#8 - I'm counting down the top 10 Breakdowns of the year. Coming in at number 8 is the Breakdown I did on Lucille Ball's involvement with two classic TV series -- The Twilight Zone and Star Trek.  Support the show on Patreon! www.patreon.com/darastarrtucker Support the show

#9 - Counting down my top 10 Breakdowns of 2023. This is one of my favorites of all time, because Dick Van Dyke is my favorite person. His 98th birthday is December 13, 2023. I'm happy to add this Breakdown to the full scale celebration that will be happening in his honor on this special day. Visit The Breakdown Store and get a bit of swag for the holiday season!   #DickVanDyke #MaryTylerMoore #CarlReiner #JohnRich #SheldonLeonard Support the show

I’m starting a countdown today of my top 10 Breakdowns of 2023! Thank you all for weighing in on this. We’ll start with number 10, which is one of my favorite Breakdowns ever. It’s the story of how Lori Lieberman was denied writing credit on a song she greatly contributed to – “Killing me Softly.“ I had the chance to see Lori in concert at Carnegie Hall yesterday, and got to finally meet her in person after having interviewed her for my podcast, and staying in contact with her over the last...

Is this the right time to talk about antisemitism? Is there a wrong time to talk about it? Can we have the conversation about Palestinian liberation at the same time? This is a pretty personal, impromptu episode I decided to do with Greg Bryant to explore questions I'm asking myself right now as someone who has been a strong advocate for the Jewish people.  We try to be careful not to equate issues of antisemitism with issues of anti-Zionism, but why does a conversation about one so quickly...

In this bonus episode, I'm reflecting on the life of a very important minister named Carlton Pearson who had a major impact on me when I was exploring many questions around faith and belief. It would be impossible to overstate his influence on my life. I'm sending lots of love to Bishop Pearson and his family at this time. Support the show

Je'Niece McCullough worked side-by-side with her dad, Bernie Mac for the last few years of his life. She had a front-row seat into his process, and she was able to observe him up close and personal at the very top of his game. She didn't grow up as the privileged child of a famous man -- Bernie achieved most of his commercial success when she was well into adulthood. For that reason, Je'Niece has a unique perspective on fame and wealth. She was able to observe the consistency in her...

Lalah Hathaway is continuing the tradition of musical excellence set forth by her legendary father, Donny Hathaway. I recently had the chance to sit down with Lalah to talk about her father's life and career. This is part of a podcast series I'm doing on fathers and daughters. If you haven't had the chance to view/listen to the Holly Robinson Peete episode where she discusses her dad, Matt Robinson, you can watch or listen here: Holly Robinson Peete Talks Matt Robinson Be sure to join the...

Many of us know Holly Robinson Peete from her long career in television, beginning with "21 Jump Street" and "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper." But did you know her first on-screen appearance happened much earlier? She's the daughter of Matt Robinson, who was the first "Gordon" on Sesame Street. Holly actually made her television debut on her dad's show in the early '70's. This is the first of several episodes where we'll focus on Dads and Daughters. In this episode, Holly talks about what it was...

Jessica Aiwuyor and I discuss the ways misinformation and disinformation has infiltrated Black online spaces, and where the mis- and disinformation might be coming from. This episode works as a great companion piece to the last episode of the podcast where I talked to Dr. Dan McClellan about the Khazar Theory, which has been adopted by a contemporary sect of Hebrew Israelites. Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor is a reparationist and multicultural communications specialist based in the...

The Khazar Theory, which states that the Ashkenazi Jews are not ethnically Jewish, has had a long and sordid history, having been promoted by a small group of scholars, writers and geneticists for the last 200 years. In the age of social media, the theory has made its way to the mainstream, picking up support from some very high profile celebrities. But what is the historical, linguistic and genetic grounding for this theory? Why has it continued to gain steam despite being repeatedly...

By now, most people are familiar with the concept of cultural appropriation. But many questions still remain about cultural appropriation between minority groups. This is hardly a straightforward question, and the nuances that exist between various people groups can be discussed endlessly. But is there a "quick and dirty" way to describe what happens when two non-dominant cultures exhibit cultural insensitivity towards one another? New York (Dizzy's)...

Dr. Wozolek currently serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusive Excellence, and Belonging and as an Associate Professor of Education at Penn State University, Abington College. Her work considers questions of social justice, qualitative research methods, and teaching practices that focus on the examination of race, sexual orientations, and gender identities. Further resources recommended by Dr. Boni: Walter Gershon's Academia.edu Page Minh-Ha T. Pham, Racial Plagerism Varenne...

This week we're discussing Jason Aldean's "Small Town" video. I'm one of the 5 people that thinks there's a chance he didn't know the significance of the site where the video was filmed. Doesn't make it less racist, though. But it does reveal one of the common traps people can fall into when they try to claim ignorance around racial history. The song is an obvious dogwhistle to lynching and sundown towns, but the part many people seem unwilling to acknowledge is the conspiracy of silence that...

