Today we have a truly inspiring conversation that delves into the power of self-discovery, resilience, and the transformational journey of one extraordinary individual, photographer, entrepreneur, and social activist, Misan Harriman, a name that has become synonymous with the art of storytelling through the lens. The first brother to shoot a cover for British Vogue in its 104-year history. Misan's incredible journey from self-doubt to becoming a global voice of the moment is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. His iconic protest images became a voice for the voiceless, igniting a conversation that asks, "Why is ending racism still a debate?"

Hailing from Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State in Nigeria, Misan was raised in England, yet didn’t formally begin his photographic career until the age of 40. Gifted a camera by his wife, who recognized his passion for the image, Misan taught himself the ins and outs of image-making.  A burgeoning portraitist, it was his protest images during the 2020 global reckonings for Black Lives that caught the attention of British Vogue editor-in-chief, Edward Enningful, and the rest, as they say… is history. 

Be sure to share some of your thoughts on today's episode with us on Instagram at @blackimagination. If you want to stay updated on all our latest news and exclusive content, click on this newsletter link. If you love what we do and want to support the show, click this support link. 

Things mentioned

Gordon Parks- American photographer and activist

Eve Arnold- American photojournalist

Sally Mann- American photographer

David LaChapelle- American photographer and director 

George Floyd- American man who was killed through police brutality

Mohamed Amin- Kenya photojournalist

Web3 - is a possible future version of the internet based on public blockchains, a record-keeping system best known for facilitating cryptocurrency transactions.

Tezos Foundation- financial literacy with blockchain and crypto art

Sykes-Picot agreement- secret convention made during World War I between Great Britain and France, with the assent of imperial Russia, for the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. 

Balfour agreement- It was made in a letter from Arthur James Balfour, the British foreign secretary, to Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild (of Tring), a leader of the Anglo-Jewish community. 

What to Read

A Choice of Weapons - Gordon Parks

The Art of Protest: A Visual History of Dissent and Resistance - Jo Rippon

Black on Black: On Our Resilience and Brilliance in America - Daniel Black

What to listen to

Legend (album) – Bob Marley

A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke

Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson

We Insist (album)- Max Roach

Who to follow

Website: https://www.misanharriman.com/

IG: Misan Harriman (@misanharriman)

TW: Misan Harriman (@misanharriman)

This conversation was recorded on July 05, 2023.

Host Dario Calmese 

Producer:  K.T. Thompson

Visual Art Direction and Designs: River Wildmen

Director of Digital Content: Vicky Garcia

Production Asst:  Noa Lesche

Original Music composed by Adam Radice

Sound Engineer:  Adam Radice

Visit us at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Today we are diving into the captivating life story of Attorney, Artist & Activist (Reginald) Dwayne Betts, a man whose path took unexpected turns, leading him to discover the boundless potential within himself.

As we journey through Dwayne's life, we'll explore the profound impact of literature on his transformation, his encounters with influential poets like Sonia Sanchez, and the survival strategies that poetry offered him during his incarceration.

Be sure to share some of your thoughts on today's episode with us on Instagram at @blackimagination. If you want to stay updated on all our latest news and exclusive content, click on this newsletter link. If you love what we do and want to support the show, click this support link. 

Things mentioned

Freedom Reads- Organization founded by Dwayne Betts that aims to place millions of books into prisons

Kiese LeMond- ambassador of Freedom Reads

Traci Thomas-  podcast host of the Stacks

Sherley Anne Williams - American Poet

Lucille Cliffton- American poet

Eldridge cleaver- author and activist

What to Read

Makes me Wanna Holler - Nathan McCall

The Black Poets- Dudley Randall

Homegirls and Hand Grenades- Sonia Sanchez

The Art of War- Sun Tzu

Crazy as Hell, (the best book on black history you'll ever read)- Dwayne Betts  coming soon

What to listen to

We the People - A Tribe Called Quest

Living For The City - Stevie Wonder

The Message - Grandmaster Flash

Who to follow

Website: https://www.dwaynebetts.com/

IG: Reginald Betts (@dwaynebetts)

TW:  Dwayne Betts (@dwaynebetts)

This conversation was recorded on July 13, 2023.

