Real Black News

Ep. 140 of Real Black News features the New York Times Bestselling author of the sci-fi novel Blood at the Root LaDarrion Williams. Known as the “Black Harry Potter,” Blood at the Root hit the NY Times Bestseller list in the Spring of 2024 and stayed as Audible’s #1 audiobook for multiple weeks this summer. As he works on the sequel, Williams joins the podcast to discuss the process that led him to write Blood at the Root in 12 days, how he used rejection to motivate him, and his mission to put Black Boys on book covers.

  Ep.139 marks the Season 6 premiere of Real Black News. Host Raqiyah Mays digs into P. Diddy’s legal drama, Suge Knight’s reaction, Eric Adams’ indictment, Trump voters, and five empowering Black news stories from Wales, Oklahoma, Zanzibar, Washington, DC, and Cote d’Ivoire.

This repost of Episode 82 from May 2020, honors the life of hip hop's legendary voice, the late Fatman Scoop. The two-time Grammy-winning MC, radio personality, and legendary hype man passed on August 30, 2024. In this episode recorded on April 30, 2020, during the Covid-19 quarantine, Scoop reflects on life. He discusses his career, kids, divorce, beating diabetes, working with Mariah, Diddy, Mya, and the repercussions of starring on reality TV.  Scoop also shares his perspective on news stories including Nigeria’s multi-billion dollar gain and Color of Change’s latest petition to help welfare recipients. #RIP #FatmanScoop

Episode 137 of Real Black News, hosted by Raqiyah Mays, features a conversation about Kamala Harris’ run for president and what we stand to lose if Trump wins the election. Five time Emmy-winning actor Wayne Brady joins the podcast to discuss his new show “Wayne Brady: The Family Remix,” coming out as pansexual, mental health in the community, and his fight against what it means to be Black.

Episode 136 of Real Black News, hosted by Raqiyah Mays, posts on June 19, Juneteenth 2024, featuring stories about the first HBCU in California, the Ghanaian genius in the Guinness Book of World Records, Lebron James’ Akron school milestone, the Mississippi girl saving the world, and more from the top 5 uplifting Black news stories from around the world with newsmakers from the worlds of entertainment, journalism, activism, politics, and beyond. #RealBlackNews

In this Special Edition bonus episiode of Real Black News, one of Hollywood's hottest up-and-coming directors, Stefon Bristol, discusses his new sci-fi movie "Breathe" starring Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Common, Quvenzhané Wallis, and Sam Worthington in theaters April 26. He shares details on his training from Spike Lee, the nuances of working with A-list actors, and tips on manuevering Hollywood's current climate.

On Episode 134 host Raqiyah Mays shares the top five empowering Black news stories from around the world including this episode’s picks from Cameroon, Morocco, Washington, DC, Ghana, Newark, NJ, and even Dubai. Plus discussions on Wendy Williams, Black Girls Rock, and more.

Pop-up episode 133 of Real Black News, hosted by Raqiyah Mays, brings uplifting news stories about people of African descent from Ghana, Sweden, Brazil, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Queens, New York. Psychotherapist Camille Banks Lee joins the episode to share three tips for staying empowered and manifesting the positive in 2024 and beyond.

Real Black News returns with host Raqiyah Mays after a year-and-a-half hiatus. The pop-up episode features five empowering Black news stories from around the world. #RealBlackNews

The new season of Real Black News launches with Ep. 129 and the dynamic power couple behind ABFF (The American Black Film Festival), Jeff & Nicole Friday. Celebrating twenty-five years of lifting Black Hollywood, Jeff & Nicole join Real Black News to discuss the history and success that’s landed ABFF in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in DC, finding talent before the mainstream like Ryan Coogler, Halle Berry, & Will Packer; and how they juggle parenting, marriage, and business as a Black power couple. (Interview starts: 9:12) Other topics include Howard University’s student protest, Jay-Z’s job fair, Tanzania’s billionaires, Indigenous History Month, Leonard Peltier, and 5 empowering Black & Brown News stories. #RealBlackNews

Writer and director Reggie Rock Bythewood drops knowledge and discusses everything from his coming-of-age Apple TV show "Swagger" and dedicating his work in film and TV to spotlighting and uplifting the Black community, to learning from Sidney Poitier, elders like James Earl Jones and Harry Belafonte, telling the story of Emmett Till, working with his wife, director Gina Prince Bythewood, teaching his son Black history and empowerment, along with powerful tips for writers and producers.

Episode 130 of Real Black News ends the year and begins 2022 with tips on manifesting and tapping into the moment with Therapist Camille Banks-Lee who gives guidance on everything from how to deal with anxiety and Intuitive eating to adolescent brains and mental health. This is an inspiring free therapy session. Other good news topics include the doula grants to help Black mamas, Black dads taking over schools, the indigenous fight to find the missing, and Africa’s award-winning adolescent girl reporters, plus more of the top 5 empowering Real Black and Brown good news stories! #RealBlackNews

