Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 800

'Rodney King' -- Written and Performed by Roger Guenveur Smith | Sept 2-7

PlayMakers Reparatory Company
A poetic  rhythm-charged look at the flawed everyman behind the myth. King endured police brutality, the glare of an unrelenting media and notoriety as the symbolic spark of the LA riots.  His plaintive "Can we all get along?" remains an open question in America's complicated relationship with race.

BOX OFFICE: 919.962.PLAY (7529); 10am-4pm Monday-Friday.
CURTAIN TIMES  Tuesday-Sunday – 7:30pm  (Due to a UNC home football game, there is no Saturday evening performance.) Sunday Matinee – 2:00pm  Dates:September 2, 2014 - September 7, 2014
Theatre:Kenan Theatre
Pricing:Tickets start at $15!

Has the Rise of the E-reader Changed how We Read?

Marketplace APM
Has technology changed the way adults read? Well, as you might expect, the answer is complicated. 

Duke University's Department of African & African American Studies Brings Together Diverse Audience to Discuss #Ferguson

ABC11

The topic of national unrest surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, landed in the middle of a spirited town hall discussion, which drew about 300 Duke students and faculty to the East Duke Nelson Music Room.
The five-professor panel included Angel Harris, a professor of sociology and African American studies; Karla Holloway, an English and law professor; Wahneema Lubiano, a literature professor; Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of black popular culture; and Luke Powery, dean of the Duke Chapel. William "Sandy" Darity, director of the Duke Consortium on Social Equity, moderated.

The Business of Preventing Sexual Assault on Campus

MarketPlace APM
The federal government is cracking down on college sexual assaults by putting more than 70 schools under investigation for their handling of such cases - and entrepreneurs and consultants are finding business opportunities.  They’re creating smartphone apps to let students easily notify friends or campus police if they get into a scary situation, and developing training programs for campus-led sexual assault investigations.

X Prize Foundation Competition Could Make Star Trek 'Tricorder' A Reality

A Washerwoman's Gift: Remembering Oseola McCarty

After a lifetime of cleaning clothes for others, Oseola McCarty (1908-1999) gave her life savings--$150,000--to support scholarships for Black students at the University of Southern Mississippi.  We celebrate Ms. McCarty this Labor Day, including a song tribute to her from Patti Labelle:

Bessie Smith -- "Washerwoman's Blues"

A Liquid Fear: With Intensive Swim Lessons, a (Black) Man Attacks His Fear of Water

New York Times Video
Two childhood experiences with water left musician Attis Clopton with a phobia that lasted for decades, until another major life event inspired him to face his fears.

Talib Kweli feat. Abby Dobson -- "State of Grace" (Official Music Video)

Can't Knock the Hustle: Gaming the Togolese U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery

FranklinCenterAtDuke

Charlie Piot, Professor of Cultural Anthropology and African and African America Studies, Duke University, Co-Converner of Duke's Africa Initiative, and Program Leader of DukeEngage Togo.

This talk discusses Togolese who apply for the U.S. Diversity Visa lottery. More Togolese per capita apply for the Green Card lottery than those from any other African country, with winners attempting to game the system by adding “spouses” and dependents to their dossiers. The U.S. consulate in Lomé knows this gaming is going on and constructs ever-more elaborate tests to attempt to decipher the authenticity of winners’ marriages and job profiles – and of their moral worth as citizens – tests that immediately circulate to those on the street.