Here at The Root, we strongly endorse any and everything involving the iconic multihyphenate Erika Alexander. Why? Because outside of being a transcendent talent, she always keeps it a buck.
“I think that Black men [in Hollywood] get more opportunity than Black women to become more of themselves. Will Smith got to be a rapper and act in sitcoms and then to save the world in Independence Day,” she previously told The Root. “With black women we sort of go, ‘You were good in that.’ And then that’s it. That’s unacceptable.”
Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to find the lie.
And after blessing us all with last year’s critically acclaimed documentary, John Lewis: Good Trouble, her innovation and social impact company, Color Farm Media, is partnering with Charlamagne Tha God’s The Black Effect Podcast Network to deliver Reparations: The Big Payback.
This groundbreaking, narrative podcast is co-hosted by the Living Single alum and filmmaker Whitney Dow. In each episode, they’ll bring their varying perspectives to the table—SPOILER WARNING: Dow is white—to explore the arguments for and against the controversial topic of reparations for Blacks folks in America. They’ll also investigate the underlying racist architecture of modern businesses, laws, policies and institutions that have roots in slavery. And because the more the merrier, they’ll be joined by the likes of Rev. William Barber, philanthropist Tom Steyer, strategist Robin Rue Simmons, activist (and mother of Eric Garner) Gwen Carr, attorney Saru Jayaraman and more.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Charlamagne Tha God and iHeartMedia to launch this important podcast at a critical juncture in the history of America,” Alexander said in a statement provided to The Root. “We sit on the precipice of an opportunity to heal America’s divide through leaning in to a greater understanding of the restorative powers of reparations.”
“Erika Alexander is brilliant. Anytime I can assist her in bringing any one of her visions to life it’s a no-brainer for me,” Charlamagne Tha God said in a statement provided to The Root. “There are so many conversations revolving around reparations and the case for Black Americans to have reparations, and hopefully this project adds to those conversations and makes people realize why reparations isn’t just a request, but a necessary step for this country to take in order for it to atone for the sin of slavery and finally get to a real place of healing.”
Hopefully, Hershell Walker caught all of that.
Reparations: The Big Payback is available on your podcast platform of choice.