Basic Black Podcast

It’s recognized as one of the most vile slurs directed at African Americans. But the N word has a complicated legacy. Linked to America’s history of enslavement, it is also urban slang used in society and pop culture. Should it be banned or can the movement to reclaim it diminish its sting? And why does the N-word remain relevant today?

WARNING: A warning to those of you watching and listening. This is a sensitive topic, so please know that the full word will be used during this discussion.

Panelists:

Nathaniel McLean-Nichols, program coordinator for teen empowerment, a local youth organization. He is also a senior at UMass Boston.

Nicole Dutton is a poet. Managing Editor of "Transition Magazine" and "the Dubois review," at the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University.

Susan X Jane, principal of Navigators Consulting. She has over 25 years of experience working in the field of culture, diversity and inclusion.

Rahsaan Hall, Director of The Racial Justice Program for the A-C-L-U of MASS.

Nubian Square is the new name of the Roxbury community formerly known as Dudley Square. The change came after a five-year community campaign, a ballot initiative, and finally, a unanimous approval from Boston’s Public Improvement Commission. So now what? Will the name change be more than a point of cultural pride? And will the rebranded Nubian Square offer an economic future for those who live in the community now?

Panelists:

Phillip Martin, Senior Investigative Reporter, New England Center for Investigative Reporting, WGBH News.

Sadiki Kambon, chair of the Nubian Square Coalition and Director of The Black Community Information Center.

Marita Rivero, Principal of Rivero Partners. She is also the former president and C-E-O of the Museum of African American History as well as a former Vice President And G-M for Radio and Television, GBH.

Richard Taylor, Managing Director, Nubian Square Development.

Supporters of criminal justice reform have fought against policies promoting harsh sentences and mass incarceration. In recent years there has been movement toward new policies on the federal and the state level. Other states are modeling their reforms based on the Massachusetts criminal justice reform bill, passed two years ago, which includes alternatives to prison and re-entry programs. Still, many who are caught up in the system are at risk for wrongful convictions, with people of color at greatest risk.

Panelists:

Rahsaan Hall, director of the racial justice program for the A-C-L-U of Massachusetts

Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, Executive Director of The Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston.

Phillip Martin, Sr. Investigative Reporter, New England Center for Investigative Reporting, GBH News

Sean Ellis. Ellis was wrongfully convicted of a 1993 murder of a Boston police detective. After having spent nearly 22 years incarcerated, his conviction was overturned in 2015.