Slate Race and Identity

ICYMI | Side-Eyeing at H Mart

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 09:30:00 -0000

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by comedian and writer Youngmi Mayer to talk about a controversy that’s divided TikTok: How should Asian people feel about white people in Asian grocery stores? That’s the question creator Madeline Qi didn’t even mean to ask when she posted her now-viral video, which resulted in call-outs, doxxing, and, ultimately, a conversation too nuanced for TikTok. Youngmi’s attempts to make sense of the discourse on her Substack ended up going viral on Instagram, so she came on the show to share what people misunderstand about the controversy, and how her own experience being mixed white and Asian contributes to her perspective.

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay, with help from AC Valdez.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus | The Forgotten Lawsuits Targeting Trump’s Worst Abuses

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

In mid-March of 2025, ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt and his colleagues started hearing that the Trump administration might attempt a flagrantly lawless publicity stunt, involving migrant men, secret flights to El Salvador, a notorious gulag, and a total disregard for due process. Despite getting word that something was about to happen, and rushing into a Saturday night hearing, and then securing a TRO from DC judge James Boasberg, Lee and his colleagues were unable to prevent more than 250 men from being renditioned from Texas to the CECOT torture prison in El Salvador. The legal cases spawned by the dramatic events of March 15th 2025 haven’t gone away, indeed they are reaching crucial milestones in the courts, raising foundational questions about the abuse of statutes and what it means to defy court orders. On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by the ACLU’s Lee Gelernt who is litigating these cases, to discuss the very high stakes of a set of cases that may have fallen off your radar in the shuffle.

How these cases play out will dictate much of what happens for the rest of Trump’s term in office by answering democracy-defining questions such as whether the antiquated and radical wartime powers of the Alien Enemies Act can be unleashed on people the government deems enemies domestically, whether court orders are actually directives the Trump DoJ is bound to follow, whether the district courts can require Pam Bondi’s justice department to assist in the finding of fact, and whether the ancient legal concepts protecting liberty of due process and habeas corpus have the force of law in Trump’s America.

If you want to access that special 50% promotion for Slate Plus membership, go to slate.com/amicusplus and enter promo code AMICUS 50. This offer expires on Dec 31st 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | Why Antisemitism Is Everywhere

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:20:00 -0000

It’s not that antisemitism ever went away, but it’s still jarring to watch people spread its oldest and most vile tropes on social media in a way that would’ve been unthinkable ten years ago.

Guest: Isaac Saul, politics reporter in Bucks County, Penn., author of the Tangle newsletter

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus | One Amendment Explains It All

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Trump decided this past week that there was no downside to fully embracing the racist “shithole countries” rhetoric he denied seven years ago; but this mask coming fully off is just the latest chapter in a decades-long campaign to gut a very specific part of the constitution: the reconstruction amendments. On this week’s Amicus episode, Dahlia Lithwick talks to civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill about the critical role the 14th Amendment has played in shaping American democracy, and why this full frontal assault on its protections should have everyone on high alert. In a week in which we found ourselves toggling between “the tide is turning!” and “all is lost!” Sherrilyn expertly guides us to an understanding of what winning looks like in this moment, and how the courts can still play a role in renewing America’s commitment to equal justice under the law, even when the Supreme Court is openly hostile to that proposition.

Sherrilyn Ifill’s substack newsletter: Is It Too Late?

If you want to access that special 50% promotion for Slate Plus membership, go to slate.com/amicusplus and enter promo code AMICUS 50. This offer expires on Dec 31st 2025.

Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Death, Sex & Money | What Hearing Aids and Anger Management Still Miss

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:40:00 -0000

The British poet Raymond Antrobus was six years old when his parents and doctors realized that his ears couldn’t recognize a whole range of sounds. He was fitted with hearing aids and began a life of straddling the Deaf and hearing worlds, going to speech therapy and reading lips, learning British sign language, and attending both Deaf and hearing schools. By necessity, Raymond became an expert in communication and miscommunication, which are recurring themes in his poetry.

This week, Anna talks to Raymond about his memoir The Quiet Ear: An Investigation of Missing Sound and what it was like growing up with a “panicky sensitivity to misunderstandings.”

This episode was produced by Cameron Drews.

Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Membership is 50% off, which means $59 for a whole year of ad-free listening and special episode drops across all Slate podcasts, PLUS unlimited reading on Slate.com and the Slate app, every Slate Game AND you’ll be supporting Slate’s independent journalism at a moment where independent journalism needs all the support it can get.

Go to slate.com/dsmplus and use the promo code DSM50.

If you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: It’s the Alt-Right’s GOP Now

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000

Ten years ago, the alt-right’s talking points about immigration used to be too toxic to even post on the internet under your own name. So how did they turn into something President Trump regularly fires off on social media?

Guest: Zack Beauchamp, senior correspondent for Vox.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI | “Danish Deception” or Danish Delusion?

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:30:00 -0000

On today’s episode host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario to unpack the 25-part TikTok saga titled the “Danish Deception.” After a former Bachelor contestant came forward with a story about her scamming ex, TikTok turned on her instead. Why didn’t Onyeka get the Reesa Teesa treatment? And who is the real villain of this story?

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, and Kate Lindsay.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Death, Sex & Money | When Your Famous Dad Can Charm Anyone But Can't Pay the Bills

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:40:00 -0000

Sarah Amos says the best way to describe her childhood is as a “nepo-baby fever dream.” She grew up in a pink mansion in Hawaii where celebrities often dropped by, and the fridge was always stocked with cookie dough made from her father’s famous recipe.

Wally Amos founded Famous Amos cookies in 1975, but by the time Sarah was in middle school, he had sold the company and their house was in foreclosure. As Sarah grew up, her father never stopped chasing the success he’d once had with Famous Amos, a pursuit that pushed them apart.

Listen to Sarah’s new podcast about her father from Vanity Fair: Tough Cookie: The Wally “Famous” Amos Story

Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.

And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | What Kids Aren't Learning About US History

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:20:00 -0000

Conservatives have long complained that teaching American history with slavery and genocide and systemic oppression is just too negative, and the Trump administration has gone as far as attacking the Smithsonian for focusing too much on “how horrible our country is.” But omitting the shameful aspects of America’s past doesn’t just distort history—it impairs our ability to understand the present.

Guest: Clint Smith, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America and the new poetry collection Above Ground.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI | TwitchCon’s Sexual Harassment Problem

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 08:30:00 -0000

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by writer and streamer Laura Kate Dale to talk about what happened to Emiru at this year’s TwitchCon. The streamer was assaulted during a meet-and-greet, after a number of female streamers had already dropped out of the convention in fear for their safety. What is it about TwitchCon that makes creators feel unsafe, and why are female streamers, in particular, still paying the price?

Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen.

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | Why So Many Racist Group Chats?

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Right after JD Vance was done dismissing concerns about racism in a group chat of GOP staffers and Young Republicans, POLITICO released messages from Trump nominee Paul Ingrassia that were so explicitly racist it may cost him the support of what has been an extremely compliant congressional GOP. And lest any vice presidents tell you otherwise, racism is as evident in policy proposals as it is in the chats.

Guest: David A. Graham, staff writer for The Atlantic.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI | The Streamer and the Shock Collar

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 08:30:00 -0000

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate staff writer Luke Winkie to talk about Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who some viewers have accused of shocking his dog on his livestream. Winkie spent time with Piker and his dog, Kaya, for Slate earlier this year, and helps debunk the misinformation currently being spread by cloutchasers and right-wing media figures alike. He also answers the most important question of them all: Just how soft is Kaya’s fur, exactly?

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus | Voting Rights, But Mainly for White People

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000

Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund argued in defense of the Voting Rights Act in the pivotal Supreme Court case, Louisiana v Callais this week. Nelson joins Dahlia Lithwick on this episode of Amicus to probe the implications of the case for voting rights around the country, and the role of the Supreme Court in a democratic system. Nelson warns that while the consequences of losing Section 2 would be catastrophic, t many Americans are unaware how much of their democracy is undergirded by the rights accorded in the 14th and 15th amendments, and effectuated by the Voting Rights Act. Their conversation delves into the historical context of voting rights, the importance of precedent, and the unfinished, but essential, struggle for racial justice in America.
Want more Amicus? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive legal analysis. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI | Podcaster Theo Von Is A Manosphere Mystery

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 08:30:00 -0000

On today’s episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by culture writer Aja Romano to try to make sense of Theo Von. Von was one of the podcasters credited with helping Donald Trump win the election, but in recent months, he’s deviated from the administration when it comes to his views on ICE raids and the war in Gaza. Who is Theo Von, really? What does it mean that influencers like him are part of the future of politics? And what does it say about us if we find him…kinda funny?

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | How the Supreme Court Legalized Racial Profiling

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 09:20:00 -0000

How a Supreme Court decision from the shadow docket opens the door to racial profiling, creates a nightmare for millions of Latino Americans, and drains dwindling legitimacy from the court itself.

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, senior writer covering courts and the law for Slate, and the co-host of Amicus.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI | Kendra Fell In Love With Her Psychiatrist—Then She Met TikTok

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:30:00 -0000

On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario to talk about Kendra, the woman whose 25-part TikTok series about falling in love with her psychiatrist has captivated the internet. However, what viewers thought would be the next Reesa Teesa “Who The Fuck Did I Marry?” series turned out to be something much more complicated, as Kendra’s story went from suspicious to downright troubling. Now, TikTok is diagnosing Kendra with mental health issues, while still consuming her content like entertainment.

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, and Kate Lindsay.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI | Viral Debates: Crossing the Aisle or Clickbait?

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 08:30:00 -0000

On today’s episode, hosts Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Slate staff writer Aymann Ismail to discuss the controversial YouTube channel, Jubilee. A video of political commentator Mehdi Hasan debating 20 far-right republicans has gone viral, but as Ismail argues in his piece for Slate, it also crossed a line. When political disagreement becomes content and extremism is rewarded with clicks, everybody loses.

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To! | Gossip for Good

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 08:20:00 -0000

Psssst. You didn’t hear this from me, but gossiping—can be good for you! … our series on embracing your inner antihero wraps—for now—with a guilty pleasure: gossiping. Normal Gossip host (and beloved former Slatester) Rachelle Hampton sits down with How To!’s Carvell Wallace to dish on the right way to gossip, the link between whisper networks and safety, and the importance of leaving no receipts.

This conversation concludes—for now!—our miniseries on embracing your inner antihero. Check out our episodes on How To Get Sweet, Sweet Revenge and How To Be an Ethical Hater.

Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer. This episode was produced by Sophie Summergrad.

Get more of How To! with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of How To! and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the How To! show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/howtoplus for access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To! | Be an Ethical Hater

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 08:20:00 -0000

Our series on embracing your inner antihero continues with a look at superheroes who definitely don’t wear capes: ethical haters. Slate culture writer Scaachi Koul sits down with How To!’s Carvell Wallace for a conversation about the power of haterade—and why “hating up” distinguishes ethical haters from run-of-the-mill, establishment negativity.

Links Mentioned:

Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul

Scaachi’s Substack, Hater Nation

Banal Nightmare by Halle Butler

Scamfluencers

Missed our first installment? Check out How To Get Sweet, Sweet Revenge. Next week: How to gossip! (But we didn’t tell you that...)

How are you exploring your inner antihero? How can we help you? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis. This episode was produced by Sophie Summergrad. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI | How Coming Out Videos Changed YouTube

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 08:30:00 -0000

Kate Lindsay and Candice Lim are joined by Ingrid Nilsen, an OG beauty lifestyle YouTuber who you may know as “MissGlamorazzi,” to reflect on the 10-year anniversary of her most iconic video to date.

Throughout the 2010s, YouTube was the platform of choice for “coming out” videos. During those years, the U.S. saw progress in LGBTQ+ acceptance and representation, including a SCOTUS decision legalizing gay marriage nationwide in 2015. A part of this growing acceptance online included prominent creators speaking up about their own sexuality, creating essentially, an entire genre of YouTube videos. Entering that genre in 2015 was Nilsen, whose coming out video has more than 18 million views, and became perhaps the most memorable coming out video from that era.

Ten years later, Nilsen joins the show to talk about the moment before she hit upload, what she’s been up to since, and how the reaction — and backlash — to that video affected her coming out journey.

This podcast is produced by Vic Whitley-Berry, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: It’s International Bestselling Author Quan Millz

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 08:30:00 -0000

Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Wired senior writer and producer of Black Twitter: A People’s History, Jason Parham, to attempt to explain the enigma that is “international bestselling author” Quan Millz. With titles like Old THOT Next Door and My Baby Daddy Is A Bedbug, Millz’s books have no trouble capturing the attention of the internet, so much so that the previously-anonymous author was forced to unmask himself to ward off a potential scandal. But who, exactly, are Millz’s books for? And the even more ominous question: What will he do next?

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay, with help from A.C. Valdez.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | George Floyd Square, Five Years Later

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Five years after George Floyd’s murder sparked nationwide protests, the legacy of that movement is still being written in Minneapolis and America writ large—even as some attempt to erase it.

Guest:

Marcia Howard, president of the teacher chapter of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers

Brandt Williams, senior editor covering race, class and communities for MPR News. 

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | Legally Dead—And Pregnant

Thu, 29 May 2025 09:20:00 -0000

Adriana Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she was declared brain dead in February—far enough along that her fetus showed cardiac activity. The hospital then refused to let her family decide whether or not they want to keep Smith on life support long enough for the fetus to be delivered.

Guests:

Imani Gandy, Editor-at-Large for Rewire News Group, covering law and courts and co-host of the podcast “Boom! Lawyered.”

Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis, author of Personhood: The New Civil War Over Reproduction.

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | Is Immigration Still Trump’s Strongest Issue?

Mon, 19 May 2025 09:00:00 -0000

As Donald Trump strives to deliver on his harsh immigration enforcement campaign promises, the president’s approval rating on the issue has dropped. But very public mistakes—with very real consequences—and dipping polls don’t seem to be slowing the administration down yet.

Guests:

Adrian Carrasquillo, author of the Huddled Masses newsletter from The Bulwark

Primitiva Hernandez, executive director of 805Undocufund, a central California non-profit providing legal and financial assistance to immigrants

Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: The Harry Potter Fandom Faces Its Biggest Test

Sat, 03 May 2025 08:30:00 -0000

While J.K. Rowling celebrates a new UK ruling that classifies “women” as biologically female, casting for the upcoming HBO Max adaptation is underway. Which fans have stuck by the series despite the author’s views, and will others be able to resist the siren call of a brand new TV series? Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay welcome ICYMI’s new producer Vic Whitley-Berry to talk about their feelings of betrayal watching the creator of their childhood favorite series incessantly target trans people online and publicly back anti-trans campaigns. Then, we’re joined by pop culture expert and YouTuber Princess Weekes, who shares her experience helping readers “deconstruct” from the Harry Potter fandom.

This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | Free Speech? Not If You’re A Foreign Student.

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 07:00:00 -0000

As video of federal agents stopping Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk on the street and taking her away to be detained circulated on social media, people kept asking, “how could this happen here?” The answer involves organizations that claim to help the federal government identify and find activists, and victims whose rights to free speech and due process can be swiftly suspended.

Guest: Aymann Ismail, staff writer at Slate.

Want more What Next? Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to What Next and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Ethan Oberman, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Culture Gabfest: Cate Blanchett Is a Sexy Super Spy

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 07:20:00 -0000

On this week’s show, Slate’s Dan Kois sits in for Stephen Metcaff. The hosts discuss the new Mr. & Mrs. Smith-like film Black Bag, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. Then they dive into the “inconvenient” Hulu show Deli Boys. They end by discussing the legacy of Dave Eggers’ phenomenal memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

Endorsements:

Dana: The television show A French Village

Dan: Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood

Julia: LATimes article “I'm a martini purist. Here's what is — and isn't — in the perfect classic cocktail.” by Bill Addison

Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supercommunicators | 3. How to Have the Hardest Conversations

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 23:22:00 -0000

The final installment of our series explores the conversations that most of us dread, like frank discussions of our differences or a negative performance review at work. We often anticipate that these chats will go badly—and end in hurt feelings or embarrassment—but there are proven ways to make them easier to navigate.

Host Charles Duhigg talks with psychologist Jay Van Bavel about strategies for having the hardest conversations. And: Vernā Myers, Netflix’s former vice president for inclusion strategy, tells the story of what happened inside the company after an executive was fired for using a racial slur.

This Slate miniseries dives into the art and science of meaningful conversations, inspired by Duhigg’s bestselling book, Supercommunicators. The guides we mention in this episode can be found at charlesduhigg.com/tools/

Supercommunicators was produced by Sophie Summergrad and Derek John, who also did the sound design. Our technical director is Merritt Jacob and our supervising producer is Joel Meyer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Culture Gabfest: The Oscars Go Streaming

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:20:00 -0000

On this week’s show, we preview the Oscars and Trump’s demolition throughout renowned institutions of art.

Isaac Butler — author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act and host of the new Criterion Channel series, The Craft of Acting — sits in for Stephen Metcalf.

First, the hosts discuss I’m Still Here and the continued addition of non-English speaking films getting some of the biggest Oscar buzz. Then we tackle the latest Trump shakeups at the National Endowment for the Arts and The Kennedy Center. Finally, Dana and Julia sit down with the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Bill Kramer.

Endorsements:

Dana: The documentary Pictures of Ghosts (2023)

Julia: Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein, also discussed on Culture Gabfest in September 2023

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

The Trump administration’s fight against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs is underway, and it’s proving to be even broader and further-reaching than anticipated. What’s at stake for these programs—and why are so many Americans glad to see them go?

Guest: Farah Stockman, member of the New York Times Editorial Board, author of American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Culture Gabfest: Babygirls and Nickel Boys

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s show, Slate staff writer Nadira Goffe sits in for Stephen. First, the panel explores Babygirl and its kinks. The latest feature from Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn stars Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, and is fascinated by sex (mostly, as a concept.) Then, the three puzzle over Nickel Boys and the film’s audacious use of first-person point-of-view in filmmaker RaMell Ross’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Nickel Boys. Finally, what does a Hollywood smear campaign look like? The trio discusses the messy legal and PR conflict embroiling Blake Lively and former It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, the panel checks in with Julia and production assistant Kat, as they share their experiences of the L.A. wildfires.

Email us at culturefest@slate.com.

