Wellsraven

Will We Ever Get Beyond ‘The Fire Next Time’?

This week, the New York Times features a series of guest essays examining the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, one year later. Minister William Barber II believes we may be approaching a Third Reconstruction. Author David W. McIvor says May 25 should be observed as a day of public mourning. And, Yale historian Elizabeth Hinton argues that “riots” in Black communities should instead be seen as rebellions against police violence:

“If they would just leave us along there would be no trouble,” said a Black teenage boy who threw rocks in Decatur, Ill., during an uprising in August 1969. His common sense solution was a straightforward reaction to an obvious problem. Rebellion was always possible when ordinary life was policed, and often the mere sight of police was enough to prompt a violent response. During a five-day battle between police and Black residents in York, Pa., in July 1968, a reporter asked a male participant, “Why are young black Yorkers throwing rocks and bottles at policemen?” To which the young man replied, “Why do police hit people on the heads with their clubs?”

POC or nah?

Code Switch hosts Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji discuss the pros and cons of the term. Does POC help or hurt… POC? Black people, in particular. Is BIPOC any better?

People of color have a diverse set of interests, experiences, backgrounds and cultures. And the way we experience race and racism can be really different. So why do we continue to use big umbrella terms like “POC”? And what do we risk if we lose them?

The Huge Challenges Facing Kamala Harris

Harris is almost certain to run for president again, and the success of her candidacy hinges on the success of the Biden presidency. Her supporters want her to do more, to be more visible, but her role as VP demands she remain in the background.

Edward-Isaac Dovere, writing for The Atlantic:

In March, Biden put Harris in charge of diplomatic efforts around migration from Latin America. Obama had given him the same assignment, so Biden imagined that he was showing Harris respect while also giving her a prime chance to build up her nearly nonexistent foreign-policy experience. To much of the political world, though, it looked like he’d stuck her with a worse setup than Nelson Rockefeller’s description of the vice presidency: “I go to funerals. I go to earthquakes.”

The Profound Significance of ‘High on the Hog’

Osayi Endolyn for the Times:

The new Netflix limited series “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America,” which starts streaming on May 26, is an incredible reframing of history that reintroduces the United States to viewers through the lens of Black people’s food — which is to say, American food. The canon of recipes and foodways emerging from Southern culture, shaped by centuries of agricultural and culinary labor by African people and their descendants, is the foundation of American cooking.

Endolyn continues:

I’m moved by a show that features a dark-skinned Black man speaking to his community the way he does in his real life. I’m moved by a show that honors the legacy of those who celebrated the wide range of regional practices and specialties that comprise Black food culture, and did so before it was trendy to be interested in Black folks’ food.

The four-part documentary is based on the 2011 book by historian Jessica B. Harris. Here’s more on Harris and the Black creative team behind the series.

Honoring Juneteenth Through Art in Galveston

Alina Tugend, reporting for the Times:

This June, Galveston will dedicate a 5,000-square-foot mural, entitled “Absolute Equality,” on the spot where Gen. Gordon Granger issued the orders that resulted in the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas.

‘Before I Let Go’

Fun conversation with Still Processing hosts Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris about a song that always gets you and your aunties out on the dance floor.

When Jenna and Wesley asked listeners to share their memories of the song, they heard stories of cookouts, weddings, funerals and car rides with the radio on. Uninhibited joy was a unifying thread.

“I’m instantly transported to my grandmother’s backyard in the summer,” Lindsay said. “And I’m smelling crabs and beer, and I’m hearing laughter and I’m just seeing jubilation.”

Another listener, Davina, said, “It almost just seems like one of those songs that was always playing in the background of my life.”