... a podcast about how culture and ideas spread among Black Americans, especially outside of mass media.
The focus of the podcast is on Black American culture in general — from food to music, movies, theatre, literature, sports, comedy, fashion, politics, and technology, among other things.
Join me as I speak with professional & amateur historians, keepers of Black cultural traditions, elders, young people, and everyone in between, in discussions that are equal parts informative and entertaining (and, sometimes, weird).
Please visit the website: www.blacketcpod.com
Food Power Politics and Black Farm Boys in the Rural South (w/ Dr. Bobby J. Smith II)
My guest for this episode is Dr. Bobby J. Smith II, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign Associate Professor, acclaimed social scientist, and James Beard-nominated author. His research focuses on Black agricultural and food studies, food justice, food systems-level analysis, agricultural history, agricultural/food industry issues, and equitable policy design.
In our discussion, Dr. Smith explains the concept of emancipatory food power and lays out the history of Black food power politics in the South. We also discuss the importance of centering both rural folks and the youth when exploring Black Southern history. Finally, Dr. Smith talks about his latest book, Black Farm Boys, which tells the story of the New Farmers of America, the national organization that supported Black male agriculture students in the rural South from the 1930s through the mid 1960s.
Dr. Bobby J. Smith II's Instagram account: https://instagram.com/smith_classic/ (https://www.instagram.com/smith_classic/)
Dr. Smith's books:
Food Power Politics: The Food Story of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement: https://uncpress.org/9781469675077/food-power-politics/ (https://uncpress.org/9781469675077/food-power-politics/)
Black Farm Boys: The Untold Story of the New Farmers of America: https://uncpress.org/9781469696935/black-farm-boys/ (https://uncpress.org/9781469696935/black-farm-boys/)
8 Oct 2026
Project Blowed, the “Underground,” and Black Hip Hop Fandom (w/ Open Mike Eagle)
My guest for this episode is celebrated hip hop artist, podcaster, comedy writer, and host, Open Mike Eagle. The topic is underground hip hop and Black fandom. We use the influential Los Angeles based underground hip hop collective Project Blowed as a lens for the discussion because Mike has been both a Blowed outsider (as a fan of the movement in the 90s) as well as an insider (as a member starting in the 2000s).
We discuss the ever changing meaning of "underground" hip hop, what distinguishes it from the mainstream version of the music, and how Black fans in particular engage with both.
We talk about the decline of the "everyman" and working class themes in popular hip hop music and the negative influence of Dr. Dre and Jay-Z from that perspective. Ultimately, Mike shares his creative philosophy that animates the focus on mundane life in his work.
Finally, Mike and I reminisce about our days working in shoe stores and nerd out over some of our favorite underground hip hop artists.
Open Mike Eagle’s website: https://mikeeagle.net/ (https://mikeeagle.net/)
Youtube channel: https://youtube.com/@open_mike_eagle (https://www.youtube.com/@open_mike_eagle)
Full episode notes here: https://blacketcpod.com/episodes/027-open-mike-eagle (https://blacketcpod.com/episodes/027-open-mike-eagle)
cover photo credit: Alex Steed
23 Sept 2026
The History and Politics of Black Barbershops (w/ Dr. Quincy Mills)
My guest for this episode is Dr. Quincy T. Mills, who is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Maryland in addition to serving as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for Graduate Education in the College of Arts and Humanities and the Director of the Frederick Douglass Center for Leadership Through the Humanities.
We first discuss the archival research and ethnography Dr. Mills did in a Black barbershop on the Southside of Chicago to support both Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry's book on the subject and eventually his own. We then get into the surprising history of wealth and prestige post-emancipation Black barbers accumulated as groomers of the White political and business elite and focus on the shift toward the barbershops as working class Black spaces.
We also explore the popular stereotype of Black barbershops as sites of unconventional (and outlandish) opinion and the role the spaces play in discussions of Black men's political thought. Finally we look at the changing nature of Black barbershops and the extent to which they welcome various people in the community based on class, age, gender, and sexuality.
Dr. Quincy T. Mills' U of MD faculty page: https://history.umd.edu/directory/quincy-mills (https://history.umd.edu/directory/quincy-mills)
Dr. Mills' book: Cutting Along the Color Line: Black Barbers and Barber Shops in America (https://www.pennpress.org/9780812245417/cutting-along-the-color-line/)
Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry's book: Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought (https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691126098/barbershops-bibles-and-bet?srsltid=AU7gw4XMAIR5_XYDG2t4aYMBTFzrUqEBO3nz8MYn_r1uGzd_NSzg49NW)
Full episode notes here: https://blacketcpod.com/episodes/026-quincy-mills (https://blacketcpod.com/episodes/026-quincy-mills)
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
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