Targeted

A conversation with historian Noliwe Rooks about democracy, education, and her new book, "Integrated: How American Schools Failed Black Children"

Episode 71: Black Children, White Schools

O say, can you see... the truth behind the anthem?

This powerful remix of the U.S. national anthem exposes the current state of justice, freedom, and racial inequality in America. From MAGA-era politics and scandal denial to racial discrimination and illegal detentions — this modern protest anthem asks the question: Does that star-spangled banner still wave for us all?

🔔 Subscribe for more truth through music.
🎵 #ProtestMusic #StarSpangledTruth #NationalAnthemRemix

Spotify

Through the Smoke and the Spin

You said protect, you said serve,
But we got chalk lines on the curb.
Took an oath with your right hand high,
But your left hand pulled that trigger—why?
The badge don’t bleed, but the streets still cry,
Blue wall thick, but the truth don’t lie.
You wore the shield like a god on patrol—
But broke every word of your oath and your soul.


Oathbreakers

I saw him run, no weapon drawn, just fear inside his chest,
A hundred rounds, no warning called — they riddled peace to death.
Jayland hit the pavement hard, Akron heard the sound,
Another Black man in the street, no justice on the ground.

Then Tyre screamed for Momma’s name, the way that Floyd once did,
Five Black cops in blue-lined masks — no mercy for that kid.
Bodycams don’t lie, but somehow lies still write the script,
They charged ‘em late, but where’s the proof we’re climbing out this pit?


We Still Can't Breathe

I was folding clothes when my phone lit red,
A voice on the line said, “Your father’s dead.”
“No accident, no illness — he begged, he cried,”
“They pinned him down ‘til he slowly died.”

I said, “What?” — like that word made sense.
Like I could press rewind and just un-hear it since.
I dropped my keys, forgot to breathe,
Felt my knees go weak, like time just leaves.

He Was Just Dad

An episode exploring the shortcomings of media analysis, video essays and online activism - and why we should go outside and do real world stuff. 

Zero Brighntess Ep. 184: Media Won't Save Us

Orbán banned pride. But we went anyway.
In our latest podcast, we sat down with Marc Angel, who joined the march along with 200,000 Hungarians. We talked about freedom, tolerance, sex education, and the fight for equality.

Budapest Pride: banned by law, backed by love

Michael Santiago, an award-winning photojournalist, shares his experience capturing history in real time. From documenting the final crossing of Civil Rights icon John Lewis to reflecting on the power of photography in shaping our understanding of the past, Santiago’s work is a testament to the impact of visual storytelling. In this exclusive interview, he discusses the responsibility of photographers in preserving history, the emotions behind his most powerful images, and what makes a truly great photo. 

Read his essay, "Photographing History in the Making":
https://picturingblackhistory.org/photographing-history-in-the-making/
 
Learn more about Michael Santiago: https://picturingblackhistory.org/author/santiago/
 
Explore more photographs and stories that changed the world from Picturing Black History at https://www.picturingblackhistory.org/, a collaboration between Origins: Current Events In Historical Perspective (https://origins.osu.edu) and Getty Images (https://www.gettyimages.com/). Picturing Black History strives to contribute to an ongoing public dialogue on the significance of Black history and Black life. We embrace the power of images to capture stories of oppression and resistance, perseverance and resilience, freedom dreams, imagination, and joy within the United States and around the globe.

Order the book Picturing Black History: https://amzn.to/4h9ab0G
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4hsoJYW
 
Interviewed by Damarius Johnson

Purchase

Michael Santiago, a Picturing Black History Interview

The Longest March (From Selma to Somewhere Still Unseen)
🎙️ Barking Justice Music

This anthem walks the unbroken line from 1964 to now—from the bloodied bridges of Selma to the blurred headlines of today. It’s a soul-borne reckoning with the promises still unmet, the names still mourned, and the justice still denied.

Inspired by Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and carrying forward the cries of those who marched, this track honors those we lost—from John Lewis to Trayvon Martin—and calls out the unfinished road we all walk.

✊🏾 We are still marching.
📍 From Selma to somewhere still unseen.
🎶 Barking Justice Music — For the ones who will not forget.

#protestmusic #civilrights #Selma #TrayvonMartin #BlackLivesMatter #marchon #BarkingJustice #SamCooke #TheLongestMarch #JohnLewis #FromSelmaToSomewhere #anthemforjustice

The Longest March (From Selma to Somewhere Still Unseen)

To answer Europe's emerging challenges, it's time to take a left. From the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.

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Creative music producer.

Music, quirky, inspired, enjoy!

