Beginning with the black-square moment of 2020, Amile and Phoebe reflect on the strange pressures that emerge when identity becomes public currency. Amile shares why she resisted becoming a spokesperson for race equity, even as some of her posts gained unexpected virality online.
In a world where selling "identity art" might guarantee an extra $10,000 in the bank or a greenlit film in Hollywood, they question what happens when blackness becomes something to be interpreted and commodified. They also examine contemporary debates around authorship, influence and recognition. Yes, Patrick Ta,we are looking at you.
Using Brandon Taylor's *Minor Black Figures* as a springboard, they explore a world full of competing acts of perception. They compare Wyeth's strained relationships with his friends versus that of his lover, Keating. The episode ends on familiar ground: intimacy. Borrowing from Timothy Keller's observation that "*to be loved is to be known*", they reflect on who sees us as we desire to be seen.
**This episode pairs well with:**
- *Minor Black Figures* by Brandon Taylor
- *American Fiction* (2023), dir. Cord Jefferson
- *This Is America* (2018, song) by Childish Gambino
- *AMERIICAN REQUIEM* (2024, song) by Beyonce
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- Falling in love with the work of Danielle McKinney and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
- Knowing that being seen and being safe are not the same thing
- Buying dried sorrel to make that Red Drink recipe that's been passed down
Happy listening,
A&P
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