“One of the greatest successes of this book is the vast kind of spectrum of not only people who are contributing, but the ways they’re contributing; how that energy of collection, preservation, archiving, sharing, witnessing can be a rubric for others. Especially when you’re thinking about marginalized folks who are often told that our stories don’t matter. Because even if there isn’t a relinquishing of power, there is a way that you can counteract that with an agency and a refusal of being erased, of being disenfranchised. And that, of course, has to start with understanding just how remarkable you are because people in positions of power would have you believe otherwise.” – Kimberly Drew, episode 213 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Following the recent release of their anthology, Black Futures, curator Kimberly Drew and journalist J Wortham join us this week. We discuss their hopes for 2021 (7:33), interrogating institutions like the HFPA (11:20), their career paths (18:10) and expanding accessibility within their respective industries (8:56). J and Kimberly also reflect on how they’ve grown since creating Black Futures (25:38), navigating the pandemic (28:14), and the refuge they’ve found in the Marvel universe (32:27). Finally, they envision their future selves (39:47) and what a “black future” can look like (43:02).
Resources:
Delain Ashley Yaun Funeral and Family Support
Hyun Jung Grant Family’s Go Fund Me
Yong Ae Yue Go Fund Me
Paul Andre Michels
Asian American Advocacy Fund
Stop Asian Hate or Stop AAPI Hate
Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED)
Asian Mental Health Collective
Korean American Coalition Metro Atlanta
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Show notes
- Purchase your copy of Black Futures.
- Follow J & Kimberly on Instagram
- Listen to Still Processing, hosted by J & Wesley Morris for the NYT.
- Listen to Your Attention Please, hosted by Kimberly for Hulu.
- Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi.