Making

By WBEZ ChicagoSociety & Culture

Making episodes

March 21, 2024 Making Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison is widely considered one of America's greatest writers. She
published 11 novels and is the recipient of a Pulitzer, a Nobel and a Presidential
Medal of Freedom. The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Sula and Beloved are
just a few of her works that are considered great American classics.
Before she was a celebrated author, she was a pioneering editor at Random House,
opening doors for a whole generation of Black writers, including Angela Davis, Huey
P. Newton and Gayl Jones. Her editorship assembled a strong network of the most
prominent Black intellectuals of the 20th century.
But Toni Morrison's road to success was not a straight shot. She only published her
first novel around 40 years old. And when she found her footing, she changed the
face of American literature.
On the Making season finale, host Brandon Pope sits down with leading Toni Morrison
scholars, including Dana Williams, Carolyn Denard, Autumn Womack and Courtney
Thorsson, to unpack the trajectory of an American literary hero.
Making tells the story of a different, iconic figure every episode. Subscribe now.
40 min
February 29, 2024 Making Fred Hampton
“I don't believe I'm going to die slipping on a piece of ice. I don't
believe I'm going to die because I got a bad heart…I believe that I will be able to
die as a revolutionary in the international revolutionary proletarian struggle.” -
Fred Hampton, 1969
Fred Hampton became the Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party
when he was just years out of high school. His oratory talent and intellectual grasp
on leftist literature quickly shot him to stardom in activist circles. But, his
leadership did not last long. In 1969, when he was just 21 years old, he was
assassinated during a raid on his home orchestrated by the Cook County State's
Attorney's Office, the Chicago Police Department and the FBI.
“He knew the power and potential of Fred Hampton,” former Congressman Bobby Rush
said of the FBI Director at the time. “So I'm telling you, the man was nothing but
greatness.”
Today, in a special Black History Month episode of Making, in collaboration with The
Rundown podcast, we tell the story of iconic Chicago liberation activist, Fred
Hampton. Our hosts Brandon Pope and Erin Allen sat down with original members of the
Black Panther Party, attorneys who fought his post-assassination lawsuits in the
1960s and family members who carry on his legacy.
Making tells the story of a different, iconic figure every episode. Subscribe now.
43 min
January 18, 2024 Maya Angelou: Going from Strength to Strength
In just 86 years Maya Angelou lived dozens of lives.
Perhaps best known for her seminal autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,
Maya Angelou is one of the most celebrated literary minds in history, whose poetry
and prose has touched generations of readers. But before Caged Bird, Angelou danced
and sang on and off Broadway, earned the moniker “Miss Calypso” in the 1950s, called
dozens of American cities and African nations home, and even became the first Black
woman to work as a cable car conductor in San Francisco.
On this episode of Making, host Brandon Pope sits down with Rita Coburn, co-director
of the Peabody-Award-winning PBS documentary Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise; Randal
Jelks, professor of African and African American studies and American studies at the
University of Kansas; and Dr. Maxine Mimms, the founder of the Tacoma Campus of
Evergreen State College and a longtime friend of Angelou.
“Her main word was courage,” Dr. Mimms said, “The courage to love, the courage to
walk, the courage to move.”
Making tells the story of a different, iconic figure every episode. Subscribe now.
35 min
December 14, 2023 Making Derrick Rose
“Why can't I be MVP of the league?” Derrick Rose said.
With unimpressive statistics and an unselfish playing style, sports media did not
take the third-year point guard seriously. Eight months after those famous words, he
became the youngest MVP in NBA history.
Derrick Rose was Chicago's pride and joy. Fans and journalists alike called him the
next Michael Jordan. Some thought he would be the greatest of all time. When an ACL
tear took him out of the game, those high hopes turned to high scrutiny.
On this episode of Making, host Brandon Pope explores the years before Derrick Rose
changed the NBA. He grew up in the South Side neighborhood of Englewood, raised by a
loving mother and three protective older brothers. By his sophomore year of high
school, his talent and name was known across the city. We chatted with his high
school coach who shaped his rise, veteran Chicago journalists who traced his steps,
and Bulls insiders who witnessed his history-making.
“He'll forever be one of the greatest basketball players to come out of the city,”
NBC Chicago host Jason Goff said. “I make no bones about it.”
Making tells the story of a different, iconic figure every episode. Subscribe now.
43 min
November 16, 2023 Rihanna: Mother and Mogul
With 36 billion streams on Spotify, 14 No. 1 hits and 9 Grammys, Rihanna is
regarded as one of the most well-known artists of the 21st Century. But she also
spent the last decade changing the fashion world, launching brands that transformed
her from music star to business mogul and billionaire.
Her illustrious career began 20 years ago, when she was just a 15-year-old in
Barbados. She performed Destiny's Child songs in a trio with her friends. Soon, an
American record producer visited the island, saw her audition and launched her to
stardom.
This week on Making, hear the tale of Rihanna's come-up from record producer Evan
Rogers, music journalist Bill Werde and head of British Vogue Chioma Nnadi,
featuring exclusive archival tape of Rihanna's early rehearsals.
40 min
October 19, 2023 Making Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh changed fashion in the 21st century. His brand Off-White
redefined streetwear and youth culture for a notoriously elite and inaccessible
industry. And he broke barriers to become the first Black artistic director at a
French luxury fashion house.
“His whole career is dedicated to opening up the gate for everyone,” said Marc
Moran, his long-time friend and collaborator. “And I think that's what made him such
a force to reckon with.”
Virgil Abloh passed away from cancer on November 28, 2021 at the age of 41, leaving
behind a sprawling legacy. But before he took over an industry, he was a quiet and
humble suburban kid who loved soccer, skateboarding, T-shirts and turntables. This
week on Making, host Brandon Pope talks with Abloh's family, friends, critics and
collaborators – including his father, his high school soccer coach and the head of
British Vogue – to look back at the life of a Chicago icon.
Making tells the story of a different, iconic figure every episode. Subscribe now.
38 min
October 02, 2023 BONUS: Hyphy Kids Got Trauma
Hyphy Kids Got Trauma is an exploration of a transformative year in Bay Area music history, 2006, through the eyes and ears of Pendarvis Harshaw. A college student and burgeoning journalist at the time, Pendarvis navigates the shifting tides of a culture in transition, all set to the seminal sounds of the Bay Area's “Hyphy Movement.” an era fueled by uptempo, bass-heavy songs with a free and fun-loving vibe. But 2006 also marked the second highest homicide total Oakland has ever seen. The violence was compounded by drugs, over-policing, the onset of gentrification, and the ongoing War On Terror.

