Strange Fruit

After our first show on Ferguson, we heard from a listener who said he "wanted to spend more time with you two hearing how you both felt and were dealing with the events of the week." In this bonus fruit, we talk a bit about how we felt in the aftermath of Ferguson, and why it was so hard to address on the show that week. On that same show, we had spoken to Councilwoman Attica Scott, who made comments about police officers being paid by taxpayers to kill our babies. WDRB President Bill Lamb used that quote in his POV segment that week, telling Councilwoman Scott to "shut up." We listen to part of his POV and address it in this clip. (Bill Lamb's POV is here: http://www.wdrb.com/story/26319335/pov-ferguson-missouri-how-not-to-handle-a-crisis-81914)

It's been two weeks now since a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old named Michael Brown, and the community is still experiencing the aftermath. The school year in Ferguson was supposed to start on August 14, but it was delayed due to the unrest, leaving students who rely on school meals with fewer options. And business closures have left some residents out of work and short on money. This week we check in with a St. Louis food bank to see how they're responding to folks in their community who need help putting food on the table. UofL student Brina Joiner traveled to Ferguson, and stops by our studio to tell us what she saw there that we aren't seeing on the news—and to share some much-needed optimism with us and our fruitcakes. Joiner tells us it's important for young people to make the trip, because history is unfolding there. "I have to go to Ferguson," she says. "I have to see what's happening. I have to make my voice be heard, to create that change. To create what comes next." Our other guest this week would agree. Patrisse Cullors, of Dignity and Power Now, along with our friend Darnell Moore, is organizing a freedom ride to Ferguson for Labor Day weekend. It's part of the Black Lives Matter movement they started after the shooting of Trayvon Martin. She says showing solidarity in times of protest is important, and even more effective when done in person. "There's nothing like having an actual body on the front lines with you," she explains, "to say I am here with you. I am your ally. I am not going anywhere." In our Juicy Fruit segment we lighten things up with the news that Oxford Dictionaries has added one of our favorite phrases to their list: throwing shade. Unfortunately they got the definition a bit wrong. They also added some other terms, and Jaison gives Kaila a pop quiz to see how many she can define. And new pictures of Queen Latifah and her presumed girlfriend on vacation in Italy lead us to to wonder, will she ever come out? And does it actually matter any more?

This week on Strange Fruit, UofL student Brina Joiner traveled to Ferguson, and stops by our studio to tell us what she saw there that we aren't seeing on the news. We also speak with Patrisse Cullors, of Dignity and Power Now, about the Freedom Ride to Ferguson she's co-organizing with our friend Darnell Moore. They're traveling as part of the Black Lives Matter movement, and while there are many ways to help, she says being there to protest in person has its own importance: "There's nothing like having and actual body on the front lines with you to say I am here with you. I am your ally. I am not going anywhere." And we check in with a St. Louis area food bank to see how the unrest (and delayed school year) is affecting food security and hunger in their community. Strange Fruit posts on Friday afternoon at strangefruitpod.org, and airs Saturday nights at 10pm on 89.3 WFPL.

Last Saturday, Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson shot an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown, multiple times, killing him. Since then, the situation in Ferguson has been ever changing. Protests and vigils were initially met with a heavy-handed response from the police, who were outfitted with paramilitary equipment that seemed disproportionate to the situation. Eventually, Missouri Governor Jay Dixon relieved the Ferguson PD of policing the situation, placing the town under control of the Missouri Highway Patrol. While all eyes are on Ferguson, the shooting of an unarmed black man by law enforcement is, sadly, a phenomenon that happens with alarming frequency all across the country. USA Today reported that on average there were 96 cases of a white police officer killing a black person each year between 2006 and 2012, based on justifiable homicides reported to the FBI by local police, and that number only includes convicted felons—not people like Mike Brown and Eric Garner, with no felony convictions. (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/14/police-killings-data/14060357/) A report by Mother Jones breaks the situation down by state, and includes the low rate of conviction for these officers: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/08/police-shootings-michael-brown-ferguson-black-men This week on Strange Fruit, St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann, and Bridjes O'Neil of the St. Louis American join us from Ferguson to explain what happened there, and talk about the community's history of tension with its police force. Here at home, we speak with Councilwoman Attica Scott, whose op-ed in the Courier-Journal this week described the fear involved in raising black sons. (http://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/08/11/mothers-fear-black-son/13905957/) "People need to understand that police officers are paid by taxpayer dollars," she said. "The budget is reviewed and approved by some local government to then pay these individuals to kill our babies. And that's not okay." The Ferguson aftermath and investigation continues to develop, so watch our twitter for updates: @strangefruitpod. Plus, we remembered comedian Robin Williams, who played what might be considered "queer" roles, like Mrs. Doubtfire, and the Birdcage's Armand Goldman, before LGBTQ characters had the pop culture visibility they do today. We promised to share some of our own favorite Robin Williams moments, so here they are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veYR3ZC9wMQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db5ukd6020Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_lbK_6n5eY And we also welcome our new radio listeners this week! Strange Fruit can now be heard on 89.3 WFPL in Louisville (and live streaming at wfpl.org) on Saturday nights at 10pm, just after The Tavis Smiley Show.

