Ma Rainey: Boas, Boll Weevils, and Orgies.

While Ma Rainey is the Mother of the Blues, yet when she died, her occupation was recorded as "housekeeper" and her death was never reported. Most of the press coverage she receives today is in response to the new movie on Netflix (which, while amazing, is based on all fictional characters except Ma herself). Emily tells Karamia about Ma: who always travelled with Peacock feathers; whose music defied heteronormative expectations of the 1920's; and who was once arrested for having an orgy with her female band members. Pour yourself some gin and dive in as we learn that boll weevils are not rabbits; Elvis stole a lot of songs from Black female songwriters; and Ma may have inadvertently inspired Karamia's shoulder tattoo.