Battle Fatigue

What do the Greenwood, Mississippi-based McGhee family, the KKK, and Marlon Brando have in common? Well, apparently the answer is Bob Zellner, civil rights activist and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee's (SNCC) first white field secretary. In this variety session of Battle Fatigue, AJ recalls some of her favorite stories as heard from the living legend in the movement himself. We know that Black history is often one of violence and despair and it can be easy to forget that in times of crisis and survival, there can be pockets of joy and relief. How did Mrs. McGhee beat on a police officer in his place of business and get away with it? Why would you ever need to tell an episcopal pastor to shut up? Why does Marlon Brando go through so many shoes? Tune in to find out these answers and more in this multi-tale episode of "one day you'll look back on this and laugh. If the trauma lets you." SHOW NOTES: https://snccdigital.org/people/mcghee-family/

"Do you know why today's a great day? Because we are gonna be...nerrrrds!" In this nerdisode, AJ and Dalin catch up on some much needed discussions regarding the latest in things Marvel, DC,  Disney, Star Wars, comics, and more. It's a beautiful thing when one of your versions of self-care and recharge can happen with another person. Tune in for verbal shenanigans and other outlandishness as our hosts with the most talk nerdy to you.

At it again. BF community, this one hits deep. In this episode of Battle Fatigue, we exist in this show’s namesake. Hard. AJ and Dalin talk explicitly through the odd and frustrating infatuations non-Black folks have with saying the N-word. What is this perpetual verbal tug-of-war about? Is gatekeeping the only reason it’s such a magnet for toxicity? Could a day of freedom from the inconsiderations of whiteness towards Black people be bartered for? Will we ever catch a break? Tune in with us because things are weird and we’re very much over it.

This one was special! Battle Fatigue is a show about history, mental health, and Blackness. Interwoven between these topics are joy, pain, growth, music, laughter, learning, unlearning, and community. And it’s within that community that we find a connection that reinforces what this show is all about. In a fantastic collaborative effort with The Seattle Repertory Theatre, AJ and Dalin spent some time with the creators of Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Now, if you didn’t already know, Mrs. Hamer is easily AJ’s favorite historical figure and the “history shakes” haven’t stopped since she found out this 2 part series was happening. Join us in Part I as we get the amazing opportunity to sit with the dynamite trio of playwright Cheryl L. West, director Henry Godinez, and music director Felton Offard about the history of the first show to open Seattle Rep’s doors since the pandemic began. We’ll discuss how the “little play that could…maybe” got it’s outdoor start in Chicago and traveled from neighborhood to neighborhood to share the story of a Mississippi sharecropper who would change who would change the world. We’ll hear about how the creative team came together, the impact of having a song in your heart, and how the play has evolved over the years. This crew has a ton of chemistry that you can hear and feel. And of course, AJ gets to fangirl about Fannie Lou Hamer. In Part II of our collaboration series, we have the esteemed privilege of speaking with the accomplished, decorated, and legendary actress and Chicago native, E. Faye Butler. The conversation discusses the culture, how Mrs. Hamer taught us to show up for Blackness, what makes Mahalia Jackson so special (aside from being, you know, Mahalia Jackson), and why this play is the perfect story for right now. We also learn why becoming Fannie Lou Hamer is more of an ancestral embodiment and in true Battle Fatigue fashion, what E. Faye’s self care regimen is.  Both of these episodes are not to be missed! Whether you go see Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer (virtually or physically) and then press play on us or the other way around… just make sure you do both! *******

SHOW NOTES: Tickets to Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer - https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202122-season/fannie/ Have a refresher! Battle Fatigue episode “Fannie Lou and the Crew” (aired Oct 2021) wherever you get your podcasts!

