A first look inside the Smithsonian’s African American museum – Peggy McGlone / Wash Post
A dream for 100 years, the National Museum of African American History and Culture promises to become an instant favorite when it opens Sept. 24,…
Book/Podcast and Video Favorites
I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon by Toure
Celebrated journalist, TV personality, and award-winning author Touré investigates one of the most enigmatic and fascinating figures in contemporary American culture: Drawing on new research…
An Un-gentrified View of Prince’s Death – Ralph Crowder III / Interview WURD
Filmmaker and founder of Freedom Radio and TV, Ralph Crowder III provides a first-hand account of the racial bias and struggles faced by Prince in his early career, and the role of Black unity in telling our stories and uplifting Black creative genius. Listen to the interview here.
Welfare and the Politics of Poverty – Karen Sughrue / NYT Retroreport Video
Bill Clinton’s 1996 welfare reform was supposed to move needy families off government handouts and onto a path out of poverty. Twenty years later, how…
Confessions of a Republican (LBJ 1964 Presidential campaign commercial) / You Tube Video
The parallels to 2016 are chilling! See the video here
Beauty and danger: The global pursuit of whiter skin – Denise Oliver Velez / Daily Kos
In 1983 I wrote and co-produced Color, a half-hour video drama which aired on public television. It dealt with skin color issues in the black American community which we called…
The Return’ Documentary Addresses Over Criminalization & The Effects on Families / PBS
Be sure to check out the premiere of PBS premiere of The Return on May 23. For a look at the trailer along with more…
“Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise”: New Documentary Chronicles an Extraordinary Life – Amy Goodman / Democracy Now Video
We remember the life and legacy of the legendary poet, playwright and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. For the first time, a documentary has chronicled…
Bind Us Apart: How Enlightened Americans Invented Racial Segregation by Nicholas Guyatt
Why did the Founding Fathers fail to include blacks and Indians in their cherished proposition that “all men are created equal”? The usual answer is…
Kill ‘Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul by James McBride
National Book Award winner James McBride goes in search of the “real” James Brown after receiving a tip that promises to uncover the man behind…
What White Millennials Say About Being White / The Whiteness Project
Whiteness Project is an interactive investigation into how Americans who identify as white, or partially white, understand and experience their race. Whiteness Project is conducting…
‘The Birth of a Nation’: Watch Harrowing Trailer for Sundance Smash – Daniel Kreps / Rolling Stone
The Birth of a Nation, the Nat Turner biopic that dominated the Sundance Film Festival, has unveiled its first trailer ahead of its October theatrical release….
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis
In these newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches, world-renowned activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis illuminates the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression…
President Obama Reaffirms The Potential Of Boys Of Color In Powerful PSA – Taryn Finley / Huff Post
Young black and brown boys don’t always see reaffirming messages in society that allow them to believe that they can grow up to become successful. Without…
Between Bill Clinton and Black Lives Matter, a generational divide (+video) – Peter Grier / Chris Sci Monitor
How Bill Clinton and Black Lives Matter protesters view the 1994 crime bill is in part shaped by their different generational experiences. Read and view…
Jackie Robinson ( A New Film) – An Inside Look – PBS
JACKIE ROBINSON premieres Monday-Tuesday, April 11-12, 2016, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS. Filmmakers Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon discuss their new film, JACKIE…
A Conversation With Asian-Americans on Race – Geeta Gandbhir and Michele Stephenson / NYT
In this installment of our “Conversations on Race” series for Op-Docs, Asian-Americans talk about how stereotypes unfairly confine them — particularly the one that brands…
More African-Americans Support Carrying Legal Guns For Self-Defense – Martin Kaste / NPR Podcast
Rick Ector trains new gun owners at a range just outside of Detroit. He supports more African-Americans getting permits to carry concealed weapons. African-Americans are…
Angela Davis : “I Think We Need a New Party” / Democracy Now Video
In a Women’s History Month special, we speak with author, activist and scholar Angela Davis. For more than four decades, Davis has been one of…
R.E.S.P.E.C.T: Happy Birthday, Aretha Franklin – Denise Oliver Velez / Daily Kos Video
Make my day! Three of Aretha’s greatest songs and performances. View the video here
Dr. Frances Cress Welsing Memorial Service – Metropolitan AME Church Wash DC / You Tube
Dr. Frances Cress Welsing Memorial at historic Metropolitan AME Church Saturday, March 19, 2016. Powerful and moving tribute to the life and work of Frances…
6 Afro-Latinos Open Up About What It Means To Be Black And Latino – Carolina Moreno / Huff Post
Watch them explain why they’re both and they’re proud! Watch here
The Revolutionary Power of Sonia Sanchez’s Spoken Word – Nadine Ajaka / The Atlantic Video
The poet Sonia Sanchez rose to prominence as a figure in the 1960s Black Arts Movement, where she raised her voice in the name of…
America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America by Jim Wallace
America’s problem with race has deep roots, with the country’s foundation tied to the near extermination of one race of people and the enslavement of…
We Must Talk About Race to Fix Economic Inequality / Demos Video
In a new video with MoveOn, Demos President Heather McGhee and Demos Distinguished Senior Fellow Ian Haney Lopéz show how the single most important solution to economic inequality isn’t…
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique W. Morris
Fifteen-year-old Diamond stopped going to school the day she was expelled for lashing out at peers who constantly harassed and teased her for something everyone…
Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith
In 1962, boxing writers and fans considered Cassius Clay an obnoxious self-promoter, and few believed that he would become the heavyweight champion of the world….
SNL Mocks Bernie Sanders and took on Ben Carson’s endorsement of Donald Trump -Matt Wilstein / The Daily Beast
In this week’s cold open, ‘Saturday Night Live’ took on both Ben Carson’s endorsement of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders’ surprise win in Michigan. Read…