Arthur Jafa

Black people know this: There’s a difference between what you say and what you mean. It’s been a matter of survival for us. For over 30 years, American visual artist and cinematographer Arthur Jafa has captured the histories and experiences of Black Americans with projects that exemplify both the universal and particular facets of Black life. In the second part of this masterclass in Black thought, Jafa continues his free-from improvisation through his breadth of knowledge and understanding of visual culture — embedded with all the references, rhetorics, and personal reflections of someone who has spent a lifetime dedicated to centralizing the varied experiences of Black Being. 

Black people know this: There’s a difference between what you say and what you mean. It’s been a matter of survival for us. For over 30 years, American visual artist and cinematographer Arthur Jafa has captured the histories and experiences of Black Americans with projects that exemplify both the universal and particular facets of Black life. In the second part of this masterclass in Black thought, Jafa continues his free-from improvisation through his breadth of knowledge and understanding of visual culture — embedded with all the references, rhetorics, and personal reflections of someone who has spent a lifetime dedicated to centralizing the varied experiences of Black Being.

Video artist Arthur Jafa on actualizing Black potential, part 2


I don't want to be the prisoner in a box, even if it's a box I made. For over 30 years, American visual artist and cinematographer Arthur Jafa has captured the histories and experiences of Black Americans with projects that exemplify both the universal and particular facets of Black life. In this masterclass in Black thought — the first episode in a two-part series — Jafa shares a free-from improvisation through his breadth of knowledge and understanding of visual culture — embedded with all the references, rhetorics, and personal reflections of someone who has spent a lifetime dedicated to centralizing the varied experiences of Black Being.   Charlie Parker John Coltrane Ornette Coleman Culture Strike Laura Raicovich Christina Sharpe Hortense Spillers Ultralight Beam - Kanye West  Love is the Message, The Message is Death - Arthur Jafa John Henrik Clark Jean-Michel Basquiat Jimi Hendrix Cecil Taylor AGHDRA Women in Love Burnt Sugar Butch Morris Muddy Waters Carl Hancock Rux Virgil Abloh LMVH Off-White

I don't want to be the prisoner in a box, even if it's a box I made. For over 30 years, American visual artist and cinematographer Arthur Jafa has captured the histories and experiences of Black Americans with projects that exemplify both the universal and particular facets of Black life. In this masterclass in Black thought — the first episode in a two-part series — Jafa shares a free-from improvisation through his breadth of knowledge and understanding of visual culture — embedded with all the references, rhetorics, and personal reflections of someone who has spent a lifetime dedicated to centralizing the varied experiences of Black Being. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Parker" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charlie Parker</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Coltrane</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornette_Coleman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ornette Coleman</a> <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/3777-culture-strike" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Culture Strike</a> <a href="https://lauraraicovich.com/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Laura Raicovich</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Sharpe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christina Sharpe</a> <a href="https://as.vanderbilt.edu/english/bio/hortense-spillers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hortense Spillers</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oHdAA3AqnE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ultralight Beam - Kanye West </a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKWmx0JNmqY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love is the Message, The Message is Death - Arthur Jafa</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henrik_Clarke" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Henrik Clark</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Michel_Basquiat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jean-Michel Basquiat</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jimi Hendrix</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Taylor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cecil Taylor</a> <a href="https://bombmagazine.org/articles/arthur-jafas-aghdra-reviewed/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AGHDRA</a> <a href="https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/the-invisible-hand-of-greg-tate/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Women in Love</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnt_Sugar_(band)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burnt Sugar</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Morris" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Butch Morris</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muddy_Waters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Muddy Waters</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Hancock_Rux" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Carl Hancock Rux</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Abloh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Virgil Abloh</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LVMH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LMVH</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-White_(company)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Off-White</a>

Video artist Arthur Jafa on actualizing Black potential, part 1


Macarena Gómez-Barris

This [term] 'femme' becomes more possible to me as a figure for not just embodiment, but for thought, action, engagement, connection.Macarena Goméz-Barris is Professor and Chair of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University, founder of the Global South Center at Pratt Institute, an organization which supports artists, activists, and scholars in their efforts to decolonialize local and global communities. In this episode, Goméz-Barris talks about how one can and must find beauty in the most ambiguous of places, how she uses the word “femme” to escape the embattled histories of the word “female," and how she has—and hasn’t—moved on from a traumatic early swimming lesson with her father.  References:Constantine Petrou Cavafy Waiting for the Barbarians Audre Lorde Uses of the Erotic, The Erotic is Power Saidiya Hartman Octavia E. Butler Parable of the Talents

This [term] 'femme' becomes more possible to me as a figure for not just embodiment, but for thought, action, engagement, connection. Macarena Goméz-Barris is Professor and Chair of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University, founder of the Global South Center at Pratt Institute, an organization which supports artists, activists, and scholars in their efforts to decolonialize local and global communities. In this episode, Goméz-Barris talks about how one can and must find beauty in the most ambiguous of places, how she uses the word “femme” to escape the embattled histories of the word “female," and how she has—and hasn’t—moved on from a traumatic early swimming lesson with her father.  References: <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/c-p-cavafy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Constantine Petrou Cavafy</a> <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51294/waiting-for-the-barbarians" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Waiting for the Barbarians</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audre_Lorde" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Audre Lorde</a> <a href="https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/11881_Chapter_5.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Uses of the Erotic, The Erotic is Power</a> <a href="https://english.columbia.edu/content/saidiya-v-hartman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saidiya Hartman</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_E._Butler" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Octavia E. Butler</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Talents_(novel)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Parable of the Talents</a>

Writer Macarena Gómez-Barris on finding beauty in ambiguity 


Kara Walker

There are whole histories of African American artists wrestling with stereotypical depictions and minstrelsy - and it seemed worthy anyway to me as an artist to consider them as some kind of artwork.American painter and silhouettist Kara Walker rose to international acclaim at the age of 28 as one of the youngest-ever recipients of a MacArthur Genius grant. Appearing in exhibitions, museums, and public collections worldwide, Walker’s work wrestles with the ongoing psychological injury caused by the legacy of slavery.  In this episode, Walker shares how she navigates her own inner conflicts, how a curiosity for history led her to the silhouette, and what happens when making use of symbols of Black servitude brings one acclaim. References:Buster Browns RISD - Rhode Island School of Design My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love University of the Pacific Robert Wilson Einstein on the Beach Stanley Whitney Glen Ligon Kehinde Wiley

