As I said before, it is important to support black creators and let their voices be heard. Supporting black artists is something we should always do, and I love this idea of celebrating Juneteenth by blacking out the best seller lists. I have provided some links below to the Amistad Books tweet and other articles that provide resources to find books by black authors, so if you want more information be sure to check below. I’m going to highlight the books I decided to purchase, but I highly encourage you to check out more resources and choose some books that appeal to you!
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – This is the New York Times best selling authors second Novel. Brit Bennett’s first book is also a finalist for the NBCC John Leonard Prize for the best first book. The basis of her newest novel tells the story of two twin sisters who grew up in a small, southern, black community who ran away from home at age sixteen and lived very different lives after the fact. One sister lives with her black daughter in the town she tried to leave, while the other lives among her white family, that knows nothing of her past. The story is not just one that speaks on issues of race, but focuses on how a person’s past can shape their future and the choices they make, and why a person may be interested in living in a way that is not of their origins.
Deacon King Kong by James McBride – Award winning and Best-selling author James McBride brings forth a thrilling story about what happens to a group of eye witnesses of a shooting. The reason for this shooting and its effects make up the basis of the novel as we follow the lives of those who witnessed it and how it changed them. Through this journey we find out that these characters’ lives overlap more than we may have expected and the author teaches us that not all secrets are meant to be hidden. He also teaches us that in order to grow we must face the reality of change without fearing it.
To Live Woke by Rupert W. Nacoste, Ph. D. – Dr. Rupert Nacoste, the Social Psychologist who created the term ‘Neo-diversity’ and teaches the one-of-a-kind ‘Psychology of Interdependence and Race’ course at NC State University, brings us his fourth novel. In this novel, much like his teachings, he shares stories of his past experiences, having grown up in the Jim Crow legally segregated south and serving in Navy during a time that involved Race Riots, to give the reader some real life understanding and make the call to action for all people to truly embrace neo-diversity. Dr. Nacoste says ‘We can save the soul of America.’ and he uses this book as a way to really show us how we can contribute to this effort and actually understand what it means to ‘live woke’.
I haven’t read these books just yet, but I will be reviewing them on my podcast in a couple weeks after they arrive (so pick up your copies if you want to read along with me!).
With the recent attention toward the Black Lives Matter movement, I wanted to take the time to share on this platform educational resources to help those of us who aren’t black gain an understanding about the protests and their roots. There are many different ways to gain knowledge about these important topics and I have compiled a list of some of them below.
Movies and TV Shows:
13th
This documentary on Netflix provides insight about the problem of mass incarceration and looks at it from different lenses. It explains the criminalization of black Americans and the disproportional treatment of individuals in the prison system.
When They See Us
This true-crime style Netflix show relating to the 1989 Central Park attack and the five boys of color who were wrongly charged for it. It additionally highlights modern injustices carried out against minorities by police and the judicial system.
Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap
This short video from the Explained series helps one understand disadvantages that black families have in America and concepts like redlining which have allowed systemic poverty to persist within black communities.
Who Killed Malcolm X?
This series follows activist Abdur-Rahman Muhammad’s attempt to seek the truth surrounding the assassination of one of the most important leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X.
This reading list thread contains books and writings by authors like Malcolm X, Toni Morrison, and W.E.B. DuBois. All are excellent reads and most are created by black authors and are directly relevant to the protests
Black Revolutionary Texts
A Google Drive has been compiled with links to free books and poems by black revolutionary authors. It includes interesting perspectives about struggle, Civil Rights, and liberation.
In Defense of Looting by Vicky Osterweil
This article from The New Inquirer can help you understand why looting should not be shamed in relation to the protests. Human lives are more important than property, and Osterweil gives reasoning to this end.
Hope you all find this useful and are able to use these resources! I hope to expand upon these resources, but these are ones I have found and compiled so far. Happy reading!
