Strange Fruit #196: A Very Special Mother's Day Show

FromStrange Fruit

Start listening View podcast show

Strange Fruit #196: A Very Special Mother's Day Show

FromStrange Fruit

ratings:

Length:

47 minutes

Released:

May 12, 2017

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

This is Mother's Day weekend, and we decided to have two very special guests on the show to celebrate: our moms! Jaison interviewed Kaila's mom, Sylvia, and Kaila interviewed Jaison's mom, Jackie. Embarrassing baby stories ensued. We also invited some of our fruitcakes to tell stories about their moms, and what they shared will make you laugh, cry, and want to hug your mom.

Released:

May 12, 2017

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Jaison Gardner and Dr. Kaila Story talk race, gender, and LGBTQ issues, from politics to pop culture. A new episode every week, from Louisville Public Media.

Skip carousel

Strange Fruit #39: New Basketball Camp Welcomes LGBTQ Kids; Chris Crass on Intersectional Activism: Miserable summer camp experiences are a staple in sitcoms and movies, where letters to home complain of mosquitos, inedible food, and obnoxious roommates. But for LGBTQ kids, the reality is often a lot less funny, and camp can be a scary place if you've been singled out as different. So teaming up with [GLSEN](http://www.glsen.org/)and with support from [NBA Cares](http://www.nba.com/cares/), friends to the show Darnell Moore and Wade Davis are [spearheading a brand new basketball camp this year](http://www.outsports.com/2013/6/25/4464174/nba-partners-with-you-belong-sports-leadership-camp-for-lgbt-youth)—one designed for LGBTQ kids and their allies. The camp is free and features a whole roster of NBA stars dropping by. It's called [YOU Belong: LGBTQA Youth Sports and Leadership Initiative](http://youbelonginitiative.com/), and Darnell took a few minutes on the eve of the camp's openin by Strange Fruit
43 min listen
Strange Fruit #36: Yolo Akili's Love Letter to the Universe Affirms the Good in All of Us: A few months ago we had [an eye-opening conversation](http://wfpl.org/post/strange-fruit-yolo-akili-darnell-moore-gay-men-and-sexism) with author Yolo Akili about his article, [Gay Men's Sexism and Women's Bodies](http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/03/gay-mens-sexism-and-womens-bodies/). Today Yolo is back with us to talk about his new book, [Dear Universe: Letters of Affirmation and Empowerment for All of Us](http://dearuniverse2013.com/). As always, Yolo is full of wisdom, and we hope he comes to Louisville one day and becomes Strange Fruit's official Life Coach. This week in Juicy Fruit we talk about an ugly incident that happened to one of our favorite people, [Dr. Brittney Cooper](http://www.brittneycooper.com/). Dr. Cooper wrote about the experience in a piece for Salon: [The N-word on the 4th of July](http://www.salon.com/2013/07/04/the_n_word_on_the_4th_of_july/). by Strange Fruit
37 min listen
Strange Fruit #44: Some of My Best Friends...: Interracial Friendship in America: How multi-racial is your circle of friends? Are any of your close friends of a different race than yours? Not the lady who works down the hall from your office or the dad you chat with while waiting for your kid to get out of school. Someone who's been to your house or invited you over for dinner. A [recent poll by Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/08/us-usa-poll-race-idUSBRE97704320130808) found that the many white people - 40% - have no friends outside their race. We on Strange Fruit figure this is probably no surprise to black folks. Among people of color, 25% of respondents said they didn't have friends outside their race. We wanted to talk more about the reasons why this might be the case, and what historical and demographic factors created the situation. So we spoke to Tanner Colby, author of [Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America](http://www.ta by Strange Fruit
41 min listen
Strange Fruit #41: Film Examines Guatemala's Breakdancing Culture; Orange is the New Juicy: This week we meet Coury Deeb, founder and director of [Nadus Films](http://nadusfilms.com/). The Louisville filmmaker's latest film, [Bboy for Life](http://nadusfilms.com/#bboy-for-life), takes us into Guatemala's breakdancing subculture, and shows how gang violence affects the lives of the dancers - many of whom are pacifists, themselves. In our Juicy Fruit segment we _finally_ talk about [Orange Is the New Black](https://www.facebook.com/OITNB). And Jaison gives us an update on [Marco McMillan's murder](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/03/marco-mcmillian-murder_n_3701583.html) (McMillan was a black gay man running for mayor in Mississippi, and a friend of Jai's). by Strange Fruit
38 min listen
Strange Fruit #70: Former Miss Kentucky Djuan Trent on Coming Out; Violence in Downtown Louisville: Out of town Fruitcakes may not have heard, but a large group of teenagers [committed multiple assaults and robberies](http://wfpl.org/post/how-did-so-much-violence-happen-saturday-downtown-louisville) on March 22nd in downtown Louisville. Racist commentary followed; the teenagers were black and, though their victims included both white and black folks, many in the community framed the incident as black on white crime. The WFPL newsroom has been [following the story](http://wfpl.org/term/downtown-violence), and our News Director Gabe Bullard joined us for part of our Juicy Fruit segment this week to talk about the incident and how the community and media responded. "We are attracted to a person, to a soul, and not necessarily whatever their reproductive organs are." That's how our guest this week, Djuan Trent, explains her choice to identify as queer. The former Miss Kentucky made headlin by Strange Fruit
