Johnny Cash and Richard Nixon / plus Ndaba Mandela

This time on Peace Talks Radio, a conversation with Sara Dosa, who co-directed the Netflix film "Tricky Dick and The Man in Black." In the late 1960's and early 1970's, the divisions in the United States over the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement brought the youth of America in conflict with longstanding social and political norms. The Richard Nixon administration sought to ingratiate itself to both the youth culture and the Deep South by trying to recruit the favor of music star Johnny Cash. Cash, nicknamed “The Man In Black”, was invited to perform at the Nixon White House. Nixon wanted him to play stereotypical country favorites that he didn’t even write. But Cash's social consciousness was being lit by anti-establishment rock music performers like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. The struggle in Cash's heart and the resultant song choices at the concert are at the core of the documentary. It is Part One of the hour-long episode. In Part Two of the hour-long version, conversations about how the legacy of Nelson Mandela might inspire today’s African leaders? Reporter Judy Goldberg leads a panel that explores history, identity and power structures embedded in the strategies to move Africans towards sustainability and independence. Guests are Ndaba Mandela, mentor, political consultant and grandson of Nelson Mandela; Andrew Nalani, educational designer/evaluator who promotes positive youth development, and Teddy Warria, entrepreneur, author, and collaborator with Ndaba Mandela to transform leadership in Africa. This segment was made possible in part by the Bartos Institute. Recorded at the United World College-USA’s Migration and Belonging Conference, 2019.