Korks Talks

Alice Neel: Hot Off The Griddle - Barbican Art Gallery

Review of 'Maame' by Jessica George and 'Rootless' by Krystle Zara Appiah

Review: David Adjaye at The Barbican Curve

Review: Rye Lane featuring David Jonsson as Dom and Vivian Oparah as Yas

Review: Medea at Soho Place @sohoplace featuring Sophie Okonedo.

Review: The Heterogeneous Sound Ideal in African-American Music at the British Academy featuring George Lewis FBA and a mini review of Sheku-Kanneh Mason and the Philharmonic Orchestra at Southbank Centre.

Review: Othello at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

Review: As You Like It at Soho Place featuring Leah Jarvey, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Alfred Enoch and many more.

Review: Félicité at the The Ministry by Redye productions featuring artist Juliana Kasumu.

Review: Mandela at Young Vic theatre

The State of Acting in Black Britain

Review of Hex at National Theatre at Southbank Centre and Frozen at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Review: Mo Gilligan and Friends - The Black British Takeover

Featuring Eddie Kadi, Michael Odewale, Kyrah Gray, Axel Blake, Angie Le Mar, Richard Blackwood and Mo Gilligan.

Review: Malorie Blackman in conversation with Jackie Kay at British Library (about her memoir - 'Just Sayin')

Review: Stacey Gillian Abe at UNIT London

Life Update: Trip to Ghana, Work and Wins 

Review: Amy Sherald's "The World We Made" at Hauser & Wirth

Review: 'Joint' by Jay Bernard - Southbank Centre (Purcell Sessions)

Review: The Woman King directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood

Review: The Wonderful World of Dissocia at Stratford East

Review: Hallyu: The Korean Wave at the Victora & Albert Museum (V & A Museum)

Review: Winslow Homer: Force of Nature at the National Portrait Gallery

Review: Exclusive Premiere of Catherine Called Birdy (12A) at Barbican Centre

Directed by Monique Touko and produced by Dipo Baruwa-Etti.

Review: 'The Silent Twins' and Q+A with Letitia Wright, Tamara Lawrance, Cobbie Yates and Akua Gyamfi.

Also a short review of Skepta's piece 'Mama Goes To The Market' at Sotheby's.

Review: Black and Female with Tsitsi Dangaremgba (with Irenosen Okojie) at Southbank Centre with English Pen.

Review: An Evening with Edward Enninful (Interview with Michaela Coel)

Review of Picador's 50th anniversary event, with the Royal Society of Literature (200 Years), celebrating the re-publication of Jamaica Kincaid's works, hosted at the Black Cultural Archives (BCA).

Over the past week, I've watched 2 independent films: one at Southbank called My Old School which featured Alan Cumming; the other at Castle Cinema in Hackey featuring Nana Mensah who also wrote and directed the film. I also attended BrightLand Exhibition on Sunday afternoon. Here's my review!

Jam-packed review of 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once' film; Ekow Eshun's curation of the 'In The Black Fantastic' at the Hayward Gallery at Southbank Centre; and Stuart Semple's 'Festival of Happiness' at Dulwich Picture/Art Gallery.

Good news and job offers and chasing new highs!

Too many topics.

Digital Activism and Online Communites

More book themes and a timeline of what I hope will happen for the book.

This episode is the second in the 'My Writing Process' diaries.

A review of the sold-out show "For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy" and is informed by the landmark 1976 theatre piece by Ntozake Shange "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf"

https://blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/playwright-director-ryan-calais-cameron-for-black-boys-who-have-considered-suicide-when-the-hue-gets-too-heavy?listIds=591b37f155fd6dc14e461ae7

A play written by babirye bukilwa and directed by Malakai Sargeant that evaluates themes of diet culture, antiBlackness, fatphobia and misogyny.

Podcast with Stratford East: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tkQAJQHgRCsojYrpLhBEk?si=0bd115fbac47488f

Ruby Tandoh articles: 

https://ruby-tandoh.medium.com/empire-of-seeds-ee4308a529c4

https://heated.medium.com/your-hands-are-your-greatest-kitchen-utensil-3246caaab79c

How I write.

Review: Small Island at the Olivier Theatre at National Theatre

In this episode, I review the Waterstone Piccadilly event featuring Oliver Bullough in conversation with Serena Kutchinsky where he talks about his new book: 'Butler to the World: How Britain Became the Servant of Tycoons, Tax Dodgers, Kleptocrats and Criminals - drawing connections with the Suez Canal crisis as the origin of the financial industry which later came to become attractive for oligarchs to move their money. 

