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A Celebration (and Corrective) of Black History Month

Jan 30, 2026
A lively conversation about Black History Month traditions and the awkward school rituals that stick with us. They unpack respectability politics and the erasure of queer figures from cultural memory. The hosts spotlight controversial queer films, complicated friendships among literary icons, and a vibrant curated archive of contemporary Black creativity.
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INSIGHT

Reclaim History Beyond Performative Months

  • Growing up in the South shaped awkward, performative Black History Month displays for both hosts.
  • Saeed and Zach urge reclaiming Black history beyond one month and beyond white gaze.
ANECDOTE

Tongues Untied Sparked National Backlash

  • Zach recalls Marlon Riggs' Tongues Untied as a radical Black queer film that aired on PBS in 1989.
  • He notes senators attacked the film and Riggs won a copyright suit that kept it on air.
ANECDOTE

The Watermelon Woman Changed Funding Rules

  • Zach links Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman (1996) as a companion that also faced NEA-funded controversy.
  • He explains these films showed Black queer intimacy and reshaped NEA funding rules.
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