Podcast appearances and mentions of sheri parks

This week, we're exploring the intersection of agriculture, artistry, and history through the lens of indigo, a significant cash crop in the colonial period with inextricable ties to the slave trade. So inextricable, in fact, that slavery wasn't even legal in Georgia until 1751, when British governors recognized the economic potential of the plant and its distinctive blue dye. Our guest today is Sheri Parks, Ph.D is a renowned community strategist, scholar, and writer who currently serves as the Program Director of the Natural Dye Initiative, a multi-part project whose aim is to explore the cultural and economic impact of indigo in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions by reintroducing it to Black farmers and artists. In this episode, we discuss the transformative impact of reclaiming indigo production in the southern United States, how the Natural Dye Initiative makes it economically viable for a new generation of farmers, and touch on the global significance of this remarkable plant. Dr. Parks formerly served as the VP of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and as Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities and Professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland. Her scholarly work focuses on how art and aesthetics affect our day to day lives and how aesthetics can be used as a tool for social justice.Show NotesHow Beauty Works Panel (YouTube)Fierce Angels: Living with the Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman by Sheri Parks, Ph.DUpton Planning CommitteeMaryland Institute College of Art (MICA)Natural Dye Initiative Origin StoryNeighborhood Fiber Co. Aims to Weave Positive Social Change (Baltimore Magazine)Key Words: Indigo, Indigo Dye, Colonial, Colonialism, Nature Dye, Maryland, Baltimore, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Agriculture, Farming, Organic Farming, Art, Aesthetics, Southern United States, US history 

Sheri Parks, Ph.D. is a public intellectual, strategist, senior higher education professor, administrator, and author, working to bridge the wisdom of communities and the academy to address urgent societal challenges. Her positions have included Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art and Associate Dean for Research, Interdisciplinary Scholarship, and Programing, and Founding Director of the Center for Synergy at the University of Maryland. Her signature public projects include Baltimore Stories: Narrative and the Life of an American City.In this episode, we talk about: What drew Sheri to study aestheticsHer research on everyday aestheticsSheri's inspiration to move beyond academiaThe relationship between beauty and aestheticsThe "Baltimore Stories" projectThe relationship between aesthetics and social justiceHow aesthetics can be manipulated for unethical practices & propagandaAesthetic experience and trauma healingThe Natural Dye InitiativeTo reach Sheri, email her at: slp@umd.eduLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-parks-a8029331/ Resources Mentioned:Baltimore Stories: Narratives and The Life of an American City: https://vimeo.com/161042379 The Barclay Art Project which features the video she discusses in the podcast:https://vimeo.com/211528915Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/BeautyatWorkPodcastSupport the show

Dr. Sheri Parks joins The Conversation to discuss initiatives she is leading and participating in to improve the lives of the people in Baltimore.  Dr. Parks is a unique leader who can put the right people together to create change.  

❓Can art help bridge culture, race and social gaps? 

Featuring artists Valeria Fuentes, Phaan Howng, and Kate Reed Petty. Moderated by Sheri Parks.Celebrate the Year of the Women with a conversation looking to the future of women’s lives and work. Sheri Parks will lead a panel exploring Apocalyptic/Utopic narratives.  The panel brings together multidisciplinary artists in conversation to share how they interpret their experiences the world. Presented in partnership with MICA.Valeria Fuentes was born in Bolivia but raised in Baltimore. She is a multidisciplinary artist and designer, cultural producer, and arts educator. She now runs a platform for immigrants called Roots & Raíces which aims to highlight, support, and celebrate immigrants through the arts in Baltimore. She received both a BFA in Architectural Design and an MA in Social Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art. As part of the board of Baltimore Votes she also engages on work around civic engagement and voting in Baltimore City. She is committed to helping Baltimore and communities of color achieve equity and justice through her role as an artist, designer, and catalyst.Phaan Howng is a Baltimore based Taiwanese American multi-disciplinary art practice centers around creating various narratives and landscapes that reflect nature thriving in a utopian post-human planet, or what she terms an “optimistic post-apocalypse.” She received her MFA from the Mount Royal School of Art at MICA in 2015, and her BFA in Painting from Boston University in 2004. Howng has exhibited her work at various places such as the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Arts and Industry Museum, and the Spring Break Art Show in New York City.Kate Reed Petty is a writer, feminist, and environmentalist. Her first novel, entitled TRUE STORY, is coming Aug 4, 2020 from Viking Books. Her fiction and essays have been published online by Electric Literature, American Short Fiction, and The Los Angeles Review of Books, and she was awarded a "30 Below" prize by Narrative Magazine. Kate's work has been supported by the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Bloedel Reserve, The Mount, and the Rubys Artist Grants. She lives in Baltimore. This program is part of ongoing 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative conversations at the Pratt Library.Re-opening activities are made possible in part by a generous gift from Sandra R. Berman.Recorded On: Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Featuring artists Valeria Fuentes, Phaan Howng, and Kate Reed Petty. Moderated by Sheri Parks.Celebrate the Year of the Women with a conversation looking to the future of women’s lives and work. Sheri Parks will lead a panel exploring Apocalyptic/Utopic narratives.  The panel brings together multidisciplinary artists in conversation to share how they interpret their experiences the world. Presented in partnership with MICA.Valeria Fuentes was born in Bolivia but raised in Baltimore. She is a multidisciplinary artist and designer, cultural producer, and arts educator. She now runs a platform for immigrants called Roots & Raíces which aims to highlight, support, and celebrate immigrants through the arts in Baltimore. She received both a BFA in Architectural Design and an MA in Social Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art. As part of the board of Baltimore Votes she also engages on work around civic engagement and voting in Baltimore City. She is committed to helping Baltimore and communities of color achieve equity and justice through her role as an artist, designer, and catalyst.Phaan Howng is a Baltimore based Taiwanese American multi-disciplinary art practice centers around creating various narratives and landscapes that reflect nature thriving in a utopian post-human planet, or what she terms an “optimistic post-apocalypse.” She received her MFA from the Mount Royal School of Art at MICA in 2015, and her BFA in Painting from Boston University in 2004. Howng has exhibited her work at various places such as the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Arts and Industry Museum, and the Spring Break Art Show in New York City.Kate Reed Petty is a writer, feminist, and environmentalist. Her first novel, entitled TRUE STORY, is coming Aug 4, 2020 from Viking Books. Her fiction and essays have been published online by Electric Literature, American Short Fiction, and The Los Angeles Review of Books, and she was awarded a "30 Below" prize by Narrative Magazine. Kate's work has been supported by the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Bloedel Reserve, The Mount, and the Rubys Artist Grants. She lives in Baltimore. This program is part of ongoing 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative conversations at the Pratt Library.Re-opening activities are made possible in part by a generous gift from Sandra R. Berman.

