Peniel E. Joseph – “Stokely: A Life”

Stokely Carmichael made history one humid night in 1966 when he stepped onto a Mississippi stage and called for “Black Power.” Neither his life nor the civil rights movement would be the same after that speech. Peniel E. Joseph, a history professor at Tufts University, offers a revealing portrait of the controversial and charismatic activist in his new biography, “Stokely: A Life.”

Thomas Brothers – “Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism”

In 1922, a 21-year-old trumpeter from New Orleans named Louis Armstrong boarded a train to Chicago, where he hoped to find his big break in the music business. Over the next decade, he made his mark, not by finding his big break in music, but by, in effect, breaking music. Armstrong’s talent and virtuosity broke all the established rules of the industry. Thomas Brothers, a music professor at Duke University, describes Armstrong’s work and influence, during what was perhaps the most important decade in jazz, in a new book, “Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism”.

George Johnson – Sports Drill

In his 3-minute sports drill, George Johnson offers his take on an NFL committee’s proposal to implement a 15-yard penalty against players who use racial and homophobic slurs on the field.

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