'A lot of the stories told on The FADER ’s Remember That Time series recount the weird, wild, abject, and plain stupid — from the time the Spice Girls peed in Elton John’s pot plant to the night Omar Apollo nearly got robbed. But today’s Remember That Time is something special indeed, and a much-needed moment of lightness this week: #BigFreedia telling us about the time Ms. Patti LaBelle — Philly
' A street artist called Msale has taken it upon himself to create giant murals bringing public health messages directly to the overcrowded Mathare slum in Nairobi. With half a million people living in such 'a squeezed area' social distancing is quite impossible to achieve, says Msale, so he is providing information for people on how to keep safe from Covid-19 in the 'simplest, clearest' way he k
' The Met presented an explosive and joyful celebration of rock's Black roots. The Black Rock Coalition and special guests created a sonic timeline honoring the Black pioneers who ushered rock and roll into the American collective consciousness. Founded in 1985 by guitarist Vernon Reid , journalist Greg Tate , and producer Konda Mason , the Black Rock Coalition is a collective assembled to provid
'The truth is that self-determination—our ability and desire to make choices about what our lives look like—is restricted when it comes to poor people—and this is to our collective detriment. Whether a person might become a powerful agent for social change or seek out their dreams as an artist, it does no one any good when we hold people back by not providing more equitable access to resources. T
'George Lewis is the Edwin H. Case Professor of American Music at Columbia University. A member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) since 1971, Lewis's work in electronic and computer music, computer-based multimedia installations, and notated and improvisative forms is documented on more than 150 recordings, as presented by ensembles worldwide. He is the author of
'Activist, entrepreneur, and former model Bethann Hardison recounts moments from her unconventional life. She shares personal stories from the streets of Bed Stuy to the runways of Paris and how she sought to hold the “powers that be” in fashion accountable for their actions.' -- Helga
'For decades, epidemiologist Dr. Camara Jones has been studying how race and racism impacts the health of people of color. When she read the early reports about COVID-19, she knew what was coming next for Black communities, as well as for older folks. Jones tells Rebecca Carroll what we can do to keep each other safe. She says the fate of the community is in young peoples’ hands, in more ways tha
'The coronavirus has disproportionately impacted Black Americans, who are getting sick and dying at higher rates than other populations. Scholars have been thinking about how survival elements — like the creation of new music and art — can serve as a form of comfort and healing. This concept is often called Afrofuturism , which centers Black life squarely within the possibility of the arts, scien
'Sonic reinvention is Salaam Remi 's secret weapon. He's given artists their signature sound and remixed careers. He made the Fugees go ooh-la-la and turned Ini Kamoze into a hotstepper. When it comes to pulling magic out of songwriters, he's a master collaborator and his sample-based productions for two icons, Nas and Amy Winehouse , are sound proof.' -- NPR Music
'For those who have never been to South Central Los Angeles, a mention of the city of Compton might bring to mind the sounds of gangsta rap. In his new book, " The Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America's Urban Heartland ," Walter Thompson-Hernández chronicles the lives of 10 friends continuing the legacy of the original Compton Cowboys who for more than 30 years were a mainsta
'People in prison are extremely vulnerable to the virus and are being severely impacted by it. The United States currently has the largest incarcerated population in the world, with about with about 2.3 million people in jails and prisons across the country, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. More than half of them (nearly 1.3 million inmates) do not have the ability to socially distance
'After the government rolled out emergency loans for small businesses, watchdogs continue to raise concerns that black- and minority-owned establishments are being left out. Melba Wilson has owned the restaurant Melba’s in Harlem since 2005. She applied for the PPP through her bank and never heard back. So she decided to go to a Community Development Financial Institution — not-for profit lenders
' Issa Rae, Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated creator and star of Insecure , and writer and director Stella Meghie , join author Roxane Gay for a discussion of their film, The Photograph —a powerful multigenerational story
