Episode 36 - Emma Francis Snyder - “Pa’lante” & “Que Bonita Bandera”
Photo Credit: Brian Galderisi
[Image Description: Emma is pictured from the torso up against a black background. She has shoulder-length brownish, blonde hair and wears black glasses and red lipstick. She wears a black long-sleeved top.]
In the first full episode of 2022, I chat with the filmmaker and activist Emma Francis-Snyder about her Oscar-shortlisted short Takeover! We talk about her journey as a white person and the obligation to uncover and celebrate these hidden histories and all things Takeover! Including the history of the Young Lords, her many interactions with journalist and Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez. This week’s episode has not one but two songs! The first is the resistance anthem “Pa’lante” by Hurray for the Riff Raff. From 1948 to 1957, flying the Puerto Rican flag was illegal and so was singing patriotic tunes. The second song for this episode, “Que Bonita Bandera” by Pepe Y Flora, directly responded to that bigotry. Here is our conversation, which was recorded in January 2022.
Episode 20 - Victoria Thomas - “Survivor”
[Image Description: Victoria is pictured from the torso up and sits in front of a starry, black background that is just out of focus. Her hair is slightly longer than shoulder length. She wears a red and black blouse and red lipstick. She smiles at the camera.]
In this episode, I speak with filmmaker and educator Victoria Thomas. In our conversation, we chat about her latest project, Born in New York, Raised in Paris, her teaching at the London Film School, the production company she founded, the Polkadot Factory, and the challenges of navigating a documentary and narrative film industry rooted in a white supremacist work culture that is resistant to change. Because just like many Black women, Victoria finds being in these spaces can be taxing and exhausting, to say the least, this episode’s song is Destiny Chid’s “Survivor.”
Episode 12 - Bo McGuire - “Fancy”
Photo Credit: Carl Conway Maguire
[Image Description: Bo McGuire is pictured from the chest up. He wears a black hat, pink blazer, navy blue and white patterned shirt, and a bolo tie. He holds the blazer by the lapels as he looks into the camera.]
In this episode, I speak with the writer, director, and producer of Socks on Fire, Bo McGuire, winner of the Best Documentary Feature Award at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. Since Bo is a country boy at heart and Reba McEntire is one of his favorite artists, this episode’s song is the country classic, “Fancy.”