When Black fashion and sports collide with writer Mitchell Jackson
Episode 58Play
NBA fashion takes center stage as Pulitzer Prize winner Mitchell Jackson discusses his book, “Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion,” which celebrates the athletes who have catapulted style to the forefront of sports dialogue. Jackson also gets honest about the hardships that led him to write and shares his personal history while testing his knowledge of Black history with Dr. Christina Greer.
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Panama Jackson: [00:00:00] You are now listening to theGrio’s Black Podcast Network, Black Culture Amplified.
Dr. Christina Greer: Hi, and welcome to The Blackest Questions. A trivia game show meant to teach us more about Black history. I’m your host, Dr. Christina Greer, Politics Editor for theGrio, and currently a Moynihan Public Scholars fellow at the City College in New York.
In this podcast, we ask our guest five of the Blackest questions. So we can learn a little bit more about them and have some fun while we’re doing it. We’re also going to learn a lot about Black History, past and present. So here’s how it works. We’ve got five rounds of questions about us, Black History, the entire diaspora, current events, you name it.
And with each round, the questions get a little tougher, and the guest has 10 seconds to answer. If they answer correctly, they’ll receive one symbolic Black fist and hear this. And if they get it wrong, they’ll hear this. But we still love them anyway. And after the five trivia questions, there will be a Black bonus round just for fun, and I like to call it Black Lightning.
Our guest for this episode is [00:01:00] Professor and Pulitzer Prize winning writer Mitchell S. Jackson. Jackson is the author of several books, both fiction and nonfiction, and his latest, Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion, is already a fan favorite and is a bestseller on USA Today’s bestseller list. Jackson is also a columnist for Esquire and his award winning work has been featured in The New Yorker, Time, The Guardian, and so many other publications, and he’s also served on the faculty of several universities.
Hello, Mitch! Thank you for joining The Blackest Questions. Are you ready to play?
Mitchell Jackson: Woo, I’m nervous, but I’m as ready as I’ll be.
Dr. Christina Greer: Yes, that’s great! Listen, it’s all love here. We have a ton of fun. This one will start you off. Question number one. This investigative journalist won a Pulitzer Prize in 2020. for her work that re examines the legacy of slavery in America.
Can you name this writer and name the body of work?
Mitchell Jackson: Ooh, yes, yes, yes. Uh, Nicole Hannah Jones, The 1619 Project.
Dr. Christina Greer: Perfection! See? It’s not [00:02:00] that hard. You’re one for one already.
Mitchell Jackson: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dr. Christina Greer: So, Nicole first pitched this idea as a way to commemorate the 400 year anniversary of the White Lion arriving in Virginia, which was the first ship to arrive in the colonies carrying enslaved Africans.
The 1619 Project argues that slavery is a foundational American institution. The project was initially printed in August 2019 as a special edition of the New York Times Magazine, and two years later, it was released as a book that included essays from several authors. And schools and universities across the country have incorporated the book into their lesson plans.
So Mitch, I know the 16 Project has been banned from being taught in schools in Texas and Florida. Where do you think this disconnect is when it comes to teaching the real history of our country? Because if anyone has read your articles in Esquire, you get into not just the weeds, but the muck that is the foundation of American democracy, and I’m going to put that in quotes.
Mitchell Jackson: Yeah, I don’t I actually don’t think it’s a disconnect. I think it’s a [00:03:00] connect. I think they are really wary. Some people who are powerful and invested in erasure, um, are really adamant about, um, making sure that we don’t understand the myriad ways in which, uh, people of color have been oppressed. And I think you can tell that by how much vitriol Nicole Hannah Jones received and also how much that book propelled her and that project propelled her into the zeitgeist.
Dr. Christina Greer: I mean, I think about the anger and ire, I, I interviewed her, uh, on a panel and the protests that were outside the panel, the protesters who snuck into the panel. Um, it, it just, she’s clearly struck a third rail that is, uh, the truth in America. Now, have you ever thought about writing something in the historical realm?
Mitchell Jackson: Uh, well, it’s not beyond really Survival Math. I like to, I’m not a historian, so [00:04:00] I should, I should say that. And I, I think, you know, at some point you gotta leave the history to the experts. Um, but which is not to say that my personal work, which my work is usually grounded in some personal, always has a historical context, but I think just a straight history project, probably not, but I’m writing a historical novel, so there is a lot of research in it.
