Academy Award nominee Riz Ahmed and Marvel's new 'Blade' director Bassam Tariq sit down with us to talk about their new film 'Mogul Mowgli'. We tackle Muslim identity, the love-hate relationship many have with their family, and their thoughts of Black cultural appropriation.

Teresa Hsiao is the creator, writer, and showrunner of 'Awkwafina is Nora from Queens' on Comedy Central. She gives us details about season two of the show, her thoughts on the Asian boom in Hollywood, her approach to doing comedy in 2021, and her disbelief at how Hollywood hasn't already created a Latino wave on screen. Mike discusses directing his new horror film. Jack discusses hosting a new Spotify Original show.

What is at the root of white supremacy? Why do many white Americans fight so hard to preserve it? Why do they defend so staunchly their Confederate monuments? These are questions director CJ Hunt and executive producer Roy Wood Jr. tried to answer with their documentary The Neutral Ground. Part investigative journalism, part comedy, this film explores themes of white supremacy but also being mixed-race Black in America and the complexities that represents in a melting pot of Americans. The conversation is very real, so if you can't handle REAL, "we'll see you on the next episode."

This week we welcome director Carlos López Estrada and actor/producer Kelly Marie Tran to discuss their new film collaboration - 'Summertime'. Jack and Mike also explore the importance of spoken word and poetry in cinema.

In this episode, Mike and Jack review the MCU's real first lady - Black Widow. Mike then welcomes Dominican musician Yasser Tejeda who discusses his new acoustic EP 'Interior' and shares how in the Dominican Republic his conservatory did not teach him how to play Bachata or Merengue. Mike explores the topic further in the interview. Tejeda's music is a fusion of Dominican experiences merging the traditional Dominican culture with Jimi Hendrix, bebop, and the blues. Tejeda grew up in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, moved to Boston to study at the famed Berklee School of Music, and is now based in New York. In addition to his pursuit of roots in music ecstasy, he has toured extensively with pop star Prince Royce and recorded multiple projects with Vicente Garcia and Eduardo Cabra. “When I received the invitation to this podcast, I was like, I love this. We are so connected, and at the same time, there seems to be a disconnection. People think that we come from different places, though we had these connections that go beyond us. That is shown in the music.”

Actress and singer Jasmine Cephas-Jones joins the show to discuss her new show on STARZ, 'Blindspotting,' the TV adaptation of the 2008 film directed by Carlos López Estrada starring Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casals. Jack and Mike also discuss the new storytelling trend of spoken word in film and television plus the controversy of the Latinx musical 'In The Heights' which her fiancé Anthony Ramos is the lead.

Jack and Mike are celebrating their 50th episode of 'Brown & Black'! In this episode, the guys reflect back on fifty episodes and how not only did America change but how they changed as well. Then they discuss the Amazon/MGM merger, along with the WarnerMedia/Discovery+ merger too. How will art be affected by the streaming industry and business? And will 'In The Heights' be #1 at the box office? Mike and Jack discuss, predict and analyze a whole series of outcomes that will help or prevent Latinx stories from flourishing.

Today we’re doing a deep dive into how storytelling shapes, influences and creates our worldview. Jeff Gomez, one of the world’s leading experts in transmedia storytelling, has helped build the story universes of famed franchises, IPs, brands such as Avatar, Transformers, Spider-Man, Halo, Splinter Cell, Coca-Cola, Nike, and many more. We also ask Jeff why we are so attracted to dark stories? Why are we compelled to consume it and share it? We also ask him how we convince Hollywood executives to green light Latino stories, and why it is of the utmost importance we challenge our reality.

The 2021 Oscars had the most amount of diverse and inclusive winners ever... except for Latinos who were invisible once again. Why and how do Latinos fix it? Also, Hollywood is remaking 'Another Round' with Leonardo DiCaprio, which just won the Oscar for Best International Feature. Why does Hollywood need to remake foreign films? What is the cultural and social implications of it? Is it American Supremacy? And white girls have stolen an idea from a Black Clubhouse room and they just got signed by a major agency. Why didn't the Black members? Jack and Mike talk it out.

Why isn't there a Latino movie star? Will Danny Ramirez from Marvel's 'Falcon & The Winter Soldier' be the first Latino movie star in the modern era? From HBO's 'The Affair' to 'Top Gun: Maverick' starring Tom Cruise, what is Ramirez's ceiling? We also discuss why there hasn't been a Latino movie star to crack $100M at the box office.

According to the American Psychological Association, nearly 50% of Americans say they are anxious about resuming in-person interactions once it is safe. It's been officially diagnosed. Perhaps like Tony-winner Karen Olivo who won't return to "Moulin Rouge!" to protest bullies like Scott Rudin, people don't want to deal with assholes anymore. Also, did you know Reuters will be charging you for the news? What will happen to the intellectual gap? We discuss that more. Thanks for listening and sharing us.

Little Marvin is the creator, writer, showrunner and executive producer of Amazon's new horror series - THEM. We discuss with him white rage, the critique of black trauma in storytelling today, a brief history of black homeownership against the backdrop of the "American Dream," and how fear and art are powerful tools in defining reality.

In our exclusive part two interview with Dr. Barnor Hesse, the creator of the ‘8 White Identities,’ he explains how white citizens weave in and out of different kids of identities in relation to racism and anti-racism; he also gives his opinions on how language, the way we describe things, is the key to real change in this country, and should white Latinos have their own breakdown of identities as well?  Dr. Hesse is an Associate Professor of African American Studies, Political Science, and Sociology at Northwestern University who received a Ph.D in Government, Ideology and Discourse Analysis at the University of Essex in England.