Using Oliver's point as a launching pad, I talk about related news like trends in the wider finance industry, the Ukraine v Russia war, ex-Chelsea owner Abramovich, metaphors in popular culture (Ask Jeeves as a metaphor for Butlerism), the breakdown of Empire, the Middle East and offshore accounts.

Review of exhibition of Caribbean-British art at Tate Britain, ending on April 3rd.

This episode is a mixture and politlcs, hopscotching a variety of shows I've watched and articles and books I've read, including but not limited to:

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy - BBCTwo - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0bncnd5/stanley-tucci-searching-for-italy-series-1-1-naples-and-the-amalfi-coast

The Dropout - DisneyPlus - https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/series/the-dropout/5C0gjGwyRTeZ

Courttia Newland's talk about 'A River Called Time'

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/21/the-anti-elizabeth-holmes

https://blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/magic-system-premier-gaou-iconic-cross-cultural?listIds=591b37f155fd6dc14e461ae7

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/writing-controversial-opinions-journalism/627014/

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/cornel-west-sees-a-spiritual-decay-in-the-culture

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/21/474847921/the-arctic-suicides-its-not-the-dark-that-kills-you?t=1646960631186

Review of BBC drama: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/mar/01/mood-review-songs-sorrow-and-sex-work-in-nicole-leckys-bold-fresh-drama

This episode includes a mini-review of Stanley Tucci's new series: Searching For Italy https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0bncl3n , engaging with different cultural views on death, the impact of cultural forces like Jamal Edwards, Andre Leon Talley and Virgil Abloh before they passed, and the role of mental health in the Black community.

Catapult Magazine extract by Eloghosa Osunde https://catapult.co/stories/rain-short-fiction-by-eloghosa-osunde

This episode includes a tribute to award-winning cultural entrepreneur and SB.TV founder Jamal Edwards who passed away at 31 last week. Around this tribute, I talk about the importance and cultural impact of entertainment and sport in the Black community. I also talk about education and learning - how changes to terms of student loans - in terms of entitlement and repayment, hinders young people's opportunities for growth, not just as graduates but as citizens.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81168503

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0014jmn/imagine-2022-2-labi-siffre-this-is-my-song

Review of Netflix show: https://www.netflix.com/title/81426972 , thoughts on service provisions as participants of capitalism, the alleviating effects of socialism in the professional services economy and how to make yourself happy.

Article mentioned: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/feb/13/too-close-for-comfort-the-pitfalls-of-parasocial-relationships

Day after Valentines.

This episode explores love and its ramifications. Starting off with a review of the Netflix shows 'The Tindler Swindler' and 'Inventing Anna' which were about scamming on social media, I talk about how the failure to meet Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs leaves people vulnerable to exploitation - and how we must reframe our understanding of love into a framework for care.

A review of the 2 recently released miniseries 'Chloe' (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0b69pn6/chloe-series-1-episode-1) and 'This Is Going To Hurt' (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0b6k5gx) - both are dramas of which I talk about their form, storylines and cultural relevance. I also talk about how we navigate our lives with routines and finding purpose within and beyond our careers.

Happy new month.

A review of some films and docu-series I watched and a link the "Posting for Posterity" article by Terry Nguyen that I really enjoyed: https://genyeet.substack.com/p/posting-for-posterity

We Are History is an exhibition at Somerset House curated by Ekow Eshun.

https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/we-are-history

This episode is a part 1 cultural review of Lubaina Himid's self-titled exhibition at the Tate Modern; exploring themes of migration, femininity, masculinity and the politics of survival. Part 2 is to follow in June or July.

https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2022/watch-at-the-theatre/a-number

Featuring Paapa Essiedu and Lennie James.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLo5XMjIJD8

https://www.njlifehacks.com/the-war-of-art-steven-pressfield-summary/

https://news.sky.com/story/regina-king-tributes-as-ian-alexander-jr-dj-and-musician-son-of-oscar-winner-dies-aged-26-12523305

This episode includes a short review of new BBC show: Rules of the Game

Khadija Diskin's feature on https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tJURKkGKSSrRyEEJNS0Gb?si=14ee75fa13064d61 

https://blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/identity-politics-was-never-meant-to-be-a-weapon?listIds=605397fbf24df005d63304ca

A political episode lamenting how money, status and nobility combine in our modern age to protect people from being held to account for harmful and/or criminal behaviours. I do this by observing Boris Johnson's performance in the House at the PMQ, the lawsuit against Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell's conviction as sex offender.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/10/opinion/boris-johnson-britain-bills.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/12/prince-andrew-the-lengthy-and-embarrassing-legal-ordeal-ahead

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59502787

A review of the TV series Marcella and analysis of missing white woman syndrome.