On this month's edition of Midday Culture Connections, Tom is joined again by Dr. Sheri Parks, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art. As the NFL marks its 100th anniversary, controversy continues to surround the league.Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, remains unemployed three years after he began his kneeling protest against police brutality and racism in America, and the NFL's new partnership with hip hop mogul Jay-Z has raised eyebrows, rather than hopes, about the league’s commitment to addressing a history of racial discrimination.Milton Kent, host of WYPR's Sports at Large and a professor of journalism at Morgan State University, joins us for a conversation about how the dynamics of race and power are playing out, off the field. Then, Tom and Dr. Parks discuss the New York Times 1619 Project, a multimedia, multi-part reframing of the history of slavery in America. The Project has generated a backlash by some leading conservatives. Four hundred years after the arrival of the first enslaved Africans, how does the legacy of slavery fit into our historical memory? This conversation was livestreamed on WYPR's Facebook Page, and you can watch the video here.

Tom and Dr. Sheri Parks, MICA's Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, talk about the image of Baltimore in the national media and how that squares with the image those of us who live here have of our city. Political leaders and many people on social media have been in a position of defending Baltimore from verbal assaults by President Trump, but that defense has been mounted in full knowledge that our city faces problems that were long in the making, and very slow in the solving.

It's another edition of Midday Culture Connections, with Dr. Sheri Parks. Today we’re asking the question: what is courage? From sacred texts to screenplays to the daily news, our culture is filled with references to courage as an element of character that makes a person worthy of respect. We see courage in the physical bravery of soldiers and first responders. But courage is also the moral strength to do what’s right, when doing so can be hard, or dangerous.Today, we’ll look for examples of courage in the Central American migrants now suffering at the southern US border…in political leaders who’ve put principle above party…and in victims who’ve found the strength to forgive great wrongs.And we’ll ask: what does courage mean to you?Midday’s senior producer Rob Sivak, sitting in for Tom Hall, is joined today, as we are each month on this series, by Dr. Sheri Parks, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman. Also with us in the studio is Dr. Ana Patricia Rodriguez. She is an associate professor of U.S-Latino and Central American Literature at the University of Maryland College Park. Dr. Rodriguez left El Salvador as a child when her family emigrated to the United States. She has been closely involved with the immigrant community through her volunteer work as a Spanish interpreter for asylum-seeking migrants, and her work with the children of undocumented immigrant families here in Maryland.This conversation was livestreamed on WYPR’s Facebook page, and you can watch the video here.The audio clip of Eva Kor in today's program was taken from a longer 2015 Google Talk conversation with Eva Kor and Ted Green, director of the documentary ----Eva,---- and moderated by Mike Abrams.

Today on Midday, it’s Midday Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Is there a certain mythology about summer camp, and our notions of what an American summer is all about? What were your experiences as a child, and what experiences do you seek out for your children? For many poor kids, the opportunities and promise of summer are often out of reach. But one group of Baltimore City youth will have the opportunity to learn and explore way beyond the borders of the city. Joining us now is Sharayna Christmas the Executive Director of Muse 360 Arts and New Generation Scholars, a program that provides Baltimore City youth the opportunity to travel abroad and study the history and culture of the African Diaspora. This program was livestreamed on WYPR's Facebook page, and you can see the video here.

