Black Austin Matters
Dr. Richard J. Reddick and Dr. Lisa B. Thompson
June 3, 2026
Lisa and Rich continue their conversation with basketball champion, commentator, author and entrepreneur Fran Harris. Fran reflects on what inspired her entrepreneurial journey, the vision behind launching her own basketball league, and how the loss of her mother profoundly reshaped her perspective on life.
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May 6, 2026
Basketball champion, entrepreneur and author Fran Harris talks with Lisa and Rich about what it means to be a champion, lessons her mother taught her about resilience, being part of the 1986 Women’s National Championship team at Texas, making the WNBA after retiring from basketball, and why coaching was never her calling.
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May 4, 2026
Black Austin Matters Returns for Season 4 — Premiering Wednesday, May 6
This season, Black Austin Matters continues to spotlight the voices shaping Austin’s culture, history, and future. You’ll hear from recording artist Mama Duke, a semifinalist on America’s Got Talent, Austin native and civic leader Eric Byrd, and entrepreneur and Longhorn legend Fran Harris.
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August 6, 2025
In this episode of Black Austin Matters, Lisa and Rich sit down with Austin native Dr. Cheryl Clark-Brown, founder of Clark-Brown Family Care Clinic. Dr. Clark-Brown shares her inspiring journey into medicine, her deep-rooted passion for integrative healing, and her unwavering dedication to serving the community. She also offers heartfelt advice to the Black community […]
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July 2, 2025
In the latest episode of Black Austin Matters, Lisa and Rich chat with Ballet Afrique founder and contemporary dancer China Smith. China takes us on a joyful stroll down memory lane, sharing what she loved about growing up in Austin and why her community means so much to her. She talks about how her time […]
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June 13, 2025
In the latest episode of Black Austin Matters, Lisa and Rich sit down with Talib Abdullahi, founder of the Black History Bike Ride. Talib shares his journey from growing up in Houston, including what it was like to have professional jazz musicians as parents, to making his way to Austin to attend the University of […]
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May 8, 2025
On this flavorful episode of Black Austin Matters, we chat with Chi Ndika, founder of Luv Fats Ice Cream. Chi shares how her earliest ice cream memories sparked her entrepreneurial spirit, how her psychology background enhances her daily interactions and business decisions, and the unique way yoga principles guide her approach to creativity and wellness. […]
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April 9, 2025
In this episode of Black Austin Matters, hosts Lisa and Rich sit down with Carl Settles—founder and executive director of E4 Youth and creator of What Once Was. Carl opens up about the powerful influence of his parents, and his unique journey as both an All-State football player and student director of the choir while […]
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About
BAM
Dr. Richard J. Reddick
Richard J. Reddick (Rich) moved to southeast Austin at age 14 and has been fascinated by issues of race, class, and education in his adopted city ever since. A professor of educational leadership and policy, Rich’s academic work focuses on mentoring relationships, the experiences of Black faculty in higher education, and the uncompensated labor performed by BIPOC people in university settings. Rich is a dad to two kids, a husband, son, and a brother in a family that has called Austin home spanning five decades. When not podcasting, Rich is following Texas Longhorn sports, playing bass guitar, or playing trivia – or caught in Austin traffic!
Dr. Lisa B. Thompson
Lisa B. Thompson is co-host and co-producer of KUT’s Black Austin Matters podcast. The award-winning playwright and University of Texas professor is the author of Beyond the Black Lady: Sexuality and the New African American Middle Class, Single Black Female, and Underground, Monroe, and The Mamalogues: Three Plays. When she’s not writing, teaching, or working out, the San Francisco native loves watching old movies while devouring all the homemade cookies she supposedly baked for her teenage son.
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