Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 711

Gary, Indiana: A Tale of Two Cities--Directed by Sandra L. Barnes + Narrated by Avery Brooks

"Poverty, crime, and urban blight are words often used to describe Gary, Indiana. But do these words accurately reflect the present city or its promise? Do they capture the legacy and the lives of its residents? Does a focus on the city’s trials overshadow its triumphs? This 60 minute documentary, directed by Vanderbilt University Professor Sandra L. Barnes and narrated by actor Avery Brooks, candidly depicts the two faces of Gary, Indiana --the current problems facing this once thriving rust-belt metropolis as well as the progress and possibilities evident among its people, churches, and communities. The film also shows some of the tensions Gary faces as it reconciles its past, transforms its present, and charts its future."-- +Vanderbilt University 

The Sweetest Taboo: Theorizing Black Female Pleasure, Agency & Desire within Black Feminism

Photo Credit: Laylah Amatullah BarraynPanelists Joan Morgan + Treva B. Lindsey + Brittney Cooper + Kaila Adia Story + Uri McMillan on theorizing Black female pleasure, agency and desire within Black Feminist discourse(s) at the Black Portraiture{s} II: Imaging the Black Body and Re-Staging Histories held in Florence, Italy. The Sweetest Taboo: Theorizing Black Female Pleasure, Agency and Desire within Black Feminism from NYU Photography and Imaging on Vimeo.

Lizz Wright Covers Nick Drake's "River Man" from Forthcoming 'Freedom & Surrender"

'"River Man", Lizz Wright's cover of Nick Drake, is a highlight of Freedom & Surrender, Wright's first album for Concord Records, to be released Sept. 4.'-- Ann Powers for +NPR Music 

#TheEmptyChair Amplifies Conversation About Sexual Assault

'A provocative New York magazine cover featuring a photo of 35 women who accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault is the latest in a growing movement of survivors publicly sharing their stories.' -- via NPR

Paying for Brutality: Cop Beating Settlement Cost Detroit Taxpayers $1.38 million

'Residents of a Detroit suburb are facing a one-time tax hit, with property owners paying nearly $200 to the city. Why? To cover a settlement reached between the city and Floyd Dent, a man police violently beat during a traffic stop earlier this year. Manila Chan of RT America  has more details.'

8-year-old Zion Harvey Receives First Double Hand Transplant On A Child

'8-year-old Zion Harvey is the first child to receive a double hand transplant thanks to surgeons at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine. The surgery – so far a success – comes years after a bacterial infection that left Zion without both hands and feet, and in need of a kidney transplant.' -- +AJ+  

Marketplace: Affordable Housing for Teachers in Short Supply

Cities are building lower-cost homes for educators and hospital workers, to address the crisis of middle-income workers, like teachers, not being able to live in the neighborhoods where they work. Aaron Schrank reports for +Marketplace APM.

The 'Swim Whisperer' Teaches Kids To Be Water-Safe

'They are a rainbow tribe: black, Asian, white, biracial. And every eye is trained on the large man in the middle of the pool. Conrad Cooper has been teaching little kids (and some adults) to swim for 20 years now. His business, Swim to Me, operates out of his pool in the View Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. He has taught kids who scream with fright at being put in the water, and adults who never thought they'd ever be able to swim.' -- +NPR 

PBS NewsHour: Does President Obama's Africa visit come too late?

What’s the significance of President Obama’s historic trip to Africa? PBS Newshour's Judy Woodruff discusses the visit and the president’s record on Africa with Johnnie Carson of the United States Institute of Peace and William Gumede of the University of the Witwatersrand.

Misty Copeland on Race, Talent and Ballet: The Charlie Rose Show

'Ballerina Misty Copeland talks about becoming the first African American woman to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater, and the responsibility she feels to those who didn't have the opportunities she's had.' -- +Charlie Rose