From Juneteenth to Reparations: The Freedom Promise of Unfinished Resolve
Juneteenth Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th Major Gen. Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas, to inform a reluctant community that President Abraham Lincoln, two years earlier, had abolished slavery in the U.S. In this show, we’ll explore the history of Juneteenth...
Spare the Kids, Dr. Stacey Patton
Dr. Stacey Patton We speak with author Dr. Stacey Patton about her book, Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Won’t Save Black America. The book examines the unique cultural and historical specificity of corporal punishment in Black communities. Given the prevalence and acceptance of spanking in American culture, the discussions will be useful to a wide and diverse audience. Dr. Stacey Patton is an adoptee, child abuse survivor, and...
Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice
Paul Kivel on Racial Justice On this edition of Making Contact, we speak with author Paul Kivel about his book, Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice. This book offers a framework for understanding institutional racism. It provides practical suggestions, tools, examples, and advice on how white people can intervene in interpersonal and organizational situations to work as allies for racial justice. Completely...
I Am Because I Am: The Expansion of Gender Identity
Transgender, Intersex and Non-Binary Identity I Am Because I Am, explores the expansion of gender identity and presumed roles in our society. A look beyond the socially constructed ideas of what is male, female, masculine or feminine. Especially considering Trump’s administration attempts to redefine gender to be solely based on a person’s genitalia at birth. Thus potentially threatening Transgender, Intersex and Non-Binary Identity....
The X Factor in the Midterms
Midterms Matter! Are people in U.S. awakened to the importance of the rapidly approaching midterm election? With both Democrats and Republicans vying for control of the House and Senate, the majority party will have the advantage to pass their legislative agendas – producing outcomes that could hugely impact Trump’s presidency and the direction of the nation. On this episode of Making Contact, we speak with Dr. James...
No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America. Darnell Moore
When Darnell Moore was fourteen, three boys from his neighborhood tried to set him on fire. They cornered him while he was walking home from school, harassed him because they thought he was gay, and poured a jug of gasoline on him. He escaped, but just barely. It wasn’t the last time he would face death. Three decades later, Moore is an award-winning writer, a leading Black Lives Matter activist, and an advocate for justice and...