Sunsara Taylor on "The Birth of a Nation" and the attacks on Nate Parker.
Sunsara Taylor recently wrote, "On the eve of the major release of a new film, 'The Birth of a Nation,' which chronicles the heroic slave rebellion of Nat Turner, a huge controversy has broken out over 17-year-old allegations of sexual assault directed against the film's writer, director and star, Nate Parker."
Despite the fact that Nate Parker was tried and found not guilty years ago, he's suddenly being attacked. What's up with this?
Sunsara Taylor is a writer for revcom.us and the key initiator of End Pornography and Patriarchy: The Enslavement and Degradation of Women (StopPatriarchy.org)
Check out the trailer to "Birth of a Nation"
Carl Dix, Colin Kaepernick Puts It on the Line Against the National Anthem!
Colin Kaepernick
Carl Dix wrote at revcom.us: "National Football League quarterback Colin Kaepernick called it right when he refused to stand up for the national anthem, saying: 'I am not going to stand up to show pride in the flag of a country that oppresses Black people and people of color.'"
Carl Dix is a courageous freedom fighter from the 1960s who went on to become a revolutionary fighter and a communist. Dix spent two years in military prison for refusing to fight in the unjust Vietnam War. He's a founding member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, and a co-founder of the Stop Mass Incarceration Network.
The Music of Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw, musician, singer and songwriter, joins us to talk about his music and his then-scheduled performance at Rock Out! 3, a benefit for Jail Guitar Doors. Guitarist and singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw's musical career began in the early 1980s, when he was seen as a latter-day Buddy Holly. But as someone said, "He soon proved too talented and original to be anyone but himself." As a songwriter, he has written scores of compositions. He is also a talented performer. Last week on the show, fellow guitarist Wayne Kramer noted, "People think of Marshall as a great singer and songwriter, but he's a wicked guitar player. Every time I play with him, I get a guitar lesson."
Check out Marshall's official website.