Lisa and Rich talk with Marcus Myers, former UT football player, Austin native and Diversity & Inclusion advocate in technology. He discusses his time on UT’s 2005 Championship football team, his collegiate recruitment experience, and how much college football has changed. Marcus also shares why he proudly identifies as a self-proclaimed nerd/jock, his tech journey, and some of his favorite memories growing up in Austin.
Black Austin
Amanda Johnston
In the premiere of Season 3 of Black Austin Matters, hosts Lisa and Rich sit down with Amanda Johnston, the trailblazing poet who became the first Black woman to hold the title of Texas Poet Laureate and the founder of Torch Literary Arts. Amanda shares insights into her childhood, her evolution as a writer, the transformative power of poetry, her identity as an Affrilachian poet, and her dedication to uplifting Black women through the literary arts.
Lisa B. Thompson and Nadine Mozon
In this bonus episode, Rich talks to his co-host Lisa B. Thompson, award-winning playwright and Black cultural studies scholar about her new show, “The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body.” They are joined by Nadine Mozon, an associate professor, actor, writer, poet and dramatist who will star in Lisa’s show. Lisa and Nadine talk about the show, their creative processes and what their art means to them. “The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body” will run at the Vortex from April 12- May 4.
Simone Talma Flowers
In the last episode of Season 2 of Black Austin Matters Lisa and Rich talk all things Trinidadian with Executive Director of iACT Simone Talma Flowers. She shares her experiences growing up in Trinidad, what faith means to her and some of her favorite recipes.
Bonus Episode: HT Jazz Collective
In this bonus episode, Lisa and Rich catch-up with the Huston-Tillotson Jazz Collective after their performance at ACL. They share how Huston-Tillotson has cultivated a space that makes them feel at home, what playing jazz means to them, and what inspires them.
Chas Moore
In this episode of Black Austin Matters, hosts Lisa B. Thompson and Rich Reddick talk with Chas Moore, the executive director of the Austin Justice Coalition. His organization has been deeply involved with advocating for racial justice and police reform in Austin and organized some of the largest demonstrations against police violence in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Wilhelmina and Exalton Delco
In the first episode of Black Austin Matters, hosts Lisa B. Thompson and Rich Reddick talk with the Hon. Wilhelmina Delco and Dr. Exalton Delco. Mrs. Delco was the first Black person elected to the Austin ISD board of trustees in 1968 and later became the first Black person elected at-large from Travis County to the Texas House of Representatives, where she served until 1995. Dr. Delco was the first Black person to earn a PhD in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1962. He went on to have a long career at Huston-Tillotson University and Austin Community College.
The Urban Music Fest & Homer Hill
In the latest episode of Pause/Play Homer Hill tells the story of the Urban Music Fest and how it’s been hit hard by the pandemic. You’ll also learn the history of the festival, and hear the challenges Homer has faced in his thirty plus years as a Black Business owner in Austin, Texas.
Urban Music Fest
Mr. Catfish
The City of Austin’s Virtual New Year’s Eve
Check out Andrew Weber’s reporting on Venue Funding in Austin