Endorsements:

Nadira: Transa by Red Hot Org. Specifically, “Is It Cold In The Water” performed by Moses Sumney and ANOHNI.

Julia: Niksa sleep masks.

Dana: Exploring your local college radio stations. She likes WFUV (owned by Fordham University) and Columbia University’s WKCR.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry. Production assistance by Kat Hong.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Care & Feeding Encore | Parenting Fearlessly, Onstage and Off

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 08:10:00 -0000

On this episode: Lucy sits down with actress and author Mandy Gonzalez for a wide-ranging conversation about parenting, building a creative mom group, and enduring cancer treatment with your head held high. Mandy also answers questions from our own budding Broadway stars.

Lucy also shares a quick update about her mom's cancer journey - and Care & Feeding's production schedule in the new year.

Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus to help support our work.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Care & Feeding | Parenting in an Interfaith World

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 19:00:00 -0000

On this episode: it’s the day after Christmas and the first day of Hanukkah — so we thought there would be no better time than now to sit down to talk about parenting, faith, and the cultural traditions that we adopt, and craft, for our kids.

Zak is joined by Slate writer and friend of the show Aymann Ismail and interfaith relationship and parenting expert Susan Katz Miller.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gabfest Reads: The Life and Legacy of John Lewis

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Slate Political Gabfest host David Plotz talks with author David Greenberg about his new book, John Lewis: A Life. They discuss how Lewis went from marching with Martin Luther King, Jr. to an iconic career as a politician, Lewis’s commitment to non-violence, how Greenberg uncovered never-before-seen documents, and more.

Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | How Shaboozey Broke the Mold

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

After a tepid embrace of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and a back-and-forth over Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” country music fans are all in on Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” How has this hip-hop-inflected country hit perched atop the charts for a record-tying 19 weeks?

Guest: Chris Molanphy, chart analyst, pop critic, host of the Hit Parade podcast, and author of Slate's “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series and the book Old Town Road.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Disclosure in Podcast Description: A Bond Account is a self-directed brokerage account with Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Deposits into this account are used to purchase 10 investment-grade and high-yield bonds. As of 9/26/24, the average, annualized yield to worst (YTW) across the Bond Account is greater than 6%. A bond’s yield is a function of its market price, which can fluctuate; therefore, a bond’s YTW is not “locked in” until the bond is purchased, and your yield at time of purchase may be different from the yield shown here. The “locked in” YTW is not guaranteed; you may receive less than the YTW of the bonds in the Bond Account if you sell any of the bonds before maturity or if the issuer defaults on the bond. Public Investing charges a markup on each bond trade. See our Fee Schedule. Bond Accounts are not recommendations of individual bonds or default allocations. The bonds in the Bond Account have not been selected based on your needs or risk profile. See https://public.com/disclosures/bond-account to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word | Flash Black

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 22:07:00 -0000

All good things must come to an end. For now. After close to four years at Slate, A Word will be moving on. For today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson highlights some of the memorable conversations on the show, on issues from politics, police brutality, Afro-Futurism and more.

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word | Good to Go-Go

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Many of the American musical genres that began in the Black community get taken over—artistically, financially, or both—by white Americans. Go-go, which traces its roots to the African-American neighborhoods in and around Washington, DC, is an exception. Now a new museum aims to preserve and amplify the essence of go-go, and extend its legacy to the next generation of fans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Natalie Hopkinson, chief curator of the Go-Go Museum and Cafe Washington, DC, and the author of “Go-Go Live: The Musical Life and Death of a Chocolate City.” They discuss the museum, the history go-go across the region, and its unique role in inspiring resistance to gentrification and erasure of the city’s Black heritage.

Guest: Professor Natalie Hopkinson, writer and co-curator of the Go-Go Museum in Washington, DC.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Trump’s Team America: The Sequel

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Capital B reporter, Brandon Tensley to discuss Trump’s cabinet picks, and their potential impact on the Black community.

Guest: Brandon Tensley, Capital B News reporter

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate Money Talks: RIP DEI?

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:00:00 -0000

In this Money Talks: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are being targeted by “anti-woke” pundits. Emily Peck is joined by Simone Foxman of Bloomberg to explain why DEI is under fire from conservatives, and what these programs might look like under Trump’s second term – if they exist at all.

Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word | A Mother of a Crisis

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

A sizable number of pregnancies end in a loss, whether to miscarriage, still-birth or abortion. But until very recently, discussions of these losses were kept out of public—and policy—conversations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Colleen Long and Rebecca Little, co-authors of the book, “I’m Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America.” They share their own stories of pregnancy loss, and what they learned about the range of experience from dozens of interviews for their book. They also offer their insights about why reproductive rights remain popular, even when the politicians who champion them aren’t.

Guest: Colleen Long and Rebecca Little, co-authors of “I’m Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America.”

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next | Mass Deportation How?

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to deport millions of “illegal immigrants.” As he prepares to return to the White House, it’s time to figure out how that would work—and who it would include.

Guest: Molly O'Toole, reporter covering immigration and security.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The (Small) Winners’ Circle

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Democrats were shut out of power across the board in the House, Senate and the presidency. But for African American voters, new leaders may be emerging from among a handful of winning candidates. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Capital B News reporter Christina Carrega to discuss post-election strategy, and rethinking among Black voters and elected officials about priorities and power in the coming years.

Guest: Christina Carrega, reporter at Capital B News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is There Hope After Kamala Harris?

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 14:53:00 -0000

In the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris’s decisive loss left Democrats despondent, and locked in a cycle of finger-pointing. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson surveys the wreckage with professor and political analyst Niambi Carter. They discuss why so many Democratic operatives failed to read the trends properly, how white women and Latino men supported Trump, and where Black activists and voters go from here.

Guest: Niambi Carter, political analyst and author of American While Black: African Americans, Immigration, and the Limits of Citizenship.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word | Star Man: Merlin’s Tour of the Universe

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s life-long love of science led him to astrophysics and a career as the nation’s premiere voice on making science accessible for all. On today’s episode of A Word, he joins host Jason Johnson for a conversation about the new edition of his book, Merlin’s Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: A Traveler’s Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Everything Far. They also discuss the science in pop culture, the political history of space flight, and why he’s still proud to have led the effort to remove Pluto’s status as a planet.

Guest: Astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Gabfest: Floating Island of Garbage

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:00:00 -0000

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the final week of the presidential campaign; the threats to election integrity; and the consequences of not endorsing. Join us on December 4 for Political Gabfest Live in Brooklyn! Tickets are on sale now. And send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Invisible Men

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

As the race for the White House remains deadlocked, there have been growing Democratic concerns about whether Black male voters are solid in their support for Kamala Harris. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News. They dissect the truths and myths surrounding Black male voters and the upcoming election.

Guest: Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Snitch Nation

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

While conservatives win elections, the popularity of their policies on abortion access, LGBTQ rights, and racial equity remains low in many parts of the country. But conservative political leaders are finding ways to enforce those laws, and encouraging ordinary citizens to inform on each other is a major tactic. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Adam Serwer, the award-winning political essayist at The Atlantic, about how he explored the phenomenon in his recent article “The Rise of the Right Wing Tattletale."

Guest: Adam Serwer, staff writer for The Atlantic and author of The Cruelty is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump’s America.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Gabfest: 15 Percent of Black Voters Support Trump

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 19:28:00 -0000

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Kamala Harris’s voter outreach to black and Hispanic men; the close races for Republican senators in Nebraska, Texas, and Florida; and the conspiracy theories that endanger FEMA and aid for hurricane victims. And it’s never too early to send us your Conundrums at slate.com/conundrum.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David talk about Glossip v. Oklahoma, the recent death-penalty case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, David talks with Elizabeth Strout about her new book, Tell Me Everything: A Novel.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth

Research by Julie Huygen

Want more Political Gabfest? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Political Gabfest show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/gabfestplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Kamala’s Bid for Black Men’s Votes

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Though Black voters remain a dependable bloc for the Democrats, the Trump campaign has been attempting to make in-roads with Black men. Can Kamala Harris shore up her coalition in this tight race?

Guest: Kadia Goba, political reporter at Semafor.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: WNBA Finals: Shooting Beyond the Stars

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The New York Liberty face the Minnesota Lynx for the championship in what has been a remarkable year for the WNBA. Attendance, attention and viewership skyrocketed. But throughout the season, superstar players Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were dogged by toxic fans and coverage that was often sexist, racist, and just plain wrong from male sports journalists who knew little about the sport. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issues with sports writer David Dennis Jr. of Andscape. They talk about how the action on the court was often overshadowed by off-the-court drama, and what the league can do better next season.

Guest: David Dennis Jr., senior writer for Andscape and author of The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Diddy Was Indicted. Conspiracies Ran Wild.

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The accusations against Sean “Diddy” Combs have grown in both number and grimness. Is this the music industry’s moment of reckoning?

Guest: Nadira Goffe, associate culture writer at Slate.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: October 7th, One Year Later

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

A year after the initial Hamas attack on Israel, tens of thousands are dead, bombs are still falling, a regional war is expanding, and there’s no end in sight. Two writers reflect on the destruction, loss, and death.

Guests: Peter Beinart is the Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents and the author of “The Beinart Notebook” on Substack.

Mohammed R. Mhawish is Palestinian journalist who was evacuated from Rafah to Egypt in May.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Latinos for Trump…for Real

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The majority of Latino voters have historically backed Democrats. But former President Donald Trump has polled very strongly around Latino Americans, despite villifying immigrants from Latin America. And several high profile leaders of the American far right are Latino. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issue with Paola Ramos. She is an award-winning journalist, political analyst, and the author of Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America.

Guest: Paola Ramos, journalist and author of Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Tech’s Race Reckoning

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Silicon Valley is a place where big ideas are transformed into thriving businesses and multi-billion dollar fortunes. But it has also built a reputation for being a boys club, with limited opportunities, harassment, and sometimes open hostility to women in its workforce. Women of color remain severely underrepresented in the world of Big Tech, with just an estimated 3% of industry jobs held by Black women. So what’s the path ahead for African Americans in Big Tech, and is the prize worth the fight?

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the issue with Bari Williams. She’s a lawyer, a tech entrepreneur, and the author of Seen Yet Unseen: A Black Woman Crashes The Tech Fraternity.

Guest: Bari Williams, attorney and author of Seen Yet Unseen: A Black Woman Crashes The Tech Fraternity

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Yvette Nicole Brown: Caring and Community

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Yvette Nicole Brown spent years working in Hollywood before she got her big break. Then she rose to fame with her comedic turns in Community and Drake & Josh. But her latest –and perhaps most important– role is as caregiver to her father. That experience is at the heart of her storytelling as host of the new podcast Squeezed, focused on the millions of Americans who find themselves balancing caregiving with careers. On today’s episode of A Word, Yvette Nicole Brown speaks with Jason Johnson about the caregivers who shared their stories on Squeezed, and what the rest of the nation –from neighbors, to friends, to political leaders– can do to support caregiving.

Guest: Yvette Nicole Brown, actress and podcast host of Squeezed.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Inside Israel’s October 7th Tourism

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Scores of Jews from around the world are visiting Israel to tour the grounds of the Nova music festival and burned out kibbutzim, bearing witness and reflecting on the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. The trips are shoring up Israel’s tourism industry after the war brought it to an abrupt halt—but critics say the narrow focus on this tragedy pushes the suffering of Gazans to the periphery, even as bombs drop less than 10 miles away from the tourists.

Guest: Maya Rosen, Israel/Palestine Fellow at Jewish Currents

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Public.com+Public Investing: All investing involves risk. Brokerage services for US listed securities, options and bonds in a self-directed brokerage account are offered by Public Investing, member FINRA & SIPC. Not investment advice. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank.Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1828849), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. . See public.com/#disclosures-main for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The View from Springfield, Ohio

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The story of Springfield, Ohio—as told by the people who live there—is nothing like the one heard from the debate stage.

Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: When Cops Police Your Vote

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Law enforcement units looking to prevent voter fraud are popping up from Texas to Virginia—but are they trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist—or simply targeting groups they’d prefer didn’t vote?

Guest: Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, author of “Minority Rule: The Right Wing Attack on the Will of the People and the Fight to Resist It.”

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: How Kamala Harris Stumped Trump

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 07:00:00 -0000

It wasn’t even close. That was the verdict of most of the media—and millions of Americans—after the presidential debate on Tuesday. After Vice President Kamala Harris dominated former President Donald Trump on the debate stage, Trump has pledged not to debate her again. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Christina Greer, a professor of political science at Fordham University, and the author of Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream. The two break down the finer points of the debate, and what impact it could have on the race going forward.

Guest: Christina Greer, professor and author of Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Prayer, Politics, and Power Shifts

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Election season brings politicians of all parties to the doors of Black churches, looking for photo ops, votes, and support from powerful pastors. But the traditional Black church is—like many American faith communities—shrinking. And a growing number of middle-class African Americans are worshiping in more diverse congregations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. Jason E. Shelton, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. They discuss his new book, The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion, and how changes in African American faith communities are playing out in everything from politics, to education, to music.

Guest: Dr. Jason E. Shelton, author of The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Masters of the House…and the Senate

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Many congressional staffers and workers on Capitol Hill have argued that, regardless of the party in power, the institution hasn’t evolved much on diversity in the workplace. And that means African Americans are frequently underrepresented in high level jobs, and can often be targets of racism and abuse during their work. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. James R. Jones, the author of The Last Plantation: Racism and Resistance in the Halls of Congress. The two discuss bias and inequality among the workers on Capitol Hill, and what that says about Congress’s ability to represent an increasingly diverse nation.

Guest: Dr. James R. Jones, professor and author of The Last Plantation.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Chicago's Mayor on the Democrats' Toughest Issue

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

What happened when a blue city inherited a red state problem.

Guests:

Brandon Johnson, mayor of the city of Chicago.

Dr. Kenneth D. Phelps, senior pastor at Concord Missionary Baptist Church (CMBC) in Chicago.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Can Kamala Harris Win “Uncommitted” Democrats?

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Democrats frustrated by Joe Biden’s policy towards Israel and Gaza voted for “uncommitted” in the primaries, notably in the crucial swing state of Michigan. Does Kamala Harris have an opportunity to reach those voters now?

Guest: Yazan “Yaz” Kader, uncommitted DNC delegate from the state of Washington and registered nurse.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Seeds of Justice for Black Farmers

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In a recent CBS News interview, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance charged that the Biden administration was favoring Black farmers over white farmers in federal policy. That came days after the US Department of Agriculture began distributing more than $2 billion in relief to Black and other marginalized farmers who suffered historic discrimination from the agency. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by John Boyd, Jr., a family farmer and the president of the National Black Farmers Association. They discuss Vance’s allegations, the long road to the discrimination settlement, and the continued work of preserving African American farming communities.

Guest: John Boyd Jr., founder, and president of the National Black Farmers Association

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Project 2025: A Contract on Black America?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Project 2025, the massive Heritage Foundation policy blueprint, has become a major issue on the campaign trail for Democrats. While former President Trump has tried to distance himself from the document, many members of his administration and inner circle worked to draft it. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News. They discuss Project 2025, what it could mean for the Black community, and what elements may already be in effect.

Guest: Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Olympics Meet the Culture Wars

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

How Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting—two women boxers fighting in the gender category they were assigned at birth—became the targets of trans panic and subject to another round of “but is she woman enough?” at the Olympics.

Guest: Rose Eveleth, reporter and host of the podcast Tested, from NPR and CBC.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: How Trump Got Ice Cube

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Once one of the most politically confrontational artists in music, Ice Cube has become a surprising asset to Donald Trump.

Guest: Joel Anderson, staff writer for Slate and the host of Seasons 3, 6, and 8 of Slow Burn.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: “Momala” and “Papa Bear”

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:30:00 -0000

Many political spouses spend decades preparing for a White House run with their partners. But attorney Doug Emhoff had been married to then-Senator Kamala Harris for just five years when she first ran for the White House. Now, as the first Second Gentleman in history, he’s stepping into the spotlight, sprinting across the country for her whirlwind campaign. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff about his family, his work combating anti-Semitism and other forms of hate, and campaigning with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Guest: Second Gentleman of the United States Doug Emhoff

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Guest Wrong: Trump at NABJ

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Donald Trump’s bombastic appearance at this week’s National Association of Black Journalist convention drew criticism, not just for the former president, but also the organizational leadership that invited him. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by longtime journalist and media company leader Roland Martin, who attended Trump’s interview. They discuss what happened, the media response, and the reckoning facing the NABJ.

Guest: Veteran journalist Roland Martin, host of “Roland Martin Unfiltered”

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The DEI Smear Against Kamala Harris

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Calling Kamala Harris a “DEI hire” is both sexist and racist, and despite the GOP leadership’s pleading, it has quickly emerged as a favored line of attack from the right.

Guest: Dr. Brittney Cooper, professor of gender studies and Africana studies at Rutgers University

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Kamala Harris: Veep to Victory?

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The weeks of Democratic hand-wringing ended suddenly on Sunday after President Joe Biden stepped out of the White House race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. Her young campaign has energized Democrats. But Harris has befuddled Republicans who don’t know how to attack her, and a media that doesn’t know how to define her. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses Harris’s record and her prospects with political analyst Niambi Carter, a professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy.

Guest: Niambi Carter, political analyst and author of American While Black: African Americans, Immigration, and the Limits of Citizenship.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working: A Newspaper Comic That Shows a Changing America

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Darrin Bell, creator of the syndicated newspaper comic strip Candorville. In the interview, Darrin explains how hard it was to get Candorville picked up for syndication and how all newspaper comics artists face an up-hill battle to get published. He also talks about his routine for creating new strips every week, how he develops his characters, and real-life issues that inspire the strip’s political commentary.

After the interview, Ronald and co-host Isaac Butler discuss ways for politically conscious artists to stay grounded and take care of their mental health.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Darrin talks about his love for Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Trump’s Race Card

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

After a tumultuous week of campaign news, Republicans wrapped their convention in Milwaukee by officially making former President Donald Trump their nominee. While President Joe Biden struggles with doubts within his own party, many in the G.O.P. believe there’s a new opportunity to reach out to Black voters. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by political analyst and former RNC Chair, Michael Steele. They discuss the current state of the race, Trump’s ideas about what Black voters want, and the media’s influence on public opinion.

