Basic Black

There are 240 African American Judges on the Federal Courts, all are over 65, and only four are women. If confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson is set to become the first African American woman, and one of the youngest to hold a seat on the Supreme Court. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Monday, April 4. What’s in store for Judge Jackson as she moves a step closer to potentially be...

Basic Black We gather local artists of color to discuss diversity and representation in filmmaking on the weekend of the Oscars. Massachusetts is one of the top locations for film and television production, and many award-winning films were shot in the Commonwealth. We’ll also discuss if much has changed since #oscarssowhite and whether the awards program has tarnished its stature due to inequity...

Basic Black This week a discussion about missing Black girls and women and the lack of coverage around their disappearances. Data collected by the FBI show the large numbers of missing girls and women of color reported annually. However despite the numbers—somewhere in the neighborhood of 40%, outside of family and friends, the public barely knows their names. Black girls are often classified as r...

Basic Black Elizabeth Freeman is not a household name, at least not yet. There’s no talk about putting her on a 20- dollar bill or a postage stamp but she did a brave act. As an enslaved woman who could not read or write in the late 1700s, she decided to take a bold step to gain her freedom. She went to court in 1781 and brought forth a lawsuit—a freedom suit—to win her right to be free. She won h...

Basic Black A follow up to an episode we did in 2018 about the Harvard University admissions lawsuit and if the university was discriminating against Asian Americans. The case, which has been going on for a number of years, was struck down in lower courts--siding with Harvard, but now the Supreme Court will hear the case and decide if Harvard along with UNC Chapel Hill discriminated against white...

Basic Black About half of all American children are non-White. Until the last few years, children of color rarely saw themselves in the pages of children’s books. But an increase in the number of authors, including authors of color, writing about the cultural lives of kids of color has resulted in a children’s media slightly more diverse than adult content. Now that progress is threatened by a nat...

Basic Black In his eulogy for the late civil rights leader, Representative John Lewis, former President Obama said, “all voters have the power to choose their politicians, not the other way around." Clearly, we are seeing those in power show a blatant disregard for the democratic process to make every vote count. Next door in New Hampshire, legislators are trying to push Georgia-like voter suppres...

Basic Black Two Black women powerhouses in law and literature who used their talents in the fight for justice for African Americans. Harvard Law Professor Lani Guinier and acclaimed writer bell hooks were pathbreakers---rising to the top of their fields despite formidable racist barriers. Now Lani Guinier and bell hooks are among the ancestors. And we admirers of their outstanding intellectual and...

Basic Black Dorchester’s Columbia Point opened its doors six decades ago with a mission to offer health care to patients of color and the poor. Massachusetts’ first community health center is now part of a group of community health centers in the state serving racial and ethnic minorities and low-income residents. Today more than one million patients a year—one in 7—get health care at a community...

Basic Black Mentorship and money --the two biggest obstacles facing entrepreneurs of color. Leaders who are BIPOC -- Black Indigenous People of Color --have long had to navigate on their own to create opportunities and inclusion. But things are changing-- as corporations, institutions, and individuals pledge leadership expertise and funding in new and innovative ways. Can the high-level support he...

Basic Black It’s a new year but Covid-19, along with the Delta and Omicron variants are still with us. Consumer good prices are up. Over 4 million people quit their jobs in November. In politics, more people of color emerged and won races in cities like New York, Pittsburgh and here in Boston, with Michelle Wu becoming Mayor. Debate over voting rights, implementation of President Biden's infrastru...

Basic Black Black and brown households are large avid watchers – in fact, people of color accounted for the majority of opening weekend, domestic ticket sales for six of the top 10 films released in theaters in 2020 according to the recent UCLA-Hollywood-Diversity-Report-2021.  Plus, with all the streaming opportunities, viewers do not have to head to the theatres—they have options.  After the com...

When was the last time you thought about the meaning or origin of your name? Does it hold clues about your heritage, your culture or your family? This week on Basic Black -- we are talking about names, and the power of your name.

A growing number of investors are seizing the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the next digital goldmine and tracking the volatility of cryptocurrency. Our program will provide the details and discuss the rise in Black and Brown people investing in cryptocurrency. But what exactly is cryptocurrency...and is it truly a path to acquiring generational wealth for people of color?

During the nearly two years of combatting COVID, lingering mistrust of the health care system slowed vaccinations. And fears about the pandemic led patients of color to delay or avoid medical care for diseases like cancer. Now, doctors are alarmed by the high rate of advanced disease–especially among African-Americans and Latinos.

Basic Black The panelist discuss the Boston mayoral race between Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George.   How will the historic run for mayor change the perception of Boston and what issues will impact communities of color? Dr. Paul Watanabe , Professor of Political Science and Director of the Institute for Asian American Studies at UMass, Boston Tanisha Sullivan, Esq ., President of the NAACP, B...

Careers in the STEM field have continued to grow, however people of color continue to be underrepresented in the field. How do we motivate kids of color to pursue STEM/STEAM careers and increase diversity in the field? Guests: Dr. Renee Richardson Gosline, Shalaya Morissette, Dr. Nettrice Gaskins and Olu Ibrahim

How a legal framework has been used and distorted regarding teaching children about systemic racism in school. As discussions continue, what happens to American history? And is there a chance that African American history will be watered down or rewritten?

Basic Black returns.  Over the summer there have been a range of incidents with the most recent being the mass shooting in El Paso where it was believed that Latinos were targeted.  The President made the comment, “Go Back,” about four Congresswomen, sparking outrage with many calling the comment racist. Comments about citizens’ and their race to the recent small anti-straight protest in Boston. W...

What is it like living abroad? Expats and former Expats of color share their experiences living abroad and what you need to know before you decide to move abroad.

The history and legacy of the holiday. Biden later makes Juneteenth a legal holiday.

It’s been a year since the killing of George Floyd. His death was on display in an endless loop on social media and the news, leaving many traumatized and terrorized over the brutal death.  His family was awarded a $27 million settlement with the Minneapolis police department and former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of his murder, but what has changed? Have police policies improved, do peopl...

Young, Gifted and Stressed

How are race relations and cultural identification changing after the murder of George Floyd? Is there a climate of racial reckoning? And how does one group or groups make space for others as they may adopt and imitate? How do you reframe/reclaim the cultural identity that are beloved by groups after being adopted by others?

Domestic and Sexual Violence Month