Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 730

#BlackMusicMatters: "Stand on the Word"--The Joubert Singers (1985) (mix by Larry Levan)

Spike Lee's Lil' Joints: Black Hoosiers

The episode of Spike Lee's Lil' Joints examines the legacy of Crispus Attucks High School, an all-Black school in Indianapolis created to maintain racial segregation in Indiana. The team won two State Championships in 1955 and 1956 under the leadership of future NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.  Directed by Marquis Daisy .

Soul vs Soul: "All I Do"--Tammi Terrell + Brenda Holloway + Stevie Wonder

Tammi Terrell and Brenda Holloway, despite the official narrative, were arguably the most beautiful and gifted vocalists on the Motown label in the mid-1960s. Terrell's solo work was overshadowed by her popular pairing with Marvin Gaye. Holloway's career was mismanaged by Motown; her biggest success came when Blood, Sweat & Tears recorded her song "You've Made Me So Very Happy" (1969). In 1966, both Terrell and Holloway were gifted a song by a teenage Stevie Wonder.  Both versions of "All I Do" were released well after Wonder's own version of the song appeared on his 1981 album Hotter Than July.

#TheRemix: Brelo Verdict in Cleveland the Latest Denial of Justice for Victims of Excessive Police Violence

In this episode of The Remix, James Braxton Peterson explores the Brelo case in Cleveland, where a Cleveland police officer fired 39 shots into the windshield of a car killing Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. Peterson is joined by Angela Woodson , activist and CEO of the Gelic Group, and Bakari Kitwana , author, scholar and political analyst. They discuss the timing of the verdict (it was announced during the Memorial Day holiday), Ohio's history of abusive police actions, and the response by local activists.

Digital Diaspora Family Reunion Roadshow: Salim Muwakkil on Growing Up Harlem

Longtime journalist Salim Muwakkil , currently the Senior Editor of In These Times , talks with the Digital Diaspora Family Reunion Roadshow about growing up in Harlem.

Combat Jack Show: Marc Lamont Hill Talks Living the Life of the Mind

Marc Lamont Hill joins the Combat Jack Show about being a homeless teen, living a life of the mind, and his relationship with Michael Eric Dyson and Cornel West.

#OneWord: Black Men & Boys on the Word "Privilege"

The folks at Cut Video invited Black men and boys from 5 - 50 to respond to one word: "privilege."

The Challenges of Recruiting People of Color into Law Enforcement

The percentage of Blacks and Latino/as in Law Enforcement has long lagged behind their percentage of the national population. In addition, as Delores Jones-Brown, professor of criminal justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice notes, “Many of the police personnel who are of color are likely not at a command-staff level...And that means they’re not being able to make many decisions about what kinds of policies and practices will be in place.”

Soul vs. Soul: "Open Our Eyes"--Funkadelic + Earth, Wind & Fire

"Open Our Eyes" finds both Funkadelic and Earth, Wind & Fire exploring rather traditional Black Christian spirituality, notable because both groups would be known for self-fashioning forms of Black Spirituality more in line with the Afro-Futurism of Sun Ra. Funkadelic's version of "Open Our Eyes" (the b-side to "I'll Bet You" from 1969) swings as if it might in the Old Landmark, while Earth, Wind & Fire's version, the title track from their 1974 album, is right in the pocket of their Soul fusion.

Black Music & the Aesthetics of Protest | Hammer Museum @ UCLA | June 2nd

Black Music & the Aesthetics of Protest  Hammer Museum @ UCLAJune 2nd @ 7:30 pm
Co-presented with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Department of Musicology
Neo Muyanga’s  opera The Struggle serves as a departure point for a panel discussion exploring the role of Black opera and other genres of Black music in achieving racial justice and social change, the persistent exclusionary politics of musical genres, and the future revolutionary potential of historically defined Black genres.
Moderated by  Tamara Levitz , Professor of Musicology, UCLA, the panelists will include Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of African and African-American Studies, Duke University;  Guthrie Ramsey , Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Term Professor of Music, University of Pennsylvania;  Robin Kelley , Gary B. Nash Professor of American History, UCLA;  Shana Redmond , Associate Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California; and  Gayle Murchison , Associate Professor of Musicology, College of William and Mary.