It’s Midday Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks of the MD Inst Coll of Art. Today, we are joined by Donna Brazile, a political strategist, and the former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee. She’s the co-author of a book that chronicles the rise of her and three other African American women to the highest levels of the Democratic Party. It’s called For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics.Dr. Sheri Parks is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She’s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman. She joins us every month for Midday Culture Connections.

A warning to listeners who may be tuning in with young children: we will be talking about mature topics today on this edition of Midday Culture Connections.On today's Midday Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks: pulling back the curtain on the insidious, hidden world of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the United States. In leafy suburbs, seedy city streets and posh hotels reports of the sexual exploitation of women and children have skyrocketed. Our guests today are: Dr. Sheri Parks, the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art; Jeanne Allert, the founder and executive director of the Samaritan Women Institute for Shelter Care; and Jessica Emerson, founder of the Human Trafficking Prevention Project at the University of Baltimore. Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring is encouraged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1 (888) 373 - 7888.This conversation is being live-streamed on the WYPR Facebook Page.

On today's Midday Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks: a conversation about believability, empathy and victimhood. Baltimore Police say that the murder of a Harford County Engineer, Jacqueline Smith late last year was not, as her husband claimed, committed by two panhandlers. Instead, the husband and his daughter are charged with the crime. The actor Jussie Smollett is facing felony charges for claiming that he was the victim of a violent attack in Chicago. Police there have brought to light evidence that the actor may have staged his own attack.Initially, we may have empathized with Smith and Smollett. But does our empathy actually get in the way of our making rational, moral decisions. Amid complaints of “fake news” and widespread distrust of police and public institutions, who can we believe?Dr. Sheri Parks is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She's the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman. Dr. Parks is a regular contributor to this program, joining us on the first Tuesday of the month for Midday Culture Connections.

We begin with a look at the history of African Americans in Horror movies. On Thursday, Shudder TV will premiere a terrific new documentary called, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. The film offers a fresh, fearless and affectionately humorous ethnographic examination into representations and contributions of African Americans in this popular genre. Tananarive Due is educator, author and exectutive producer of 'Horror Noire'. She joins Tom and Dr. Sheri Parks from NPR's studios in New York. Later, a conversation about of God on television. Why it is that even as society becomes more secular, the Almighty continues to command heavenly ratings?Dr. Sheri Parks is the Vice President of Strategic Inititatives at the Maryland Institutie College of Art, and a reuglar contributor to our show on Midday Culture Connections. She's the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a legacy form the Sacred Dark Feminie to the Strong Black Woman. Our conversation was streamed live on WYPR's Facebook page. You can watch the live video here.

On today's Midday Culture Connections, a conversation about the links between racism and anti-Semitism. Tom is joined by Dr. Sheri Parks, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at MICA, and Dr. Beverly Mitchell, a professor of Historical Theology at the Wesley Theological Seminary. They discuss the connections between slavery and the Holocaust, and how interfaith engagements can help to counter movements that promote white supremacy, nationalism and xenophobia.Dr. Beverly E. Mitchell will be speaking as part of the Manekin-Clark Lecture Series of the Institute of Islamic Christian and Jewish Studies next Wednesday. Later in the hour, Tom and Dr. Parks discuss the state of arts criticism here in Baltimore, following the departure of two of the Baltimore Sun’s cultural critics, Tim Smith and Wesley Case, who left the paper before Thanksgiving. We live streamed this conversation, and you can watch the video on WYPR's Facebook page.

On today's Midday Culture Connection, Dr. Sheri Parks joins us for a conversation about anti-immigration politics in America.We start by discussing a caravan of migrants that left Honduras through Guatamela and Mexico toward the US border on Oct. 12. The group of Central American migrants has quickly become the target of attacks from President Donald Trump and has stoked anti-immigrant sentiment in the days leading up to the 2018 midterm elections. We examine the history of racial hysteria and anti-immigration rhetoric and how xenophobia is used as a political weapon during times of social change and economic uncertainty. Dr. Sheri Parks is the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman. Dr. Parks is a regular contributor to this program, joining us each month for an installment of Midday Culture Connections.

The biblical phrase, ----through a glass, darkly,---- has been used widely in popular culture as the title of books, plays, poetry and at least one movie. It means having a blurred or limited view of reality. The phrase can be applied to the recent public discourse over Baltimore's squeegee dilemma -- what to do, if anything, about the boys and young men who offer to wash windshields at busy intersections. Some of the ----squeegee kids---- see their prospective customers as rude, even hostile. Some drivers complain that they've been abused and harassed by youths with spray bottles and long-handled squeegees. And still others have an aesthetic criticism -- they see squeegee kids and panhandlers as public nuisances, reflecting badly on Baltimore and making it seem like a ----third-world city.----On the show today: Wrapping up a week of squeegee news with Sun reporter Yvonne Wenger. Reflections on the poor in our midst with American culture commentator Sheri Parks.