There are whole histories of African American artists wrestling with stereotypical depictions and minstrelsy - and it seemed worthy anyway to me as an artist to consider them as some kind of artwork. American painter and silhouettist Kara Walker rose to international acclaim at the age of 28 as one of the youngest-ever recipients of a MacArthur Genius grant. Appearing in exhibitions, museums, and public collections worldwide, Walker’s work wrestles with the ongoing psychological injury caused by the legacy of slavery.  In this episode, Walker shares how she navigates her own inner conflicts, how a curiosity for history led her to the silhouette, and what happens when making use of symbols of Black servitude brings one acclaim. References: <a href="https://nostalgiacentral.com/pop-culture/fashion/buster-brown-shoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buster Browns</a> <a href="https://www.risd.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RISD - Rhode Island School of Design</a> <a href="https://walkerart.org/calendar/2007/kara-walker-my-complement-my-enemy-my-oppress" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Pacific_(United_States)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">University of the Pacific</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Wilson_(director)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Robert Wilson</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_on_the_Beach" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Einstein on the Beach</a> <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/helga/episodes/stanley-whitney" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stanley Whitney</a> <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/helga/episodes/glenn-ligon-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Glen Ligon</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kehinde_Wiley" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kehinde Wiley</a>

Silhouettist Kara Walker on early fame and symbols of Black servitude


Kevin Young

I like to say we're living in a precedent time, not an unprecedented one. How do we understand that? Being at the museum or writing histories both in poetry and in non-fiction are ways of trying to understand that.  “Gatekeepers” hold an essential role in our culture as those in positions of power who determine what we see and hear — and therefore how we understand our world. The poet Kevin Young holds dual gatekeeping roles as both director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as well as the poetry editor for The New Yorker magazine.  In this episode, Young talks about how he holds these responsibilities and likens reading a poem to entering into a museum. He also shares his belief in the power of unexpected transformations, which songs have brought him comfort, and how it’s always easiest to write about the place you’ve just left.  References: Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture Public Enemy Chuck D Parliament Funkadelic African American Vernacular English Sister Sonya Sanchez Langston Hughes Gwendolyn Brooks Harriet Tubman's shawl David Hammonds’ African American Flag Willie Nelson Earth, Wind and Fire John Coltrane's Love Supreme I Want You - Marvin Gay Mary Lou Williams Jean-Michel Basquiat Make Good the Promises Ida B. Wells Book of Hours - Kevin Young Stones - Kevin Young

I like to say we're living in a precedent time, not an unprecedented one. How do we understand that? Being at the museum or writing histories both in poetry and in non-fiction are ways of trying to understand that.  “Gatekeepers” hold an essential role in our culture as those in positions of power who determine what we see and hear — and therefore how we understand our world. The poet Kevin Young holds dual gatekeeping roles as both director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as well as the poetry editor for The New Yorker magazine.  In this episode, Young talks about how he holds these responsibilities and likens reading a poem to entering into a museum. He also shares his belief in the power of unexpected transformations, which songs have brought him comfort, and how it’s always easiest to write about the place you’ve just left.  References: <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Public Enemy</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chuck D</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament-Funkadelic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Parliament Funkadelic</a> <a href="https://www.linguisticsociety.org/content/what-ebonics-african-american-english" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">African American Vernacular English</a> <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/sonia-sanchez" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sister Sonya Sanchez</a> <a href="https://poets.org/poet/langston-hughes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Langston Hughes</a> <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/gwendolyn-brooks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gwendolyn Brooks</a> <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2009.50.39" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harriet Tubman's shawl</a> <a href="https://www.moma.org/collection/works/222169" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Hammonds’ African American Flag</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Nelson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Willie Nelson</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth,_Wind_%26_Fire" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Earth, Wind and Fire</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cq7CzSC7u0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Coltrane's Love Supreme</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjRLbzxz_3Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Want You - Marvin Gay</a> <a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mary-lou-williams" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mary Lou Williams</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Michel_Basquiat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jean-Michel Basquiat</a> <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/make-good-promises#:~:text=Make%20Good%20the%20Promises%3A%20Reconstruction,the%20Civil%20War%20fundamentally%20changed." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Make Good the Promises</a> <a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ida-b-wells-barnett" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ida B. Wells</a> <a href="https://kevinyoungpoetry.com/book-of-hours.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Book of Hours - Kevin Young</a> <a href="https://kevinyoungpoetry.com/stones.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stones - Kevin Young</a>

Smithsonian director Kevin Young on the power of unexpected transformations


Tricia Rose

It’s hard when you try to talk across racial groups about race ... I do believe that there's a better chance of them getting further if we can create spaces of both accountability and connection.  Tricia Rose is a pioneering scholar in the field of hip-hop, Chancellor's Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University, co-host with Cornel West of “The Tight Rope” podcast, and Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America.  In this episode, Rose discusses how she balances her love of the early days of hip-hop with the global profit powerhouse it has become, the beauty of chaos, and how essential it is to build safe, stable communities at a time when everything is being done to isolate and separate.   References: Fannie Lou Hamer Clarence Thomas Tightrope with Cornell West Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America

It’s hard when you try to talk across racial groups about race ... I do believe that there's a better chance of them getting further if we can create spaces of both accountability and connection.  Tricia Rose is a pioneering scholar in the field of hip-hop, Chancellor's Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University, co-host with Cornel West of “The Tight Rope” podcast, and Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America.  In this episode, Rose discusses how she balances her love of the early days of hip-hop with the global profit powerhouse it has become, the beauty of chaos, and how essential it is to build safe, stable communities at a time when everything is being done to isolate and separate.   References: <a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/fannie-lou-hamer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fannie Lou Hamer</a> <a href="https://www.oyez.org/justices/clarence_thomas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clarence Thomas</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5Kdpgr3h64hmVGSJ1iPvgF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tightrope with Cornell West</a> <a href="https://www.brown.edu/academics/race-ethnicity/home" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America</a>

Sociologist Tricia Rose on hip-hop as a global profit powerhouse


Carrie Mae Weems

Within seriousness, there's little room for play, but within play there's tremendous room for seriousness. It's through the act of serious play that wonderful ideas are born.  Carrie Mae Weems is one of today’s most influential and generous contemporary American artists, as devoted to her own craft as she is to introducing other artists into the world. Her photography and diverse visual media has won her numerous awards including the Rome Prize, a MacArthur genius grant, and four honorary doctorates, and she was even named one of the 100 most influential women of all time by Ebony magazine.    In this episode, Weems explores the struggles artists must maintain to find balance and reach an audience, how the field cannot advance without the deep and profound inclusion of Black artists, and what the concept of “grace” means to her and her mother.   References: Dawoud Bey The Black Photographers Annual Joe Crawford Roy DeCarava Anthony Barboza Ming Smith Langston Hughes's ‘Black Nativity’ Cassandra Myth