Guests: Political Analyst and former RNC Chair Michael Steele

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, Now: How Nick Cannon Got Celebrities to Open Up About Their Mental Health

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

We all know about the mental health crisis wreaking havoc throughout the nation and world.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now we’re continuing our ongoing discussions of mental health, and this time we’re tackling men’s mental health as a whole.

Prime’s new show Counsel Culture, hosted by Nick Cannon and medical professionals across the spectrum, invites men to open up about their histories with anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and more. Dr. Mike Dow is the resident psychotherapist for the program.

If you liked this episode, check out: Eating Disorders Are Rising Among Boys. Why?

Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com

Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts.

Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Death, Sex & Money: The Mayor of the Most Controversial City in the U.S.

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

San Francisco mayor London Breed grew up learning again and again about the dangers of drugs and addiction. She lived in public housing in the city in the 1980’s and saw friends and family members in her community get hooked, get sick, and sometimes pass away. Fast forward to now, and San Francisco is seeing sky-high overdose numbers (though they’re down a bit from last year), and the city has earned a reputation for being in disarray. Mayor London Breed faces a tough reelection campaign this fall, and this week on the show, she talks about the many different measures she and her administration are taking to address San Francisco’s problems, and she shares some of the important life experiences that have informed her approach.

Podcast production by Anna Sale.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Blerd Up

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

It's convention season, and nerds everywhere may be suiting up to attend the Cons, gatherings of hardcore science-fiction, comic book, fantasy or anime fandoms. That includes BlerdCon, the gathering where Black nerds celebrate their interests in comics, anime, gaming, and much more. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by two artists who will be featured at this year’s BlerdCon, comedian Jay Washington, and actor Phil Lamarr. They talk about the event, the evolution of Black nerd culture, and handling the backlash over diversity in science fiction and fantasy entertainment.

Guests: Performers Jay Washington and Phil Lamarr

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: No Justice. No Peace. No Way Back?

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 07:00:00 -0000

This year’s Supreme Court session loosened laws on official bribery, overturned decades of precedent on regulation, and granted immunity to the president for official actions. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by legal analyst Elie Mystal of The Nation. They review the Court’s most important decisions, and talk about the political implications and the potential fall out for ordinary Americans.

Guest: Legal analyst Elie Mystal

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Journalism Under the Gun

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In this election year, there’s more criticism and distrust of the media than ever. For veteran journalist Ali Velshi, his belief in the power of journalism is rooted in a family history of pursuing social justice, across continents and generations. On today’s episode of A Word, he joins host Jason Johnson to talk about his career, and his new memoir Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy.

Guest: Ali Velshi, MSNBC host and author of Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black to the Future in Music

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

June is Black Music Month, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of some of the most influential albums in contemporary African American music, including Nas’ Illmatic, and TLC’s CrazySexyCool, to Notorious B.I.G’s Ready to Die. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by pop culture columnist Panama Jackson to discuss the legendary Black music of 1994, and the difference between a merely great album, and one that’s going to stand the test of time.

Guest: Panama Jackson, columnist at TheGrio

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working: How a Black Colonial Williamsburg Actor Humanizes History

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

This week, guest-host Kristen Meinzer talks to Stephen Seals, an actor and historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. In the interview, Stephen breaks down his process for researching and portraying Revolutionary War double-agent James Lafayette, a notable Black American whose story is seldom told. Stephen explains what it’s like to write for his character on the fly, to answer audience questions, and to add meaning and texture to an important historical figure.

After the interview, Kristen and co-host Isaac Butler talk about how to handle harsh audience feedback.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Stephen describes a philosophy of “social history” which centers individual experiences instead of dry data alone. He also shares which historical figures he would like to play in the future.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Daddy Lessons

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The stereotype of Black fathers is that they’re largely absent, and uninvolved in their children’s lives. And that image persists, despite research that suggests that Black fathers are often more involved in the daily care of their kids than white fathers. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Sean Williams, the founder of The Dad Gang, an organization that uplifts and supports Black and other marginalized fathers. They talk about the challenges of fatherhood, and building a community where dads can help each other.

Guest: Sean Williams, founder of The Dad Gang

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The WNBA’s Great White Hype

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 07:00:00 -0000

“Petty.” “Jealous.” That’s what many male sportscasters are saying about the women competing against WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark. The former Iowa star is bringing a new level of attention to women’s basketball, but many men who ignored the league for years are now leading the coverage. So how is sexism and racism fueling the way they’re talking about Clark and the rest of the WNBA?

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran sports journalist Jemele Hill to discuss the way the media treats Clark and the African American players who are competing with her. Hill is a contributing writer to The Atlantic, and wrote about the issue for them in the article, “The One Downside of Gender Equality in Sports.”

Guest: Veteran sports journalist Jemele Hill

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Not So Smooth Criminal

Fri, 31 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Former President Donald Trump and his supporters are furious after his conviction on all 34 counts related to his hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by legal analyst Yodit Tewolde to discuss the path to the conviction, key moments in the trial, and what the verdict says about the justice system.

Guest: Legal analyst Yodit Tewolde

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, Now: How Doulas Make Childbirth Safer For Everyone

Wed, 29 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Everyone has a different birth experience.

Obstetricians and midwives are well-known members of the birth team. Along with the pregnant person, they are central to labor and delivery.

Doulas are lesser known, but they can provide essential support for pregnant women and their loved ones.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now: What to expect when working with a doula with Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow.

If you liked this episode, check out: Overcoming a Complicated Pregnancy

Well, Now is hosted by Maya Feller, CDN and Kavita Patel, MD.

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Haitian Chaos, American Neglect?

Fri, 24 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Haiti has suffered under decades of crises, but the latest may be its most intractable. Violent criminals are now effectively in charge of the country, after years of assassinations and political instability left a power vacuum. As a new international force prepares for an intervention, A Word host Jason Johnson discusses the current troubles with Patrick Gaspard, leader of the Center for American Progress. They explore how Haiti fell into such dire circumstances, the role that American guns and policy have played, and how Haitian Americans and the U.S. government could help Haiti find stability.

Guest: Patrick Gaspard, chief of the Center for American Progress

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Diddy’s Reckoning

Thu, 23 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Allegations about Sean “Diddy” Combs had been circulating, but it wasn’t until surveillance footage of the mogul assaulting his then-partner Cassie began circulating on social media, that his response changed from defensive to apologetic.

Guest: Sidney Madden, reporter for NPR Music and co-host of Louder Than a Riot.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: Colonialism Never Ended

Tue, 21 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: don’t scare me like that, colonizer.

Understanding the legacy of colonialism is a project relatively few Americans have undertaken — and most have done so only relatively recently, at that.

But understanding the forces that led to the foundation of this country, and the creation of modern racism as we know it, is an important project. And it’s one that is also increasingly hard to bring into schools — especially in places like Florida.

Barry Mauer of UCF joins us once again to argue for teaching the ongoing project of colonialism… in the name of stopping it.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie.

Want more Hear Me Out? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/hearmeoutplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Hit After Hit: Rap in a Post Kendrick v. Drake World

Fri, 17 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Drake didn’t know who he was messing with, and was never on Kendrick Lamar’s level in hip hop. That’s the verdict of cultural commentator and author Touré. On today’s episode of A Word, he joins host Jason Johnson to break down the meaning behind the brutal rap battle, and whether Not Like Us, BBL Drizzy, Family Matters and other songs central to the beef will rewrite the blueprint for diss tracks forever.

Guest: Touré, host of the Touré Show podcast, and author of Nothing Compares 2 U: An Oral History of Prince

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Between the World and Us

Fri, 10 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates is arguably the strongest voice of his generation on the role of race and identity in American politics and culture. He’s the author of several books, including “Between the World and Me,” “We Were Eight Years in Power,” and “The Beautiful Struggle,” and the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grant and a National Book Award. For this week’s episode, we feature a conversation between Coates and host Jason Johnson, recorded live at the recent Cascade PBS Ideas Festival. They discuss everything from the diss track battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, to the campus protests over the Middle East, to the limits –and necessity– of participating in electoral politics.

Guest: Award-winning writer Ta-Nehisi Coates

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: A Decade of Disappointment

Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The city of Flint, Michigan made headlines in spring of 2014, after public officials recognized dangerously high lead levels in the water supply. After ten years and three presidents, many African American Flint residents say their health is still being compromised by their water, and civil actions aimed at compensating them have –so far– only enriched lawyers. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Adam Mahoney, the climate journalist for Capital B News. They discuss how the water crisis has affected everything from schools, to crime, to housing, and about ongoing efforts to make it right.

Guest: Adam Mahoney, climate reporter for Capital B News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Man Who Wrote the Trump Playbook—30 Years Ago.

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In the ‘90s, Pat Buchanan was a fringe figure among Republicans whose positions on immigration and demographic change in the United States were considered too extreme for the party. Now, his ideas are what passes for Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign platform.

Guest: Ari Berman, Mother Jones’ national voting rights correspondent and author of “Minority Rule.”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Jewish Case for Protest

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

As some members of Congress call for crackdowns, how do college administrators ensure the safety of their entire student body – while also respecting its right to free speech?

Guest: Peter Beinart, Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents and the author of “The Beinart Notebook” on Substack.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: True Life, True Crime

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

True crime is a hot topic for movies, television, and –yes– podcasts. At the center of many of these stories is a missing woman. In the She Has A Name podcast, veteran journalist Tonya Mosley tries to reconstruct the death –and life– of a woman who went missing in 1987, a woman who happens to be her long lost sister. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Tonya Mosley to talk about uncovering the mystery around her sister Anita’s disappearance and death, and how the podcast helped her connect to a family that she never knew.

Guest: Tonya Mosley, host of the podcast She Has A Name

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Freaknik: Party in the Black

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Nostalgia for the 1990s is everywhere, and for a generation of African Americans, perhaps nothing symbolizes the fun of that decade more than Freaknik. A sprawling days-long festival of all the good –and bad– of spring break behavior, at its height, Freaknik drew tens of thousands of partiers each year from around the country to Atlanta. So why did the party stop, and is there any way it could ever come back again?

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the Hulu documentary Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told with director P. Frank Williams and executive producer Geraldine Porras..

Guests: P. Frank Williams and Geraldine Porras, the director and executive producer of Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told on Hulu.

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Candace Owens: Back to Black?

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Commentator Candace Owens’ messy fall from grace in conservative media coincided with her appearances on popular Black chat shows. That includes The Breakfast Club, led by radio host and personality Charlamagne tha God.

Once a minor social media personality who condemned Donald Trump as racist, Owens became one of the former president’s chief defenders, and a leading Black voice of anti-Black rhetoric. So is Owens saying anything new in Black media, and were those outlets doing the right thing by inviting her?

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Michael Harriot. He’s a columnist for The Grio, and the author of Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America. Harriot recently wrote for The Guardian, criticizing the choice to platform Owens in African American media.

In this interview and an earlier version of this episode description, we incorrectly stated and implied that Candace Owens’ interviews on Joe Budden’s podcast and The Breakfast Club happened after The Daily Wire announced her separation from the outlet on March 22. They both occurred before, with the Budden interview recording the week of February 27, and being published in mid-March. The Breakfast Club discussion was recorded on March 18 and aired on March 21. We regret the error.

Guest: Writer Michael Harriot

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, Now: Most Skincare Products are BS. Here Are the Facts.

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

As we approach the warmer months and start spending more time outside, healthy skin couldn’t be more important. So how can we best protect our body’s largest organ?

Feel free to stock up on all the products for a 10-step routine if you want. But the reality is healthy skin requires just three products. The rest is kind of BS.

This week on Well, Now we talk all things skin health with Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, a dermatologist and dermatopathologist based in New York City.

If you liked this episode, check out: Spring Cleaning Your Medicine Cabinet

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Ahyiana Angel with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: Interracial Marriages Can Still Be Racist

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: amore, but make it anti-racist.

Honoring interracial marriage has only been the law of the land for a few decades in this country; there are couples alive today whose relationships were illegal within their lifetimes.

There are now more mixed-race couples – and children – in the U.S. than ever before, and interracial love is overwhelmingly supported by all Americans. But is that an indication that we’ve actually made progress toward racial equality?

Jamilah Lemieux, writer and contributor to Slate’s Care & Feeding, argues no: and that unless a couple has done the work to be truly anti-racist, their children will pay the price.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Criminal Injustice

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

A young Black man, wrongfully accused of sexual assault, is convicted nonetheless. Evidence that could’ve exonerated him is withheld or covered up, and he spends much of his youth in prison. It sounds like a movie-of-the-week, but it was the real life nightmare of Jarrett Adams. Throughout his incarceration, he fought for his freedom and eventually won. Now, he’s a defense attorney who helps other wrongfully convicted people find justice, and build better lives on the outside through his organization Life After Justice. On today’s episode of A Word, Jarrett Adams joins host Jason Johnson to talk about his experience with the criminal justice system, and why the punishment may continue long after a conviction is overturned.

Guest: Jarrett Adams, co-founder of the non-profit organization Life After Justice

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Run for the Border?

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

The American Dream has long been out of reach for many Black people in this country. Between police violence, the lack of economic opportunity, and the threat of a second Trump term, many African Americans are considering building their dream lives in another country. And for thousands of people, Mexico is one of the top destinations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Adam Mahoney of the CapitalB News to talk about why many Black Americans are moving south of the border, where they’re settling, and whether their new country is as welcoming as they’d hoped.

Guest: Adam Mahoney, reporter for CapitalB News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Is Nara Smith Actually a Tradwife?

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by writer and reporter Gaby Del Valle to discuss the rapid, contested rise of model-turned-influencer Nara Smith. Described by Rolling Stone as the “hot, young tradwife making everyone on the internet mad”, Nara’s elaborate homemade meals, hot husband and two young children are sending spectators into a tizzy as they debate whether or not she’s trying to convert them to Mormonism.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Love, Family, and Freedom’s Ultimate Price

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Myrlie Evers was arguably the first civil rights widow, a woman who was plunged into activism after the assassination of her husband—Mississippi NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers—in 1963. She survived to become a leader of the movement in her own right. But what’s less well known is the remarkable story of how the couple came together, and how their love endures, decades after his death. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Joy-Ann Reid to talk about her book, Medgar & Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America.

Guest: Joy-Ann Reid, host of MSNBC’s The ReidOut

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Care & Feeding: Does Identity Need To Be Taught?

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:03:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah and Lucy answer a question from the Slate Parenting Facebook group… about whether identity is implicit or explicit in the way we raise kids. This mom is “an invisible minority three times over…” and musing on whether her kid would pick up on those things, even if she didn’t talk about it.

We’ll also share a round of recommendations — and then, for Slate Plus, our three mom hosts share the things they miss about the baby and toddler years.

Jamilah recommends: Boarders on Tubi

Lucy recommends: Brillando Books

Elizabeth recommends: Dixit Board Game

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black Country Renaissance

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

Beyoncé has announced that the second act of Renaissance will be a country album. “Cowboy Carter” is set for release at the end of March, Women’s History Month. Beyoncé has already made history as the first Black woman to top the country charts with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and recently received Dolly Parton’s blessing to cover her classic song, Jolene.

While Beyoncé may seem to be breaking new ground, much of country music has always been rooted in African American culture, and Black women have been singing country for decades. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by DePaul University Professor Francesca Royster, the author of Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions. They talk about the history of Black women in country music, the racial tension that has kept many African American fans away from the genre, and whether this moment represents a new era for Black country artists.

Guest: Professor Francesca Royster, author of Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Care & Feeding: Should I Allow Compliments About How My Kid Looks?

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth Newcamp, Zak Rosen, and Jamilah Lemieux answer a question that someone actually posed to Jamilah on Instagram… about whether it’s okay to entertain compliments about your kid’s appearance. A facilitator at school has suggested redirecting to character compliments when this toddler — the only Black kid in her class — is praised for her appearance. But is there place for just calling a cute kid a cute kid?

We’ll also do a round of recommendations. And then, in the Slate Plus realm, we’re talking about a piece in NYTMag… asserting that the teen subculture as we knew it is dead. In its place? The *~ aesthetic ~*

Recommendations:

Jamilah recommends: Get a 64 oz water jug

Zak recommends: Art Hub For Kids YouTube Channel

Elizabeth recommends: UV Detection Stickers for Sunscreen (link to uVify)

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Freedom Fight Like a Woman

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

March is Women’s History Month, and for centuries, the roles of Black women in key moments of American history have been diminished. One book that takes a unique approach to exploring their stories is Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts. The book combines historical narrative with illustrations depicting African and African American women rising up against their enslavers, often at the cost of their own lives. On today’s episode of A Word, host Jason Johnson is joined by Wake’s author, attorney and educator Rebecca Hall. They discuss the leading role many Black women played in slave uprisings, and the complicated politics that have kept their stories hidden for so long.

Guest: Rebecca Hall, author of Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus: The IVF Decision We Should Have Seen Coming

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

It was a wild week at the High Court (another seven days crammed with a year’s worth of news). SCOTUS heard cases about bump stocks, and how Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would do as Facebook content moderators. The Supreme Court also finally found the time to put a thumb on the scale for serially indicted alleged insurrector-in-chief former President Donald J Trump. We’ll talk about all those things with Slate’s very own Mark Joseph Stern.

But what we’re really focused on this week is the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent decision finding that frozen embryos are children, and the unshakeable sense that the coverage of this so far has had a slightly myopic quality, as though this case is purely about IVF, and carving out IVF, when in fact the entire movement for fetal personhood sweeps in many more people and rights than just those seeking assisted reproductive technology. We’re joined by a preeminent expert on matters of law, medicine, reproductive health, and biotechnologies, Dr. Michele Goodwin. Dr. Goodwin is the author of Policing The Womb: Invisible Women and The Criminalization of Motherhood. She explains (again) why we should have seen this decision coming from miles (and centuries) away.

Want more Amicus? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

Later, in the Slate Plus segment, Mark returns to discuss this week’s SCOTUS arguments and the big news that legislative turtle and legal hellscape architect Mitch McConnell will be stepping down from his role as leader of Republicans in the Senate later this year.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Green Black Power

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Environmentalism has long been viewed as a preoccupation of white, educated, affluent voters. But climate change disproportionally impacts communities of color. Now a new generation of activists is building political awareness around environmentalism in the Black community. That’s part of the mission of the Hip Hop Caucus, a group that’s been working for decades to activate young voters around climate justice as a civil rights issue. On today’s episode of A Word, Hip Hop Caucus leader Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr. joins host Jason Johnson to talk about the impact of environmental policy on Black Americans, and how to harness political power around the issue.

