Go deeper into Black History Month celebrations all year long with ‘Beyond28’

Audio Up Media, Chase, and the Golden State Warriors present “Beyond28,” a series honoring Black history and community all year while exploring the Bay Area’s history. The podcast’s title refers to keeping conversations going past February’s 28 days of Black History Month. In episodes, host Marc J. Spears, senior NBA writer for ESPN’s The Undefeated, will share stories and have conversations with awesome guests on important topics, many centric to California.

“Beyond28” is one of Podsauce guest Steve Kerr’s picks, and he also recently appeared in an episode of the podcast.

Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr and Assistant Coach Mike Brown

On September’s episode, “Black Education and the Student Debt Crisis,” educators, coaches, and historians weighed in. This episode also explored Critical Race Theory and what the government does to enforce or ban teachings in public schools. Marc looked at factors and statistics with K-12 school attendance, college planning, loans, building a better future, and creating generational wealth.

Warriors’ Head Coach Steve Kerr and Assistant Coach Mike Brown joined Marc on this episode to elaborate on their background, education, and how mentorship shaped their lives. They’re both kids of educators, and apply what they’ve learned in school, from their families, and from former coaches. At 87 years old, Steve’s mom is still an educator who hosts Fulbright Scholars at UCLA while teaching courses.

Steve’s late father was a professor at UCLA, which was a huge part of their lives. His family’s social life included UCLA’s faculty, too. And Steve is still inspired by his family’s dedication to education. Mike said he appreciated how his mom was devoted to helping young minds grow. His dad was in the Air Force, and brought his military discipline to parenting.

Steve shared what he learned about mentorship from Arizona Coach Lute Olson, and applies what he learned to the Warriors: that building the team’s culture is fundamental, including trust and strong relationships.

They spoke about Critical Race Theory, teaching about Black experiences and history topics that are often glossed over in school. Steve said, “The only way we can address real issues of racism is to truly understand what’s happened in our past.” Steve shares how Coach Gregg Popovich gives him the courage to speak out, empower, and be an ally.

The Warriors were proud to donate $125,000 for new technology in schools. They shared their beliefs on how they think education can impact NBA players. Steve and Mike spoke about fatherhood and shared some valuable lessons they teach their kids.

Later in the episode, Marc spoke with journalist Soledad O’Brien about newsroom diversity and how education impacts how we interpret news. Then, this episode recaps the history of Black-owned newspapers in San Francisco and we hear how these are important, yet often missing pieces, of the Bay Area.

In a recent episode, Nelson German, chef/owner of alaMar and Sobre Mesa shared business ownership tips and Dr. John Carlos stopped by to discuss social justice and his impact at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, and Shamann Walton, San Francisco’s first Black President of the City’s Board of Supervisors, appeared on July’s episode exploring freedom.

On the Juneteenth & Pride episode, Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson talked about his Mexican and African-American heritage. Then, twins Jarron and Jason Collins discussed playing in the NBA, and Jason shares his coming out story.

Warriors’ Sydel Curry-Lee and Damion Lee chatted about mental health awareness in May. On this same episode, Marc spoke with the NBA’s Director of Mental Health and Wellness, Dr. William Parham. In April, Marc unpacked the impact of poetry and spoken word in the Black community and chatted with members of Youth Speaks, a Bay Area poetry and arts organization. Imani Cezanne, 2020 Women of the World Poetry Slam champion stopped by the show. In this same episode, Golden State Warriors’ Head of Security Ralph Walker was interviewed.

“Beyond28” is a great listen for sports and culture fans who want to learn from Marc’s outstanding lineup of guests’ perspectives on a variety of topics. For more with Marc, check out his work on The Undefeated and tune in for new “Beyond28” episodes each month.