On this episode of Broke-ish, Amber and Erika are joined by journalist and cultural worker, Musa Springer, to discuss the legacy of Black culture – the good, bad, and ugly. Musa illuminates the ways that Black cultural workers can serve as powerful forces of resistance, with art as a source of education and activism. But we also acknowledge the downside of Black culture: the appropriation, the commercialization, and the insidious separation of the artist from their labor. Musa reminds us to critically interrogate the pursuit of “mainstream” validation and profit and work towards a culture that centers liberation, artistic expression, and community. Tune in and get the scoop!

Homework

1. Subscribe to Broke-ish on Black Liberation Media.
2. Tell a friend to tell a friend about the show.
3. Examine and reflect on the legacy that you received from your elders.

Receipts

Receipts/Homework:

Learn more from Musa:

• Cultural Worker, Not A “Creative” (Essay)
• Neo-Colonial Capture, Culture, and Neo-Liberalism (Essay)
• The Artists Against Apartheid (Audio)
• You Can’t Beat Pablo If Ya Work Ain’t Sellin: Appropriation, Truth, and Capitalism (Article; Internet Archived)
• The Role Of Artists Beyond Celebrity (Audio)
• The power of the cultural boycott of Israel (Article)
• If we abandon our political prisoners we abandon ourselves—Palestine shows us why (Article)