Ep 54 - Tara Green - Love Activism and The Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar Nelson

Ep 55 - Chad Williams - WEB DuBois and Black America in The First World War

In this episode, Mark is diving into the life of WEB DuBois with the author of the new book, The Wounded World: W. E. B. Du Bois and the First World War, Chad Williams. Chad Williams is the Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Professor of History and African and African American Studies at Brandeis University. Chad earned a BA with honors in History and African American Studies from UCLA, and received both his MA and Ph.D. in History from Princeton University. He specializes in African American and modern United States History, African American military history, the World War I era and African American intellectual history.  His first book, Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era, was published in 2010 by the University of North Carolina Press.  Tune in today! Enjoy the show? Support the podcast by buying me a coffee! www.Buymeacoffee.com/markdawson [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdawson] Connect with Mark Dawson: Instagram: @iammarkdawson [https://www.instagram.com/iammarkdawson/] LinkedIn: @mark-a-dawson [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/courageously-lead-intimacy-mark-dawson] Website: www.bentonmuse.com [https://www.bentonmuse.com/] Twitter: @Iammarkdawson [https://twitter.com/iammarkdawson/status/1328891294467428353?lang=bg]

Ep 54 - Tara Green - Love Activism and The Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar Nelson

In this episode, Mark is talking with Dr. Tara T. Green about respectable life of Alice Dunbar Nelson. Dr. Tara T. Green is CLASS Distinguished Professor and Chair of African American Studies at the University of Houston. She is the author and editor of six books. She has most recently published Love, Activism and The Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson (Bloomsbury), which was named a Prose Award Finalist in the Biography/Autobiography Category by the Association of American Publishers. And, See Me Naked: Black Women Defining Pleasure During the Interwar Era (Rutgers UP). She will be reading an excerpt from See Me Naked.   Enjoy the show? Support the podcast by buying me a coffee! www.Buymeacoffee.com/markdawson [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdawson] Connect with Mark Dawson: Instagram: @iammarkdawson [https://www.instagram.com/iammarkdawson/] LinkedIn: @mark-a-dawson [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/courageously-lead-intimacy-mark-dawson] Website: www.bentonmuse.com [https://www.bentonmuse.com/] Twitter: @Iammarkdawson [https://twitter.com/iammarkdawson/status/1328891294467428353?lang=bg]

Ep 53 - Sekou Franklin - The Fight for Democracy in Tennessee and America

Today, Mark and Dr. Sekou Franklin discuss Tennessee's recent political spotlight after the General Assembly voted to expel three of its members, who were leading a protest against gun control laws after a mass shooting in Nashville.  This episode highlights the rarity of expulsion and the possible racism involved in the expulsion of two black representatives, while a white representative was not expelled. Dr. Franklin also points out that political activity by conservative legislatures in the states is a battleground for maintaining or rolling back civil rights, labor rights, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and all gains made toward democracy.  Dr. Sekou Franklin, a professor of political science at Middle Tennessee State University. He talks about the drivers of polarization, tactics used by black lawmakers facing conservative super majorities, and the importance of engaging in state and local politics. Enjoy the show? Support the podcast by buying me a coffee! www.Buymeacoffee.com/markdawson [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdawson] Connect with Mark Dawson: Instagram: @iammarkdawson [https://www.instagram.com/iammarkdawson/] LinkedIn: @mark-a-dawson [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/courageously-lead-intimacy-mark-dawson] Website: www.bentonmuse.com [https://www.bentonmuse.com/] Twitter: @Iammarkdawson [https://twitter.com/iammarkdawson/status/1328891294467428353?lang=bg]

Ep 52 - Doug Swanson - Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of The Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers are celebrating their 200th year, and are widely known as a rugged and upright law enforcement agency that symbolizes Texas. However, the book "Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers" presents a more ruthless, racist, and barbarous history of the organization, and highlights their close ties to moneyed groups and powerful politicians. This book challenges the widely held view of the Texas Rangers and prompts important conversations about their role in law enforcement. The guest today is Doug J. Swanson. Doug is a veteran investigative reporter and editor. He has written five novels and two non-fiction books. His most recent book is Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers, published in 2020 by Viking. Doug was for many years an investigative reporter and editor at The Dallas Morning News and was twice named the newspaper reporter of the year in Texas.  He is currently a research associate professor in the English Department writing program at the University of Pittsburgh. Before joining Pitt in 2016, he taught journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of North Texas.   Enjoy the show? Support the podcast by buying me a coffee! www.Buymeacoffee.com/markdawson   Connect with Mark Dawson: Instagram: @iammarkdawson LinkedIn: @mark-a-dawson Website: www.bentonmuse.com Twitter: @Iammarkdawson

Ep 51 - Dr. Gay Byron - Christianity's African Roots in Ethiopia

In this episode, Mark had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Gay Byron about Christianity in Ethiopia and its deep roots on the African continent. Dr. Byron explained that Ethiopia has a unique history with Christianity, being one of the first nations in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion in the 4th century. Overall, this was a fascinating conversation that shed light on the deep roots of Christianity in Ethiopia and Africa, as well as the ongoing importance of Christianity in contemporary African society. Gay L. Byron is a Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC. Her scholarship focuses on the origins of Christianity in ancient Ethiopia, cultural and womanist readings of Scripture, and race and ethnicity in early Christian writings. She is the author of Symbolic Blackness and Ethnic Difference in Early Christian Literature, co-editor (with Vanessa Lovelace) of Womanist Interpretations of the Bible: Expanding the Discourse, and most recently co-editor (with Hugh R. Page Jr.) of Black Scholars Matter: Visions, Struggles, and Hopes in Africana Biblical Studies. Her current book project focuses on Ethiopian manuscripts and early Christianity.  Dr. Byron is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has preached and led workshops for a variety of denominations and local churches.  Enjoy the show? Support the podcast by buying me a coffee! www.Buymeacoffee.com/markdawson [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdawson] Connect with Mark Dawson: Instagram: @iammarkdawson [https://www.instagram.com/iammarkdawson/] LinkedIn: @mark-a-dawson [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/courageously-lead-intimacy-mark-dawson] Website: www.bentonmuse.com [https://www.bentonmuse.com/] Twitter: @Iammarkdawson [https://twitter.com/iammarkdawson/status/1328891294467428353?lang=bg]