WABE Arts

Episode

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  The Coyt Fund's assist to author Javier Wallace’s 'Basketball Trafficking' 17.09.2026 4mnt

  A young athlete from Panama moved in with Javier Wallace's family — and the relationship became a book. "Basketball Trafficking: Stolen Black Panamanian Dreams," Wallace's account of the F-1 student visa pipeline into U.S. basketball, is the inaugural grant recipient of the Tara Coyt Publishing Fund, a new Atlanta effort to get more Black scholars into print. Wallace discusses the book September 17 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library, in conversation with former NBA All-Star Joe Barry Carroll.  Supporting Black scholars  Coyt launched the fund in 2025 with an open call to publishers for manuscripts they'd already accepted but couldn't yet afford to produce. "In the first year, we received about 10 applications," she said.  At its center is the publishing subvention grant — up to $10,000 per book to help cover printing costs. The fund also supports a manuscript review workshop, a final-stage peer-review process for selected manuscripts, run in partnership with a university or professional organization. Recipients are also eligible for an author talk after publication. Which is how Wallace ended up on stage with Carroll. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Ali Siddiq brings life experience and laughter to State Farm Arena 15.09.2026 3mnt

  Known for his one-of-a-kind storytelling abilities, comedian and writer Ali Siddiq has taken 2026 by storm.  His most recent standup specials, "Mondays" and "My Father," have been released to critical acclaim and high viewership numbers. In addition, on April 19, the performer released "Ali Siddiq: From Inside," a raw and in-depth conversation where Siddiq speaks directly to inmates about accountability, choices, and the reality of recidivism in America.  Now, the comedian has taken to the road, performing across the nation in his Custom Fit comedy tour, which will be arriving in Atlanta on Oct. 16.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Inside BODDO Studio's process, from dream to drop 10.09.2026 4mnt

  BODDO Studio, Aishah Rashied Hyman, Atlanta design, West African textiles, Amani Women's Co-op, Kuba cloth, Kente cloth, Atlanta Design Festival, High Point Market, WABE Arts, home decor, small-batch design See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Spike Lee — “School Daze” Revisited 08.09.2026 4mnt

  When “School Daze” premiered in 1988, it was controversial before most audiences ever saw it. Written and directed by Spike Lee, the satirical, music-driven film examines life at Mission College, a fictional historically Black campus, and sparked debate among HBCU leadership even before cameras rolled. Some administrators objected to the film’s portrayal of campus politics, colorism, and internal conflict, concerns that ultimately shaped where and how the movie was filmed. “It wasn’t a little bit,” Lee said of the reaction at the time. He pointed to Hugh Gloster, who was then president of Morehouse College. “He refused to let us shoot on campus. Also, Spelman said, ‘Hell no.’” Denied permission to film at his alma mater and at Spelman, Lee instead shot much of “School Daze” on the campus of what is now Clark Atlanta University, as well as at Morris Brown College.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Emory Scholar Curates 40 Years of Spike Lee 03.09.2026 4mnt

  🎬 Emory film and media professor Beretta Smith-Shomade curates “40 Years of Brother Spike Lee,” a fall-long retrospective of the director's work, screening free every Wednesday at White Hall. Smith-Shomade talks with WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott about two decades of teaching Lee's films, the challenge of narrowing his catalog into one semester, and why Spike Lee's own choice to open with the Netflix reboot of “She's Gotta Have It” surprised even her.  Podcast Tags / Keywords: Beretta Smith-Shomade, Spike Lee, Emory University, Cinematheque, 40 Years of Brother Spike Lee, School Daze, Netflix, Atlanta film, Black cinema, WABE Arts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Regina Taylor Closes ABTF with 'Exhibit' 01.09.2026 4mnt

  🎭 Golden Globe winner Regina Taylor brings her one-woman show, “Exhibit,” to the closing night of the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival at Spelman College. The play follows Iris, a Black visual artist confronting the fear of erasure. Taylor talks with WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott about the childhood memory that inspired the piece and how it found its way to Atlanta’s 15th annual festival.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Kira Rockwell on her new theatrical comedy 'Holy Chicken Sandwich' 27.08.2026 4mnt

  🎭 Playwright Kira Rockwell’s new comedic play, “Holy Chicken Sandwich,” imagines a fictional fast-food chicken chain grand opening where devoted fans camp out overnight — until chaos breaks loose. Rockwell, Suzie Bass Award-winning writer, talks with WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott about the real events that inspired the play, the moral stakes of working in the service industry, and the characters she sees herself in. “Holy Chicken Sandwich” runs at Horizon Theatre in Atlanta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Divinity Roxx on her cosmic new kids album ‘Starchild’ 25.08.2026 4mnt

  🎶 GRAMMY-nominated bassist Divinity Roxx, Beyoncé’s former musical director,  talks with WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott about her new children’s album, ‘Starchild Vol. I.’ Roxx explains why she refuses to “dumb down” music for kids, how ditching the microphone changed her live shows, and why community— from her nieces and nephews to Atlanta’s own Genesis Academy Cheer Squad — became central to the project. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Eric Garner’s mother Gwen Carr on executive-producing "Garner" 20.08.2026 4mnt

