IT IS Black History Month. So, let’s begin with one of the most popular figures: Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Origin Story is a podcast that explores historical figures and ideas, delving into their significance. The episodes “Martin Luther King Jr.: Part One: Eyes on the prize” and “Part Two: Owning the dream”, released on 3 and 10 June respectively, provide a comprehensive audio biography of King.
They trace his rise from humble Baptist preacher to civil-rights Titan, followed by his struggles with divisions within the movement, his attempts to tackle justice issues beyond his reach, and his eventual assassination. The episodes also examine how his legacy has been whitewashed, creating a sanitised version of King which strips him of his prophetic punch.
They are well-researched and insightful, explaining the influence that King’s life and death had on Britain’s race relations as well. At times passionate, the language may be off-putting to some.
The Bunker released an episode last Friday, “The Men Who Hate Women: How sexism powers the far-Right”. The author Cynthia Miller-Idriss discusses toxic masculinity; how women are made to feel unsafe online and, increasingly, offline; and what we can all do to tackle these issues. It is a sobering conversation, particularly when it touches on ways in which technology becomes a weapon rather than a tool. Women bear the fallout; and that needs to change, for all our sakes.
Rosie Dawson, on the Religion Media Centre podcast RMC Briefing, undertakes the unenviable task of giving space to a breadth of Anglicanism to capture and document its first responses to the nomination of the Bishop of London as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
Ms Dawson gives voice to both supporters and critics. For some, Bishop Mullally’s gender seems to be significant. While the discussion remains civil and polite, it is clear that there is a significant task ahead for our next Archbishop. Ms Dawson did well to reveal the subtle subtext at times, and voices around the Anglican Communion were heard. The episode is “Courage and Pastoral Care: Gifts of Sarah Mullally, first female Archbishop of Canterbury”.
If you have a choir at your church, engage in gardening, produce any form of art, or participate in cake-baking, this is objectively and scientifically proved to be good for mental health. In the episode “The Arts: Can creativity help mental health?” of the podcast When Science Finds a Way, released on 10 September, we learn that, far from the arts’ being merely a feel-good activity or hobby, their benefits are as powerful and real as those derived from sleep, exercise, and diet. After predictions that 50 per cent of our world will face some form of mental-health crisis, this is a serious issue.
The arts, however, can be prescribed as a core element of health and healing. The podcast discusses changes in our biochemistry which can lead to lasting change beyond the moment of the event of activity. So, keep up your choir practice: it’s good for you.