Within seriousness, there's little room for play, but within play there's tremendous room for seriousness. It's through the act of serious play that wonderful ideas are born.  Carrie Mae Weems is one of today’s most influential and generous contemporary American artists, as devoted to her own craft as she is to introducing other artists into the world. Her photography and diverse visual media has won her numerous awards including the Rome Prize, a MacArthur genius grant, and four honorary doctorates, and she was even named one of the 100 most influential women of all time by Ebony magazine.  In this episode, Weems explores the struggles artists must maintain to find balance and reach an audience, how the field cannot advance without the deep and profound inclusion of Black artists, and what the concept of “grace” means to her and her mother. References: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawoud_Bey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dawoud Bey</a> <a href="https://vmfa.museum/library/bpa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Black Photographers Annual</a> <a href="https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Joe+Crawford" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joe Crawford</a> <a href="https://www.moma.org/artists/1422" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roy DeCarava</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Barboza" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anthony Barboza</a> <a href="https://mingsmithstudio.com/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ming Smith</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Nativity" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Langston Hughes's ‘Black Nativity’</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassandra_(metaphor)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cassandra Myth</a>

Visual artist Carrie Mae Weems on grace and inclusion


Bill T. Jones

I knew that there was a power I had when I stripped off my shirt and looked you in the eye as I moved my hips. But I also knew the other side of that attraction to me was the impulse to kill me. Legendary dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones has made a career of engaging his audience with brutal, unapologetic honesty. His seductive work has grappled with provocative political issues ranging from sexuality, race, and censorship to power and the AIDS epidemic — while also innovating in the expressive possibilities of movement itself.  In this episode, Jones talks about what it meant to grow up as a “Black Yankee” in the 1950s and 1960s and as one of 12 children. He also reflects on the adjacency of violence to the power of seduction, and how, after decades as a performing artist, the body may retire but the mind never will.  References: Alvin Ailey Percival Borde Pearl Primus Sammy Davis Jr. Bojangles Shirley Temple Sydney Poitier Charles Weideman Doris Humphrey Arnie Zane Lois Welk Rod Rogers Louise Roberts Arthur Aviles Marcel Proust Merce Cunningham George Balanchine Hannah Arendt Max Roach Freda Rosen

I knew that there was a power I had when I stripped off my shirt and looked you in the eye as I moved my hips. But I also knew the other side of that attraction to me was the impulse to kill me. Legendary dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones has made a career of engaging his audience with brutal, unapologetic honesty. His seductive work has grappled with provocative political issues ranging from sexuality, race, and censorship to power and the AIDS epidemic — while also innovating in the expressive possibilities of movement itself.  In this episode, Jones talks about what it meant to grow up as a “Black Yankee” in the 1950s and 1960s and as one of 12 children. He also reflects on the adjacency of violence to the power of seduction, and how, after decades as a performing artist, the body may retire but the mind never will.  References: <a href="https://www.alvinailey.org/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater/alvin-ailey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alvin Ailey</a> <a href="https://aaregistry.org/story/percival-borde-choreographer-born/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Percival Borde</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pearl-Primus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pearl Primus</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Davis_Jr." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sammy Davis Jr.</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Robinson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bojangles</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Temple" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shirley Temple</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Poitier" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sydney Poitier</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Weidman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charles Weideman</a> <a href="https://dance.washington.edu/people/doris-humphrey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doris Humphrey</a> <a href="https://newyorklivearts.org/btj-az-company/about-thecompany/arnie-zane/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Arnie Zane</a> <a href="https://www.americandanceasylum.org/lois-welk.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lois Welk</a> <a href="https://www.rodrodgersdance.org/rod-rodgers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rod Rogers</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/27/arts/louise-roberts-85-director-of-modern-dance-center-dies.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Louise Roberts</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Aviles" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Arthur Aviles</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Proust" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marcel Proust</a> <a href="https://www.mercecunningham.org/about/merce-cunningham/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Merce Cunningham</a> <a href="https://www.nycballet.com/discover/our-history/george-balanchine/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">George Balanchine</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Arendt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hannah Arendt</a> <a href="https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/max-roach" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Max Roach</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freda_Rosen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freda Rosen</a>

Choreographer Bill T. Jones on the violence within seduction


Once I could feel grounded in an East African context and value who I am in an American context - suddenly it was so apparent that music was where I was supposed to be. The dynamic, ascendant jazz singer Somi has been celebrated for her artistry as much as her activism. She became the first African woman ever nominated in any of the Grammy’s Jazz categories last year, and she has performed at the United Nations’ General Assembly by invitation from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Somi describes herself as a “East African Midwestern girl who loves family, poetry, and freedom” and yet hers is a story of survival, adversity, and transformation. In this episode, she discusses what happens when a teacher steals your joy, the power of a meditative practice that connects her to her ancestors, and how she is still finding her voice.   References: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon Miriam Makeba The Babiito and Bunyoro-Batooro people Curtis Institute of Music ‘Dreaming Zenzile:’ Somi Kakoma and Miriam Makeba Zap Mama

Once I could feel grounded in an East African context and value who I am in an American context - suddenly it was so apparent that music was where I was supposed to be. The dynamic, ascendant jazz singer Somi has been celebrated for her artistry as much as her activism. She became the first African woman ever nominated in any of the Grammy’s Jazz categories last year, and she has performed at the United Nations’ General Assembly by invitation from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Somi describes herself as a “East African Midwestern girl who loves family, poetry, and freedom” and yet hers is a story of survival, adversity, and transformation. In this episode, she discusses what happens when a teacher steals your joy, the power of a meditative practice that connects her to her ancestors, and how she is still finding her voice. References: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban_Ki-moon" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Miriam-Makeba" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miriam Makeba</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunyoro" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Babiito and Bunyoro-Batooro people</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Institute_of_Music" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curtis Institute of Music</a> <a href="https://www.pbs.org/articles/dreaming-zenzile-somi-kakoma-and-miriam-makeba" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">‘Dreaming Zenzile:’ Somi Kakoma and Miriam Makeba</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Daulne#Zap_Mama" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zap Mama</a>

Jazz vocalist Somi on finding your voice


I was making it for the people who feel like they don't really get a shot or are not seen, talked about, or cared about at all.  Even with his surging popularity in indie and rock scenes, Bartees Strange strives to bring his music to unexpected audiences and to tease apart the racial boundaries between them. He reckons with the concept of what it means to write music for the kids who are not seen, heard, or cared about.  In this episode, Stange talks about growing up on a military base in England, working in the labor and climate movements in D.C., and how seeing an appearance by TV on the Radio on the Late Show with David Letterman was the cheat code for writing his own music.  References: NSYNC Backstreet Boys Cleopatra (Group) "Cleopatra Comin At Ya" 50 Cent Get Rich Or Die Tryin Linkin Park Tunde Adebimpe Parliament Sun Ra Brothers Johnson Beach House Slowdive ”Super Spirit” by Junie Morrison and George Clinton Burial Gorgon City Courtney Barnett Phoebe Bridgers Lucy Dacus Car Seat Headrest The National Mahershala Ali Fugazi Beauty Pill Chuck Brown Moses Sumney Serpent with Feet Tasha Wow - L’Rain Dan Kleederman TK Johnson John Daise