36 min listen
Strange Fruit #60: Keith McGill Directs Comedy on Sex in Middle Age; Trans Leaders on Katie Couric: Louisville comedian Keith McGill has been one of our favorite people since he was first on the show last year to talk about his work in a local production of TopDog/Underdog. That play explored themes of black masculinity through the fractured relationship of two brothers struggling with instability and poverty. Now McGill is working on another local production, this time as the director, vastly different in tone.[Sex Again](http://wfpl.org/post/louisville-writers-new-play-debunks-myths-about-womens-sexuality) is a comedy by Louisville playwright Heidi Saunders that looks at sexuality during middle age. We spoke to Keith this week, in part, because we wondered how a gay black man approaches work about the waning marriages of straight white folks, and what made him want to direct the piece. "I really think it has a lot to say to _everyone_," he explains. "There's a lot of truth in the pla by Strange Fruit
29 min listen
$Strange Fruit #60: Keith McGill Directs Comedy on Sex in Middle Age; Trans Leaders on Katie Couric: Louisville comedian Keith McGill has been one of our favorite people since he was first on the show last year to talk about his work in a local production of TopDog/Underdog. That play explored themes of black masculinity through the fractured relationship of two brothers struggling with instability and poverty. Now McGill is working on another local production, this time as the director, vastly different in tone.[Sex Again](http://wfpl.org/post/louisville-writers-new-play-debunks-myths-about-womens-sexuality) is a comedy by Louisville playwright Heidi Saunders that looks at sexuality during middle age. We spoke to Keith this week, in part, because we wondered how a gay black man approaches work about the waning marriages of straight white folks, and what made him want to direct the piece. "I really think it has a lot to say to _everyone_," he explains. "There's a lot of truth in the pla$
Strange Fruit #63: Reclaiming the Story of African Americans in Appalachia; Black History Month!: The seldom-told story of African Americans in Appalachia has been on our minds since a few weeks ago when [we spoke to Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker](http://wfpl.org/post/strange-fruit-poet-laureate-frank-x-walker-social-justice-through-poetry), who coined the term 'Affrilachian.' Kentuckians for the Commonwealth has been exploring the issue too, and is hosting an event celebrating the contributions of black folks in Appalachia Tuesday night. This week, we spoke to an innovator in this field of study. [Dr. Bill Turner](http://www.amazon.com/Blacks-Appalachia-William-H-Turner/dp/081310162X) was the first scholar to combine interests in the fields of African-American and Appalachian Studies, having grown up himself in a coal mining town in Harlan County, Kentucky. We spoke with Dr. Turner about the importance of rediscovering this part of our history, and why the image of Appalachia by Strange Fruit
38 min listen
Strange Fruit #46: Locs of Love from Dr. Yaba Blay: Earlier this month, 7-year-old Tiana Parker was told that her locs were [considered an unacceptable hairstyle](http://youtu.be/EiNK4rOdhWc) in her African-American charter school. Word quickly spread among black feminist scholars, including friend-to-the-show Dr. Yaba Blay. What followed was a testament to the power of black women to uplift each other and celebrate the beauty of black girlhood. Dr. Blay assembled [a care package for Tiana](http://yabablay.com/a-care-package-for-tiana-locs-of-love/) which quickly got attention from thousands and thousands of people online, and has now been crafted into [an e-book](http://issuu.com/yabablay/docs/for_tiana_a_care_package__1_/1?e=3379385/4748283) for black girls. Dr. Blay joined us this week to tell us what moved her about this story, and how the project came to fruition. And in our Juicy Fruit segment, we talk about the South Carolina church whose black pastor requested that only white p by Strange Fruit
33 min listen
Strange Fruit # 61: Poet Laureate Frank X Walker on Social Justice Through Poetry: [Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evars](http://www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/turn_me_loose) has garnered Kentucky's Poet Laureate, Frank X Walker, a nomination for an [NAACP Image Award](http://www.naacpimageawards.net/nominees/literature/). He calls this book of 49 poems his finest work to date, and says it has an educational component along with its poetry. "The initial motivation was based on having a conversation with my students and finding out that they had no idea who Medgar Evers was." We spoke to Walker on this week's show about his life, his work, and what it means to be [Affrilachian](http://www.affrilachianpoets.org/). Our Juicy Fruit segment this week looks at the man who got in trouble for paying [too much child support](http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/01/texas_man_pays_child_support_debt_yet_still_headed_to_prison.html), the chef who wants to [ban babies](http://www by Strange Fruit
26 min listen
