May 2014: bell hooks, and is Beyonce a terrorist? Also the media and the Boko Haram kidnapping


This month, Spitfiyah! first discusses the Boko Haram kidnapping in the media. Mercedes moderated the discussion and Spitfiyah! analyzed Western media's reaction to the kidnapping, and the role of social media in how the events unfolded.

While the internet blew up watching Solange beat Jay Z in TMZ’s elevator video, renowned feminist, and radical critical thinker bell hooks was back at the New School as Scholar-in-Residence for another discussion on May 6th.  In the discussion, entitled "Are You Still a Slave?: Liberating the Black Female Body", hooks was joined by black feminist thinkers Marci Blackman, Shola Lynch and Janet Mock and drew controversy when the conversation turned to Beyonce. Is Beyonce a terrorist?  Moderated by Alyssa, we discuss hooks' use of the ‘t’ word towards one of the most universally revered pop culture figures of our time.

May is also Asian Heritage Month! In honor of Asian Heritage Month, we will be featuring tracks from several influential women from the Asian diaspora. They are Susheela Raman ("Ye Meera Divanapan Hai"),  Ann One ("Crush on You"), Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down (" The Feeling Kind"), and Masia One ("Warriors Tongue"). We also talked about the Komagata Maru's centenary, and you can read the press release authored by migrant justice advocates here.


Lastly, we would like to dedicate this show to Maya Angelou, poet, author, activist, who sadly passed away on May 28th.

Listen to the show here

April 2014: Spitfiyah! discusses Gloria Steinem and Second Wave Feminism, and the Quebec provincial elections

This month, Spitfiyah! discusses Gloria Steinem as she turns 80 years old,  her persona and her impact on feminism, and the relevance of second-wave feminism to women of colour.

Spitfiyah! also addresses the outcome of the recent election in Quebec. Discussing the role the Charter of Values played in the campaign, the Parti Quebecois's staggering defeat,  and the various policies that were emphasized during the campaign,  Spitfiyah! analyzes what this means for the future, and how Quebec politics frame communities of colour.

Listen to the show here.