0:08 – Lull Mengesha is a first-generation African immigrant in America and the creator and writer of Rise and Shine, a new sci-fi TV pilot. He’s also the author of three books that explore race, class and science fiction: The Only Black Student, Lull and His Ladybugs, and Alia Tero: The Many Lives of Darren Datita. His new pilot Rise and Shine, is in development, and examines how a shift in race, class and power dynamics that occurs when a second sun appears in the sky and only those with melanin can survive outside. Check out the trailer and Kickstarter campaign which launched on May 1.
0:34 – For the second half of our show, we explore black bicycle culture in Oakland with two organizations, Red, Bike and Green and The Original Scraper Bike Team.
Refa One is an artist, muralist, and Oakland archivist, and Chair of the Oakland Chapter of Red, Bike and Green, a community-building collective of Black urban cyclists seeking to improve the physical and mental health, economy and local environment of African Americans by creating a relevant and sustainable Black bike culture. For more on Refa One, his art and community work, visit his website.
Tyrone “Champ” Stevenson Jr. is the Co-Founder/Executive Director of The Original Scraper Bike Team, dedicated to empowering urban youth living in underserved communities through self-expression and creativity. They encourage youth entrepreneurship and promote healthy, sustainable living for all, and seek to use each work of bicycle art to impact social justice and global change.