Strange Fruit #37: Alvaro Vargas Llosa on Immigration: Judging by political rhetoric alone, you might think immigration is a bigger issue now than ever before. But in his book, [Global Crossings: Immigration, Civilization and America](http://www.independent.org/store/book.asp?id=103&gclid=CNOQ8OLjrLgCFYui4AodsAYARw), Alvaro Vargas Llosa argues that immigration rates have stayed fairly steady throughout the centuries. His book broadens the historical context of the immigration debate, and seeks to answer some contentious questions about why people risk their lives to come to America. We spoke to Vargas Llosa this week about some commonly-held immigration myths. We also asked him about what marriage equality means for international couples, and how the status quo fosters tension between immigrants and African Americans. by Strange Fruit
32 min listen
Strange Fruit #31: Urmi Basu of New Light India; Kaitlyn Hunt, Statutory Rape & Queer Relationships: Activism runs in Urmi Basu's family; her grandfather was a doctor who set up a school for _dalit_ children (India's untouchable caste) in his own home. Urmi says her family "always challenged everything that's traditional in India." Thirteen years ago, she combined her passion for gender equality and her background and education in social work—along with 10,000 rupees, or $200—to found [New Light India](http://www.newlightindia.org/). New Light is non-profit organization based in the red light district of Calcutta, intended to help victims of sex trafficking and provide healthcare to people living with HIV/AIDS. With an estimated 40,000 new trafficked sex workers in the city each year, it's no small task. But Urmi is a woman of great determination. She was in Louisville recently and she sat down to talk with us about her work, and how sex trafficking in India is part of the larger globa by Strange Fruit
43 min listen
Strange Fruit #51: Racist Halloween Costumes & Butch Queens Up in Pumps: If you've never been to a ball, you don't know what you're missing - but Dr. Marlon Bailey's book, [Butch Queens Up in Pumps](http://www.amazon.com/Butch-Queens-Pumps-Performance-Triangulations/dp/0472071963), is probably the next best thing. He takes us inside the ballroom scene in Detroit with an ethnography that examines how ball culture redefines ideas about gender, performance, and community. We spoke to Dr. Bailey this week about his work and what drew him to it, and he told us about his first time at a ballroom event and how it challenged all his previous assumptions about black gay culture. In our Juicy Fruit segment, it's Halloween week, and that means a lot of white folks will be out and about in blackface. We talk about what causes people to think that's okay, and why it never is (also check out Ohio University's campaign, [We're a Culture, Not a Costume](http://www.ohio.edu/orgs/stars/Poster_Campaign.h by Strange Fruit
30 min listen
Strange Fruit #38: The Zimmerman Verdict: It's been a week since George Zimmerman was acquitted of killing Trayvon Martin. Most of us have spent this week reflecting, arguing, thinking, protesting, writing, organizing, praying, and unfriending people on social media. Yesterday, President Barack Obama [made a statement](http://uppitynegronetwork.com/2013/07/20/restoring-blackness-obamas-commentary-on-trayvon-martin/) about the verdict, outlining the effects of racism in America and on his own life. He was immediately accused by some of being divisive. Many prevailing voices are saying we need to move forward. That the system did its job, even if we don't like the result. They say Martin was partially to blame, while we ask [what he could have done differently](http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/closeread/2013/07/what-should-trayvon-martin-have-done.html). They say that talking about racism and systemic injustice just perpetuates division. They say they are colorblind, justice is colo by Strange Fruit
37 min listen
Strange Fruit #43: Linguistic Reclamation, Weaves in Church, and Louisville Humorist Tracy Clayton: Lately, many mainstream (read: white) media outlets have taken notice of [Black Twitter](http://www.theroot.com/the-chatterati). Often their approach seems almost anthropological. "How did this amazing phenomenon come about? Who are these people and what is their motivation?" But as Dr. Story says on this week's show, "Black people talk about political issues amongst themselves, and they have been for centuries. And they sometimes write about it too." To dissect Black Twitter and the media's response to it, we're joined this week by Tracy Clayton, aka @[BrokeyMcPoverty](https://twitter.com/brokeymcpoverty), who writes [The Root](http://www.theroot.com/)'s [Grapevine blog](http://www.theroot.com/blogs/the%20grapevine) and can also be found at [PostBourgie](http://www.postbourgie.com/). Tracy is one of the funniest voices on our timeline (in our opinion, and you know our opinion is never h by Strange Fruit
41 min listen
Strange Fruit #59: Going Home Gay for the Holidays: Even under the best of circumstances, the holidays can be stressful. For some LGBTQ people, Christmas also means deciding whether to go home to a family who doesn't fully embrace them. This week, we're re-posting a conversation we had around this time last year, with [Dr. Stephanie Budge](http://stage.louisville.edu/education/departments/ecpy/faculty/budge/budge.html) from UofL, who teaches workshops on coping with the holidays as an LGBTQ person. She said while some families do overtly antagonistic things (like using the wrong pronoun for trans folks, yelling, or refusing to let their LGBTQ family member bring a partner to holiday functions), what she hears about the most is simply ignoring. A person might come out as queer to their family, only for the response to be silence, and an unwillingness to acknowledge their identity. Dr. Budge gave us some coping strategies we can _all_ use during moments of holiday stress and family by Strange Fruit
