Basic Black

Basic Black: Black Men Speak This week on Basic Black, a discussion with Black men on the impact of police involved shootings and street killings after the murders of Tyre Nichols in Tennessee and Tyler Lawrence in Mattapan. Plus, how do they counsel and speak to young Black men about encounters with the police, crime and day-to-day living.    Panelists: Dr. Charles Daniels, Jr., a licensed therap...

Basic Black: Black and Brown Philanthropy This week, we are discussing Black and Brown philanthropy in communities of color.  Black, Indigenous, donors of color are making bold steps to change the face of philanthropy, funding causes to not only assist non-profit organizations but also empower communities of color and build racial equity. It’s a shift that has been happening over the years due to...

This week a conversation with some of the new political leaders recently elected to office –that are not Gov. Healey or AG Campbell.  We are speaking with three new representatives of color. They are young, smart and possess the desire to help their communities. What will this shift in leadership bring and what they hope to accomplish for their constituents? Panelists:   Representative Judith Garc...

1/20 Basic Black: Black Twitter’s Next Move This week our conversation is about Black Twitter, one of the most popular and influential groups on social media platform. Black Twitter started movements, raised issues, and provided a platform for Black and Brown people to connect and create a community where their voices are heard. However, Twitter’s rise in hate speech and ownership has shifted how...

The Embrace is coming. The 20x40 foot monument of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., embracing his wife, Coretta Scott King in 1964 soon after winning the Nobel Peace prize capturing their marital bond. The couple met as students in Boston. The Embrace Boston statue links Boston Common’s vibrant 400-year history as a gathering space for Boston residents. The panelists discuss Embrace Boston, the unv...

Basic Black - Boston’s New Pitch This week on the show, we will discuss the tourism campaigns to attract diverse workers, visitors and businesses to Boston as well as highlight establishments owned by people of color in Boston and the surrounding cities.  The swearing in of Black, Brown and LGBTQIA+ political leadership and the unveiling of the Embrace statue raises the profile of the city and inc...

Public Art:  The Muralists The Greater Boston area is becoming something of a mecca for murals.  From Roxbury and Worcester to Salem and Boston, streets and buildings have been adorned with massive, colorful creations by local and national Black Indigenous artists.  But as artists and members of the community welcome the murals, it has also raised concerns around the preservation of the paintings...

This week on Basic Black, we discuss how the results from this mid-term election cycle will impact communities of color. During this mid-term election cycle, we have seen a number of new faces—Black and Brown candidates running for state and national office around the country. Andrea Campbell became Attorney General-elect for the Commonwealth, the first Black woman to hold that office. In Maryland...

This week on Basic Black, we discuss how quiet quitting impacts communities of color. Several surveys confirm millions of American workers are quiet quitters. A hot topic of interest as many people are returning to the office, for some employees that feel undervalued and underpaid are adopting this quiet quitting mindset of disengagement and dissatisfaction while remaining on payroll. However, not...

This week on Basic Black we will discuss rap lyrics used in court cases as evidence, the bias toward hip hop and rap --the biggest music genre, and how do you separate the art/artistic expression from the artist.  But rap artists have ended up charged and jailed — singled out by prosecutors who have claimed their lyrics reveal criminal intent. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently passed a bil...

This week on Basic Black we will be discussing sickle cell disease.  It’s one of the most known inherited blood disorders that largely affects Black and brown people.  A debilitating disease for those who have it, along with the strain on their families, sickle cell “warriors” live in constant pain.  Life-threatening medical issues include stroke, eye damage, infection and pulmonary issues, making...

Over the summer, Gov. Charlie Baker passed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, or CROWN Act, intended to protect against hair discrimination and bias based on hair texture, that’s historically associated with someone's race. Once the bill is passed in the Senate, it would make hair discrimination based on the texture of natural hair illegal in the workplace and in K-12 publi...

