The Melanin Forum: Recent Episodes
Alexandra McClain
A safe place to disucss social, political and religious issues that affect the minority community while also building connection and community through being educational and informative.
It's been a while, but I'm back. I took some time to step back from things because my personal and creative life had become exhausting and overwhelming. In this episode I get personal about things I've been struggling with for the last few weeks.
The 4th of July is canceled this year! While America received its independence on July 4, 1776 from Great Britan, it wasn't until June 19, 1865 that black slaves received their freedom due to the Emancipation Proclamation originally signed January 1, 1863. In this episode we talk about Juneteenth and why it's an important celebration for Black culture and why it's an important part of AMERICAN history.
I wanted to take some time out to spread some posivity by showing some love to black men who have had an influence on my life. Each of the men I mention have helped inspire me, or shape me into the woman that I am personally and creatively and I will always have much love for them. Here's to honoring and celebrating Black Men!
If you believe black lives matter, then ALL black lives should matter. This includes black women and the black LGBTQ community. It's not just black men who are suffering from police violence and injustice. The fight of Black Lives Matter is for the entire race. All black lives have value and not just during protest and riots.
A lot has happened in a week concerning the African American Community. As one of the most exhausting weeks I've ever experienced we witnessed racism, police brutality, social injustice, protest and riots because black America is tired.
Today's episode dives a little into the Ahmad Aubrey case and how often African Americans are "guilty until proven innocent" while white Americans are given the benefit of the doubt and thought to be "innocent until proven guilty." We explore why this narrative continues to play out in our justice system as African Americans continue to be dehumanized and made out to appear less than. It's rare we every truly learn the person's story and why their life mattered and was of value prior to being murdered. Rarely do they survive to tell us who they really were.
The Age of Minsinformation is all about how the internet has been a catalyst in the spread of false beliefs; especially in the last 10 years.
Madonna recently called the coronavirus "the great equalizer." But what does that really mean? Are we all equally equipped to handle the virus? In this episode we explore the racial disaparities of the coronavirus and how many African Americans and minority communities lack proper access to essential resources needed to successfully navigate a pandemic like COVID-19. Leave me your feedback! Send a DM via instagram: a.mcreative89 or leave a voice message on anchor.
In this episode we tackle a heavy hitting issue: Coronavirus vs. The Church. As churches are being told to practice social distancing and limit physical gatherings, many members in the religious community have pushed back. With Easter Sunday having just passed, many Christian's were faced with making adjustments to their usual service. Some feel church is an essential organization and that the practice of their faith will not be hindered due to the virus. The big question at hand: Are the coronavirus & social distancing guidelines truly hindering people and their religious freedoms? Want to connect with me? Follow me on instagram: a.mcreative89 and share your thoughts on episode 2.
What does it mean to be "productive" while in quarantine? The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed life down, but how we choose to use our time is up to us. It's important to maintain realistic expectations about being productive while also considering many social factors during this time.