S2 EP1 - GEORGE THE POET: "Coconuts," the Black Vote, "Track Record," Hip Hopaganda, Rejecting MBEs + More
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WELCOME BACK TO THE MAKE IT PLAIN PODCAST
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Thanks for coming back! If you slept on S1 you can return to our earlier episodes (S1 was funded by the Evens Foundation in Europe, themed on Black Studies, featuring Patricia Hill Collins, Kimberlee Crenshaw, David Harewood + more).
This is S2, and we're taking a slightly different tact than S1. We'll still be interviewing official guests in academia, politics, and elsewhere. What's new is that we'll also be talking to interesting people on the ground from organizations on the Black United Front (BUF, a directory of Black orgs across the globe that Make it Plain has begun developing).
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In this week's Black World News, Kehinde Andrews makes plain the House Negro nonsense of the coconut trial of Mariah Hassan, a person who was charged with carrying a placard that pictured Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts. This isn't up for debate, this is not a criminal offense it's a defense of the Black radical intellectual tradition.
Kehinde also makes plain the general election, the ways you can and can't represent as a Black MP, and the myth and propaganda of the Black Vote. Not discounting our influence in marginal seats, the myth of the Black vote is a really bad way of understanding Black political power. Kehinde makes plain a better (local, national, and global) way of understanding politics through a Black mass membership international organization.
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In this week's official guest interview, Kehinde Andrews talks with George the Poet (featuring his son in the background hehe) about his new book Track Record. George shares a section of the book that never made it to his book, "The Anti-Afrikan." They also discuss, turning down an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) honor, despite it "opening doors" and networking opportunities (but the question is, "which doors?" and"whose doors?").
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George the Poet AKA George Mpanga is a multi-dimensional man with lived experience and a London-born spoken word performer of Ugandan heritage. His innovative brand of musical poetry has won him critical acclaim both as a recording artist and a social commentator. George is also a husband, father, and Cambridge graduate.
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BLACK WORLD NEWS LINKS
It's not a crime to call a "Coconut" a "Coconut."
Professor Kehinde Andrews explains why the terms Coconut, House Negro, Coon, and Uncle Tom are vital expressions of Black political thought that should be celebrated and not policed. Drawing on work in his book 'The Psychosis of Whiteness' this is a handy guide through the use of the words complete with many examples.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZkD-e-b6Iw
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GUEST LINKS
George the Poet
https://www.georgethepoet.com/
George's book: Track Record
Delving into the music scene and iconic films from his childhood, as well as crucial political and economic moments in history, this book provides the backstory of where we are today. Honest, thought-provoking, and passionate, Track Record is a ground-breaking memoir by one of the UK's most unique voices.
https://afroribooks.co.uk/products/track-record-me-music-and-the-war-on-blackness-by-george-the-poet-published-25th-april-2024
Have You Heard George's Podcast?
The award-winning and critically acclaimed podcast from George the Poet delivers a fresh take on inner-city life through a mix of storytelling, music, and fiction.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p07915kd
Downstream: The West is Poor, Africa is Rich w/ George The Poet
https://www.tapesearch.com/episode/downstream-the-west-is-poor-africa-is-rich-w-george-the-poet/7SpXBeDiuocHoYSALAQ4NP
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MIP LINKS
CAP25 - Convention of Afrikan People - Gambia - May 17-19, 2025
On Malcolm X's 100th birthday, the Harambee Organisation of Black Unity is bringing together those in Afrika and the Diaspora who want to fulfill Malcolm's legacy and build a global organization for Black people. This is an open invitation to anyone.
https://make-it-plain.org/convention-of-afrikan-people/
BUF - Black United Front
Global directory of Black organizations. This will be hosted completely free of charge so if you run a Black organization please email the name, address, website, and contact info to mip@blackunity.org.uk to be listed.
Policing terms like House Negro insults Black political thought
"Terms like Coconut, House Negro, and Uncle Tom are not, and never were racial slurs. To view them as such is to fall down the rabbit hole of 'reverse racism'."
https://make-it-plain.org/2021/02/19/policing-terms-like-house-negro-insults-black-political-thought/
From the growling wolf to the smiling fox
"Malcolm already warned us of the dangers of running from the clutches of the wolf into the arms of the smiling fox."
https://make-it-plain.org/2020/11/07/from-the-growling-wolf-to-the-smiling-fox/
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Guest: georgethepoet (IG) GeorgeThePoet (X)
Host: @kehindeandrews (IG) @kehinde_andrews (X)
Podcast team: @makeitplainorg @weylandmck @inhisownterms @farafinmuso
Platform: www.make-it-plain.org (Blog) www.youtube.com/@MakeItPlain1964 (YT)
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For any help with your audio visit: https://weylandmck.com/
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Make it Plain is the Editorial Wing of the Harambee Organisation of Black Unity
