In Search of Black Power

The Myth of Black Buying Power w/ Dr. Jared Ball

Black political figures from DuBois to Garvey have embraced the notion that Black America’s combined “buying power”, if harnessed correctly, would be a revolutionary force. But is this true? Morgan State University Professor Dr. Jared Ball joins us to discuss this issue from his new book “The Myth of Black Buying Power”.

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The Miseducation of ‘The Boys of Baraka’

In the mid-2000s, a documentary about “troubled youth” from Baltimore sent to Africa was critically acclaimed. it was more than another white savior story. It revealed the fundamental flaws in the logical liberal white racism. We use the documentary as a starting point for an analysis of the racism in the human & social service sector by juxtaposing the interventions of the documentaries teachers with African centered liberatory methodologies.

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South Africa – Revolution vs. Mandela Mythology

We think we know the story of South Africa: the people rise up, international sanctions are levied, Nelson Mandela is released and this leads to a peaceful transition to multi-racial democracy. But what if this is wrong? In this interview between Dr. Jared Ball (Morgan State University) & Frank B. Wilderson III (a UCI-Irvine professor and former ANC/Umkhonto We Sizwe member). Many of the fundamental beliefs on South Africa are challenged, and a more sinister question raised: What if the story of the rise of Mandela hides a more sinister story of the crushing of South Africa’s revolutionary struggle?

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Us – A Spooky Social Justice Analysis – Part 2

Happy Halloween! This is Part 2 of New Timbuktu’s analysis of Jordan Peele’s 2019 film – “Us”. We go deeper into the story of Lupita Nyongo’s character, Adelaide. We analyze the movie’s surprise ending and explain some of the meaning of the use of “Hands Across America” as a symbol. Can a quote from Tupac Shakur help us understand the revolutionary position of the “tethered”?

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Us – A Spooky Social Justice Analysis – Part 1

Jordan Peele’s movie “Us” left audiences dazzled, but also confused. How should we interpret this complex and layered social justice horror film? New Timbuktu Creative Director Lawrence Grandpre gives his take; linking to film to mass incarceration and the cost of black upward mobility through the lens of Winston Duke’s character Gabrielle, and his prized boat.

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Puerto Rico On The Map- An Interview With Rosa Clemente

Puerto Rico is more than an island which got hit by a hurricane. It’s home to people who are victims of man-made disasters of colonialism and police brutality. It’s also the epicenter of powerful indigenous resistance to racialized neoliberal exploitation. Scholar & activist Rosa Clemente joins us to discuss what’s been happening on the ground on the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria.

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The Assata Mixtape

Assata Shakur has become a revolutionary icon, for better or worse. Attempts to legitimate her resistance to police violence and venerate her escape from prison have had the side effects of obscuring the breadth of depth of her radical politics, anti-capitalism, and insightful analysis. This collaboration with IMixWhatIlike.org brings you Assata in her own words, infused with hip-hop and jazz.

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