Black Like Me

Dr. Gee and Dr. Charles Taylor discuss the richness of African American history and understanding the wisdom of African heritage. Dr. Taylor considers how people around the country are still figuring out how to celebrate Juneteenth. It must be about history. 

One of Dr. Taylor’s recent endeavors is a documentary on The South Madison Renaissance, including Dr. Gee’s development of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture. 

Leaders of Madison’s Black Renaissance Documentary

Dr. Charles A. Taylor is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and consultant whose work has profoundly shaped the understanding and celebration of Juneteenth across the United States. A lifelong advocate for equity and inclusion, Dr. Taylor played a pivotal role in the movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday. His first book on Juneteenth was distributed to governors across the country, helping to inspire state-level recognition of this historic day and gaining endorsements from key national Juneteenth organizations. Dr. Taylor is the author of over a dozen books, and his latest work on Juneteenth continues his mission to honor the legacy of freedom and resilience, providing readers with a deep historical perspective and a call to action for the future. 

Known for his ability to weave compelling narratives with actionable insights, Dr. Taylor’s writing bridges the gap between history and modern social justice movements. As a sought-after speaker, Dr. Taylor has delivered keynote addresses on Juneteenth and African American history at our country’s leading colleges, universities, and communities nationwide. He was recently the keynote speaker at the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation’s Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. His passionate presentations have educated and inspired audiences of all ages, solidifying his reputation as one of the foremost voices on Juneteenth and its enduring significance.

Beyond his writing and speaking, Dr. Taylor’s contributions to the fight for justice and equity include producing award-winning documentaries like Decade of Discontent and Leaders of Madison’s Black Renaissance, hosting innovative diversity initiatives. Dr. Taylor is considered an expert on Black History and holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin– Madison, where he majored in Curriculum and Instruction. He is a retired professor, dean, and founder of Roar Enterprises Inc., a consulting firm that fosters diversity, project management, and Black history presentations nationwide. His community has given him many awards, including the Urban League’s highest award and the City/County Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. Dr. Taylor advocates for understanding Juneteenth’s legacy and building a more inclusive future through his books, films, speeches, and community work.

Kwanzaa: How To Celebrate It In Your Home

JUNETEENTH: A Celebration of Freedom

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Joy Bailey-Bryant, Lord Cultural Resources President, returns to the show as The Center for Black Excellence and Culture building comes to completion. As an expert in cultural spaces and innovative museums, Baily-Bryant is involved in supporting the development of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture in Madison, WI. They connect over shared Black culture and tell stories of the power of preserving culture, demonstrating the resilient power of culture that has space to speak into itself.

As leader of cultural planning at the largest cultural consultancy in the world, Joy works with city officials, institutional leaders, and developers, in global municipalities like Chicago; New York; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Dharan, Saudi Arabia to creatively plan cities and bring people (life!) to public institutions. Joy led the teams for institutional and cultural planning on remarkable projects like the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., reaching more than 1,000 stakeholders across the country to learn their expectations for the new museum; the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, directing citywide engagement in locations as large as Chicago and small as Decatur, Georgia – speaking with thousands of individuals in meetings and on social media – to assess, project, and plan for their cultural needs; and planning and opening the expansion of the Albany Civil Rights Institute in Albany, Georgia—unearthing thousands of untold stories of the Southwest Georgia Civil Rights Movement. 

A cultural planning specialist, certified interpretive planner, and outreach facilitator, Joy honed her specialized skill working in collaborative roles at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and notable cultural planning projects.

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Dr. Emily Auerbach is a great storyteller and cares deeply about helping make other people’s stories great. Hear the story of her work of leading the Odyssey Project and mentoring non-traditional students through literature and the humanities. 

Dr. Auerbach talks about their whole family approach that brings all generations into the learning opportunities. The hope is that the program is a launching pad into further education at UW-Madison.

Dr. Gee and Dr. Auerbach share so many connections to graduates who have completed degrees and are active in the community. They also share the development of those that don’t think they have more potential and draw it out of them. 

Support Odyssey – UW Odyssey Project – UW–Madison

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Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara brings some clarity to the recent political attacks on history that are attempting to erase multicultural aspects of our American past. Not just history but education and knowledge itself.

This moment is similar to the time after Reconstruction with the response to Black people engaged in the political process and having power. Points to cultural backlash historically like Birth of the Nationand Gone with the Wind portraying a negative propaganda of African American contributions to the US.

Also, hear about a program that Dr. Clark-Pujara has been a part of that connects K-12 teachers to historians and academics to bring back their experience to their classrooms. Funding was cut this year, so she is having to figure out a way to still make it happen in a different form.

Department of African American Studies – UW-Madison

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Dr. Gee welcomes Harry Hawkins back to the show again to discuss what it means to lead a cross-cultural organization that is focused on empowering the Black community. Harry Hawkins has moved into the President and CEO role of the non-profit Nehemiah, as Dr. Gee transitions into new endeavors.

The two innovative leaders discuss what it is like serving the Black community in a predominantly white community. They have both had to navigate cross-cultural environments in their work. The discussion covers drawing out underserved groups, like Black women and young Black men. Hear Harry Hawkin’s background story and how his experience formed the skills needed for his work with Nehemiah.

Justified Anger: Courses – Black History for a New Day Course

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Dr. Gee and Professor Stephen Kantrowitz discuss the erasure of history that has happened in other nations in order to understand the current US government attempts to control historical information and ideology. You will be shocked to hear the ways that historical and scientific research are being attacked through elimination of funding and discrediting of academic knowledge. 

One of the current realities is that current students will be discouraged from seeking out new perspectives and the truth of historical perspectives because of perceived connections to DEI. Hear how government websites are removing African American and female-focused language in a censoring effort through the experience of one of Dr. Gee’s friends and former guest. 

Professor Kantrowitz explains the main issue in our country to be addressed is one of free and truthful speech. There is an attack on the truth of history and the realities of our world. 

The Wayback Machine 

Stephen Kantrowitz is a historian of race, citizenship, and Native-settler interaction in the United States. He is particularly interested in work that spans the antebellum, Civil War, and postbellum eras, and in the connections between the histories of slavery, emancipation, and Reconstruction and the dynamics of Native American life and U.S. conquest. Professor Kantrowitz recently developed a research interest in the intellectual history of twentieth-century American anthropology in relation to Native-settler interaction.

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