Over the summer, Gov. Charlie Baker passed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, or CROWN Act, intended to protect against hair discrimination and bias based on hair texture, that’s historically associated with someone's race. Once the bill is passed in the Senate, it would make hair discrimination based on the texture of natural hair illegal in the workplace and in K-12 publi...

In recent years, food foraging has piqued the interests of nature enthusiasts seeking out medicinal alternatives and edible resources. Alexis Nikole Nelson aka Blackforager has amassed nearly 4 million followers on TikTok, educating and encouraging people to forage neighboring trails, woods, and within their backyards as a way to reconnect with their cultural heritage. Historical food foragers Geo...

This week on Basic Black at the Boston Public Library discuss the launch of the Berklee College of Music Gospel Performance Program during the summer aimed at giving high schoolers an immersive learning experience about the history of gospel music, techniques, and insight into the gospel music industry.  Panelists: Prof. Dennis Montgomery , Berklee College of Music Rev. Dr. Emmett G. Price III, De...

July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month or BIPOC Mental Health Month. Since 2008, this was named after journalist, author, educator, and mental health advocate, Bebe Moore Campbell. Her contributions and legacy remind us that BIPOC communities are significantly more likely to develop mental health conditions, including burnout, a form of exhaustion caused by exc...

June 24: Roe v Wade has been overturned.  In a highly controversial decision, the Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision from 1973 that gave people the right to have an abortion. The panel discusses what happens next regarding the ruling’s impact on birthing individuals of color as well as issues affecting same sex marriages, trans rights, teaching health and wellness in schools, the abili...

The road to motherhood raises a range of emotions and questions from what to expect when expecting to people telling soon-to-be moms, “You glow.”  But the joy of motherhood for Black and other women of color is fraught in continual racial disparities in maternal healthcare. Research suggests having a health practitioner of color or using a doula provides improved outcomes and an easier pregnancy....

The rise of race-based violence, hate and discrimination This week the episode will look at recent mass shooting deaths of African Americans in Buffalo as well as Africans and African Americans caught in Russia's conflict with Ukraine and how the globalization of discrimination, bigotry and hate, intersects in our lives. We’ll also discuss treatment of refugees when they are resettled in the U.S....

May 13 Basic Black: Food Justice in the Community This week, a conversation about the lack of accessible, affordable, and culturally relevant food in communities of color and its intersectionality into health, economic development, and day-to-day living for people. Panelists: Hae In Kim , Deputy Director of Planning & Development, The Mayor’s Office of Food Justice Vivien Morris , RDN, LDN, MP...

African American writers tell stories that celebrate and document the black experience, allowing readers to reflect and learn about the history of African American life. The removal of books by authors of color from libraries and black-owned bookstores closing raise concerns over preserving Black books. What happens if these works from African American culture disappear for good? First, Prof. Rene...

This week the episode will discuss William Monroe Trotter, the co-founder and editor of the Boston Guardian newspaper.   Trotter was known for his rigorous, sometimes sharp debate.  He wasn’t shy about having challenging conversations with his peers and the President of the United States. Trotter’s discourse matched his deep investment in exposing and doing away with racial inequity at the time. ...

Building Community Wealth Community wealth building is an economic model that provides neighborhoods and communities a seat at the table, where they can invest –and utilize their time and talent to create an equitable community for all. Can community wealth building help close the racial wealth gap and increase economic prosperity? Teri Williams, President and C-O-O of One-United Bank. She is also...

In advance of the Boston Marathon, we’ll speak with runners and organizers of community events helping to expand running programs, not only for health and wellness in communities of color but also as a powerful vehicle for social justice. Included in the discussion, we’ll also address how organizers of the marathon have faced criticism around the lack of diversity and inclusion, and how they are w...

This week the panelists will discuss issues around affordable housing--rent costs, neighborhood gentrification, the housing boom and people moving away from Boston to neighboring cities due to the cost or priced out of neighborhoods. The group will also discuss racial gap in homeownership. Our Panelists: Emilio Dorcely, CEO of Urban Edge in Roxbury and a member of Boston’s Rent Stabilization Advis...