Greetings to all who are apart of the Wolfpack community, and the Triangle area. It is so important for each of us to enable our friends and family to access necessary resources during the coronavirus situation. I have compiled a list below with many different resources for students and other individuals in the RDU area. For NC State Coronavirus Response updates, go to their website. For general updates, please refer to the CDC.
Basic Resources:
Pack Essentials: NC State students experiencing challenges in accessing basic needs such as food, housing, and educational supplies should submit a Pack Essentials form. This form can help students get financial assistance and other resources, based on need. In addition, the Pack Essentials Emergency Grant has received generous donations, enabling it to help thousands of students. I definitely recommend applying if you need any kind of assistance.
Wake County Food Pantries: This Google sheet has contact information for food pantries in Wake County. Please check the document to see locations available near you and any notes relating to changes in their hours of operation.
Technology Resources:
Internet Access: The North Carolina DIT put together a list of resources for internet access, including free and affordable internet services within North Carolina, as well as information on how to access free Wifi in certain locations.
NCSU Libraries: Although NCSU Libraries buildings are closed, they are offering many useful online services for students. They allow long-term loans for technology, PDF copies of your textbook chapters, and more great resources.
Textbooks: Wolfpack Outfitters and VitalSource have partnered to provide free access to ebooks through May 25th. All you need to do is create an account with your NCSU email address at the VitalSource site.
Health and Wellness:
Telehealth and Medication: To help prevent further spread of coronavirus, many health offices are moving toward online appointments. In addition, many different insurance companies have offered free prescription shipping and other policies which may benefit anyone taking regular medications. You should check your primary care doctor and insurance company policies to see if it can help you. In addition, NCSU Student Health is offering “reduced and limited” services. You can find more information on their website.
Mental Health: The NCSU Counseling Center is available for telehealth appointments through the phone or through secure video chat. You can find more information here.
Exercise: NC State Wellness and Recreation is offering different programs such as virtual fitness classes, wellness tips, and at-home workout routines. Find more information here.
I hope that these resources are useful. Remember that even if you do not need these resources, sharing this information with others can go along way in helping members of our community.
Things are moving slowly. Some things feel like they’re not moving at all. However, despite the empty streets and closing businesses, people are coming together to support one another and sustain our community during the pandemic.
WKNC, as a community partner and participant, wants to use our platform to share some of these fundraisers and inform you about their creators to further their outreach. We appreciate and admire everyone doing the groundwork and heavy lifting that it takes to sustain a community, several industries and the emotional wellbeing of their beneficiaries.
First and foremost, is the Raleigh Music Venue Employee Fund. This fundraiser collectively supports Lincoln Theatre, Slim’s, Kings, the Wicked Witch and the Pour House. The campaign was created by Van Austin at Slim’s, Chris Malarkey at Lincoln, Paul Siler at Kings, and Adam Lindstaedt with the Pour House. The funds for this project are being collected through Venmo using the handle @Raleigh-Downtown-Music-Venues. Kings, via their Instagram page (@KingsRaleigh) described this fundraiser as “a fund to help out our employees during this time.” In the same post, they wrote they have received an “outpouring of offers to help [their] employees stay afloat during this crisis…” which we at WKNC are amazed to hear. Many of our current and former staff and students have gone on to work and be involved with at least one of these venues, and as an organization we work closely with them to promote, curate and attend events.
It is important to note that some of these venues are partner venues and co-owned by the same individual. For example, Timothy Lemuel runs the Wicked Witch, the Night Rider and Ruby Deluxe, but the latter two venues are not receiving funds from this campaign and have another process of their own to be discussed later on in this post.
Keep a lookout for more information on the Raleigh Venue Fund in an upcoming interview I’m working on with a few individuals involved in its creation. For now, you can see more information about the fund via the social media of each of the venues. The venues and their handles are listed below.
