Black people’s accomplishments aren’t usually celebrated without creating some discomfort in the white cultural zeitgeist. There’s something about Black Excellence that often leads to knee jerk criticisms. From the complicated Jack Johnson, to the modern-day struggles of Serena Williams and Colin Kaepernick, this question in sports keeps popping up: why do Black athletes often have to fight for their humanity as much as they do for victory? This deep dive with Franchesca and Conscious unpacks...

Paul Bergrin is a hotshot criminal defense attorney in Newark, New Jersey. Seemingly unstoppable and with unorthodox methods, he’s built a reputation for getting his clients off the hook. But as Paul's legend grows, so do the suspicions swirling around him.  When FBI Agent Shawn Brokos starts investigating a major drug ring, she makes a shocking discovery: the gang's most powerful player is none other than Newark’s star attorney. Has the ex-federal prosecutor crossed the line and started...

“Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.” Serena Williams said those words knowing how many perceived a young Black girl in a predominantly white sport. Her career might appear defined by luck on the outside, but the kid who grew up slamming tennis balls on Compton’s Courts always believed she’d be the G.O.A.T. Her journey to the top is filled with failures and...

Jack Johnson, the Galveston Giant, is known for two things: his brutal fists and fearless audacity. Before Muhammad Ali, Johnson shocked the world with his unrivaled boxing skills, shattering racial barriers and igniting racial tensions. On July 4th, 1910, in "The Fight of the Century," he defeated Jim Jeffries, the "Great White Hope," becoming the first Black World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and creating an uproar among racists. But Jack's legacy of rising from poverty and challenging...

Witnessing someone achieve greatness in multiple areas of life is pretty rare. Paul Robeson’s a rare type of man. Almost like Beyonce, he’s a Renaissance man. There isn’t a color line he can’t cross and excellence is his middle name. By the 1930’s, Paul’s graduated college as valedictorian, played professional football, and become the first Black actor to play Othello (don’t worry this gets addressed in the episode). But even with all the achievements, Paul’s still looked at as a nobody...

Football season’s back, and it’s still missing one of the game’s best quarterbacks: Colin Kaepernick. Colin grows up loving athletes like basketball player Allen Iverson, but he dreams of making it to the NFL. When the dream finally comes true, he takes the NFL world by storm in 2012 as quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Almost four years later, everything changes. Images of police brutalizing Black people are inescapable. Colin kneels during the National Anthem to protest the...

You ever see someone laugh so hard it makes you crack a smile? Even though you’ve got no idea what they are laughing about? Contagious joy helps people survive. Especially Black people, because Black joy is a revolutionary act. In this bonus episode, Franchesca and Conscious discuss how reclaiming spaces for happiness and expression is vital when balancing stories about trauma and oppression. The hosts also give a history lesson on the roots of rock and roll. Spoiler alert - Black people are...

You never think a simple day by the water can turn deadly. Young Eugene Williams never thought his day at the beach would end in tragedy, either. But, his death at a segregated beach in Chicago sparks a fight to desegregate all American beaches. Activists like Dr. Gilbert Mason, take a courageous stand to transform public spaces across the nation. In order to enjoy peace and tranquility in the Sun, they rise up and clash with racist violent mobs and a legal system resistant to change. Their...

Summertime, and the livin’s easy. Unless you’re Black, and trying to hit up the beach, in early 19th-century America. Beaches, like the rest of the nation, are segregated by race. And of course Black people only have access to the most dangerous sands and waters. That begins to change when Frederick Douglass’ bougie son, Charles, buys land on the shores of Maryland. On the West Coast, Willa Bruce starts her own beach revolution, but her white neighbor’s aren’t happy and violence follows. If...

“I’ll sleep when I die.” That’s usually the sentiment of a laborer on the perpetual grind. Sure, hard work pays off, but when do we declare it’s time to rest? In this special episode, our hosts have a candid conversation about the drawbacks of hustle culture and how prioritizing high productivity puts pressure on workers. Franchesca Ramsey and Conscious Lee also speak to the inequalities Black creators face in the gig economy. So let your hair down; this is a safe space. Listen to Black...

Martin Luther King, Jr. is dead, and Samuel L. Jackson’s taken the entire Morehouse College Board of Trustees hostage. This includes the recently assassinated Civil Rights icon’s father – Martin Luther King, Sr. Soon, MLK, Sr’s. heart problems force them to make a stark choice: sacrifice his life for the Movement, or spare him out of a decency. Police violence has ended student protests across the nation, but Samuel and the other students refuse to back down. Their demands must be met, even...

Samuel L. Jackson’s got big plans when he arrives at Morehouse College in the late 1960s. He loves movies and he’s dreaming of a bright future as a marine biologist. But the world’s dreaming of other things.Tensions around the Civil Rights Movement are only increasing and protests against the Vietnam War are erupting on campuses around the nation. When these forces come to a head on campus, Samuel L. Jackson’s leading the charge. And his shocking actions change the history and the future of...

