Make It Plain Podcast

Kehinde Andrews

The Make it Plain podcast is hosted by Kehinde Andrews, chair of Harambee OBU and professor of Black Studies. Each week he discusses what's happening in the world and interviews people you need to hear from. Support Make it Plain: https://make-it-plain.org/support-us/ Join Harambee OBU https://www.blackunity.org.uk/ Written and hosted: Kehinde Andrews Artwork: Assata Andrews YouTube: Kadiri Andrews

  1. 14 MAR

    We need to talk about Lammy; plus Kehinde's daughter joins to talk Oscars, AI and pop culture

    Kehinde opens up with a rant about David Lammy's ending of jury trials for the majority of cases in England and Wales. Lammy chaired a review into the criminal injustice system in 2017 that highlighted judges as one of the most prejudiced aspects of the system…and now wants to put our fate in their hands. Judges deciding cases will mean more Black people in prison and Lammy knows this all too well. From once pretending to have the community on his side he has now fully turned his back. Then Kehinde is joined by his daughter, Assata for an intergenerational conversation and to find out what young people are talking about. They delve into the Oscars, debating the merits of films like "Sinners", and explore themes of race and representation in cinema. The discussion also touches on AI's impact, with Assata expressing concerns about its environmental cost and societal implications. They also delve into conspiracy theories surrounding figures like Epstein. The conversation also touches on how globalization affects culture, linking it to colonialism. Assata shares insights into contemporary slang, explaining terms like "ate," "cooked," and "chat," while reflecting on generational differences in language and culture. Support Make it Plain: https://make-it-plain.org/support-us/ Join Harambee OBU https://www.blackunity.org.uk/ Written and hosted by Kehinde Andrews Produced by Kadiri Andrews Artwork by Assata Andrews

    1h 18m
  2. 28 FEB

    Bafta's N-word spectacle, Reform lose and Neo-colonial education with Wandia Njoya

    Reflecting on the flooding of the timeline with Bafta's N-word coverage Kehinde opens by saying that we've missed the point. We focus on the spectacle and not the real issue. Of course the BBC shouldn't have aired the N-word and the Bafta's should have showed more care... but we expect too much from a racist system.  Speaking of a racist system, Kehinde addresses the Green Party's win in the Gorton and Denton by election. Thankfully, Reform's less than mediocre White male candidate Matthew Goodwin lost out but the far right party remains a threat, particularly if they make a coalition with the next Prime Minister of the UK....Kemi Badenoch He is then joined by the Dr Wandia Njoya  is a prominent Kenyan scholar, public intellectual, and social commentator known for her critical analysis of education, culture, and politics in Africa. She is an Associate Professor of Literature at Daystar University in Kenya, where she has also served as the Head of the Department of Language and Performing Arts. Wandia holds a PhD in French from Pennsylvania State University. Her scholarly work focuses on French and African literature, film, gender issues, and the interrogation of "what it means to be human" in the modern world. Dr Njoya is one of the most vocal critics of Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). She argues that the system prioritizes "practicality" and neoliberal productivity over genuine critical thinking and the arts. She frequently writes about decolonising the African mind and the academy, drawing inspiration from figures like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Thomas Sankara, and Malcolm X. Her blog, Wandia Njoya, has won multiple awards from the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) for its commentary on social issues. She is a regular contributor to The Elephant, where she publishes analyses on political elite culture, gender, and education Support Make it Plain: https://make-it-plain.org/support-us/ Join Harambee OBU https://www.blackunity.org.uk/ Find out about the Convention for Afrikan People: https://make-it-plain.org/convention-of-afrikan-people/ Written and hosted by Kehinde Andrews Produced by Kadiri Andrews Artwork by Assata Andrews

    1h 13m
  3. What Would Malcolm Say About...Electoral Politics? + Full Interview Dr Jared A. Bal

    07/07/2025

    What Would Malcolm Say About...Electoral Politics? + Full Interview Dr Jared A. Bal

    Final episode in a special series of the Make it Plain podcast, 'What Would Malcolm Say?' where Kehinde Andrews explains what Malcolm's body of work tells us about what is going on in the present. Each episode will also feature a full interview with someone featured in the documentary 'Nobody Can Give You Freedom', which was independently made by Make it Plain. You can watch the entire documentary for free at    • Nobody Can Give You Freedom: The Real Miss...   Film was made by @MichaelEllisFilms To close out the mini-series Kehinde reflects on his experience at the asks, 'What Would Malcolm Say About… Electoral Politics'. With Zohran Mamdani's win in the Democratic primary for New York mayor, and Jeremy Corbyn and Zahra Sultana starting a new left political party there is a resurgence of hope in electoral politics. But Malcolm would warn us that the political system can no more provide our freedom, than a 'chicken can lay a duck egg'. We run the full interview with Dr Jared A. Ball @imixwhatilikejaredball from the Nobody Can Give You Freedom film and we have truly saved the best for last.Wide ranging discussion with the co-editor of A Lie of Reinvention Get A Lie of Reinvention https://www.blackclassicbooks.com/a-l... Check out Jared's YouTube Channel    / @imixwhatilikejaredball   Check out Black Liberation Media    / @blackliberationmedia   Get your copy of Kehinde's book Nobody Can Give You Freedom. Out now in the UK at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/46007... Out in the US on 9th September https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/tit... Support Make it Plain: https://make-it-plain.org/support-us/ Join Harambee OBU https://www.blackunity.org.uk/ Find out about the Convention for Afrikan People: https://make-it-plain.org/convention-... Written and hosted by Kehinde Andrews Produced by Kadiri Andrews  Artwork by Assata Andrews