This episode is a continued review of the film Encanto, a bit more commentary on Molly Mae, the discriminatory Nationality and Borders bill, and Netflix review of Stay Close.

This episode covers a variety of themes including the politics of repatriation for Black people living in the diaspora, Molly Mae's podcast comments, the metaverse and implications of wholly digital communities, the importance of recognizing culture as transient as opposed to fixed, the need to document history for future generations and the influence of capitalism on our approaches to our personal, political and professional lives.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/opinion/confederate-monuments-racism.html

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/16/right-culture-tories

https://www.netflix.com/title/80190588

A vocal breakdown into the conundrum of my mind.

A political episode about cultural values in art - ranging from the motifs we see in the UK vs USA and the inescapable politicisation of art content.

An episode about managing mental health, vices and building healthier long-term habits.

.First episode of the year - a review for a new Netflix film.

Last episode of the year!

This will be my final episode of 2021 - I started this podcast with a desire to express and managed to compile many hours of expression that I'm so thankful to share. 

Signing off wishing you all a Happy New Year.

Continuation of reviews.

Review of a round-up of films that touch on fate, humanity, control and love.

This episode is about the apocalypses of all types, political and personal: analysed through a review of the new Netflix film: Don't Look Up.

Reviews of more shows/films.

In this episode, I talk about 3 very random shows/films I've watched to gear up for the festive season.

Have a listen!

What the title said.

This episode summarises a new Japanese anime series I binge-watched; it also covers themes of climate change, humanity, good vs evil and much more. I also talk about some other shows/films I've watched, including Netflix's The Unforgivable, and lament on the state of TV/film today.

A review of the new BBC Drama starring Samuel Adewunmi (The Last Tree) and Bukky Bakray (Rocks).

In this episode, I talk about being exclusively invited to watch Adele live at the London Palladium on Saturday 6th November; walking the red carpet, the privilege of watching Adele's performance live and in-person (later aired on ITV: https://www.itv.com/hub/an-audience-with/L0055a0007), the no-phone policy and how honoured I was to witness so much excellence (and celebrity fervour)! Dream come true!

In this episode, I talk about my difficulty finding cosmetic products that suit me: from haircare to skincare and hair removal, and how I go about navigating this as a dark-skinned Black woman.

In this episode, I talk about the themes I identified in the Eternals film - including religion, environmental (climate crisis), race and philosophy. Disclaimer: As a Marvel novice, I know nothing about the Marvel universe but I gave it a try! 

This episode is about the importance of the impending ecological crisis (climate change) and the Black British perspective to it.

Insulate Britain: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59163068

This episode is a quick review of 2 events I attended and the takeaways I learned from both:

Check out the following for more:

Stafford Scott: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/stafford-scott

Rianna Jade Parker: http://riannajadeparker.com/ 

Jade LB: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/144/1443146/keisha-the-sket/9781529118919.html

In this episode, I explore the effects of capitalism and how it is shifting social and cultural norms: from poor work-life balance to declining health, both mental and physical. I also talk about the role of technology (particularly the internet) and its impact on us as a society; from individual self-care to communal healing. I also talk about the importance of perception: visibility, representation, and the institutional pressures that barricade us from redemption.

Links referenced:

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/childcare-costs-system-overhaul-working-parents-spend-half-wages-1236865

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/09/02/china-rules-996-work-culture-illegal-prevent-people-overworking

https://www.ft.com/content/683b4e41-9470-46ce-9c32-fe75214c4bf2

https://blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/what-does-it-mean-to-be-well-the-salt-eaters-wholeness-toni-cade-bambaras-legacy?listIds=590867cea8c0bab2039c3ac5

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58791333

https://www.netflix.com/title/80220334

https://www.ica.art/exhibitions/war-inna-babylon

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-54174794

https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/2021/10/10/strawberry-slavery/

For further reading on Black community, please engage with the works of the following: Lola Olufemi, Izin Akhabau, Nicolas Tyrell, Neef Ekpoudom, Jade Bentil, Kojo Koram, Nadine White, JJ Bola, Ruby Tandoh, Rianna Jade Parker.

