Reed, Write, and Create

On episode #4 of the MAMP podcast, we're revisiting the one-drop rule with two women who both believed they were white, until they discovered by accident, that they weren't. My guests are Gail Lukasik and Shannon Wink. Gail is the author of the new book, White Like Her: My Family's Story of Race and Racial Passing.  Shannon is a Philadelphia-based journalist and writer. In her late 40s, Gail discovered that her mother had been passing as white for her entire adult life. Shannon learned her maternal grandfather wasn't Native American as he'd claimed, he was actually Black. Listen in on a fascinating discussion about racial identity, passing, and what it really means to be Black or white in America.

K-Pop, or Korean pop music, is already a global phenomenon, but 2018 was arguably the year K-Pop went mainstream in the United States. Supported by a devoted, multi-ethnic fan base, groups like BTS dominated America's pop music charts all year long, even though they sing in Korean. On episode #3 of the podcast, K-Pop columnist for Billboard magazine, Tamar Herman, and teen K-Pop fan, Esai Malia-Tharps, join host Lori Tharps for a deep-dive into this diverse world of boy bands, girl groups, super fans, and catchy hooks. We talk about why the genre is so popular, why African American and Latino teens are some of K-Pop's biggest supporters, and why accusations of cultural appropriation and colorism keep coming up. 

K-Pop, or Korean pop music, is already a global phenomenon, but 2018 was arguably the year K-Pop went mainstream in the United States. Supported by a devoted, multi-ethnic fan base, groups like BTS dominated America's pop music charts all year long, even though they sing in Korean. On episode #3 of the podcast, K-Pop columnist for Billboard magazine, Tamar Herman, and teen K-Pop fan, Esai Malia-Tharps, join host Lori Tharps for a deep-dive into this diverse world of boy bands, girl groups, super fans, and catchy hooks. We talk about why the genre is so popular, why African American and Latino teens are some of K-Pop's biggest supporters, and why accusations of cultural appropriation and colorism keep coming up. 

Is it possible for technology to be racist? And if so, what does that mean for the human beings that use it? What does that mean for society in general? Who gets hurt by technology that's racist? (Hint: Anybody with extra melanin.) All of these questions and more are answered in this fascinating discussion with Meredith Broussard, author of the new book, Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World. We break down what technology is actually capable of accomplishing and what should be left to human hands. We learn what technochauvanism is. Plus, Meredith offers several ideas to help take the racism out of our technology. 

Is it possible for technology to be racist? And if so, what does that mean for the human beings that use it? What does that mean for society in general? Who gets hurt by technology that's racist? (Hint: Anybody with extra melanin.) All of these questions and more are answered in this fascinating discussion with Meredith Broussard, author of the new book, Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World. We break down what technology is actually capable of accomplishing and what should be left to human hands. We learn what technochauvanism is. Plus, Meredith offers several ideas to help take the racism out of our technology. 

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? What's this holiday really about? Meltingpot host, Lori Tharps is joined by Dr. Crystal Fleming, author of the new book, How to Be Less Stupid About Race and together they deconstruct the Thanksgiving holiday. Note, it's not pretty, but it's an important conversation we all should be having. Because we all need to be a little less stupid about Thanksgiving. 

Welcome to the My American Meltingpot podcast. A podcast where we have conversations about pop culture, parenting and identity politics from a multicultural perspective. In our trailer, meet host Lori L. Tharps and hear why she believes America needs a podcast that centers diversity.