Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 627

"Holding On" -- Gregory Porter feat. Kem [video]

Sonics  +  Visuals for Gregory  Porter's "Holding On"--feat. Kem--from the forthcoming Take Me To The Alley.

"Dreams" and "Gangsters" -- Poetry by Tyehimba Jess

Poet Tyehimba Jess reads Langston Hughes's "There is a Dream in the Land" and "Gangsters."

James Earl Jones + Courtney Vance from 'Fences' (1987)

A scene from The Tony Award Winning August Wilson Play Fences, featuring James Earl Jones in his Tony Award winning role as Troy Maxson , opposite his "son," a young Courtney B. Vance. 

#TheRemix: Can Hillary Clinton Hold on to the Black Vote? A Conversation with LaDavia Drane

On this episode of #TheRemix , host James Braxton Peterson talks with LaDavia Drane, national Director of African American Outreach for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Marco Polo Hernández Cuevas on Mexico's African Heritage

Dr. Marco Polo Hernández Cuevas is Professor of Spanish & Afro-Hispanic Studies at North Carolina Central University.  He has written six books in English and Spanish: African Mexicans and The Discourse on Modern Nation (Lanham: UP of America, 2004); Africa en el carnaval mexicano (Africa in Mexican Carnival) (Mexico D.F.: Plaza y Valdes, 2005); Africa en Mexico: una herencia repudiada (Africa in Mexico: A Repudiated Heritage) (Lewiston: E Mellen P, 2007); The Africanization of Mexico From the Sixteenth Century Onward: A Review of the Evidence (Lewiston: E Mellen P. 2010); Eternidad (Eternity) a collection of his own poetry (Mexico D.F.: Plaza y Valdes. 2010); and The Afro-Mexican Ancestors and the Nation They Constructed (Lewiston: E. Mellen P, 2015.  Dr. Hernández  is an African-Mexican native of Mexico City's inner ghettos and Chilango (an Afro-Hispanic language) is his first language. Dr. Hernández is a Chef de Cuisine and gastronome by trade.

Race & Reality in America: What White People Have to Say About Being White

What White People Have to Say About Being White by Tanzina Vega | @TanzinaVega | CNN Money  

These are some of the responses filmmaker Whitney Dow received when he asked a group of Millennials in Dallas what it means to be white in America today. 

Dow, who spearheaded The Whiteness Project, will release the second installment of the digital video project, called The Intersection of I, on Thursday at the Tribeca Film Festival. It will feature close to two dozen interviews with 15 to 27 year olds about being white, their social interactions, race and racism and privilege. 

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 So why interview white people? "By sensitizing white people to their own racialized experience, it will make them better partners in moving towards a more just society," Dow said. "White people have to recognize that they are a part of this conversation whether they like it or not." 
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#StrangeFruitPod: Privilege Check--A Conversation About Invisible Advantages

'In lieu of our regular show this week, here's a special project #TeamStrangeFruit did with our station, WFPL. This special is part of WFPL's year-long project, The Next Louisville: Race, Ethnicity and Culture. In the United States, we like to think that our success is determined only by how hard we work. But in reality, some of it’s just luck. And some of that luck has to do with things we can’t control. In "Privilege Check," we explore the concept of privilege, how it affects our lives and how it can be used to make everyone more equal.'

HBO's 'Confirmation: Jeffrey Wright as Charles Ogletree

Actor Jeffrey Wright discusses his character Charles Ogletree from the HBO film Confirmation, which examines the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and attorney Anita Hill's, charges of sexual harassment against Thomas.

Trailer: The Art of Cool Festival--May 6-8--Durham, NC

Art of Cool Festival (AOCFEST) is a progressive jazz and alternative soul music festival located in downtown Durham, May 6-8, 2016. The goal of the festival is to expand the audience for jazz-influenced music. 
The Art Of Cool Fest from Justin Gartman on Vimeo.

May 5th Thursday

The President's Party @ The Blue Note Grill with special musical guests, The Soul Rebels. 8-10pm FREE

May 6th Friday Lineup 

The Carolina Theatre of Durham: NCCU Jazz Ensemble x NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble x Charanee Wade x Terence Blanchard with E-Collective

Durham Armory: JD Allen x Anderson .Paak x Nicholas Payton x Kamasi Washington
 
Durham Arts Council PSI Theater: Marcus Strickland x Brandee Younger
 
Beyu Caffe: Jim Ferris Trio x Dark Water Rising
 
Motorco: Art of Turntables with The Real Pete Rock x Rich Medina x DJ Skillz The Great American DJ x DJ Maseo and Friends
 
The Pinhook: Jamla Records Showcase with Heather Victoria x KHRYSIS!!! x Rapsody x 9th Wonder
May 7th Saturday Lineup

The Carolina Theatre of Durham: The Beast x Moonchild x The Internet
 
Durham Arts Council PSI Theater: Otis Brown III x Derrick Hodge x Kendrick Scott
 
Beyu Caffe: Bashiri Asad x Chantae Cann
 
Motorco: The Hot at Nights x Tennyson x Taylor McFerrin x Thundercat
 
The Pinhook: Donnie x J*DaVeY x All Cows Eat Grass
 
Durham Armory: Jam.Shop.Sip.Repeat
 
American Underground: Innovate Your Cool conference.

May 8th Sunday 

VIP Brunch @ Durham Armory with PJ Morton

Full Music Program

#BrooklynMade: Bisa Butler's Portraiture Quilts

'Brooklyn artist Bisa Butler sometimes has pain in her hands. That's because of the many hours she spends making intricate quilts. So intricate, in fact, that she turns them into portraits of the people in her life and in her community. You'll meet her at the site of her recent exhibit, in Bed-Stuy.' -- +BRIC TV