I was making it for the people who feel like they don't really get a shot or are not seen, talked about, or cared about at all. Even with his surging popularity in indie and rock scenes, Bartees Strange strives to bring his music to unexpected audiences and to tease apart the racial boundaries between them. He reckons with the concept of what it means to write music for the kids who are not seen, heard, or cared about.  In this episode, Stange talks about growing up on a military base in England, working in the labor and climate movements in D.C., and how seeing an appearance by TV on the Radio on the Late Show with David Letterman was the cheat code for writing his own music.  References: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSYNC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NSYNC</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backstreet_Boys" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Backstreet Boys</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra_(group)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cleopatra</a> (Group) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ZoJHCefY4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Cleopatra Comin At Ya"</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">50 Cent</a> <a href="https://genius.com/albums/50-cent/Get-rich-or-die-tryin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Get Rich Or Die Tryin</a> <a href="https://www.linkinpark.com/hybridtheory20?ref=https://www.google.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Linkin Park</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunde_Adebimpe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tunde Adebimpe</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_(band)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Parliament</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Ra" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sun Ra</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Johnson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brothers Johnson</a> <a href="http://www.beachhousebaltimore.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beach House</a> <a href="http://www.slowdiveofficial.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Slowdive</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOFmHSRXUIs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">”Super Spirit” by Junie Morrison and George Clinton</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial_(musician)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burial</a> <a href="https://gorgoncity.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gorgon City</a> <a href="https://courtneybarnett.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Courtney Barnett</a> <a href="https://phoebefuckingbridgers.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phoebe Bridgers</a> <a href="https://lucydacus.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lucy Dacus</a> <a href="https://carseatheadrest.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Car Seat Headrest</a> <a href="https://americanmary.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The National</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahershala_Ali" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mahershala Ali</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugazi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fugazi</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_Pill" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beauty Pill</a> <a href="https://www.windmeupchuck.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chuck Brown</a> <a href="https://www.mosessumney.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moses Sumney</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentwithfeet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Serpent with Feet</a> <a href="https://www.wowtashawow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tasha Wow</a> - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Rain" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">L’Rain</a> <a href="https://floodmagazine.com/108436/daniel-kleederman-i-wont-be-first-listen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dan Kleederman</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tkjohnson_/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TK Johnson</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jdotdaze/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Daise</a>

Musician Bartees Strange on indie music’s overlooked audiences


Artist, performer, and host Helga Davis brings a soulful curiosity and love of people to the podcast Helga, where she talks about the intimate lives of creative people as they share the steps they’ve taken along their path. She draws listeners into these discussions with cultural change-makers, whether already famous or rising talents, whose sensibilities expand our imaginations as we explore what we think we know about each other. The new season of Helga is a co-production of WNYC Studios and the Brown Arts Institute at Brown University. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including Radiolab, On the Media, and Death, Sex &amp; Money. The Brown Arts Institute at Brown University is a new university-wide research enterprise and catalyst for the arts at Brown that creates new work and supports, amplifies, and adds new dimensions to the creative practices of Brown’s arts departments, faculty, students, and community.

Glenn Ligon

Usually the things that are the farthest out — that look the least like art to me — are the things that become the most important.   American painter Glenn Ligon is one of the most recognizable figures in the contemporary art scene. His distinctive, political work uses repetition and transformation to abstract the texts of 20th-century writers. In this episode, Ligon talks about childhood and what it means to have a parent who fiercely and playfully supports you. He also discusses the essential lesson that there’s value in the things you do differently, and why he won’t take an afternoon nap in his own studio.  References: Courtney Bryan Pamela Z  Samiya Bashir Thelma Golden Robert O’Meally Romare Beardon Toni Morrison Lorna Simpson Margaret Naumberg The Walden School Mike D - Beastie Boys Murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner Davóne Tines Chris Ofili  Henry Threadgill Frédéric Bruly Bouabré “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” Saidiya Hartman Fred Moten Jason Moran

Usually the things that are the farthest out — that look the least like art to me — are the things that become the most important. American painter Glenn Ligon is one of the most recognizable figures in the contemporary art scene. His distinctive, political work uses repetition and transformation to abstract the texts of 20th-century writers. In this episode, Ligon talks about childhood and what it means to have a parent who fiercely and playfully supports you. He also discusses the essential lesson that there’s value in the things you do differently, and why he won’t take an afternoon nap in his own studio.  References: <a href="https://www.courtneybryan.com/bio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Courtney Bryan</a> <a href="http://www.pamelaz.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pamela Z</a> <a href="https://samiyabashir.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Samiya Bashir</a> <a href="https://studiomuseum.org/thelma-golden-director-and-chief-curator" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thelma Golden</a> <a href="https://english.columbia.edu/content/robert-omeally" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Robert O’Meally</a> <a href="https://beardenfoundation.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romare Beardon</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morrison" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toni Morrison</a> <a href="https://lsimpsonstudio.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lorna Simpson</a> <a href="https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.35665.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Margaret Naumberg</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walden_School_(New_York_City)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Walden School</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mike D - Beastie Boys</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Chaney,_Goodman,_and_Schwerner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner</a> <a href="https://alsoanoperasinger.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Davóne Tines</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Ofili" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Ofili</a> <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/helga/episodes/jazz-composer-henry-threadgill" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Henry Threadgill</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Bruly_Bouabr%C3%A9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frédéric Bruly Bouabré</a> “<a href="https://www.wheelersburg.net/Downloads/Hurston.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How It Feels to Be Colored Me</a>” <a href="https://english.columbia.edu/content/saidiya-v-hartman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saidiya Hartman</a> <a href="https://tisch.nyu.edu/about/directory/performance-studies/fred-moten" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fred Moten</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Moran_(musician)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jason Moran</a>

Painter Glenn Ligon on the value of difference


Claudia Rankine

There are times in life when you need to be able to live in the vision, where you are making a leap of faith into something unknowable. Claudia Rankine is a professor of the Creative Writing Program at New York University, a recipient of fellowships from the MacArthur, Guggenheim, and National Endowment of the Arts, and one of the most celebrated writers of our time. In this episode, Rankine talks about who holds the power in our democracy and what it means to earn a mother’s understanding of your work. She also reveals her superpower and the advice she would offer everyone who looks for fresh inspiration. ReferencesJennifer Lewis August Gold Alex Poots The Shed “Ain't Nobody Got Time For That” “Animal Joy” by Nuar Alsadir Robert Wilson and Bernice Johnson Reagon's “The Temptation of St. Anthony”

There are times in life when you need to be able to live in the vision, where you are making a leap of faith into something unknowable. Claudia Rankine is a professor of the Creative Writing Program at New York University, a recipient of fellowships from the MacArthur, Guggenheim, and National Endowment of the Arts, and one of the most celebrated writers of our time. In this episode, Rankine talks about who holds the power in our democracy and what it means to earn a mother’s understanding of your work. She also reveals her superpower and the advice she would offer everyone who looks for fresh inspiration. References <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenifer_Lewis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Lewis</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2tivsN0v88" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://augustgold.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">August Gold</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Poots" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alex Poots</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shed_(arts_center)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shed</a> <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Temptation_of_Saint_Anthony_(opera)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2tivsN0v88" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Ain't Nobody Got Time For That”</a> <a href="https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/animal-joy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Animal Joy” by Nuar Alsadir</a> <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Temptation_of_Saint_Anthony_(opera)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Robert Wilson and Bernice Johnson Reagon's “The Temptation of St. Anthony”</a>

