Black Austin Matters is a podcast that highlights the Black community and Black culture in Central Texas. Each month, hosts Richard J. Reddick and Lisa B. Thompson talk with other Black Austinites about their perspectives on what’s happening in their city. We’ll hear from the well-known and the not-so-well-known in Austin’s Black community to find out what matters to them. New episodes each first Wednesday of the month.
systemic racism
Mary-Frances Winters (Ep. 13, 2021)
This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. discusses the physical and psychological toll on African Americans’ daily lives as a result of systemic racism with Mary-Frances Winters, founder and president of The Winters Group, Inc. and author of Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit.
Perspective
The ongoing reckoning over racism in the United States inspired this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Kirk Brown (Ep. 50, 2020)
This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson Jr. speaks with Kirk Brown, founder of Melanin Meetups, a national think platform where young African American professionals come together to develop data-driven solutions to address social, economic and professional challenges facing the African American community.
Say Their Names (Rerun)
This week, The Breaks decided not to create a new show in light of the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI. Instead, they are re-running their episode from June, 1 2020, where Fresh and Confucius talk about the police killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Mike Ramos in Austin and the resulting protests. They touch on their experiences as black men in America, their frustration with systemic racism and the need for sustained solidarity from society at large, not just during times of tragedy.
Listen to This Episode of The Breaks
Kanye for President?
This week on The Breaks, Fresh and Confucius:
- Discuss Kanye’s West’s announcement that he is running for president.
- Touch on the impact of COVID-19 on Austin’s live music venues.
- Talk about ACL Radio’s Blues on the Screen curated by Jackie Venson.
- In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh urges the biggest Black artists in Austin to speak out about their experiences of racism in the Austin music scene.
- In his Confucius Says, Confucius explains that loyalty is a two-way street.
Listen to this week’s episode of The Breaks
J.Cole vs Noname
This week on The Breaks, Confucius and Fresh
- Touch on their memories of past Juneteenth celebrations and talk about what this year’s event might look like.
- Discuss the criticism surrounding J.Cole’s new song ” Snow on Da Bluff” and the way he appears police the tone used by a Black woman activist (presumably Noname).
- Talk about the Black Austin Matters mural and explain why grand public gestures can not replace policy addressing systemic racism.
- Explore why Black Austin Artists are no longer willing to stay silent about systemic racism in the Austin Music Scene.
- In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh argues that fans do appreciate Kendrick Lamar and are ready for his next album.
- In his Confucius Says, Confucius discusses the integral role of Black women in the struggle for Black liberation.
- This week’s local song of the week is “RED” by MALIK.
Listen to this week’s episode of The Breaks
KUT Weekend – February 23, 2018
This time, a three-part series on maternal deaths in Texas and how to reduce them.
Million Dollars Worth of Nerve with Ken Coleman, pt.2 (Ep. 32, 2015)
The conclusion of a conversation with Ken Coleman, journalist and author of “Million Dollars Worth of Nerve: Twenty-One People Who Helped to Power Black Bottom, Paradise Valley and Detroit’s Lower East Side.”