I SEE U

The very complicated legacy of entertainer Little Richard is thoroughly examined in a new documentary by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, Lisa Cortés. The film showcases a bold, audacious man who’s trying to navigate his life through sex, drugs, rock and roll, and the Lord – with the help of archival footage mixed with deep, social context from family, friends, scholars, ethnomusicologists, and on-screen fact-checkers. Join us as host Eddie Robinson chats unguarded with celebrated director, Lisa Cortés, about her critically-acclaimed documentary, “Little Richard: I Am Everything.” Cortés shares insight into how the film was conceived and why it was important for her to reveal the struggles of Richard Wayne Penniman – a musical icon who was coming to terms with being a man of faith as well as being a man who was queer. I SEE U will also dive into her own personal life story, as the former Def Jam record label executive offers up her thoughts on today’s LGBTQ+ artists and performers maneuvering through the music industry in their quest to make a name for themselves.

Nearly 80 years ago, a group of Yale scholars decided amongst themselves to add the word, “homosexual,” in the Bible after mistranslating Greek text. Researchers have said this mistake changed the course of modern history as we know it. The misinterpretation also caused a lesbian Christian to explore this incident and earn the trust of those same researchers by capturing their discovery on film. Join us as host Eddie Robinson speaks candidly with Sharon “Rocky” Roggio, the director behind the controversial film, “1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture.” Roggio provides I SEE U with an in-depth look at how this misinterpretation came about and what the evidence from the translation committee revealed. We’ll also learn more about how she navigated through her own religious environment as well as her desire to change a narrative that speaks to all LGBTQ individuals being acknowledged as equals – and not be seen as “others,” or “less than.” Despite the documentary receiving backlash from religious writers who, according to the director, haven’t seen the film, “1946” has already picked up praise and several prestigious awards during its festival circuit quest.

10-year-old Graceyn Hollingsworth has become an internet viral sensation. Her popular YouTube children’s channel, “Gracie’s Corner,” features Black and brown animated characters reciting remixed nursery rhymes, soulful vintage poems and original songs in video form. Her father, Javoris Hollingsworth, came up with the idea during the pandemic and noticed the lack of diversity, especially in educational tools for kids. But with so much uncertainty around social media and digital entrepreneurship, are the financial sacrifices worth the risk? And what do you say to parents who support programs like this, but they are still concerned about the amount of screen time that children of a certain age are spending on the internet or watching television? Join us as host Eddie Robinson speaks unguarded with members of the Hollingsworth family – the content creators behind “Gracie’s Corner.” Javoris, along with his wife, Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth and Gracie herself stop by our I SEE U studios for a candid conversation about the triumphs and challenges of developing such an inclusive brand of this nature. The Houston-based educators will also share insight on new, upcoming features and details on a live tour in the works.

Six-time Grammy winner and electronic DJ, Sonny Moore, aka Skrillex, recently released a trove of new music after a nearly decade-long hiatus of full-length solo material. Through a mutual friend, the visionary producer was introduced to a Palestinian vocalist by the name of Nai Barghouti – an acclaimed composer and flute player who’s notably famous for creating her own signature fusion of jazz and Middle Eastern soundscapes. But what happens when you blend her angelic, and often times, enchanting voice with a pulsating techno beat and rhythmic, percussive claps? Stay tuned as I SEE U host Eddie Robinson chats candidly with renowned singer-songwriter, Nai Barghouti. We explore the meaning behind their collaborative track called, “XENA,” including a deep dive into Palestinian folklore and the song’s cultural message of empowerment. The instrumentalist also describes her unique vocal style and how she’s used one of the most traumatic experiences of her childhood, while living in Jerusalem under military occupation, as inspiration for her remarkable musical career.

Only a few descendants of West African slaves remain on a coastal Georgia portion of land called, Sapelo Island. In the early 1800s, ancestors of the Gullah Geechee community were brought to these barrier islands along the nation's southeast Atlantic coast to work on plantations. These slaves acquired land on the island – but decades later, that ownership is almost diminished. Many of the residents say they've been squeezed out due to deliberate tax hikes and gentrification of the area. Join host Eddie Robinson as I SEE U explores the African cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee. We'll meet one of the descendants of the enslaved and a resident of Sapelo Island, Reginald Hall. What will it take for his people to hold on to their legacy? Hall tells I SEE U he's willing to die before anyone takes land away from him and his ancestors.