Magazines: Black Ballad, Gal-Dem, Guernica Magazine,

This is a continuation of my series on abuse investigating how different forms of privilege: financial and monarchical, impact the ability of victims in their access to justice. 

Trigger warning: abuse and r*pe

In this episode, I continue to outline the structure of abuse; sharing my views on carceral punishment, the criminal penal system, the ramifications of compensation for victims and alternative dispute resolution.

This episode requires a trigger warning of: verbal, domestic, sexual abuse and death.

Recommended read: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/07/26/the-german-experiment-that-placed-foster-children-with-pedophiles

In this episode, I break down the metaphors of bread, feminism and consumption in Rachel Yoder's 'The Loaf' for Guernica Magazine (https://www.guernicamag.com/the-loaf/), coupled with my understanding of gratification and relationship with God.

Apologies for the hiatus all! I've been super busy. But please find below a host of articles I mention in the episode today (which is mostly about sustainability and self-care)

Recommended:

https://azmagazine.co.uk/is-this-character-quirky-or-is-she-just-autistic/

https://www.stylist.co.uk/fashion/fashion-rental-industry-social-media/543270

https://catapult.co/stories/rain-short-fiction-by-eloghosa-osunde

My article:

https://azmagazine.co.uk/joy-oladokuns-label-debut-album-in-defense-of-my-own-happiness-complete-seeks-to-fulfil-her-names-prophecy-with-a-tenuous-exploration-of-self/

This episode is about the importance of detoxing social media (particularly Twitter) as a Black woman, due to harm, danger and doxxing.

Links:

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2017/11/what-is-online-violence-and-abuse-against-women/

https://gal-dem.com/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-viral-essay-shows-transphobia/

In this episode I review a play that I watched: 'the sun, the moon, the stars' by Dipo Baruwa-Etti, and how it explored the familial/sibling love between Femi and Seun. Drawing on Yoruba-Nigerian cadence, the main character Femi (played by Kibong Tanji) poetically tells the story of her emotional and judicial quest after her brother Seun is murdered.

I also review the Serpentine Gallery's exhibition 'A Retrospective' by James Barnor and how phenomenal and important his photography was for Brits and Ghanaians. 

I also share my thoughts on Lupin Season 2 on Netflix and the archetye of Assane Diop.

Links: 

https://www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/the-sun-the-moon-and-the-stars

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-57286417

In this episode, I talk about my dogged experience with my natural hair and how we all need to be more sensitive to the coping mechanisms our elders take for assimilation, the inevitability of mortality and death, the cost of convenience.

(Excuse my nasal voice, I caught the flu!)

Links:

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2021/06/08/chronology-of-a-body/

In this episode I talk about my new and improved approach to life (and death), some amazing tips to improve my morning routine and how I've started re-negotiating boundaries in my life.

In this episode, I talk about the need for community amongst Black people, and how our hyper-individualism is akin to the theory of the bootstrap and infects the progression of the community as a whole. Starting from the exclusionary nature of mainstream institutions (in school) and how this discrimination affects the ability of Black people to escape poverty and achieve milestones like property ownership that affect the Black community. I also talk about the failures in the semantic understanding of 'pro-blackness' as a copout from real collective change.

Links mentioned:

Black Ballad article: School to Prison pipeline article by Mel Green: https://blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/school-to-prison-pipeline?listIds=598b26616409a286334e51bc&referrerType=article&referrerSource=related

BBC Documentary: 'Subnormal: A British Scandal' - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000w81h

Data on remittances: https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/migrant-remittances-to-and-from-the-uk/#:~:text=The%20UK%20not%20only%20sends,to%200.2%25%20of%20its%20GDP. 

Boris Johnson's fund for education: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-57320450

In this episode, I navigate a contractual and capitalistic approach to life: questioning social contracts, our appetite for ownership and citizenship of land and people, the capital that is our culture and challenging the universal norms and policies that dictate our existence.

