In this episode, I speak with siblings Alima Wheeler-Trapp and Ali J. Wheeler of the arts organization and archive The Black Canon, which is committed to preserving and promoting African American literary, performing, visual and media arts. We spoke about the extensive collection of film, music, theatre, and print items that their father, James E. Wheeler amassed over several years as well as what it takes to share that collection with the world.

The Black Canon (black-canon.com)

Full show notes here: blacketcpod.com/episodes/009-black-canon-wheeler

My guest for this episode is Chef Rahman "Rock" Harper, who is a chef, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and food media personality based in the Washington, D.C. area. We explore the differences between home cooked vs restaurant soul food, the need for Black Americans to reclaim soul food in the commercial space, and the pros and cons of mainstream and social media with respect to soul food.

• Chef Rock Harper's website: chefrockharper.com
• on Instagram & Facebook, Chef Harper is @rockharper
• Chef Harper's book: 44 Things Parents Should Know About Healthy Cooking for Kids
• Queen Mother’s Kitchen in Crystal City, VA: queenmothercooks.com
• Hush Harbor in Washingson, D.C.: hushharbor.co

Full show notes here: blacketcpod.com/episodes/008-rock-harper

The guest for this episode is Sheree Williams. She is Publisher & Owner of Cuisine Noir Magazine as well as Executive Director of the nonprofit The Global Food & Drink Initiative. She is also, among other things, a journalist, consultant, and a photographer.

We discuss how she acquired and expanded Cuisine Noir, the impact of Black food, wine, and travel storytelling, and the changing social and political landscape with respect to Black representation in media.

V Sheree Creative Enterprises: vsheree.com

Cuisine Noir Magazine: cuisinenoir.com

Global Food & Drink Initiative: globalforgood.org

On social media, Sheree Williams can be found at @cuisinenoir_ and @globalfoodanddrink

Full show notes here: blacketcpod.com/episodes/007-sheree-williams

My guest for this episode is Cam James, music artist, filmmaker, investigative journalist, and rising star in online political media.

Cam is the creator of countless popular Youtube investigative videos highlighting the scams & scammers targeting Black communities.

We speak about the relationship of these scams to the scammer ethos in the U.S. at large. In addition, Cam walks through how he went from being an aspiring rapper to a successful investigative video essayist, journalist, and political media figure.

Cam James' YouTube page: youtube.com/@CamJames

& his general website: cameraventures.io

Full show notes here: blacketcpod.com/episodes/006-cam-james

My guest today is Dr. Jared Ball, author, activist, independent media figure, and professor of Africana & Communication Studies at Morgan State University. I talked to him about his book, The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power. We explored the history of the claim that Black Americans have immense buying power that can be focused to bring about their collective economic uplift, the lack of evidence supporting the claim, and the role of Black media in spreading the Black buying power claim.

Dr. Ball's website: imixwhatilike.org

Full show notes here: blacketcpod.com/episodes/005-jared-ball

My guest today is Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson, who is a professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She studies African American foodways and culture. We had an extensive discussion about new directions in Black American food and scholarship.

In addition to speaking about new and exciting scholarship and efforts in Black American food, we also talked about her prior work: how chicken played a prominent role in Black entrepreneurship as well as the inherent anti-Blackness of food shaming.

Dr. Williams-Forson's website: psychewilliamsforson.com

Full show notes here: blacketcpod.com/episodes/004-psyche-williams-forson

For this episode, my guest is boxing business attorney, card game enthusiant, and author, Lamont Jones.

We talk about his book, The Gist of Bid Whist: The Culturally Rich Card Game From Black America, and explore the history of the partner card game bid whist as well as some of the ways African Americans made the game their own. Lamont has incredible stories about iconic Black cultural and historical figures who played and popularized bid whist-- from the Pullman porters and Justice Thurgood Marshall to Michael Jordan & the recently departed Jesse Jackson.

Lamont's website: gistofbidwhist.com

His social media handle on Instagram and Twitter is @lamontsixnolow.

Full show notes here: blacketcpod.com/episodes/003-lamont-jones

In this episode, my guest is celebrated soul food scholar, author, and speaker, Adrian Miller.

We discuss the history of the term “soul food,” soul food dishes and trends, the perception of the cuisine, and several of Adrian's award-winning books.

Adrian's website: adrianemiller.com

Adrian's social media handle on (Instagram, BlueSky, & Twitter) is @soulfoodscholar