Ep. 46 - Exploring Blackness & Cultural Media ft. Courtney Phillips & Matthew Manning of Gumbo Media

BrownTown shares space with Courtney Phillips and Matthew Manning
of Gumbo Media, a versatile entity that curates content,
community, and services that expand the narrative of Black life.
The fam investigates the importance, struggles, successes, and
nuances of making culturally-specific and -relevant media while
centering their experiences as Black and Brown creators and full
human beings.


Courtney and Matthew begin by explaining how they came to create
Gumbo: An idea they had thought about and discussed for some time
hit a crescendo in July 2016, summer of police killings of Alton
Sterling and Philandro Castile as well as the Republican National
Convention honoring then-nominee Donald Trump. The group
discusses making space for and within their
communities and what it means for your identity to inform
the work and explore within it. Matthew affirms that "Blackness
is infinite" before the group dissects depictions of what
Blackness is presented and interpreted as by all peoples. How do
Black people and intentionally Black entities unequivocally make
space to be unapologetically Black while navigating traditionally
white spaces and/or inequitable structures? Here the gang speaks
on valuing ourselves by our own standards, the white gaze, the
importance of the global diaspora, and, as Courtney states,
"prioritizing Black authenticity above everything else." With
that, they call on allies (of all identities and issues) to do
the work versus strictly relying on the oppressed for education.
Other topics include the gentrification of silk scares,
macro-analysis of a scene from Moonlight, and
comrade Hoda Katebi's brilliant response to deeply problematic
questioning on WGN-TV.


At the end of the day, all media is cultural media no
matter how much it's coded otherwise. As we constantly move
within an ever-expanding digital ecosystem while simultaneously
coming into new consciousness, we must curate media as the medium
of which our audiences, our communities, and most of all,
ourselves, learn, grow, and reflect.


GUESTS
Courtney Phillips is the Co-founder of Gumbo Media and leader of
GumboFit. She is a curator, project manager, and entrepreneur
with a passion for social equity and empathy.


Matthew Manning is the Co-Founder of Gumbo Media. He is a
storyteller, brand consultant, and social entrepreneur with a
creative propensity and passion for inclusion and equity. He
earned his BA in Art and Architectural History and his MA in
Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. He is energized by
collaboration with the world’s most audacious ideators,
innovators, and entrepreneurs to tackle pressing global issues
with creativity, intention, and impact.


Courtney and Matthew currently live together in Hyde Park,
Chicago. Gumbo Media curates content, community, and services
that expand the narrative of Black life.


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Follow Courtney on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn;
and Matthew on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.


Follow Gumbo Media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn!
Check out their communities GumboFit, GumboLit, and order your
Gumbo Magazine: Issue 001, Black now!


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CREDITS: Intro/outro song Gumbo by Jay
Rock. Audio engineering by Genta Tamashiro. Episode art from
Gumbo Media.


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