Claim OwnershipMaladjusted Life
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© Copyright 2025 James Murray
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In a world where possibilities have become increasingly limited, a malcontent wrestles to make sense of it all. From labor and racial issues to issues of civil liberties, there's enough to tick us all off a bit.
"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted."- Martin Luther King, Jr.
19 Episodes
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I chat with University of Utah education professor Dr. William A. Smith about his concept of "Racial Battle Fatigue." This psychosocial phenomenon reveals itself in the lives of many African Americans in the form of adverse health effects (e.g. hypertension). We discuss how the phenomenon manifests differently among men and women, shpecifically how health effects are exacerbated for black men as a subordinated male group (listeners should explore the subordinate male threat hypothesis). Overall, we explore the general health consequences of being continually armored against in an anti-black society.
I chat with Associate Professor of Political Science at Philander Smith College, Dr. Joseph Jones. Dr. Jones recently released a collection of essays titled Purgatory of Consciousness: Black Politics in the Age of Obama in which he analyzes and critiques black America's response to the policies and personality of former President, Barack Obama. Disagreements and many allusions to pop culture ensue, particularly, Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks!
I chat with renowned philosopher Dr. Lewis Gordon on the understanding of black life in modernity and reflecting on the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans reaching what would become the United States through a black existentialist frame. Themes of invisibility to racial inferiority complexes are abound in this much needed conversation.
I chat with genealogist Antoinette Harrell about her research on family histories of African-Americans (descendants of American chattel slavery) and the unique challenges that arise for this specific group when doing the legwork. We also discuss what the advent of DNA means in the quest for self-knowledge and the increasing need of families to record, question and to take interest in their lineage in a time where escapism through screens runs amok overshadowing the desire to take notice of their own stories from the past.
I chat with Brandeis sociology professor and author of The Hidden Cost of Being African American and Toxic Inequality: How America's Wealth Gap Destroys Mobility, Deepens the Racial Divide, and Threatens Our Future, Dr. Thomas Shapiro. Shapiro delves into the myth of meritocracy in American life, the country's aversion to reparations to the descendants of American slaves (ADOS) and discuss economic trends further perpetuating the racial wealth gap.
I chat with the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Award winner for Non-Fiction, Kiese Laymon about his memoir, Heavy. Laymon talks about his formative years in Mississippi and how it influenced his writing. We also go back and forth about our experiences as young black opinion page editors for our respective Southern liberal arts colleges' (Millsaps and Hendrix)student newspapers. Heavy is a memoir that not only tells the story of its author, but serves as a writ large example of America. The weight of lies, abuse and the struggle for ideals is a massive and cumbersome burden for not only one man, but also the nation.
I chat with New York Times bestselling author, Ijeoma Oluo, about navigating life as a self-identified bi-racial black woman and how it has informed her writing on the topic of race. She also offers invaluable advice to writers of color, specifically, on branding themselves and not compromising their voices.
I chat with secular activist, Alix Jules, about his work in the atheist community and delve into his interesting journey into becoming a non-believer.Here's a link to the my Patheos piece mentioned in the broadcast:https://www.patheos.com/blogs/godlessindixie/2018/10/02/my-struggle-a-black-atheist-wrestles-with-anti-intellectualism-and-low-expectations/***Please consider donating to my Patreon if you find any value in the show...Thanks!***
I chat with the Tanya Faison, Founder of Black Lives Matter Sacramento about what it means to do grassroots work in an age of overwhelming state surveillance. We get into some generational differences in how today's youth resist state violence compared to their older and more critical Baby Boomer forerunners. As I expected, Sacramento's Stephon Clark's name was speckled throughout the program by the guest, as his death at the hands of law enforcement captured the attention of the nation earlier this year.***Please consider donating to my Patreon if you find any value in the show...Thanks!***
I chat with Austin City council candidate, Lewis Conway, Jr. A contender for a seat representing Austin's District 1, Conway's run has captured the attention of the state as well as the country due to his status as a convicted felon. His candidacy could mark a change in societal attitudes toward felons, much less those seeking political office. Democratic socialism, Austin politics, second chances and the prison-industrial complex are all on the menu in this discussion.Links: https://conwayforatx.com/ https://theintercept.com/2018/02/04/lewis-conway-jr-austin-city-council-texas/
I chat with former U.S. Representative of the State of Georgia and 2008 Green Party Presidential candidate, Cynthia McKinney, about the Russiagate scandal and turning a skeptical eye towards the intelligence agencies claiming that the Russian Federation was behind the hacking of DNC (Democratic National Committee) servers in the summer of 2016. She also breaks down her concept of "Power Cells," a way of governing through direct democracy, as she finds democracy in its representative form to be a relegating force for the citizenry.Lastly, we talk about the Democratic Party and the African-American vote. In a time where the party seems to be switching their focus toward other non-white groups, why are blacks folks so adamant on being loyal to the party?
