Beyond28 Audio Up Media

In our March episode we are celebrating Women’s Empowerment Month looking at those paving the way for women in social activism and sports in the Bay Area community and beyond. 1:30 First, in our Beyond the Court segment, we’ll hear from Afatasi the Artist, a Bay Area Artist who is using her work to spark social change. 8:40 In our Center Court Segment, we talk with Liz Mills, the head coach of Moroccan men's basketball team, AS Sale. She's the first female head coach of the men's team in Morocco and the Arab world.

Our February episode we explore those who are creating a new legacy of Black history through their work and activism in the Bay Area. 1:29 First, we’ll talk with spoken word poet and America’s Got Talent winner Brandon Leake. 13:46 Later, we’ll talk with Rue Mapp who is the creator of Outdoor Afro, a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and creating Black connections in nature as well as leadership in nature conservation and policy. So sit back, relax, and get ready for some knowledge. I’m your host Marc Spears from ESPN’s The Undefeated, and this is Beyond 28.

Our January episode looks back at the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the work that still needs to be done to make his dream a reality. As we set our sights towards what 2022 has to hold for us, we want to take the opportunity to talk with those who witnessed the bravery of Dr. King and those who continue to follow in his footsteps. 1:51 First, we’ll talk with Chaplain Earl Smith who went from ministering to incarcerated men in San Quentin to serving the Golden State Warriors and San Francisco 49ers. 20:38 Later, we’ll talk with renowned documentary photographer David Johnson about his early career from working with Ansel Adams, to taking photos of the civil rights movement, to having his work displayed in the Library of Congress.

Our December episode takes a look at athletes and community leaders who are using their platform and resources to support the black community.  As the holiday season approaches it's important for those to help their communities when and where they can. 1:55 We speak with former basketball player and sports commentator Kelenna Azubuike. We’ll hear how he had to adjust to moving to the U.S. from London and how his faith led him to his work in philanthropy and creating The Athlete's Corner.  15:20 We talk with Adrian Williams, Executive Director of The Village Project, and Brother Clint Sockwell, who leads the organization’s annual Kwanzaa program. Their organization provides vital resources to the San Francisco community such as senior programs, summer camps, and food distribution. Most importantly, The Village Project conducts an annual Kwanzaa program led by Brother Clint, where youth learn the tenants of Kwanzaa, the history of the holiday, and why it's important to the black community.

Our November episode explores athletes and political organizers who are energizing the power of the black vote and political liberation. In the 2020 presidential election we witnessed history, as the once red state of Georgia flipped to blue, through the power and determination of Stacey Abrams to get black voters registered and to the polls. And that’s only the beginning of the advancement of black political power. First, in our “Beyond the Court” section (2:30) we speak with co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alicia Garza. She talks about how her upbringing led her to political organizing and what she's doing now to promote political power in the black community. Later, in the “Center Court” section (19:48) we talk with Patricia Robinson and Eric Reid about their work with the Know Your Rights Camps, an organization started by Colin Kaepernick to teach Black and Brown youth about their legal rights. And lastly, we hear from Know Your Rights youth ambassadors Aisatou Diallo and Shandra Rodgers (31:37), about their experience through the program.

Our October episode takes a look at athletes who are making their voices heard on and off the court. After the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor during the summer of 2020, many athletes have decided to use their platforms as tools for social change.  (4:10) We first speak with three time NBA Champion for the Warriors, Andre Igoudala. Igoudala talks about following in the path of other athletes like Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown, who used their platforms to fight for equality. He also talks about his memoir The Sixth Man where he details his life growing up in Illinois, joining the Warriors, and the changing role of the athlete in our society. (21:41) We then speak with WNBA stars, Natasha Cloud of the Washington Mystics and Chiney Ogwumike from the Los Angeles Sparks. Both of these women are not only fierce on the court but are driven by their passion to create real social change in their communities.