Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 918

Left of Black S2:E20 | Critic Greg Tate Talks Black Science Fiction, Consuming Black Culture & the Late Butch Morris

Left of Black is a weekly Webcast hosted by Mark Anthony Neal and produced in collaboration with the John Hope Franklin Center at Duke University.
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Episodes of Left of Blackare also available for free download in @ iTunes U

On the February 25th ‘Left of Black’ Critic Greg Tate Talks Black Science Fiction, Consuming Black Culture & the Late Butch Morris

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Goode, Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, Smokey Fontaine, Jon Caramanica, Jeff Chang, Amy Linden, Tom Terrell, Mark Anthony Neal, Tricia Rose, Sasha Jenkins, DJ Spooky (aka Paul Miller), Dream Hampton, Miles Marshall Lewis, Aliya King, SekouWrites, Kenji Jasper, Oliver Wang, Cheo Hodari Coker, Keith Murphy or myself.”  Gonzales offers high praise for one of the singular critical voices of the last 30 years.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">The author of several books including the classic <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/F... in the Buttermilk: </i><i>Essays on Contemporary America</i></a></span><span style="font-family: Times;"> (1993)  and the edited volume <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/0... But the Burden</i></a>: </span><i><span style="font-family: Times;">What White People Are Taking From Black Culture </span></i><span style="font-family: Times;">(2003)</span><span style="font-family: Times;">, </span><span style="font-family: Times;">Greg Tate joins <b>Left of Black</b> host <b>Mark Anthony Neal</b>(via Skype) in a rousing discussion of Black Science Fiction, being a “gourmand” of Black Culture and the significance of the late musical conductor Butch Morris.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Tate is the longtime conductor of </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://burntsugarindex.com/about-the-... Sugar the Arkestra Chamber</a>, a former <i>Village Voice</i> Staff Writer and currently <a href="http://brown.edu/Departments/Africana... Professor</a> of Africana Studies at Brown University.  Duke University Press will publish <i>Flyboy 2: The Greg Tate Reader</i> next year.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">***</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://leftofblack.tumblr.com/"&... style="color: blue;">Left of Black</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Times;"> airs at 1:30 p.m. (EST) on Mondays on the </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FranklinC... style="color: blue;">FranklinCenterAtDuke</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Times;"> Channel on Youtube: </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FranklinC... style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Viewers are invited to participate in a Twitter conversation with Neal and featured guests while the show airs using hash tags #LeftofBlack or #dukelive.  </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Left of Black is recorded and produced at the John Hope Franklin Center of International and Interdisciplinary Studies at Duke University.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">***</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Follow Left of Black on Twitter: @LeftofBlack</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Follow Mark Anthony Neal on Twitter: @NewBlackMan</span></span>