Guest: Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr., chief of the Hip Hop Caucus

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, Now: Ending Racism in Healthcare

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The U.S. healthcare system can split the country into two Americas.

Your zip code, education, class status and more all play a role in the outcome of your health as well as the kind of care you receive.

Fewer markers more clearly define these disparities than race.

On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita talk about racism in American healthcare with Dr. Uché Blackstock.

Her new book Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine gives a historical view of how racism has always played a role in U.S. healthcare.

This book is also a memoir of her own experience as a physician carrying on the legacy of her late mother, Dr. Dale Gloria Blackstock.

Health Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Diversity in the Diaspora

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The American obsession with categorizing people by race isn’t just a problem for our institutions. For multi-racial and multi-ethnic Americans, it can be intensely personal. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Natasha Alford. She shares her own unique experience navigating America’s complicated ideas about race in her new book, American Negra: A Memoir. Alford shares how her African American and Puerto Rican heritage shaped her understanding of race in her early life, and how those ideas were challenged when she attended Harvard University and later became a journalist.

Guest: Natasha Alford, author of American Negra: A Memoir

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Why a Hi-Tech Gun Safety Tool Isn’t Working

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Shotspotter lost a huge contract and some face when Chicago opted out of its partnership with the gunfire-identification tech company.

Why can’t new policing tech seem to break the old patterns and problems?

Guest: Jim Daley, investigations editor at South Side Weekly

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Ghost in the Medical Machine

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The promise of artificial intelligence in medicine is that it can reduce the influence of human error and bias in health care. But there’s growing concern that A.I. in medicine –as in other fields– can reflect the biases and lack of diversity among its creators. And that can have life threatening consequences for African American patients. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Margo Snipe, a health reporter for CapitalB News. They discuss how A.I. can sometimes fuel medical racism, and reasons to hope that it can change.

Guest: Margo Snipe, health journalist for CapitalB News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: True Crime in Black and White

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

The 1989 murder of Carol Stuart in Boston became a national story, fueled by anxiety over urban crime. The city’s police broke down doors in the Black community, strip searched dozens of Black and brown men on the street, and arrested a Black suspect. Then Stuart’s husband was exposed as the killer. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Boston Globe associate editor Adrian Walker, who hosts the Murder in Boston podcast about the infamous case. They discuss the history of racial tension that led up to crime, and the lasting consequences for the families of the victim, the killer, and the wrongfully arrested Black suspect.

Guest: Adrian Walker, host of the Murder in Boston podcast

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working: Malcolm X’s Story, Told Through Opera

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Anthony Davis, a Pulitzer Prize winning opera composer whose work includes the 1986 opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, which was recently revived and produced for the Metropolitan Opera. In the interview, Anthony discusses the inspiration for X and the many genres he drew from to compose its music. He also talks about how to craft a story using music and why it’s important to him to make political art.

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss creative career pivots and the act of finding inspiration from eavesdropping.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Anthony and Isaac talk about their mutual love of science fiction.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Revolutionary Recharge

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:00:00 -0000

A generation of activists –and well-meaning citizens– was pulled into intense social justice work by the murder of George Floyd in 2020. And the horrific crime, the fight for progess, and the backlash has taken a toll on their mental health. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and activist Ijeoma Oluo about her new book, Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World--And How You Can, Too. It’s the collected wisdom of activists across a range of issues about how to do the hard and emotional work of confronting racism without losing hope.

Guest: Writer Ijeoma Oluo

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Are Two States Still the Solution?

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Support for a “two-state solution” has been declining among both Israelis and Palestinians for years. If it’s time to give up on that plan, what’s the alternative?

Guest: Dov Waxman, professor of political science and the director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Fix Your CROWN

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Texas is one of the 24 states that has passed the CROWN Act. “CROWN” stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, and these laws are supposed to stop discrimination against Black people who wear their hair in natural styles. But high school senior Darryl George has been fighting suspension for months over his dreadlocks. The issue is now set to be decided in court in February. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois, a professor at Lone Star College in Texas, and a research fellow at Texas Southern University’s Center for Justice Research. They discuss the specifics of Darryl George’s case, and why the CROWN Act in Texas seems to be falling short.

Guest: Professor Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois of Lone Star College in Texas

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, Now: Breaking Up With Diet Culture

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Well, Now, Maya and Kavita talk about practical ways to break up with diet culture with fitness instructor, speaker and educator Chrissy King.

She’s the author of The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom.

Chrissy also ties in how breaking up with diet culture is a piece of a larger conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion in the wellness industry.

If you liked this episode, check out: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’t

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/podcasts/well-now

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Send In the Clowns?

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Decades before most people had heard of Barack Obama, Black Republican Colin Powell was widely believed to be on the path to the presidency. And the Republican Party was the first political home of many African Americans. But the contemporary G.O.P, led by former President Donald Trump, has introduced a new class of Black Republicans who command little respect within the community. What happened, and is there a place for Black Americans in today’s or tomorrow’s Republican Party? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses that with Clay Cane, journalist and author of The Grift: The Downward Spiral of Black Republicans from the Party of Lincoln to the Cult of Trump.

Guest: Writer Clay Cane

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: And God Gave Us Trump

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

How American white evangelical Christianity has reshaped itself in the image of Donald Trump.

Guest: Rev. Angela Denker, Lutheran pastor and author of Red State Christians: A Journey into White Christian Nationalism and the Wreckage It Leaves Behind

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Is Israel Committing Genocide?

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide before the International Court of Justice and is asking the United Nations to intervene and order the Israeli government to cease military operations in Gaza. The ICJ now must decide how to characterize an increasingly bloody campaign.

Guest: Adil Haque, professor of international law at Rutgers University and author of Law and Morality at War.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Can He Get an Amen?

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

President Biden’s campaign kick-off speech at the historic Mother Emanuel AME church in South Carolina was interrupted by protesters this week. It was an awkward moment that provoked a lot of debate on social media about whether demonstrators were abusing the spirit of the Black church, or honoring it. It also revived questions about whether Democratic candidates’ reliance on the Black church is still an effective strategy in motivating African American voters. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran journalist Errin Haines to discuss whether President Biden and Democratic leaders are misunderstanding the strengths and the limits of the Black church as a political stage.

Guest: Errin Haines, founding mother and editor-at-large for The 19th*

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outward: Raquel Willis is in Bloom

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

This week Jules sits down with Raquel Willis, an award-winning activist and journalist whose work is dedicated Black trans liberation. Raquel’s new memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom chronicles her political and personal awakenings as a Black trans woman growing up in the south. Jules and Raquel talk grief, gender, and collective liberation.

Podcast production by Palace Shaw.

Email us at: outwardpodcast@slate.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Anti-Defamation League at War

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

How the ADL’s commitment to the state of Israel threatens and undermines its ability to fight antisemitism at home.

Guest: Mari Cohen, associate editor at Jewish Currents

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: A Multiverse of Problems

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Comic book films have dominated the box office for a generation, and gave many diverse actors and artists an opportunity to shine. But the genre struggled during 2023, and fans are worried that the golden age has ended for those movies and the culture that inspired them. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist David Betancourt, who covered comic book movies and culture for The Washington Post for more than a decade. They talk about why superhero films may be going through a rough patch, and whether they can rebound.

Guest: Journalist David Betancourt, author of The Avengers Assembled: The Origin Story of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Murder of Wadee Alfayoumi

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0000

On Oct. 14, 2023, Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Arab-American boy, was stabbed to death by his landlord, Joseph Czuba. Months later, his parents are struggling to make sense of it.

Guest: Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Decoder Ring: The Forgotten Video Game About Slavery

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In 1992, a Minnesota-based software company known for its educational hit The Oregon Trail released another simulation-style game to school districts across the country. Freedom! took kids on a journey along the Underground Railroad, becoming the first American software program to use slavery as its subject matter.

Less than four months later, it was pulled from the market. In this episode, we revisit this well-intentioned, but flawed foray into historical trauma that serves as a reminder that teaching Black history in America has always been fraught.

We hear from Julian Lucas, Mike Palmquist, Rich Bergeron, Josh Bergeron, Kamau Kambui, Yamro Kambui Fields, Halim Fields, Mawusi Kambui Pierre, Nanyamka Salley, John Ojanen, Darrolyn Sharp, Byron Sharp, and Dean Kephart.

This episode was written by Willa Paskin. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. This episode was also produced by Benjamin Frisch, and edited by Erica Morrison. Derek John is executive producer. Joel Meyer is senior editor-producer and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

We’re grateful to Julian Lucas for his expertise, reporting, and generosity, without which this episode would not have been possible. His New Yorker article, “Can Slavery Reenactments Set Us Free?,” revisits the Freedom! story as part of an exploration of the live Underground Railroad re-enactments that Kamau Kambui pioneered.

Thank you to Jesse Fuchs for suggesting this topic. Thanks also to Coventry Cowens, Brigitte Fielder, Bob Whitaker, Alan Whisman, Wayne Studer, Alicia Montgomery, Rebecca Onion, Luke Winkie, and Kamau Kambui’s children: Yamro Kambui Fields, Halim Fields, Mawusi Kambui Pierre, Nanyamka Salley, and Kamau Sababu Kambui Jr.

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

If you’re a fan of the show, please sign up for Slate Plus. Members get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads and have total access to Slate’s website. Your support is also crucial to our work. Go to Slate.com/decoderplus to join Slate Plus today.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: A Black Power Radical’s Rise and Fall

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The man who rose to fame –some would say infamy– as H. Rap Brown has a uniquely American story, inventing and reinventing himself over the course of decades. He turned himself from a teenage tough guy into a civil rights leader. He abandoned the philosophy of non-violence to become a Black Power pioneer. He underwent a jailhouse conversion to Islam, and became Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a guiding force of an insular Black Muslim community. And then, almost 40 years after he stepped into the public consciousness, he was convicted of fatally shooting a cop.

But was Imam Jamil being punished for his actions, or his past?

In today’s episode of A Word, host Jason Johnson dives into the tangled history of the man once known as H. Rap Brown, and the murder case that landed him in jail for life. His guest is Mosi Secret, journalist and the host of the Radical podcast, which explores the case and the complicated search for justice.

Guest: Mosi Secret, investigative journalist and host of the Radical podcast

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: When a Miscarriage Becomes a Crime

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In September, Brittany Watts had a miscarriage at her home in Ohio. Prosecutors are now charging her with “abuse of a corpse,” a felony that could result in up to a year in prison.

When does a miscarriage become a felony? And could the anti-abortion movement be using this case as a step towards achieving “fetal personhood”?

Guest: Mary Ziegler, law professor at UC Davis and author of Roe: The History of a National Obsession.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: “Good” Hair; Bad Health

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In recent years, several states and localities have passed “crown” laws, statutes that keep employers from discriminating against African Amercans for wearing their hair in natural styles. That’s because, historically, having straight hair has often been a requirement for professional advancement for Black women in particular. But there is more science emerging that connects chemical relaxers with cancer. In today’s episode of A Word, reporter and cancer survivor Victoria St. Martin speaks with host Jason Johnson about the dangers of formaldehyde in hair relaxers, the history of marketing toxic cosmetics to African Americans, and consumer efforts to raise awareness.

Guest: Victoria St. Martin, Inside Climate News reporter

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: Race Isn’t Real. The Census Should Reflect That.

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… cen-suspicions.

We’re a little over six years away from the next national census. It’s understandable that this might not be at the top of your mind, but for a small group of academics and activists, it absolutely is.

Race isn’t a real thing, scientifically speaking. But we still live in a heavily racialized society, and the Census sets the stage for many, many policy decisions that impact race equity. So, if race isn’t real, why does the Census act like it’s a simple, immutable fact?

Carlos Hoyt, an author and speaker, joins us to propose a more dynamic way of self reporting – and recording – race.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie.

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Is “The Talk” Too Much?

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Shanice Stewart was 9 months pregnant when Sacramento police pulled her over, and compelled her to leave her car at gunpoint. The reason? They mistook her 8-year-old son for a hardened criminal. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Christina Carrega to discuss “the talk.” Carrega explains why the conversation that many Black parents give to their children about the potential dangers of police interactions may be happening for younger children, and whether it makes them safer, or just more afraid.

Guest: Christina Carrega, criminal justice reporter at Capital B.

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mom & Dad: Traveling The World With a Blended, Mixed-Race Family

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

On this episode: Elizabeth sits down with Alana Best, travel blogger and author of Around the World in Black and White: Traveling as a Biracial, Blended Family. Together, they talk about how to make ambitious travel plans work, even with the littlest kids — and, how to navigate the lived reality of family members who experience the world differently because of the color of their skin.

Then, Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah go over their recommendations for the week:

Elizabeth recommends: Keep Going Small Travel Kit

Jamilah recommends: Sweet potato honey bun cake

Zak recommends: Mega Wow on PBS Kids

Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working: Paving the Way for Designers of Color

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

This week, guest-host Keisha “TK” Dutes talks to graphic designer, writer, and educator Gail Anderson, who specializes in the art of typography. In the interview, Gail talks about falling in love with printed lettering and her decision to become a designer in the first place. Then she discusses some of her specific work, including campaign buttons and posters, playbills for Broadway, and her Emancipation Proclamation U.S. postage stamp.

After the interview, TK and co-host June Thomas talk about collecting inspiration from the outside world.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Gail discusses her position on the Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee, which helps to select and approve official postage stamps.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black Cop, White Mob

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The violent January 6th insurrection was a historic threat to American democracy. It led to five deaths, and many more injuries. Several Capitol police were hurt, but still managed to keep congressmembers and staff safe. Veteran officer Harry Dunn was awarded a Presidential Citizens Medal for his service that day, and is now sharing his experience in his new book Standing My Ground: A Capitol Police Officer’s Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th. In today’s episode of A Word, Dunn speaks with host Jason Johnson about fighting the insurrectionists, testifying in congressional hearings, and calling for accountability for the attackers.

Guest: Harry Dunn, Capitol Police Officer

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Year: 1990 - Mandrake the Magician

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

A middle-aged single dad in Chicago was outraged by all the cigarette billboards popping up in Black communities. In 1990, he picked up a paint roller and became an anti-tobacco vigilante. And he did it all under a secret identity.

This episode was written by Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.

This episode was produced by Kelly Jones, Olivia Briley, and Evan Chung. It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had mixing help from Kevin Bendis.

Join Slate Plus to get a special behind-the-scenes conversation at the end of our season about how we put together our 1990 stories. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Quinta Brunson: Comedy’s Class Act

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

It’s Black Friday, prime time for many of us to binge on holiday leftovers and some of our favorite family-friendly shows. One of them is likely to be ABC’s Abbott Elementary. Before the show rewrote the lesson plan for workplace comedies, star and creator Quinta Brunson joined A Word to speak with Jason Johnson to talk about what inspired Abbott, her foundation in sketch comedy, and her unlikely path to showrunner.

Guest: Quinta Brunson, writer, producer, and star of Abbott Elementary. She’s the author of the memoir “She Memes Well.”

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis and Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Rebirth of a Nation

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The first hopes for a post-racial America were raised during Reconstruction, the post-Civil War era when the country’s leaders pledged to fulfill the promise of freedom for formerly enslaved Blacks. But after a decade of reforms, the brutal racial hierarchy was reestablished in the South, costing African Americans their rights, opportunities, and—in many cases—their lives. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses the legacy of Reconstruction with Vann Newkirk II. He’s a senior editor for The Atlantic, which has devoted its latest issue to exploring that era of American history and what it can tell us about the current state of race in this country.

Guest: Vann Newkirk II, senior editor of The Atlantic

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decoder Ring: The Forgotten Video Game About Slavery

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

If you haven’t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: How the Israel-Gaza War Rages in America

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

A Jewish writer and Muslim journalist sit down to discuss the power dynamics, tribalism, and role of empathy in a far-away conflict that hits close to home in America.

Guests:

Aymann Ismail, Slate staff writer

Emily Tamkin, writer and author of The Influence of Soros and Bad Jews.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Keith Lee vs. Atlanta

Sat, 11 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Rachelle and Candice map out what happened when TikTok food personality Keith Lee traveled to Atlanta and ignited a culinary controversy. Lee is a former MMA fighter-turned-influencer who has been taking food tours around the country, ranking their cuisine and posting his reviews on TikTok. He was tasting restaurants in Atlanta when the itinerary took a turn for the worst: badly-reviewed establishments were fighting back online, one restaurant started receiving death threats, and even Cardi B had something to say. So how did a humble TikTok food critic become a lightning rod for such fierce (and dangerous) culinary criticism?

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black Voters, Blue Waves?

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Despite dismal poll numbers for President Biden, the off-year elections brought big wins for Democrats around the country, including in red states. Kentucky’s Democratic Governor Andy Beshear beat Black Republican Daniel Cameron to retain his seat, while Ohio voters supported legalized marijuana and abortion rights, in defiance of the state’s GOP leaders. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News, to talk about the role of Black voters in Democratic victories, and what it all could mean for the 2024 general elections.

Guest: Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Israeli Life Will Never Be the Same

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 08:00:00 -0000

A month after the October 7 attack by Hamas, how do Israelis view what happened, their country, neighbors, and the future?

Guest: Iris Zaki, Israeli filmmaker whose latest, ‘I Don’t Have That Empathy. It’s Not in Me Anymore.’ What Israeli Survivors Believe Now, was featured in the New York Times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Hasan Minhaj’s “Emotional Truths” Are Admitted Fabrications. Does it Matter?

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate staff writers Nitish Pahwa and Nadira Goffe to discuss their respective pieces about Hasan Minhaj. Since the New Yorker published their article on Minhaj’s “emotional truths,” the comedian has been at the center of a media firestorm that led to him publishing his own 21-minute response video. In the resulting discourse, questions have been raised about the role of truth in comedy.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: How First-Gen Kids Are Healing Online

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim are joined by Amy S. Choi, co-host of The Mash-Up Americans podcast. They talk about the burgeoning phenomenon of immigrant mom TikToks, videos and sketches that showcase the hilarious and loving ways children see their immigrant parents. They ask why immigrant moms get more online love than immigrant dads, and how these videos are healing both creators and viewers.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Sidelined by Racism?

