Amber Barbee Pickens spoke about her new book, Blooming in Motion, an interesting approach to Black dance history; her own dance education and career; and her work on the film version of Nella Larsen’s “Passing,” soon to be available on Netflix. Additional details.

Yolanda Corbett, a parent and education advocate who participated in the recent “DC 101” presentation, from Serve Your City DC, on the history and status of education in the District of Columbia. Among topics included: the impact of segregation in DC schools over the decades; “We The Motherhood” collective working at the intersection of education and disability rights; and dehumanization of students through over focus on data and not enough attention to people and their environments. See also Serve Your City education action items and skip down for the Nina Simone quote about “when everything is do desperate” with which Yolanda Corbett closed her remarks.

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“Pandemics and Economic History, #2: The Meaning of Work, Before and After the Plague.”

Podcast offering wider context for our current pandemic appears near the top of the hour. Separate podcast link with references and full transcript.

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Nina Simone on desperate times:

“I choose to reflect the times and the situations in which I find myself. To me it’s my duty. At this crucial time in our lives, when everything is do desperate, when every day is a matter of survival — I don’t think you can help but be involved….I don’t think you have a choice.” — from a 1968 concert/interview documentary