' “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter,” wrote Alicia Garza in a 2013 Facebook post after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag that emerged in response to the post, and the following movement (co-founded by Garza), remains as important today as it was then, with people across the country continuing to protest state-sanctioned violence against
'The Morning Edition Song Project, in which musicians compose an original song about the COVID-19 era, returns this week with folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens She explains how the new song she composed for Morning Edition 's Song Project series grew from this year's extreme ups and downs.'
'On this special episode of Coffee and Books , the 55th Anniversary of the release of The Autobiography of Malcolm X , host Marc Lamont Hill examines the cultural significance of this piece of literature with oral historian and educator, Zaheer Ali . The two unpack what impact the book has had on their personal lives, Alex Haley and Malcolm X 's process for writing the book, and what the enduring
' The generation of folks who cast their first vote for Barack Obama , also known as millennials, are feeling down about democracy, according to a new global study by the University of Cambridge. Tricia Rose and Cornel West reflect on the reasons for their discontent and why much of it is noble and justified, in this special Office Hours session.'
'The world of artistic expression called to Cortina Jenelle Caldwell at a young age. As a child she dreamed of becoming an architect, spent a lot of time journaling and loved losing herself in a good book. Her early life was characterized by hard work and perseverance, but it was also marked by trauma. Today she is the founder and creative community organizer for Artists Designing Evolution, or a
'The artist Winfred Rembert ’s mind and body bear the scars of being a Black man in the Jim Crow South. Shirley Jackson Whitaker – a physician, artist and community activist – wants to help heal these kinds of wounds, in individuals and in American society as a whole. Both are from Georgia and now reside in New Haven, Connecticut, making work that grapples with the United States’ legacy of racial
' In this week’s episode of Biscuits & Jam , Sid Evans , Editor-in-Chief of Southern Living Magazine , talks to Mickey Guyton about her journey from struggling musician to being the first Black woman to perform solo on the ACM’s. Plus her grandmother’s cornbread and how she first met one of her heroes, Dolly Parton.'
'Mother-daughter team Danell Cross and Melody McCurtis are determined to prevent what America witnessed during Wisconsin's April 7th’s primary election from happening again. It is estimated that the primary, held despite Covid fears, disenfranchised almost 16 percent of Black voters in Milwaukee, the largest city in a key swing state. follows Danell and her daughter, Melody, as they organize the
'"We've been programmed to say great stuff comes from Europe and not from Africa," Marcus Samuelsson says to Fresh Air . The chef's new book, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food , is a celebration of Black excellence in the culinary world.'
'Ballerina Misty Copeland , who in 2015 became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theater's 75-year history, joins us to discuss her new children's book Bunheads , the first in a series of picture books inspired by Misty's own early experiences in ballet.' -- All Of It
'Sociologist William I. Robinson examines the rise of the global police state - as transnational capitalist power dominates the planet and concentrates wealth into the hands of a shrinking number of elite hands, the surveillance, control and repression of surplus populations becomes another frontier of wealth accumulation and brutality. Robinson is author of The Global Police State from Pluto Pre
'Lawyer and geographer Danielle Purifoy on her reports " Knock on Wood: How Europe's wood pellet appetite fuels environmental racism in the South " and " As the wood pellet industry grows across the South, Enviva targets Alabama and Mississippi for future expansion " for Scalawag .' -- This is Hell! This is Hell! · 1249: Greenwashing environmental racism / Danielle Purifoy
Does being a Black artist necessitate being 'woke' and thus influencing the work that they produce? Cartoonist Keith Knight has attained newfound success with the new Hulu original series, Woke , starring rising star Lamorne Morris as Keef, an artist whose confrontation with the police causes him to question the comic strips he's been creating. Somewhat autobiographical, the series adds humor whi
'Nashville-based artist Devon Gilfillian has released a brand new track-by-track cover of Marvin Gaye 's 1971 album What's Going On . Featuring a number of guests, the album was made during quarantine in Nashville. Devon joins me in this session to talk about why he wanted to re-record this album from start to finish, why this music is still so relevant, plus he tells the story of how Chaka Khan
'Three-time Grammy winner Ben Harper joins us to discuss his life and career, and previews his first entirely instrumental album, Winter Is for Lovers .' -- All Of It
' Richard Seymour , author of The Twittering Machine , joins Eric and Kate to discuss the “social industry" — online platforms that monetize and manipulate our need to share our lives online. Seymour moves beyond the negative effects social media has on us as individuals and as a community, bringing into view a bigger picture: the social, economic, and political perils that are now at our fingert
'When Derrick Barnes began writing children's books 15 years ago, he didn't see Black kids — boys in particular — depicted in positive, affirming ways. His latest book is called I Am Every Good Thing. ' -- Weekend Edition Saturday
