In this special sponsored episode, we're partnering with Audible for our first-ever audio drama analysis, breaking down the groundbreaking supernatural thriller "Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi" starring Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things.

Created by Zimbabwean-American filmmaker Nyasha Hatendi, this six-episode supernatural horror audio drama follows an African-American family from Detroit whose luxury heritage tourism trip to Zimbabwe unleashes an ancient shapeshifting spirit - part man, part beast, part spirit - that feeds on weakness and pain.

We explore in-depth:

- What does it mean to be Black globally?
- African horror vs. Black-American horror
- Caleb McLaughlin's star-making vocal performance
- Heritage tourism and American privilege
- Colonial trauma in modern storytelling
- The rise of Black audio drama

Listen to "Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi" in Dolby Atmos exclusively on Audible at audible.com/sacrilege.

Thank you to Audible for sponsoring this episode.

This week we deconstruct Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS from a Latino and Black perspective. It's a film that is creating deep cultural conversations about Black originality and the business of Black culture globally. We explore its cultural symbolism, audience reactions, Variety's media bias, and the troubling Asian release rollout that may hint at anti-Black bias in Asian markets.

Episode Summary
(2:00) – White audiences, Black movies: The paradox
(4:00) – Ryan Coogler enters director-auteur status
(7:00) – Layers of Black culture, not just horror
(10:45) – The Sammy blues scene decoded
(13:00) – Genre as a Trojan horse for truth
(20:00) – Variety’s bias box office framing
(26:00) – Why Asia skipped Sinners release
(30:00) – Coogler vs. Peele: next-level Black storytelling
(33:00) – What 'Sinners' means for Brown and Black filmmakers

Subscribe and listen to 'Brown & Black': 🎧
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/47JgORF
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/32hShVT

If AI can make human-like art, do we still need the artist?

In this episode we unpack the OpenAI's 'Image Editor' and the Studio Ghibli AI trend, and discuss the cultural, economic, and existential implications AI poses to Black and Latino artists.

Episode Summary:

AI Art: Speed & Quality
Enjoying vs. Fearing AI Art
Copyright Crisis
Is the Artist's Career in Peril?
Audience Over Artists?
Art vs. Commerce Struggle
Inflection Point
The Japanese Copyright Law Loophole
Prompt Engineers Replacing Artists?
Redefining "Artist"
Cultural Gatekeepers
Adapt or Resist?
Defining the Artist
The Capitalist Framework
Protecting Brown & Black Artists
Devaluation Through Imitation
Valuing Artists, Protecting IP, Reforming Laws

Subscribe and listen to 'Brown & Black': 🎧
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/47JgORF
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/32hShVT