This week on Strange Fruit, we speak with Rachel Lippmann of St. Louis Public Radio, and Bridjes O'Neill of the St. Louis American, about the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer—and the aftermath in the community. We also hear from our Louisville Councilwoman Attica Scott about her fears for her own black son. "People need to understand that police officers are paid by taxpayer dollars," she says. "The budget is reviewed and approved by some local government to then pay these individuals to kill our babies. And that's not okay." Hear the full conversation and more, this week on Strange Fruit. Strange Fruit airs Saturday at 10pm on 89.3 WFPL in Louisville, and posts online at strangefruitpod.org.

"If you could write just one letter to someone beginning transition or your younger pre-transition self, what would you say?" That's the question at the heart of a new book called "Letters for My Sisters: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect." This week we spoke with the book's editors, Andrea James and Deanne Thornton, about the wisdom assembled in the book—and asked them to share their own advice for their pre-transition sisters. Andrea, who created the groundbreaking website Transsexual Roadmap in 1996, said we all go through transitions all the time. "Every day we're on a journey," she said. "We're always in transition and we're always traveling. It's important to take a moment each day and really appreciate all the wonderful things that are going on around you." Deanne Thornton said the honesty in some of the letters is in line with some of the trans women who have guided her along her own path. "Every trans woman I've met on my journey was perfectly willing to be open and share about it," she said. "They didn't feel that it was s secret they needed to keep. It was something they were happy to share with others." In our Juicy Fruit segment this week, Jaison shared some Louisville trivia (did you know the composer of the Seinfeld theme song is from here?). We also tackled a subject that's been a little heated over the summer: the ways white gay men appropriate black women's culture. Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton famously tweeted that "Inside every gay man is a fierce black woman," and it seems many gay men agree. In July, Sierra Mannie wrote a piece for TIME Magazine called, "Dear White Gays: Stop Stealing Black Female Culture." (http://time.com/2969951/dear-white-gays-stop-stealing-black-female-culture/). In it, she acknowledged that both groups experience marginalization, so it feel like there would be a natural kinship. "The difference is that the black women with whom you think you align so well, whose language you use and stereotypical mannerisms you adopt, cannot hide their blackness and womanhood to protect themselves the way that you can hide your homosexuality," she wrote. "We have no place to hide, or means to do it even if we desired them." Later in the summer, our own Dr. Story appeared on a segment of HuffPost Live with Sierra and other guests to talk about it: http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/archive/segment/53c57db1fe3444d4c5000172 We're glad to be back, Fruitcakes, and hope you had a great summer!

Keith Brooks was waiting for a bus while on traveling in Oslo, Norway, when he was approached by two men who asked if he is gay. When he said yes, the men began to beat him, and a third man hit him with a bottle, cutting his face and head. Keith is a friend to the show, and our colleague at the Fairness Campaign. He joined us to describe what happened, and the aftermath—both legal and emotional. You can keep up with Keith and this story (and his many other travel adventures) on twitter at @keithbrooks. [Note: This interview is via Skype from Stockholm, Sweden, so please pardon our occasional audio glitches!] Coverage of the incident on Towleroad (warning: there's a photo of Keith's injury at the link): http://www.towleroad.com/2014/07/gay-man-attacked-with-glass-bottle-in-oslo-after-being-asked-if-he-is-gay.html