15 min listen
Strange Fruit #47: Meet Gert McMullen, Original Seamstress of the AIDS Memorial Quilt: To speak to Gert McMullen about the origins of [the AIDS Memorial Quilt](http://www.aidsquilt.org/) is to go back to a scary, sad time in LGBTQ history: San Francisco in the early 1980s. "People were terrified," she explains, "because they didn't know what was happening. People were just dying. They were trying to figure out, why were these gay men dying?" Gert lost many of her friends in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and thanks to the fear and stigma surrounding the disease, she was often their only visitor. "You would go into the hospitals and there was nobody there and the nurses would put you in a moon suit, basically, to walk in there, because they didn't know what was going to happen," she recalls. No one understood how the disease was transmitted, so many people were afraid to come into close contact with their afflicted loved ones - even during their final days. "I remember a friend of by Strange Fruit
25 min listen
Strange Fruit #45: Why Would Straight Men Sleep With Men? Plus, Fairness in Frankfort!: This week, Frankfort became the fifth Kentucky city to [pass a fairness ordinance](http://wfpl.org/post/frankfort-becomes-fifth-kentucky-city-pass-fairness-ordinance), protecting LGBTQ folks from discrimination! We talk about it in our Juicy Fruit segment, along with the strange case of Tyler Perry [laying hands](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/tyler-perry-lays-hands-on-bishop-td-jakes-donates-1-million-youth-center_n_3860420.html) on T.D. Jakes, and what #[DonLemonLooksLike](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23donlemonlookslike&src=typd) with his new haircut. In our feature interview this week, we spoke with sex therapist [Dr. Joe Kort](http://www.straightguise.com/default.asp?id=1274), who got our attention with his recent article, [Why Some Straight Men Are Romantically or Sexually Attracted to Other Men](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-kort-phd/why-some-straight-men-are-romantically-o by Strange Fruit
36 min listen
Strange Fruit #71: Jalin Roze on Hip Hop & Social Change; Fly Young Red Brings Exposure to Queer Rap: This week we spoke with local hip hop artist [Jalin Roze](http://jalinroze.com/), who was recently announced as part of the lineup for this year's [Forecastle Festival](http://forecastlefest.com/). We talked to Jalin about hip hop's place in young people's lives, its importance as a genre, and how he became an artist himself. He also brought us a tune called "That's It," which we played a sample of in the studio, leading to a conversation about what the n word means in the context of hip hop culture. "At least when I personally use it - I don't use it to kind of glorify that word, I'm just using it to paint the picture. For instance in the song, when I was like, 'Where I'm from niggas slump from the pump all because a young nigga wanna beef.' And I was using those two words to symbolize the fact that there are a lot of killing, a lot of violence going on, for no reason really, because by Strange Fruit
33 min listen
Strange Fruit #56: 'Furious Cool' Co-Author David Henry on the Life of Richard Pryor: This week we spoke with David Henry, co-author of [Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him](http://www.amazon.com/Furious-Cool-Richard-Pryor-World-ebook/dp/B00CL08LNK), about Pryor's work, and why it was so groundbreaking. "He had this sort of vulnerability about himself that just made him irresistible," David says. "He didn't pull any punches." Throughout their research for the book, David and his co-author (and brother) Joe Henry, learned about how Richard honed his craft, sometimes working the same comedy club every night for a week, each night with an improved version of the previous night's material. We talked about Pryor's surprising comments on his sexual experiences with other men, his openness about his drug use, and why audiences of all races found him so relatable. "When he was on stage by himself with just a microphone, he seemed to understand everything about being a human by Strange Fruit
38 min listen
Strange Fruit #42: Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney: Playwright [Tarell Alvin McCraney](http://www.steppenwolf.org/ensemble/members/details.aspx?id=54) has been called the next August Wilson. Maybe that can be partially attributed to the fact that there are so few prominent African American playwrights, but there's still no doubt he is carrying an important mantle. At age 33, he's already had plays debut at the Royal Court London, New York's Vineyard Theatre, the Young Vic, and Steppenwolf Theatre, where he is an artist in residence. In March, he received the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize. We spoke to McCraney this week about his career, and how and why he writes about black gay life. He told us the real-life roots of some of his most famous works, and about working as August Wilson's assistant at Yale (including an unforgettable story about buying Wilson an iPod). In our Juicy Fruit segment this week, we had lots of news to cover: The #[solidarityisforwhitewomen](http://thehai by Strange Fruit
50 min listen
