You Ain't Imagining This!

The Covid-19 pandemic. Police Violence. White supremacy and terror. Dehumanizing behavior. Systemic racism. Everywhere. Every day. African Americans and other people of color face constant threats not only to their physical safety but also to their mental health. This leads to high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses that also make African Americans vulnerable to chronic disorders like heart disease, obesity, asthma, and diabetes.  And it reduces the life expectancy and quality of life for many African Americans. Add poverty, lack of health care, inadequate housing, and reduced access to good nutrition and clean water to this deadly cocktail and there is another "pandemic" rooted in racism.  Many African Americans are using and seeking methods to protect their mental health and reduce stress and anxiety.  One effective method is meditation, which has proven benefits of fighting stress and anxiety, reducing depression and improving the quality of life--on both mental and physical levels--for the person who engages in regular meditation or meditative practice. In this special episode, Robin will discuss the unique stresses faced by African Americans and the benefits of meditation. She will also guide three short meditations to introduce the practice of meditation and provide instant stress relief during these turbulent times. You will not want to miss this episode!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month--and the timing is perfect. Stress levels are running very high as the nation deals with the Covid-19 lockdown as well as the easing of lockdown restrictions. But other factors also contribute to high stress and anxiety levels in the African American community. Structural racism, dehumanizing events, police violence, economic uncertainty, poverty, and bias in health care, education, and housing are factors that affect African Americans on the mental, physical, and even spiritual levels. Unfortunately, African Americans do not have access to adequate mental health care in diagnosis or treatment. In fact, only 1 in 3 African Americans who need mental health care will actually receive that care. In this special episode, Robin and Hans (who narrates the Espresso Talk Today show) discuss the problems that African Americans face in receiving mental health care and the stigma that endures within the African American community. Join this uncommon and important conversation that concludes with practical tips for protecting your mental health. 

Pulitzer Prize winner, Bob Dylan once said, "The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it." The same can apply to people after reading a good poem; they are forever changed. In this unique episode, Robin and Ben read and discuss two of their favorite poems.  They also discuss what poetry means to them. Robin is moved by the radical poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar, Audre Lorde, and Amiri Baraka. Ben focuses on transformative imagery in classical poems by John Keats, T.S. Eliot, and modern Swedish poets.  Join them to experience poetry that will also challenge your world vision and uplift your spirit.  You might never be the same!

People read different kinds of modern or classic fiction. Others read modern or historical nonfiction, essays, or articles. However, there is one type of fiction that is often overlooked yet has been on the literary scene for more than a thousand years: Folktales. Often relegated to simple children's stories, folktales are an ancient form of entertainment. Most folktales are written with human characters. Others are part of the oral tradition with animals taking the lead as human protagonists. Whether written or oral, they are all culture-based, value-driven short stories that entertain children and adults alike.  Doug and Robin discuss the importance of folktales as a written and oral form of literature. In this special episode, they read several folktales and discuss their cultural and ethical meanings.  Join them to experience this ancient form of entertainment that will also make you think and uplift your spirit. 

Does the U.S. Constitution guarantee the right to vote? Most Americans answer a proud and resounding "Yes!" Unfortunately, this answer is wrong. The Constitution does not guarantee the right to vote--and this has led to many problems. From onerous registration requirements to blatant acts of voter suppression, this "missing" right has disenfranchised millions of potential voters and undermined the integrity of the American electoral system. Many people also charge that it has undermined the legitimacy of American democracy. (Most democracies provide an affirmative right to vote in their national constitution.) Civic organizations are now working to amend the Constitution to add the right to vote, asserting that this would protect the individual's most fundamental right in a democracy. Doug and Robin, who have examined voter suppression in previous episodes, are now discussing this constitutional omission and its appalling effects. They also consider the impact of a right to vote amendment, whether it can prevent blatant acts of voter suppression, and why some people are opposed to taking this important step. Join this uncommon conversation that can help to protect your right to vote. America is a democracy, right?

Is COVID-19 the "Great Equalizer"? A more accurate description is that COVID-19 is the "Great Revealer." This lethal virus is revealing inequality and injustice at every level of American society. African Americans are hugely and disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, causing more illness and more death than in any other community.  All communities of color have been suffering for decades, even centuries, under America's capitalist and white supremacist system. Yet most white people have the privilege of ignoring or dismissing the terrible plights and injustices suffered by people and communities that are not part of their genteel social circles. But COVID-19 has brought these "invisible" socio-economic problems into the light. In the last show, Doug and Robin discussed an article that showed the effects of structural racism and COVID-19's special and unequal threats to African Americans. This week, Doug and Robin examine select cities where people of color are suffering in shocking numbers. Discover the real reasons underlying the high rate of COVID-19 deaths in America's urban communities.

COVID-19 has been called "the Great Equalizer" because of its lethal attacks on people of all races, genders, and economic backgrounds. Yet African Americans are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, causing more illness and more death. This "great equalizer" characterization is not only inaccurate but is, in fact, increasing the danger to African Americans. Doug and Robin discuss an article, "What the COVID-19 Pandemic Means for Black Americans," by Dr. Uche Blackstock. In the article, Dr. Blackstock discusses how structural racism has caused chronic health conditions in African Americans and how this is posing special and unequal threats to African Americans. Doug and Robin examine the issues presented in the article from racial bias in testing to the white doctors' preference for white patients. They will also discuss how Black Americans can protect themselves from "death by COVID-19." This uncommon conversation will wake you up and could save your life.

Do you know how many African Americans have run for President of the United States? The history books are filled with the names and stories of White men (and a few White women) who have run for the world's most powerful political office. Forgotten are the African Americans--both men and women--who have run for President of the United States. From the great orator and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, to the fiery and bold activist, Cynthia McKinney and beyond, African Americans have taken the courageous (and dangerous) step to be the leader of the free world. Some ran as candidates of the major political parties. Others stepped out of the mainstream to challenge the established political parties as members of so-called "third" political parties. All were courageous, strong and refused to be held back by their race, gender, or ideology. Doug and Robin hold one of their most lively conversations taking us through American political history to examine these "uncommon" candidates, their political platform, and their vision for a better, more inclusive country. It's time to fill the gaps in our history books!

The right to vote is deeply entrenched in the United States. But, today, many people rightly question this belief. President Barack Obama shockingly stated that the United States is the only liberal democracy that makes it more difficult for people to vote. The United States does indeed have a long and terrible history of denying the vote to African Americans and the poor. The U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 changed many of the laws that disenfranchised millions of people. But many new measures have limited the impact of these important and hard-won laws--and people are again losing the ability to vote. Doug and Robin continue their discussion of new voting laws and their destructive effects, particularly on people of color. They also delve deeper into the Georgia Gubernatorial election of 2018 to dissect the injustice and devastating practices that tainted the election and undermined the very notion of American democracy.  This uncommon conversation will shock--and perhaps anger--you but also empower you to protect this most fundamental democratic right.

The right to vote is deeply entrenched in the United States. Or is it? President Barack Obama shockingly stated that the United States is the only liberal democracy that makes it more difficult for people to vote. The United States does indeed have a long and terrible history of denying the vote to African Americans and other people of color, women, and the poor. The U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 changed many of the laws that disenfranchised millions of people. But recent measures have limited the impact of these important and hard-won laws--and people are losing the ability to vote. Doug and Robin discuss these new laws and their destructive effects, particularly on people of color. They also consider voting rights and procedures in other countries and the surprising rank of the United States on the global Electoral Integrity index. This uncommon conversation will shock--and perhaps anger--you but also empower you to protect this most sacred democratic right.