recruited by some of the biggest names in college football, he went on to become the starting safety for the Florida State Seminoles, eventually drafted to the NFL by the Tennessee Titans. But Myron’s ambitions didn’t end there. Now, he’s a Rhodes scholar on his was to becoming a world-class neurosurgeon.' -- Great Big Story

If Beale Street Could Talk -- directed by Barry Jenkins [Trailer]

If Beale Street Could Talk, based on the James Baldwin novel, and directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight); to be released in November of 2018.

After More Than 40 Years, a Landmark Free Jazz Album is Back in Print

'In the 1970s, saxophonist Alan Braufman was part of a collective of musicians who transformed a vacant building in Lower Manhattan into a hub for New York City's free jazz scene. They lived in the building at 501 Canal Street, performed in the building, and recorded in the building. One of those performances, a free-jazz record titled Valley of Search fell out of print after its release in 1975, but over the years it developed a cult following. Now, after nearly 50 years, the record is being reissued by his nephew, Nabil Ayers.' -- WNYC News
         
        

Rhiannon Giddens' Speech on Race, Folk Music, and American Identity

'This past Spring, Rhiannon Giddens – banjo player, violinist, and lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops - opened the annual Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee with a powerful speech on race, folk music, and what unites and defines us as Americans.'