The PR game never seems to end where political labels are concerned. It's in the best interest of conservatives to make reference to the fact that originally, Democrats were the "very, very bad racists" and not the Republicans. The truth is, most white folks were racist before the advent of the Civil Rights movement. One group fought to preserve slavery, though, and it wasn't the progressives. Party switch denial is nothing new, but the messaging of conservative groups has shifted in recent...

You may know about the kiss shared between actress Nichelle Nichols and William Shatner -- what's widely thought of as the first interracial kiss on American television, but you may not know the deeper story of the hostility Nichols had to endure behind the scenes, and how close she came to walking away from the show altogether -- a decision that was curtailed by a very influential voice. Click here for tickets to my New York Show on the 11th of September -...

Maybe you know the story of how Lucy & Desi gave Captain Kirk and the Twilight Zone their start. But there's probably a lot more to the story than you realized.  Lucille Ball was not only a pioneer in comedy, but she was also the first woman to head a major studio in Hollywood. Hear the full story of how she launched two of the most iconic shows of all time.  See me live in New York on the 11th of September -  https://2023.jazz.org/dara-starr-tucker And D.C. the 15th of October:...

Ever wonder why accusations of "Socialism!" tend to be bandied about whenever someone suggests compassionate social policies that consider the vulnerable? Are those accusations accurate? If they are, what does that mean for democracy? My next show is in New York on the 11th of September. I would love to meet you. Get your tickets here!: https://2023.jazz.org/dara-starr-tucker Want to support the work I do? Join my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/darastarrtucker Follow me on all...

It seems we're stuck in an endless cycle these days -- gun violence, thoughts and prayers, calls for legislative action, complete inaction, move on to the next tragedy. Wash, rinse, repeat. On today's episode, I'm speaking with human rights lawyer, Qasim Rashid, who has become an outspoken voice on social media for social justice in all forms. He's an extremely knowledgeable resource when it comes to understanding the history of the United States' obsession with gun culture. He helps us...

Songwriter Lori Lieberman wrote a poem about the impact Don McClean's song, "Empty Chairs" had on her. That poem became, "Killing Me Softly." Her co-writers were Norman Gimbel (lyricist) and Charles Fox (composer). They helped develop the poem into a full-fledged song. But years later, after their personal and professional relationship with Lori had gone sour, they attempted to re-write history, and claimed that the story of Lori writing the poem that became, "Killing Me Softly" was an "Urban...

We're releasing this Breakdown in advance of our interview with Lori Lieberman, which is coming soon! For years, it was understood that Lori Lieberman's poem about Don McClean was the inspiration behind the iconic ballad, "Killing Me Softly." Until it wasn't. Here's the story of how the person whose writing was the foundation for this Grammy-winning song was edged out of a writing credit, and later, denied any acknowledgement of her work being the inspiration for the classic Roberta Flack...

This Breakdown, which is also available on my YouTube channel, is a companion piece to Episode 13 with Adam Dorn. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was not a hit when it was released in 1969. Producer Joel Dorn warned Roberta Flack that her slow as molasses version might not go over well with the masses. And he was right -- until burgeoning director, Clint Eastwood plucked the song -- and it's singer -- from obscurity. Learn more about my music and how you can support this channel...

Adam Dorn (Mocean Worker) got a front row seat to many of Roberta Flack's career-defining moments. As the son of Joel Dorn, producer of Roberta's first 5 albums, he had a unique vantage point into the behind-the-scenes of both her early career with his dad, and her mid-80's resurgence with his friend, producer Marcus Miller. He joined many of those later recording sessions as a "fly on the wall" production assistant. Adam is the first (but certainly not the last) special guest on the...

Today I'm bringing you a conversation I just had with the folks at the "Nachsitzen" podcast in Germany. The convo is in English, of course! They wanted to learn more about the nuances around cultural appropriation. The hosts are very knowledgeable, curious and bright. They asked some great questions, and it was an engaging conversation. I think you'll enjoy this...

On this edition of the "I'm All Over the Place" podcast, we're doing a deep dive into the blackface images that have continued to be perpetuated in our culture. From 30 Rock to Tropic Thunder to more ethically ambiguous examples like Community and Mad Men, we examine why these images are still with us, and if they  have any place in public discourse. Learn more about my music and how you can support this channel...

Recently, comic strip writer Scott Adams, who created the Dilbert character, made some incendiary statements about Black people. These are not the first controversial statements he's made about race, sexuality, gender or feminism. It's been his stock & trade for the better part of 15 years. But is there a greater conversation to be had around these sentiments, which he claims not to hold sincerely? Is this really just about the manipulative rantings of a wannabe social manipulator? Or do...