A Christmas Carol, Holiday Movies, Racial Disparity, Nuts!

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Veronica Rueckert and Mike Arnold talk about the popularity of the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” and ask for your favorite holiday movies. Then, they talk with a pastor who says Madison is selling its African American community short. And, find out about the health benefits of nuts.

Featured in this Show

  • Pastor: Some African-Americans In Madison Don't Feel Welcomed

    The Rev. Alex Gee is frustrated at the city of Madison for ignoring its own responsibility for social challenges involving race and class and instead blaming the issues on those moving to Wisconsin’s capital city.

    Gee wrote about his frustration and anger in a recent article for the Capital Times, the progressive-leaning Madison newspaper.

    According to Gee, pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church and founder/CEO of the nonprofit Nehemiah Center of Urban Leadership, if people aren’t originally from the city, they essentially aren’t allowed to speak out against Madison. And if they’re from Madison and doing well, it’s difficult to speak up, he said.

    “But after personal experiences just mounting up over the years, I just decided that if I don’t lend my voice as a person who is indigenous to this community then the subject matter of profiling, of mass incarceration, etc., would have little or no credibility,” he said. “So, I wrote it so that I would not betray my south Madison community, where I grew up and where I know on a daily basis people experience the things that I do.”

    Gee, who said his family has lived in Madison for 45 years, said he longs for a time when he grew up in the 1970s when black people weren’t viewed with suspicion, accused of coming to Madison in search of better welfare benefits or blamed for crime. Now, he said he feels something shifted and things have become more combative and people aren’t as welcoming to new “kids on the block.”

    Gee said in the 1980s, the African-American population in the area doubled — something that was unexpected and unanticipated. He said he felt that this increased presence in the city brought an awareness of having a new demographic that wasn’t originally from Madison.

    Using an analogy, Gee explained how the black community responded.

    “I think just when the African-American community was just being able to use the homeowner’s towels, the city put the guest towels back out. So, there was a sense that you’re not really from here and when you’re not from a place, you’re not as committed to it,” he said.

  • 170 Years Later, 'A Christmas Carol' Remains An Enduring Story

    170 years ago, Charles Dickens wrote the novella ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Then came the adaptations…and more adaptations. A literary expert explains why the classic story remains so popular today.

  • Health Benefits Of Nuts

    Looking for a healthy snack to keep you away from the temptation of sweet treats over the holidays? Our guest dietician says nuts are a great source of healthy fats and offers some tips for incorporating them into our daily diet.

  • Reverend Says Wisconsin's Capital Is Failing Its African American Population

    A Madison area pastor recently published an opinion piece in the Capital Times suggesting that Wisconsin’s capitol is selling its African American population short.

Episode Credits

  • Mike Arnold Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • KP Whaley Producer
  • Chris Malina Producer
  • Cynthia Schuster Producer
  • Galen Druke Producer
  • Alex Gee Guest
  • Naomi Woods Guest
  • Laura Isaacson Guest

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