Atlanta native Kenny Leon already had an impressive resume—and after Sunday night, he can add Tony Award winner. He took home the award for best direction for his work on "A Raisin in the Sun." (which also won for best revival of a play). Leon was a guest on WFPL's Strange Fruit last year, and told us he hadn't always planned on a career in the arts. "Basically when you grow up poor in the South, your parents are itching for you to do something that they know something about," he explained. "My choice was to be a teacher, a preacher, a doctor or lawyer, something like that—and being the first person in my family to go to college." He headed to Atlanta, where his involvement in the Atlanta University Center introduced him to people like Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, and LaTanya Richardson. Soon he was teaching theatre workshops in the prison system and nursing homes, and working with and for the homeless in Atlanta. "That really rewarded me," he said. "I thought God had put me here to have a life in the arts." Photo: kennyleon.com

Last week we were invited by the Muhammad Ali Center to host a talkback panel after a screening of The New Black, a film looking at how LGBTQ activism, the black church, homophobia, and queer people of color affected the fight for marriage equality in Maryland. The film was great (if there's a screening near you, check it out), and our conversation after was quite lively, so we're bringing that to you this week in lieu of a feature interview.   This week's Juicy Fruit: Friend to the show Yaba Blay has won a first-place Independent Publishers Book Award Gold Medal Award for her book, One Drop! We love her! LaVerne Cox was on the cover of TIME Magazine (on her birthday!), and while the interview has its problems, it's not entirely bad, and she looked sickening on the cover. Read it here. And speaking of, Orange Is the New Black comes back next week and we're trying so hard not to watch it all in two days this time but we probably will. Kim & Kanye got married, which lead us into a who-is-cuter argument regarding Blue Ivy and North West. We congratulate them, because, to paraphrase Jaison's facebook status, "Sometimes you gotta sleep with a few Ray Js before you find your Kanye." And speaking of true love, Stacey Dash got a job at Fox News, and we think they're a perfect match.

Our feature interview this week was with Rob Smith, whose new book, Closets, Combat, and Coming Out looks at life as a gay man in the military during the Don't Ask Don't Tell years. In November, 2011, Rob was part of a group of LGBTQ vets who chained themselves to the White House fence to protest DADT (people of color were disproportionately affected by the policy; in 2008, people of color made up 29 percent of the total military population, but constituted 45 percent of DADT discharges). In Juicy Fruit this week we addressed Elevator-Gate, and who should whoop who or not when family disputes become physical. We were also joined by Jake Ryan from the WFPL newsroom, who told us about a local story involving a transgender high school student. The female student had been given permission to use the girls' restroom at Atherton High School, but Clint Elliott, a Louisville attorney, speaking on behalf of the faith-based legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, complained to the Jefferson County Board of Education about it. Atherton is now moving toward becoming the first school in the Jefferson County Public School system to adopt a discrimination policy with specific protections for transgender students.  And Michael Sam became the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL last week, and then kissed his boyfriend live on ESPN. It was a lovely moment, no doubt, but it occurred to us while watching that, as we see black people (LGBTQ or not) rise in the ranks of fame and wealth, we see more and more of them with white partners. Sometimes we even see folks beginning their career with a black spouse, only to see them divorce a few years later and end up with a white person.  Is it because they're hanging out in mostly rich white people, so that's who they meet? Or is there a whiff of status symbol involved? What do you think, Fruitcakes?

On this week's show, we talked to journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas about his latest film, Documented, his organization, Define American, and his experience as an undocumented person living in the United States. Vargas described how his intersecting identities have required him to come out of two closets - one of which was easier than the other: "For me, being vocal and open about being gay, knowing where I grew up in California, was much easier than outing myself as undocumented." We also explored the idea that our equality is tied to everyone else's equality - and that we have a long way to go. " This country invented white like it invented black. And now you have all these Latinos and Asian people - everybody's just confused," he explained. "I actually think that's why we're at this very seminal moment in american history. People like to think that we live in some kind of post racial colorblind Obama era thing. And you and I both know that that doesn't exist." In our Juicy Fruit segment, we talked about UMass basketball star Derrick Gordon's relationship with CSI actor Gerald McCullouch. Gordon is 22, McCullouch is 47, and while we don't know anything about this particular relationship, Jaison points out that it's part of a larger phenomenon of middle aged white men who only date very young black or Latino men. We discussed how in some cases this attraction is based on fetishization, and can even be predatory. And we announced an event we're looking forward to: On Thursday, May 29th, we'll host a screening of The New Black, a film by Yoruba Richen that chronicles the efforts of black LGBT activists to pass marriage equality legislation in Maryland. Our own Jaison Gardner and Dr. Kaila Story will hold a discussion and Q&A after the film. Click here for details and here to reserve your free ticket.

