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Robert Wesley Branch
A roundtable of wisdom, where people from all across the planet, from all walks of life, and from all religious and sacred traditions, convene for spiritual conversation. Real people. Raw talk. Relevant issues.
This is the story of Mansa Abubakari II, 9thEmperor of Mali – a visionary, a risk-taker, a man whose dream was not deferred. [TRWBS #249 – Bread Upon the Waters – February 3, 2018.]
This is the story of the distinction between the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat - the capitalists who actually OWN the means of production and reap surplus value from that production (profit made by the Proletariat, but not given to them!) VERSUS those folks who trade their physical and intellectual labor for living wages. This is also the story of the teachings of Karl Marx. [TRWBS #237 - The Roots of Race IV - May 20, 2017.]
This is the story of the "grapevine telegraph" - the informal, spontaneous word-of-mouth communication system used by Negro slaves in Civil War America to keep up-to-date on current events, and to stay one step ahead of their white slavemasters. This is also the story of how the Motown song "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" came to finally be released as a single, back in 1967. [TRWBS #236 - The Roots of Race III - May 13, 2017.]
This is the story of Black content creators and the telling of our own stories. This is also the story of a resume I received from Detroit, some 20+ years ago, when I was an associate producer with Discovery Channel, and the person who sent it to me. This is, too, the story of how the very presence of the “camera” changes the behavior of reality “stars” – causing them to play into the stereotypical roles many of us despise so much, but watch so faithfully. This is the story of Black studio executives and the Black producers pitching them TV and film projects – and how white studio heads deal with them both. [TRWBS #233 - Sugar Blues - April 15, 2017.]
Darren Dante Bonner breaks down the word "resurrect." [TRWBS #233 - Sugar Blues - April 15, 2017.]
This is the story of one open door at a time. This is also the story of an earth angel, who opened a major door for me, back in 1989. [TRWBS #233 - Sugar Blues - April 15, 2017.]
This is the story of the beginnings of Blaxploitation. This is also the story of, perhaps, the biggest "pusherman" in your life - and the drug he is selling you: white gold, also known as sucrose, processed and refined sugar. This is, too, the story of the Dominican sugar plantations in the Caribbean - and the slave labor camps that keep workers in a perpetual state of poverty, so that Americans (and others) can indulge their sweet tooth 24/7. [TRWBS #233 - Sugar Blues - April 15, 2017.]
This is the story of the evolution of a "conscious" Black man. This is also the story of bearing witness; and ancestral memory; and cultural retentions; and reclamations of spaces and narratives that may have inspired shame or pain; and the alchemy of transforming Black histories into dynamic Black present moments and Black futures. [TRWBS #232 - Race, Class & Poverty in the U.S. - April 8 2017.]
This is the story of the spiritual power of a Black male teacher/educator. Featuring: Brother Kwesi. Chicago. Teaches on the West Side.
This is the story of a young brother (with three college degrees) who teaches art in a middle school in suburban ATL. [TRWBS #231 - The Spiritual Power of a Black Male Teacher/Educator - March 18, 2017.]
The fourth in a series of conversations about what it means to be a "conscious" father. Featuring: Dr. Willie L. Williams.
Part four of our look at what it means to be a "conscious" father. Who is that brother?
The third in a series of shows about what it means to be a "conscious" father. Who is that brother?
The second of a three-part look at what it means to be a "conscious" father. Who is that brother?
Continuing our conversation on the fathers in our families. What is a "conscious" father?
The first in a three-part look at what it means to be a "conscious" father. Who is that brother?
The first in a three-part look at what it means to be a "conscious" father. Who is that brother?