“I’ll sleep when I die.” That’s usually the sentiment of a laborer on the perpetual grind. Sure, hard work pays off, but when do we declare it’s time to rest? In this special episode, our hosts have a candid conversation about the drawbacks of hustle culture and how prioritizing high productivity puts pressure on workers. Franchesca Ramsey and Conscious Lee also speak to the inequalities Black creators face in the gig economy. So let your hair down; this is a safe space.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. is dead, and Samuel L. Jackson’s taken the entire Morehouse College Board of Trustees hostage. This includes the recently assassinated Civil Rights icon’s father – Martin Luther King, Sr. Soon, MLK, Sr’s. heart problems force them to make a stark choice: sacrifice his life for the Movement, or spare him out of a decency. Police violence has ended student protests across the nation, but Samuel and the other students refuse to back down. Their demands must be met, even if it means potentially sacrificing a Movement elder.

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Samuel L. Jackson’s got big plans when he arrives at Morehouse College in the late 1960s. He loves movies and he’s dreaming of a bright future as a marine biologist. But the world’s dreaming of other things.Tensions around the Civil Rights Movement are only increasing and protests against the Vietnam War are erupting on campuses around the nation. When these forces come to a head on campus, Samuel L. Jackson’s leading the charge. And his shocking actions change the history and the future of Morehouse College.

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The more things change, the more they stay the same. Fannie Lou Hamer had her voting rights and reproductive rights infringed upon, but she stood on business to improve things for the future. So, why are we still fighting the same battles? Franchesca Ramsey and Conscious Lee make the connections between what Hamer went through over 50 years ago, and the struggles of medical racism, disenfranchisement, and the disintegration of reproductive rights that we face today.  

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After getting arrested by racist police and being beaten to near death, Fannie puts her fight for voting rights into high gear. With the help of fellow activists, Fannie forms her own political party, the MFDP (Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party), and appears on live television - telling her story to millions of Americans. She wants to protect Black citizens from the dangers of racism, and she believes having the power to change legislation will do that. However, there’s one person standing in the way of her mission. The President of the United States.

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Fannie Lou Hamer’s been a fighter her entire life. Growing up as a poor Black girl in Jim Crow Mississippi leaves her no other choice. Fannie’s not just fighting for herself, but for all Black people in the deep south. To her, the path to freedom lies at the ballot box, and the road she walks ain’t easy. Racists will do anything to stop her march for freedom and equality. Even the US government turns on her, and the fight for equal rights nearly costs Fannie Lou her life.

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Motown has finally found its groove. The Jackson Five add their bubblegum soul to the company’s more traditional sound. And albums from Motown artists rocket to the top of the Billboard charts. The record label is churning out hit record after hit record. Things at Stax Records ain’t too bad either. They’ve finally figured out how to capture some of that Motown magic, but new rules for creating music are stifling creativity. Stax musicians are pushing back. Over at Motown, songwriters clamor for more credit, creating tension between the hit writers and the check writers. The legacies of both record labels are on the line, and it's hard to know how they’ll hold on. Or, if it’s even possible. 

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The Civil Rights Movement is at its peak. Trouble’s brewing in the streets and inside Motown and Stax records. Stax artists watch in disbelief as Los Angeles burns during the Watts’ uprising. Things get worse when soulful singer Otis Redding is dealt a tragic hand by Lady Luck. Meanwhile, Motown is slapped with a lawsuit from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s lawyers and Diana Ross and the Supremes are rebelling against the labels management. If Motown and Stax are going to survive this turbulent time, they’ll have to overcome the internal divisions driving them apart.

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Motown and Stax are on the come up. Acts like Diana Ross and Isaac Hayes are helping redefine what it means to sing with soul, and their sound captures hearts in America and beyond. Even The Beatles want in on the action. The record labels' successes come with their own set of pitfalls. Money’s tight and artists and musicians are pushing back against low pay. Their chart topping hits aren’t translating into cold hard cash. Something’s gotta give.

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Before Michael Jackson became the King of Pop, or Otis Redding claimed his place as one of the greatest singer-songwriters in American popular music history, their talents had to be discovered and shared with the world. Enter the competing labels Motown and Stax Records. In the early 1960s, Berry Gordy’s Motown and Jim Stewart’s Stax pioneered the sound of Black music, giving birth to soul and R&B amidst deadly civil unrest.

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