What can Nick Cannon and Nicki Minaj teach us about abortion?
One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime, yet in pop culture accurate portrayals of real people’s stories are rare. In this special interview, two reproductive justice advocates listen and discuss two songs: Nick Cannon’s ‘Can I Live?’ and Nicki Minaj’s ‘Autobiography’, and ask: what messages are pop songs sending about reproductive health issues? Featuring: Alicia...
Investigating #Reprorights in Mexico
In March 2015, I traveled to Mexico to continue my reporting on reproductive justice issues that I began with Making Contact in 2014. Before heading to the Yucatan, I met with Project Luz students from Nezahualcoyotl. Karen, one of my former photojournalism and radio reporting students was able to collaborate with me as I traveled through three communities in the Yucatan. Here are some photos from the trip and look for the show to air...
Deadly Force- Interview with Julie Perini
Following up on last week’s show on police shootings, Making Contact’s George Lavender interview Julie Perini one of the producers of “Arresting Power: Resisting Police Violence in Portland, Oregon” about the “ghostly scratchings” she created at the sites of police violence. Listen to the entire show here: https://focmedia.org/2015/02/deadly-force-police-shootings-in-black-and-white/ And for more...
Storytelling fellow Rochelle Robinson on normalized violence against black women.
I am a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault. My experience informs my narrative and the perspective I plan to bring to this project as the new Community Storytelling Radio Fellowship – about how it feels to be Black, female, often economically disadvantaged, and at a disproportionately high risk of physical and sexual violence. These stories rarely make it into mainstream media; our lives and our deaths get no attention...
ProPublica’s Ryan Gabrielson on police shootings and black teenage males
The investigative journalism outlet ProPublica set out to analyze the data on hundreds of cases for signs of racial disparity. Their startling findings were released in the report “Deadly Force in Black and White” In this extended interview, Making Contact Producer George Lavender interviews Propublica reporter Ryan Gabrielson on the the finding s in their report and how police justification for shootings has changed with new laws....
Making Contact’s Diverse #PubRadioVoice Playlist
Last week an article by aspiring radio journalist and professor Chenjerai Kumanyika, brought the question of diversity in public radio to light and using the hashtag #PubRadioVoice, journalists, activists and community members weighed in and offered ways to increase diversity on the airwaves. For the last 20 years Making Contact has worked hard to build a more diverse public radio community and provide a platform for some of our most...