I chat with animal rights activist, Woke Vegana, about her journey in decolonizing her mind from the matrix of white supremacy. Vegana was the target of many a racist last summer when she posted a video of her burning a U.S. flag on her Youtube channel, as she holds that it represents slavery and genocide. The relationship between Black Americans (descendants of American slaves) and the Latinx community, Trump supporters and lack of non-white visibility in animal rights activism provided plenty of fodder for conversation.
I chat with Lafayette College professor, Dr. Christopher J. Lee, about the life and works of my all-time favorite revolutionary, Frantz Fanon. Dr. Lee penned Frantz Fanon: Toward A Revolutionary Humanism (2015), a synoptical work touching on Fanon's upper middle class upbringing on the island of Martinique, his days as an advocate and leading ideologue behind Algeria's armed resistance against France and everything in between. We go far and wide in this conversation and delve into how Fanon's work is relevant today.Acknowledgments: The intro clip is from the BBC's Meridian program in an episode from 2000 titled: "The Legacy of Frantz Fanon."
I chat with Dr. Tommy J.Curry, Texas A&M professor of philosophy, about his book "The Man-Not: Race, Class, Genre and the Dilemmas of Black Manhood." Using social dominance theory as the backdrop to explain the subjugated caste-like position of black males in the United States, Curry advocates for a study of black males in the American academy that utilizes data as opposed to relying on centuries-old stereotypes propagated in literature that depict black men and boys as brutes and patriarchs. Real-world data suggest that this is far from the case——they are largely victims of a racialized hierarchy that seems bent on their eventual extermination through various means, direct and indirect.
I chat with historian Dr. Gerald Horne about his book the Counterrevolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America. This was a real treat considering that he continually tied race and chattel slavery of yesteryear to our current "Trumpian" state of affairs. The trade of Africans in the colonial Caribbean and North America was not for the risk averse or the meek of heart. Not only did those who engaged in trade and buying and selling of Africans face the possibility of losing out on their investment due to runaways, but slave owners could lose life and limb.
I chat with Black Non-Believers, Inc. founder and president, Mandisa Thomas on navigating being a black atheist when steeped in a deeply religious tradition. This was quite a treat because this was the first time I had actually talked to another openly black atheist about being a non-believer!Links:https://blacknonbelievers.wordpress.com/
I chat with freelance writer, Matt Stroud, a contributor to publications, such as The Verge, The Atlantic and The Intercept about his interesting niche of covering how police departments across the country use new technologies in their work. We also delve into the business aspect of it-- or how companies that manufacture items like tasers (which is an acronym and comes with a noteworthy history) and body cameras pitch them to those entrusted to protect and serve.
I chat with social justice/diversity educator and consultant, Jessica Pettitt, author of Good Enough Now, about learning to be comfortable in one's own skin, formulaic ways we tend to respond to new and stressful situations and what applying some her books wisdom to my life would look like in a very racially-charged scenario.
I chat with Thiel College Communication professor, Dr. Dane S. Claussen, author of Anti-Intellectualism in American Media: Magazines and Higher Education (2004), about America's aversion to learning for learning sake and its manifestations in higher ed and politics.
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