Dr. Christina Greer: Right. Can you tell us a little bit more about Survival Math? I mean, it’s, it’s such a beautifully done piece of, piece of literature, piece of work, piece of art. Um, tell our listeners a little bit more about Survival Math.
Mitchell Jackson: Um, some people call it a memoir. I think it’s an essay collection and it is about my home state of Oregon, which, you know, has one of the whitest populations in the whole country.
It’s about really my community, um, and the forces that shaped that community. How did Black people get so far West? Um, why are they in this such a small number there that Oregon is the first state to be, or maybe the only state to be admitted into the union with an exclusion [00:05:00] clause in its constitution. So they outlawed Black people in Oregon when it was founded. And so, uh, all these years later, I’m really interested in investigating. What are the repercussions of that?
Dr. Christina Greer: Oh my gosh. Um, you know, beyond good wine, I don’t think a lot of people know much about Oregon, but we’re going to get to that in just a moment.
Are you ready for question number two? You’re already at one for one, Mitch.
Mitchell Jackson: Oh man, look, I already done well because I didn’t fail completely, so I’m good.
Dr. Christina Greer: Okay, we’re great. Okay, question number two. In 2008, Vogue magazine released an issue featuring a star basketball player on the cover. It was the first time a Black man had graced the cover of the iconic fashion magazine, but it was met with criticism.
Many claiming the image perpetuated a negative stereotype of Black men. Who was this NBA player who was on the cover?
Mitchell Jackson: King James, LeBron James, and Gisele Bundchen.
Dr. Christina Greer: That’s right. So, this issue featured LeBron, who was with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the time, and Brazilian [00:06:00] supermodel Gisele Bundchen. The cover was for Vogue’s annual issue devoted to size and shape.
Critics and basketball fans claimed the imagery was insensitive and showed LeBron as an angry Black man. Arguing white athletes are usually shown laughing and smiling. People also claimed it looked as if LeBron and Gisele were imitating King Kong and actress Fay Wray. Despite it being a historic moment for Black men in fashion, it was overshadowed by controversy.
So, Mitch, you clearly remember that cover.
Mitchell Jackson: Yeah.
Dr. Christina Greer: Do you think Black men and women in fashion have to be more careful or cautious about what they wear compared to their colleagues or the types of covers they do? I mean, I’m, I’m You know, as our listeners who can’t see the visual, I have your beautiful, I call it a coffee table book, but it’s also a piece of literature, uh, behind me where you talk so much about fashion and so many of these men have gone on to really become pioneers.
Mitchell Jackson: Yeah, I, I, yeah, I do think the onus is on the stars to, [00:07:00] uh, be cognizant of what they’re wearing, but I think more importantly, it’s having historical context, like I think if someone would have shown LeBron that picture of King Kong and that woman and then showed him how they had him pose, I’m pretty sure he would have protested that as a representation of him, knowing how conscious he’s been since then.
And I think. I’m pretty sure that the art director knew of that photo, so I put the onus on the magazine to be culturally aware and sensitive about how they are portraying people. I actually think they did it on purpose and, uh, side note, I used to show that picture in my classroom and have students write on it.
Dr. Christina Greer: I mean, that picture, when you, when you see the side by side with King Kong and James, I mean, you cannot make a mistake that where that art director knew exactly what they were doing. And so, by 2008, we’d started to see professional athletes, especially NBA players [00:08:00] specifically, really start to showcase their style.
So we saw people like Dwayne Wade, for instance. So this gets to the latest project, your book, Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion. And you talk about style all the way back to the 1950s. As you said, there’s a historical element to all of your work. So tell us where you got this idea and why archiving this particular fashion scene is really significant for us to know.
Mitchell Jackson: I got to the idea ostensibly because someone actually brought the project to me. But, uh, if you look back or if I take stock of all of my work, the very first piece of published journalism that I had was a story on basketball and some young men from my town who I thought should have went pro and never did.
And then I’ve always loved fashion. I used to raid my uncle’s closet. I used to look at my, you know, father coming across the street in velour track suits. Um, so I’ve, I’ve loved fashion a long time. And I think right now we’re living in the most fashion conscious [00:09:00] era of professional sports. And I think the NBA is the forerunner of all the leagues.
Dr. Christina Greer: Well, we’ve definitely moved beyond the Steve Harvey suits. We’ve gone into high high fashion where, you know, we see these guys in the front row at Fashion Week. Not just in the US, but in Paris and all over the world. And it feels like professional athletes showing up to games has become a fashion show.