Few scandals in U.S. history have been as major and consequential as Watergate. What began as a small-scale burglary would eventually lead to the resignation of President Nixon. And, it was the scandal that launched a thousand ‘gates’.  On each episode of Wondery’s podcast The Big Flop, comedians join host Misha Brown to chronicle one of the biggest pop-culture fails of all time and try to answer the age-old question: who thought THIS was a good idea? The Watergate scandal was a multi-year...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Fannie Lou Hamer had her voting rights and reproductive rights infringed upon, but she stood on business to improve things for the future. So, why are we still fighting the same battles? Franchesca Ramsey and Conscious Lee make the connections between what Hamer went through over 50 years ago, and the struggles of medical racism, disenfranchisement, and the disintegration of reproductive rights that we face today.   Listen to Black...

After getting arrested by racist police and being beaten to near death, Fannie puts her fight for voting rights into high gear. With the help of fellow activists, Fannie forms her own political party, the MFDP (Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party), and appears on live television - telling her story to millions of Americans. She wants to protect Black citizens from the dangers of racism, and she believes having the power to change legislation will do that. However, there’s one person standing...

Fannie Lou Hamer’s been a fighter her entire life. Growing up as a poor Black girl in Jim Crow Mississippi leaves her no other choice. Fannie’s not just fighting for herself, but for all Black people in the deep south. To her, the path to freedom lies at the ballot box, and the road she walks ain’t easy. Racists will do anything to stop her march for freedom and equality. Even the US government turns on her, and the fight for equal rights nearly costs Fannie Lou her life. Listen to Black...

Motown has finally found its groove. The Jackson Five add their bubblegum soul to the company’s more traditional sound. And albums from Motown artists rocket to the top of the Billboard charts. The record label is churning out hit record after hit record. Things at Stax Records ain’t too bad either. They’ve finally figured out how to capture some of that Motown magic, but new rules for creating music are stifling creativity. Stax musicians are pushing back. Over at Motown, songwriters clamor...

The Civil Rights Movement is at its peak. Trouble’s brewing in the streets and inside Motown and Stax records. Stax artists watch in disbelief as Los Angeles burns during the Watts’ uprising. Things get worse when soulful singer Otis Redding is dealt a tragic hand by Lady Luck. Meanwhile, Motown is slapped with a lawsuit from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s lawyers and Diana Ross and the Supremes are rebelling against the labels management. If Motown and Stax are going to survive this turbulent...

Motown and Stax are on the come up. Acts like Diana Ross and Isaac Hayes are helping redefine what it means to sing with soul, and their sound captures hearts in America and beyond. Even The Beatles want in on the action. The record labels' successes come with their own set of pitfalls. Money’s tight and artists and musicians are pushing back against low pay. Their chart topping hits aren’t translating into cold hard cash. Something’s gotta give. See Privacy Policy at...

Before Michael Jackson became the King of Pop, or Otis Redding claimed his place as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in American popular music history, their talents had to be discovered and shared with the world. Enter the competing labels Motown and Stax Records. In the early 1960s, Berry Gordy’s Motown and Jim Stewart’s Stax pioneered the sound of Black music, giving birth to soul and R&B amidst deadly civil unrest. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...

When it comes to works of art, “Picasso” is synonymous with brilliance and innovation. Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso is famously known for spearheading the Cubist movement during the 20th century art revolution. What most people don’t know is that Picasso was heavily inspired by Africans and the African diaspora. One of his most famous works, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, depicts a striking resemblance to African masks and sculptures, which has our hosts asking, “Does Picasso owe...

What’s the greatest celebrity notes app apology of all time? Who is Hollywood’s most divorced man? And which society is torturing the poets? Wanna know the answers, but have no time to scour the internet all day? Well, Peyton Dix and Hunter Harris have your back. These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene. Now, these certified haters and internet carnivores are...

Black culture is a pivotal pillar of broader American culture. From fashion, to language, to being the sonic foundation to much of American music. In this special episode, our hosts do a deep dive into country music and how its roots are grounded in Black music. Using Beyoncé’s latest effort, Cowboy Carter, as a springboard, Conscious Lee and Franchesca Ramsey discuss the differences between appreciation, appropriation, and colonization of Black culture. There’s also a history lesson on...

The Tulsa Race Massacre is by far one of the most horrific events in American history. Although it took place over 100 years ago, the effects still ripple through the country to this day. During this time, the Oklahoma media suppressed the truth of what really happened. However, one brave resident of Greenwood documents the reality. Mary E. Jones Parrish understands the power of storytelling, and she is on a mission to share the truth of what actually happened to Black Wall Street, risking...