Host Dario Calmese 

Producer:  K.T. Thompson

Visual Art Direction and Designs: River Wildmen

Director of Digital Content: Vicky Garcia

Production Asst:  Noa Lesche

Original Music composed by Adam Radice

Audio Edited by Adam Radice

Visit us at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Our guest today, Dr. Danielle Wood, is a shining example of how passion and perseverance can lead you to the stars. She defied the odds, shattered expectations, and carved her own path to become a leader in the world of space exploration and technology.

So, join us as we embark on this cosmic voyage with Dr. Danielle Wood and discover how she unveiled the universe, one challenge at a time.

Be sure to share some of your thoughts on today's episode with us on Instagram at @blackimagination. If you want to stay updated on all our latest news and exclusive content, click on this newsletter link. If you love what we do and want to support the show, click this support link. And without further ado, Dr. Danielle Wood.

Things Mentioned

India south pole Moon landing- After a failed attempt to land on the moon in 2019, India now joins the United States, the Soviet Union and China as only the fourth country to achieve this milestone.

The Outer Space Treaty- 

• the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;
• outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;
• outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means;
• States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner;
• the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes;
• astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind;
• States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities;
• States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and
• States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

Chandra Xray observatory telescope - NASA's sophisticated telescope is specially designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the Universe

Systems architecture- A system's architecture reflects how it is thought about in terms of its structure, functions, and relationships.

TNW Conference - is a website and annual series of conferences focused on new technology and start-up companies in Europe.

Phillis Wheatley- American poet and author, the first black woman to publish a book (as an American woman, but the book was published in the UK).

Henrietta Cordelia Ray- American poet and teacher.

Katherine Johnson- American mathematician and NASA worker

Dogon Tribe- an ethnic group indigenous to the central plateau region of Mali, in West Africa, south of the Niger bend, near the city of Bandiagara, and in Burkina Faso.

Octavia Butler- American science fiction writer

Audre Lorde- black feminist philosopher and intersectional thought

What to Read

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - by Ibram X. Kendi

Minor Notes Volume 1- byJoshau Bennett and Jesse McCarthy

Overstory- by Richard Powers

What to listen to

Saturn - Stevie Wonder

There’s a Star for Everyone - Aretha Franklin

The Space Program - A Tribe Called Quest

Who to follow

Follow Dr. Danielle Wood on IG @space_enabled and by visiting her website.

This conversation was recorded on August 31, 2023.

Host Dario Calmese 

Producer:  K.T. Thompson

Visual Art Direction and Designs: River Wildmen

Director of Digital Content: Vicky Garcia

Production Asst:  Noa Lesche

Original Music composed by Adam Radice

Audio Edited by Adam Radice

Visit us at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Institute of Black Imagination. Today we're taking a little detour, podcast inception if you will! We're sharing with you another podcast that featured yours truly as a guest.

Get ready to embark on a journey with The Future of Storytelling and my good friend host Charlie Melcher, where we explore my personal journey and delve into the heart of the Institute of Black Imagination.

We have so many wonderful gems coming this Fall, and we’re not just talking about our Semester 5 lineup… but our upcoming physical space at the Oculus in NYC. That’s right. We’re not just a podcast. 

If you’d like to know more about the upcoming Oculus space, or just want the inside scoop on what we’ve got cooking over here, be sure to click on this newsletter link.

And if you love what we’re up to, click this support link.

Things that we mention

Pyer Moss Fall 2021 Couture Show

Vanity Fair Cover w/ Viola Davis - Dario 1st black photographer to shoot the cover

The Institute of Black Imagination - Interactive website

Geoffrey Holder - Trinidadian American actor, dancer, musician, and artist

André Leon Talley - an American fashion journalist, stylist, creative director, and editor-at-large of Vogue magazine.