On today’s Midday Culture Connection with Dr. Sheri Parks: a conversation about sexual assault in education. When Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, not only was it another pivot point in the #MeToo Movement, it also afforded a window into a culture of drinking and bad conduct among privileged young people in the 1980s. Was that culture of privilege and excess substantially different from the 1970s or 1960s? Did the culture change in the next millennium at elite private high schools and the nation’s most exclusive colleges and universities? Are students aware of their rights under what’s known as Title IX? And given that so many assaults are not reported to campus police or local law enforcement, do we even have a handle on the scope of the problem, and what we might do to alleviate it? Dr. Sheri Parks is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She’s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman. She’s a regular contributor to this program, joining us on the first Tuesday of the month for Midday Culture Connections.

On this installment of Midday Culture Connections: we look at one of the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade that might not immediately come to mind: modern business management. A new book looks at how the pecuniary practices of slave owners have endured and how those practices continue to inform capitalism. Caitlin C. Rosenthal, an Assistant Professor of History at UC Berkeley in California, details the correlation between modern finance and chattel slavery in her new book Accounting for Slavery: Masters and Management. She joins us on the line from her office in Berkeley. Plus, a conversation about the cities and industries profiting from the increase in what’s become the big business of detaining immigrants and asylum seekers. Dr. Sheri Parks is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She’s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman, and she joins us on the first Tuesday of the month for Midday Culture Connections. She is also the host of Beyond the Ballot here on WYPR, which airs twice a month on Thursday afternoons during All Things Considered.

Today, in this installment of Midday Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks, the Press and Public Trust. For three years, since he announced his candidacy for President in 2015, Donald Trump has pounded a steady drumbeat of claims that major news outlets promulgate fake news. A recent poll indicated that 61% of Democrats and 89% of Republicans agree with him. Mr. Trump and other political leaders have taken those claims one step further, asserting that the press is the enemy of the people. Is there a link between that rhetoric and the kind of violence inflicted on the newsroom of the Capital Gazette last week?Dr. Sheri Parks is the Vice President for Strategic Inititiaves at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She's the author of Fierce Angels: Living With A Legacy From Scared Dark Feminine to Strong Black Woman. Tom also talks to Joshua McKerrow, a photographer for the Gazette, and Courtney Radsch, the Advocacy Director for the Committee to Protect Journalists about the violence in Annapolis.

On today’s, edition of Midday Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks, we examine some of the stories making headlines across the country.We begin to with a look at the cognitive effects of violent video games and the Military’s stake in the multi-billion dollar industry of gaming. Following the deadly May 18th shooting at Santa Fe High School, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick cited violent video games as a contributing factor to the national epidemic of deadly violence and apathy in our culture, reigniting the debate on the psychological effects of violent video games on our children, specifically young boys. Serena Williams returned to the French Open last week after 14 months of maternity leave. In keeping with WTA policy, the former world number one entered into the grand slam tournament unseeded. Serena’s experience has many questioning not only the WTA’s policies towards new mothers; but also, the broader politics of women and pregnancy in the workplace.Finally, the Trumpian era has been marked by political tension, social tumult and temerarious tweets. It is an era of fraught with class and racial division, violent identity politics and targeted attacks on the media. These deep societal fissures came to a head this week, as comediennes Samantha Bee and Roseanne Barr became the mascots for America’s new ‘culture wars’ . Dr. Sheri Parks is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a regular contributor to our show on Midday Culture Connections. She’s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman.

With more than 135 million views, ----This Is America,---- the provocative video by Childish Gambino, the musical alter ego of actor Donald Glover, has quickly become a cultural phenomenon. The symbolism in its dancing, staging and violent imagery has been the subject of robust interpretation. The song opened at No. 1 on Billboard's singles chart this week. American culture commentator Sheri Parks joins us to talk about the song's refrain, ----This is America/Don't catch you slippin' up,---- and what she sees as a reference to several recent instances of white people calling 911 to report black people in public spaces.Sheri Parks has been associate dean at the University of Maryland and, starting June 1, she will be taking on a new job as vice-president for strategic initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art.Links:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY

It’s Midday Culture Connections. Today, we examine the mini-firestorms that have erupted over the past week surrounding journalist, a comedian and a rapper. Kanye West set the Twittersphere alight with a series of pro-Trump tweets that led more than a few people to question the rapper’s mental health, and even challenge his “Blackness.”Comedian Michelle Wolf has come under fire for her biting “roast” at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night. And, MSNBC host Joy Reid’s journalistic ethics have been called into question.Dr. Sheri Parks is about to become the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the MD Inst College of Art. She’s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman. Joining Sheri and Tom in Studio A, is Dr. Stanford Carpenter. He’s a Cultural Anthropologist, a comic book creator and a political consultant. He serves on the board of the Black Comic Arts Festival, and his work can be found in the recently published Black Comix Returns.