Strange Fruit #40: Don Lemon Says Don't Litter!: While we spent the week celebrating Jai's birthday and recovering from [EOY](http://www.eoy.net/), CNN's Don Lemon was busy making people mad and [agreeing with Bill O'Reilly](http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/07/27/nr-lemon-no-talking-points.cnn.html). In our Juicy Fruit segment this week, we deconstruct his list of advice for black folks. The video is worth a watch, but if you're pressed for time, it boils down to pulling up your pants and not having babies out of wedlock. It was a disappointing reminder that just because someone's family doesn't make them immune to the lure of respectability politics. But as Doc said, he's certainly no [Boykin](http://keithboykin.com/) (and we did agree with him that littering is gross). Also this week we bring you part two of our chat with Louisville activist Carla Wallace, and author Chris Crass. Chris was in town recently to celebrate the release of his book, [Towards Collective by Strange Fruit
32 min listen
Strange Fruit #49: "The Book of Matt" author Stephen Jimenez: Stephen Jimenez went to Laramie, Wyoming in 2000, to write a screenplay about the murder of Matthew Shepard. He expected to be researching fairly open-and-shut case which had almost immediately become the national symbol for anti-gay hate crime. What he found, tucked away among the files, was an anonymous letter that would change the course of his work completely. "I was shocked to hear that Aaron McKinney's attorneys claimed gay panic in their defense," the letter began. "Aaron and Russ were quite familiar with gay guys and had frequented gay bars. They became aware of the fact that they had a valuable asset in their pants, and that gay guys would give them shelter, food, and money in return for a few minutes pleasure." The letter also named some mutual acquaintances of Matthew and Aaron, suggesting the two had known each other before the night of the crime, and casting doubt on the pickup-gone-wrong narrative that had been by Strange Fruit
59 min listen
Strange Fruit #57: LGBTQ People of Color in the Workplace: The idea that working hard leads to success is a popular narrative in the United States, but a new report shows it's not that simple - especially for LGBTQ people of color. [A Broken Bargain for LGBTQ Workers of Color](http://www.lgbtmap.org/workers-of-color) shows folks in this demographic are some of the most disadvantaged workers in the country, facing high rates of unemployment and poverty. This week we spoke to Preston Mitchum from the Center for American Progress, a co-author of the report. Preston helped us break down some of the main trouble areas - hiring bias, unequal pay, educational barriers, on-the-job discrimination, etc. - and we talked about possible solutions, and what to do if you've faced racism or homophobia on the job. Check out the whole report [here](http://www.lgbtmap.org/file/a-broken-bargain-for-lgbt-workers-of-color.pdf). In our Juicy Fruit segment this week, we talked about Minnesota college professo by Strange Fruit
30 min listen
Strange Fruit #54: 'Eenie Meanie' Examines Baby Boomer Racism & Louisville Busing Riots: "These buses came back from the West End with these little kids on them, and they were crying, there were windows knocked out. They had been beaten with baseball bats, they had been called every horrible racial name you can expect, right here in this town." It sounds like a scene we'd expect to see in the deep South, but this happened in Louisville in the middle of the 1970s, when public schools implemented the busing system. That's how performing artist Teresa Willis remembers it, and it makes up part of her one-woman show, [Eenie Meanie](http://eeniemeanie.com/). Because Louisville itself was so segregated, neighborhood schools were largely either black or white. Busing was designed to achieve greater diversity within school, but was met with resistance. "Racism really came out of the closet in my community," Teresa remembers. "There's crosses burning at the football field. Literally, we're at a by Strange Fruit
37 min listen
Strange Fruit #48: A Conversation with Trans Activist Janet Mock: Writer and activist [Janet Mock](http://janetmock.com) was living a successful life, working as a journalist, outside the spotlight, until a friend recommended her for a [profile in Marie Claire magazine](http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/relationship-issues/born-male). The article's publication had consequences that changed the course of her work, and life. "I didn't plan the role model part of it or the advocate part of it," she explains. "I think that all just kind of started. I realized after the piece came out that there was such a hunger to hear more about young trans women of color experiences. I think my writing just kind of went there because I think there was a need to hear more about that and I think there was also a need within myself to share more about parts of myself that I'd kept silent for so long." Janet's still a writer, but now she's also an activist - and one of the most recognizable faces in trans by Strange Fruit
26 min listen
Strange Fruit #62: Trans* Students in Louisville; Historical Context for the "Black Woman Chair": This week, we're joined by WFPL's [Devin Katayama](http://wfpl.org/people/devin-katayama). Devin covers the education beat for the station, and he sat down with us to talk about his newest project, learning about trans\* high school students in Louisville. He also filled us in on his recent trip to Kenya over the holidays, and sat in on our Juicy Fruit segment, where we laid out some historical context for the horrific "[black woman chair](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/20/dasha-zhukova-black-woman-chair-buro-247-editorial_n_4633544.html)" photo that's been making the rounds online this week. We also talked about the Arizona fraternity who held an MLK Day party where attendees [dressed up as black stereotypes](http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/01/asu_expels_fraternity_over_mlk_day_black_party.html), and we pondered how to call out friends and acquaintances when they say s by Strange Fruit