I do this by talking about the information I've consumed lately (see below):

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/28/africa/germany-recognizes-colonial-genocide-namibia-intl/index.html

https://www.modernghana.com/news/1078504/a-quick-note-to-the-owners-of-electrochem-ghana.html

Netflix: High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81034518

In this episode, I speak about a documentary I watched about hoarding, my experience with ghosting (both as victim and perpetrator) and share my thoughts on latest BBC Three doc: 'Race, Pop & Power' hosted by Leigh-Anne Pinnock.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCzPCq-1MrI&t=1664s

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09fy1qy

This episode talks about my newfound inspiration which I located at the Tate Britain exhibition 'Fly In The League With Night' by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. I talk about how Yiadom-Boakye's interpretation and depiction of Black people, in particular, has refuelled me into being a more intentional artist.

Sone links I mention include my own blog: https://doublethekor.wordpress.com/category/art/ 

And a link to the Tate exhibition: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/lynette-yiadom-boakye

This episode traverses through my understanding of happiness (or rather Eudaimonia which is a Greek term for fulfillment) - from the chemicals involved to how happiness can become imbalanced. In light of the world's many atrocities: from the apartheid between Israel and Palestine, to the genocide of Hazara Shias and ethnic cleansing of Uyghur Muslims, it feels selfish to even recognise the concept of happiness. My hope is that this episode serves as a guiding light for those who feel helpless in how to be effective activists in a time like this - away from the moral posturing we often see online, I hope to explain practically how we as people can get involved in supporting the causes that matter to us - online and offline, socially and independently.

Links:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1N0QVjXCWWKlJVXXVyYf58f/learn-how-to-hack-your-happy-hormones

https://www.thecut.com/2021/05/tarana-burke-me-too.html

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0740770X.2013.825428?journalCode=rwap20

Links to conflicts mentioned:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/features/uighurs/

https://www.ajplus.net/stories/israels-system-is-nothing-less-than-apartheid

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/dozens-of-afghan-girls-killed-in-blasts-targeting-kabul-school/2233798

Good news galore!

This episode is a personal one, traversing the trials and tribulations I've faced this week; why I'm committing myself to a life of joy, improving my self-esteem, accepting the fact that I deserve great things, trusting God's guide, and maximising what I have to make way for my potential.

This episode talks about body image in a variety of contexts: from the rise in surgical procedures (Brazilian Butt Lifts), to the popularity of the unlicensed sale of Apetamin syrup, and how they disproportionately harm Black women. By sharing facts and statistics, I hope to encourage listeners to rethink their approach to body modification/enhancement without judging. 

Politically, I speak about the role of the Black woman as a consumer, and how often markets fail in regulating the procedures and products we disproportionately experience and consume; from minor blips like poor hairdressing to full-blown maternal mortality - and how this directly links to the tenuous access to citizenship the Black community is privy to.

On a tangent, I also explain the unconscious centralisation of whiteness in our desire for European luxury and cuisine (as opposed to Black) In mentioning this example, I juxtapose the Black physical form with the Black external form - seeking the listener to question their purchases.

Links:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09cw4vb/dangerous-curves-get-thicc-get-sick

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/brazilian-butt-lift-buttock-plastic-surgery-cost-price-deadly-health-risks-a8575246.html

https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/10/risk-cancer-increases-45-black-women-dye-hair-12036031/

Off the back of Daniel Kaluuya's Oscar win for 'Judas and The Black Messiah', I thought I'd rave about some more shows featuring Black Brits and Black Europeans (Afropeans) as lead, part of the main ensemble or supporting lead, that I think we should all watch, these range from but are not limited to: Michaela Coel's 'I May Destroy You,' Adjani Salmon's 'Dreaming Whilst Black,' 'Lupin' featuring Omar Sy, 'The Last Tree' by Shola Amoo, 'Rocks', Too Close', 'Generation Revolution' by Cassie Quarless and Usayd Younis, 'Trigonometry', 'Industry,' Netflix's 'Zero' (featuring Daniela Scattolin), 'Luther,' 'Yardie', 'Small Axe', 'Viewpoint.' A few I didn't mention but should have included: 'Sex Education' featuring Ncuti Gatwa, 'Line of Duty's' (1st series). I also shoutout Little Miss Jocelyn featuring Jocelyn Jee Esien.

In this episode, I talk about the presentation of Black Brits away from the traumatic narrative: the exploration of single Black characters in their late 20s and early 30s, divestment from the nuclear family structure previous *Black family* shows, dark-skinned Black women as love interests and more creative, supernatural and comedic approaches to Black life that go beyond dramatised crime and traditional romance and instead tackle social and political dynamics that focus on friendship and sexuality (including LGBTQIA+).