Ep 128 of Real Black News features the top five empowering Black news stories of the week and this week’s two guests. The first is writer and director Malcolm Lee who discusses his new mega movie Space Jam:  A New Legacy.  He talks the ins and outs of directing for animation, plus his new journey and lessons in television as he writes and produces his upcoming TV show The Best Man: Final Chapters based on his classic film The Best Man (starts 13:27). While Sascha Penn, the Showrunner of one of this summer’s hottest shows, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, joins the podcast to break down the making of the latest installment in the Power franchise with Courtney A. Kemp and 50 Cent. Plus he shares golden, must-listen advice for writers (starts 36:25). Other topics include Jamaica’s reparations, Black Girls Lead, the NAACP’s Bail Fund, Virginia’s entrepreneur fair for youth business owners, plus more of the top five empowering Black News stories of the week. #RealBlackNews

Ep 127 of Real Black News features the top five empowering Black news stories of the week and this week’s guests: Entrepreneur, commercial real estate investor, and CEO of The Chicago TREND Corporation, Lyneir Richardson, who discusses his work empowering urban retail development via Black and Brown real estate investors. Balancing his mission while working as a professor at Rutgers Business School, Lyneir joins the podcast to discusses his success partnering with Black and Brown investors via crowdfunding to buy shopping malls nationwide to take reclaim our power. While real estate attorney Darryl Scipio shares three crucial tips for working with a real estate attorney. Other topics include the business man pushing for Black-owned social media platforms, Kenya’s electricity milestone, Prairie View A&M University’s partnership with multiple colleges in Africa, and more of the top five empowering Black News stories of the week. #RealBlackNews

Ep 126 of Real Black News focuses on adolescent mental health and features the top five empowering Black news stories of the week and this week’s guests: One of history's youngest Emmy-nominated actors, Asante Blackk, discusses life as a Gen Z’er and bringing attention to adolescent mental health with his fiction podcast "Here Comes the Break". Asante discusses life after starring in "This is Us" and "When They See Us". He provides tips to both parents and teens for communicating and managing mental health (starts 42:07). While actress Jasmine Carmichael, star of the new film "Real Talk" with Loretta Devine, Michael Beach, and Macy Gray, discusses the movie’s bold take on everything from herpes to adolescent depression. Other topics include the three-year anniversary of Real Black News, the indigenous tribe that bought a 140 acre Island, Newark’s Business Hub for Black women, and more of the top five empowering Black News stories of the week.

Ep 125 of Real Black News features the top five empowering Black news stories of the week and this week’s guest, hip hop music, and radio legend Doctor Dre' who shares his health journey and tips surviving Type 2 diabetes, blindness, and losing a limb. Blessed to see 57, he takes a trip down hip hop memory lane sharing stories of going to college with Chuck D, rolling with Public Enemy, New York morning radio with Ed Lover, Yo! MTV Raps, and often forgotten hip hop history heroes (starts 9:29). Other topics include Darnella Frazier’s Pulitzer, Cherokee Nation money, HBCU’s and ice hockey, plus more of the top five empowering Black News stories of the week.

Ep 124 of Real Black News features the top five empowering Black news stories of the week and this week’s three guests: Author Ronda Racha Penrice discusses her timely second book, Black American History for Dummies, where she breaks down historical facts that shaped America (starts 22:46). While therapist Camille Banks-Lee soothes the soul just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month with an important conversation about healthy ways to heal from and maneuver through racial trauma (starts 48:10). And civil rights lawyer Shavar Jeffries discusses legislation, policy wins, and battles since the murder of George Floyd (starts 1:11:40). Other topics include Africa Day, the first HBCU-made beer, Black farmers, and more of the top five empowering Black News stories of the week. #RealBlackNews

Ep 123 of Real Black News features Geneva Solomon, co-owner of Redstone Firearms, who joins the podcast after recently speaking to Congress about gun violence to share her thoughts as a liberal on why she stays armed, trains, and suggests more women do the same (starts 24:43). Other topics include the increase in Black gun owners, the huge financial win for Maryland HBCUs, the problem with shaming people for vaccine hesitancy, and more of the top five empowering Black News stories of the week. #RealBlackNews

Ep 122 The State of Black Activism: This week's episode of Real Black News features the top five empowering Black News stories of the week and this week’s guest: Black Puerto Rican Activist, soon-to-be PhD, and associate producer of the two-time Oscar-winning film Judas and the Black Messiah, Rosa Clemente (starts 24:16). She returns to the podcast to talk about the journey to making the movie and how her co-sign and connection to Fred Hampton’s family was the key to the film finally getting made. Rosa also discusses attempts to erase Afro-Latinos, calling out Latina actresses in Hollywood, activist PTSD, why parents should “racially socialize” their children, and her thoughts on the drama surrounding Black Lives Matter and its leaders. Other topics include the Young Black Panther Party, Gambia’s cure for the blind, Black entrepreneurs who house and hire the formerly incarcerated, and more of the top five empowering Black news stories of the week. #RealBlackNews

Ep. 121 of Real Black News features the top five empowering Black news stories of the week and two dope guests who use their art to lift women and black culture. This week, Image Award-winning screenwriter, Emmy nominated producer, journalist, and playwright Keli Goff discusses her critically acclaimed new play The Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks & Curls. She talks inspiration behind her success lifting Black women when writing for numerous TV shows (Starts 39:55). While actress Adepero Oduye discusses her role opposite Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson’s sister on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. She breaks down being Nigerian in America and her groundbreaking role starring as a Black lesbian teen in the award-winning movie Pariah (Starts 20:28). Other topics include Ma'Khia Bryant, mutual aid in Louisiana, HBCU’s training aviators, and more of the top 5 empowering Black news stories of the week.