38 min listen
Strange Fruit #38: The Zimmerman Verdict
FromStrange Fruit
ratings:
Length:
37 minutes
Released:
Jul 20, 2013
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
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 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. They say that talking about racism and systemic injustice just perpetuates division. They say they are colorblind, justice is colorblind, and we should be too. These words hold little comfort for those upset by the verdict, and they especially ring hollow for the parents of black children. This week, we talk about the killing, the verdict, the system, the jurors, the law, and where to go from here. We're joined by our friend Lucie Brooks, who's an author, an attorney, women's studies professor, and a mom to four black sons.
Released:
Jul 20, 2013
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
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