Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks on Self-Worth and Loving the Grind

Acclaimed author Walter Mosley writes about the intricacies of Black livelihood by grounding science fiction and mystery in America’s turbulent social and racial climate. Decorated with the O. Henry Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, a Grammy, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Mosley is a testament to Black artistry. His works have been translated into 25 languages. In this episode, Mosley discusses the release of his latest novel, “Farewell, Amethystine,” as well as the types of overlooked characters and stories he wants to celebrate in his novels. He also talks about the complicated relationship he had with his father, what it’s like to write about love, and shares the very first lines he wrote that made him realize he could be a writer. 

Anna Martin is the host of the New York Times’ immensely popular Modern Love podcast, where guests join to discuss the trials, triumphs, betrayals, and epiphanies of modern relationships.  In this episode, she joins Helga to discuss how love is perceived and expressed across cultures; the many different words for love across languages, and what it’s like to help others share their most important, formative, and vulnerable memories.  

Author and activist Letty Cottin Pogrebin has been immersed for decades in the fight for gender equality and social justice. She co-founded Ms. Magazine, which played a pivotal role in the feminist movement of the 1970s, and served as president of the Authors Guild and as chair of Americans for Peace Now. She’s also authored a dozen books, co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus and the International Center for Peace in the Middle East, and earned an Emmy for her work on “Free To Be… You and Me,” a landmark early 1970s television special and album that encouraged social equality and acceptance between genders. In this episode, Pogrebin discusses some of the pivotal moments that defined her political thinking, her feminism, and her understanding of Jewish tradition.

Journalist Jenna Flanagan has built a career championing the necessary conversations that drive community progress. She’s worked as a producer for the New York City-based AM radio news station 1010 WINS and WNYC’s All Things Considered, and as a co-host for the PBS show MetroFocus. Recently, she hosted the podcast “After Broad and Market,” which revisits the 2003 murder of 15-year-old Sakia Gunn — one of New Jersey’s first prosecuted queer hate crime homicides.Here, Flanagan delves into the vital role of local news, the legacy of Black women in media, and her secrets to eliciting great stories from anyone.

Noliwe Rooks is a widely esteemed author and chair of Africana Studies at Brown University. A passionate advocate for education equality, Dr. Rooks has focused much of her work on the challenges that poor and African American communities face, particularly within the American public education system. In this episode, Dr. Rooks talks about her family’s experiences with education inequality, its broader cultural context and impact, and the role that family and community play in fostering success at school.

Sampha is a leading British singer-songwriter and producer within the neo-soul and alternative R&B scenes, his music a seductive blend of meditative, confessional lyrics and intricate, genre-spanning production. Active since the mid-2000s, he’s well known for his collaborations with artists like Solange Knowles, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Drake, and many others; a songwriter in his own right, his debut solo album, “Process,” won England’s prestigious Mercury Prize for best album in 2017.In this episode, Sampha discusses fatherhood, family dynamics, and the images that inspired his second album, “Lahai.” He also speaks openly about trusting his intuition in art and life.

Suzan-Lori Parks is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. Parks was the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Drama with her 2002 play, “Topdog/Underdog,” and in 2023, she was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. In this episode, Parks discusses her bold idea to write a one-act play each day for an entire year. She shares her views on storytelling, resilience, and family, and she breaks out her guitar to give a sample of one of her original songs.

Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo is a scholar and professor of music at Brown University who also performs as the dynamic rapper and producer Sammus. Sammus explores themes of anxiety, awkwardness, Afro-futurism, and activism in three full-length albums, three EPs, a beat tape, and several collaborations with notable artists. As a Brown Practitioner Fellow, Lumumba-Kasongo’s research expands the bounds of Black feminist sound and hip-hop studies. In this episode, Lumumba-Kasongo talks about how she crafted “elsewhere spaces” in her childhood, where she dreamt up cartoons, video games, and music — which in turn helped her to navigate nervousness. She also shares how she learned to reconcile her love of being an unapologetic nerd with her drive to be an M.C., and what it means to show up as a socially conscious artist, both individually and as a member of her generation.LANGUAGE ADVISORY: This episode of HELGA contains the use of a racial slur in the context of a conversation about using that word in a musical setting. Listener discretion is advised.