You know, as they walk through the tunnel, that feels like a runway. Do you think that that takes away at all from what they’re there to do, which is play basketball, which some have argued? Or do you think that it can be both sort of fashion show before the game and then when they get in there, they’re ready to get it?
Mitchell Jackson: For some players, it could be a distraction, especially if you’re new to the league and you haven’t developed your routines. But I think ultimately fashion and the NBA are almost one in the same because they’re both creative outlets. I think of like a really great basketball player is almost a jazz musician, right?
Like they’re taking principles and they’re making something new from those principles. [00:10:00] In the same way that a person who’s fashionable, right? Like they have these principles and they’re always mixing. Um, so really the great fashion guys are also great fashion guys because they are good basketball players or great basketball players.
And so I think to, to criticize them and them caring about that is also to criticize the thing that made them great in the first place.
Dr. Christina Greer: Mm. So true. Okay. I’m here with Mitch Jackson, author of a new book, Fly. And we’ll be right back. You’re listening to the Blackest Questions.
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Don’t miss my animated series Star Stories with Toure from theGrio Black Podcast Network.
Dr. Christina Greer: We’re back. I’m here [00:11:00] with Mitch Jackson discussing all the things. Especially his new book, Fly:The Big Book of Basketball Fashion. Mitch, you are two for two. You’re killing it on the Blackest Questions. Are you ready for question number three?
Mitchell Jackson: Deep breath. Okay.
Dr. Christina Greer: Okay. I believe in you. Question number three.
Launched in 1998, this Black owned fashion brand was a favorite among hip hop artists and made history when it became the first brand to air a national televised runway show during New York Fashion Week. What fashion line am I describing?
Mitchell Jackson: Jesus, 1998. That probably is Sean John.
Dr. Christina Greer: You are correct. And when you said velour track suits, I was like, wait a minute.
Does he know my questions? So Sean John. The luxury sportswear brand started by Sean Diddy Combs. I think he goes by Love Now. Love Now, yes. I can’t keep up with the names. But was created to rival labels like Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, and Ralph Lauren. The brand became known for its signature tracksuits, which were part of the [00:12:00] memorable Times Square billboards that featured Diddy holding up a clenched fist, evoking John Carlos and Tommy Smith at the 1968 Olympics.
At the height of its success, Sean John was making about 400 million annually. And in 2004, Diddy was named Men’s Wear Designer of the Year, which had never been awarded to a Black designer. Now that threw me for a loop. Were you shocked when you heard that in 2004, it was the first time a Black male designer took home that award?
Mitchell Jackson: It never shocks me when I hear first Black. It reminds me how good they are at keeping people out.
Dr. Christina Greer: Well, I mean, I, I think about all the sort of regional Black designers that, you know, so many people, um, have talked about over the years that just never made it into the national mainstream, you know, like there’ll be designers where it’s like, Oh, everybody in DC was rocking X, you know?
I also always think about when. LL Cool J did that Gap commercial, and I was like, why is he wearing a FUBU hat? I knew what FUBU was, but clearly Gap and their executives didn’t. And I was like, wait, [00:13:00] these guys are on a totally different brand while he’s in a commercial for someone else. G A P, gritty, ready to go, for us, by us, on the low, G, that’s for getting the A for always, P, that’s for powering the people that praise.
Um, I admire your writing so much fiction and nonfiction, but I also I mean, I’m always on your Instagram like I gotta step my fashion game up. You know, I’m just sitting here like, you know, my hokas and my sweatpants. What are some Black fashion brands that you admire past or present?
Mitchell Jackson: Um, I mean, you got to give a shout out to the forebears, right?
So Karl Kani, Fubu as you mentioned? Um, Mecca.
Dr. Christina Greer: Um, Mecca. I forgot about Mecca. It was Cross Colours. Was that African American or no?
Mitchell Jackson: I think they might have had a lead designer that was African American.
Dr. Christina Greer: Okay.
Mitchell Jackson: If I’m not mistaken. Uh, and then of course, Rocawear. Um, uh.
Dr. Christina Greer: There was Baby Phat for a while.
Mitchell Jackson: Baby Phat.
Yeah. Yeah. All of those brands. I think [00:14:00] now Gallery Department is a Black owned brand that I really like. It does a lot of denim.
Dr. Christina Greer: I mean, I had a, um, a Tracy Reese dress.
Mitchell Jackson: Oh, yeah. Tracy Reese. Nice.
