14: Creativity vs. Capitalism

In this episode of Assigned Sex, Unarchived, Shaun sits down with Nandi Kayyy, a fellow tech veteran and creative collaborator, to talk about why they both left the tech industry and what it cost them to stay as long as they did. In the history segment, Shaun centers Wilmer "Little Axe" Broadnax, a gospel tenor who sang with the Fairfield Four and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, and who lived and performed as a man for over fifty years. Only after his death in 1992 did the world learn he had been assigned female at birth. If you're searching for honest conversations about leaving tech, burnout and layoffs, imposter syndrome, AI's impact on creative work, or hidden histories of Black trans musicians, this episode is for you. Follow Assigned Sex on Facebook and Instagram at @assignedsex, and subscribe to the Assigned Sex newsletter on Substack for episode updates and extended conversations. Credits: Host: Shaun Dawson · Guest: Nandikayyy Audio Engineer: Aaron Freeman · Producers: Shaun Dawson & Nandikayyy · Sound Design: Nandikayyy Sources: — A Black Queer History of the United States by C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost. Available at: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/a-black-queer-history-of-the-united-states-revisioning-history/55428083/item/84784210/ — "God Save America" — Spirit of Memphis (lead vocal: Wilmer "Little Axe" Broadnax) — "My Soul Is a Witness" — The Five Blind Boys, from The Best of the Blind Boys (℗ 1973, Geffen Records) — "So Soon" — Little Axe and the Golden Echoes — "You Are My Sunshine" — Little Axe & the Golden Echoes (1963) — "So Many Years" — The Fairfield Four