Originally Aired on February 24, 2022, on Future of Storytelling

FoST Audio Produced by Future of StoryTelling, Corp.

With special thanks to Charles Melcher, Madison Brown, Eitan Wolf, and the entire FoST Team

Host Dario Calmese 

Producer: K.T. Thompson

Visual Art Direction and Designs: River Wildmen, Cyle Warner

Director of Digital Content: Vicky Garcia

Visit us at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Today’s Summer School episode from the IBI Archive is part 1 of episode 13 with Harlem socialite and style icon, Lana Turner. Born at the Women’s Hospital on West and 110th St. and still residing in the neighborhood 70 years later, Ms. Turner is quintessential Harlem, a landmark unto herself. A mathematician of dressing, Ms. Turner does not just put clothes on but uses her body as a medium in which she expresses her appreciation and preservation of life, style, and beauty, or as she likes to refer to it: “Painting the body canvas.”

A doyenne of mid-20th century fashion, and muse of New York Times Street style photographer Bill Cunningham, Lana Turner and I were introduced almost a decade ago at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem when I was looking for a few hats for a fashion story while in grad school. Upon meeting and chatting with her, I realized quite quickly that it was SHE who needed to be photographed, in her wardrobe, and in her hats… of which there are upwards of, wait for it… 500. Actually, I believe the exact number is 638.

Here are some highlights:

On the discovery of self: “You know a single woman, single mother, taking care of all of that. But when he got old enough to fly away from the nest, it allowed me to expand my sense of self. Prior to his leaving, however, that sense of self was always in play.” (19:46)

“That sense of self was one thing that allowed for, for example, deciding to change say the furniture in my room, and I woke up one morning and I said, No everything should not only be functional, it should also be beautiful.”(20:09)

On her love for archiving: “I think the archiving element is in my DNA, it seems to have always been there without you know, want for formalizing that as an educational piece in my life, and it's always been there.” (4:28)

On the theatricality of the black church: “But of course, with the black church we are looking at, or at least I'm looking at it as the as a critical foundation for our deliverance from the slavery, both external and internal. I look at church as a way to release the notion of what it means as a collective, to breathe and to pray. I look at the black church in particular for all the things that go on in it that have more theatricality attached.-But I love the collective energies that black people bring to anything. And when it comes to church, oh my goodness. (39:29)

On the art of living: I don’t know what the formula is I don't know if I could articulate it all. So let's see, I can start, I can try. There's things that I love. So I love and I don't need other people to do it. I just like being myself. (27:04)

Thank you for tuning in! Please don't forget to rate, comment, subscribe and SHARE with a friend.

Visit us on IBI Digital at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Connect with us on Instagram at @blackimagination

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Editorial content provided by Kalimah Small.

Today’s Summer School episode from the IBI Archive is episode 25 with fencer and three-time Olympian, Daryl Homer. Hailing from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Daryl, along with his mother and sister relocated to the Gun Hill section of the Bronx when he was five.  His interest in fencing began at an early age, after encountering the word “Fencing” in a pictorial dictionary that his mother gave him.  Inspired, he begged his mother to begin lessons, but it wasn’t until a chance encounter with an advertisement featuring two black fencers did Daryl’s Mother finally cave into her son’s growing obsession.

And so, at the ripe old age of eleven, Daryl was enrolled at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, an organization founded by its namesake, Peter Westbrook, who took home the bronze in fencing in the 1984 Olympics, quickly seeing his potential, Daryl was placed on the Olympic track just one year later, and his path to the games began. 

By the age of 17, he’d already medaled in the Cadet World fencing championships, later, taking home gold in 7 Pan American championships, also competing in the 2012 Olympics in London, the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and most recently the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.  At the Rio Games, Daryl took home the silver medal in men’s individual saber fencing, surpassing his mentor Mr. Westbrook, and thereby making him the highest-medaled Olympic fencer in American history.

