Storytelling fellow Rochelle Robinson on normalized violence against black women.
I am a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault. My experience informs my narrative and the perspective I plan to bring to this project as the new Community Storytelling Radio Fellowship – about how it feels to be Black, female, often economically disadvantaged, and at a disproportionately high risk of physical and sexual violence. These stories rarely make it into mainstream media; our lives and our deaths get no attention...
ProPublica’s Ryan Gabrielson on police shootings and black teenage males
The investigative journalism outlet ProPublica set out to analyze the data on hundreds of cases for signs of racial disparity. Their startling findings were released in the report “Deadly Force in Black and White” In this extended interview, Making Contact Producer George Lavender interviews Propublica reporter Ryan Gabrielson on the the finding s in their report and how police justification for shootings has changed with new laws....
Deadly Force: Police Shootings in Black and White
Why are so many of those killed by police young people of color? A recent ProPublica investigation found that a young black male is at twenty one times greater risk of being shot dead by police than his white counterparts. On this edition of Making Contact we’ll hear from one of the reporters who analyzed the data on police killings to come up with that startling conclusion, as well as stories of family and community members who...
From Montgomery to Ferguson
Some call it a new civil rights movement. Others simply call it “black lives matter”. But its yet to be seen if the momentum for justice will result in systemic change. And to get there, what kind of strategies are needed? On this weeks edition, a conversation about waging non-violence between civil rights movement veteran David Hartsough and Ferguson activist Reverend Osagyefo Uhuru.Sekou. Special thanks to Waging...
A Dream Remembered?: Martin Luther King Jr and the Grassroots Civil Rights Movement
. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th 1963, Martin Luther King Jr delivered one of the most famous speeches of all time. But it nearly didn’t happen. On this special edition of Making Contact for MLK Day, Gary Younge, author of “The Speech” talks about Martin Luther King Junior’s “Dream” and the story behind it. Producer: George Lavender Special thanks to the New School for use of their recording....
Oakland Reacts to #Ferguson in photos and audio
Yesterday evening was a time of protests, marches and mourning across the country as news broke that a grand jury had decided to not indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Micahel Brown on August 9th. Making Contact’s George Lavender and Jasmin Lopez collected photos and videos from Oakland, CA as the verdict was released and emotional protesters took to the streets. All photo and recording by Jasmin Lopez....
These historical photos capture the fight for voting rights in the US.
As voters around the country head to the poles today we’re looking at the historical fight it took us to get here. Click the player below to listen to our show on the history of the Voting Rights Act while you scroll through the pictures. 1946 The District of Columbia delegation of the National Association of Colored Women joins delegates from across the country to picket the White House July 30 in response to the murders of...
Cracking the Codes: Dr. Shakti Butler on the System of Racial Inequity (Encore)
How do we talk about race and racism in this country?Not as deeply as we should, according to filmmaker and educator Dr. Shakti Butler. On this edition, we hear excerpts from Dr. Butler’s film “Cracking the Codes”, and speak with her about using the medium of film to start conversations around the thorny issues of racial inequity. Featuring: Dr. Shakti Butler, World Trust founder and Creative Director Humaira Jackson,...