    1h 19m
  4. What Would Malcolm Say About...Reparations? Plus full interview with Dr Olivia Rutazibwa

    30/06/2025

    What Would Malcolm Say About...Reparations? Plus full interview with Dr Olivia Rutazibwa

    Fifth episode in a special series of the Make it Plain podcast, 'What Would Malcolm Say?' where Kehinde Andrews explains what Malcolm's body of work tells us about what is going on in the present. Each episode will also feature a full interview with someone featured in the documentary 'Nobody Can Give You Freedom', which was independently made by Make it Plain. You can watch the entire documentary for free at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZBZyaruoGo&t=136s Film was made by @MichaelEllisFilms  With Jamaica calling on King Charles to support reparations, Kehinde explains what Malcolm would say about the reparatory justice movement today. From the Caribbean Community to the American Descendants of Slavery, reparations are on the agenda, but lacking the radical roots from Malcolm's time. Malcolm famously explained that 'if you stick a knife in my back nine inches, and pull it out 6 inches that is not progress...you have to heal the wound'. Using that yardstick we must understand that the West can never repay the debt, that reparations are revolution. Plus we share the full interview with Dr Olivia Rutazibwa from the Nobody Can Give You Freedom film Find out more about Dr Rutazibwa at https://www.lse.ac.uk/sociology/people/academic-staff/olivia-umurerwa-rutazibwa Find out who sists on the judicial committee on the Privy Council https://jcpc.uk/  Get your copy of Kehinde's book Nobody Can Give You Freedom. Out now in the UK at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/460078/nobody-can-give-you-freedom-by-andrews-kehinde/9780241681176 Out in the US on 9th September https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kehinde-andrews/nobody-can-give-you-freedom/9781645030706/?lens=bold-type-books Support Make it Plain: https://make-it-plain.org/support-us/ Join Harambee OBU https://www.blackunity.org.uk/ Find out about the Convention for Afrikan People: https://make-it-plain.org/convention-of-afrikan-people/ Written and hosted by Kehinde Andrews Produced by Kadiri Andrews Artwork by Assata Andrews

    57 min
  5. What Would Malcolm Say...about Diddy? Plus full interview with Sayce Holmes-Lewis from Mentivity

    23/06/2025

    What Would Malcolm Say...about Diddy? Plus full interview with Sayce Holmes-Lewis from Mentivity

    Fourth episode in a special series of the Make it Plain podcast, 'What Would Malcolm Say?' where Kehinde Andrews explains what Malcolm's body of work tells us about what is going on in the present. Each episode will also feature a full interview with someone featured in the documentary 'Nobody Can Give You Freedom', which was independently made by Make it Plain. You can watch the entire documentary for free at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZBZyaruoGo&t=136s Film was made by Michael Ellis Films This week Kehinde breaks down what Malcolm would say about Diddy, Tyler Perry, R-Kelley, Cosby and all the other accusations of sexual abuse facing some high profile Black celebrities. You best believe Malcom would be mad both at the lack of protection for Black women and how we have been building up the wrong people in the first place. We shouldn't ben adoring those in the House and then wandering why many are fallen idols. Plus we share the full interview with Sayce Holmes-Lewis from Mentivity from the Nobody Can Give You Freedom film Find out about Mentivity: here https://www.mentivity.com/ Get your copy of Kehinde's book Nobody Can Give You Freedom. Out now in the UK at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/460078/nobody-can-give-you-freedom-by-andrews-kehinde/9780241681176 Out in the US on 9th September https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kehinde-andrews/nobody-can-give-you-freedom/9781645030706/?lens=bold-type-books Support Make it Plain: https://make-it-plain.org/support-us/ Join Harambee OBU https://www.blackunity.org.uk/ Find out about the Convention for Afrikan People: https://make-it-plain.org/convention-of-afrikan-people/ Written and hosted by Kehinde Andrews Produced by Kadiri Andrews Artwork by Assata Andrews

    1 hr
5
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

The Make it Plain podcast is hosted by Kehinde Andrews, chair of Harambee OBU and professor of Black Studies. Each week he discusses what's happening in the world and interviews people you need to hear from. Support Make it Plain: https://make-it-plain.org/support-us/ Join Harambee OBU https://www.blackunity.org.uk/ Written and hosted: Kehinde Andrews Artwork: Assata Andrews YouTube: Kadiri Andrews

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