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. T

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

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 b

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

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 rega

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 Educa

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 ou

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

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 ex

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

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

Out of town Fruitcakes may not have heard, but a large group of teenagers committed multiple assaults and robberies on March 22nd in downtown Louisville. Racist commentary followed; the teenagers were black and, though their victims included both white and black folks, many in the community framed the incident as black on white crime. The WFPL newsroom has been following the story, and our News Director Gabe Bullard joined us for part of our Juicy Fruit segment this week to talk about the incident and how the community and media responded. "We are attracted to a person, to a soul, and not necessarily whatever their reproductive organs are." That's how our guest this week, Djuan Trent, explains her choice to identify as queer. The former Miss Kentucky made headlines this month when she came out on her blog; interviews and profile pieces followed. Originally from Georgia, she went to Berea College and now calls Kentucky home. After being crowned Miss Kentucky in 2010, she went on to place among the to

Chuck MF Deuce is a fixture on our Louisville hip hop scene, writing, performing and producing with Skyscraper Stereo. But he recently turned his attention to filmmaking, and his first full-length movie, Good Luck With That, premiered last Sunday night at Baxter Avenue Theater. He joined us this week to talk about the film and to join us for Juicy Fruit. We talked about Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson, the black lesbian couple who were murdered in Texas. When we recorded this, police were still looking for clues. Since then, we've learned the shocking news that Britney Cosby's own father is suspected of killing the two women because he didn't like that they were gay. Also in Juicy Fruit, the Malaysian flight disappearance happened while Dr. Story was on a trip, triggering her flight anxiety. And a new documentary called Whitelandia explores the racist origins of Oregon, and gentrification in Portland, which is the whitest major city in the USA, and getting whiter.Then we dove into a topic we've covered befo

To say Aisha and Danielle Moodie-Mills are busy would be like Jaison calling Michael Sams okay-looking. They're the founders of a a policy initiative called Fighting Injustice to Reach Equality (FIRE), have been named a "power couple to watch" by Black Enterprise and Politico, and were the first lesbian wedding ever profiled by Essence. Lucky for us all, they didn't stop there: They also host a talk show called Politini, which was recently picked up by theGriot. They joined us this week to tell us more about this latest venture, their background, and how they became such visible, powerful advocates. In our Juicy Fruit segment, we covered Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's veto of a bill that would've allowed businesses to refuse service to LGBTQ citizens, and former Miss Kentucky Djuan Trent's inspiring blog post in which she came out as queer. Trent said coming out publicly was necessary for her because it's not an identity people can see when meeting her: "I would find it rather odd if a man walke

LGBTQ and feminist activist Urvashi Vaid will deliver the Minx Auerbach Lecture Tuesday night at the University of Louisville. She joined us this week to share a little about her speech, called “Winning the Future: A Critical Look at the LGBT Movement," and to answer our questions about her work, and the future of social justice activism. The Minx Auerbach Lecture takes place tonight at 5pm in Comstock Hall, at 105 W. Brandeis Ave., and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jan Rayburn at (502) 852-8160. In our Juicy Fruit segment this week, we talk about Spike Lee's recent announcement that he's making a sequel to School Daze, Arizona's controversial so-called "religious freedom" bill (which has been vetoed since we recorded this episode), and marriage equality making its way to Texas. We also shouted out Aisha and Danielle Moodie-Mills, who are hosting a new video series calledPolitini on the Griot. Aisha and Danielle are a married couple who describe themselves as pol

This week on Strange Fruit, we're joined in the studio by Dan Canon and Laura Landenwich, two of the attorneys who litigated Kentucky's recent marriage equality case. They gave us some background on the case and told us more about the addition of unmarried plaintiffs (including friend-to-the-show Bojangles Blanchard and his husband) and what might happen next. We appreciate them, not only for the work they do, but for explaining some of the legal intricacies in language we didn't have to go to law school to follow along with. In our Juicy Fruit segment, we discuss the recent controversy over Nicki Minaj using a photo of Malcolm X on her new single cover, and how it harkens back to her mentor, Lil Wayne, using imagery of Emmett Till in his lyrics. The trial of Michael Dunn for the death of teenager Jordan Davis was also on our minds this week. Dunn opened fire on the SUV Davis was in, after asking them to turn their music down. He later claimed Davis had a shotgun, though no weapon was ever found. Last week a