GOOD People with Kojo Boateng

Nick Makoha on Rewriting the Myths We Inherit

Nick Makoha is an award-winning Ugandan poet, playwright, and founder of the Obsidian Foundation, whose work has been redefining contemporary Black writing for years. He fled Uganda as a child during the political crisis of the 1970s — a history that runs like an electrical current through everything he writes. In this episode, he talks about his new collection, The New Carthaginians — a genre-bending exploration of myth, migration, and the political rupture that shaped his childhood. We dig into time loops, Black Icarus, Basquiat, and the power of rewriting the stories we inherit. You can learn more about Nick Makoha on his website at nickmakoha.com [https://nickmakoha.com/] or by following him on instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nick.makoha/?hl=en] or facebook [https://www.facebook.com/nick.makoha/]

The Making of Remi Rough

Remi Rough is a London-born artist known for transforming graffiti’s raw energy into bold, geometric abstraction. Emerging from the South London graffiti scene in the 1980s, he has spent more than three decades pioneering a visual language that blends modernist precision with street culture rhythm.  Rough has collaborated, and been in group shows with artists including Futura⁠, ⁠Shepard Fairey⁠ ⁠Eric Haze⁠ ⁠Crash⁠, Shok1, ⁠MadC⁠, ⁠Carlos Mare⁠, ⁠JonOne⁠ and ⁠Stormie Mills⁠. In 1999, he painted three murals with ⁠Banksy⁠, including the mural titled Dogma A key figure in the Ikonoklast Movement and a contributor to its definitive monograph Future Language of the Ikonoklast, Remi’s work spans murals, canvases, public installations, and sound. He is also one half of the experimental music duo Dead Can Rap with American rap artist Mike Ladd, extending his creative expression into rhythm and spoken word. Remi’s art has appeared in cities worldwide and continues to push the boundaries of contemporary urban creativity. You can learn more about Remi Rough by following him @remirough [https://www.instagram.com/remirough/?hl=en] at http://remirough.com [http://remirough.com], and follow his music on bandcamp with The Dead Can Rap https://thedeadcanrap.bandcamp.com/music [https://thedeadcanrap.bandcamp.com/music]

Jen White-Johnson on Zine Making and Collective Liberation

Jen White-Johnson is an Afro-Latina, disabled, and neurodivergent artist, designer, and educator whose work merges art and activism. Based in Baltimore, she creates zines, photographs, and digital art that celebrate Black disabled joy and challenge systems of erasure. Her Black Disabled Lives Matter symbol has become an international icon of protest and solidarity, and her photo-zine Knox Roxs documents the life of her son while amplifying Black neurodivergent voices. In this episode we talk about how she navigated her own autism diagnosis and how she uses photography, design and zine making as a pathway to collective liberation in troubled times. You can learn more about Jen White-Johnson by following her on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jtknoxroxs/?hl=en] or visiting her website https://jenwhitejohnson.com/ [https://jenwhitejohnson.com/ ] Or theme music is produce by Soliheen, you can support his music at https://soliheen.bandcamp.com/

Julian Alexander Speaks With His Hands

Julian Alexander has shaped how we see Black culture. Through music, design, and public art. From GRAMMY®-winning album packaging for Miles Davis to logos and covers for Jennifer Lopez, Eminem, and 50 Cent, his work has reached millions worldwide. In this episode, we talk about his creative journey, and The Supremacy Project—a powerful public art initiative launched during the pandemic that challenges us to rethink power, equity, and shared values. You can learn more about Julian Alexander and his workby visiting his websites at https://slanginc.com/ [https://slanginc.com/] and https://supremacyproject.com/https://supremacyproject.com/ [https://supremacyproject.com/] and on by following him on instagram [https://www.instagram.com/slanginc/] Our theme music is produced by Soliheen and sets the perfect tone for these conversations. Follow him on Bandcamp [https://soliheen.bandcamp.com/]

Neurology of Power

Suzanne Alleyne is cultural thinker, creative strategist, artist, and founder of Alleyne&, a consultancy and research incubator at the intersection of neuroscience, culture, and equity. Suzanne’s groundbreaking research, Neurology of Power™, explores how power shapes our relationships, institutions, and futures. She joins Good People to talk about her journey from the arts to research, what she’s learned from communities across the world, and how conversation itself can be a tool for change. This is a deep, human conversation about leadership, responsibility, and reimagining power for a more just future. Learn more about Suzanne Alleyne and Neurology of Power™ https://alleyneand.com/ Instagram: @alleyneand [https://www.instagram.com/alleyneand/?hl=en] Theme Music: 'Gravity' by Soliheen https://soliheen.bandcamp.com/