Evangelicals and Donald Trump -- how the Christian right made a deal to overlook a lot of issues related to Trump’s character to support him, no matter what -- no matter porn star, playmate, nasty tweets, or arguably anti-Christian tax cuts for the rich. According to Newsweek, a new poll suggests that Trump’s base of white evangelical support has not been turned off by allegations of his affairs with Stormy Daniels or a former Playboy bunny. If anything, white evangelicals have come to hold more favorable attitudes towards him. Why?Our guests:Melissa Deckman, chair of the political science department at Washington College, a regular contributor to Roughly Speaking and the author of “Tea Party Women: Mama Grizzlies, Grassroots Leaders, and the Changing Face of the American Right.” Sheri Parks, our American culture commentator, associate dean at the University of Maryland and, starting in June, she will be taking on a new job as vice-president for strategic initiatives at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Links:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/page/ct-perspec-page-trump-evangelicals-tony-perkins-0128-20180126-story.htmlhttp://www.newsweek.com/trump-evangelicals-support-millennials-888267

It’s Midday Culture Connection with Dr. Sheri Parks of the University of Maryland. Today, a conversation about the Neo Soul movement. Neo Soul has evolved into something much more than a music genre. Today, the term Neo Soul suggests a lifestyle that's premised on spirituality, self-care, and diet, and that favors beauty-care products made with natural ingredients.

Black artists are enjoying more mainstream success behind the camera as well as on the screen, in roles crafted to speak to the entirety of the black experience throughout the African Diaspora. Perhaps no film embodies that truth more so than Black Panther. The latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been smashing box office records around the world, and thus far, has grossed nearly $900 million world-wide.On today’s edition of Midday Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks, we reflect on the history of race, representation and inclusivity in the world of comics, and how Black Panther has flipped the script on feminism in film.From problematic caricatures steeped in racist stereotypes for the consumption of white audiences, to King T’Challa, the billion dollar box office powerhouse; it appears we are seeing an important evolution of Black comic book characters. Sheri Parks is an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies at the Univ of Maryland College Park. She’s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman.And from the studios of WBEZ in Chicago, Dr. Stanford Carpenter joins us. He’s a cultural anthropologist, comic book creator, and scholar of comic books. He serves on the board of the annual Black Comic Arts Festival, and Pocket-con a convention that focuses on comics for young boys and girls of color

Welcome to another edition of Midday at the Movies…The 90th Annual Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday night, hosted once again by talk show host (and social activist) Jimmy Kimmel. Excitement about this year's awards is running high because of a notably diverse and independent crop of films, filmmakers and performers. On today's Midday at the Movies, we preview a bit of that excitement by offering up some predictions of Oscar glory with two of our favorite movie mavens: Joining Tom in the studio is Jed Dietz, the founder and director of the Maryland Film Festival,which runs the newly restored SNF Parkway Theater in Baltimore.Also with us in the studio is Max Weiss, the editor in chief and film critic for Baltimore magazine.Before the conversation turns to the Oscars, however, Tom and his guests discuss the cinematic phenomenon that's been sweeping not only U.S. theaters the past three weekends, but the international film market as well: Black Panther. An Africa-centered sci-fi action-hero film that was produced by Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures and directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther has been attracting massive global audiences. As of Tuesday this week, the worldwide box office had reached $748.1 million, and the movie is chasing new domestic and foreign records for weekend receipts. Tom will be taking a closer look at the social and cultural significance of the Black Panther movie next Tuesday (3/06) on Midday's Culture Connections, with regular guest Dr. Sheri Parks, professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, and special guest Dr. Stanford Carpenter, a cultural anthropologist, artist, comic book creator and head of The Institute for Comic Studies in Chicago.

The same day of a White House ----listening session---- on the mass shooting at a Florida high school, student protesters marched on the state capitol in Tallahassee to demand tougher gun control. On today's show, American culture commentator Sheri Parks talks about the remarkable and passionate student uprising that has occurred even in the midst of mourning and grief. Parks is associate dean in American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a regular contributor to Roughly Speaking.

Illinois US Senator Tammy Duckworth made headlines recently when she announced that she would be expecting her second child this spring. She will become the first sitting Senator to give birth. While her announcement might be an historic first for Congress, Sen. Duckworth is one of 25 million working mothers in the United States.The #MeToo movement has given voice to women from assembly lines to corner offices around the persistence of sexual harassment and assault. While working mothers with children under the age of 18 make up for a third of the women in the labor force, many women face workplace discrimination based on pregnancy. More than 30,000 claims of discrimination were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission between 2010 and 2015. 3,000 claims were filed just last year. New mothers also face obstacles when it comes to breastfeeding with fewer than 40 percent of women having adequate break time or access to acceptable nursing facilities on the job.We take a look at the politics of pregnancy in the workplace. Do women still have to choose between starting a family and pursuing a career? And what protections are afforded expectant mothers by their employers under the law?Dr. Sheri Parks joins us in studio A for Midday Culture Connections on the first Tuesday of every month. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She’s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman. Michelle Chen joins us on the phone from New York. She is a contributor to The Nation, and host of Dissent Magazine’s podcast, Belabored.

