Black Austin Matters
Dr. Richard J. Reddick and Dr. Lisa B. Thompson
September 3, 2026
In this episode of Black Austin Matters, hosts Lisa and Rich sit down with artist, educator, father, community leader, and Austin’s Poet Laureate, Zell Miller III. Recorded live in May at the inaugural KUT Festival, Zell shares what it was like growing up in Austin and finding his voice as an artist. He also discusses […]
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August 12, 2026
At just 15 years old, community organizer Kyra Newton testified at the Texas Capitol in support of the CROWN Act. Now, as the youngest guest to appear on Black Austin Matters, she joins Lisa and Rich to share how she found her voice as an organizer, the story behind the nonprofit Beyond Boundaries that she […]
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July 8, 2026
Civic strategist, native Austinite, and community leader Eric Byrd sits down with Lisa and Rich to reflect on growing up in Austin, why he believes being of service is his life’s purpose, the lasting impact of positive male role models, the importance of men coming together to support one another, how brilliance can be found […]
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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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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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