Tell Me More: A Struggle For The Identity Of Puerto Rican Music

Ella Baker and the Limits of Charismatic Masculinity

Ella Baker and the Limits of Charismatic Masculinity by Pascal Robert | HuffPost Black Voices  
In perhaps one of the most important biographies of a civil rights leader published, Professor Barbara Ransby has conveyed the epic life and struggle of a woman whose sheer skill, leadership, and ability to mobilize the marginalized and dispossessed to full participation in their fight for human dignity is almost unprecedented in American history. In her book, Ella Baker & The Black Freedom Movement, Professor Ransby documents the life of Ella Baker, a black woman born to a middle-class family in North Carolina in 1903 who, after witnessing the staunch spiritually based dedication of her mother to serving the poor in the South, transforms into a sheer force of will that worked with all the major civil rights organizations of her time, and helped mobilize to create two of the most crucial to the Civil Rights Movement: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
Before we continue to heap a single praise or Hosanna to men like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Wyatt T. Walker, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, Paul Robeson, Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. Du Bois, or any of these other gentlemen we idolize as embodiments of masculine heroism, we should know about one woman, of many, who had more wisdom, courage, and vision then almost all of them: Ms. Ella Baker.
What made Baker's method of organizing both effective and revolutionary is that it completely dismissed the traditional paradigm of leadership that had plagued the black community from its earliest history in North America, stemming mostly from the black church: Charismatic masculine leadership based on oratory and exhibitionism. Baker believed in empowering the most common person, whether a sharecropper, teenager, or illiterate vagrant with skills to make demands on the political establishment. Baker believed that people did not need fancy leaders with degrees and pedigree to tell them what was best for them. She believed in giving people the power to choose their direction and make demands, and put pressure on institutions without depending on big shots with fancy suits. In her book, Professor Ransby notes:
"At every opportunity [Ella] Baker reiterated the radical idea that educated elites were not the natural leaders of Black people. Critically reflecting on her work with the NAACP, she observed, "The Leadership was all from the professional class, basically. I think these are the factors that have kept it [the NAACP] from moving to a more militant position."
Moreover, Ella Baker was very critical of the hotshot black preachers who seemed to mesmerize their audiences with soaring oratory, then leave and expect others to implement an agenda. As Ransby further notes, at one point Ella Baker asked Dr. King directly "why he allowed such hero worship, and he responded simply, that it was what people wanted. This answer did not satisfy Baker in the least."
Ella Baker did not mince words on her thoughts of Dr. King's leadership style and vocally spoke out on its limitations:
"Baker described [Dr. King] as a pampered member of Atlanta's black elite who had the mantle of leadership handed to him rather than having had to earn it, a member of a coddled "silver spoon brigade." He wore silk suits and spoke with a silver tongue.
[...] In Baker's eyes King did not identify enough with the people he sought to lead. He did not situate himself among them but remained above them.
[...]Baker felt the focus on King drained the masses of confidence in themselves. People often marveled at the things King could do that they could not; his eloquent speeches overwhelmed as well as inspired."
The limitations of this charismatic masculinity noted by Ella Baker are profound, particularly in today's political age when we have a president like Barack Obama who often tries to channel the traditions of charismatic leadership and oratory from the black tradition. Ironically, Obama has been as anemic in delivering real change and effective at stifling progress as Ella Baker worried Dr. King would have been. So perhaps in a strange twist, we have found a similarity between King and Obama after all.
Often in America, when discussing prominent black trailblazers who fought the injustices of segregation and racial oppression, we see the same images of a variety of men. I somewhat jokingly call them our superhero black male icons. This phenomenon mimics the more noxious western patriarchal fascination with viewing history as a series of events being shaped and guided by the hands of a strong capable man embodying all our fantasies about leadership, masculinity and sometimes fatherhood.
The danger of such imagery is that it often both obscures and denies the scope of nuanced factors, issues, and circumstances in shaping the events from which our societies were born. Furthermore, such narratives often exclude any consideration of female agency in effecting the great events that have transpired over time.
Barbara Ransby should be applauded for putting a halt to this tradition and setting the record straight with her towering biography Ella Baker & The Black Freedom Movement. As a man still troubled with patriarchal sexist notions, this book opened my eyes to ways in which the role of women are often neglected and intentionally obscured. Let us all read the story of Ella Baker and make sure such injustices do not continue.
Follow Pascal Robert on Twitter: www.twitter.com/probert06

“Question Bridge: Black Males” Exhibit Opens at Missouri Historical Museum w/ W. Kamuau Bell & Mark Anthony Neal

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Authors@Google: Adam Mansbach Reads from 'Rage is Back'

AtGoogleTalks
Adam Mansbach, author of Rage is Back, and T Cooper, author of Real Man Adventures, spoke at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California on February 5, 2013. They were introduced by Matt Werner.

About Adam Mansbach:

Adam Mansbach is author of Shackling Water (2003), Angry Black White Boy (2005), The End of the Jews (2009, winner of the California Book Award), and most recently Rage is Back (2013), and The Dead Run (forthcoming in 2013). He is best known for his children's book for adults titled Go the F**k to Sleep. It reached No. 1 on Amazon.com's bestseller list a month before its release, and was a national bestseller in 2011. The book is perhaps best known by its audio version read by Samuel L. Jackson, which went viral.

Mansbach lives in Berkeley, California and cohosts a weekly radio show called Father Figures on KPFA. Visit his website at http://www.adammansbach.com.

About T Cooper:

T Cooper's most recent book is "Real Man Adventures" (McSweeney's), a multi-genre meditation on the subject of masculinity. He is also the author of four other books, including the bestselling novels "Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes," and "The Beaufort Diaries," the latter of which Cooper adapted into an animated short film starring David Duchovny, which appeared at a variety of film festivals like South By Southwest and Tribeca. Cooper's other writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Believer, Poets & Writers, One Story, Bomb, and many others. For more information about T Cooper at: http://www.t-cooper.com.

