Lorraine Hansberry's Upbringingby Mark Anthony Neal / 14h
' Soyica Colbert , interim dean of Georgetown College and professor of African American studies and performing arts, joins us for the next installment of our “Full Bio” series. This week, we’re taking a deep dive into her biography of Lorraine Hansberr y titled, Radical Vision . All Of It talks with Colbert about Hansberry’s parents and her upbringing, which served as part of the inspiration for
Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase The Blues Away | Official Trailer | American Masters | PBSby Mark Anthony Neal / 14h
' Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase The Blues Away dives into the career of the legendary blues guitarist, a pioneer of Chicago’s West Side sound and major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton . Featuring new performances and interviews with John Mayer , Carlos Santana and more.' -- American Masters PBS
'Shuffle Along' Changed Musical Theater 100 Years Agoby Mark Anthony Neal / 15h
'If you wanted to see a musical on the Great White Way in 1921 — that name came about because of the electric lights on Broadway but was true about the color of the actors and audience — you could see a European-influenced operetta or a splashy Ziegfeld revue. But 100 years ago, on May 23, you could also see something completely new: Shuffle Along , by an all-black team of creators. "Shuffle Alon
George Floyd's Murder Sparked a Global Movementby Mark Anthony Neal / 17h
'In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s murder last May, activists organized protests against police brutality in the biggest cities and smallest towns across the U.S. -- e verywhere from New York City and Washington, D.C., to Portland, Maine, and Wilmington, North Carolina. These mass public actions demanding justice were not restricted to the United States. People in Thailand, Argentina,
Reimagining Blackness & Architecture: To Be Really Free Is To Be Spatially Free | Mario Goodenby Mark Anthony Neal / 23h
'What does liberation look like? Architect Mario Gooden discusses his project “The Refusal of Space” and the ongoing histories of Black people in Nashville, Tennessee who occupied the city’s spaces, demanded freedom, and taught us that liberation is a spatial practice.' -- The Museum of Modern Art
Invisible Blackness – Smiling While Black, An Interview with Raphael Saadiqby Mark Anthony Neal / 1d
' Raphael Saadiq 's extraordinary talent has made him one of the most distinguished voices in American music. From his very humble beginnings in Oakland, he’s become an internationally renowned superstar. In this episode of Invisible Blackness, host Adrian Younge speaks with Raphael about growing up in a drug riddled community and processing death through art.'
1970s Music Journalism Gets An Overdue Rewrite In Dawnie Walton's Debut Novel 'The Final Revival of Opal & Nev'by Mark Anthony Neal / 1d
' Dawnie Walton was working as the deputy managing editor at Essence in 2015 when she decided to leave her job to become a novelist. Walton's debut novel, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev , is the result of that risk. The story centers on a fictional interracial rock duo from the 1970s: Opal is a Black proto Afro-punk singer from Detroit, and Nev is a goofy white British singer-songwriter. Opal an
Inside Malaco Records, ‘The Last Soul Companyby Mark Anthony Neal / 1d
'Referred to as “The Last Soul Company," Malaco Records, based in Jackson, Mississippi, has managed to outlast major record label competitors over the past 50 years. The small, mostly unheard-of independent record label has been home to multiple recording artists and songwriters and has a catalog of original recordings and music copyrights, numbering into the thousands. Christopher Booker reports
Tiny Desk Meets AFROPUNK: Luedji Lunaby Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
"'I feel that we are living in a crazy moment in a crazy time and music has been a safe place for me — the only safe place for me,' Luedji Luna says in a low, alluring voice as she explains the purpose of her latest album, Bom Mesmo É Estar Debaixo D'Água . The album, much like the Brazilian singer-songwriters's Tiny Desk performance, is a respite from these times. Elements of jazz and blues are
A Baltimore Youth Program Mixes A Passion For Dirt Bikes With Scienceby Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
'B-360, a nonprofit, uses dirt bikes to teach elementary and high school students math and science. "Fixing and repairing a bike is mechanical engineering," says Brittany Young , an engineering sciences educator who founded the program. "Most people don't realize when dirt bike riders pop a wheelie, it's actually like a physics equation".'
Left of Black S11 · E28 | The Sound of Afro South Asian Collaborations in Black Music with Elliott Powellby Mark Anthony Neal / 2d
When you think of hip-hop or R&B, how often do you hear the strings of a sitar being strummed in the background? In this episode of Left of Black , host and Duke University Professor Mark Anthony Neal discusses the influence of South Asian collaborations in contemporary Black music with Elliott Powell , the Beverly and Richard Fink Professor in Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. His new
Life, Love, Loss. NC Jazz Artist Nnenna Freelon Unpacks Her Story in ‘Time Traveler'22by Mark Anthony Neal / 3d
"Jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon ’s new album is bittersweet — a time capsule filled with 40 years of love, laughter and tears shared with her late husband, architect Phil Freelon . Penned as a “sonic love letter,” Time Traveler fuses old classics, 1970s Soul hits and original works. It’s the first release in 11