Poet Claudia Rankine on power and democracy


Michael R. Jackson

'Safe' also has another connotation of being not willing to take risks or to push a boundary.Michael R. Jackson is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Strange Loop, a play into which he poured almost 20 years of self-investigation. He’s also fresh from a Tony Award for Best New Musical as well as being named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2022. In this episode, Jackson talks about what it means to be fearless as an artist, the lies of our “if this, then that” culture, and how the illusion of identity is a powerful means to foster understanding. References: "A Strange Loop" Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2022" "When We All Get to Heaven" Gestalt Therapy Peabo Bryson Jeffrey Osborne Luther Vandross

'Safe' also has another connotation of being not willing to take risks or to push a boundary. Michael R. Jackson is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Strange Loop, a play into which he poured almost 20 years of self-investigation. He’s also fresh from a Tony Award for Best New Musical as well as being named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2022. In this episode, Jackson talks about what it means to be fearless as an artist, the lies of our “if this, then that” culture, and how the illusion of identity is a powerful means to foster understanding. References: <a href="https://strangeloopmusical.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"A Strange Loop"</a> <a href="https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2022/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2022"</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgDjtpWV4Ro" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"When We All Get to Heaven"</a> <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/gestalt-therapy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gestalt Therapy</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgDjtpWV4Ro" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.peabobryson2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peabo Bryson</a> <a href="https://www.jeffreyosborne.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeffrey Osborne</a> <a href="https://luthervandross.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luther Vandross</a>

Playwright Michael R. Jackson on risk and fearlessness


Artist, performer, and host Helga Davis brings a soulful curiosity and love of people to the podcast Helga, where she talks about the intimate lives of creative people as they share the steps they’ve taken along their path. She draws listeners into these discussions with cultural change-makers, whether already famous or rising talents, whose sensibilities expand our imaginations as we explore what we think we know about each other. The new season of Helga is a co-production of WNYC Studios and the Brown Arts Institute at Brown University. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including Radiolab, On the Media, and Death, Sex &amp; Money. The Brown Arts Institute at Brown University is a new university-wide research enterprise and catalyst for the arts at Brown that creates new work and supports, amplifies, and adds new dimensions to the creative practices of Brown’s arts departments, faculty, students, and community.

Artist, performer, and host Helga Davis brings a soulful curiosity and love of people to the podcast Helga, where she talks about the intimate lives of creative people as they share the steps they’ve taken along their path. She draws listeners into these discussions with cultural change-makers, whether already famous or rising talents, whose sensibilities expand our imaginations as we explore what we think we know about each other. The new season of Helga is a co-production of WNYC Studios and the Brown Arts Institute at Brown University. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including Radiolab, On the Media, and Death, Sex &amp; Money. The Brown Arts Institute at Brown University is a new university-wide research enterprise and catalyst for the arts at Brown that creates new work and supports, amplifies, and adds new dimensions to the creative practices of Brown’s arts departments, faculty, students, and community.

Helga Season 5 Trailer


"We’re struggling. Our generation is trying to cope. Life is crazy."On this final episode of Helga: The Armory Conversations, I look to this next generation of artists. Three participants in Park Avenue Armory’s Youth Corps program, playwright Wilson Castro, visual artist Raven Garcia, and photographer Biviana Sanchez, sat down with me and as we made a space together, we experienced what it means to be vulnerable with oneself and with each other.  The Youth Corps Program immerses students in the art and creative processes of the Armory’s artists through paid, mentored, project-oriented internships. Starting in high school, the Youth Corps provides a test audience to the Armory Artist Corps during the lesson design process, offering feedback from a student perspective, serves as Front of House staff for all Armory events, assists in administrative projects in all departments, and completes and presents a term project. Building on this foundation and responding directly to student needs, the program also includes a post-secondary phase, including strategies to promote college persistence, professional development, and student leadership. 

"We’re struggling. Our generation is trying to cope. Life is crazy." On this final episode of Helga: The Armory Conversations, I look to this next generation of artists. Three participants in Park Avenue Armory’s Youth Corps program, playwright Wilson Castro, visual artist Raven Garcia, and photographer Biviana Sanchez, sat down with me and as we made a space together, we experienced what it means to be vulnerable with oneself and with each other.  The Youth Corps Program immerses students in the art and creative processes of the Armory’s artists through paid, mentored, project-oriented internships. Starting in high school, the Youth Corps provides a test audience to the Armory Artist Corps during the lesson design process, offering feedback from a student perspective, serves as Front of House staff for all Armory events, assists in administrative projects in all departments, and completes and presents a term project. Building on this foundation and responding directly to student needs, the program also includes a post-secondary phase, including strategies to promote college persistence, professional development, and student leadership.

The Armory Youth Corps


Anthony Jones

"I want to push those limitations. Push them." Researcher, writer and critic K. Anthony Jones discusses what it means to make your own way and how to carve a path where one does not exist.  K. Anthony Jones researches and writes on the history, theory, and criticism of late modern art and architecture. His research interests include the media cultures of the Cold War; modernism and war; art and globalization; science and technology studies; visual culture; critical race theory; political anthropology; imperialism; postcolonial studies; art and technology; methods of historiography; and archival science. Jones received a Master in Design Studies degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 2020; and a Bachelor of Art degree from Morehouse College in Sociology in 2010. And here are 5 books that offer a glimpse into his world: 1. The House That Race Built: Original Essays by Toni Morrison, Angela Y. Davis, Cornel West, and Others on Black Americans and Politics in America Today by Wahneema Lubiano 2. Home by Toni Morrison 3. The Middle Passage: White Ships / Black Cargo by Tom Feelings 4. Taryn Simon: The Color of a Flea’s Eye: The Picture Collection by Taryn Simon (Author, Photographer), Joshua Chuang (Author), Tim Griffin (Author) 5. The People Could Fly: Black American Folktales by Virginia Hamilton (Author) Leo Dillon (Illustrator), Diane Dillon Ph.D. (Illustrator)