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business, with a player population that’s more than 60 percent African American. Yet the league’s owners, leadership, and reporters don’t reflect that diversity. In his role as an NFL Media journalist, Jim Trotter repeatedly questioned officials, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, about the league’s lack of diversity. After he lost his job, Trotter filed a lawsuit, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation. On today’s episode of A Word, Trotter joins host Jason Johnson to talk about career, his court case, and the importance of having more African American journalists covering professional football.

Sandy Nunes, Vice President Talent Management On-Air at National Football League, declined to comment

Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN’s First Take, declined to comment.

Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula previously denied Jim Trotter’s allegations.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones previously denied much of Trotter’s account, saying “Some of the representation is not accurate” in response to the lawsuit.

Guest: Jim Trotter, senior opinion writer for The Athletic

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: Get on the WNBA Train Already!

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, the Las Vegas Aces beat the New York Liberty to win their second WNBA championship in a row. But more impressive is that they played in front of one of the biggest crowds to ever attend a WNBA game. Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by sports journalist and founder of the Power Plays newsletter Lindsay Gibbs to unpack the recent surge in popularity for women’s sports, why you should make an effort to support women’s basketball, and more.

In Slate Plus: Lindsay tries to convince Daisy to get into women’s college basketball

If you liked this episode, check out: Watch The Women’s World Cup, Damnit!

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on The Waves. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: You Don’t Need to Post About Israel and Palestine

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… when silence is violence.

The war in Israel and Palestine is a rapidly-evolving situation – and one that’s bringing up a lot of emotions for a lot of people. Couple that with the flood of mis-and-disinformation on social media, and “to post or not to post” becomes an extremely loaded question.

Are you ever required to speak up on social media? Even if you don’t know the whole story? And if you elect not to say anything, is that inherently choosing a side — and causing harm to others in the process?

Social strategist and writer Rachel Greenspan joins us to say that, as a Jewish woman, she doesn’t expect her friends to post about this moment in history… and maybe, neither should you.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Courting a Voting Rights Disaster

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Supreme Court watchers are concerned that the Justices are poised to make racial gerrymandering all but impossible to prove. This comes after the Court recently heard arguments in the case of Alexander v. the South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News. They discuss the South Carolina voters who are directly impacted by the case, and what it could mean for voting rights around the country.

Guest: Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus: Justice Samuel Alito Got Out Of Bed on The Perry Mason Side

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this week’s big voting rights case, Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, the Supreme Court heard arguments concerning whether to uphold a South Carolina congressional map that is avowedly partisan (everyone agrees it favors Republicans, but partisan gerrymanders are A-OK under SCOTUS precedent). What is disputed here is whether the mapmakers relied on race to reach their partisan aims. A three-judge panel in South Carolina found it to be a racial gerrymander, and threw out the map. In arguments on Wednesday, it became clear that the high court’s conservatives would rather toss out the evidence the lower court used to reach its decision, an unusual move for the highest court in the land, but perhaps the bed it’s made for itself after ruling partisan gerrymanders non justiciable in Rucho v. Common Cause in 2019. And so SCOTUS cos-played as a trial court for two hours on Wednesday.

On this week’s Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Leah Aden, senior counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who argued the case on behalf of the South Carolina Conference of the NAACP, and Taiwan Scott - a South Carolina voter and individual plaintiff in the case, who says the electoral power of his Gullah Geechee community is suppressed by the gerrymander.

Dahlia’s book Lady Justice: Women, the Law and the Battle to Save America, is also available as an audiobook, and Amicus listeners can get a 25 percent discount by entering the code “AMICUS” at checkout.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Cruel and Usual Punishment

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

With more than one and half million people behind bars, the U.S. is second only to China in the number of citizens who are incarcerated. And an estimated one of three African American men spend some part of their lives under the control or supervision of the criminal justice system. The consequences of incarceration for individuals, families, and communities are devastating…and little understood. Even the worst outcomes in prison –sickness, suicide and other deaths– are frequently overlooked because the victims aren’t valued and the incidents aren’t documented.

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Andrea Armstrong. She’s a professor at Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law, and the chair of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. She also recently won a MacArthur Fellowship –widely known as a genius award– for her work.

Guest: Andrea Armstrong, professor at Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law, and the chair of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: The Case For Taking A Sabbatical

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves: the case for taking a sabbatical.

Host TK Dutes speaks with author and former television writer Patty Lin on her latest book End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood. Lin worked in some of the most notable writers' rooms like Friends, Freaks and Geeks, Desperate Housewives and Breaking Bad. But when she hit a breaking point, she made a big change and stopped working for an entire year. After that? Her relationship with work–and everything else–transformed.

In Slate Plus: Patty Lin on how her closest relationships changed after going on sabbatical

If you liked this episode, check out: Female CEOs Can’t Save Us

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: Columbus Day Is Worth Celebrating

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… sailing the ocean blue.

Most of us just had Monday off for the holiday formerly known as Columbus Day — and technically, still known as Columbus Day, on the federal level.

Indigenous People’s Day, or Native Americans’ Day, was christened as a rebuttal to what Columbus actually meant for many: colonialism, violence, death, and destruction. But there are those who believe that Columbus, the man, is a different beast than Columbus, the event. Spanish ships landing in the Caribbean was a monumental moment in global history… so could that still be worth commemorating, even in a world that’s no longer kind to Columbus?

Prof. William Connell, chair of Italian Studies at Seton Hall University and organizer/co-editor of the definitive Routledge History of Italian-Americans, joins us.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Year: 1955 - The Hiroshima Maidens

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Ten years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, 25 women who’d been disfigured by the blast came to the United States. Those Japanese survivors would go to the White House and end up on a bizarre proto reality TV show. They’d also put their lives in the hands of American doctors, hoping that risky, cutting-edge surgeries might repair their injuries and give them a chance for a fresh start.

Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.

This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad.

It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. Holly Allen created the artwork for this season.

Join Slate Plus to get a bonus 1955 episode at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black Grief, White Grievance

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Many of the gains of the Civil Rights movement were built by African Americans who turned grief—often over the violent deaths of loved ones—into activism. At the same time, grief over anticipated or theoretical losses within the white community is frequently harnessed into political power. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by political science professor Juliet Hooker, author of Black Grief/White Grievance, about why anger and even violence has often been framed as a justified response to white losses of power and influence, but inappropriate among Black people, even when there’s loss of life.

Guest: Juliet Hooker, Professor of Political Science at Brown University

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Talk That Talk

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

**Today’s episode discusses sensitive language, including the n-word, and may not be appropriate for all listeners.**

For decades, words and phrases that originate in Black homes, churches, and entertainment have been pulled into the national conversation…where their meanings are often changed or widely misunderstood. And social media has accelerated the process, taking Black vernacular from a group chat, to Twitter, to national headlines in record time. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalists Tre’vell Anderson and Jarrett Hill, co-authors of the new book, Historically Black Phrases: From ‘I Ain’t One of Your Lil’ Friends’ to ‘Who All Gon’ Be There?’ They talk about what inspired their book, and how they hope the book can provide a snapshot of authentic Black language, and the spark to more honest conversations about race and identity.

Guests:

Acclaimed writer Tre’vell Anderson, author of We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film.

Award-winning journalist Jarrett Hill, professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Journalism.

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: The Afghan Women Left Behind - Gender And U.S. Immigration

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow turns to Afghanistan, two years since the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. She speaks with reporter Tanvi Misra, who recently published an article with Politico following a family trapped in immigration limbo at a U.S. embassy in Doha, Qatar. Tanvi also explains how the U.S. immigration process singles out women and marginalized genders.

Further reading: They Thought Their Sick Little Girl Would Be Safe in America. Then It Denied Her Family Entry.

In Slate Plus: The drama and life of luxury on Prime Video’s Made in Heaven with Host Kat Chow and reporter Tanvi Misra

If you liked this episode, check out: Incompetent Cervix - The Misogynist History Behind Naming The Female Body

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Can Marriage Fix America?

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Why is everyone—on the left and the right—suddenly touting the benefits of a married two-parent family? And what is it about this institution that appeals to a certain class of politicians and pundits as means to address American poverty, even as it loses popularity?

We consider the public meltdown over lower marriage rates and the renewed interest in ending no-fault divorce.

Guest: Rebecca Traister, author of All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation and writer-at-large for New York magazine.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Madeline Ducharme, Anna Phillips, Paige Osburn, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transracial Adoption Is Traumatic

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… what? Oh my god, who told you?

Adoption is a complicated thing. Raising a child who’s not related to you is challenging — and being that child, in many ways, is even harder.

And it’s all too easy for adoption, particularly a white family adopting a black or brown child, to be framed as a heroic act. The truth, as adoptees will tell you, is a lot messier.

Angela Tucker, a writer and transracial adoptee, joins us to argue that adoption is traumatic… and with the right reforms, it shouldn’t need to happen as often as it does.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gabfest Reads: Zadie Smith Knows You're a Fraud

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Emily Bazelon talks with author Zadie Smith about her new book, The Fraud. They discuss what happens when justice comes through an unjust symbol, how much Zadie does and doesn’t know about her characters, and more.

Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: School of Destruction

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Against the odds, a tight-knit group of Black families created the community of Shoe Lane in Newport News, Virginia in the early 20th century. Residents bought land, and often built their homes, expecting to hand down a thriving African American neighborhood to future generations. Then Christopher Newport University systematically took the land over, pushing out all but a handful of now-elderly residents. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Brandi Kellam, who helped bring the story to light. She co-reported Erasing the “Black Spot”: How a Virginia College Expanded by Uprooting a Black Neighborhood for ProPublica and the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO.

Guest: Journalist Brandi Kellam

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: Incompetent Cervix - The Misogynist History Behind Naming The Female Body

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow welcomes back author and science journalist Rachel E. Gross to talk about the misogynist origins of many names and diagnoses in the female reproductive system. Gross is the author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage and the New York Times column Body Language.

In Slate Plus: Rachel E. Gross’s thoughts on the documentary Every Body about intersex people

If you liked this episode, check out: The Vagina et Al., an interview with Rachel E. Gross and Slate’s Shannon Palus about Gross’s book Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus: The Supreme Court We Deserve?

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by award-winning documentarian and lawyer Dawn Porter for a conversation about two projects shining a light on the law and how we can shape it: Porter’s new Showtime documentary series Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court, and the paperback release of Dahlia’s book Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America.

Together they trace the political shifts and cultural earthquakes from the Warren Court to the Burger, Rehnquist and now Roberts Court, and they discuss how the courts current crisis of legitimacy cannot be cured with a moratorium on criticism. In both Lady Justice and Deadlocked a truth surfaces: when it comes to the rule of law, there is no “plan b”, so the challenge to Dawn’s audience, Dahlia’s readers and Amicus listeners is the same: to use the law as a tool for progress and justice.

Dahlia’s book Lady Justice: Women, the Law and the Battle to Save America, is now out in paperback. It is also available as an audiobook, and Amicus listeners can get a 25 percent discount by entering the code “AMICUS” at checkout. https://books.supportingcast.fm/lady-justice

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Wrong from the Beginning

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The teaching of Black history has been under increasing political attack in recent years. But the version of African American history taught –even to Black people– has always been incomplete. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by columnist Michael Harriot to discuss his new book, Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America. They discuss the inspiration for the book, the most persistent myths of race and racism, and fighting the backlash against Black history.

Guest: Michael Harriot, author of Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Case Against Harm Reduction

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Following “The Call,” our series on the opioid epidemic continues in Harlem. Inside a safe-consumption site, addiction is destigmatized—outside, however, the neighbors feel differently.

Guest: Syderia Asberry-Chresfield, co-founder of the Greater Harlem Coalition and a former Vice President for JP Morgan Chase.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black Toy Joy

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Kwamé Holland started his music career at the dawn of the hip-hop era. But after decades in the business, the rapper and producer is reconnecting with his first creative love – toys! And he’s building a community of Black toy lovers who don’t just collect action figures, but build and even play with them. On today’s episode of A Word, Kwamé Holland talks with host Jason Johnson about his unique path to becoming a prophet of playtime, and his work with Let’s Be Onyx, an organization that promotes the art of collectable toys.

Guest: Rapper, producer and writer Kwamé Holland, co-founder of Let’s Be Onyx

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dear Prudence: My Sister Is Lying to My Nephews About Their Father's Identity. Help!

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Gene Demby (co-host of NPR's Code Switch) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about crushes that are complicated by power dynamics, family secrets about racial identity, and whether loud talking is a cultural issue that could end a relationship.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: The Bama Rush to Trad Wife Pipeline

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s rush time! Host Kat Chow is diving deep into the #BamaRush phenomenon that has taken over the internet recently. She’s joined by professor and New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom to talk about her recent article, “In Alabama, White Tide Rushes On” They dig into the very specific “type” of college student that joins the Alabama sorority, the race and gender implications of the Greek “Machine” and the cuteness of it all.

Fighter Reading:

Our Aesthetic Categories: Zany, Cute, Interesting by Sianne Ngai

HBO documentary Bama Rush (2023) directed by Rachel Fleit

In Slate Plus: Unpacking Tressie’s piece The Enduring, Invisible Power of Blond, and all the internet chaos it caused.

If you liked this episode, check out: How Drake Betrayed Megan Thee Stallion

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: After Jacksonville, Is Antifa the Answer?

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The racist murders of three Black Americans in Jacksonville renewed fears of a rising tide of violent white supremacists. At the same time, fascist movements are successfully recruiting more diverse members. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Daryle Lamont Jenkins, an activist who has devoted his career to tracking and confronting extremists, and even to helping people escape white supremacist groups. Jenkins proudly embraces the maligned “antifa” label, and is encouraging followers to find ways every day to stand up to organized extremists, from neighborhoods to the national government.

Guest: Daryle Lamont Jenkins, Executive Director of the One People’s Project

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Year: 1955 - The Team Nobody Would Play

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The Cannon Street All-Stars dreamed of playing in the 1955 Little League World Series. Their biggest obstacle didn’t come on the field. In the year that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus, these Black 12-year-olds became unlikely civil rights pioneers—and faced the wrath of a white society that wasn’t ready to change.

Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.

This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad.

It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

Join Slate Plus to get the first three episodes of One Year: 1955 right away—and a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Democracy Dies in Dixie?

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

A small-town government’s failures pushed volunteer Patrick Braxton to run for mayor. He won the right to lead in Newbern, Alabama. But a white minority has literally locked him out of office. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Aallyah Wright, the Capital B journalist who helped elevate Braxton’s ordeal to national news. They discuss the wider issue of ways Black political power is thwarted by old school racism, and the need for a more wide ranging response.

Guest: Aallyah Wright, Capital B News reporter

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Why The Blind Side's Narrative Fell Apart

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Last week, retired NFL lineman Michael Oher sued the Tuohy family and revealed a gulf between real life and how he and the family were portrayed in 2009’s The Blind Side.

Guest: Santul Nerkar, reporter on sports and business for the New York Times.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate Money: Criminals Series - Looting, Outfoxing, and Swindling the West

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers speak with Yepoka Yeebo, author of Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World. Yeebo explains how John Ackah Bley-Miezah convinced people that he held the keys to a large fortune. All they needed to do was help him access it.

Podcast production by Patrick Fort.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The Donald Went Down to Georgia

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week’s indictment of former President Donald Trump in Georgia is widely considered to be the most ambitious prosecution he faces. With 41 counts, and 18 named co-conspirators, it covers alleged crimes in Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 loss in the state. But the case also highlights his attacks on individual Black women, and legitimacy of Black votes in general. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney and voting rights advocate Nse Ufot. She’s the founder of the New South Super PAC, and a long-time activist in Georgia. She says that—no matter what happens in this particular case—voting rights for people of color and other marginalized groups are under constant threat across Georgia, and preserving democratic principles there will require vigilance, strategy, and determination.

Guest: Nse Ufot, voting rights activist and founder of the New South Super PAC

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel.

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: How Drake Betrayed Megan Thee Stallion

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Tory Lanez has been sentenced for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and we have THOUGHTS. Scamfluencers co-host and former BuzzFeed reporter Scaachi Koul is joined by Refinery29 reporter Kathleen Newman-Bremang to unpack why so many people turned against Megan despite Tory Lanez being a wasteman. They explain what exactly is a “Toronto Mans” and why this dangerous subsection of man is crossing American borders in the forms of Drake, the Weeknd, and more.

In Slate Plus: Episode 10 of our And Just Like That…recap.

If you liked this episode, check out: The World Record Book of Racist Stories

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Scaachi Koul, Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Fani Willis Takes on Trump

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The fourth shoe dropped this week, when Fulton County DA Fani Willis announced Donald Trump’s latest indictment, charging the former president, along with 18 others, for engaging in a sprawling criminal conspiracy to disenfranchise Georgia voters. Trump has been responding by lashing out against Willis and voters in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.

Guest: Rick Hasan, professor of law at UCLA and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: What NewJeans Tells Us About the Future of K-Pop

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s show, Candice is joined by Vivian Yoon, the writer and host of K-Pop Dreaming. They dissect the hype surrounding K-pop viral sensation NewJeans, talk about the musical influences that make them stand out, and share their own experiences growing up with K-pop.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton, Candice Lim and Daisy Rosario, with special thanks to Emily Charash.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Haiti on the Brink

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

According to the United Nations, more civilians died in Haiti than died in Ukraine during the first few months of 2023. Institutions have collapsed; violent gangs control the capital, and kidnappers are terrorizing citizens. What’s left of the Haitian government has pleaded for international help, but historically, foreign interventions in Haiti have harmed, exploited, and even killed many Haitians. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Patrick Gaspard, chief of the Center for American Progress think tank, who argues the U.S. has a moral obligation to intervene. Gaspard is also the former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, and a Haitian-American.

Guest: Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: Affirmative Action Failed Poor Black Kids

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… almost affirmative.

We don’t yet know what the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action is going to do, tangibly, to college admissions — or how long those impacts will last. But, based on past experiments, we have a decent idea. And many advocates say the implications here are urgent and dire.

But affirmative action might not have been the great equalizing force that a lot of people believe it was.

Bertrand Cooper, freelance journalist and policy researcher, joins us to elaborate on his belief that poor Black kids were failed by affirmative action.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Golden Lady Ballers

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

More people are watching women’s sports than ever before, and the U.S. has high hopes for the Women’s World Cup. Still, there’s a lag in media coverage and resources for women athletes, particularly women of color. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Subria Whitaker, the chief of the non-profit organization Grow the Game. They discuss why the growth of women’s sports still isn’t matched by media coverage and economic resources, and how that impacts audiences and athletes of color.

