Making The Music to Accompany 'Mary J. Blige's My Life'by Mark Anthony Neal / 10h
'Someone recently said Mary J. Blige 's voice articulates with laser precision the pain of a generation. That's especially true of her 1994 album My Life . And on Friday audiences can stream a new Amazon documentary that explores this seminal album that lays bare some of Blige's biggest life struggles. Five-time Grammy winner Mervyn Warren composed the score for Mary J. Blige's My Life . To the b
The Vanishing of Harry Pace: Episode 2by Mark Anthony Neal / 10h
'The story of the post Black Swan years. Following Harry Pace ’s Supreme Court battle to desegregate the South Side of Chicago, and then the mysterious decision which forces him into seclusion, before his untimely death.'
On 'Sesame Street,' Two New Black Muppets Teach Kids About Systemic Inequality, Racismby Mark Anthony Neal / 21h
' Sesame Street has a few new neighbors. The children's program introduced its first gay couple earlier this month in an episode called "Family Day." And now, the world meets two new Black muppets who are taking on race and racism: 5-year-old Wes and his father Elijah. Throughout the show’s 52-year history, Sesame Street has taken on many societal issues. The new characters are part of a series c
How Jazz and Hip Hop Harmonize: J Dilla, Herbie Hancock, and Nasby Mark Anthony Neal / 1d
'Hip hop’s foundation and evolution owe itself to jazz. And it’s reciprocal. Jazz has borrowed from all facets of hip hop culture and musical contributions, showing that one of the country’s oldest genres is still young at heart. Together Linda Diaz and LA Buckner work together to break down how these two genres cross-pollinate. LA Buckner talks to Karriem Riggins about the J Dilla formula. Linda
Musicians in Nigeria Speak Out Against Twitter Banby Mark Anthony Neal / 1d
'The Nigerian government banned Twitter throughout the country. The move came in the wake of a dust-up between the social media site and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari. Twitter removed a tweet from the president, which seemed to threaten dissidents with death by the way the president referenced the brutal Civil War of the late 1960s. Shortly after the President’s tweet was removed, the Nige
Invisible Blackness – Follow the Money, An Interview with Estelleby Mark Anthony Neal / 1d
' British singer/songwriter Estelle began as a rapper in London. She rose to international fame, keeping her African and West Indian roots intact. In this episode of Invisible Blackness , host Adrian Younge and Estelle discuss the African diaspora, Britain's National Front and Parallels between the racial justice movements in the UK and the United states.'
One of the Most Influential Black Journalists You Probably Never Heard Ofby Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
'Record numbers of journalists formed unions over the last few years, surpassing data even from the surges of labor organizing in the 1930s. And the pandemic didn't slow the trend. Just this week journalists at the Atlantic announced that they were forming a union affiliated with the News Guild. But even with all the recent coverage, it's unlikely that you've heard of the very first person to lea
Death, Sex & Money | Mahershala Ali and Rafael Casal: Envy Is A Hell Of A Drugby Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
'Today, Mahershala Ali is an Oscar-winning actor who lands leading roles in TV shows like True Detective and Hollywood blockbusters like Green Book and the upcoming Blade Marvel series . But he got his start as a poet-turned-rapper in the Bay Area, where he grew up. Rafael Casal is another Bay Area poet and musician who made his big screen debut in the film (and upcoming TV series) Blindspotting,
The Vanishing of Harry Pace: Episode 1by Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
'It was Motown before Motown, FUBU before FUBU: Black Swan Records, the record company founded by Harry Pace .'
Amythyst Kiah's Old-Time, Deeply Honest 'Wary + Strange'by Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
'NPR's Noel King talks to musician Amythyst Kiah , who deals with tough subjects, like being "othered" as a Black woman on the bluegrass and folk circuit.'
Enlightened with Lisa Borders: Lizzy Jeff -- Changing Culture with Cannabis and Sensualityby Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
'Artist, alchemist, and activist Lizzy Jeff sits down with Enlightened host Lisa Borders for what can only be described as an awakening of the soul. They talk about changing the narrative around cannabis, the discomfort that comes with the fight for restorative justice, and the generational trauma she witnessed growing up in LA. On this episode, Lizzy provides an illuminating perspective on findi
One Hundred: The Ed Gordon Podcast with Loretta Devineby Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
'Host Ed Gordon talks with actress Loretta Devine . From being an original Dreamgirl on Broadway, to one of the girlfriends in movie Waiting to Exhale , to a recurring role on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy Devine has made her mark as an actress. She talks about her long career, learning the craft of acting and fans acting out their favorite scenes.'
Do African Americans Have Second Amendment Rights?by Mark Anthony Neal / 3d
' In her new book, The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America , Professor Carol Anderson argues that the right to self-defense is not applied equally to African Americans.' -- The Takeaway
Bringing Untold History to the Screen in 'Small Axe's' Activist Scenby Mark Anthony Neal / 3d
' Director Steve McQueen and actor Shaun Parkes break down crafting Small Axe 's protest scene and how music played a key component in making the scene powerful. The scene discussed is the landmark moment when demonstrators march through the streets of Notting Hill to fight back against police intimidation in the "Mangrove" installment of Amazon Prime Video's film anthology series.'
Ursula Burns' New Memoir Chronicles Her Journey From New York Tenements To Xerox CEOby Mark Anthony Neal / 4d
'When Ursula Burns was named the CEO of Xerox in 2009, her promotion was hailed as a groundbreaking achievement: Burns was the first Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company. She took over Xerox at a critical time when the country was just coming out of the 2008 recession. And as Burns writes in her new memoir, she began as an intern and worked her way up over three decades. Along the way, Burns
'Desus & Mero' On How Their Bronx Roots Paved The Way To Comedy Successby Mark Anthony Neal / 4d
' Desus Nice and The Kid Mero started out doing comedy together on Twitter, then created the Bodega Boys podcast. Their comedy series on Showtime is now in its third season.'
'Letters To My White Male Friends' Is A Call To Action And A Reflection On Raceby Mark Anthony Neal / 4d
' Letters To My White Male Friends is an expansion of a letter Dax-Devlon Ross wrote after the murder of George Floyd last year when his white male friends reached out to him to see if he — a Black man — was doing alright.' — Here & Now
David Hammons: Day's Endby Mark Anthony Neal / 4d
'The Whitney Museum of American Art , in collaboration with Hudson River Park, has developed a permanent public art project by David Hammons (b. 1943). Entitled Day's End (2014–21), this monumental installation is located in Hudson River Park along the southern edge of Gansevoort Peninsula, directly across from the Museum. Proposed to the Whitney by Hammons, Day's End takes inspiration from an ar
Are Reparations the Answer to America's Historic Racial Wealth Gap?by Mark Anthony Neal / 4d
'The median White household in the U.S. has $184,000 in wealth, while the median Black household has less than $23,000. Experts say the gap was fostered by generations of enslavement, Jim Crow laws, discrimination and redlining. CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Mark Whitaker , joined by Duke University professor William "Sandy" Darity and co-author A. Kirsten Mullen , explores the issue, and prop
Nina Simone - "Feeling Good" (The 21st Century Visual Mix)by Mark Anthony Neal / 4d
" Fortifying Nina Simone ’s legacy, this visual presentation of“Feeling Good” depicts generations of Black joy and boundless self-expression."