"I want to push those limitations. Push them." Researcher, writer and critic K. Anthony Jones discusses what it means to make your own way and how to carve a path where one does not exist.  K. Anthony Jones researches and writes on the history, theory, and criticism of late modern art and architecture. His research interests include the media cultures of the Cold War; modernism and war; art and globalization; science and technology studies; visual culture; critical race theory; political anthropology; imperialism; postcolonial studies; art and technology; methods of historiography; and archival science. Jones received a Master in Design Studies degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 2020; and a Bachelor of Art degree from Morehouse College in Sociology in 2010. And here are 5 books that offer a glimpse into his world: 1. The House That Race Built: Original Essays by Toni Morrison, Angela Y. Davis, Cornel West, and Others on Black Americans and Politics in America Today by Wahneema Lubiano 2. Home by Toni Morrison 3. The Middle Passage: White Ships / Black Cargo by Tom Feelings 4. Taryn Simon: The Color of a Flea’s Eye: The Picture Collection by Taryn Simon (Author, Photographer), Joshua Chuang (Author), Tim Griffin (Author) 5. The People Could Fly: Black American Folktales by Virginia Hamilton (Author) Leo Dillon (Illustrator), Diane Dillon Ph.D. (Illustrator)

K. Anthony Jones


Antwaun Sargent

“There’s a real potential in art making to have someone reassess everything that they had thought about a history.”Curator, critic and writer, Antwaun Sargent engages Helga in a discussion around the motivations behind his work as a curator and the circuitous path that led him to a life in and around art.  Antwaun Sargent is writer, editor and curator living in New York City. Sargent is the author of “The New BlackVanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion” (Aperture) and the editor of “Young, Gifted andBlack: A New Generation of Artists” (DAP). Recently, he was hired as a director at Gagosian Gallery. The Coda includes a reading from "Notes On Social Works" by Antwaun Sargent.”

“There’s a real potential in art making to have someone reassess everything that they had thought about a history.” Curator, critic and writer, Antwaun Sargent engages Helga in a discussion around the motivations behind his work as a curator and the circuitous path that led him to a life in and around art.  Antwaun Sargent is writer, editor and curator living in New York City. Sargent is the author of “The New BlackVanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion” (Aperture) and the editor of “Young, Gifted andBlack: A New Generation of Artists” (DAP). Recently, he was hired as a director at Gagosian Gallery. The Coda includes a reading from "Notes On Social Works" by Antwaun Sargent.”

Antwaun Sargent


Deborah Archer

“It was so important to be apart of community. To find strength in each other. To know that on the days when I can’t move forward, someone is going to take up the baton and move forward for me. “ Professor, Lawyer and ACLU President Deborah Archer sat down to speak with me about some of her earliest moments and how they shaped her desire to fight for equality.   Deborah N. Archer is a Professor of Clinical Law and Co-Faculty Director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of Law. Deborah is also the President of the ACLU and a leading expert in civil rights, civil liberties, and racial justice. She is an award-winning teacher and legal scholar whose articles have appeared in leading law reviews. Deborah has also offered commentary for numerous media outlets, including MSNBC, National Public Radio, CBS, Monocle, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.  Deborah previously worked as an attorney with the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., where she litigated in the areas of voting rights, employment discrimination, and school desegregation. Deborah is also a former chair of the American Association of Law School's Section on Civil Rights and the Section on Minority Groups. She previously served as Chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, the nation’s oldest and largest police oversight agency.

“It was so important to be apart of community. To find strength in each other. To know that on the days when I can’t move forward, someone is going to take up the baton and move forward for me. “ Professor, Lawyer and ACLU President Deborah Archer sat down to speak with me about some of her earliest moments and how they shaped her desire to fight for equality.   Deborah N. Archer is a Professor of Clinical Law and Co-Faculty Director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of Law. Deborah is also the President of the ACLU and a leading expert in civil rights, civil liberties, and racial justice. She is an award-winning teacher and legal scholar whose articles have appeared in leading law reviews. Deborah has also offered commentary for numerous media outlets, including MSNBC, National Public Radio, CBS, Monocle, The Atlantic, and The New York Times.  Deborah previously worked as an attorney with the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., where she litigated in the areas of voting rights, employment discrimination, and school desegregation. Deborah is also a former chair of the American Association of Law School's Section on Civil Rights and the Section on Minority Groups. She previously served as Chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, the nation’s oldest and largest police oversight agency.

Deborah Archer


Liliana Maria Percy Ruíz

“That's been one of the hardest things to really heal from. Has been the grief of knowing that my choices and the way that I live my life, which I love means that I am isolated from my community.” Liliana Maria Percy Ruíz, radio producer and founding member of On Being with Krista Tippett sat down to talk about identity, her definition of faith and the complexities of family.  Born in Cali, Colombia, Liliana Maria Percy Ruíz immigrated to Miami with her family at the age of four. She studied English Literature and Film Studies at Florida International University.  Liliana Maria has worked as an associate editor at MovieMaker magazine, and as a producer for StoryCorps and NPR’s “All Things Considered” on the weekends, where she produced the series “Movies I’ve Seen A Million Times.” In 2012, she received the Religion Newswriters Association Radio/Podcast Religion Report of the Year Award for her profile of four Roman Catholic Womenpriests. Liliana Maria was one of the founding team of four of the On Being Project. During her time at the OBP, she was the Executive Producer of On Being Studios, where she produced the national public radio show and podcast, On Being with Krista Tippett, as well as created the podcasts Poetry Unbound and This Movie Changed Me, which she also hosted.  Liliana Maria proudly serves on the board of Centro Tyrone Guzman, the oldest and largest multi-service Latino organization in Minneapolis.

“That's been one of the hardest things to really heal from. Has been the grief of knowing that my choices and the way that I live my life, which I love means that I am isolated from my community.” Liliana Maria Percy Ruíz, radio producer and founding member of On Being with Krista Tippett sat down to talk about identity, her definition of faith and the complexities of family.  Born in Cali, Colombia, Liliana Maria Percy Ruíz immigrated to Miami with her family at the age of four. She studied English Literature and Film Studies at Florida International University.  Liliana Maria has worked as an associate editor at MovieMaker magazine, and as a producer for StoryCorps and NPR’s “All Things Considered” on the weekends, where she produced the series “<a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/Hvp_CDk2yYhBZAKmt58R9F?domain=npr.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Movies I’ve Seen A Million Times</a>.” In 2012, she received the Religion Newswriters Association Radio/Podcast Religion Report of the Year Award for her profile of four <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/5LwKCER2zZSWjxJGtpdsMW?domain=npr.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roman Catholic Womenpriests</a>. Liliana Maria was one of the founding team of four of the On Being Project. During her time at the OBP, she was the Executive Producer of On Being Studios, where she produced the national public radio show and podcast, On Being with Krista Tippett, as well as created the podcasts Poetry Unbound and <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/o5uGCG62BYiJ94plfQhnFW?domain=onbeing.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Movie Changed Me</a>, which she also hosted.  Liliana Maria proudly serves on the board of <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/gBWzCJ620Yi8owmzivj72f?domain=centromn.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Centro Tyrone Guzman</a>, the oldest and largest multi-service Latino organization in Minneapolis.

