All Things Grinnell

Music: Dartanyan Brown's Perfect Sport

Dartanyan Brown has been on a quest "to find sounds and vibrations that are healing to people or motivating to people." In liberal arts fashion, that quest has meandered with Dartanyan through careers in journalism, music, technology, and education. Listen to this conversation with the Iowa Rock n' Roll, Blues, and Jazz Hall of Famer for some musical healing and inspiration. In April 2019, he graced Grinnellians with his first performance in Iowa in 40 years. 

Just Food for a Just World

There has never been a fair, just, or healthy food system in the United States of America. So how do we get there?

LaDonna Redmond starts off the third season of the podcast with a long overdue episode on the connection between food and racial justice. From the beginning, the United States of America has relied on exploitative labor practices (and the consequent creation of a racial caste system) to produce food and other agricultural products. 

A national leader in food activism, Redmond understands this history intimately, and has worked to reverse these persistent historical trends, which now take the form of public health threats like gang violence, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Her journey into food activism started in Chicago with a quest to find healthy food for her son, which led her to planting urban gardens and radically altering the food landscape of her community. Redmond transcends traditional understandings of "food deserts" to address the root causes of injustice and build resilient communities through food. 

Either/Or

Alex Reich ‘11 joins us to discuss his time at Grinnell, his Watson Fellowship journey, and the dangers of black and white thinking, especially in relation to our global food systems.

As a student at Grinnell, Reich majored in biology, helped start EcoHouse, ran cross country and track, and even starred in one of the most popular Titular Head films. After graduating he spent a year in the Arctic on a Watson Fellowship, learning about how Arctic indigenous peoples were adapting to climate change, as seen through their relationship with food. 

Reich is one of the creators of Minute Earth, an immensely popular YouTube series dedicated to the “science and stories about our awesome planet." Through these stories and educational videos, Reich works to raise awareness and educate people about the intricately linked issues of climate change and our global food system. 

Martha Graham Cracker: A Different Kind of Drag

Dito Van Reigersberg visited Grinnell to perform his heralded Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret drag show. On this episode, Ben Binversie '17 talks with Dito about his hairy-chested drag persona and how she challenges him and the audience to grow and explore. Dito found a home in the performance space, embracing its radical possibilities to push us outside our comfort zones and express emotions and thoughts in a way that transcends the normal rhythms of daily life. Dito and Martha encourage us all to embrace the permission to swim in the waters of uncertainty and explore our identity and purpose in this world. 

Pink Neighbor

There's a party, and everyone's invited! We launch into the universe of Pink Neighbor with Erik Jarvis '12 and Katie In '13, two Grinnell alums who came back to live in Grinnell after graduation and become a staple of the creative community here in town. Together they form the band Pink Neighbor, and they both have solo projects and pursue other artistic endeavors. On this episode, they share their musical journeys, the ethos behind their creative projects, and why they decided to make Grinnell their creative home. 

This episode features music from their latest album, Time Beach Universe, as well as tracks from Erik's new solo album, Daydream Moon, and a few of their neighbors reflecting on what Pink Neighbor means to Grinnell.

Written in Stone: Toni Morrison

This episode is dedicated to the late Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, editor, and teacher, Toni Morrison. Ben Binversie '17 talks with Shanna Benjamin, Johanna Giebelhaus '96, and President Raynard S. Kington about the legacy of Morrison, whose name will be the first in a new series of names to be engraved on the walls of the new Humanities and Social Studies Center. Kington and Benjamin discuss the radical importance of Morrison in amplifying black women's voices and subverting the white gaze, and Giebelhaus shares her insights from producing and editing the documentary film, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am.

Dealing Hope

Hasan Davis shares his story of becoming a "hope dealer," overcoming challenging circumstances, learning disabilities, and numerous setbacks to find his path. Along the way, various people inspired him to see a version of himself that he could not, and now he brings that message of hope to people, especially youth, through work in schools and the criminal justice system. Davis wields the power of stories to engage in difficult discussions about the history of slavery and racism in this country, and help people reflect on their own stories. Gabriel Shubert '20 also talks with Hasan's son, Malcolm Davis '21, about his music, growing up in Berea, Kentucky, and how he brings his personal life and activism into his music.

 

Then, Gabriel Shubert '20 talks with Davis' son, Malcolm Davis '21, playwright, poet, and musician, about his music, growing up in Berea, Kentucky, and how he brings his personal life and activism into his music. Davis discusses the musical community here at Grinnell, where he has found helpful friends and developed his voice.

Marching for Climate Action

We talk with with Ed Fallon, former Iowa legislator and founder of Bold Iowa, about marching for climate action and creating awareness of the climate crisis in the presidential primaries. After spending over a decade in the Iowa House of Representatives, he organized and participated in marches across the country for climate action, and founded Bold Iowa to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline. Being in Iowa during caucus season, Fallon sees an opportunity and responsibility to elevate discussion of the climate crisis to a priority.

Voting Rights: Devil in the Details

Doug Hess '91, assistant professor of political science, has researched the National Voter Registration Act basically since it was passed by Congress in 1993. The law was intended to advance voting rights by requiring states to incorporate registration opportunities into the application process for a motor vehicle license and many types of public assistance. States were supposed to implement the law by 1995, but as we enter 2020, many aspects of the policy have stalled or been neglected. Because of this, Hess continues to research and monitor the implementation of the legislation throughout the United States. Student researchers Greg Eastman '19 and Takshil Sachdev '19 join for this discussion of the status of the legislation throughout the country, obstacles to implementation, and potential solutions to overcome these challenges. Then, Hess discusses the recent Grinnell College National Poll findings about voter confidence in elections, and what it may mean for turnout in the upcoming presidential election.

The Spaces in Between

On this episode, we talk with Anya Grundmann '89, the vice president of programming and audience development at National Public Radio. Once upon a time, she was a wide-eyed Grinnell College student, exploring her passion for music and throwing herself into the wide-ranging learning experiences of the liberal arts. The same spirit of exploration which informs so much of the NPR ethos can also be traced back to her time at Grinnell. From Grinnell to the world of public radio, and back, we also talk to Eric McIntyre, professor of music, as he guides us on a musical tour of some works from the Grinnell College Museum of Art. McIntyre created six musical compositions in response to works on display in the exhibition, For Campus and Community: The Collection of the Grinnell College Museum of Art.