Strange Fruit

In the late 1990's, feminist and anti-racist activist Peggy McIntosh described white privilege as "an invisible weightless knapsack of assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks." The invisible knapsack metaphor persists today as a way of introducing people to the concept of privilege. It comes in many forms - male, white, straight, cis, able-bodied, and other identities all confer certain benefits - but the suggestion of privilege can spark emotional denial. On this week's show we talk about white privilege and how it manifests itself in our culture, with Dr. David Owen. He's an associate professor of philosophy at UofL, and is on the local planning committee for the White Privilege Conference, coming to Louisville this Spring. In our Juicy Fruit Segment, we bring you the story of a hairstylist in Prince George's County in Maryland, who was fired when his HIV-positive status was discovered by his boss. We also dissect Sarah Silverman's controversial equal pay video (and the enduring phenomenon of the celebrity non-apology-apology), and how gay-friendly comics often miss the mark when they stray into race- or gender-related humor. And finally, we celebrate National Dessert Month! Jai goes through a list of the most popular desserts in the US and we try to guess what they are. Did we agree with the choices? Let's just say this week marks the first time the phrase "rot-gut dessert" was ever uttered on Strange Fruit. (Photo courtesy of White Privilege Conference) Links: www.whiteprivilegeconference.com Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh http://amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html Sarah Silverman's Equal Pay Video Faces Backlash http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/sarah-silverman-equal-pay-video-backlash-transgender_n_5978038.html Hair Cuttery over termination of HIV-positive employee http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-haircuttery-hiv-firing-20141009-story.html 10 Most Popular Desserts in America http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/5-most-popular-desserts-in-america.htm

This week, the Supreme Court decided not to hear the marriage equality cases that were pending in Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Utah. By doing so, they legalized same-sex marriage in many states immediately (including our neighbors to the north!), and paved the way for others to follow soon. Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman joins us this week to talk about the decision, what it means, and what it doesn't—particularly for those of us in the Bluegrass State. He also brings us news from Berea that makes this week bittersweet: After over three years of trying to pass an ordinance that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, the measure was voted down by the city council. We talk about the fight there and the dedicated Bereans who fought tirelessly for fairness. Chris also sits in for our Juicy Fruit segment this week, where the topic du jour is labels. Actor Raven-Symone received much side-eye this week for telling Oprah that she doesn't identify as African American, but as American, and she doesn't identify as gay or bisexual, but as a "human who loves humans." To Chris, it seems apropos to what he heard in Kentucky this week. "Those sorts of platitudes are exactly what we have faced in Berea and the other cities where people love to say, I believe in fairness for everyone, I don't wanna discriminate against anyone, everybody should be treated with human dignity, but I don't support [...] creating protected classes,'" he says. Chris also pointed out the tendency of younger people to eschew labels—or in some cases, to identify as queer rather than specifically gay—because they don't remember a time when those labels were more necessary for solidarity and community building. "They don't want a closet to exist. I don't think any of us do. But we came from a place where closets were necessary." Jaison gives Raven the benefit of the doubt. "I saw it more as an indictment of society's racism and homophobia," he says. "She said, 'If I allow you to label me as lesbian, if I allow you to label me as African American, I also allow you to insert upon me all those stereotypes that you think about blacks, and think about lesbians.' I just think that because she isn't a student of queer studies or black studies, she doesn't have the language to articulate that in a way that sounds better." The consensus in our studio seems to be that if you're comfortable with yourself and confident in your identity, labels shouldn't make you uncomfortable. "That's cool and all, that you don't do the label thing," Kaila says, "but thank god we had people like Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Zora Neale Hurston—people who weren't afraid to claim blackness, who weren't afraid to claim queerness. Thank god for those people."

This week on Strange Fruit, Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman joins us to talk about this week's Supreme Court decision (or lack thereof) about same sex marriage. We also give a shout out to the folks who have been working for three years to pass a fairness law in Berea; the measure was defeated this week. And in Juicy Fruit... that's so Raven. Need we say more?

Ali Awards Red Carpet: Susan Sarandon by StrangeFruitPod

Kid President is an internet celebrity! kidpresident.com

Matt Lauer has been co-anchor of NBC News’ TODAY since January 6, 1997. He joined TODAY in January 1994 as the show’s news anchor.

Football player and actor Jim Brown is best known for his record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. He was also a supporter of Muhammad Ali's activism in the 1960s, as part of the Cleveland Five.

Actress, author, and activist Holly Robinson Peete advocates for and writes about people living with Autism and Parkinson's disease. She's best known to us 80's babies for her role on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.

Actor and Louisville native William Mapother has appeared in the films Born on the Fourth of July, and Magnolia, done extensive theater work, and was in the cast of the TV show Lost.

Pamela Brown serves as a CNN Justice correspondent covering crime and justice issues, including law enforcement and the Supreme Court.