Guest: Subria Whitaker, founder and executive director of the non-profit, Grow the Game

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: It’s Hot as Hell. Why Are Pools Closed?

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The temperature is going up, but the number of open, public pools isn’t. It’s not just a summer bummer; it’s turning into a public health crisis.

Guest: Mara Gay, member of the New York Times editorial board, focused on New York State and local affairs.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The Rise of Post-Obama Racism

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

For some, the election of Barack Obama signified hope. For others, it intensified hate. But what role did mainstream political rhetoric play in fueling subsequent violent racially charged incidents? On today’s episode of A Word, guest host Ahyiana Angel is joined by Wesley Lowery, journalist and author of American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress. Lowery details how he used first-hand reporting and historical analysis to explore the role of race in politics and the new wave of racial division in our society.

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dear Prudence: My Boyfriend Hid His Hobby From Me—Civil War Reenactments. Help!

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Damon Young (a writer, critic, and a self-proclaimed “professional black person”) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers who are obsessing about their lackluster high school tennis careers, their awkward interaction with their crushes, and whether participation in civil war reenactments is a dating deal breaker.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. This week she answers a question about what to do when a grandparent food-polices a toddler.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Jason Aldean’s “Dog-Whistle Anthem”

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Country music’s Jason Aldean has been around for years. But he didn’t crack the Billboard Top 5 until he released “Try That in a Small Town” – a controversial hit that portrays American city living as a gauntlet of violence and crime. CMT pulled down the song’s video, which featured Aldean singing at a former lynching site. But “Try That” is more popular than ever. Why? And what does its ubiquity say about modern country music?

Guest: Jason Lipshutz, senior director of music at Billboard

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Justice Delayed, Justice Denied?

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Oklahoma’s legendary “Black Wall Street” was destroyed in the Tulsa Massacre of 1921. Hundreds of victims were murdered and dumped in mass graves, and dozens of homes and businesses were burned to the ground. More than a century later, three survivors remain, fighting for justice. But their lawsuit seeking reparations was recently dealt a blow in court. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons to talk about the case, the history and the next steps.

Guest: Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons, founder of the Justice 4 Greenwood organization

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus: Zero-Sum Justice

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In the first of Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books and podcasts that have helped us look at the Supreme Court from a different angle, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Joel Anderson, host of Season 8 of Slate’s Slow Burn podcast: Becoming Justice Thomas. They talk about the experiences and people who helped shape Justice Thomas’ worldview and how deeply his jurisprudence is rooted in a kind of “cruel to be kind” ethos from his childhood. And why he was so blind to the challenges and suffering of so many Black women in his life.

Next, Dahlia talks to Heather McGhee, Author The Sum of Us: WHAT RACISM COSTS EVERYONE AND HOW WE CAN PROSPER TOGETHER, about her books and podcast, and what they can teach us about a Supreme Court that is inclined to frame the world as zero-sum.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black Dolls Matter

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Barbie is more than a toy. She’s an icon, and now the focus of a blockbuster film. For generations, Barbie has helped define all-American beauty, often leaving girls who weren’t blonde, thin, and white feeling invisible. But that began to change in the 1980’s with the introduction of Black Barbies. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Lagueria Davis, the producer of Black Barbie: A Documentary. The film tells the stories of the African American women who helped bring Black Barbie to life, and the surprising impact that had on the marketplace, and the emotional lives of Black girls.

Guest: Filmmaker Lagueria Davis, producer of Black Barbie: A Documentary

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Has Black Twitter Found A New Home?

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to dive into her piece about Spill, the latest Twitter alternative to hit the streets. But first, they parse out the chaos surrounding Keke Palmer and Jonah Hill, whose respective relationship drama entered public discourse over the past week.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, Candice Lim and Rachelle Hampton.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: You Need To Care About Meghan Markle

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… royal pains.

The British Royals are far from the imperial power they once were. Whether you love the institution, hate it, or simply don’t care, it’s hard to deny that it feels like an artifact of another time.

Which is perhaps why Meghan Markle’s arrival on the scene – and subsequent departure, with Prince Harry at her side – threw so many people for a loop. Meghan continues to receive racist, sexist, and downright fabricated harassment from the public, and particularly the tabloids… and so do the people who defend her.

Kristen Meinzer, culture critic and host of The Daily Fail, joins us again to explain why we need to care about Meghan — and defend her.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Trouble the Waters

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:00:00 -0000

It can take years for a water crisis in a predominantly Black city or town to make national news. But contaminated water often harms communities for generations. Beyond the ongoing health threats, dirty water can stifle business and economic development, driving down educational achievement, property values and investment. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Adam Mahoney who has reported extensively on how undrinkable water in hurting Black communities across the rural south.

Guest: Reporter Adam Mahoney of Capital B News

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The Rise of Miss Ross

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

As this year’s LGBTQ Pride Month ends, transgender Americans find themselves under political attack. At the same time, a number of transgender creatives are thriving, building bright careers and awareness of their community. Actress and activist Angelica Ross is one of those artists. She joins journalist Aisha Mills, who is filling in as host, on today’s episode of A Word. Ross talks about her own journey from struggling teen, to military service, to groundbreaking performer and entrepreuer.

Guest: Actress Angelica Ross

Host: Journalist Aisha Mills, in for Jason Johnson

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus: The End of Affirmative Action

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:00:00 -0000

This episode is a part of Opinionpalooza. Slate’s coverage of Supreme Court decisions. We consider this coverage so essential that we’re taking down the paywall for all of it. If you would like to help us continue to cover the courts aggressively, please consider joining Slate Plus. And sign up for the pop-up newsletter to see the latest every week in your inbox.

In an emergency episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Slate’s own Mark Joseph Stern to analyze SCOTUS’ decision to wipe out affirmative action in college admissions. They find Chief Justice John Roberts’ majority opinion has some curious carve-outs that will keep lawyers busy, and college admissions tutors and applicants… baffled.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working: A Tap Dancing Obsession

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week, guest-host Nate Chinen talks to Ayodele Casel, an award-winning tap dancer and one of the choreographers for Funny Girl on broadway. In the interview, Ayodele explains how she progressed quickly in the mid to late 90’s even though she didn’t take up tap dancing until college. She also discusses her award-winning film Chasing Magic and her one-woman show While I Have the Floor, in which she dances to the rhythms of her own spoken word performance.

After the interview, Nate and co-host Isaac Butler talk about the ways artists can honor the history of their discipline.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Ayodele shares her favorite tap dancing clips on YouTube.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black and Proud

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

During this LGBTQ Pride month, many members of the community are reflecting on a year of unprecedented political and legal attacks. One of the biggest battlefields has been in public schools and libraries, where books featuring LGBTQ stories have been the targets of censors. On today’s episode of A Word, guest host journalist Aisha Mills is joined by George M. Johnson, author of one of the most banned books, All Boys Aren’t Blue. They talk about the intersection of race and gender identity, and how Johnson has fought back against critics who call the book dangerous and inappropriate for children.

Guest: George M. Johnson, author of All Boys Aren’t Blue

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 4: A National Disgrace

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 17:45:00 -0000

Anita Hill’s accusations launched urgent and heated conversations about racism and sexual harassment. They also stoked an anger in Clarence Thomas that’s never stopped raging.

Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.

Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.

Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.

This episode was edited by Josh Levin, Derek John, Sophie Summergrad, and Joel Meyer.

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: Descendants Of Slaves Don’t Need Reparations

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… an archaeology of grievances.

In honor of the third Juneteenth being celebrated as a national holiday, it’s worth unpacking symbolic gestures like Juneteenth — and, as many states are finding out, like Reparations.

The movement to compensate the descendants of slaves is gaining more traction than ever before, in many parts of the country. Could this be our chance to clear a massive, lingering blight on our nation’s history?

Our guest today argues no. Podcast host and columnist Coleman Hughes joins us to make the case that compensating the victims of slavery was something we should’ve done long ago – and now, it’s too late for it to be anything other than a problem.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: More Than A Hashtag

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Police killings of Black men have their own grim, but established, rituals in American society. But what happens to those who survive police violence? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Leon Ford, who survived being shot multiple times by Pittsburgh police more than a decade ago. In his new memoir An Unspeakable Hope, Ford candidly describes his legal, physical, and mental health challenges, and why he eventually dedicated himself to working with police, including reaching out to the man who shot him. He also discusses The Hear Foundation—his non-profit group that builds partnerships between the community and police—and his complicated views of politics, gun violence, and activism.

Guest: Activist Leon Ford, co-founder of The Hear Foundation, and author of An Unspeakable Hope: Brutality, Forgiveness, and Building a Better Future for My Son

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 3: I’m Their Guy

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

When Clarence Thomas got nominated to the Supreme Court, his behavior during the 1980s would get put under a microscope. To understand who Thomas was then and who he is today, you need to hear how he treated the women he worked with. You also need to hear from the woman who knew him best during those critical years: his ex-girlfriend Lillian McEwen.

Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.

Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.

Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.

This episode was edited by Josh Levin, Derek John, Sophie Summergrad, and Joel Meyer.

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.

Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: A Little Racism Can Be A Good Thing

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… Racism Lite.

Racial politics is responsible for a lot of ugliness, in the United States and around the world. Humans want, and even need, to sort themselves into categories — and sometimes, that tribalism yields as much good as it can bad. So do we always need to be a melting pot?

Writer Damon Young joins us to make the case that we’re all racist, and there’s no reason to pretend otherwise.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Liberal Case Against Affirmative Action

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

If the Supreme Court rules against affirmative action for certain racial groups, as expected, how will colleges and other institutions create diverse student bodies and address racial disparities?

Guest: Richard Kahlenberg, senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute and professorial lecturer at George Washington University

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Hollywood Shuffle

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Weeks into the Hollywood writers strike, and there’s no sign of a settlement. WGA members say that studio chiefs are using artificial intelligence, streaming, and other methods to undervalue their work. And a wealth of already produced content, along with the misconception that writers are well paid, could minimize sympathy from fans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Eric Haywood. He’s a board member of the Writers Guild of America, and a creative whose work has been seen on Law & Order, Empire, and Power. Haywood explains what’s at stake for striking writers,

Guest: Screenwriter Eric Haywood, Writers Guild of America negotiator

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus: Did John Roberts Really Just Save Voting Rights?

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 20:00:00 -0000

Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern join forces for this Opinionpalooza extra episode of Amicus discussing a seismic Supreme Court decision on voting rights. In his majority opinion in Allen v Milligan, Chief Justice John Roberts pushes back against his own long-standing stance on voting rights. Join Dahlia and Mark in this bonus episode to find out why.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 2: Smiling Faces

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Clarence Thomas went to Yale Law School because he thought it was a good fit for his left-wing politics. But when he got there, it seemed like all the white liberals thought he was only there because he was Black. The sting Thomas felt fueled a lifelong resentment of affirmative action. It also drew him to a group of conservatives who helped sharpen his political beliefs.

Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.

Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.

Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.

This episode was edited by Josh Levin, Derek John, Sophie Summergrad and Joel Meyer.

Merritt Jacob is Slate’s senior technical director.

Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: My Father, the Spy

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Every family has secrets. As a girl, Leta McCollough Seletzky learned that her father, Marrell McCollough– was on the scene of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. But it would be years before she learned that he was there as a spy for the Memphis police, who wanted information on King’s local allies. On today’s episode of A Word, she speaks with Jason Johnson about her father’s story, captured in her new book, The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King.

Guest: Leta McCollough Seletzky, author of The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: The Hustle of Being Beautiful

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about the beauty industry. Senior writer and editor at New America, Julia Craven is joined by author and NPR host-at-large Elise Hu. They discuss Elise’s new book, Flawless - a remarkable investigation into the Korean beauty world. They also unpack the hustle culture inherent in beauty, how Eurocentric beauty trends are everywhere, and more.

In Slate Plus: Is Shiv Roy from HBO’s Succession misunderstood?

If you liked this episode, check out: Who’s Getting Rich Off Menopause?

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work.

This Pride Month, make an impact by helping Macy’s and The Trevor Project on their mission to fund life-saving suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas - Ep. 1: America’s Blackest Child

Wed, 31 May 2023 09:00:00 -0000

Growing up in Georgia, Clarence Thomas wanted to make his mark. His goal was to become his hometown’s first Black Catholic priest. But in the 1960s, he abandoned that dream. Instead, he embraced campus activism and the teachings of Malcolm X.

Season 8 of Slow Burn is produced by Joel Anderson, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, and Sofie Kodner.

Josh Levin is the editorial director of Slow Burn.

Derek John is Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

Susan Matthews is Slate’s executive editor.

Editorial direction by Josh Levin, Derek John, and Joel Meyer.

Merritt Jacob is Slate’s senior technical director.

Our theme music is composed by Alexis Cuadrado. Artwork by Ivylise Simones.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Reckoning on Campus

Fri, 26 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The murder of George Floyd prompted a number of American colleges and universities to reckon with their historic roles in slavery. Three years later, many institutions have abandoned those efforts. One that’s still going strong is the Hard Histories Project at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by historian Martha Jones, the director of that effort. The scholars associated with the project have uncovered many challenging truths, including evidence that the founder of Johns Hopkins—widely hailed as an abolitionist—owned slaves.

Guest: Historian Martha Jones, Director of the Hard Histories Project at Johns Hopkins University

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: Policing Can’t Be Reformed And Must Be Abolished

Tue, 23 May 2023 07:03:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… imagine a world without police.

Three years after George Floyd’s murder, we’ve seen some incremental change in how we try to prevent police brutality. But it still happens, all too often — and Americans are still dying, in alarming numbers, at the hands of police.

Writer and organizer Geo Maher joins us to argue that our law enforcement system is too bloated and corrupt to fix. Instead, we should dismantle it entirely and start from scratch.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Navajo Fight for Water

Tue, 23 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case that will determine whether or not the government is obligated to ensure water access for Native American tribes. The arguments in the case, Arizona v. Navajo Nation, hinge upon whether or not the government has violated past treaties with the tribe by not providing adequate water.

Guest: Heather Tanana, assistant professor of law at the University of Utah and citizen of the Navajo Nation.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The Ballot, the Bullet, and the Truth

Fri, 19 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925, and he remains one of the most polarizing figures of the civil rights movement. An enduring myth from that era is that he and Martin Luther King Jr. were diametrically opposed politically. But the recent revelation that a quote where King condemned Malcolm X was false has prompted a wider reconsideration of his beliefs and legacy.

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by historian Peniel Joseph, author of “The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.” Professor Joseph explains why the popular understanding of Malcolm X is so incomplete, and helps to give a more nuanced portrait of him as a man and a leader.

Guest: Peniel Joseph, Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values at the University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Roots of Latino White Supremacy

Wed, 17 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The shooter who killed 8 people at an Allen, Texas mall had Nazi tattoos and left behind an online diary filled with white supremacist beliefs. He also was Latino.

Guest: Tanya Katerí Hernández, professor of law at Fordham University School of Law and author of Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Me Out: Workplace DEI Trainings Do More Harm Than Good

Tue, 16 May 2023 07:01:00 -0000

On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… if you need a Chief Diversity Officer, you’ve already failed.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) trainings are reaching ubiquity in pretty much every American workplace. There’s no doubt that discrimination, harassment and sequestering — on the basis of sex, sexuality, gender, race, age — all of that exists.

The question becomes what to do about it. And there’s an argument to be made that the trainings and buzzwords might be doing more to make workplaces worse than they do to make them better.

Cindy Gallop, entrepreneur and CEO of IfWeRanTheWorld and MakeLoveNotPorn, joins us.

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can now email the show: hearmeout@slate.com

Podcast production by Maura Currie

You can skip all the ads in Hear Me Out by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/hearmeoutplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Why Tarte Cosmetics is Being Accused of Racism (Again)

Sat, 13 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On today’s show, Rachelle is joined by ICYMI favorite, Nadira Goffe to talk about the makeup meltdown that’s taken over TikTok. The two dissect a Miami F1 brand trip sponsored by Tarte Cosmetics that ended in multiple apology videos and a promise by Tarte CEO Maureen Kelly to make her brand’s creator program more equitable. They dive deep into Tarte’s less than inclusive history and explain how exactly Pyrex got involved.

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Rachelle Hampton and Daisy Rosario.

Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Dungeons, Dragons, and Diversity

Fri, 12 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The persistent stereotype that role-playing, tabletop game players are overwhelmingly white is rooted in race, housing, and history. The suburban homes where people could dedicate a surface to a sprawling, multiplayer board game used to be almost exclusively white. And the knights, wizards, and other fantastic creatures in these games were closely tied to European mythology. But a more diverse world of game playing is rising, with more people of color getting a seat at the creative table. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses diversity in hobby games with Aaron Trammell, a professor of informatics at U.C. Irvine. He’s also the author of the new book The Privilege of Play: A History of Hobby Games, Race and Geek Culture.

Guest: Aaron Trammell, author of The Privilege of Play: A History of Hobby Games, Race and Geek Culture

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Border's New Normal

Wed, 10 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Activated during the Trump administration in 2020, Title 42 is a controversial border policy that makes it easier to quickly expel asylum seekers. Even though Biden campaigned on moving away from Trump’s anti-immigration stance,, his administration has also leaned on Title 42 to control the border. . Now that the policy is being lifted this week, pressure is on the Biden administration to answer the practical question: “What does a fair and humane asylum system look like in America?”

Guest: Arelis Hernández, immigration reporter at the Washington Post

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Becoming “The Black Mozart”

Fri, 05 May 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Even classical art can be revolutionary. That was true for violinist Joseph Bologne. He was a biracial musical prodigy who worked and charmed his way into the center of 18th-century French society. But the new film “Chevalier” shows how even his genius couldn’t save him from the poisonous combination of bias and envy. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by actor Kelvin Harrison Jr., star of “Chevalier.” They talk about rediscovering this largely forgotten musical history, and Harrison’s critically acclaimed work on stage and screen.

Guest: Actor Kelvin Harrison, Jr.