Tremaine Emory is a visionary fashion designer. Once the creative director at the streetwear brand Supreme, he co-founded his own brand, Denim Tears, which aims to tell the stories of the African Diaspora through fashion. His work has been recognized widely for its bold originality and counter-cultural drive. In this episode, Emory talks about the psychology of how we validate ourselves in consumer culture; the layers of history held in terms of Black self-identification; and what it means to reshape the world into a place visibly different and more aware than it was before.LANGUAGE ADVISORY: This episode contains strong language, including the use of the n-word during the second half of the episode in the context of a conversation about the word and different perspectives on the appropriateness of its use. Listener discretion is advised.Scroll below to learn more about the artists and references that came up in conversation:  Supreme: An American clothing and skateboarding lifestyle brand established in New York City in April 1994. Supreme is recognized for its influence on streetwear culture, with products that cater to skateboarding and urban fashion trends.Denim Tears: Founded in 2019 by designer and aesthete Tremaine Emory, each collection tells a story, revealing what the brand’s founder calls the African Diaspora. Denim Tears’ approach to heritage and design has earned its place in The Met Costume Institute in New York’s permanent collection.Jim Crow: Name of the racial caste system that operated primarily, but not exclusively, in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s. It was a series of rigid anti-black laws that relegated African Americans to the status of second-class citizens by legitimizing anti-black racism.James Jebbia: An American-British businessman, fashion designer, and former child actor. He is the founder of Supreme ad UNION.UNION LA:  Jebbia (along with his then-partner Mary Ann Fusco) opened up UNION in 1989. It was far from the purveyor of sub-rosa Japanese brands, Marni, with influences from hip-hop.The Sandlot: A 1993 American coming-of-age sports comedy film co-written, directed, and narrated by David Mickey Evans. It tells the story of a group of young baseball players during the summer of 1962.Boyz n the Hood: A 1991 American coming-of-age hood crime drama film written and directed by John Singleton in his feature directorial debut. Follows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence, and future prospects.The Wire: An American crime drama television series created and primarily written by former police reporter David Simon. The show explores Baltimore, Maryland's drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.Jam Master Jay: An American rap musician and producer who was a member of Run-DMC, the first rap group to attract a worldwide audience. The group is credited with bringing hip-hop into the cultural mainstream.George Floyd: A Black man whose videotaped death under the knee of a white police officer sparked protests in 2020, including some of the largest street demonstrations in U.S. history. bell hooks: An American scholar, author, poet, feminist, cultural critic, and activist whose work examined the connections between race, gender, class, sexuality and geographic place.Brexit: The withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Following Brexit, EU law and the Court of Justice of the European Union no longer have primacy over British laws. Black Panthers: Founded in October 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. It was a revolutionary organization with an ideology of Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense, particularly against police brutality. The Panthers eventually developed into a Marxist revolutionary group that called for the arming of all African Americans, the exemption of African Americans from the draft and from all sanctions of so-called white America, the release of all African Americans from jail, and the payment of compensation to African Americans for centuries of exploitation by white Americans.James Baldwin: An essayist, novelist, and playwright whose work distinguished him as a voice of human equality. Baldwin was a well-known public figure and orator, especially during the civil rights movement in the United States.Warner Music Group: An American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "big three" recording companies and the third-largest in the global music industry, after Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music Entertainment (SME).Comtel Pro: Sells recording and film tools to film makers, music creators, data content technicians, and engineers of every imaginable media.RICO Laws: The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a federal law passed in 1970 (codified at 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-68) targeting organized criminal activity and racketeering. RICO enhances existing criminal punishments and creates new causes of action for acts done as a part of an organized criminal enterprise. Gordon Gekko: Gordon Gekko is a fictional character who appears as the villain in the popular 1987 Oliver Stone movie "Wall Street" and its 2010 sequel "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps." The character, a ruthless and wildly wealthy investor and corporate raider, has become a cultural symbol for greed,Francis Ford Coppola: An Italian American film director, producer and screenwriter.  He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood film movement of the 1960s and 1970s and is widely considered one of the greatest directors of all time.Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.): Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie, is a revered hip-hop artist and face of East Coast gangsta rap. He was shot and killed on March 9, 1997. Virgil Abloh: An American designer, architect, and entrepreneur. Abloh founded Pyrex Vision and later became the chief executive officer of the Milan-based label Off-White, a fashion house he founded in 2013. In 2018, Abloh became the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear. Spike Lee: Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work explores race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983.Julie Dash: An American filmmaker, music video and commercial director, author, and website producer. Dash broke racial and gender boundaries with her Sundance award-winning film (Best Cinematography) Daughters of the Dust. She became the first African American woman to have a wide theatrical release of her feature film. Mario Van Peebles: An American film director and actor best known for appearing in ‘Heartbreak Ridge’ in 1986 and known for directing and starring in ‘New Jack City’ in 1991 and ‘USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage’ in 2016.

Whitney White is an actor, singer, Obie Award winner, and winner of the Lilly Award, which recognizes extraordinary women in theater. White has directed productions of James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner; Aleshea Harris’ What to Send Up When It Goes Down, a work about the victims of racialized violence; and Jocelyn Bioh’s Broadway play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. She also directed productions of Shakespeare’s Richard III and Othello. In this episode, White shares how powerful moments on stage often originate in the body, not the mind. She also talks about how she preserves her inner self amidst the demands of large-scale productions, and what it means to embrace and live in her full self.