Links:

https://news.sky.com/story/luthers-lack-of-black-friends-doesnt-feel-authentic-bbc-diversity-chief-says-12275442

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/magazine/harry-uzoka-murder-george-koh.html

This episode revolves around the topic of environmental racism, tapping into a few examples of global injustice of Black people living in areas that are subject to exploitative practices of extraction (like mining) or excessive levels of pollution (the Ella Kissi-Debrah case in the UK). I mention, in this respect, the Songor lagoon and Atewa Forest both natural reserves in Ghana, subject to mining on instruction from the government. I link this to the global phenom of climate change as stressed in Swedish activist Greta Thunberg's book "Nobody Is Too Young To Make A Difference" and challenge the findings of Netflix documentary "Fishsparacy" by arguing the onus is firmly on governments and multinational corporations, not ordinary citizens. To take this further, I mention the environmental effect on agriculture before circling back to talk about the double standard of Ghana's social laws on *morality* by challenging its oppression of LGBTQI people and women (in the Akuapem Poloo case).

(Just to sweeten the episode a bit, I start off by talking about my Ghanaian Dangme/Adangbe heritage, and why this topic means a lot to me).

Links:

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ada-communities-embark-on-demonstration-for-revocation-of-McDan-ElectroChem-license-1167871

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55330945

https://www.alcircle.com/news/hollywood-superstar-leonardo-dicaprio-calls-on-ghana-to-save-atewa-forest-govt-plans-to-mine-bauxite-62527

https://citinewsroom.com/2021/04/akuapem-poloo-jailed-three-months/

https://gal-dem.com/queer-in-ghana-lgbtqia-lgbt-centre/

This episode talks about the limitations of psychiatry and psychology in diagnosing mental conditions and disorders in marginalised communities - particularly Black people. Including commentary on limited access to healthcare, medicalisation and disparate diagnoses as a result of the context of behavioural classifications (racial, cultural, gendered and classed), I draw on statistics to explain why we need to rethink the mind biologically, socially and pathologically.

Links: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGQ78cJiMcJhMbpKhjunAxg

https://twitter.com/flotuk

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0891243218801523

In this episode, I address what I believe to be an inadequate healthcare system - the NHS. Drawing on information from the inquest of Evan Nathan Smith, a 21-year-old man who died in 2019 due to complications related to sickle cell, I talk about how lack of research and awareness into the disease that predominantly affects the African and Caribbean community, led to what I believe to his, and many other people's, preventable deaths. 

Piggy-backing off of this Black Ballad article: https://blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/sickle-cell-trait-dating-having-children?listIds=595c23e15a0862ed58fed19b&referrerType=article&referrerSource=related , I talk about how not only medical institutions, but society also have a duty to challenge our preconceptions of illness. With the recent deaths of celebrities like DMX and Nikki Grahame being characterised by addiction and disorder, I talk about the need for a more ethical approach to treating those with illnesses, physical and mental.

Furthermore, I also talk about the lack of accountability from institutions and State actors in treating Black people as human - referencing in particular Mikai McDermott's newsletter: https://shoutout.wix.com/so/b6NYYda2t?languageTag=en&cid=c8146540-0dda-4b83-9bed-1915fd795656#/main , and how this needs to be modified in order for Black people to receive their due care in all aspects.

This episode deep-dives into the pedestalling of romantic love by inviting viewers to consider alternative forms. By introducing the multiple forms of love - from parental to sibling to friend to neighborly - I challenge what I consider to be a hyper fixation on romantic love that does not appreciate the breadth and complexity of desire or appetite for love. I then link this to the nuclear family and why I think we must abandon this construct of the family of 4 - considering alternative structures that extend beyond the traditional - one man, one woman, one daughter, one son.

Happy Easter!

In this episode, I collaborate with my sister, biomed and finance grad, Stacey as we talk about attitudes to learning - ranging from the workplace to everyday life. I draw upon my experience in mentorship and as an ambassador to an educational charity, and she draws upon her experience working in a leading educational management company and voluntary tutoring, to reframe what we think education is and should be. We also touch on the difference in how we perceive mass media and the information it propagates and the can-do and critical approaches we adopt to developing ourselves personally and professionally. I also mention a poignant excerpt from Emma Dabiri's book "What White People Should Do Next" and discuss the need to separate individualism from collectivism. To end, we talk about goal-setting, positive reinforcement, reward systems and achieving your dreams interspersed with general chit-chat and banter and how they inform our present. 