In today’s episode, we discuss Daryl’s early beginnings in the Bronx, what it takes to have a champion mindset, how to recover from failure, and the power of imagination and visualization to overcome obstacles.  This is such a powerful episode, as we chart the sheer will and tenacity needed to accomplish big dreams. I learned so much, and I’m sure you will too.  Be sure to subscribe wherever you receive your podcasts, and leave us a review over on Apple Podcasts, we love to hear your thoughts and be sure to follow us over on Instagram at Blackimagination. And now I invite you to pull out your notepads, Daryl’s about to drop some wisdom.

Follow Daryl on Instagram: @daryldhomer

Visit us on IBI Digital at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Connect with us on Instagram at @blackimagination

‘Black Thought’ Trotter on his origin story: “I think often in the case of heroes or of a character, a protagonist who sort of rises to greatness there is some trauma Yeah. And you know my life is was no different.”

Today’s Summer School episode from the IBI Archive is episode 12 with a man who needs no introduction, but I’m going to introduce him anyway:  Tariq Luqmaan Trotter, better known as Black Thought, lead MC and co-founder of the hip-hop band, The Roots. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Tariq faced some early hardships– losing both of his parents to homicide before the age of 16, but he found his path in the arts, attending Philadelphia’s High School for creative and performing arts, also known as ‘the fame school of Philly’, notable alumni include Boys to Men, Erika Alexander, Leslie Odom Jr., Joey de Francesco, Jasmine Sullivan, and many more. While immersed in this brilliant world of musicianship, Black Thought encountered yet another now-famous alum and co-founder of The Roots, Questlove.

Emerging from the Philly soul scene in the late eighties and early 90s, The Roots created a space for themselves that didn’t exist during that era:  A live, hip hop band. Known for their jazzy and eclectic approach to the genre, their debut album Organix was released and sold independently and were quickly signed to DGC/Geffen. Today, they serve as the house band for the Tonight show, while still touring extensively, and producing projects both collectively and individually, including an upcoming Broadway musical, “Black NO More”, penned by today’s guest, Mr. Trotter.

Here are some highlights…

On His Origin Story: “That's, that's sort of my, my origin story is I am, you know, I grew up in Philadelphia, I lost my father at a very, very young age before I was two years old, and, you know, to murder to homicide in the streets of Philly and I lost my mother to the same at 15 or 16. So, yeah, I feel like that is my origin”

On Trauma being a motivating factor in his life: “It's the ways in which we allow that internalization to, you know, compel us, and sometimes you're compelled to, you know, to quit, or in that pause to, you know, to give up, or sometimes it becomes a huge motivating factor for you. And, in my experience, that's, that's, you know, the purpose that it has served is as a, as a motivator”

On The Notorious Roots Jam Sessions: “I remember John Legend, you know, he was a student at the University of Penn, he would come and, you know, try and get into our jam sessions and would often be turned away, for whatever reason, like, you know, go figure. I wasn't at the door had I been at the door, that would never have been the case, but I know people who remember turning him away, and I feel like that was a motivating factor for him and you know, that that's part of what propelled him to greatness”

Links we mention in the episode:

Tariq's Instagram: @blackthought

Link to "Black No More" info: deadline.com

Thank you for tuning in! Please don't forget to rate, comment, subscribe and SHARE with a friend.

Visit us on IBI Digital at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Connect with us on Instagram at @blackimagination

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Editorial content provided by Kalimah Small.

In today’s Summer School episode from the IBI Archive is episode 4 with psychologist, Dr. Courtney Cogburn.  Hailing from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Doctor Cogburn’s research focuses on how racism contributes to health disparities amongst Black Americans and in particular how over time, blatant and subtle racism in media stresses and literally wears down Black bodies—a phenomenon also known as “weathering”—something we have all witnessed to during the current outbreak of Covid-19 in the United States, and its devastating effects on communities of color.