Liliana Maria Percy Ruíz


Jad Abumrad

"The positioning of being kind of on the edge of the room looking in? That's the position of a journalist." Jad Abumrad, co-Host and creator of Radiolab, joined Helga to talk about the beginnings of his career, the impact of family and how he works with doubt.  The son of a scientist and a doctor, Jad Abumrad did most of his growing up in Tennessee, before studying creative writing and music composition at Oberlin College in Ohio. Following graduation, Abumrad wrote music for films, and reported and produced documentaries for a variety of local and national public radio programs, including On The Media, Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, Morning Edition, All Things Considered and WNYC's "24 Hours at the Edge of Ground Zero." While working on staff at WNYC, Abumrad began tinkering with an idea for a new kind of radio program.  That idea evolved into one of public radio’s most popular shows today – Radiolab.  Abumrad hosts the program with Robert Krulwich and also serves as one of its producers.  The program won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and explores big questions in science, philosophy and mankind.  Under Abumrad’s direction, the show uses a combination of deep-dive journalism, narrative storytelling, dialogue and music to craft compositions of exploration and discovery.  Radiolab podcasts are downloaded over 10 million times each month and the program is carried on more than 500 stations across the nation and internationally.  Abumrad is also the Executive Producer and creator of Radiolab's More Perfect, a podcast that explores how cases deliberated inside the rarefied world of the Supreme Court affect our lives far away from the bench. Abumrad was honored as a 2011 MacArthur Fellow (also known as the Genius Grant).  The MacArthur Foundation website says:  “Abumrad is inspiring boundless curiosity within a new generation of listeners and experimenting with sound to find ever more effective and entertaining ways to explain ideas and tell a story.”  Abumrad also produced and hosted The Ring &amp; I, an insightful, funny, and lyrical look at the enduring power of Wagner's Ring Cycle.  It aired nationally and internationally and earned ten awards, including the prestigious 2005 National Headliner Grand Award in Radio.

"The positioning of being kind of on the edge of the room looking in? That's the position of a journalist." Jad Abumrad, co-Host and creator of Radiolab, joined Helga to talk about the beginnings of his career, the impact of family and how he works with doubt.  The son of a scientist and a doctor, Jad Abumrad did most of his growing up in Tennessee, before studying creative writing and music composition at Oberlin College in Ohio. Following graduation, Abumrad wrote music for films, and reported and produced documentaries for a variety of local and national public radio programs, including On The Media, Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, Morning Edition, All Things Considered and WNYC's "24 Hours at the Edge of Ground Zero." While working on staff at WNYC, Abumrad began tinkering with an idea for a new kind of radio program.  That idea evolved into one of public radio’s most popular shows today – Radiolab.  Abumrad hosts the program with Robert Krulwich and also serves as one of its producers.  The program won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and explores big questions in science, philosophy and mankind.  Under Abumrad’s direction, the show uses a combination of deep-dive journalism, narrative storytelling, dialogue and music to craft compositions of exploration and discovery.  Radiolab podcasts are downloaded over 10 million times each month and the program is carried on more than 500 stations across the nation and internationally.  Abumrad is also the Executive Producer and creator of Radiolab's More Perfect, a podcast that explores how cases deliberated inside the rarefied world of the Supreme Court affect our lives far away from the bench. Abumrad was honored as a 2011 MacArthur Fellow (also known as the Genius Grant).  The MacArthur Foundation website says:  “Abumrad is inspiring boundless curiosity within a new generation of listeners and experimenting with sound to find ever more effective and entertaining ways to explain ideas and tell a story.” Abumrad also produced and hosted The Ring &amp; I, an insightful, funny, and lyrical look at the enduring power of Wagner's Ring Cycle.  It aired nationally and internationally and earned ten awards, including the prestigious 2005 National Headliner Grand Award in Radio.

Jad Abumrad


I just discovered this podcast.  Not only is Helga Davis an immensely gifted performance artist and singer, she’s a naturally gifted interviewer. It’s a joy to listen to her connect so naturally with her guests.  Her genuine fondness for them, her personal connection to them and her willingness to share own vulnerability makes her interviews fascinating;  deeply immersed in the subject yet providing more than a glimpse into their lives, motivations and psyches.  I’m a fan. Can’t wait for more seasons!

I LOVE HELGA!

In these difficult times, Helga’s conversations are a balm. Interesting, insightful, fun, meaningful. This is a wonderful podcast.

Beautiful podcast

Helga

Solange is determined to express herself fully and with integrity. The musician, singer and songwriter has been writing music since she was in the fourth grade. In this episode, Solange and Helga retrace the pop-star’s journey from being a young mother in Idaho with a major-record publishing deal, to self-autonomy and accountability in the music business. The two also discuss the themes behind her recent album, "A Seat at the Table," of living authentically and of owning your voice, body and art while being black and beautiful in contemporary America. --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music www.q2music.org Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Solange is determined to express herself fully and with integrity. The musician, singer and songwriter has been writing music since she was in the fourth grade. In this episode, Solange and Helga retrace the pop-star’s journey from being a young mother in Idaho with a major-record publishing deal, to self-autonomy and accountability in the music business. The two also discuss the themes behind her recent album, "A Seat at the Table," of living authentically and of owning your voice, body and art while being black and beautiful in contemporary America. --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music <a href="http://www.q2music.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.q2music.org</a> Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Solange


Hilton Als

Hilton Als is an intellectual omnivore who roots his art and criticism in reality and a search for the truth. A writer, New Yorker theater critic, curator, photographer, director and professor, Als’s work gracefully slips between genres to comment on contemporary American politics, pop culture and the African-American experience and to place the current condition in a longer history. In this tenth and final episode of the first season of Helga, Als and Davis talk about what he learned living next to Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, and how to get comfortable owning your anger and art-making. --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music www.q2music.org Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Hilton Als is an intellectual omnivore who roots his art and criticism in reality and a search for the truth. A writer, New Yorker theater critic, curator, photographer, director and professor, Als’s work gracefully slips between genres to comment on contemporary American politics, pop culture and the African-American experience and to place the current condition in a longer history. In this tenth and final episode of the first season of Helga, Als and Davis talk about what he learned living next to Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, and how to get comfortable owning your anger and art-making. --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music <a href="http://www.q2music.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.q2music.org</a> Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Hilton Als


Krista Tippett

Krista Tippett talks about her life as a mother, daughter, lover and leader and the ways that all of those roles converge in her work as host of the podcast, On Being. Subscribe to Helga, wherever you get your podcasts.

Krista Tippett talks about her life as a mother, daughter, lover and leader and the ways that all of those roles converge in her work as host of the podcast, On Being. Subscribe to Helga, wherever you get your podcasts.

Krista Tippett


Kimberly Drew, also known online as @museummammy, is a unrelenting, taste-making purveyor of art, fashion and culture. Her work has appeared in Glamour and W magazines, as well as Teen Vogue and The Fader. Across her varied platforms, from social media manager at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to her powerful blog, Black Contemporary Art, to her influencer Instagram account, Drew strives to shape a brighter future through inspiring art and advocacy. She joins host Helga Davis in this episode to discuss the importance of mental health, what it really means to work in the art world, and how drinking water helps her keep the beat. "You're inundated with so much information. But when given the privilege of time, it can be an opportunity for intense, expansive interaction." -Kimberly Drew Learn more about New Sounds at newsounds.org.