Donald Sterling's racism and punishment were all anyone was talking about last week - so we did too! And to supplement our, shall we say, spotty familiarity with athletic endeavors, we enlisted the help of friend-to-the-show Brian Lee West. Brian has spoken to us before about his theater work, but this time he joined us in his capacity as our favorite basketball superfan. In case you were under a rock (or completely overwhelmed by a little horse race), here's what happened: Donald Sterling, owner of the L.A. Clippers, was recorded telling his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, not to post pictures of herself with black people on social media, and not to bring black people to his games. Not only is this obviously racist, it's also pretty irrational; Donald Sterling's girlfriend is half African American, half Latina, and the overwhelming majority of NBA players are black. Including all but two of the players on his own team's roster. And their coach. Stiviano's Instagram photo of herself with Magic Johnson at a Clippers game seemed to be the inciting incident for it all. Magic shot back on twitter that he would never attend another Clippers game as long as Sterling owns the team. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Donald Sterling from the association for life. The other team owners will vote on whether to force him to sell the team. Brian helped us analyse the situation, including Sterling's long history of racism, the LA branch of the NAACP giving him awards, and what the deal is with racist people who date and sleep with people of color. "Sterling has that plantation owner's mentality where you can enjoy the fruits of your 'property' - what the plantation owner considers his property," Brian said. "But the plantation owner doesn't want to get too comfy. Doesn't want to get too close to the 'property.'" He also wondered whether Sterling's wealth has lead him to be out of touch with mainstream society. "He lives a sheltered life," Brian explained. "He doesn't see what happens in the rest of America. So he's probably really out of touch and thinks that his views are still germane to what is happening in America today. " (While he was with us, Brian also told us about the newest exhibit at the Frazier History Museum, Gridiron Glory. It features a Lombardi Trophy, which we understand is an important prize given to the winners of a sports contest. It also features Brian doing historical interpretation as football star Woody Strode, pictured.) We congratulated George Clooney on his engagement to such an accomplished woman, and we spoke about the HRC's intention to focus on the South - a move that has many southern activists scratching their heads. And of course, we had to acknowledge adult website pornhub for doing their part for the environment; as part of an Arbor Day promotion (SFW link), they planted a tree for every 100 videos watched during the week. As Dr. Story said, "I feel like I've created a garden of Eden."

This Summer during New York's Pride celebration, violinist and opera singer Tona Brown will become the first trans woman of color ever to perform at Carnegie Hall - headlining the first LGBTQ-themed production ever to be staged there. We were lucky enough to speak with Tona this week about the music she will play there, and the importance of transgender people in LGTBTQ history. NYC Pride 2014 will focus on commemorating the Stonewall Riots, which were lead by trans women of color. Tona says she's been able to reach the level she has in her career because she took a non-traditional path. "Everything that I do is as an independent, freelance artist," she explains, which means she produces her own events and released her album, This Is Who I Am, independently. "Now if I had tried to do it the traditional way, of going to The Met competitions and doing all of that sort of thing, and meeting a conductor that can say yea or nay to me being hired," she says, "I would have had a different experience." She encourages other aspiring artists to hone their craft and be persistent, even if discrimination slows their progress. "If you have a talent and you have a drive to not let people tell you what you can and cannot do, you will succeed. It will just take you longer." With the help of GLAAD, she's raising funds to support the production. We'll be keeping up with her on Facebook and Twitter and will keep you posted on her progress (and let you know when tickets go on sale, for those who can make the trip!). We absolutely adore Tona and can't wait to see what she might accomplish next! Since we're Love And Hip Hop Atlanta fans, we had to talk about Mimi and Nikko's sex tape this week in our Juicy Fruit segment. Whether you think so-called "leaked" sex tapes are publicity stunts or the real deal, they share a troubling common denominator: "The thing that kills me about all of these sex tapes that come out, like Kim Kardashian and now Mimi," Kaila says, "is that in all of these straight copulation videos, there's no condom! I mean, in 2014, it's really not time for you straight women to keep sleeping with men raw. Just an FYI, that's not a good look." And as Jaison adds, "Pregnancy's the least of your concerns." Indeed, women now account for 1 in 5 of new HIV infections - with African-American women particularly at risk - mostly from heterosexual sex. So why do we only see free condom distribution and mobile STD testing trucks outside gay bars? What would happen if straight people were encouraged to keep track of their status as conscientiously as gay folks are expected to? Would we see a celebrity safe-sex tape one day? Also in Juicy Fruit, we touched on the always-controversial subject of corporal punishment for children, inspired by a Louisville mom who is accused of punching her teenage son in the mouth, busting his lip and loosening one of his teeth. And we had to toot our own horn a bit, because Jaison Gardner recently appeared before a committee of the Louisville Metro Council to talk about the challenges faced by tipped workers who make a $2.13/hour minimum wage. Check out his remarks and let us know what you th