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Make an impact this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund APIA Scholars. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Autism Beyond Awareness

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance month, and might be the only time of year when many Americans think about neurodiversity. But for many families, receiving an autism diagnosis for a child can set off an all-consuming search for doctors, therapists, and education that can work for their kids. That’s more complicated for African-American families, who have to overcome systemic racism in schools and health care to get the right help for their children. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. Ashley Wiley-Johnson. She’s the vice president of The Los Angeles Speech and Language Therapy Center. She’s also the co-author of Autism Spectrum Disorders from Theory to Practice: Assessment and Intervention Tools Across the Lifespan. She explains how finding help that focuses on life-long skills for autistic people can lay a foundation for them to have happy, healthy futures.

Guest: Dr. Ashley Wiley-Johnson, vice president of The Los Angeles Speech and Language Therapy Center

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Home is Where the Hurt Is

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the African American community has a complicated relationship with corporal punishment of kids. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Stacey Patton, a writer, child abuse survivor, and the author of Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America. She debunks myths about spanking, including the idea that physical discipline of children has roots in Africa. They also discuss the emotional and psychological damage caused by spanking, and by the new phenomenon of parents sharing videos of punishing their children on social media.

Guest: Stacey Patton, author of Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: He Couldn’t Teach ‘Slavery Was Wrong.’ So He Quit.

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Iowa was one of the first states in the country to pass legislation against teaching that the United States is systemically racist — an idea some equate with “critical race theory.” But when one social studies teacher asked how he could teach U.S. history without running afoul of the new law, he didn’t get any clarity — or help.

What happens when legislation targets teachers? And as America’s teacher shortage grows — what will this mean for the country’s kids?

Guest: Greg Wickenkamp, former eighth grade social studies teacher in Fairfield, Iowa.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The Color of Money

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The deadline for filing taxes this year is April 18th, and tax season brings on anxiety in lots of Americans. For Black folks, a lack of intergenerational wealth often means fewer contacts and networks that can offer guidance on taxes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary to talk about some of the tax challenges that disproportionately affect the Black community, last minute filing tips, and how to plan now for a better tax time next year.

Guest: Michelle Singletary, Washington Post personal finance columnist and author of “What To Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits: A Survival Guide.”

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dear Prudence: My Husband Wants Our 9-Year-Old Son to Play Tackle Football. Help!

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Bomani Jones (host of HBO’s Game Theory With Bomani Jones and The Right Time With Bomani Jones) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer questions from letter writers about workplace socializing, friends who are no longer likable people, and youth football.

If you want more Dear Prudence, you should join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Brandon Nix.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Tennessee’s House Divided

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

The Tennessee House, which has a Republican supermajority, voted last week on motions to expel three Democratic members for “disorderly behavior” after they led protest chants from the floor of the chamber.

Two Black lawmakers, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson—both in their late 20s and new to the House this session—were ousted. The motion to boot the other Rep. Gloria Johnson, who’s white, failed by one vote.

Guest: Melissa Brown, state politics reporter for The Tennessean.

Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The Battle for Eatonville

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Folklorist and Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston made her hometown of Eatonville, Florida famous in her writing, including her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. But her fame hasn’t saved the town from the pressures that many African American communities have endured: a population fighting poverty, government indifference, and developers that want to scoop up the land to build housing that current residents can’t afford. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Aallyah Wright, a reporter with Black news non-profit Capital B, who has written about the town’s recent success in resisting developers, and its hopes for the future.

Guest: Capital B reporter Aallyah Wright

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working: A Black Bird-Watcher Welcomes More Into the Flock

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week, host Karen Han talks to artist and ornithologist Isaiah Scott, whose popular Instagram account features vibrant photos, illustrations, and information about birds. In the interview, Isaiah talks about his process for organizing bird-watching hikes in his community and his mission to make bird-watching more welcoming. He also discusses the growing community of Black bird enthusiasts and his effort to bring more style and fun to the birding hobby.

After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas talk about the best ways to welcome newcomers into your field. They also discuss how to figure out boundaries for ambitious creative projects.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Isaiah shares more details about a field guide he’s designing.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next TBD: Seeking Asylum Via App

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0000

CBP One, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's app that is supposed to make crossing the border more efficient, is littered with bugs. But even a perfectly functional smartphone app would pose problems for people seeking asylum on the southern U.S. border.

Guest: Arelis Hernández, Washington Post reporter

Gia Del Pino, director of communications at the Kino Border Initiative

Felicia Rangel Samponaro, director of the Sidewalk School

Host: Lizzie O’Leary

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next TBD. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Build Black Better

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

Baltimore is one of many aging American cities that is plagued with both a lack of affordable housing, and a surplus of vacant homes. But a local non-profit is addressing both those issues, and teaching community members to rebuild their neighborhoods one house at a time. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Shelley Halstead, who founded Black Women Build in Baltimore.

Guest: Shelley Halstead, founder of Black Women Build

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $15 a month for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dear Prudence: I Think Black Tourists Are in Danger in My Town. Help!

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Jamilah Lemieux (co-host of Slate’s Mom and Dad are Fighting) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer questions from letter writers about saving friends from bad relationships, warning Black tourists in a sundown town, and how to deal when your spouse cares more about his dog than about your children.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Brandon Nix.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: What the Hart Family Murders Reveal About Foster Care

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by Texas Tribune reporter Roxanna Asgarian to discuss her book We Were Once A Family: A Story of Love, Death and Child Removal in America and its findings on the foster care system. The book covers the tragic Hart family murders in 2018 where two mothers drove their six adopted children off a cliff.

In Slate Plus: How Roxanna navigated writing about a tragic family story in a pandemic while being a first-time mom.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Tori Dominguez with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: When a Race War Threat Was Real

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

For many people of faith, Holy Week brings the most sacred days of the year. But in 1968, that season was marred by the murder of Martin Luther King Jr., and the violent unrest and riots that followed. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Vann Newkirk II. He’s a senior editor for The Atlantic, and the host of its Holy Week podcast, which examines this moment in history. They discuss the political and social forces that led up to these pivotal events, and how they’re remembered by the people who were themselves in the streets.

Guest: Vann Newkirk II, host of The Atlantic’s Holy Week podcast.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working: A ‘70s Crime Classic Gets a Musical Redux

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Suzan-Lori Parks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright whose most recent project is a musical theater adaptation of the 1972 Jamaican crime film The Harder They Come. In the interview, Suzan-Lori shares her flexible approach to adaptation and, more specifically, how she was able to deepen the original story of The Harder They Come while honoring the original. She also talks about the unique challenges of adapting a movie into a stage musical.

After the interview, Isaac and co-host Karen Han talk about the ubiquity of adaptations and reboots and what it means to make a whole new piece of work out of old material.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Isaac asks Suzan-Lori about her project 365 Days/365 Plays in which she wrote a play a day for an entire year. Isaac also asks about a unique playwriting convention that Suzan-Lori pioneered.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: No More “Black Picket Fence”

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

For decades, there has been a stigma attached to remaining unmarried and childless in the Black community, particularly for women. But a growing part of the Black middle class is single, childfree adults. Does the trend threaten the future of the Black family, or is it time to recognize a different model for family life? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by sociologist Kris Marsh, author of “The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class.”

Guest: Kris Marsh, University of Maryland Sociology Professor and author of “The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class.”

Podcast production by Ahiyana Angel

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To!: Make Imposter Syndrome Your Superpower

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -0000

When Leslie landed her dream engineering job right out of college, she was elated but also worried she was a tad unqualified—even though she has the skills and expertise. Since then imposter syndrome has reared its ugly head on a regular basis. Besides being the youngest in her department, she’s one of the only women and the only person of color, which has made things even more isolating. On this episode of How To!, host Amanda Ripley brings on Dr. Jessica Esquivel, physicist, advocate for marginalized communities in STEAM, and author of Our Queer Universe. Dr. Esquivel has some wise, hard-earned advice for shifting the burden of being enough, learning to fail, and making systemic changes so people don’t feel imposter syndrome so acutely.

If you liked this episode, check out: “I’m Great at My Job. So Why Do I Feel Like a Fraud?”

Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work.

Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dear Prudence: Should I Have A Baby? Help!

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode, Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) answers questions from letter writers who are stuck in high-paying jobs, deciding whether to bring kids into this world, confronting a “Karen,” and dealing with a classic topic – judgy in-laws.

Wajahat Ali (author and a Daily Beast columnist) joins to lend his wisdom.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Screaming in Color

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The Scream franchise returns to theaters this weekend. Since it first debuted in 1996, the racial dynamics of horror films have evolved. And for the first time in generations of scary movies, African American characters are surviving, killing the monsters, or even slaying as horror villains themselves. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Mark Harris, the co-author of The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar, to talk about the evolution of Black horror.

Guest: Mark Harris, writer and co-author of The Black Guy Dies First

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: The Fight To Return Native Remains to Their Tribes

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The “Native American Graves and Repatriation Act” passed more than 30 years ago, with the goal of returning human remains, which were taken from native burial sites, back to their tribes. But museums and universities still hold the remains of thousands of people—UC Berkeley alone has nearly 10,000.

Guest: Mary Hudetz, Propublica reporter focusing on tribal issues throughout the Southwest.

Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: The Internet Hates Hogwarts Legacy

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 10:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Gita Jackson to talk about a video game that has stirred up anger across the internet, Hogwarts Legacy. They discuss the controversy surrounding it, how the game reveals so many holes in JK Rowling’s world building, and why it’s not even fun to play.

Instead of playing Hogwarts Legacy, Gita’s got some recommendations.

Books:

Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer

Vita Nostra, by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko

Magic for Liars, by Sarah Gailey

Games:

Persona 5

Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side

Magical Diary

Life Is Strange

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Elden Ring

This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.

Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus

Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: De La Soul is Alive

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The music of De La Soul is finally available on streaming. When they released their debut album “3 Feet High and Rising” in 1989, the group expanded the idea of what hip hop was and who it was for. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by rapper, composer, and producer Don Will to discuss De La Soul’s impact, endurance, and what a new generation of hip hop fans can learn from them.

Guest: Don Will, host of “The Almanac of Rap” podcast

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Ranching, Racism, and Rumors

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Courtney and Nicole Mallery claim that their dream of ranching in Colorado has become a nightmare because of racist neighbors and hostile police. Their case grabbed national attention after videos of Courtney Mallery’s arrest went viral. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Ezekiel Walker of The Black Wall Street Times, who is covering the case. They talk about the controversy surrounding the Freedom Acres Ranch, and how the dispute echoes more than a century of stories of Black land loss.

Guest: Ezekiel Walker, senior editor of The Black Wall Street Times

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Lights, Camera, Diversity in Action

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Awards season can be a frustrating moment for Black writers in Hollywood, when even their most successful shows and films are frequently overlooked. Rodney Barnes has built a thriving career by telling stories of Black life, from “Everybody Hates Chris,” to “The Boondocks,” to “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” On today’s episode of A Word, he joins Jason Johnson to discuss the challenges and rewards of his rise as a screenwriter and producer. His latest work is a graphic novel, “Blacula: Return of the King.”

Guest: Screenwriter Rodney Barnes

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: The Internet’s Black Emo Renaissance

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 10:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Slate’s Nadira Goffe to discuss Rihanna and Paramore. First, they talk about the Super Bowl halftime show and the discourse that Rihanna sparked, and what she does or doesn’t owe her fans. Then, they look at the new album from Paramore, This Is Why, discusses how the band respects and embraces Black culture, and why Black people feel so connected to the pop punk genre. And don’t miss Rachelle and Nadira’s roundtable discussion with Allegra Frank about Paramore’s latest album.

This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.

Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Surviving “Driving While Black”

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

For many Americans, the “Green Book” is an Oscar-winning film. But for generations of Black Americans, it served as a literal map for traveling through an often hostile and hateful country, finding safety and businesses that would serve us. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and financial educator Alvin Hall. He’s the author of Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance. Hall explains how the original Green Book began, discusses its evolution, and why he’s dedicated years to studying and sharing stories of its impact.

Guest: Alvin Hall, author of Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: How Florida’s School Censorship Spreads

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Governor Ron DeSantis canceling the rollout of AP African-American Studies course in Florida is more than just another salvo in the culture war. It has implications across public education, across the country—and its chilling effect is already evident.

Guests: Jeremy Young, historian and Senior Manager of Free Expression and Education at PEN America.

Chyna-Lee Hunter, a 12th grade student at Robert Morgan Educational Center in Miami, Fla.

Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: A Killing in Cop City

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Days before footage of the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols was made public, protests disrupted downtown Atlanta. The demonstrations there came in response to law enforcement shooting protestor Manuel Teran to death at the controversial site of a future police training facility. The area has come to be known as “Cop City,” and on today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney and State President of the Georgia NAACP Gerald Griggs to talk about the project, its history, and why officials are moving it forward in the face of widespread public opposition.

Guest: Gerald Griggs, State President of Georgia’s NAACP

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Gabfest: Is Police Reform Possible?

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 22:10:00 -0000

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and Emily Bazelon discuss the killing of Tyre Nichols; violence interruption efforts–with guest Alec MacGillis; and the upcoming State of the Union.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Jamelle Bouie for The New York Times: “The Police Cannot Be a Law Unto Themselves”

Radley Balko for The New York Times: “Tyre Nichols’s Death Proves Yet Again That ‘Elite’ Police Units Are a Disaster”

Alec MacGillis for The New Yorker and ProPublica: “Can Community Programs Help Slow the Rise in Violence?”

Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, by Emily Bazelon

Here are this week’s chatters:

John: The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden's White House, by Chris Whipple; The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, by Chris Whipple

Emily: Deep Cover: Never Seen Again podcast; Dan Charnas: Breaking Atoms: The Hip Hop Podcast

David: City Cast Madison; City Cast Portland; Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver

Listener chatter from David Foreman: Artnet News: “See Scores of Unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright Structures That Have Been Computer-Rendered With Incredible Realism”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, John, and Emily discuss The Banshees of Inisherin.

Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Tori Dominguez

Research by Bridgette Dunlap.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: From Rodney King to Tyre Nichols

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

The video of Tyre Nichols being fatally beaten by Memphis police officers was made public on Friday. How does this latest high-profile incident of police brutality echo the killing of George Floyd or the beating of Rodney King? And 30 years after the latter, what’s still standing in the way of police reform?

Guest: Joel Anderson, staff writer at Slate, host of Seasons 3 and 6 of Slow Burn.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The Fire This Time?

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Five former Memphis police officers are charged with second degree murder in the death of Tyre Nichols. Footage of them reportedly beating Nichols after a traffic stop is set to be released to the public on Friday evening. Nichols’ death came just days after English teacher Keenan Anderson was tazed repeatedly by LAPD officers, who were responding to a traffic incident. Anderson died hours later.

These deaths, and an increase in police killing civilians in 2022, are fueling concerns that the movement to combat police violence has stalled. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Phillip Atiba Goff. He’s the co-founder and CEO of the Center for Policing Equity. He’s also the director of Yale’s African American Studies program, and a professor of psychology. They discuss the different factors that may have diminished the movement's momentum and public support, and whether there’s a way forward in fighting police violence.

Guest: Phillip Atiba Goff, co-founder and CEO of the Center for Policing Equity.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Gabfest: DeSantis University

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 21:10:00 -0000

This week, David Plotz, John Dickerson, and guest host Josie Duffy Rice discuss the rise of Marjorie Taylor Greene; Ron DeSantis’ attacks on educators; and the bipartisan bashing of monopolist Ticketmaster.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Jonathan Swan and Catie Edmondson for The New York Times: “How Kevin McCarthy Forged an Ironclad Bond With Marjorie Taylor Greene”

God's Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America, by Hanna Rosin

Josie Duffy Rice for iHeartPodcasts: Unreformed: the Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children

The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead

Here are this week’s chatters:

John: The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz

Josie: The Uninnocent: Notes on Violence and Mercy, by Katharine Blake

David: Vintage Contemporaries, by Dan Kois

Listener chatter from Pherabe Kolb: Fred Clasen-Kelly for The Greenville News: “Key Findings From The Cost Of Unity, A Series On The Displacement Of Black Greenville”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment David, John, and Josie discuss Josie’s new podcast, Unreformed: the Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children.

Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Research by Bridgette Dunlap.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: American Girl’s Addy Is More Than a Slave

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by NPR’s Aisha Harris to talk about the return of the discourse about Addy Walker, the first Black American Girl doll. They discuss Aisha’s great piece from 2016, “The Making of an American Girl,” their own histories with the doll, and why this discourse pops up so frequently.

This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario.

Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Haiti: Fear of a Black Republic

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Headlines suggest that Haiti could be on the verge of collapse, with gangs controlling its streets, the economy at a standstill, and political leaders fearing for their lives. But while international observers decry it as a “failed nation,” Haiti’s path to success has been consistently blocked since its successful slave rebelion in 1804. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Leslie Alexander, author “Fear of a Black Republic: Haiti and the Birth of Black Internationalism in the United States.“

Guest: Historian Leslie Alexander, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of History at Rutgers University

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Shut Up and Teach?

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act has been law for less than a year. And while court challenges persist, it’s already having a chilling effect on many educators who teach about race. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Jonathan Cox, a University of Central Florida Professor of Sociology. Cox recently spoke with ProPublica about how the crusade against critical race theory led him to cancel some classes and alter others.

Guest: University of Central Florida Sociologist Jonathan Cox

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To!: End Political Violence (From an Ex-Gang Leader)

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

In the wake of the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, and now similar riots in Brazil’s capital, we’re picking up our conversation about how to reduce political violence. In the first episode of our two-part series, we heard from Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This week, we’re talking with Curtis Toler, director of outreach at Chicago CRED. After joining his first street organization at the age of 9, Curtis went from a gang leader to a violence interrupter. He talks about how to reach people entrenched in cycles of conflict, how to get to the peace table, and what Congress (and all of us) can learn from his success on the streets of Chicago.

Resources:

Chicago CRED

A Savage Order: How the World's Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security by Rachel Kleinfeld

An Ex-Gang Leader’s Advice for Deescalating Violence in Politics by Amanda Ripley

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Part 1 and Part 2.”

Do you have a question without an answer? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, and Kevin Bendis.

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we create the show? Check out Slate's Pocket Collections for research and reading lists, as well as additional insights into how we think about the stories behind the episodes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Dying for Football?

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0000

Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin seems to be making a remarkable recovery after suffering cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football. But the incident has renewed questions about how the NFL tries –and often fails– to keep the sport from threatening the health of its athletes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran sports journalist Howard Bryant to discuss the NFL’s history of responding to injuries, and whether media and fans are complicit in the suffering of players.