43 min listen
$Strange Fruit #62: Trans* Students in Louisville; Historical Context for the "Black Woman Chair": This week, we're joined by WFPL's [Devin Katayama](http://wfpl.org/people/devin-katayama). Devin covers the education beat for the station, and he sat down with us to talk about his newest project, learning about trans\* high school students in Louisville. He also filled us in on his recent trip to Kenya over the holidays, and sat in on our Juicy Fruit segment, where we laid out some historical context for the horrific "[black woman chair](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/20/dasha-zhukova-black-woman-chair-buro-247-editorial_n_4633544.html)" photo that's been making the rounds online this week. We also talked about the Arizona fraternity who held an MLK Day party where attendees [dressed up as black stereotypes](http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/01/asu_expels_fraternity_over_mlk_day_black_party.html), and we pondered how to call out friends and acquaintances when they say s$
Strange Fruit #65: KY's Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Ruling; Essay Explores James Baldwin's Paris: As we were going into the studio to record this week's episode, news came down that [a court ruling had been announced](http://wfpl.org/post/kentucky-must-recognize-out-state-same-sex-marriages-federal-judge-rules), possibly shaping the future of same-gender marriage in Kentucky: District Judge John G. Heyburn wrote that refusing to recognize same-sex marriages from outside the state violates the U.S. constitution's equal protection clause. WFPL Political Editor Phillip M. Bailey joined us to talk about what exactly the ruling said, and what it could mean for marriage equality going forward. In our feature interview this week, we spoke to author and professor Ellery Washington, who recently wrote [an essay for the New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/travel/james-baldwins-paris.html?_r=0) about his experience retracing the steps of James Baldwin in Paris. We spoke with Ellery a by Strange Fruit
40 min listen
Strange Fruit #68: Politini on theGriot Hosts Aisha & Danielle Moodie-Mills: To say [Aisha and Danielle Moodie-Mills](http://www.moodiemills.com/) are busy would be like Jaison calling Michael Sams okay-looking. They're the founders of a a policy initiative called [Fighting Injustice to Reach Equality (FIRE)](http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/view/?tag=fire-initiative), have been named a "power couple to watch" by Black Enterprise and Politico, and were the first lesbian wedding ever profiled by [Essence](http://www.essence.com/2010/10/13/aisha-mills-danielle-moodie/). Lucky for us all, they didn't stop there: They also host a talk show called Politini, which was recently [picked up by theGriot](http://thegrio.com/category/opinion/politini/). They joined us this week to tell us more about this latest venture, their background, and how they became such visible, powerful advocates. In our Juicy Fruit segment, we covered Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's [veto of a bill](http://www. by Strange Fruit
33 min listen
Strange Fruit #69: "Good Luck with That" Filmmaker Chuck Deuce; the Gentrification Dilemma: [Chuck MF Deuce](https://twitter.com/chuckmfdeuce) is a fixture on our Louisville hip hop scene, writing, performing and producing with [Skyscraper Stereo](https://www.facebook.com/Skyscraperstereo). But he recently turned his attention to filmmaking, and his first full-length movie, [Good Luck With That](https://www.facebook.com/glwtmovie), premiered last Sunday night at Baxter Avenue Theater. He joined us this week to talk about the film and to join us for Juicy Fruit. We talked about Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson, the black lesbian couple who were [murdered in Texas](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/family-pleads-answers-case-lesbian-couple-found-dumped-garbage-store-south-texas-article-1.1718720). When we recorded this, police were still looking for clues. Since then, we've learned the shocking news that Britney Cosby's own father [is suspected of killing the two women](http://ww by Strange Fruit
29 min listen
Strange Fruit #58: Filmmaker Michael Wolfe on Muslims in America: Documentary filmmaker [Michael Wolfe](http://www.upf.tv/index.php) is probably not the image that comes to mind when most people think "Muslim." In fact, he's a middle-aged white guy from Ohio. But he is a convert to Islam and has spent his career telling the stories of Muslims in America—a story that goes back further than you might think (there were Muslims in the USA during George Washington's lifetime, and of course, many enslaved Africans were Muslims). Stereotypes about Islam abound, and often intersect with other forms of bigotry, especially since 35% of American Muslims are African American. Wolfe was in Louisville recently, courtesy of the Pakistani-American Alliance for Compassion & Education, to speak about major Christian figures like Jesus, Moses and Mary and the role they play in Islamic theology. He stopped by our studios to tell us more about his work, including his film [Prince Among Slaves: The Cult by Strange Fruit
36 min listen

