A Very Busy Thursday
a quick update, and a call for ideas
Hey all, close readers may have noticed that there was no newsletter last Thursday. That’s because it was my turn to write the newsletter, and I was far too swamped to knock it out. That’s for a number of cool reasons that I’ll clue you in on below.
But first, this Sunday we are planning another of our “Some Sunday Context” live chats. We’ll get together to talk about the latest in political news, and then dive a little deeper on one story line to try and offer some historical perspective. There’s no shortage of themes we could explore, and I’m curious what you think we should spend some time on this week. So, it’s poll time!
Anyway, the end of last week was very busy in greater This Day land.
For one, Kellie was in New York at the New York Historical Society, in conversation with the great Wright Thompson, talking about Emmett Till, racial violence, and resistance. It was an incredible conversation, and I believe Wright and Kellie first met on our podcast — they make a fantastic duo. Two of my favorite writers and people. I hope they take this on the road…
This Day producer Brittani Brown also rolled through, and we all got a chance to have dinner and catch up. Food for the soul, for sure.
The other thing that had me a little swamped at the end of last week is that I launched a brand new podcast! It’s very different from This Day, and many of the other shows I’ve worked on, but I’m finally doing a music show. (subscribe here, and on youtube) More than sports, more than politics or history, music has beenthe biggest throughline in my life, and I’m so excited to do a show with a somewhat silly framing — but one that allows for very fun conversations.
The gist is this: all albums are “summer albums” or “winter albums.” That’s a fact. So each episode the great Craig Finn (lead singer of The Hold Steady) and I debate a favorite album, each of us arguing one side or the other. Here’s a visual trailer.
And here’s a taste of what we’ve got lined up.
I’m proud of what we’re making, and if I’m being honest it’s been a welcome retreat from the horrors of the real world to have an excuse to spend time with some brilliant albums.
Anyway, if this seems up your alley, go ahead and check it out — our first episode, about the Modest Mouse classic “The Lonesome Crowded West” is out now.
Finally, yesterday we ran an episode about the origins of Black History Month, and at the top Kellie shared some thoughts about this year’s very strange BHM. Here are her remarks.
Hello there. It's Kelly Carter Jackson with some thoughts on what this Black History Month has been like. First of all, I've been busier than ever with each new announcement about closing or cancelling black celebrations, black graduations, or cultural institutions.
Folks are also refusing. People are doubling down and I am here for it. Shoot, I'm about to go to a Black Excellence Gala this weekend. And I've been thinking about not just Black History Month, but about Black Studies. As you know, I'm the chair of the Africana Studies department at Wellesley College, and my department was birthed from activism.
Black students across the country, and here at Wellesley, demanded a department where they could learn about black history, leaders, and black contributions to American society — and even be taught by professors that shared their blackness or values. And it was in the 1960s that a wave of scholars, both black and white, began to revise textbooks and create new scholarship that included the lived experiences of black people.
College campuses created affinity groups and safe spaces to celebrate black pride or lament in moments of loss. I do what I do because of those who came before me and paved the way. And as a 19th century scholar, I think about the origins of black education.
Learning was illegal for black people.
Literacy was outlawed.
Black schools were constantly being attacked and physically destroyed. But here's the thing: black history, black heroes, black contributions have always been threatened. So in these current times, I'm actually weirdly comforted by the idea that the tactics of today's administration are not new.
But I'm also empowered by remembering what black people accomplished was so much less than what we have today. We don't need to be afraid. It is impossible to eradicate black history within executive order. Black people and their allies have always demanded, required, created, and sustained the work of liberation.
And that work continues. That work continues every day. 365. So I'm not going to say Happy Black History Month. I'm just going to say, happy black history.
Keep refusing.
Okay, that’s it for now - we’ll see you in the podcast feed, in the newsletter, and on YouTube real soon.
-Jody-
Apple | Spotify | PocketCasts | YouTube | Instagram