Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 501

Double Dutch: A Black Tradition?

'The Root hits the streets for the National Double Dutch League competition in New York City, to learn how the sport became a black tradition and learn how to jump!'

The China Africa Project: Does it make sense for Africans to learn Chinese?

'Nairobi-based journalist Mark Kapchanga contends that it is time for Africans to learn to speak Chinese. In a provocative column published last month in the Chinese newspaper Global Times, Kapchanga warned that Africans are at risk of being on the losing end of an "information asymmetry" unless they begin to learn Mandarin in order to better negotiate with the continent's largest trading partner and second largest source of foreign investment.' -- The China Africa Project 

"There is an unease in the country" -- Duke Political Scientist Kerry Haynie on Charlottesville, White Supremacy & Trump

'Here & Now's Robin Young speaks with Kerry Haynie , associate professor of Political Science and African and African-American studies at Duke University, about race and the White House's response to White Supremacist violence in Charlottesville, VA. Haynie co-directs the Duke Council on Race and Ethnicity (DCORE).'

The Struggle Inside: The Murder of George Jackson

'On this edition of Making Contact we present, The Struggle Inside: The Murder of George Jackson, a program about the modern anti-prison movement. 2017 marks the 38th anniversary of Black August, first originated in the California prisons to honor fallen Freedom Fighters, George and Jonathan Jackson, Khatari Gaulden, James McClain, and William Christmas.' -- Making Contact 

Resistance Is Not Enough: On Labor + Strategy + The Path to Power

'Organizer Jane McAlevey charts out a course for claiming power in the Trump era - around the bought-off electoral system captured by the rich, and beyond the short-term battles of the online left - towards true power for the American worker, and explains why that path starts with class consciousness and a willingness to battle capital at the point of production. McAlevey is author of No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age from Oxford University Press.' -- This is Hell! 

 

Decarcerated Podcast: Reginald Dwayne Betts on Using Writing for Truth

'Reginald Dwayne Betts is the author and poet who has written a memoir and two books of poetry. In this episode, he tells us about his commitment to writing when inside, his journey to Yale Law School, and the importance of fuller narratives. Listen as Betts explains to host Marlon Peterson valuable lessons he has learned, from ridding shame to reformulating life.' -- Decarcerated Podcast

Whole Foods, Gentrification and the Erasure of Black Harlem

'Is the arrival of Whole Foods to Harlem a good or bad thing? Some are happy for fresh produce but others thinks it might be the nail in the coffin for Black Manhattan. The Root asked the residents their thoughts.'

On the Bonds and Boundaries between African American and Latino Political Activism

'Historian Aaron Fountain explains how the Movement for Black Lives is shaping current Latino activism, and explores the modern history of African American and Latino social movement crossover - from radical urban resistance in the Civil Rights era, to the way immigration and race influence today's struggles for justice. Fountain authored the article How African American Activists are Influencing Latinos for Black Perspectives.' -- This is Hell!

At the Intersections of Raunch + Black Girl Joy + Black Male Vulnerability: #BackChannel Talks ‘Girls Trip’ and '4:44'

'The comedy Girls Trip is a standout success from this summer’s blockbuster season. The movie is about four best friends who take a wild and raunchy trip to New Orleans, and since its release last month, it has faired well with both audiences and critics. Meanwhile rapper Jay-Z released his highly-anticipated album 4:44 , which  features songs detailing how the veteran rapper and mogul  grapples with marriage, fatherhood and masculinity. WUNC host Frank Stasio talks with Natalie Bullock Brown, professor of film and broadcast media at St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, and Mark Anthony Neal, chair of the department of African and African American studies at Duke University in Durham.'

Jeremiah Moss On The 'Hyper-Gentrification' Of NYC

'Jeremiah Moss, creator of the award-winning blog, “Vanishing New York,” joins The Leonard Lopate Show to discuss his book Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul . Moss explores the city's period of "hyper-gentrification" during the twenty-first century, which has dramatically transformed beloved neighborhoods and destroyed treasured unofficial landmarks.'