An associate professor at Columbia’s School of Social Work, Dr. Cogburn’s racial immersion VR experience, 1000-Cut Journey, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. Developed in collaboration with the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University, It allows for the viewer to experience life as a Black man, from adolescence through adulthood, and has been featured on TEDx, CBS, and Forbes.

In this conversation we discuss when she first began to notice the correlation between race and academic achievement (5:00), the effects of "breathing racism" (13:00), how watching videos of police brutality is bad for our health (18:46), how reason rarely works as well empathy (22:00), a step-by-step explanation of her racial VR experience (28:04), how her lack of experience with virtual reality didn't keep her from pursuing her goals (34:22), her biggest failure as a researcher (41:40), how her own son changed the way she works (43:18), why higher education has health benefits for every demographic, except for those of African decent (46:48), and the ways in which VR is being used to help Black people begin to heal from a lifetime of racial stress (59:26). Given where we are as a country and a people, I found this conversation to be right on time.

Links we mention in the episode:

Courtney's Twitter Account: @courtneycogburn

Her Racial VR Experience: 1,000-Cut Journey

Hyphen Labs: Neurospeculative Afrofeminism

Thank you for tuning in! Please don't forget to rate, comment, subscribe and SHARE with a friend.

Visit us on IBI Digital at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Connect with us on Instagram at @blackimagination

Today’s Summer School episode from the IBI Archive is episode 39 with Timnit Gebru an artificial intelligence researcher.  Timnit advocates for fair and just use of the technology we use everyday. A former employee of Google, Timnit consistently calls in and calls out a Big Tech industry that leverages power, capital, and bias in favor of, well, themselves and their wallets. From language to surveillance- Timnit knows the potential harms of artificial intelligence know no bounds.

In a time when we’re at war, today’s episode calls into question for whom we are fighting? Whose wars are worthy of discussion and what harms are so deeply ingrained within our consciousness that we ignore our own civilian casualties. As the world witnesses the 16th month of a war in Ethiopia, Timnint’s journey reminds us of the refugee, the warrior, and the heroes we often dismiss and determine unworthy of home. 

This conversation was recorded on Jan 27, 2022

Learn More about this topic 

• Rhua benjamin
• Simone browne (Dark Matters: on Surveillance of Blackness) 
• Coded bias 
• Tawana petty
• Support regulations to safeguard 
• Mar Hicks wrote op ed for Wired (tech historian)

Who to follow? 

• Algorithm justice league 
• Data society 
• Data for black lives
• AI Now 
• DAIR 

Other Things we mention 

 contentauthenticity.org 

The fairness doctrine  

Fairness doctrine washington post article 

Visit us on IBI Digital at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Connect with us on Instagram at @blackimagination

Host Dario Calmese 

Today’s Summer School episode from the IBI Archive is episode 2 with architect, designer, and scholar, Dr. Mabel O. Wilson. Doing double duty as a Professor of Architecture and as Associate Director of the Institute for Research in African American Studies, both at Columbia University, Dr. Wilson is not your traditional designer of buildings. Her trans-disciplinary practice extends well beyond the built environment into the worlds of curation, performance, art, and cultural history.

We discuss how Mabel’s problems fitting in as a young architect led to designing her own path to success (5:40), her advice for young architectural students (9:00), what Beyonce stole from her (21:30), the ways in which design and structures have been used to create the concepts of both blackness and whiteness (26:26), the radical change needed for an equitable America (32:27), the invisibility of Black women (35:00) and how mass incarceration not only tied a generation of Black men to a failing capitalist state, but left a generation of Black women without partners (49:40).

Links we mention in the episode:

Mabel's Instagram: @studio_and

Her new book: Race and Modern Architecture: A Critical History from the Enlightenment to the Present 

Thank you for tuning in! Please don't forget to rate, comment, subscribe and SHARE with a friend.

Visit us on IBI Digital at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.

Connect with us on Instagram at @blackimagination