  🎧 Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner and executive producer of "Garner: The Breath That Breathed a Movement," talks with WABE Art and Culture editor Sherri Daye Scott about learning documentary filmmaking from the inside, fighting for New York's Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act, and why she pushed filmmakers toward one particular memory from Eric's childhood.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Jon Batiste: What's Feeding Him Before His Atlanta Date 18.08.2026 4mnt

  🎹 Eight-time Grammy winner Jon Batiste brings his 2026 Fantastical Tour Saturday to Chastain Park with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, a rare orchestral date. He tells WABE Arts what keeps him grounded on the road, why all music is folk music, and what Atlanta means to him. 🎧See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Visual Artist Donna Mintz Claims the Title of Writer 13.08.2026 4mnt

  After more than 30 years as a visual artist, Donna Mintz has written her first book,  'Stars at Noon,' out now from Mercer University Press. Her path from artist to published author began with a reading of James Agee's “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men,” alone on a Tennessee porch, a decade ago. WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott talked with Mintz about what she had to learn — and unlearn — moving from clay and glass to the page, and what she hopes readers carry with them. 📖 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Mike Jordan Brings Literary Karaoke Night Lit Back to Atlanta 11.08.2026 4mnt

  Mike Jordan and his wife and fellow writer Jacinta Howard created the Lit literary karaoke series back in 2014. The premise was simple: readers take the mic to perform uncensored excerpts from their favorite books over a live music bed. Then COVID hit. Now, after a six-year hiatus, Lit is back. WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott talked with Jordan about how the karaoke concept works, why admission is a book instead of cash, and what's brought local writers and first-time readers to the mic. 🎧 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  T. Lang Launches 'Ursa Major' Academy for Teen Dancers 06.08.2026 4mnt

  T. Lang, founder of T. Lang Dance and inaugural chair of Dance Performance and Choreography at Spelman College, is opening a new academy for teenage dancers. Ursa Major is a conservatory-style program for ages 13 to 18, built around movement invention, choreographic process, and what Lang calls "ancestral soul movement." WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott talks with Lang about the program’s training labs and why she wants young dancers to treat movement as an intellectual discipline, not just a physical one. 🎭 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Center for Puppetry Art Brings 'Tesla vs. Edison' Back to the Stage 04.08.2026 4mnt

  Center for Puppetry Arts Artistic Director Jason Hines has been fascinated by the rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla since building a Tesla coil for a junior high science fair. Now his award-winning puppet spectacle "Tesla vs. Edison" returns to the stage, complete with a live Tesla coil and a Niagara Falls showdown lit to look electrified. WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott talks with Hines about restaging the show, building an all-Atlanta creative team, and why, for now, "you gotta be in Atlanta to see it." 🎭 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Nick Benson Paints ‘Next Stop’ Mural in English Avenue 30.07.2026 4mnt

  Atlanta muralist Nick “Turbo” Benson is leading a team of four painting “Next Stop,” a new Atlanta Beltline Art mural going up under an overpass on Cameron M. Alexander Boulevard in English Avenue. On this episode of WABE Arts, Sherri Daye Scott talks with Benson about honoring the Reverend Cameron M. Alexander — and a surprise nod to Gladys Knight hiding in the paint. 🎧 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Alif Institute Brings Arabic Music and Dance to the Park 28.07.2026 4mnt

  Atlanta’s Alif Institute, a nonprofit focused on preserving and sharing Arab cultures, had the idea to take some of its most popular arts workshops out of its Chamblee-Tucker building for a pop-up event at Johns Creek's Newtown Park. On this episode of WABE Arts, Sherri Daye Scott talks with Alif executive director Mouna Abdelhamid about why she's betting a public park can do what a classroom can't. 🎧 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  VIVO Summer Strings Institute Culminates in Free Concert at Symphony Hall 23.07.2026 4mnt

  VIVO, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Summer String Institute, wraps up today with a free concert at Atlanta Symphony Hall. WABE Arts and Culture Editor Sherri Daye Scott stopped by the ASO this week to see what five days of rehearsal taught a  group of young musicians from different backgrounds about playing as one. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Atlanta Storytellers turns one with ‘The Songs That Shape Us’ 21.07.2026 4mnt

  Atlanta Storytellers marks one year with its fifth show, “The Songs That Shape Us,” pairing live personal stories with live music at Eddie’s Attic. On this episode of WABE Arts, Sherri Daye Scott talks with founder and director Josh Cuthbertson about how a standing Moth date with his daughter turned into a storytelling series — and why he’s in no hurry to outgrow it. 🎧 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  John Simmons photography exhibit wraps at Mason Fine Art 16.07.2026 4mnt

  Emmy-winning cinematographer and photographer John Simmons has spent six decades documenting Black life in America — starting at 15, shooting for the Chicago Defender. Now, a selection of that work is on view at Mason Fine Art in Atlanta, in a solo exhibition called “It Started in the 60s,” running through July 25.  WABE's Sherri Daye Scott sat down with Simmons at the gallery to talk about the work on the walls and the stories behind them.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Operator, connect me to Atlanta World Cup culture 14.07.2026 4mnt

  More than 100 visitors and locals stopped by WABE's phone booth at the Atlanta Cultural Exchange this summer, sharing what their impressions of the city during FIFA World Cup 2026. On this episode, hear from radio personality Jade Jones, a visitor from South Africa, a shoutout to local creative Dante Kyle, and a very confident young voice with strong opinions on who's taking home the trophy. Sherri Daye Scott has more See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.