Zee Clarke received her Harvard MBA and spent over two decades leading teams at FORTUNE 500 companies and tech startups. But after instances of being racially-profiled, experiencing microaggressions at work and even being harassed by police, she realized how breathing exercises were so critical to her mental health – not only to survive, but to also thrive in a world that felt slow to change. Through her holistic training in India, Clarke felt a passionate desire to share these practices with others, particularly Blacks – since researchers have linked systemic racism with ailments related to high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety and depression among communities of color. Join us as I SEE U’s Eddie Robinson chats unguarded with Zee Clarke, author of the book, “Black People Breathe.” The acclaimed writer shares breathing techniques and tips as well as illustrates some exercises for the host to try out. She also describes how to identity notions of family-inherited trauma and what tools could be useful to help end the cycle of suffering.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster has a voice unlike any other. Her unique style of blending blues, gospel, soul and American roots has inspired many music lovers across the globe. A native of Central Texas, Foster grew up around gospel singers and knew instantly of her passion for music – from singing in rural Texas churches to performing in the military with the Navy Band. But she was also aware of her surroundings, as she navigated around a discriminatory Deep South. Join us as host Eddie Robinson chats unguarded with Texas Music Hall of Famer, Ruthie Foster. She shares intimate stories about her devotion to family and how the coronavirus pandemic almost pushed her away from recording music permanently. Plus, the multiple Grammy-nominated artist reveals a very traumatic incident that happened to her as a child on her way to take piano lessons – a moment that would change her life forever.

When an untold history that impacts your own family is buried so deep, how does one know the real importance or value of that piece of information? A 4th-generation Black entrepreneur, Keewa Nurullah, had asked herself this question throughout her life, until she realized why the truth was hidden in the first place. Her great grandfather owned a tailor shop on “Black Wall Street” just before the bombing of Tulsa’s Greenwood District in 1921. This history was a special part of her family’s history. When Nurullah was a child, not only was it omitted from her school textbooks, but she also grew up thinking what occurred over 100 years ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma wasn’t important at all. Nurullah admits to I SEE U that sometimes she’s felt robbed – adding that she, along with her relatives, were robbed of the privilege of knowing that members of her family were, indeed, a part of something extraordinary. Join us as Host Eddie Robinson speaks unguarded with Keewa Nurullah, the owner of an award-winning children’s boutique in Chicago called, KIDO. She reveals the inspiration behind the store’s concept and how she proudly displays banned books on shelves inside the boutique. A retired Disney princess, Nurullah also reminisces about her pursuit of a performing arts career that paved the way in shaping her interests on inclusivity and cultural empowerment.

Clean energy researcher Roishetta Ozane is a single mother of six children and lives in a Louisiana town that scientists have called, “the heart of America’s climate crisis.” With her Lake Charles-area home surrounded by refineries, natural gas facilities and petrochemical plants, her family has been inundated with ‘shelter-in-place’ alerts and storm-related emergency alarms throughout their lives. Witnessing so much systemic hardship, Ozane created a mutual aid organization to help communities of color and low-income residents navigate government agencies to obtain relief after disasters strike. And she uses her platform to speak out publicly as an advocate for environmental justice at local forums, municipal hearings and regional climate conferences. But are state juries, industry leaders and agency officials willing to listen and take action? Stay tuned as I SEE U Host Eddie Robinson chats candidly with the founder of The Vessel Project of Louisiana, Roishetta Ozane. She speaks unguarded about her passion to build solidarity around an effort to combat climate change. A survivor of a 17-year abusive relationship, Ozane reminds us that while the industry sector continues to expand, worsening storms and violent hurricanes will repeatedly use this vulnerable Gulf Coast region as target practice.

There is a movement happening that consists of Black and Brown entrepreneurs embracing the craft of the winemaking process. But the wine industry, including suppliers and distributors, may not be so open to embracing, much less investing in these businesses—especially with an industry that has curated an image historically of White gatekeepers. Jennifer McDonald, the founder of Wichita’s first Black-owned wine company, admits to I SEE U that wine professionals of color have largely been excluded from access to finance – a major component that impacts business longevity, visibility and continued growth. Join us as Host Eddie Robinson speaks unguarded with winemaker Jennifer McDonald of Jenny Dawn Cellars, the first urban winery of Wichita, Kansas. A wine connoisseur and educator herself, McDonald shares insight and perspective into what more can be done to support Black wine entrepreneurs when many of them are stereotyped, profiled or even overlooked in this traditionally exclusive industry.