Invisible Blackness with Adrian Younge

Racism has fermented into an ever-evolving system that is difficult to recognize, without the right sensors. The pressure has been boiling for centuries and something must change. Ostensibly, the oppressed must recognize pressure, in order to push back; we must understand why racism exists and how to overcome our obstacles. Conversely, we must smile and enjoy how precious life is in order for us to feel freedom we've been fighting for.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The end of slavery marks the rise of a secularized Black American culture; a transition whereby secularization found the Black community creating its own social systems. Nevertheless, these systems were created in an atmosphere that falsely blamed Black Americans as the cause of our bloodiest war to date, the Civil War. Did retribution have anything to do with the fact that segregated cemeteries refused to bury our dead?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Within the first 150 years of Colonial America, it was clearly established that Blacks had no place in America, short of being the property of white colonists. Slave codes were established to divide and conquer, moreover, to separate the lower class by making poor whites identify social status with skin color. This sectarian view fermented complacency towards the plight of Black America. Black Lives did not matter, but in reality, they were America's greatest asset. By 1850, enslaved Americans were worth $1.3 billion or one-fifth of the nation's wealth. Within a decade, human collateral exceeded $3 billion and was worth more than the nation's banks, railroads, mills and factories combined. The South (the Confederacy) seceded to maintain a system of oppression, for profit, at the expense of Black livelihood. The Civil War was fought to protect the financial interests of a racist south. In the battle of North vs. South, America fought its bloodiest war to date. When the South lost, they lost everything. Blacks were “emancipated” and lands were forfeited. Organizations, like the Ku Klux Klan, were established to enforce perpetual retribution against the enslaved that betrayed them. In the North, Blacks were also targeted as being seen as the source of our deadliest war. We became the cancer of America. Why did the institutions of America replace “Slave Codes” with “Black Codes (Jim Crow Laws)?” How did America become so desensitized and shielded behind the precepts of “necessary evil?” Why is President Lincoln canonized as a humanitarian even though he's professed his indifference towards the institution of slavery? How did the Black consciousness evolve under the purview of freedom?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In order to fully grasp the concepts behind Invisible Blackness, this episode breaks down the etiology of institutionalized racism. Race is a fallacy; nevertheless, the concept of race has been used to codify the dehumanization of Black Americans for 400 years. Even though predetermined prejudice existed before the transatlantic slave trade, America engineered a unique enigma, designed to dehumanize Blacks as expendable chattel. This optic has been engrained in the American psyche with a myriad of practices that still exist to this day. In 1619, the first recorded delivery of “20 & odd Negroes” came as servants, better defined as enslaved Africans. At the time, racism was essentially non-existent in America. Soon thereafter, avaricious desires catalyzed a movement to establish racism as a means of exploitation and control over non-white Americans. Ironically, America enlisted Blacks to fight under a Declaration of Independence against British oppression. While our government declared that “All men are created equally,” the enslaving Framers never sought to apply such protections to Black America. How did the slave codes establish the institution of racism? Why does the concept of “Double Oppression,” plague Black women today? Eugenically speaking, were Blacks ever considered humans in America? Is Drapetomania a relevant concept of today? How did the American Revolution galvanize the Black consciousness of young America? Stay tuned for deliberation on this week's episode of "Invisible Blackness with Adrian Younge."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

British singer/songwriter Estelle began as a rapper in London. She rose to international fame, keeping her African and West Indian roots intact. In this episode, Adrian and Estelle discuss the African diaspora, Britain's National Front and Parallels between the racial justice movements in the UK and the United states. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Russell Peters knows the power of using comedy to challenge the status quo and how to make light of unconscious bias. In this episode Adrian and Russell discuss the expression of cultural intelligence through comedy, the power of hiphop to inspire identity and the subtitles of understanding intention when applied to humor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Caroline Randall Williams is an esteemed activist, author, poet, and professor at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Caroline has been a featured guest on MSNBC and has penned a myriad of captivating articles on racial bias. Her New York Times essay "You Want a Confederate Monument? My Body Is a Confederate Monument" tells her story as the great-great granddaughter of the nefarious confederate hero, and KKK leader Edmund Pettus, that fathered a child with a formerly enslaved woman. On this episode Adrian and Caroline discuss the romanticism of the South, American patriotism, and how she uses her "white" or ancestral privilege to denounce the evils of America's past.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brooklyn raised composer, singer-songwriter, and producer, Brian Jackson, is a true luminary for Black American music. Brian is the long time writing partner of the late Gil Scott Heron. Throughout the 70s, Brian and Gil created music that elevated black consciousness and continues to inspire younger generations. In this episode, Adrian and Brian discuss Music as a tool for education, the nuances of segregation and how the struggle for civil rights informed revolutionary music in America. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Five time Grammy Award winning production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis dominated the music industry in the late 80's through the early 90's working with various artists such as Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, Usher, and many more. With a career spanning four decades they have moved into a mainstream market freeing them from the limits imposed on many Black producers in the music industry. On this episode, Adrian, Jimmy, and Terry discuss the duo's journey to success and how the cultural zeitgeist made way for them to crossover from urban to pop charts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nelso George is Hip Hops' historian, a New York native, author, and intellectual. Nelson has been documenting the culture with a legendary clarity since its inception. No-one has articulated the nuances of Hip Hops' emergence like Nelson George. In this episode Adrian Younge and Nelson discuss black popular culture and the consciousness of the African Diaspora in America.