Kimberly Drew, also known online as @museummammy, is a unrelenting, taste-making purveyor of art, fashion and culture. Her work has appeared in Glamour and W magazines, as well as Teen Vogue and The Fader. Across her varied platforms, from social media manager at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to her powerful blog, Black Contemporary Art, to her influencer Instagram account, Drew strives to shape a brighter future through inspiring art and advocacy. She joins host Helga Davis in this episode to discuss the importance of mental health, what it really means to work in the art world, and how drinking water helps her keep the beat. "You're inundated with so much information. But when given the privilege of time, it can be an opportunity for intense, expansive interaction." -Kimberly Drew Learn more about New Sounds at <a href="https://www.newsounds.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">newsounds.org</a>.

Art Maven Kimberly Drew


Bethann Hardison

Activist, entrepreneur, and former model Bethann Hardison recounts moments from her unconventional life. She shares personal stories from the past 60 years in the fashion industry and how she sought to hold the powers that be accountable for their actions.  Subscribe to Helga, wherever you get your podcasts.

Activist, entrepreneur, and former model Bethann Hardison recounts moments from her unconventional life. She shares personal stories from the past 60 years in the fashion industry and how she sought to hold the powers that be accountable for their actions.  Subscribe to Helga, wherever you get your podcasts.

Bethann Hardison 


Sarah Jones

Playwright and stage actress Sarah Jones dexterously hops from one character to the next. In her one-woman shows, she seamlessly slips into characters of different class, race and gender backgrounds. Her award-winning multi-character performances cover topics such as sex work, post-9/11 America and racism in the healthcare system and illuminate the differences and strengths between one another. Sarah and Helga talk self-worth and self-love in a culture that teaches self-alienation. --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music www.q2music.org Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Playwright and stage actress Sarah Jones dexterously hops from one character to the next. In her one-woman shows, she seamlessly slips into characters of different class, race and gender backgrounds. Her award-winning multi-character performances cover topics such as sex work, post-9/11 America and racism in the healthcare system and illuminate the differences and strengths between one another. Sarah and Helga talk self-worth and self-love in a culture that teaches self-alienation. --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music <a href="http://www.q2music.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.q2music.org</a> Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Sarah Jones


Stanley Whitney

Visual artist and colorist, Stanley Whitney talks about his life as an artist and as a person. He uncovers what it means to be a black abstract painter, firmly rooted in the United States. Subscribe to Helga, wherever you get your podcasts.

Visual artist and colorist, Stanley Whitney talks about his life as an artist and as a person. He uncovers what it means to be a black abstract painter, firmly rooted in the United States. Subscribe to Helga, wherever you get your podcasts.

Stanley Whitney


Jacqueline Woodson

Author Jacqueline Woodson won the 2014 National Book Award for Brown Girl Dreaming, and this past January began her two-year tenure as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; her latest book Another Brooklyn was a New York Times best-seller. In this conversation, host Helga Davis sits down to talk with Woodson about family – the alternative one she was born into and the one she made for herself. Finding the ones with whom she can connect has been invaluable for her; here she shares how she made her community and how they have influenced her process. "For me the extended family is about having more parenting tools. [...] And then we have to make other decisions, we're a biracial family, right? We're a two-mom family, we're not going to send our kid to a school where they're the only kid of color, or the only kid in the class with two moms or two dads. So we had to, from a very early age, start investigating which schools are going to see my kid as wholly human." –Jacqueline Woodson Learn more about New Sounds at newsounds.org.

Author Jacqueline Woodson won the 2014 National Book Award for Brown Girl Dreaming, and this past January began her two-year tenure as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; her latest book Another Brooklyn was a New York Times best-seller. In this conversation, host Helga Davis sits down to talk with Woodson about family – the alternative one she was born into and the one she made for herself. Finding the ones with whom she can connect has been invaluable for her; here she shares how she made her community and how they have influenced her process. "For me the extended family is about having more parenting tools. [...] And then we have to make other decisions, we're a biracial family, right? We're a two-mom family, we're not going to send our kid to a school where they're the only kid of color, or the only kid in the class with two moms or two dads. So we had to, from a very early age, start investigating which schools are going to see my kid as wholly human." –Jacqueline Woodson Learn more about New Sounds at <a href="https://www.newsounds.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">newsounds.org</a>.

Jacqueline Woodson


Shara Nova

After moving to Detroit from New York and separating from her husband, My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden decided to change her last name to Nova. The frontwoman for the indie-rock band, singer and composer talks to Helga about about her upcoming album and Southern roots, about leaning into vulnerability, and why being uncomfortable is crucial in art-making. She also talks about why it was important for her to escape the art scene and to rub shoulders with construction workers, and what it means that her new name translates to "new song." --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music www.q2music.org Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

After moving to Detroit from New York and separating from her husband, My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden decided to change her last name to Nova. The frontwoman for the indie-rock band, singer and composer talks to Helga about about her upcoming album and Southern roots, about leaning into vulnerability, and why being uncomfortable is crucial in art-making. She also talks about why it was important for her to escape the art scene and to rub shoulders with construction workers, and what it means that her new name translates to "new song." --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music <a href="http://www.q2music.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.q2music.org</a> Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Shara Nova


Henry Threadgill

Henry Threadgill wants to know how to build the house. Whether it Moby Dick or jazz composition, the 72-year-old jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist has spent his life figuring out what goes into building the greatest works of arts. Recently awarded the Pulitzer Prize, Threadgill talks with Helga about giving license to your imagination in order to create, the life energy that connects a performer to his creations, and pushing yourself to go beyond excellence to greatness. --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music www.q2music.org Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Henry Threadgill wants to know how to build the house. Whether it Moby Dick or jazz composition, the 72-year-old jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist has spent his life figuring out what goes into building the greatest works of arts. Recently awarded the Pulitzer Prize, Threadgill talks with Helga about giving license to your imagination in order to create, the life energy that connects a performer to his creations, and pushing yourself to go beyond excellence to greatness. --- About the podcast: HELGA with host Helga Davis features probing conversations with artists across the creative and performing arts that have a unique, uncompromising voice and a stake in the matter of social change. Produced by Q2 Music <a href="http://www.q2music.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.q2music.org</a> Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic and inspiring contemporary music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of new sounds.

Henry Threadgill


The Best Multi-Part Documentaries, with documentaries on Obama, Federer vs Nadal, the making of Star Wars, Netflix vs Blockbuster and more. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Multi-Part Documentaries

The best podcast episodes on non-current politics. Covering topics such as universal basic income, democracy, poverty & justice and more. For anyone interested in learning more about politics that affect that world, not just now, but in the longer term. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!