DARK WORK: DEVALUED AND UNPROTECTED

Art and culture have always been at the heart of Black community resilience and resistance. In this episode of Dark Work, host Jaribu Hill speaks with Jackson State University Professor Mark Henderson, founder and artistic director of the performance troupe MADDRAMA. Professor Henderson also serves as the interim chair of the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre. The two talk about how Professor Henderson developed MADDRAMA and how it serves as an entry point for young people into community organizing and understanding our shared history. He narrates his own journey and exploration from student to cultural steward.This episode opening features a creative presentation by Elijah Johnson, a student fellow with the Mississippi Workers Center. Inspired by Assata Shakur, Elijah's passionate delivery shows the importance of creative avenues for communicating political ideals and expression.

Our second episode is appropriately titled "Dying to Make a Living—Casualties of Work," in honor of the thousands who die every year in U.S. workplaces, as a result of unsafe working conditions and employers' greed and callous disregard for workers' lives and well-being. Its release coincides with Workers Memorial Week, specifically Workers Memorial Day, celebrated each year on April 28.In this episode, we feature the mighty testimony of Ms. Hazel Whiting, whose only son, Derrick Whiting, collapsed and died on the plant floor at Nissan in Canton, Mississippi. We remember Derrick Whiting and all those who lost their lives while trying to make a living. No one should have to die or be injured to make a living!And if you're in Jackson on April 25, 2026, join us for our Workers Memorial Day commemoration on the State Capitol steps, 11 am -1 pm!

We open our series with a bold conversation hosted by our founder and Executive Director, Jaribu Hill, offering a grounding in the concept of dark work and the 21st-century struggles waged for dignity and safety on the job. State Representative Rickey Thompson discusses his experience with Jim Crow work in the health care system during COVID. Also joining is Jannie Kimber, a worker organizer, who highlights the hidden truths about the manufacturing of the southern delicacy called catfish.We gratefully acknowledge the following participants and supporters who made this episode possible: Anoa Changa-Peck, Consulting ProducerRep. Rickey Thompson, Board President of the Mississippi Workers' Center for Human RightsJannie Kimber, Worker MemberLatasha Palmer, Program Manager at the Mississippi Workers' Center for Human RightsJetsany Castillo, Podcast Logo DesignJaribu Hill, Executive Director and Host