It might seem like an abstract thought to many -- an actual nuclear attack on an Asian neighbor of North Korea, or on the United States -- but the situation between Washington and Pyongyang has wrought real tension not felt since the Cold War. Saturday, when Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency mistakenly issued an alert about a missile attack, it raised a question: Do Americans know what to do in the event of such a military emergency? What's the plan? Culture commentator Sheri Parks joins Dan for the conversation -- and a look back to the Cold War, Civil Defense and the Cuban Missile Crisis.Links:http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-hawaii-false-missile-alert-20180114-story.html

The #metoo movement has shined a light on the pervasiveness of predatory behavior in our culture. On the next Midday: A conversation about what some scholars call the “pornifcation” of America. How do hypersexualized images of women in the media affect the way women are treated in society? Dr. Sheri Parks, along with scholars Gail Dines and Shanita Hubbard join me for Culture Connections.

1:32: The weekly book recommendation from Paula Gallagher: A memoir, ----The Glass Eye,---- by Jeannie Vanasco, an assistant professor of English at Towson University.3:56: American culture commentator Sheri Parks discusses GQ's selection of quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the magazine's Citizen of the Year, and the modern meaning of masculinity.17:08: Dan visits the busy kitchen of Gertrude's restaurant in the Baltimore Museum of Art and gets some Thanksgiving recipes from its owner, John Shields.Links:http://www.jeannievanasco.com/author.htmlhttps://www.towson.edu/cla/departments/english/facultystaff/bvanasco.htmlhttps://www.gq.com/story/colin-kaepernick-cover-men-of-the-yearhttp://www.bayweekly.com/articles/cooking/article/chesapeake-thanksgiving

1:59: Paula Gallagher, librarian and book critic, recommends all but the last 40 pages of "Sourdough," a novel by Robin Sloan that foodies should (mostly) love.5:30: Sheri Parks, culture commentator, wants to talk about adulthood, and why it seems to be arriving later with each generation. In fact, research shows that, since the late 1970s, it has taken longer for each new generation to complete school, leave home, become financially independent, marry and have children. Millennials have even delayed getting driver’s licenses. What does the later launch mean for families and society? And what constitutes full adulthood? Parks is assistant dean in American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a regular commentator on Roughly Speaking.Links:https://us.macmillan.com/sourdough/robinsloan/9780374203108/

Forty-five percent of Republicans in a new YouGov poll think it would be a good idea to allow courts to shut down news media outlets for publishing or broadcasting stories that are biased or inaccurate. Sentiment of that level could be a payoff for President Trump’s “fake news” campaign, his war with the American news media. On today’s show, a look at Trump and the press, and the state of truth and knowledge, with culture critic Sheri Parks and veteran journalist Arnold “Skip” Isaacs.2:25: Sheri Parks is associate dean in American studies at the University of Maryland College Park and a regular contributor to Roughly Speaking.30:55: Arnold R. “Skip” Isaacs was a reporter, foreign and Washington correspondent, and editor for The Baltimore Sun. He was a correspondent for The Sun during the Vietnam War and is the author of two books about it. He will be back in September to talk about Vietnam, timed with the 18-hour Ken Burns documentary series on the war that premiers on PBS Sept. 17.Links:https://today.yougov.com/news/2017/07/26/war-between-president-and-news-media-there-may-be-/https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/u4wgpax6ng/econTabReport.pdfhttp://amst.umd.edu/faculty/sheri-parks/http://www.accountability-central.com/nc/single-view-default/article/devaluing-knowledge-the-real-danger-of-the-fake-fact-era/http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-vietnam-war/home/

1:26: Paula Gallagher, Baltimore County librarian, recommends, "Manhattan Beach," a new novel from Jennifer Egan, who won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for, "A Visit From The Goon Squad."4:21: Dani McClain, a contributing writer for The Nation, reports that, despite being relatively quiet and not making much news, the Black Lives Matter movement is alive and well and, in some cities, getting involved in electoral politics.18:30: Sheri Parks, culture commentator and associate dean in American studies at the University of Maryland, discusses the fallout from theu160uHarvey Weinstein scandal, and whether it could mean, as Rolling Stone suggests, real change in the way powerful men treat the women around them.Links:http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-books-manhattan-beach-jennifer-egan-1004-20171003-story.htmlhttps://www.thenation.com/article/can-black-lives-matter-win-in-the-age-of-trump/http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-weinstein-investigation-20171016-story.htmlhttp://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/why-the-harvey-weinstein-allegations-could-change-our-culture-w509708