Dr. Christina Greer: I will never get rid of that dress. I don’t care if I have to add panels to it. Like, I’m not getting rid of a Tracy Reese dress.
It’s from like 2007. Now, did you ever have any Karl Kani?
Mitchell Jackson: I think so. I’m pretty sure. I had, it was the long K, right? With the long tail, long K, yeah. I probably had some Karl Kani. I definitely had some platinum FUBU.
Dr. Christina Greer: Ooh, I’m sorry, explain to us what is Platinum FUBU?
Mitchell Jackson: So FUBU came out, right? You know, it was a certain price point, but then they had the Platinum FUBU, which was super expensive back then.
I mean, I think maybe 300 for some denim and they had Bill Cosby’s, um, what was his commercial? The Fat Albert Gang. They had those big faces like on the back, embroidered or just patched on the back of the jeans or the jackets. It was [00:15:00] like FUBU really pushing into the luxury market.
Dr. Christina Greer: Okay, so Mitch, I need you to dig up these pictures.
Yeah. I need them in my inbox by the end of the day. I’m trying to imagine you in some high class denim with like mush mouth on the back. Um, so.
Mitchell Jackson: We didn’t have Instagram, I don’t know if no photos exist.
Dr. Christina Greer: Right. Okay, you are killing the game. Are we ready for question number four?
Mitchell Jackson: Okay, yes.
Dr. Christina Greer: You can do it. You can do it.
In recent years. This civil rights attorney has worked closely with Ben Crump on some of the most publicized wrongful death cases of Black Americans. He also sought a political career, and had he won, he would have been the first Black attorney general of a large southern state. Can you name this attorney?
Mitchell Jackson: I’m gonna go with Lee Merritt for 100.
Dr. Christina Greer: Okay, well you should have gone for Lee Merritt for 1,000 because you were correct. So, Lee Merritt lives near Dallas, Texas, but he works all over the country supporting families who are fighting police misconduct and racial violence. One of his [00:16:00] most famous cases was the death of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25 year old man who was shot and killed by a father and son who chased him down as he jogged in a Georgia neighborhood.
Merritt won that case which led to life sentences for both of the men responsible for Arbery’s murder. Merritt has also been vocal about growing up in gang life, and was in and out of juvenile detention centers in his youth, and he credits getting involved in his grandmother’s church with helping him turn his life around.
So, Mitch, I know you have a strong connection with the death of Ahmaud Arbery. You spoke with people closest to him and wrote an essay about his life and death that won you the Pulitzer Prize back in 2021. Tell us why you felt compelled to tell Ahmaud Arbery’s story.
Mitchell Jackson: I felt compelled to tell Ahmaud Arbery story because I, I try to avoid watching the videos as much as I can.
Uh, and that was one, I think it was because we’re in the pandemic and I was home, like I watched the video. And I just could not believe…it was, it was, [00:17:00] uh, it was different than all the other video like the, the chase made it more flagrant to me. And so, um, I was approached again by someone to write about it.
And, uh, it just, I was compelled. It just felt like, okay, I can’t look away from this. And so let me, let me see what I have to say that’s…It’s maybe not necessarily new, but at least honest and thoughtful about this.
Dr. Christina Greer: It was incredibly honest and thoughtful. I mean, I, I also stay away from those videos as much as I can.
That one, unfortunately, Twitter had a program at the time where the video would just start playing if you were scrolling. And it felt more like a hunt than a chase, you know? Um, and why that particular venue? So tell our listeners where you published this Pulitzer Prize winning piece.
Mitchell Jackson: Uh, it was Runner’s World.
Um, and they approached me because, you know, obviously Ahmaud was, he was a jogger. Uh, and he was running for his life, [00:18:00] uh, in that moment. And, uh, I kind of pushed back a little bit. I was like, well, I don’t, I don’t jog. Like I might get on the treadmill after a workout. And they were like, no, no, it doesn’t matter.
Um, and then it turns out that jogging, uh, as a pastime came out of Oregon, which is my home state. And so then I felt a deeper connection. Yeah. To the story that I would have otherwise.
Dr. Christina Greer: And I also just think about jogging as this act of freedom, right? You just, you’re, you’re doing something in nature to better yourself.
But as Black people, we can never, you know, we’ve had Christian Cooper on the podcast. We can’t go birding, right? We can’t go jogging. I mean, this, this idea that like, where can we be free? Um, and in your book, Survival Math:Notes on an All-American Family. You’re honest about growing up in a poor community with violence, riddled with violence and likely merit you made it out, whatever that looks like for various people.
