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Podcast: Elizabeth Hughey on transforming Bull Connor's words into poetry

Podcast: Elizabeth Hughey on transforming Bull Connor's words into poetry
Our Staff
By Our StaffMar 22, 2022
Our Staff
The Fulcrum staff.
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In her new book of poetry, "White Bull," Elizabeth Hughey turns to an unlikely source: the language of notorious Birmingham police commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor. Words are just building blocks. Tools. The same common language was used by Martin Luther King Jr. to liberate people as was used by Connor to enforce segregation and inspire violence. For a decade, Hughey sifted through his speeches, his private letters, even his receipts, to create a database of text from which she built something radically different.

Turning the words of hatred into a language of poetry. This week on the Reckon Interview, she discusses what inspired her to take on this project and what she hopes readers gain from it.

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Megan Thee Stallion in front of an audience waving "Kamala" signs

Singer Megan Thee Stallion performs at a Kamala Harris rally in Atlanta on July 30.

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Do Charli XCX’s and Kid Rock’s endorsements make a difference? 19% of young people admit they might.

Longoria is an associate professor of political science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

British pop star Charli XCX sent many young people’s group text chats and social media feeds wild when she endorsed Kamala Harris by playing off a term she coined in a song, and posted on X, that “kamala IS brat.”

While this endorsement, which happened in July 2024, likely means very little to most adults who don’t follow the singer’s music, it is considered high praise among young people. Harris’ campaign astutely embraced Charli XCX’s support – temporarily changing the background of its X profile to the same shade of lime green that Charlie XCX favors.

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Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

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Ariana Grande for Harris. Kanye West for Trump. Does it matter?

Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

It didn’t take long after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and Kamala Harris became the odds-on favorite to be the Democratic Party's nominee for the celebrity endorsements to follow. Within a few days, Ariana Grande, Cardi B and John Legend all publicly announced their support for Harris.

Of course, not all celebrities are Democrats and Donald Trump has his share of celebrity support as well — people like Ye (Kanye West), Jason Aldean and Kid Rock, who endorsed Trump in the past and are likely to endorse him once again.

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Jay-Z on stage

Hip-hop legend Jay-Z performs at a 2012 rally for President Barack Obama, who changed how politicans connect with pop culture icons.

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From Rock the Vote to TikTok: Pop culture’s political influence

Johnson is a United Methodist pastor, the author of "Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community" and program director for the Bridge Alliance, which houses The Fulcrum.

In 1992, a young Bill Clinton tried to connect with Generation X by joking around and soulfully playing the sax on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” It was a game-changer that forever shifted how presidential candidates court younger voters.

Nowadays, it's not about late-night talk shows but about getting attention on social media platforms like TikTok. The relationship between pop culture and politics has evolved with each generation, keeping pace with the changing times and new technologies. It's crucial to understand this evolution and what it means for how future generations will engage with politics.

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Simone Biles
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Simone Biles wins gold in life’s balancing act

Lockard is an Iowa resident who regularly contributes to regional newspapers and periodicals. She is working on the second of a four-book fictional series based on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice."

The closing ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will take place this Sunday, Aug. 11. Officially called the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, they have provided a thrilling spectacle, a glimpse of the world together and on its best behavior.

Team USA’s Simone Biles will leave the City of Lights with an additional four Olympic medals, three gold (the team event, all around and vault) plus a silver in floor exercise, bringing her Olympic treasure trove to 11. Added to her 30 world championship medals, Biles is the most decorated gymnast ever. With five awe-inspiring skills named for her, she dominates the sport — truly the Greatest of All Time.

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