3:10 British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard has written an enjoyable new memoir about his childhood, boarding school days, getting into show business and coming out transgender, says our book critic Paula Gallagher. 6:35 Racial slurs are repugnant, but, according to last week's Supreme Court ruling in the "Slants" case, they are also protected under the law. The real check on hateful, offensive speech is social civility, says Sheri Parks, associate dean at the University of Maryland and a Roughly Speaking regular. Parks thinks we're in a strange, new era where the line between civil and offensive has become murky — a problematic situation for an increasingly diverse nation.Links: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318643/believe-me-by-eddie-izzard/9780399175831/http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-court-slants-disparate-trademark-20170619-story.htmlhttp://amst.umd.edu/faculty/sheri-parks/

"I hope you can let this go," Donald J. Trump reportedly said to the former FBI director James Comey regarding th"e bureau's investigation of Trump's former national security adviser Mike Flynn. Was the president trying to obstruct justice? Today on the show, Dan talks Trump with commentators Melissa Deckman and Sheri Parks.Melissa Deckman is the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs and chair of the political science department at Washington College. She is the author of, "Tea Party Women: Mama Grizzlies, Grassroots Leaders, and the Changing Face of the American Right."Sheri Parks is associate dean for the College or Arts and Humanities, an associate professor of American Studies, and founding director of the Arts and Humanities Center for Synergy at the University of Maryland at College Park. Parks is the author of "Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman." She is a regular commentator on American culture for Roughly Speaking.

Dr. Sheri Parks joins Tom for Midday Culture Connections to the sexual assault allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men in and outside Hollywood. Dr. Parks is an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park, and the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman.

1:35: Culture commentator Sheri Parks talks about the transition from Obama to Trump, and Friday’s inauguration.19:37: The Sun’s media critic David Zurawik expounds on Trump and his incessant tweets, and David explains how he came to be known as “Schmobo in Baltimore.”

In another in our series of post-election conversations, American culture commentator Sheri Parks talks about the overwhelmingly white coalition that backed Donald Trump, the nation's racial divide and the rise in hate crimes across the country. Parks is Associate Dean for Research, Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Programming for the College or Arts and Humanities, an associate professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland at College Park. She is the author of "Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Woman in American Life and Culture," and a contributor to "Roughly Speaking."

Sun columnist Dan Rodricks and American culture commentator Sheri Parks comment on the third and final presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

2:22: Culture commentator Sheri Parks talks about San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest and the evolving definition of patriotism among the millennial generation of Americans.18:08: Melissa Deckman, chair of the the political science department at Washington Goucher, and Mileah Kromer, director of the Goucher Poll, talk about the race for the White House between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and the importance of the approaching televised debates.43:36: Sun media critic David Zurawik says the television networks and cable channels have been derelict in fully vetting Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, leaving the heavy lift of investigative reporting to newspapers and news web sites.

2:06: John Dickerson, host of "Face The Nation" on CBS, talks about Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and presidential campaigns of the past. Dickerson is a contributor to Slate and its podcast "The Political Gabfest." He is the author of “Whistlestop: My favorite stories from Presidential Campaign History.”24:37: Sheri Parks, our American culture commentator, talks about the Rio Olympics, race and gender, and about the prominent roles black women have played in the summer games. Parks, associate dean in arts and humanities at the University of Maryland College Park, is the author of “Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Woman In American Life and Culture.”Links:http://www.cbsnews.com/face-the-nation/http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gabfest.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FD96JQ6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8----btkr=1#nav-subnavhttps://www.amazon.com/Fierce-Angels-Strong-American-Culture/dp/0345503147

3:37: American culture commentator Sheri Parks discusses Donald J. Trump’s candidacy for president and how it has further alienated American minorities from the Republican Party. Parks is associate dean in arts and humanities at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Roughly Speaking contributor.25:33: Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik reviews news coverage of the Republican convention and the forced resignation of Roger Ailes as CEO of Fox News.42:40: Book critic Paula Gallagher recommends six novels: "This Must be the Place," by Maggie O’Farrell; "Dark Matter," by Blake Crouch; "Disappearance at Devil's Rock," by Paul Tremblay; "You Will Know Me," by Megan Abbott; "The Unseen World," by Liz Moore; "How to Set a Fire and Why," by Jesse Ball.59:16: Film critic Christopher Llewellyn Reed reviews new movies and talks about films to be released in the coming weeks, including a remake of the Hollywood epic, "Ben-Hur."