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Roy Choi is the son of Korean immigrants. His culinary food truck empire built a bridge between race and socio-economic classes by normalizing eating in the streets of LA. In this episode, Roy and Adrian discuss the power of food justice and the meaningful dance between food and identity.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Todd Boyd, aka "Notorious Ph.D." is a Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at USC. His critiques of Hip Hop and pop culture have guided a generation into a deeper understanding of the anatomy of the black experience. In this episode Adrian Younge and Todd Boyd discuss Defining American, Racial Politics and the revolution of revisionist history occurring.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner is an American actor, director, producer, musician, and writer. He is best known for his role as Theodore Huxtable on the NBC show The Cosby Show. In this episode Adrian Younge and Malcolm have a vulnerable discussion about how the Huxtables redefined the public perception of the black family in America.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeff Chang is a renowned historian, journalist, Stanford University Professor and critic on the music, culture and politics of hip hop. His books, Can't Stop Won't Stop, Who We Be, and We Gon' Be Alright have become acclaimed assets to the analysis and understanding of the culture. In this episode, Adrian and Jeff discuss hip hop's evolution from its community roots to its worldwide phenomena. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Born and raised in Ferguson Missouri, Keyon Harrold has always used his music to shed light on the social injustices against Black people. In this episode Adrian Younge and Keyon discuss the triple pandemic that Black Americans faced in 2020, SOHO Karen, and the evolution of the social justice movement in America. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a revered writer and Hip Hop journalist, he helped to set the tone of how this burgeoning culture would be consumed and analyzed by the world. Moreover, Cheo Hodari Coker made a career out of explaining black culture to white people. In this episode, Adrian Younge and Cheo discuss black culture, and our responsibility to ensure the perseveration of our story.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Multidisciplinary performer, producer and host Wayne Brady is the comedic force you may know as the black guy on "Whose line is it anyway”. As a renaissance talent with a brand that seduces mainstream America, he is our generation's Nat King Cole. In this week's episode Wayne and Adrian discuss the power of code switching, defining success and exploring the idea of blackness in America. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a prolific multi instrumentalist and poetic intellectual, Meshell Ndegeocello's music weaves together sensual sentiments, spinning storytelling and activism into its own (sub)genre of soul. In this episode Adrian speaks with Meshell about the concept of feminism, language and her role in the evolution of Black music. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A hero in the eyes of many, he began his journey as a special needs teacher. Michael Jai White then became an international icon, a black super hero, with roles including Spawn and Black Dynamite. In this episode Adrian Younge and Michael discuss institutionalized racism, the challenges of being a black actor, and the benefits of the Blaxploitation Era.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Professor and Chair of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, Dr. Melina Abdullah is an expert on race, gender, class, and social movements. As a Co-founder and organizer of the Black Lives Matter movement she continues to inspire the Los Angeles chapter with her poignant intellect, passion and leadership. In this episode Adrian speaks with Dr. Abdullah about womanism, the work of dismantling White supremacy, and the role white allies must play in designing a healed America.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of Hip Hop's favorite Sax Gods, Terrace Martin is a multi instrumentalist, producer and composer. He is the sound of modern Crenshaw. This week Terrace and Adrian discuss growing up in south central LA during the crack epidemic and how environment shapes perspective, art and culture.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mahershala Ali is one of the most celebrated and accomplished theatrical performers of our time. Winning an Oscar for each of his roles in Moonlight and Greenbook, he became the first Muslim to win an Academy Award. In this episode Adrian and Mahershala speak about the importance of nuanced representation in film, finding oneself through faith and the transformation of ideas into ideology.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Public Enemy was constantly viewed by the white media as a black radical group; a nonsensical tension to the guard that spread hate opposed to consciousness. In this episode, Adrian Younge and Chuck D discuss the meaning behind their music and the posterity for Black America. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raphael Saadiq's extraordinary talent has made him one of the most distinguished voices in American music. From his very humble beginnings in Oakland, he's become an internationally renowned superstar. In this episode, Adrian speaks with Raphael about growing up in a drug riddled community and processing death through art.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Digable planets was the pinnacle of cool for early '90s hip hop culture. LadyBug Mecca was the sole female voice of this seductive trio of music revolutionaries, waltzing the line between pop crossover culture and conscious hip hop. In this episode, Adrian Younge and LadyBug Mecca discuss the power behind the black female voice in culture's past, present and future. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A highlight from Adrian Younge and Mahershala Ali's conversation on the importance of nuanced representation in film, finding oneself through faith and the transformation of ideas into ideology.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Invisible Blackness" delves into the etiology of our voyage, with rhetorical criticism and commentary on how to understand racism. The primary objective is to discover, illustrate, and make visible the dominant ideologies embedded in America's culture; in addition, the ideologies that are being muted within. Join us weekly for reflection with Adrian Younge, accompanied by interviews of Black Filmmakers, Actors, Musicians, and Scholars.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.