Slate Race and Identity

Latest Episodes:

Represent | "9 to 5" writer Patricia Resnick discusses her 40+ years working in Hollywood Oct 21, 2016

Show notes

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to film/tv writer, Patricia Resnick, about working in Hollywood in the 70s and 80s, ageism and sexism in the industry, and the legacy of one of the most celebrated feminist comedies of all time, 9 to 5.

Check out:

-Patricia Resnick in the Hollywood Reporter, weighing in on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy

-Aisha’s interview with Lily Tomlin on the art of maintaining a long, successful career

-Lily Tomlin on what makes 9 to 5 a special movie

-Patricia Resnick’s 1992 filmStraight Talk

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Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

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Represent | The Birth of a Nation Edition Oct 14, 2016

Show notes

Slate’s culture writer Aisha Harris and chief political correspondent Jamelle Bouie discuss the very controversial awards season contender, Nate Parker’s the Birth of a Nation.

Check out what we mentioned:

-Aisha’s piece in Slate, “In the Birth of a Nation, Women Don’t Participate in Nat Turner’s Rebellion. History Tells Us Otherwise.”

-Former President George W. Bush at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

-Good Morning America:Birth of a Nation Star Nate Parker Speaks Out

-The 2003 filmNat Turner: A Troublesome Property

For more Nate Parker rape allegation coverage we recommend:

-About Race podcast: Cold Empathy for Nate Parker with Roxane Gay

-Ebony: “Nate Parker on Campus Incident, Consent and Toxic Male Culture”

-Slate: “Nate Parker Seems Like He’s Had It With Talking About Rape”

Bonus: The 50 greatest movies by black directors.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams.

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Represent | Cord Jefferson discusses his journey from journalist to TV writer Oct 07, 2016

Show notes

Slate culture writer Aisha Harris talks to former Gawker editor–turned–TV writer Cord Jefferson, writer for the dearly departed the Nightly Show and upcoming Season 2 of Master of None.

Check out:

-Cord Jefferson on NBC: “When will moderate whites condemn dangerous White Culture?”

-“The Racism Beat: What it’s like to write about hate over and over and over”

-Will Smith’s best performance in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

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Represent | "Spa Night" lead Joe Seo on being a working Asian American actor Sep 30, 2016

Show notes

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to actor Joe Seo about his new film, Spa Night, and Vulture writer Alex Jung comes on to chat race and class in Season 3 of Transparent.

Check out:

-Radio Raheem’s “love, hate” monologue in Do the Right Thing

-Will & Grace scene about the 2016 election

-Fences teaser trailer

-Alex Jung’s interview with Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Represent is brought to you by Upstanders, a new podcast from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Hear stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities. Listen and subscribe to Upstanders on iTunes now.

And by Denial. From the screenwriter of The Hours and The Reader comes the true story of one woman’s court battle for historical truth against a Holocaust denier. Starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Wilkinson. Denial: Now playing in select theaters.

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Represent | Writer-director Justin Tipping talks "making a film with no white people" Sep 23, 2016

Show notes

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to writer/director Justin Tipping about his new movie, Kicks which tells the story of 15 year old Brandon, who goes on a dangerous mission through Oakland to retrieve his “fresh to death” pair of Air Jordans, after they were stolen.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

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Represent | "Crash" director Paul Haggis reflects on his 2005 film Sep 22, 2016

Show notes

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to writer-director Paul Haggis, of 2005’s Crash, one the most derided Best Picture Oscar winners, ever.

Check out what the critics had to say:

-Worst Movie Of The Decade by Ta-Nehisi Coates

-Crash and Fizzle by David Edelstein

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

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Represent | Director Kamala Lopez on ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment Sep 16, 2016

Show notes

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris sits down with actress, filmmaker, and activist Kamala Lopez, about her new documentary, Equal Means Equal, which advocates hard for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment; and talks Donald Glover and his new off-kilter half-hour comedy on FX, Atlanta with Kara Brown, staff writer at Jezebel.

Check out:

-Donald Glover’s Community by Rembert Browne

-Solange Knowles essay: “And do you belong I do?” I do.

-Paperboy song from Atlanta

-How Amos ’n’ Andy Paved the Way for Black Stars on TV

-Black List Live! in LA Saturday, 9/17

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

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Represent | Actor/transgender activist Jen Richards talks Matt Bomer in "Anything" Sep 13, 2016

Show notes

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to writer/actor and transgender activist, Jen Richards, about Magic Mike star Matt Bomer being cast in the role of a transgender sex worker in the upcoming film, Anything.

Check out:

-Emmy nominated, Her Story

-Mark Ruffalo Addresses Concerns Over Trans Insensitivity on Twitter

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

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Represent | MTV actor Nicole Byer on being a black female comedian on social media Sep 09, 2016

Show notes

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to MTV actor/comedian Nicole Byer, lead in her new semi-autobiographical new sitcom, Loosely Exactly Nicole. They chat about the show and some of the minor controversy it stirred, as well as frustrating casting calls, Leslie Jones and the perils of being a black female comedian on social media.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

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Represent | Comedy vet Craig Robinson talks 'Morris From America' Sep 02, 2016

Show notes

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris explores coming-of-age stories from the perspective of people of color. She talks to comedy vet Craig Robinson, about his new indie dramedy, Morris From America; and delves into the new Netflix show The Get Down, with Tiffany Vazquez, Saturday afternoon host for Turner Classic Movies.

Check out:

-SLATE: How Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Bruce Lee Inspired a Dazzling Dance Sequence in The Get Down

-EBONY: Nate Parker on Campus Incident, Consent and Toxic Male Culture

And the coming-of-age movies on Aisha’s “must watch” list:

-Girlhood: (Movie Clip) Diamonds

-Raising Victor Vargas

-Aaron Loves Angela: (Movie Clip) Too Much Like My Old Man

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

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