More Episodes from Strange Fruit

Skip carousel

The 'Jim Crow Mentality' Of Social Media Trolls: Between growing public interest in the racial justice movement, a polarizing political landscape and folks trapped indoors for nearly nine months now, online activism is at an all time high.… by Strange Fruit
51 min listen
Why Body Positivity Must Include Black Bodies: The body positivity movement has been extremely important in combatting our country's fatphobia and teaching us all to love our bodies just as they are. Kelsey Miller, founder of "The Anti-Diet… by Strange Fruit
35 min listen
Using Light-Skin Privilege To Disrupt An Unjust System: This week writer Leigh Green discusses her compelling op-ed, "White Supremacy in Me: Light-skinned and part of the problem," where she acknowledges the privileges associated with her skin… by Strange Fruit
40 min listen
Strength, Survival, And Black Families: Nefertiti Austin was adopted by her grandparents when she was a kid because her parents struggled with addiction. She joins us this week, as a single parent of two adopted children, to discuss her… by Strange Fruit
50 min listen
What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption: Abby Johnson, the anti-abortion activist who recently spoke at the Republican National Convention, found herself at the center of controversy after a video of her went viral. In it, she said her… by Strange Fruit
41 min listen
'Kitchen Table Wisdom' For And From Gay Men: Navigating life as gay man in a homophobic and heteronormative society can be emotionally and spiritually taxing. This week author Britt East joins us to discuss his insightful new book, "A Gay… by Strange Fruit
42 min listen
Interracial Household Dynamics In 2020: As a historian of environmental justice and African American history, writer Faith Ann –- who is a white woman in an interracial marriage -– says she possesses the academic and intellectual kno… by Strange Fruit
51 min listen
Young Adult Fiction Author Arvin Ahmadi: Young Adult (YA) fiction is a literary tradition that has largely lacked diversity when it comes to the race and sexuality of its main characters. Author Arvin Ahmadi's new book, "How It All… by Strange Fruit
35 min listen
'The Chi' Star Jasmine Davis: Lena Waithe’s dramatic television series "The Chi" has garnered a strong following and has received critical praise since premiering on the Showtime network three years ago. Its season f… by Strange Fruit
41 min listen
In Praise Of Quiet Allies: The word "ally" is frequently heard in the fight for racial justice, usually used by a white person seeking to declare just how "not racist" they are. This week, our guest… by Strange Fruit
40 min listen
'Performing Black Harmlessness' Isn't Worth It: Educator and writer Rodney Fierce thought that performing a type of muted Blackness would shield him from the usual pitfall and roadblocks of discrimination, microaggressions and racism. He was… by Strange Fruit
37 min listen
Interrupting Our Own Unconscious Biases: This week we're joined by Chad Anderson, co-director of the new documentary “Dog Valley,” which details the largely unknown story of the brutal kidnapping, rape, torture and murder of gay college stu… by Strange Fruit
42 min listen
Loving Black People, Loving Black History: This week Jarvis Houston, the US spokesperson of tech startup I Love Black People joins us to discuss how the app helps Black people find businesses, accommodations and other services that are Black… by Strange Fruit
40 min listen
Live Streaming The Revolution: This week we return to coverage of the protests and uprisings that are still happening in Louisville in response to the police killings of Breonna Taylor, David McAtee and others. We're joined by… by Strange Fruit
43 min listen
The Role Of New Media In Protest Coverage: Recent uprisings around the country have made it clear to many citizens the importance of new media and amateur journalists in ensuring that folks to know what is happening on the ground, and… by Strange Fruit
47 min listen
Celebrating Pride Online: With Pride festivals across the country being rescheduled or cancelled because of the Coronavirus outbreak, LGBTQ folks are finding inventive ways to celebrate Pride Month virtually.This week we… by Strange Fruit
46 min listen
Breaking Stereotypes One Storybook At A Time: Kamen Edwards, author of "The One and Only Dylan St. Claire" by Strange Fruit
43 min listen
How The #FeedTheWest Initiative Is Responding To Unrest In Louisville: Taylor Ryan of Change Today, Change Tomorrow joins us this week to spotlight #FeedTheWest, an initiative which provides food and educational resources to African Americans in west Louisville… by Strange Fruit
55 min listen
How Black Moderates Are Complicit In White Supremacy: This week we continue discussing the high profile killing of 26-year-old ER technician Breonna Taylor by Louisville police officers. We are joined by Dr. Ricky Jones, head of the University of… by Strange Fruit
50 min listen
The Death Of Breonna Taylor: The March 13 shooting death of 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor by Louisville Metro Police Department officers has gained national attention in recent weeks and is sending shock waves throughout the… by Strange Fruit
49 min listen
Microaggressions On The Job: Because racist microaggressions can be unsettling, oppressive and emotionally exhausting, especially when they happen in the workplace. Accordingly, many people of color try to be intentional about… by Strange Fruit
34 min listen
Mass Incarceration And The Children Left Behind: This week we discuss the prison industrial complex and the far reaching impact mass incarceration has on the families, children and loved ones left behind by those who are behind bars. Journalist… by Strange Fruit
25 min listen
Finding Black Joy During A Global Pandemic: This week we're joined again by activist Amber Butts of Black Youth Project to discuss the innovative ways Black folks are finding joy and creating community during the COVID lockdown.Later, we… by Strange Fruit
36 min listen
You Talk Like A White Boy: This week we chat with sketch comedian and writer Brandon Anderson who explores the confusion of being Black but told, "you talk like a white boy." In our Juicy Fruit segment, we discuss… by Strange Fruit