What’s your advice to people who feel stuck in that space and might not have the usual [00:19:00] avenues of something like sports to escape violent circumstances or may not be brilliant writers like yourself?
Mitchell Jackson: I think, um, before I had a plan, uh, which didn’t really uh, come into being until I was early 20s, so maybe 22, 23.
Uh, I knew that I did not want to get a life sentence. I knew that I didn’t want to kill someone. I knew I didn’t want to work at McDonald’s. You know, like I had a whole bunch of things that I didn’t want to do, and that kind of kept me on a path until I figured out what it was that I was passionate about.
And I think that, you know, some people feel really compelled to have a big plan so early and I would say maybe even if you don’t have a plan, like figure out the things that you definitely don’t want to do in your life and stay away from them until you figure it out.
Dr. Christina Greer: Absolutely. I always tell my students process of elimination is a beautiful thing.
You know, there’s, you can try [00:20:00] things. It’s like, I don’t like that. I don’t like that. And I don’t like that. And it’s like, and what we’re doing is getting closer and closer to the thing that actually makes you tick. Um, okay. Question number five. I’m feeling like we may have made these questions too easy for you, Mr. Jackson.
Mitchell Jackson: Uh, I think this is going to be the one.
Dr. Christina Greer: Okay, we’re going to keep the faith. If you get this one right, you will be in a very elite group of guests on The Blackest Questions who are five for five, so we’ll see. So, okay, this last one is about your hometown of Portland, Oregon. Since the 1950s, when segregation in public schools became illegal, this Portland high school has been at the center of controversy.
It has faced repeated attempts of closure and as the only predominantly Black high school in the entire state, it’s been a pressure point for the Black community activists. Can you name this high school?
Mitchell Jackson: Do you know that I graduated from Jefferson High School in Oregon?
Dr. Christina Greer: Oh my goodness.
Mitchell Jackson: Class of 93, baby!
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha![00:21:00]
Dr. Christina Greer: Well the answer is, for our listeners, Jefferson High School. For more than 100 years Jefferson High School has served most of Portland’s Black community and Mitchell S. Jackson, and it continuously struggled with funding and maintenance. Yet it’s a staple for the area that many don’t want to see closed, and the NAACP has fought for decades to keep it open, which it still is today.
So during the 1970s, the plan was to close schools in Black neighborhoods, and that was a top priority, which put a harsh burden on Black families who were tasked with getting their children to white schools that were far away. Research done by the Oregon Historical Quarterly states that the Portland Public School system has struggled with race since the 1860s.
So, having been a graduate of Jefferson High School, which is, I can’t wait to hear more.
Mitchell Jackson: Demos, you know!
Dr. Christina Greer: Did um, did, what’s the mascot?
Mitchell Jackson: Demos, Democrats, Jefferson Democrats.
Dr. Christina Greer: The Jefferson Democrats. Okay. Did your early education play a role in your success as a writer? Did [00:22:00] you have a teacher at Jefferson that encouraged you to write?
Or was that later in life or a different avenue?
Mitchell Jackson: I was not thinking about writing at Jefferson High School.
Dr. Christina Greer: You’re too busy trying to get your platinum FUBU.
Mitchell Jackson: Yeah, listen. But I’ll tell you this, my guidance counselor at Jefferson Uh, they have a community college right across the street, Portland Community College.
And I went across the street, I ended up across the street, uh, and my guidance counselor at Jeff was my uh, coach at Portland Community College and when I–
Dr. Christina Greer: Coach for?
Mitchell Jackson: For basketball.
Dr. Christina Greer: Okay.
Mitchell Jackson: When I, uh, got a, I was leaving, finishing his program, he told me to apply for academic scholarship, which I did and received.
I was kind of felt slighted because I thought I was going to keep playing. So had my Jefferson High School guidance counselor not told me to apply for academic scholarship, who knows what I would have done.
Dr. Christina Greer: What is something that most people don’t know about Oregon, but they should because the fight to keep [00:23:00] Jefferson High School open has been such a long struggle. There’s clearly a tight knit Black community. I mean, I always tell people Black people are everywhere. We’re in Alaska We’re in you know, we’re in Washington State. We’re in Oregon. You name it, you know, Nicole Hannah Jones will tell you all the time You know, we’re in Iowa. Uh, what’s something that we should know about Oregon? Now?