In this special two-part episode of 'Brown & Black,' we bring you an EXCLUSIVE interview with Dr. Barnor Hesse, the creator of the much talked about ‘8 White Identities’ that has rattled right-wing media personalities such as Megyn Kelly and Ben Shapiro. In his first-ever US interview, Dr. Hesse breaks down each of the '8 White Identities' and the origins of how they came to be. He also explains to Mike and Jack the formation of race, the history of Black political thought, and amongst many other topics, why he has never given an interview to American media outlet until now.  Dr. Hesse is an Associate Professor of African American Studies, Political Science, and Sociology at Northwestern University who received a Ph.D in Government, Ideology and Discourse Analysis at the University of Essex in England. The anticipated Part 2 will be out next week.

This week Jack and Mike discuss HBOMax's new 'Justice League' remake by director Zack Snyder. They also discuss Alexi McCammond's departure from Teen Vogue even for racist Asian tweets when she was 17 years-old. Is cancel culture not allowing teens to grow up now?

This week Jack and Mike talk to the legendary director Spike Lee about his new film 'Da 5 Bloods,' Black Superman, the power of art and if NYC will return to its glory. Plus the guys talk the future of Grammys and award shows, plus debate the bigger significance of HBOMax's #TheSnyderCut.

Mexican-American director Carlos Lopéz Estrada joins Jack and Mike to discuss working for the last several years on making 'Raya and the Last Dragon' for Disney. He explains what he learned as a director, storyteller and leader from Disney creatives, why as a Latino it's okay for him to direct culturally foreign narratives, and what he really believes about the 'Blue Beetle,' the first Latino superhero on the big screen.

Is it better to conceal rather than reveal your heritage in Hollywood?  Today we’re going to tackle a subject that has been a bit disturbing. There is a rising trend of Latinos(as) declining to divulge their cultural heritage. Jack recently interviewed an actress who identified as a young brown, mixed race Latina who didn't want to reveal her heritage. Jack then asked her if she could elaborate on why she didn’t feel comfortable disclosing her Latina heritage, and her response was intense. We also discuss first Latino superhero 'Blue Beetle' directed by Puerto Rican Angel Manuel Soto from Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Will this make Latino stories visible in the mainstream?

This is one of out best episodes. Jack and Mike welcome comedian, actor, producer Randall Park. You know him from many hit movie and television shows ('Fresh Off The Boat,' 'The Interview,' 'Always Be My Maybe') and he is now reprising his role as Jimmy Woo in Disney+'s Marvel show 'WandaVision'. In our interview, we discussed comedy actors becoming drama actors, what the American Dream is today, why he thinks Latino stories aren't being greenlit by studios, and how he thought 'Fresh Off The Boat' would never be picked up, The guys also discuss Mars, Ted Cruz, Amazon, Clubhouse (again), cryptocurrency and more.

'Clubhouse' is the hottest and most exclusive app around right now. Jack and Mike discuss their experiences with the app and how Blacks have been the reason it has taken off. Voiceover Queen Joan Baker joins the show to discuss why there are no Black movie trailer voices today, why being bilingual is an advantage, and how POC can break into the business.

This week Jack and Mike give cultural context and meaning behind four movies which you might be interested in watching this week - 'Trial of the Chicago 7,' 'Judas & The Black Messiah,' 'The Little Things,' and 'Malcolm & Marie'.  The guys also discuss last episode's guest Donnell Rawling's and his comments on Latinos needing to be "more patient" in waiting for their success to come.

Comedian, actor, radio host and entrepreneur Donnell Rawlings is currently one of the hottest acts in comedy right now. He was recently featured in the acclaimed Pixar animated hit film "Soul," and has been performing alongside Dave Chappelle, Joe Rogan and many more in cities such as Yellow Springs, Ohio. His long list of credentials would make any person envious, but in this episode, Rawlings discusses how he is building his Black Power. He also talks about the moment he knew he went from good to great and why restless Latinos who want to achieve power need to just wait for their time to come. Jack and Mike also have a conversation about the latest Reddit Wall Street scandal, what it means to have a Black Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in charge of the most powerful military in the world, and what they think of the AFI's Top 10 list.

It was a Brown and Black Inauguration as Jennifer Lopez performed, Amanda Gorman recited the Inaugural poem, and Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn into office. Jack and Mike discuss the Jennifer Lopez "Let's Get Loud" lyric controversy she slipped in at the Inauguration performance, as well as how Amanda Gorman will handle her new found fame.

This week we are visited by filmmakers Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz (a.k.a Bush + Renz) who directed 'Antebellum,' arguably the most polarizing film of 2020. But in the aftermath of the recent Capitol riots, we revisit the uncomfortable beauty of 'Antebellum' with the duo. Plus, Mike and Jack give their Brown and Black takes on the Kamala Harris and Vogue backlash, and they ask why are so many white women wanting to pass as Latinas?

Happy 2021 everyone! Or is it? On this first episode of the new year, Jack and Mike assess the white coordination attacks of the Capitol Hill takeover. White politicians are in on it, white law enforcement is in on it, white America is in on it. So what does this mean for Brown & Black folks? How do we get the same privilege without getting shot, paralyzed or arrested for standing up?