Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 827

Huffpost Live: Nas Talks 'Illmatic' @ 20

HuffPost Live
Legendary hip-hop artist Nas joins HuffPost Live with Marc Lamont Hill to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Illmatic. He reflects on his illustrious career, the state of hip-hop and what Illmatic XX means to him.Hosted by: Marc Lamont HillGuests:Nas @Nas (New York, NY) Hip-Hop ArtistDamon Sajnani @ProfD (Chicago, IL) Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellow, Harvard University; PhD Candidate, Northwestern University; Hip-Hop Artist

Speaking Out on Men's Role in Preventing Sexual Assault by Kevin Powell

Speaking Out on Men's Role in Preventing Sexual Assault by Kevin Powell | Huffpost Black Voices
Trigger warning: This post contains description of sexual violence.
What a very beautiful and uplifting evening we had on the Rutgers University-Newark, NJ campus. I was the speaker there for one of its Sexual Assault Awareness Month events. I talked about it from many angles: from my perspective as a man, and how my own past behavior led me to this work over 20 years ago. And how I continue to learn, heal, grow, understand and do the work.
But most important was when we opened the floor for the conversation. I asked males in the audience how they defined manhood. A lot of the usual terms came up like "provider" and "strong" and "responsibility." I responded those words could also apply to my single mother and most women I know. I added that it is interesting to me that wherever I go, terms like "peace" and "nonviolence" and "love" are rarely ever used to describe men and boys.
One young student, only 19, spoke about being drugged and raped when she was 17, losing her virginity in the process, followed by a massive wave of shame. She said she came out tonight because she wanted to hear what men had to say about sexual violence. She cried as she told her story, but it was powerful for her to share. She said he has gone from "victim" to "survivor" to "victor." And that she wants to write and share her story with others.
The audience likewise talked about practical ways to bring more awareness and involvement around sexual violence. Yes, there are some males who've experienced it, no question. In fact, BK Nation, our organization, will be posting a blog very shortly on our website from a male who survived sexual abuse in his childhood. But statistics repeatedly show that women and girls worldwide are the most consistent victims of sexual assault and abuse.
One thing the 19-year-old said that truly resonated: "This is not just a woman's issue. This is everyone's issue." That made me think of how women like Bell Hooks and Gloria Steinem said to me many, many years ago that violence against women and girls will not end until we men and boys help to make it end.
I also want to shout out my friend Joy Latahara Smith for being there. She is a proud Syracuse alum originally Jersey now working at Rutgers. Joy offered some great insight around the intersections of race, gender and class, mental health, the equality of women and men and what community institutions like churches, for example, should be doing to lead these kinds of conversations on a consistent basis. I was also struck by the words of one gentleman, an ex-Marine, who talked so very honestly about the kind of manhood he was taught, and how he had to re-program himself differently after leaving the military.
This re-programming allows him to work on campus to confront sexism/sexual violence head on. After the conversation, we marched around campus with flashlights as part of "Take Back The Night," and then had a candlelight vigil in a circle as we again discussed ways to continue this work. And we had a moment of silence of victims and survivors of sexual violence. We were told more males were present than in previous years, a very good and necessary thing. But still so much more work to do, so many more lives that need healing and empowerment.
This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Read all posts in the series here.
Need help? In the U.S., visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline operated byRAINN. For more resources, visit theNational Sexual Violence Resource Center's website.
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Kevin Powell is a public speaker and activist. He is the author of Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and the Ghost of Dr. King: Blogs and Essays.

Voice Of Mavis Staples Still Inspires

Fred Ho: The Music Live On

Joshua Bright for the New York Times (2013) The New York Times
Continue reading the main storyVideo

Fred Ho: The Music Lives OnThe baritone saxophonist Fred Ho died on April 12th after a years-long battle with cancer. Mr. Ho’s music is known for straddling the line between classical and jazz.

Fusion: Poverty in the Shadow of The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Fusion
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is held on a polo field lined by palm trees that are surrounded by rolling desert hills that reflect the warm sunset every evening. But a short drive from the festival is East Coachella, one of the most profitable farming regions in the nation. There, some of the richest people in the country live just a few miles from people struggling with poverty

TWIB! Prime Presents: "It's not about you, White Liberals™" w/ Dr. Brittney Cooper

TWiB! Presents: BLACKNESS.TVOn this segment on @TWIBprime Elon James White, Imani Gandy and Aaron Rand Freeman talk with Dr. Brittney Cooper on Black Feminism, Michelle Goldberg & White Liberals plus the need for internal discussions. 

Left of Black Preview: How Nikki Giovanni Linked Aretha Franklin to the Black Arts Movement

The Root
Left of Black host Mark Anthony Neal sits down with Emily Lordi to discuss her new book, Black Resonance: Iconic Women Singers and African American Literature. Lordi is an assistant professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In this excerpt, they focus on the connection between poet Nikki Giovanni and singer Aretha Franklin.

GIRI@Duke--Tuesday Tea's Presents: Mark Anthony Neal: 'Drunk in Love and the Politics of Black Marriage'

NPR Microphone Check: E-40 -- 'I'm On The West Coast, Eating'

Hip Hop, Grit, and Academic Success: Bettina Love at TEDxUGA

TEDx Talks
This impassioned talk explains how students who identify with Hip Hop culture have been ignored or deemed deficient in schools because of mainstream misconceptions associated with Hip Hop culture. Through Hip Hop, these students embody the characteristics of grit, social and emotional intelligence, and the act improvisation- all of which are proven to be predictors for academic success. So where is the break down between formalized education and the potential for success for these students? Dr. Bettina Love argues that ignoring students' culture in the classroom is all but an oversight; it's discrimination and injustice that plays out in our culture in very dangerous ways.