I SEE U with Eddie Robinson Houston Public Media

Celebrated author of the award-winning book, The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap, Mehrsa Baradaran states that when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, Blacks had 0.5% of the nation’s wealth. This statistic makes sense, since Blacks weren’t allowed to own capital as enslaved people — their bodies were, indeed, the capital used to develop lending in this country. Fast-forward more than 160 years to today, Black households currently have a total wealth of just over 4% - not much growth, especially when U consider that one-in-four Black households overall have no wealth or in debt, compared to about one-in-ten U.S. households.    What if our nation’s financial systems were rigged — not by evil puppet masters or villains — but by law-abiding judges, lawyers, policy makers and lobbyists? In Baradaran’s latest book, The Quiet Coup: Neoliberalism and The Looting of America, the acclaimed professor of law at the University of California, Irvine argues that our political and economic systems of government have shifted in recent decades to yield more complex laws and regulations designed to benefit the rich and powerful—while at the same time, proclaiming smaller government and less regulation. The result has been a large section of Americans left poor and disenfranchised. Join us as I SEE U host Eddie Robinson chats with one of our country’s leading intellectuals and legal scholars, Mehrsa Baradaran. We examine how the Civil Rights movement and the push for economic justice by Black activists led to a so-called neoliberal movement. Baradaran explores this ideology of neoliberalism and explains how it infected our politics to ensure and maintain a dominant system of economic power over democracy – a movement she says is far from over, and even accelerating. 

There are 64 million Latinos in the United States – nearly 20% of the population. By 2050, it’s projected that a third of the country’s population will be Latino. But despite being such a significant part of the country, Latinos are still often viewed as being immigrants, not fully American – even though they’ve been a part of American life for centuries. Join us as host Eddie Robinson chats candidly with renowned author and journalist, Marie Arana. Her latest book, LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority, draws from hundreds of interviews and expansive research that not only examine the diverse background of the fastest-growing minority in this country, but also the importance of understanding their history and contributions to this country. Arana, who also served as the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress, shares her own provocative story from growing up in Lima, Peru to arriving in Summit, New Jersey in the wake of the murder of Emmett Till – an African American teen whose death reinvigorated the Civil Rights Movement. She tells I SEE U that Latinos have largely been invisible with a cultural influence that has for too long been dismissed or hidden from public view. Her mission is to encourage all Americans to discover more about this burgeoning population—while the Latino community grapples with understanding its own past, its promising future and its inherent power.

Critically acclaimed musician, Samora Pinderhughes has emerged as one of the most conscientious performers of the moment. The multidisciplinary artist has collaborated with a plethora of musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Common, Robert Glasper, Jill Scott, Sara Bareilles, Daveed Diggs and Lalah Hathaway, just to name a few.Pinderhughes is a filmmaker, a composer and a pianist, and he’s known for creating performance pieces that are extensions of the conversations of his community – from the political to the personal – that incorporate elements of theatre, poetry, even paintings and digital art. His work is also deeply rooted in social justice and the traditions of Black surrealists of the African Diaspora. For nearly a decade, the 32-year-old has been working on his signature concept known as, “The Healing Project,” which centers around testimonials of community members, whose lives have been shattered by senseless violence, incarceration, detention and extreme policing. The initiative has since expanded and evolved into an arts organization based in New York City that’s been featured in short films, museum exhibitions and live concerts.Join us as I SEE U’s Eddie Robinson chats in-studio with multidisciplinary artist, Samora Pinderhughes. The Julliard School graduate guides us through his spiritual process of integrating visuals, sound, and emotions to create a musical landscape that touches the heart and soul of its listeners. He’s already performed his compositions at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center as well as the historic El Dorado Ballroom in Houston’s Third Ward, just blocks away from our I SEE U Studios.

With his signature voice and charismatic presence, legendary actor Keith David has starred in almost 400 projects, including film, television, stage and interactive media. From devils to angels, David has played just about every kind of role you can think of – including voice work in Disney and Manga animation, to roles in classic horror and comedy, to small time crooks and mega-church preachers. His acting range is incomparable, and as a classically trained actor, he’s a firm believer that talent alone is not enough – you must put in the hard work and training to be successful. That’s why he’s won three Emmys, an NAACP Image Award, as well as being nominated for a Tony Award. But how has he remained passionate about acting for so many years, while delivering grace and splendor to each character he portrays?Join us as I SEE U’s Eddie Robinson chats with one of Hollywood’s most sought-after performers, Keith David. The Harlem-born veteran actor shares family stories and insight into his very first movie role—the 1982 horror classic, The Thing. He also reminisces about his relationship with the church, and how he had considered becoming a minister at one point in his career. He channeled that love of ministry into his character, Bishop James Greenleaf, for a powerful performance in the Oprah-produced drama series, Greenleaf. David shows no sign of slowing down as he reveals to I SEE U the secret to his remarkable longevity as a successful actor in a competitive and ever-evolving entertainment industry.

Country music is often referred to as the quintessential American music – and yet the contributions and influences of Black Americans is often erased and ignored. A prime example: Members of the Carter family were among country music’s first big stars, producing some of the earliest commercial recordings in the 1920s. While the Carters are celebrated to this day, few know the name of Lesley Riddle, a Black musician who was instrumental in developing the Carter sound. Even the banjo – an instrument most associated with Appalachia where A.P. Carter and Lesley Riddle researched folk music – has had its African roots neglected over time. The rich cultural legacy of this American genre is only recently getting reexamined as African Americans and other communities of color are telling their own stories and histories of contribution to the origins of country music. 
  
As Houston’s own Beyoncé drops her most recent album, “Cowboy Carter”, some are saying that an artist mostly linked to R&B and hip-hop has no business on the country charts or airwaves. But the owners of a new music enterprise in Houston would respectfully disagree as they live the country life right here in Space City.
 
Join us as I SEE U’s Eddie Robinson chats with the founders of LaChachere Music Group (LMG), a premiere country music entertainment company based in Houston and Nashville. Owners Dennis Chachere and Ahsaki LaFrance-Chachere stop by our Third Ward studios — just blocks away from Queen Bey’s childhood home. We’ll dive deep into why there remains tension in country music spaces when Black artists desire the spotlight — a notion Beyoncé modestly referred to in a recent Instagram post. Plus, LMG artist, singer-songwriter Caleb James, breaks out his guitar and offers up powerful vocals reminiscent of Charley Pride in an exclusive, live in-studio performance of his latest single, “Just a Few Things.” 

Country star Reyna Roberts was born two months prematurely, at just two pounds. Her doctors feared developmental issues; so, her mother – a student at the University of Alaska – teamed up with professors to develop a unique music therapy to aid in her cognitive growth. The therapy not only worked, but it also gave Roberts a deep-seated passion for music. While she is a classically trained pianist and vocalist, her love of music led her to explore all genres before she found her groove in writing and singing country music. And this 26-year-old has been a fighter since birth, with her bold flair and genre-busting sound exemplified on her debut album, “Bad Girl Bible, Vol. 1.”
 
As Houston’s own, Beyoncé releases “Cowboy Carter” – I SEE U is taking a moment to explore the stories and lives of Black country musicians. Join us for this special bonus podcast as Eddie Robinson chats unguarded with the multi-talented country singer-songwriter, Reyna Roberts. We’ll gain insight into how she’s navigated race and gender inside a challenging music industry as an up-and-coming Black female country artist. Roberts also responds to the criticism female musicians often receive when embracing and displaying a very risqué image.