In this podcast:1:10: Republican analyst Richard Cross and UMBC professor Kimberly Moffitt comment on Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's declaration that he won't be voting for Donald Trump for president, and we look at how Trump's aggressive position on immigrants and terror have affected his campaign.18:41: American culture commentator Sheri Parks talks about the massacre in Orlando, President Obama's reaction to Trump's statements on that tragedy, and the news media's intensified scrutiny of the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

1:42: The Trump reality show: The possibility of a Donald Trump presidency creates big buzz and more anxiety after the presumptive Republican nominee gets a poll bump showing him closing in on Hillary Clinton. Is the Trump candidacy a genuine political phenomenon or one rooted in reality television and the American desire to be entertained? Dan discusses that question with American culture commentator Sheri Parks.29:57: Reimagining "Roots": Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik reviews the History Channel's remake of the 1970s mini-series about the transatlantic slave trade.44:42: Dining out versus cooking in: Americans now spend more in restaurants than they do in grocery stores, according to a recent report from the U.S. Commerce Department. There is some dispute about what exactly that means — and whether it means that Americans (millennials, in particular) are spending less time in the kitchen. But it’s most definitely a trend, and Dan discusses it with John Shields, cookbook author and proprietor of Gertrude's restaurant in Baltimore.

It’s Midday Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks of the UMD. We’ll talk about the devastating mass shooting in Las Vegas. What will the largest mass shooting in American history mean for the debate about gun regulation? Plus, the on-going controversy about protests in the NFL and elsewhere during performances of the National Anthem

Today, another installment of the Midday Culture Connection with Dr. Sheri Parks of the University of Maryland. Sheri is an Associate Dean for Research, Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Programming at the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland College Park, where she is also an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies . She?s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman . We?re joined by Dr. Brittney Cooper , an assistant professor of women and gender studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University in Brunswick, New Jersey. She is also the author of a new book called Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women . Dr. Cooper?s book explores the history of black women as intellectuals. The 19th and 20th century ?Race Women? she tells us about are often thought of as activists rather than public intellectuals. Their scholarship and achievements are often overshadowed by

Today, another installment of the Midday Culture Connection with Dr. Sheri Parks of the University of Maryland. Sheri is an Associate Dean for Research, Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Programming at the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of MD College Park, where she is also an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies . She?s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman . We?re joined by Dr. Brittney Cooper , an assistant professor of women and gender studies at Rutgers University in Brunswick, New Jersey. She is also the author of a new book called Beyond Respectability: The Intellectual Thought of Race Women . Dr. Cooper?s book chronicles the history of black women intellectuals. The 19 th and 20 th century ?Race Women? she tells us about are often thought of as activists rather than public intellectuals. Their achievements have been largely overshadowed by Black men like W.E.B Dubois and

We have seen the videos from cell phones, surveillance footage and police cameras. In the moments before and sometimes after police shootings of black people, it sounds like the police and the black people are speaking from completely different social realities. The shootings are the horrific tip of an iceberg. According to a GenForward survey done by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago, two-thirds of African-Americans under the age of 30 say they or someone they know has experienced violence or harassment at the hands of the police. Twenty-four percent of black men between 18 and 34 report that they have been mistreated by the police in the last 30 days, according to a Gallup poll .

This program originally aired on May 2, 2017. Today another installment of Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks of the University of Maryland. Author D. Watkins joins as we continue to reflect on the 2015 Uprising sparked by the death of Freddie Gray. D. co-hosts Undisclosed, a podcast that re-examines Freddie Gray's death. Have any new details emerged? How did the Uprising change the way we talk about race and inequality in Baltimore? We may be more willing to listen to the experiences of others. Does listening lead to change? What about on the national level? The 2016 election upended people's assumptions about class, culture and race in this country. Will that disruption lead to a deeper understanding of the issues we face and how to solve them? Dr. Sheri Parks joins us every month for the Midday Culture Connection . She's an Associate Dean at the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland College Park, where she is also an Associate Professor in the Department

Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman joins by phone to give an update on recovery efforts in Ellicott City after the devastating flash flood that left two people dead, 200 buildings damaged or destroyed, and hundreds of cars strewn about the historic streets or thrown into the Patapsco River. Then, Culture Connections with Dr. Sheri Parks . As the Olympics enter its final weekend, star gymnast Simone Biles and gold medal swimmer Simone Manuel are just two of several Black athletes who have become household names. Has Rio changed the narrative around race and sports? Then Old Line Spirits is one of the latest entries in the crowded field of craft distilling. We’ll take a sip of this new single malt.

In Fierce Angels, Dr. Sheri Parks explores the mythology of the "strong black woman" in both black and mainstream cultures and the ways in which it both empowers and burdens women today. In real life and fictionalized entertainment, black women are expected to embrace the dichotomy of the selfless caregiver and unstoppable crusader while neglecting their own needs.Dr. Parks is an award-winning teacher and public speaker. She is associate professor and co-director of graduate studies of the American Studies Department at the University of Maryland College Park.Recorded On: Wednesday, September 29, 2010

At the top of the hour, host Cyrus Webb welcomes author Sheri Parks to Conversations LIVE! Radio to discuss her powerful new book FIERCE ANGELS. At 30 min. past the hour, host Gail Ambeau presents "Fashion Forward with Gail Ambeau" with special guest recording artist/author Jacki-O.