The next fundraiser is theRaleigh Queer Venue Initiative GoFundMe, which was organized by Janel Sheehan almost two weeks ago. As of this writing, they have surpassed half of their expected goal, thanks to the dedication and support of the Raleigh community. Pulling a quote from the GoFundMe description, “The Raleigh Queer Venue Initiative is made up of the sole queer music venues in Raleigh: Ruby Deluxe, Wicked Witch, and the Night Rider. Our purpose is to give LGBTQIA, as well as marginalized folx a safe space to dance, create, perform, and support one another.” The description goes on to express that these spaces are also locally owned and operated by queer individuals. Currently, as of a GoFundMe update posted on March 24, “[they] are looking at around 11K total a month to retain all of our spaces for Ruby Deluxe, Wicked Witch, and The Night Rider.” Of their $11,000 goal, the money raised will go towards paying rent on the venues and provide income to their staff members who can no longer work due to closures. The contributions from the Raleigh community are directly allowing for these safe spaces to remain open and in operation after the pandemic crisis alleviates.
We thank Janel, and all of the RQVI workers, for curating this GoFundMe and for creating safe spaces for the LGBTQIA community in Raleigh and the Triangle.
Next up is the Raleigh Tee. This fundraising campaign was created by Jonas Chisolm and his roommate Austin Chappell. The two of them started an online shop in which individuals could purchase a T-shirt and/or a sticker (in rainbow or black and white) through which all profits would go to the NC Restaurant Workers Relief Fund and the Raleigh Music Venue Fund (mentioned above). For those interested in purchasing any of this project’s merch, doing so can be processed via Facebook.com/TheRaleighTee. The logo for the shirts and stickers was made by a close friend of the two founders, Nicholas Rossitch, and after some creative work on Photoshop, the idea for the Raleigh Tee was born.
The project debuted on social media (Instagram @theRaleighTee) two days ago (03/25/2020) and is quoted with having 200 orders in the first 8 hours. Jonas has commented that he and Austin only expected to sell 50 shirts initially and have been amazed at the community engagement, reposting and purchasing of the products in their startup.
Thank you to Jonas and Austin for your work and contributions to the workers of North Carolina and Raleigh specifically.
I’d also like to take a moment to give credit where credit is due. Yvonne Chazal (right, above) and Phian Tran (left) have compiled a very expansiveWake County Resources for COVID-19 document. The incredibly well-organized document covers topics like health resources (including mental health), food resources, housing and shelter, utilities details and more. Truly if I were to list out all of the categories they discuss, you’d be both in awe and shocked at the mass amounts of information that they have. The document’s creation was open to public collaboration and both creators actively reached out to their social media connections to make sure that they were collecting all the necessary details and subjects that constituents would be interested in. Please view this free resource during your free time. It will certainly make you feel better about our situation knowing what options are available.
Yvonne and Phian are both dearly loved and appreciated as local influences, musicians and WKNC alums. Thank you, Yvonne and Phian.
The aforementioned resources are only a small portion of the ongoing efforts to protect ourselves and our community. There will be more installments and updates to come. Once again, keep your eyes and ears out for an interview with representatives from the Raleigh Music Venue Employee Fund.
Want to help out but can’t donate? Call your representative (via 202-224-3121) and ask them to #SaveRestaurants.
Stay safe, stay inside, flatten the curve, promote solidarity. WKNC loves you and is grateful to everyone involved in these projects.
It seems as though everywhere you look COVID-19 is impacting individuals and their livelihoods. Universities and schools across the nation are closing and transitioning to an online format, and NC State University is no different. Thus, as WKNC is a University entity, some changes have to be made to our current structure as well.
As of Tuesday, March 17, WKNC’s offices will be closed to the public until further notice. During this time staff will be working remotely and on-air DJs will be limited. Despite this, we will remain on-the-air 24/7/365 due to our ability to automate rotation. However, as our offices are closed, all pending Lounge sessions, on-air interviews, tours, merch pick-ups, and other in-person events are canceled. As far as merch goes, purchases from our swag store can still be made, but it is currently unknown when they will be able to ship out or be available for pick-up. Regarding DJs, while our request lines will still ring, it is unlikely that anyone will be in-studio to answer. Our Music Directors have worked hard to curate our playlists so the great music will continue to play, nonetheless.