The wounds that occurred almost twenty years ago still impact the adults of the Bay Area today. Hyphy kids got trauma, and this is why. Listen to the whole series today on Rightnowish.
4 min
September 21, 2023 Serena Williams: The Blueprint
In early September, 19-year-old Coco Gauff won the U.S. Open. She is the
first American teenager to win the tournament since 1999, when 17-year-old Serena
Williams took the crown.
Gauff has said Serena is the reason she plays tennis. She is her tennis idol, and
for good reason. Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam titles – more than any player
in the Open era. But before becoming a household name, Serena was a girl from
Compton with a drive.
This week on "Making", Brandon Pope revisits the years before anyone knew Serena's
name. Hear from the people in the room and on the court during her evolution to
tennis prodigy, including her sister Isha Price, former tennis pro Chanda Rubin, and
childhood coach Rick Macci.
32 min
August 10, 2023 Making Whoopi Goldberg
Over the course of her climb to the Hollywood A-List, Whoopi Goldberg has
worn many hats: stand-up comedian, Broadway star, screen actress, and daytime
television host. But before her breakout role in a Steven Spielberg film, she was a
young mom hopping around the country, taking odd jobs and doing avant-garde
theater.
This week on Making, we chart Whoopi Goldberg's winding path to stardom, from living
off welfare, to landing on Broadway with her one-woman show. Host Brandon Pope chats
with her first theater partners, her first director, and her first stage manager to
discover who Whoopi was when she was just a wide-eyed talent waiting to be
discovered.
“The first time I saw her, I knew she was going to make it,” said William Farley,
the director for her first on-screen performance. “She was an original. And an
original, they become seen.”
42 min
July 06, 2023 RuPaul: 'Empress of Drag'
Since November, dozens of states have introduced legislation that could
criminalize drag performances, including Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina.
This week on Making, we look at the life of an iconic Black TV creator whose art is
at the center of this new political hot button. RuPaul Andre Charles brought drag to
America's main stage and opened doors for queerness. But before his Emmys and Tonys,
he was a go-go dancing young person determined to be a star.
Host Brandon Pope chats with RuPaul's close friends, collaborators and mentees,
including drag queen Lady Bunny, DJ and songwriter Larry Tee, drag historian Simon
Doonan and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars winner Shea Coulee.
This episode was originally published on Nov 17, 2022. This season of Making covers
a different, iconic figure every episode. Subscribe and don't miss an episode.
39 min