I personally listen, I’ve only been to Oregon once but I like the food, I like the people, I like the wine. So What else should we do?
Mitchell Jackson: Hmmm, I’m gonna give her a 2 for it. One positive, one maybe not so positive. So the one not so positive is that Oregon legalized hard drugs, possession of hard drugs a few years ago.
And it is one of the most important reasons why Oregon now has the most serious unhoused and drug problem and I think in the country, like I’ve been to California and other places where they say it’s bad. They got nothing on us. So it’s, it’s a really, really. sad, dispiriting time in the city of Portland.[00:24:00]
And the other thing I’ll say, uh, is, uh, given that I am from a Black family, I found out that Esperanza Spalding is my first cousin. And so I think, uh, to have that, to know that that kind of talent came out of my family is… it’s heartening.
Dr. Christina Greer: I love it. I absolutely love it. Shout out to Oregon. Listen, I think Black people also I was looking at looking for new places to discover and why not?
Um, I love the Pacific Northwest. I will say though, I was just in Seattle and, uh, the unhoused population and the number of people I saw who were on serious drugs, um, was, was frightening on a emotional and spiritual level in a lot of ways. Okay. So Mitchell Jackson, you have sort of achieved a feat that very few people have been able to do.
I believe it’s just been Christian Cooper and Michael Twitty. I’ll have to have my producers double check.
Mitchell Jackson: Michael Twitty! He was a TED fellow with me.
Dr. Christina Greer: Oh, listen. What a, you know, I, I, I, I don’t know why I just, I just love [00:25:00] chefs and I love the way Black chefs think about food and history specifically. Um, but I’ll have my, my, my, uh, producers do some research.
We need to have a special prize for the five on fives. We’re going to take a quick commercial break. I’m with Mitch Jackson. And when we come back, we’re going to play Black Lightning.
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Dr. Christina Greer: Okay, I’m back with Mitch Jackson, 5 out of 5 Blackest Questions guest.
Are you ready, Mitch Jackson, for the Black Lightning Round? Now, in this round, there are no correct answers. I just want you to tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. Just speak from your heart, okay?
Mitchell Jackson: Okay, yeah. [00:26:00]
How many questions are we doing?
Dr. Christina Greer: Uh, it’s, uh, it’s about five.
Mitchell Jackson: Okay.
Dr. Christina Greer: It’s fast. It’s fast.
Just one word answers.
Mitchell Jackson: Okay.
Dr. Christina Greer: Starting with, if you could inherit any person’s closet and wardrobe, who would it be?
Mitchell Jackson: Jay Z.
Dr. Christina Greer: Mmm. What do you enjoy more, reading or writing?
Mitchell Jackson: Writing.
Dr. Christina Greer: What’s your favorite thing to do to unwind?
Mitchell Jackson: Write.
Dr. Christina Greer: Okay, that sounds torturous for me, but hey, no judging. This is a judge-free zone.
What’s your favorite stop thus far on your book tour?
Mitchell Jackson: Dallas.
Dr. Christina Greer: What’s the best thing to do in Oregon?
Mitchell Jackson: Walk down Alberta Street.
Dr. Christina Greer: Who’s your favorite basketball player, past or present?
Mitchell Jackson: Jordan.
Dr. Christina Greer: Favorite basketball style icon, past or present?
Mitchell Jackson: Dr. J.
Dr. Christina Greer: Mmm. That’s a solid answer. I want to thank you so much for playing along with us [00:27:00] today, Mitch.
Please promise us you’ll come back and sort of get the reigning title.
Mitchell Jackson: You just made my day! I’m 5 for 5 out here in these streets!
Dr. Christina Greer: Out in these streets. You can say, Chrissy Greer tried to come for me, and guess what? I’m 5 for 5. Okay? I want to thank all of our listeners for playing along with us. And make sure you check out all of Mitch’s work, but especially his newest book., Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion. Thank you for listening to The Blackest Questions. This show is produced by Sasha Armstrong and Jeffrey Trudeau, and Regina Griffin is our Director of Podcasts. If you liked what you heard, subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode. And you can find out more from theGrio Black Podcast Network on theGrio app, the website, and YouTube.
Toure: I’m Toure. Join us for crazy true stories about stars who I really hung out with like Snoop, Jay Z, Prince, Kanye, and the time I got kidnapped by Suge Knight. Don’t miss my animated series Star Stories with Toure from theGrio Black Podcast [00:28:00] Network.