Please stay connected with us on social media (@wknc881 across all platforms) for updates on our situation, COVID-19, university regulations, staff productivity and more.
As you are all remaining in your homes for an unspecified duration of time, tune into WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1 or HD-2 to pass the time and ease your mind. We’re not gone, we’re just a dial away.
Season 2 of the Shawn Soapbox starts with a bang, as Toni Contini an entrepreneur and former chair of Union Activities Board’s Speakers and Professional Development committee drops many gems as she discusses self-development and mindfulness with a little astrology talk for the uniformed. Tune in to the season premiere of The Shawn Soapbox.
WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 is celebrating its fifth annual Radio Ride.
WKNC’s Radio Ride is an alleycat-style bike ride and a scavenger hunt around the NC State campus and downtown Raleigh that will take place on Saturday, Oct. 26 at NC State’s Harris Field, 2810 Cates Ave, in Raleigh. Check-in opens at 12 p.m. and the ride begins at 1 p.m. Vehicle parking is available behind the Student Health Center.
Riders will receive a set of clues for various checkpoints and should expect to bike between 15 and 20 miles, with riders wearing helmets earning a five-minute head start.
Registration is $10 in advance and $15 the day of the event. Those unable to participate can sign up as “virtual riders” for a $10 donation. Pre-registration is available online at wknc.org/swag.
In the event of rain, WKNC’s Radio Ride will be moved to Sunday, Oct. 27.
All participants MUST complete a liability waiver before being allowed to ride. Forms will be available on site. Those under 18 will need signed permission from a parent or guardian.
Proceeds from WKNC’s Radio Ride will benefit the student-run non-commercial radio station. About half of the station’s budget comes from North Carolina State University student fees, with the rest raised through a combination of underwriting, event promotions, sports broadcasts, merchandise sales and fundraisers like the Radio Ride and Double Barrel Benefit concert.
It’s the year 2039. Where’s your podcast? (A Preserve This Podcast workshop)
Bring your hard drives. Bring your laptops. Bring your Dropbox password. We’re going to preserve your podcast. Zines will be provided.
If you’ve listened to our podcast or read our zine, you know that podcasts are disappearing. So how can podcasters protect themselves against loss? By attending our Preserve This Podcast workshop. This interactive workshop will tackle this issue head-on by walking audio-creators through the history of podcast technology, the basics of archival preservation, and simple steps you can take to preserve your audio. We will review through the tools and techniques to prevent data loss before it’s too late, as well as “bake” these concepts into podcasters’ existing production workflows.
Co-organized with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.
About our instructors:
Dana Gerber-Margie (@theaudiosignal) listens to podcasts while living in Madison, Wisconsin. She earned her Master’s in Library & Information Studies at UW-Madison, and has worked as an A/V Archivist for WiLS and the Wisconsin Historical Society. She is the co-founder and co-editor of the Bello Collective, a publication about podcasts and storytelling.
Mary Kidd (@kiddarchivist) is an archivist and illustrator. By day, she works for New York Public Library’s Special Collections Division. She has worked on audio/visual preservation projects for New York Public Radio, the Magic Shop Recording Studio, and the XFR Collective, a non-profit organization that transfers at-risk media off magnetic tapes to digital format for individuals and groups with limited means. She enjoys creating drawings, zines, gifs, and other artful tidbits to make archiving, and the technology that supports it, accessible, approachable and fun for everyone.
Date And Time Sat, September 14, 2019 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM EDT
Location Center for Documentary Studies 1317 W. Pettigrew Street Auditorium – 7 Bridges Building Durham, NC 27705
John and Benjamin are back with another year of PackisLife and on the first show of the semester they get you caught up on the start of soccer, volleyball, tennis and swimming and diving. They preview the start football season as well discuss early retirement trends in the NFL
Shawn sits down with political philosopher Dr. Stephen Ferguson to discuss student activism, political philosophy and Hip Hop being dead after 1996. Tune in for an intelligent conversation.