Trailer: 'Free Angela and All Political Prisoners' (dir. Shola Lynch)

ThinkTankDigital


You know her name. Know her story. Codeblack Films bring you Free Angela & All Political Prisoners. The documentary that chronicles the life of young college professor Angela Davis. How she became one of America’s most renowned revolutionaries and ended up on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list. Presented by BET Networks, the film will be released exclusively in select AMC theatres in Washington,D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Oakland, Philadelphia and Atlanta on April 5, 2013.  Executive Producers include Overbrook Entertainment, founded by Will Smith and James Lassiter, and run with partner Jada Pinkett Smith, and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's Roc Nation.
ABOUT FREE ANGELA
Directed and written by Shola Lynch, Free Angela and All Political Prisoners  was hailed by the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival as “a fascinating chronicle of justice and strength,” Free Angela tells the dramatic story of how a young professor’s social justice activism implicates her in a botched kidnapping attempt that ends with a bloody shootout, four dead, and her name on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list.
In this historical vérité style documentary, marking the 40th anniversary of her acquittal on charges of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy, Angela Davis recounts the politics and actions that branded her a terrorist and simultaneously spurred a worldwide movement for her freedom as a political prisoner. At its core, the story wrestles with the meaning of political freedom in a democracy negotiated between the people and its government. Strong, attractive, and engaging, Angela Davis is one such person who became a symbol at the center of this still relevant power struggle.
“We knew that this film was important and would not only shed a spotlight on history, but provide a flashlight for our future” said Jeff Clanagan, CEO of Codeblack Enterprises. “Angela Davis is a staple in history and continues to cross generational and cultural lines in her plight to fight for the freedom of all people.”
Jada Pinkett Smith along with Overbrook Entertainment, Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, and BET Networks have joined forces on the production of the documentary.
“We at Overbrook Entertainment are very proud to support this intriguing documentary about the life of Angela Davis,” said Jada Pinkett Smith.  “Filmmaker Shola Lynch has done an incredible job in revealing a piece of American history we thought we all knew.”
Shawn “JAY Z” Carter adds, “Shola Lynch has crafted an intricate and compelling film about Angela Davis.  Roc Nation is honored to be part of a creative collective that can present such a riveting story.”
“The journey and struggle to free Angela Davis is a defining moment in our country’s fight for political freedom and an integral part of African-American history,” says Loretha Jones, President of Original Programming, BET Networks.  “We are proud to be a partner in this film and to share powerful stories of justice such as this that will resonate with our audience.”
"This movie illustrates an important part of history, and we're honored to provide a platform for the story to be told," said Nikkole Denson-Randolph, vice president of alternative and special content at AMC.  "Although a commonly known moment in history, Free Angela offers an entirely new and authentic perspective."
Free Angela is distributed by Codeblack Films and will open on April 5, 2013 exclusively in select AMC theatres in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Oakland, Philadelphia and Atlanta.

Remembering Lou Myers: "Berta, Berta" from The Piano Lesson

from the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson with Carl Gordon, Courtney Vance, Charles 'Roc' Dutton and Lou Myers.

9th Wonder: "Threat"—Decoded

Jay Z's Life + Times
Grammy-winning hip-hop icon 9th Wonder tells the story behind the production of "Threat" off Jay Z's The Black Album.

The Stream: Language, Race & Racism in the US

Have African-Americans reclaimed racist language? The “N” word has always been associated with the crimes of slavery, but today with the influence of the hip-hop industry it has evolved into a term of endearment used within the community. However, debate continues, as many fear this is disconnecting black youth from their history and making the word acceptable. Join the conversation with Dr. Cornel West.

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to:

Cornel West, @CornelWest
Philosopher and academic
cornelwest.com

Mychal Denzel Smith, @mychalsmith
Author, contributor for The Nation
mychaldenzelsmith.com

Akiba Solomon, @colorlines
Managing editor, Colorlines

Raquel Cepeda, @RaquelCepeda
Author, documentary filmmaker
djalirancher.com

Tim Wise, @timjacobwise
Author, Dear White America: Letter to a new minority
timwise.org