This fall, Basic Black began its 54th season with an analysis of critical race theory, digging into the distorted discourse on how students should be taught American history, as well as the dangers of watering it down. And that was far from the only powerful conversation we had this year. We also delved into generational trauma, violence against transgender people of color, Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict and more.

Here are our top seven episodes from 2021.

Racial and generational trauma

In this episode, the panelists discuss the history and impact of racial generational trauma in communities of color and how events are passed down from one generation to the next, causing harm to one’s health, livelihood, and relationships. What does it take for generations to heal from historic and societal events of the past?

Host Callie Crossley is joined by guest panelists:

  • Gary Bailey, DHL, MSW, ACSW, therapist and assistant dean for community engagement and social justice at the College of Social Science, Policy and Practice at Simmons University
  • Dr. Charles Daniels Jr. Ph.D., therapist and founder of Fathers’ UpLift, an organization aimed at helping men transition into fatherhood
  • Dr. C. Shawn McGuffey, associate professor of sociology and the director of African and African diaspora studies at Boston College
  • Kim McLarin, associate professor and graduate program director of writing, literature and publishing at Emerson College

The lives of transgender women and men of color

Transgender women and men of color face higher levels of violence and discrimination in their lives, from bias in the workplace to physical attacks and even death. In this episode of the Basic Black, we not only discussed the impact of discrimination but also heard from the members of the trans community and learned about their lived experiences.

Host Phillip Martin is joined by guest panelists:

  • Chastity Bowick, executive director of the Transgender Emergency Fund in Boston
  • Kaden Mohamed, chair of the steering committee for the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
  • Dreya Catozzi, executive director of Urban Trans Women Center
  • Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston

Policing in America and Chauvin’s guilty verdict

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all three counts for the murder of George Floyd. The case sparked outrage and was a pivotal point for the justice system related to police-involved shootings. However, as Chauvin was awaiting sentencing, there were more shootings with police around the country, begging the question: Has the legal system truly changed, or was the Chauvin trial merely a moment?

Host Callie Crossley is joined by guest panelists:

  • Phillip Martin, senior investigative reporter, GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting
  • Tanisha Sullivan, Esq., president of the NAACP, Boston Branch, and a member of the GBH Board of Advisors
  • Boston Police Detective Larry Ellison, who was recently appointed to the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission
  • Dr. Xenia Johnson Bhembe, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and founder of The Race Recovery Project
  • Brandt Williams, reporter for Minnesota Public Radio

Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a day of celebration to honor and recognize the emancipation of the last group of enslaved Black people in Texas, who learned they were free more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In this episode, we discussed how Juneteenth should be embraced and passed on to future generations to acknowledge the significance of the day, especially in a climate of racial reckoning and the post–George Floyd era. Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021.

Host Callie Crossley is joined by guest panelists:

  • Annette Gordon-Reed, the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University. Professor Gordon-Reed has won 16 book prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize, and she is the author of “On Juneteenth”
  • L’Merchie Frazier, artist and director of education at the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket
  • Kellie Carter Jackson, Ph.D., associate professor of Africana studies at Wellesley College
  • Imari Paris Jeffries, executive director of King Boston

Understanding critical race theory and the rewriting of American history

Critical race theory, or CRT, is a legal framework used around the country. The focus on CRT this year raised issues on how children are taught about systemic racism in school — but CRT is not taught in schools. The topic has been distorted and politicized, and it raised the question of how we should teach American history. Is there a chance that African American history will be watered down, rewritten or deleted?

Host Callie Crossley is joined by guest panelists:

  • Renee Graham, associate editor and columnist for The Boston Globe’s op-ed page
  • Michael Jeffries, Ph.D., dean of academic affairs and professor of American studies at Wellesley College
  • Phillip Martin, senior investigative reporter at the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting
  • Deborah D. Douglas, co-editor-in-chief of The Emancipator

Black cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency: We’ve heard about it and read articles on it, yet "crypto" is still a mystery to many people. However, as interest in digital currency has grown, so has the idea of wealth creation for Black and brown investors. According to research, cryptocurrency investors are younger, more racially and ethnically diverse and more likely to be female than people who invest in other ways. The path to wealth creation for people of color has been hampered due to policies from governments and institutions, redlining or lack of access to capital, but cryptocurrency and the digital market is open to everyone, making it more attractive and increasing opportunities for entry. The show episode explained what cryptocurrency is and discussed with the panelists if it is possibly a path to breaking the wealth gap.

Host Phillip Martin is joined by guest panelists:

  • Teri Williams, president and COO of OneUnited Bank and chairperson of the BECMA board of directors
  • Reuben Youngblom, managing editor of the Cryptoeconomic Systems Journal and Conference Series, an interdisciplinary effort between the DCI and MIT Press
  • Cleve Mesidor, public policy advisor for the Blockchain Association and founder of the National Policy Network of Women of Color in Blockchain
  • Dr. Shalair Armstrong, a cryptocurrency educator and member of The Black Bitcoin Billionaire Group

The power of your name

When was the last time you thought about your name? Often our name is the first thing people learn about us. It provides clues about our heritage, year or era of birth and other aspects of our lives. Hear from the guest panel as they discuss how names — including their own — intersect within history, culture, politics and employment.

Host Callie Crossley is joined by guest panelists:

  • Marita Rivero, principal at Rivero Partners
  • Jean-Luc Pierite, president of the North American Indian Center of Boston
  • L’Merchie Frazier, director of education and interpretation for the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket
  • Susan X Jane, principal at Navigators Consulting