EP 13

Activism Isn't a Choice When You Are Raised in the Revolution

with Imani Cheers, PHD

Matt Story | 7/5/2020

Imani Cheers, PhD, learned about the struggle for freedom at a very early age. Following her youth in which she was surrounded by black leadership and black excellence including her father's coverage of Jesse Jackson's presidential runs, she attended high school in a post-apartheid South Africa and met Nelson Mandela when she was 15 yrs old. Her exposure to the power of media to drive engagement and movements led her to a career as a storyteller. Now as the Associate Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, she teaches the next generation of storytellers how to use their platforms to drive change. She also shares how proud she is to be Isaiah's mom.

Episode References:

Steve Biko - https://www.biography.com/activist/steve-biko

Sarafina!, Film, 1992 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarafina!_(film)mm

Ruby Bridges - https://www.biography.com/activist/ruby-bridges

Minstrel shows - https://www.history.com/news/blackface-history-racism-origins

Julia, TV Sitcom, 1968 - http://www.diahann-carroll.com/film/juliamain.html

Shirley Chisholm, First African American Congresswoman - https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/10918

3 Stories Imani would want to hear:

1. Ida B. Wells - https://www.biography.com/activist/ida-b-wells

2. Nelson Mandela - https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography

3. Michelle Obama - https://www.biography.com/us-first-lady/michelle-obama

Connect with Imani at www.thecheersreport.com