For most of us, Michael Jackson's death is one of those where-were-you moments. "When I found out MJ died, Jai was with me in the car, and I pulled the car over at a gas station and I started bawling, crying. And he thought my dad had died," Dr. Story says. "Michael Jackson was very symbolic to me of my childhood - listening to his music with my dad when I was a little girl, and I just didn't expect him to die like that." When we heard Cirque du Soleil had put together a stage production based on the King of Pop's music and dance, we wanted to find out more. So this week we spoke to Laura Silverman who does publicity for the group about how the show came together, and the challenges of bringing such a legendary life to the stage. In our Juicy Fruit segment this week, we welcomed Derrick Gordon to the fun side of the closet; the University of Massachusetts shooting guard is now the first openly-gay male athlete to play NCAA Division I basketball. (In related news, this week's show serves as a Dear John letter from Jaison to his former boyfriend, Michael Sam.) Dr. Story also stanned for Beyoncé's interview and photos in Out Magazine, and we shouted out Tona Brown, a trans woman who will become the first African-American violinist to ever perform at Carnegie Hall! We also covered The Tenth, a bi-annual zine documenting "the history, culture, ideas and aesthetics of the black, gay community," and Reverend Al's assertion that he's not a rat, after documents emerged suggesting he informed the FBI about mafia activities in the 1980s.

This week we spoke with local hip hop artist Jalin Roze, who was recently announced as part of the lineup for this year's Forecastle Festival. We talked to Jalin about hip hop's place in young people's lives, its importance as a genre, and how he became an artist himself. He also brought us a tune called "That's It," which we played a sample of in the studio, leading to a conversation about what the n word means in the context of hip hop culture. "At least when I personally use it - I don't use it to kind of glorify that word, I'm just using it to paint the picture. For instance in the song, when I was like, 'Where I'm from niggas slump from the pump all because a young nigga wanna beef.' And I was using those two words to symbolize the fact that there are a lot of killing, a lot of violence going on, for no reason really, because some people just like beef. Some people just like drama." Jalin also sat in on our Juicy Fruit segment this week, where we started out with a discussion of a new song and video by gay rapper Fly Young Red. The song is called "Throw That Boy P****" (note: we say the full title on the show) and it's been making the rounds online this week for its controversial portrayal of the feminine-performing gay men who dance in the video. Earlier this week, friends-to-the-show Darnell Moore and Wade Davis hosted a great discussion on their Tongues Untied blog about whether the video is revolutionary or, as Darnell said, "misogyny and sexism in queer drag." Jaison had concerns with what impression the video gives of LGBTQ people of color. "I don't like the fact that there are some straight people who know nothing about black gay men, who are gonna see this video and think that everybody's talking about boy p****," he said. "The first thing you're exposed to about black gay culture is gonna be this video? It's very reductive to me. Versus Big Freedia who's making good music about everything, that everybody can dance to, and happens to be gay. " We also spoke briefly about Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta's Benzino having been shot by a nephew during his mother's funeral. And Jaison was interviewed for an article in Next Magazine called Getting Off Scot-Free, which looked at free versus paid online porn, whether or not people are willing to pay for porn, and how piracy affects the adult industry. Our thanks to Jalin Roze for stopping by the Strange Fruit Studios and sticking around to weigh in on Juicy Fruit. His latest release, Grand National Dreams is now available, and you can also keep up with him on twitter, at @JalinRoze. We can't wait to see him at Forecastle!