Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 583

Omid Safi on The Growth of Islamic Studies Since the 9/11 Attacks

'Duke University asked several scholars how their fields have changed in the fifteen years since 9/11. Omid Safi, Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University and Director of Duke Islamic Studies Center discusses the growth of Islamic Studies during this period.'

' America at War with Itself' -- Henry Giroux on Everyday Authoritarianism in the US

'Cultural critic Henry Giroux explains how a new strain of authoritarianism has seized American politics and culture, injecting and celebrating violence and militarism into our media and economy, creating disposable scapegoats of the marginalized, and ultimately devaluing the cornerstones of democratic thought - reason, solidarity and equality. Giroux''s latest book is America at War with Itself .' -- This is Hell! Radio

 

"Timeless" (Remixed) -- James Blake featuring Vince Staples

From James Blake's recent The Colour In Anything -- "Timeless" is remixed featuring Vince Staples.

Georgetown University Makes Amends for Slavery

'Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia publicly announced that the institution will make amends to the descendants of the slaves who were sold off almost two centuries ago. “Insuring our history is alive to us, we must acknowledge that Georgetown University participated in the institution of slavery,” said DeGioia. To discuss Craig Steven Wilder, rofessor of history at MIT and author he book "Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery and the Troubled History of America's Universities" and Maxine Crump, a direct descendant of the one of the slaves sold by Georgetown.  She lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is president and CEO of the non-profit organization Dialogue on Race, Lousiana.' -- WNYC

EMMETT STILL: A Short Film by Fahamu Pecou

'Visual Artist, scholar and activist, Fahamu Pecou presents his first film, "Emmett Still", a day in the precarious life of a young Black man. This is a world where a random encounter with police can quickly turn into a life or death situation. Ultimately, he discovers strength and assurance in the power and beauty of his ancestors.  The film's title references the brutal 1955 lynching of Chicago teen Emmett Till and links Till's death to the ongoing violence aimed at Black male youth today.'
EMMETT STILL: A Short Film by Fahamu Pecou from Fahamu Pecou on Vimeo.'The soundtrack features original music by Fahamu Pecou with guests Killer Mike, Okorie Johnson, Ekundayo, DFocis and AllenTheHuman. It also features a snippet from Cambridge University's 1965 debate between James Baldwin and William Buckley as well as motivational words by Kanye West.'

Saul Williams on Spoken-Word Democracy in a Future Age

'The spoken-word poet, activist, and performer Saul Willaims's uncanny ability to contemporaneously occupy different spheres of creativity — whether it be the visceral immediacy of his poetry, or the heady, dsytopic futurism of his latest album, "MartyrLoserKing" — provides him a singular vantage point to evaluate police brutality, the intersectionality of geo-political interests, and inequality in an informationally democratic, digitally immersive age.' -- +WNYC 

From #BuyBlack and #BankBlack to #OwnBlack

 'Calls for #BuyBlack and #BankBlack come at a time when the amount of money African-Americans are spending is growing faster than that of non-Hispanic whites. The average age of African-Americans is younger, and they're more digitally engaged compared to other racial groups.' -- +WNYC 

The Rise and Radicalization of a New Generation of American Protest

'Journalist Sarah Jaffe explores recent uprisings around America and across the American political spectrum - from the ways both Tea Party and Black Lives Matter protestors are responding to failures of the nation's political class and economic institutions, to the newfound power and popularity of public disruption - and explains how the today's diverse social movements are evolving tactics and goals beyond electoral politics, and toward challenging the structures of power and capital. Sarah's first book, Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt is available now from Nation Books.' 

C. Nicole Mason: Born Poor, Stay Poor--The Silent Caste System of America

'There's a lot missing from debates and policy surrounding poverty but the biggest deficit, according to Dr. C. Nicole Mason, is in honesty. Impoverished people aren't poor because they're lazy, they're poor because social mobility is institutionally suppressed. Mason's latest book is Born Bright: A Young Girl's Journey from Nothing to Something in America .' -- +Big Think 

"This is a Black Space" -- The Legacy of Black Art at LA's Underground Museum

'When artist Noah Davis founded the Underground Museum , he wanted to do two things: sidestep the existing gallery system, with its rigid hierarchies and gatekeepers, and bring world-class art to a neighborhood he likened to a food desert, meaning no grocery stores or museums. Davis died a year ago of a rare form of cancer.'