Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 448

Tiny Desk: Rev. Sekou And The Seal Breakers

'Rev. Sekou and the Seal Breakers gave one of the most rousing Tiny Desks we've ever had, opening with one question: "Do you want to get free?"' -- NPR Music

Tate Talks | Kerry James Marshall

'Watch acclaimed American artist Kerry James Marshall discuss his career, work and explorations of black culture.' -- TateTalks

Actor Lakeith Stanfield: 'We All Have Images That We're Attempting To Push'

'Lakeith Stanfield has had a number of oddball roles, most recently in the telemarketing satire Sorry to Bother You, where he plays a character who learns to get ahead by using a "white voice" on the phone.' -- All Things Considered

Helping Children Identify As Readers — Starting With A Haircut

'Alvin Irby is on a mission to get kids reading in the barbershop. And he wants to make sure kids understand that books are fun.' -- WNYC
         
       

Darnell L. Moore: Rethinking Gender and Sexuality in 'No Ashes in the Fire'

'Darnell L. Moore talks about his memoir “No Ashes in the Fire,” growing up black and gay in America, and the horrors wrought by toxic masculinity on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.'

Back in Brooklyn With Tracy Morgan: Gentrification and 'The Last O.G.'

'Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan takes WSJ's Kimberly Johnson to his childhood playground in Brooklyn to talk about gentrification, yoga mats and how his new show, The Last O.G. on TBS, helped him give back to his community. Photo: Drew Evans/The Wall Street Journal.'

The Story of American Poverty as Told by One Alabama County

'More than three million Americans live in “extreme poverty,” according to a report from the United Nations, which ranked poverty in the U.S. alongside some of the poorest areas in the world. The UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty paid a visit to the U.S. last year, drawing worldwide attention to his findings. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Simon Ostrovsky followed in his footsteps to report from Lowndes County, Alabama. This is part of an ongoing series of reports called “Chasing the Dream,” which reports on poverty and opportunity in America, and is supported in part by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.' -- PBS NewsHour 

Dave Chappelle on Comedy in the #MeToo moment: 'We're all figuring this out'

'Dave Chappelle doesn't think audiences "want to pay to see somebody worried about the repercussions of what they say." A comedian who made a name for himself as one of the smartest and sharpest comedians around, Chappelle's latest comedy sets are getting lots of attention, as well as criticism in a way that's different from the past. Chappelle sits down with Jeffrey Brown.' -- PBS NewsHour

Danai Gurira on Bringing African Stories to The Stage

'Danai Gurira witnessed first-hand the effect of the AIDS epidemic on Zimbabwe. See how Tony Award-nominated writer Gurira made the leap from storyteller to Hollywood superstar. The Zimbabwe native yearned to bring African faces and voices to Broadway through her plays, but ended up starring in the mega-hit Black Panther.' -- PBS

Theaster Gates on The Making of a Con(Temporary) Black Public

'At the UChicago Center in Delhi, this event featured Professor Theaster Gates from the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Chicago. Drawing on his interest and training in urban planning and preservation, Professor Gates redeems spaces that have been left behind, bringing the conversation of space to the forefront of contemporary art practice to bridge the gap between art and life. In all aspects of his work, he contends with the notion of Black space as a formal exercise – one defined by collective desire, artistic agency, and the tactics of a pragmatist. In this talk, Professor Gates focused on space theory and land development, sculpture and performance.' -- The University of Chicago