Our Executive Director, Dr. Akiemi Glenn, sat down with The Blue Hawaii Podcast to talk story about the Pōpolo Project and our work. They talked about race in Hawai‘i and in North America, different experiences of Blackness in the Pacific, and the observance of Black August in Honolulu.
We're back! After a quick news recap (Aloha Poke Co, Charlottesville 2: Electric Nazi Boogaloo, and #SpaceForce), we give you the first part of our Primary Election breakdown! At 14:12, we talk about Governor David Ige holding off Rep. Colleen Hanabusa to get re-elected, Josh Green's carpenter $$$ putting him over the top (and his stand-up comedy debut at the Democrat unity breakfast), and what to expect in the November showdown between David Ige and Andria Tupola (hint: TrumpTrumpTrumpTrumpTrump). Plus, we talk about Ed Case's victory in the Hawaii CD1 primary -- a rich white guy going to Congress? How is he going to fit in??? Then, at 28:19, we've got an AMAZING interview with Dr. Akiemi Glenn, a Honolulu-based scholar and cultureworker. She is the founder and curator of the Pōpolo Project, a multimedia exploration of Blackness in Hawai‘i and the larger Pacific, and she's also the director of Tele!, a language revitalization and engagement project in Hawai‘i's Tokelauan community. She shares her story and we talk about her work in language revitalization, how racism and racial structures differ between Hawaii and the mainland, and why we're currently living through a new civil rights movement. Plus, she previews some of Popolo Project's #BlackAugust programming, including TA-NEHISI COATES COMING TO THE DORIS DUKE THEATER ON AUGUST 25TH -- GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! (PS: her "restaurant" rec is Kaimuki Superette! Check them out for #BuyLocal #sustainable fresh fish and fresh veggies). Stay tuned for our next episode -- friend of the show Alan Akao will join us to help complete our post-primary breakdown, including Congressional, local, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs races. Until then, please listen, share, rate, subscribe, and hit us up on social media! MLK Audio Credit: University of Texas