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#BackChannel: The 1619 Project, Comedy From Chapelle, And New Music From NC’s Rapsody

WUNC | By Frank Stasio,
Anita Rao
Published September 24, 2019 at 11:51 AM EDT

Billy Porter made Emmy history Sunday when he became the first openly gay black man to win lead actor in a drama category for his role in the FX series “Pose.”Host Frank Stasio is joined by popular culture experts Mark Anthony Neal and Natalie Bullock Brown as they talk about the 2019 Emmy Awards, Missy Elliott, and more in this latest installment of #BackChannel, The State of Things’ recurring series connecting culture and context.

Actor Jharrel Jerome also made history as the first Afro-Latino to take home an acting Emmy. Jerome won for his portrayal of Korey Wise in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix series “When They See Us.” Only three major Emmy awards went to people of color this year, so what do these wins mean in a context in which Hollywood’s award ceremonies are still #sowhite? Popular culture experts Mark Anthony Neal and Natalie Bullock Brown share their analysis of the 2019 Emmy Awards with host Frank Stasio in the latest installment of #BackChannel, The State of Things’ recurring series connecting culture and context.

They also reflect on The New York Times’ 1619 Project, a collection of writing and photography that marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of African slaves to Virginia. Plus, why did Jemele Hill’s inaugural article for The Atlantic cause such a stir? Brown and Neal recap the controversy around the piece “It’s Time for Black Athletes to Leave White Colleges.”

 

They also review the provocative Dave Chappelle Netflix special “Sticks and Stones” and the new HBO series "A Black Lady Sketch Show"created by Robin Thede. They share what they did and did not find funny and consider what audiences want from today’s comics. And they review new music from Missy Elliott and North Carolina’s Rapsody. Elliott’s EP “Iconology” is her first release in close to 15 years, while Rapsody’s 16-track album “Eve” is a tribute to her heroes, including Nina Simone, Oprah Winfrey and Sojourner Truth. Natalie Bullock Brown is a filmmaker and teaching assistant professor at North Carolina State University, and Mark Anthony Neal is the James B. Duke professor and chair of the department of African and African American studies at Duke University in Durham.

Watch the "A Black Lady Sketch Show" trailer and Missy Elliott's 2019 VMA performance:

A still from 'A Black Lady Sketch Show,' a new sketch comedy series from HBO with an all-black and women writers' room.
HBO /
A still from 'A Black Lady Sketch Show,' a new sketch comedy series from HBO with an all-black and women writers' room.
Promotional poster for Dave Chappelle's latest comedy special 'Sticks And Stones.'
Netflix /
Promotional poster for Dave Chappelle's latest comedy special 'Sticks And Stones.'
'Iconology' is Missy Elliott's first release in nearly 15 years.
Atlantic Records /
'Iconology' is Missy Elliott's first release in nearly 15 years.

Copyright 2019 North Carolina Public Radio
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Anita Rao
Anita Rao is the host and creator of "Embodied," a live, weekly radio show and seasonal podcast about sex, relationships & health. She's also the managing editor of WUNC's on-demand content. She has traveled the country recording interviews for the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps production department, founded and launched a podcast about millennial feminism in the South, and served as the managing editor and regular host of "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's flagship daily, live talk show. Anita was born in a small coal-mining town in Northeast England but spent most of her life growing up in Iowa and has a fond affection for the Midwest.
See stories by Anita Rao