Mostly radio friendly & TV friendly tracks.  HD quality.  No swear words.

If you’re messaging me, tell me which song you liked.  It’s hard to know who is copying & pasting, and possibly a bot.

#snafflesmusic

(Private) (@) (private) (.) com

🎤 Welcome to Lazy Radiographer – where music meets mayhem and medicine meets madness. I create original, parodies, and dark humour songs, inspired by real life in healthcare, radiography, and everyday absurdity.

🩻 Expect a dose of musical satire, dry wit, and awkward brilliance. Perfect for fans of Bo Burnham, Weird Al, and Original tracks.

💀 From hospital horrors to heartbreak anthems – it's all here. Subscribe now for weekly uploads of comedy music, dark ballads, and indie musical experiments.

🎧 Listen. Laugh. Repeat.

#ComedyMusic #LazyRadiographer #MedicalHumor #ParodySong #FunnyMusic #SatireSongs #IndieMusician #RadiographerLife #HealthcareComedy #DarkComedyMusic #YouTubeMusic

From flower child to frontline. I write protest anthems that call out injustice, awaken courage, and remember the country we once believed in. Barking Justice Music is my rebellion.

DJ Isis Beats a.k.a. DJ Isyss Beats: The Evolution of Sound

(Also known as RemixxedRadio on Twitter, The Listening Lounge on Facebook, and Blakquemuddartz on YouTube)

If there's one thing about DJ Isis Beats, it’s that she’s always innovating, always evolving, always pushing the boundaries of sound. She ain’t just making music—she’s crafting an experience, a movement, a whole new way of hearing and feeling music.

She’s been in this game, from playing classical instruments to making raw beats in real-time, from rocking underground house parties to curating soundscapes that hit straight to the soul. Her approach isn’t just about playing tracks—it’s about creating something fresh, something legendary, something uniquely hers.

The Art of the Craft: More Than Just a DJ

Anybody can play a song.
Anybody can mix a beat.
But not everybody can create a sound.

Isis is an artist, a producer, an architect of music. She’s not just in the mix—she’s building a whole new frequency.

And now, she’s taking things to a whole other level.

AI as an Instrument: Like Roger Troutman With the Talkbox

Technology has always been part of music. From synths to drum machines, from samplers to autotune, from vocoders to talkboxes—the greats knew how to take a tool and make it their own.

That’s the vision.

AI? It’s just another instrument in the mix.

Like Roger Troutman with the voice box.

Like Herbie Hancock with the synthesizer.

Like J Dilla pushing the limits of an MPC.

It’s about crafting a signature sound, bending it, shaping it, and making it something no one else can replicate. AI ain’t about shortcuts—it’s about enhancing creativity, opening up new possibilities, and bringing a vision to life in ways that weren’t possible before.

Isis gets it—and she plans to flip it, twist it, and reinvent it in a way that’s all her own.

The Grind: From the Underground to the Universe

This journey wasn’t handed to her. She’s had to build, break, rebuild, and keep pushing.

She’s lost equipment, time, opportunities—but never lost the drive.

She’s had to hustle her music through SoundCloud, Audiomack, Podomatic, while still fighting to break into platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

She’s worked with limited tools and still made something real—but now, she’s leveling up.

And she ain’t just trying to be good at one thing. She’s trying to master them all.

Rap? She’s going in.

Singing? She’s elevating.

Reggae, jazz, electronic, hip-hop? She’s blending it all.

Production, engineering, filmmaking, promotion? She’s crafting a full experience.

This isn’t just about one lane. She’s building an empire.

For the People Who Are Listening

She’s not here to pop up out of nowhere with some polished, industry-fed product—she wants you to experience the journey in real-time.

She wants her audience to see the growth, hear the progression, and be part of something bigger than just a song or a beat.

And she appreciates every single listener, every supporter, every person who’s rocking with her through the evolution.

Her old pages—Podomatic, SoundCloud, Audiomack—will always be up, showing where she’s been. But where she’s going? That’s a whole different level.

The new website is coming, the sound is expanding, and the vision is clearer than ever.

Because at the end of the day?

It’s not about the tools. It’s about the artist who knows how to use them.
And DJ Isis Beats is about to take it all to the next level.

Thanks for listening. Much love.



Smart conversations about today’s most interesting topics - a history podcast for everyone, produced by Origins from Ohio State's Department of History

Professor of History emeritus at The New School for Social Research and contributing editor at Public Seminar. Find me on my Substack at https://clairepotter.substack.com

New tracks tagged #CiViLRiGHTS