Episode 83

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Published on:

29th Jul 2025

The Essence of Exclusion

Happy Tuesday, Scorekeepers! It's time for another episode of your favorite podcast, THE SCORE! This week, we examine the strange turn to the right taken by several Black American celebrities and institutions of late. From Laverne Cox coyly revealing her MAGA ex-boyfriend to the backlash to this year's Essence Festival, it seems like there are some influential Black people who are using their platforms to (both wittingly and unwittingly) parrot conservative talking points, prop up the broken status quo, and/or create division between different members of the African diaspora. And it seems rather sinister and frustrating and unnecessary! So let's talk about it. But don't fret, because after that we have a nice, long Pure Black Joy to get us back to homeostasis. Let's do it to it, y'all!

Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds

Producer: Rocky Jones

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About the Podcast

The Score
News and commentary about art and pop culture seen through a Black and queer lens
It's time to put the arts on game! Hosts Lee Bynum, Paige Reynolds, and Rocky Jones are three Black, queer artists and pop culture aficionados, who are working every day to bring more diversity, equity, and inclusivity into the arts. Noted by The New York Times as one of the "Podcasts Opera Pros Tune To" in 2021, The Score is their provocative, thoughtful, and humorous commentary on the industry's past, present, and future, as seen through an antiracist and unapologetically Black and queer lens. Each episode features a variety of stories from a variety of perspectives that bring People of the Global Majority, queer, trans and nonbinary folks, and everyone else into the discussion of ownership over and access to the arts. From the opera house to the statehouse to your house, each episode will amplify the voices of those in the field who are pushing the boundaries of what opera is, who it is for, and how it can transform us and our communities.