Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 523

On the Origins of America's Racial Wealth Divide and the Endpoint of Toxic Inequality

'Sociologist Thomas Shapiro examines the toxic nature of inequality in America - as a result of government policies in a time of increased precarity and restricted mobility for many Americans, and as the source of America's racial wealth gap, a deep structural divide that robs minorities of equal access to opportunities and threatens democracy in America. Shapiro is author of Toxic Inequality: How America's Wealth Gap Destroys Mobility, Deepens the Racial Divide, and Threatens Our Future from Basic Books.' -- This Is Hell! Radio

Out Loud: What is #BlackBoyJoy and Why Do We Need It?

'#BlackBoyJoy is a celebration of Black boys and men in all of their glory. Here's why we need this hashtag.' -- +The Root 

 

'Heavy: An American Memoir': A Reading and Conversation with Kiese Laymon + Mark Anthony Neal

'In Heavy: An American Memoir, Kiese Laymon explores his family's relationship to sexual violence, food and language. In the course of the exploration, he finds his mother, his identity as a son and memories he spent a lifetime concealing. During this event, Laymon reads a chapter from his forthcoming memoir and participates in a discussion with the audience and the moderator, Duke University Professor Mark Anthony Neal. This program is presented as a partnership between Duke's Forum for Scholars and Publics and Scalawag , a Durham-based magazine about politics and culture in the American South, whose editor Danielle Purifoy, introduced the event, which was held at the Hayti Heritage Center.'

Jay Smooth: Why are We Such Suckers for the "Beauty" of War?

'In his latest commentary +Jay Smooth  examines why pundits across the mainstream media spectrum were starry-eyed for the spectacle of Donald Trump going to war.'  
 

A Culture Of Invasive Policing

'Barry Friedman, the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and the director of the Policing Project, joins us to discuss his book,  Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission. Friedman looks how how the lives of individuals are affected by invasive policing and the militarization of law enforcement. He also examines how technology has dramatically changed policing over the past few decades. ' -- WNYC 

Justin Randolph Thompson: The Crisis of Black Intellect

'Justin Randolph Thompson performs with Andre Halyard and Leon Jones for the opening of "The Crisis of Black Intellect," an exhibition held in SACI's Maidoff Gallery in Florence, Italy (January 2017).' -- SACI Florence    

An African Migrant's Dangerous Journey To Europe

' Ben Taub , a contributing writer for The New Yorker, joins us to discuss his latest article, “The Desperate Journey of a Trafficked Girl." Taub follows a trafficked Nigerian girl named Blessing as she tries to reach Europe for a better life. Tens of thousands of African migrants become victims of human trafficking as they attempt similar journeys.' -- WNYC

 

Hip-Hop In The Halls Of The Academy: A Conversation with Bakari Kitwana + Treva Lindsey

'The halls of academia are not just a place to learn the classics anymore. A new generation of scholars is bringing academic rigor to a uniquely American art form. How does hip-hop balance this newfound respect, with keeping its street cred?  Longtime Hip-Hop journalist and activist Bakari Kitwana, Ohio State University Professor Treva Lindsey and NPR's Rodney Carmichael join 1A host Joshua Johnson' -- NPR

Reimagining ‘The Great Gatsby’ Through Black Lives in Small-Town North Carolina

'In her debut novel No One Is Coming To Save Us (Ecco/2017) Stephanie Powell Watts tells the story of an African-American family living in small-town North Carolina. The book features a young man named J.J. Ferguson who returned to his hometown to impress his high school sweetheart. Watts channels the literary classic The Great Gatsby as well as her experiences growing up Lenoir, N.C.' -- The State of Things | WUNC
  

Jacqueline Woodson & Daniel José Older on Representation + Identity in Young-Adult Fiction

'Rebecca Carroll, author, cultural critic, WNYC producer and host of How I Got Over is joined by  writers Daniel José Older and Jacqueline Woodson to examine representation in young-adult fiction.' -- WNYC | The Greene Space