A continuation of the previous episode which focuses on the unfair criticisms of the Afro-Caribbean population, providing context as to their provenance by mentioning the effects of the Windrush scandal, sub-par treatment by the State in terms of education and other overt racism.  

In this episode, I talk about the plight of missing Black people in Britain, naming present and historical cases including Joy Morgan, Richard Okorogheye, Sarah Everard, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman and Joyce Carol Vincent, and how the media coverage of them differed to Sarah Everard who was found murdered this March of 2021. I also talk about today's publication of "The report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities" by the government, how it propagates the model minority myth of meritocracy, and undermines the material disadvantages black people experience at the hands of the state which often lead to death.

Examples of overt racism include but are not limited to the poor access to healthcare many Black people experience (maternal death rates for black women being 5x the rate of white women) to natural hair ban policies in a South London school Pimlico academy. I go on further to talk about the types of activism we can partake in to challenge the institutional and state violence black people face. In sharing my views on how degradation and discrimination works, I hypothesise that black people's invisibility, routine dehumanisation (via loss of citizenship), displacement and humiliation contributes to our lack of sympathy and normalisation of Black death.

Links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-report-of-the-commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/there-s-an-epidemic-of-missing-children-of-colour-who-aren-t-photogenic-enough-to-find-a6989666.html

Trigger warning: sexual abuse, domestic violence and financial abuse

A continuation of the previous episode, I share my review of Tina Turner's documentary 'Tina,' assessing how her trauma, and that of many other black women, informs their artistry. Briefly talking about Cicely Tyson's book 'Just As I Am', I go on to speak about the importance of black women telling their own stories from their own perspectives, peaks, pitfalls and all.

Trigger warning: sexual abuse 

Inspired by Audre Lorde's "Eye to Eye: Black Women, Hatred and Anger," I'm sharing my thoughts on the typecasting of black women in terms of hypersexuality, trauma and abuse and attempting to contextualise it in history and theory; I am also trying to explain the unconscious lack of grace we offer to black women. Examples include but are not limited to: Nina Simone, Billie Halliday, Maya Angelou, Whitney Houston and Cicely Tyson. In recording this, I hope to humanise these women but also acknowledge how integral these elements of their lives were to their upbringing. I also attempt to explain the space between what it means to be *Black versus what it means to encapsulate blackness. 

This episode deconstructs everybody's favourite topic: love.

For just under 50 minutes, I traverse through the 4 different types of love: familial, storge, eros, unconditional, made popular by the Greeks. Comparing a few dichotomies, I compare a few models of love: from individualist vs kinship, to pro-black vs interracial. I speak about role modelling (using examples of Quavo and Saweetie), the convolution of abuse and love, the extent to which we compromise ourselves socially and biologically and the dating market for black women. Throwing in examples from the arts (books, films and music), I propose that our perception of love is warped and that we need to learn and study it rather than expect it to be intrinsic to us. 

A short stream of consciousness as to how I'm feeling on a Thursday evening when I have deadlines looming and thoughts rail my mind.

This episode questions the idea of ownership - centring around the kente cloth which is a symbolic piece of clothing worn by the Akan and Ewe people in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo. Using my fascination with visual artist Toyin Ojih Odutola as a springboard, I traverse through the connection between culture, art, and identity; how we redeem ourselves as diasporans looking for belonging and why it's time to protect the origins of who we are without being discriminatory.

Links for further information for anyone interested:

https://theconversation.com/ghanas-politics-has-strong-ties-with-performing-arts-this-is-how-it-started-148940

https://thevinylfactory.com/label-news/peter-adjaye-soundscape-toyin-ojih-odutola-a-countervailing-theory-ceremonies-within/

In this episode I speak about navigating the wins and losses of adulthood, debate the constructs and conventions of womanhood and decide different ways to practise self-care in the social media age - from drawing on radical collective politics to the simple practice of journalling. Briefly touching on some of the literature I've read - from Audre Lorde's "Use of the erotic", to Avna Doshi's "burnt sugar" and Tsitsi Dangarembga's "This mournable body", I talk about the duality of identity and how it is a fluid space I am constantly floating upon.

This episode touches on Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah, the connotations of colourism, the institutional racism and white supremacy of the Royal Family and why we need a republic.

A short introduction into my thoughts and feelings of the concept of self and the topics I will be evaluating in further episodes.