31 min listen
A Love Letter To Natural Hair: This week, social justice filmmaker and author St. Clair Detrick-Jules joins us to discuss her new book "Dear Khloe: Love Letters to my Little Sister," for which Detrick-Jules interviewed… by Strange Fruit
53 min listen
Living Fully And Dying Wisely: With recent reports that Black Americans are being disproportionately infected with and dying from COVID-19, on this week's show we reflect on the health and lives of ourselves, our loved ones, and… by Strange Fruit
44 min listen
What Is Kwanzaa Crawl?: This week we talk with Kerry Coddett & Krystal Stark of Kwanzaa Crawl, an annual bar crawl for Black-owned businesses in Brooklyn and Harlem that covers 30 bars. Founded in 2016, Kwanzaa Crawl… by Strange Fruit
41 min listen
The Day My Mother Yelled Don't Shoot: This week we talk with writer and poet Miguel Machado about his compelling and vulnerable essay, "The Day My Mother Yelled Don’t Shoot," in which he recounts his startling interaction with … by Strange Fruit
35 min listen
Playwright And Poet Idris Goodwin: This week we talk with award-winning playwright and poet Idris Goodwin, who was recently named Director of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. Goodwin, former Producing… by Strange Fruit
41 min listen
Strange Fruit For Strange Times: Things may be shutting down and folks my be staying in because of COVID-19, but this new episode of Strange Fruit will help pass the time as you (hopefully) practice social distancing. As the… by Strange Fruit
33 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Good Witch Season 6 Episode 5 Recap with Guest Kylee Evans by Hallmark Channels’ Bubbly Sesh
56 min listen
Confession Corner: Who's Your Sugar Daddy by Almost Adulting with Violet Benson
31 min listen
55. St. Patrick's Day Deja Vu by Lively Lewis Stories
12 min listen
67. Levi and Ivy's Magical Journey Through Time by Lively Lewis Stories
20 min listen
Lacey Chabert’s Endless Christmas by Biscuits & Jam
31 min listen
#Ep122: Lets Get Festive! by Tommy Cullum's Let's Get Freaky
127 min listen
27. Adventure Portal with Jameson and Stella!! by Lively Lewis Stories
11 min listen
Introducing Ivy!: Jamie's 8-year-old daughter, Ivy, joins the podcast for a special Mother's Day episode. Jamie announces exciting news about a Sugar Taco expansion and recaps a fun night out in West Hollywood for Scheana's birthday. by Jamie All Over
38 min listen
Two Famous Swimmers: Mother Nature wants to teach the animals about two very good swimmers. She introduces Billy Mink and Little Joe Otter to them and talks about what makes them good swimmers. Billy and Little Joe are quite happy to demonstrate for Mother Nature and the... by Sleep Tight Stories - Bedtime Stories for Kids
21 min listen
Episode 118 - The Holiday Episode by Seattle Foodie Podcast
41 min listen
Holiday Homemaking 2021, Week 2 by The Art of Home: A Podcast for Homemakers
61 min listen
57. Ivy's Magical Dollhouse Adventure by Lively Lewis Stories
13 min listen
Recipes Shared with Love Featuring Our Mothers, Episode 101 (Bilingual): Today's the first episode of season two and we've chosen to kick it off with the highest form of LOVE. In honor of Mother's day, we are sharing our incredible Mexican mothers with all of you! They're sharing the play-by-play of their favorite dishes and ... by The Level Up Latina Podcast
35 min listen
085: REBROADCAST: Star Wars, Kiddie Pools, and Hypnobabies: Our Home Birth Story: In this episode we're rebroadcasting Maya's home birth story, originally episode 9 "Star Wars, Kiddie Pools, and Hypnobabies: Our Home Birth Story". Today is Maya’s 1st birthday. Our baby girl is 1 year old! Please hold while we pull ourselves... by Doing It At Home - The Home Birth Podcast
83 min listen
77. The Carnival By the Lake by Lively Lewis Stories
14 min listen
48. Levi and Ivy's Epic Disneyland Adventure by Lively Lewis Stories
12 min listen
The Grudge Comes Out in the Gift...: Christmas Story Trivia. Things Not to Put in a Fruitcake. Allen’s Holiday Road Trip from Hell. Morons in the news. Jimmy Wayne’s Christmas Memory. Happy Healthy Holiday Tips. Lamar’s Christmas Memory. Becky’s Christmas Memory. Amalia’s... by Bob & Sheri
93 min listen
30. Levi and Ivy's TALL Tale: The Magic of the Enchanted Spell Book by Lively Lewis Stories
10 min listen
6.9: The Questionpalooza 6! by Withywindle
108 min listen
46. When Everything Goes Wrong: The Tale of a Good Bad Day by Lively Lewis Stories
9 min listen
99. The Case Of The Missing Dolly by Lively Lewis Stories
14 min listen
8. Doing What's Right - Ivy's Very Happy Birthday PART 2 by Lively Lewis Stories
14 min listen
32. Levi and Ivy's Halloween Adventure to Find the Witch's Lost Black Hat by Lively Lewis Stories
12 min listen
Episode 127 - Alisa Muratova (@sweetnothingsandmore) by Seattle Foodie Podcast
40 min listen
Willie Mouse ?: ? Hello friends! Looking for more bedtime stories per week? Subscribe to and get access to our complete back catalogue of interruption-free bedtime stories, guided meditations, sleep sounds and sleep music. And special shoutouts for the kids!... by Sleep Tight Stories - Bedtime Stories for Kids
9 min listen
S2E32: Generocity at The Grocery Store by Lively Lewis Stories
15 min listen
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays: Wishing you a memorable holiday season! by Magic on Main Street - A Disneyland podcast
74 min listen
'It's A Wonderful Life' at 75 by Oscar Wild
60 min listen
Spooky Day, Spooky Night: It's time to clear the docket! Wearing sleep shorts out of the house, Christmas cookie types, bringing outside produce into restaurants, loud typing, and much more! Plus more letters from Emily and her sister Louisa from Juvenile Court, and an interview with Aidan, the co-owner of the Spirit Halloween Wiki! A perfect way to close our 2021 Spooky Season! by Judge John Hodgman
82 min listen
Season 7. Episode 2: Christmas Through the Eyes of a Little Girl by Christmas Stories
24 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Strange Fruit #196: A Very Special Mother's Day Show

Strange Fruit #196: A Very Special Mother's Day Show

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Strange Fruit

Related podcast episodes