This one was special! Battle Fatigue is a show about history, mental health, and Blackness. Interwoven between these topics are joy, pain, growth, music, laughter, learning, unlearning, and community. And it’s within that community that we find a connection that reinforces what this show is all about. In a fantastic collaborative effort with The Seattle Repertory Theatre, AJ and Dalin spent some time with the creators of Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Now, if you didn’t already know, Mrs. Hamer is easily AJ’s favorite historical figure and the “history shakes” haven’t stopped since she found out this 2 part series was happening.  Join us in Part I as we get the amazing opportunity to sit with the dynamite trio of playwright Cheryl L. West, director Henry Godinez, and music director Felton Offard about the history of the first show to open Seattle Rep’s doors since the pandemic began. We’ll discuss how the “little play that could…maybe” got it’s outdoor start in Chicago and traveled from neighborhood to neighborhood to share the story of a Mississippi sharecropper who would change who would change the world. We’ll hear about how the creative team came together, the impact of having a song in your heart, and how the play has evolved over the years. This crew has a ton of chemistry that you can hear and feel. And of course, AJ gets to fangirl about Fannie Lou Hamer.  In Part II of our collaboration series, we have the esteemed privilege of speaking with the accomplished, decorated, and legendary actress and Chicago native, E. Faye Butler. The conversation discusses the culture, how Mrs. Hamer taught us to show up for Blackness, what makes Mahalia Jackson so special (aside from being, you know, Mahalia Jackson), and why this play is the perfect story for right now. We also learn why becoming Fannie Lou Hamer is more of an ancestral embodiment and in true Battle Fatigue fashion, what E. Faye’s self care regimen is. Both of these episodes are not to be missed! Whether you go see Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer (virtually or physically) and then press play on us or the other way around… just make sure you do both! ****** SHOW NOTES: 

Tickets to Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer - https://www.seattlerep.org/plays/202122-season/fannie/ Have a refresher! Battle Fatigue episode “Fannie Lou and the Crew” (aired Oct 2021) wherever you get your podcasts!

Happy new 365 y’all! (Hacked by AJ, don’t mind her…) *ahem* It’s a new year for Battle Fatigue and we hope you had the holidays you deserved. So we know AJ loves rabbit holes and Dalin loves trying to dig her out, but this trip in a history wonderland is as ridiculous as they come. Kick back as AJ leads you through the ridiculous story of how one man’s misguided ambition led to a fake slave insurrection and the secret squirrel henchmen discovered to be [no spoilers!]. It sounds wild, but like many parts of history, it’s true. And if that’s not enough - and more importantly - the duo will show just how closely related we are to it all today. It's the ties that bind in this one!

So how was your Turkey Day? Ours was full of amazing food, family, friends, and music. AJ, Dalin, and the entire BF Team are incredibly thankful for every single one of you and the opportunities we have to be in your ears; we can't express that enough. It continues to be an honor that we don't take for granted. In this freestyle episode, AJ and Dalin use their time together to check in on each other and talk what food might show up on the table in this pre-holiday conversation posted after the holiday! Enjoy!!

Do you feel like there’s a blanket expectation for Black folks to forgive in the face of racial terror? On this episode of Battle Fatigue, your favorite twosome dig into their current ideas around forgiveness. With a historical backdrop, AJ and Dalin delve into the layers of forgiveness within the context of racial terror. How do you feel about forgiveness? Do you ask for it or just expect it? Join us as we explore what the post credits scene looks like after an apology.

You know what it is. Press play.

***TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains graphic content describing racial violence that leads to the death of Black people.

5:32-6:09 - Dalin reads a quote from JW Milam justifying his violence against Black people and has excessive use of the word “n*gger”. 

43:10 - 44:50: Trigger warning – AJ describes the graphic murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner***

A Tupac diss track on racists? In this episode, AJ talks with Dalin about her favorite historical figure, Fannie Lou Hamer, and the movement she pioneered called the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. The civil rights activist blazed trail after trail in the Jim Crow South, championing for Black voices and increasing awareness of voting rights. This story is difficult. The story is necessary. So bring your notepad and a pen because class is in session for this one. I think AJ has a test at the end. Spoiler Alert: She doesn’t. SHOW NOTES:

JW Milam confession on murder of Emmett Till: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/till-killers-confession/ Browder v. Gayle - The women before Rosa Parks

https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/browder-v-gayle-the-women-before-rosa-parks The Freedom Riders

https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/browder-v-gayle-the-women-before-rosa-parks The Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brotherhood-sleeping-car-porters-1925-1978/ “The Big Six” Organizers of the Civil Rights Movement

https://www.thoughtco.com/men-of-the-civil-rights-movement-45371 Freedom Summer aka the Mississippi Summer Project

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-summer Who Was Ella Baker?

https://ellabakercenter.org/who-was-ella-baker/ The Legacy of Bob Moses (NPR)

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/25/1020501110/bob-moses-1960s-sncc-civil-rights-leader-math-educator-dies-at-86 Strom Thurmond’s secret child was a Black woman.

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/us/essie-mae-washington-williams-secret-child-of-famous-father-dies-at-87.html