Guest: Sports writer Howard Bryant, author of Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Season’s Streamings

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0000

With the holidays comes time to rest, recuperate, and unwind. What are this year’s best seasonal offerings to curl up in front of and watch with the family?

Guest: Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, essayist and pop culture critic.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: Are Women of Color Disappearing From Comedy Again?

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario talks to comedian and activist Aida Rodriguez about the state of women in comedy. They dig into Aida’s background and what it was like to come up as a woman of color in comedy. They also unpack the sneaking suspicion that women of color are getting fewer and fewer chances these days, and how to turn trauma into comedy.

In Slate Plus, Aida and Daisy talk about whether it’s feminist to not stand up for yourself in a loud way.

Catch Aida’s comedy Fighting Words on HBO Max.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: HBCU Football Blues

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Former NFL star Deion Sanders turned the struggling Jackson State University Tigers into a winning team, and brought a national spotlight to football at historically Black colleges and universities. That’s why his decision to take a coaching job at the University of Colorado sparked a debate among HBCU fans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by University of Houston Professor Billy Hawkins about why Sanders’ time at JSU had such an impact, and whether HBCUs can retain some of the momentum that Sanders helped to build.

Guest: University of Houston Professor Billy Hawkins, author of The New Plantation: Black Athletes, College Sports, and Predominantly White NCAA Institutions.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Is Rikers Island a Death Trap?

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0000

New York’s Rikers Island is infamous for its violence and danger, even to prisoners who haven’t been convicted of any crime. At least 18 detainees have died there under questionable circumstances this year alone. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney Olayemi Olurin. She shares more about what led to these deaths, and why political leaders like New York Mayor Eric Adams may be standing in the way of closing Rikers or making it safer.

Guest: Olayemi Olurin, a public defender at The Legal Aid Society in New York City.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Waves: The World Record Book of Racist Stories

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior supervising producer of audio Daisy Rosario is joined by sisters and authors Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar. Amber and Lacey just released their second book, The World Record Book of Racist Stories, a collection of humorous and sometimes heartbreaking essays about the racism they and the people they know experience every day. Daisy, Amber and Lacey talk about needing to write a second book (because they didn’t fit all the stories in the first book), the importance of family in surviving micro and macro aggressions, and why humor is the only way to get through the pain.

In Slate Plus, Daisy, Amber and Lacey talk about why Omaha actually is a great place to live.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Bot Battling in the Age of Elon

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0000

For many years, tech professionals dismissed the threat of disinformation. Christopher Bouzy was one of them, until the 2016 election changed his mind. Bouzy founded and leads the organization Bot Sentinel to fight online disinformation. On today’s episode of A Word, he talks with host Jason Johnson about how best to detect lies and false narratives in social media, and how Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter complicates his mission.

Guest: Christopher Bouzy, founder and C.E.O. of Bot Sentinel

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political Gabfest: Is Antisemitism Back?

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 21:00:00 -0000

This week, David Plotz, Emily Bazelon, and John Dickerson discuss Trump hosting prominent antisemites Ye (f/k/a Kanye West) and Nick Fuentes; Chinese protestors challenging their authoritarian government–with Sheena Chestnut Greitens; and Congress legislating to protect marriage equality through the Respect For Marriage Act.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Sheena Chestnut Greitens for Foreign Affairs: “Xi Jinping’s Quest for Order”

Sheena Chestnut Greitens and Julian Gewirt for Foreign Affairs: “China's Troubling Vision For The Future Of Public Health”

Here are this week’s chatters:

John: Darby Saxbe and Magdalena Martínez García for The Conversation: “Fatherhood Changes Men’s Brains, According To Before-And-After MRI Scans”

Emily: A compilation of Gabfest listeners favorite salad dressing recipes.

David: City Cast is expanding to new cities; Nicole Eustace for The New York Times: “300 Years Ago, There Was a Brutal Murder. We Could Learn From the Treaty That Followed.”

Listener chatter from Richard Medlicott: The Economist:”Shyam Saran Negi Never Failed In His Democratic Duty”; Alex Binley for the BBC: “Shyam Saran Negi: Man Dubbed 'india's First Voter' Dies Aged 105”

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily, David, and John discuss the Supreme Court challenge to the Biden administration’s immigration policy in United States v. Texas.

Tweet us your questions and chatters @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

Research by Bridgette Dunlap.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Year 1942: The Black-Japanese Axis

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0000

In 1942, federal officials targeted a group of Black Americans who were allegedly hoping for a Japanese invasion. They uncovered a plot that included stockpiles of weapons and secret passwords—but was any of it true? This week, Joel Anderson tells the story of a shadowy organization in East St. Louis, Illinois, the group’s mysterious leader, and an alleged conspiracy against America during World War II.

This episode of One Year was produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Joel Anderson, Sol Werthan, and Josh Levin.

Derek John is executive producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Why Outlawing Slavery Won't Outlaw Slavery—Yet

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

During the 2022 midterms, four states voted to ban slavery, which is still legal—and practiced—in the form of forced prison labor. The ballot initiatives are designed to keep people from having to work against their will and could provide prisoners with the opportunity to sue for higher wages, and better working conditions, including medical exemptions for those who are pregnant and postpartum.

Guest: Candace Bond-Theriault Esq., Director of Racial Justice Policy & Strategy at Columbia Law School’s Center for Gender & Sexuality Law.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus: When You Take Away the Kids, You Take Away the Future

Sat, 19 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

“A Kitchen Sink Approach to Constitutional Claims”

On this week’s Amicus, - the case that threatens the Indian Child Welfare Act, but also threatens domino effects on tribal sovereignty and land rights. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Rebecca Nagle, a Cherokee writer, advocate & language learner. Nagle is host of This Land podcast. Season 2 of the podcast was a deep and broad investigation into the background of the case at hand. Maggie Blackhawk also lends her expertise to the discussion, Professor Blackhawk (Find du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe) is professor of law at NYU and an award-winning interdisciplinary scholar and teacher of constitutional law, federal Indian law, and legislation, Together, they delve through a veritable grab bag of constitutional challenges from the plaintiffs in Brackeen v Haaland. Listen up, you’re about to learn a lot, we did.

In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Mark Joseph Stern to talk about how a Georgia judge overturned that state’s abortion ban, President Biden’s record and prospects for confirming judges, and death penalty cruelty on the shadow docket again.

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we create the show? Check out Slate's Pocket Collections for research and reading lists, as well as additional insights into how we think about the stories behind the episodes.

Dahlia’s book Lady Justice: Women, the Law and the Battle to Save America, is also available as an audiobook, and Amicus listeners can get a 25% discount by entering the code “AMICUS” at checkout.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black Soccer GOALS!

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

The eagerly awaited World Cup starts on Sunday. While the sport features star athletes from across the African diaspora, many Black people in the U.S. still consider soccer a white sport. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with Jermaine Scott. He’s an African American Studies professor at Florida Atlantic University, a life-long soccer player and fan, and an expert on Black soccer history. They discuss why so few African Americans have historically embraced the sport, what’s being done to turn that around, and whether the U.S. team has a chance of success at this year’s tournament.

Guest: Jermaine Scott, professor of African American studies at Florida Atlantic University.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Year 1942: When Internment Came to Alaska

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0000

Six months after Pearl Harbor, Japan launched another attack on the United States. This time, Axis forces actually invaded, turning the Aleutian Islands into a battleground. What the country did next, in the name of “protecting” Alaska’s indigenous people, is a shameful chapter of the war. And it’s one the nation has never fully reckoned with.

This episode of One Year was produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Sol Werthan, and Josh Levin.

Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Who’s Invited to the Cookout?

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is once again joined by Daisy Rosario. The pair dive deep into the digital etymology of the phrase “invited to the cookout” which, in the past few years, has been applied to figures from Bill Nye the Science Guy to Justin Timberlake. They discuss the phrase’s roots in African American Vernacular English and the future of The Cookout.

This podcast is produced by Kevin Bendis, Rachelle Hampton, Daisy Rosario and Daniel Schroeder

Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Next: Will SCOTUS Take Native Children Away From Their Families?

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

The Supreme Court case Brackeen v. Haaland concerns how adoption placement currently works under the Indian Child Welfare Act. The law prioritizes placing Native children with Native families. But depending on how the court rules, striking down or changing ICWA could affect not only adoption but Indian tribes’ entire status as sovereign nations.

Guest: Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese, Stanford law professor and scholar of American Indian tribal law, federal Indian law, and constitutional law.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Black Panther’s Pride

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0000

Wakanda Forever carries on the story that thrilled fans of the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Evan Narcisse. He’s one of the comic book writers whose work –including the Marvel Black Panther Wakanda Atlas– helped flesh out Wakandan mythology in the years since the original film debuted. Narcisse talks about how the Afro-futuristic utopia inspired him, and how he and other creators hope to build its legacy.

Guest: Writer Evan Narcisse

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amicus: Affirmative Action on the Chopping Block

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0000

Dahlia Lithwick is joined by Professor Cara McClellan, former counsel at NAACP LDF, and founding Director of the Advocacy for Racial and Civil Justice Clinic, at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Professor McClellan takes us through an extensive trial record largely ignored in oral arguments at SCOTUS this past week.

Then, Dahlia is joined by David Rothkopf whose book, American Resistance: The inside story of how the deep state saved the nation, details the folks who stuck around and tried to hold the line during the Trump years, and what we can learn from them.

In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Mark Joseph Stern to talk about the judges pushing back in gun cases post Bruen, and the lower courts defying Supreme Court precedent as they seek to curtail LGBTQ rights.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Gang Bangers with Badges

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:00:00 -0000

Southern California’s gang violence has made national headlines for decades. Less well known are allegations of violent gangs within the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Cerise Castle, host and executive producer of A Tradition of Violence. This new podcast probes charges that the L.A. County Sheriff's Department tolerates violent gangs within its ranks, and has done so since the 1960s.

Guest: Journalist Cerise Castle, host and executive producer of A Tradition of Violence.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Jim Crow’s Killers

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

For every civil rights martyr like Emmett Till, there were many other Black Americans who were brutalized or killed by racist violence in the early 20th century and remain largely unknown. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Margaret Burnham, author of By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners. This new book unravels many of the lesser known stories of racist violence, the perpetrators, victims, and survivors. It’s also offering descendants of victims a platform, and an opportunity to fill in the blanks of their family history.

Guest: Professor Margaret Burnham, author of By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: We Won’t Black Down

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

In 2020, the Black vote proved critical for Joe Biden in key states, and helped win the Senate for the Democrats. But in the years since, Republican leaders have pushed through laws aimed at discouraging and diluting the power of the Black vote. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with Cliff Albright, executive director of the Black Voters Matter Fund, about why fighting for ballot access remains essential, even in the face of violence.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: How Tech Can Help—or Harm—Racial Justice

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

From Ferguson to Minneapolis, protests against racist policing have been catalyzed by videos of the brutality being spread on social media. On today’s A Word, Jason Johnson sits down with Dr. Ruha Benjamin to talk about her book, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want, and where social sciences and technology intersect.

Guest: Ruha Benjamin

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: Bleeding Heart on the Bayou

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

The new Interview With the Vampire television series is giving life to a whole new generation of fans who love the human monsters created by the late Anne Rice. On today’s episode of A Word, actor Jacob Anderson talks with Jason Johnson about his role as the reimagined blood sucker, and his career as a singer and sci-fi screen star.

Guest: Jacob Anderson

Podcast production by Yanii Evans

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Word: The Case for Critical Race Theory

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

For decades, critical race theory was something discussed almost exclusively by scholars and academics. That was before conservatives turned it into a political football, even though most couldn’t define it properly. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by UCLA Law Professor LaToya Baldwin Clark, a leader of CRT Forward. That’s a project that tracks attacks on CRT, and works to reframe the public policy discussion around it. She and her colleagues say CRT could play a vital role in preparing American students to live cooperatively in our increasingly diverse nation.

Guest: UCLA Law Professor LaToya Baldwin Clark

Podcast production by Yanii Evans

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To!: Be Yourself in an Interracial Relationship

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

When Dana and Luke first started dating at the office they kept their relationship a secret. Most of their colleagues didn’t know they were a couple until they got engaged. They didn’t want any undue pressure or outside judgment. That’s because Dana is a proud Black, Ghanaian woman from central Florida and Luke is a white man from Kansas. Dana’s wondering how she can preserve her identity while they absorb each others’ family traditions. On this episode of How To!, guest host Hélène Biandudi Hofer brings on Karyn Langhorne Folan, author of Don't Bring Home a White Boy: And Other Notions that Keep Black Women From Dating Out. All three discuss the struggles and joys in their respective interracial marriages.

If you want to learn more about Dana’s work, check out AfroLA.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Your Hidden Biases.”

Do you have a question without an answer? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One Year - 1986: A Boycott in Mississippi

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 07:00:00 -0000

Black residents of Indianola, Mississippi, were fed up with decades of separate-and-unequal classrooms. When a white outsider got hired as school superintendent, they decided to take a stand. This week, Joel Anderson tells the story of how their boycott of white businesses transformed the community and captivated the nation.

One Year is produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Madeline Ducharme, and Josh Levin. Mixing by Merritt Jacob.

Derek John is Sr. Supervising Producer of Narrative Podcasts and Merritt Jacob is Sr. Technical Director.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Represent Lovefest

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 06:00:00 -0000

It really is hard, but Aisha, Veralyn, and Marissa say goodbye. Aisha talks to her dad, Hartford Courant columnist Frank Harris III, there is a final quiz and the Represent team reminisce.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Represent and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Represent show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/representplus to get access wherever you listen.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 06:00:00 -0000

Comedians Hari and Ashok Kondabolu chat with Aisha about their new podcast, The Kondabolu Brothers, their pre-woke watching stories, and Hari responses to The Simpsons’ latest Apu episode.

Note: This conversation took place the day before Hank Azaria appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to advocate for listening to the criticisms of the South Asian community and suggest that he’d be willing to “step aside” from voicing the character.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Isle of Dogs

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris and Mashable writer Angie Han, discuss cultural representation in Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, which is set in Japan.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pre-Woke Watching

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 06:00:00 -0000

Here are three of our favorite Pre-Woke Watching segments. Also, we're partnering with Slate’s video team to bring visuals to these conversations. Check out our inaugural video in this series.

Hear more from actor, writer, and video producer Dylan Marron in episode 36.

Tell a friend to subscribe! Share this link: megaphone.link/represent

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | A Wrinkle in Time and Representations That Hurt

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris and producer Veralyn Williams discuss A Wrinkle in Time. And our conversation at the Speak Up, Rise Up festival with BuzzFeed’s Bim Adewunmi and Latino USA’s Antonia Cereijido about shameful representations in film and tv.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Unpacking The Chi

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris and writer/TV critic Jasmine Sanders take a closer look at Showtime’s The Chi and its depiction of Chicago.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | What Went Down at the 2018 Oscars

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 20:16:00 -0000

Aisha Harris and Chris Lamberth, actor/comedian and host of host of the Mundane Festival podcast, recap everything that went down at the Oscars last night.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Oscar-Nominated: A Fantastic Woman, Strong Island and Lady Bird

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks A Fantastic Woman, nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, with Slate science intern Alex Barasch. And we revisit two conversations we had with two first-time directors who are up for big awards this Sunday: Yance Ford, whose Strong Island is nominated for Best Documentary, and Greta Gerwig, whose Lady Bird is nominated for 5 awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Original Screenplay.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Black Panther Production Designer Hannah Beachler

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Black Panther production designer Hannah Beachler about her process when taking on new films, creating the imagery behind Wakanda and much more. Also, Gene Demby, host of NPR’s Code Switch, comes on to discuss the hype around Black Panther.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Wakanda Forever

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 21:32:00 -0000

Aisha Harris is joined by producer Veralyn WIlliams and chief political correspondent Jamelle Bouie for a spoiler-filled review of Black Panther. They discuss the politics of Wakanda vs. black America, what makes the movie’s fight scenes so compelling, and much more.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Correction: The original version of this episode identified Denzel Whitaker who plays a Young Zuri in Black Panther, as the son of Forest Whitaker, who plays Zuri. They are not related.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Wesley Snipes Talks Blade and Black Panther

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris chats Wesley Snipes about cult favorite, Blade and trying to bring Black Panther to the big screen more than 20 years ago. Also, Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Senior programmer, Ash Clark recently, joins us to discuss their film series, Fight the Power: Black Superheroes on Film.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Thinking About #MeToo Through Quentin Tarantino and Gloria Allred

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 08:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris chats women's rights attorney Gloria Allred and film producer Marta Kauffman, about their new Netflix documentary, Seeing Allred, advocating for women’s and minority rights, and Gloria’s fraught relationship with the media. Also, in the wake of the current re-examination of Quentin Tarantino and his filmmaking style, Aisha and film critic Candice Frederick, discuss what it’s like to be women who love Tarantino movies.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "Jane the Virgin" Star Jaime Camil

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris has a very candid conversation with Jane the Virgin's Jaime Camil about his career, the double standards for men and women in Hollywood, why studios should be trying to reach Mexican audiences, and much more.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Represent Takes On Sundance

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 07:00:00 -0000

Live from Sundance Film Festival, Aisha Harris is joined by Slate’s movie critic and Culture Gabfest host Dana Stevens. They swap Sundance stories and talk to director Sebastián Silva about his latest film, Tyrel.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Oscar Nomination Predictions and Filmmaker Charles Burnett

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris and Mark Harris, Vulture writer and author of Pictures at a Revolution and Five Came Back, breakdown their Oscar nomination predictions. Also, Aisha talks to Charles Burnett, a revered filmmaker who emerged from the period of groundbreaking black independent filmmaking known as the LA rebellion, which took place from the late 1960s-1980s.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Actor Bambadjan Bamba Comes Out as Undocumented

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to actor Bambadjan Bamba of Suicide Squad, The Good Place, and the upcoming Black Panther. He shares why he came out as undocumented and asks Hollywood to stand with immigrants in the industry, including those under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA.

Learn more about Bamba’s #StandWithBamba campaign here, and read more in Slate about DACA here.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Faith-Based Film Producer DeVon Franklin

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to DeVon Franklin about his latest book, The Hollywood Commandments: A Spiritual Guide to Secular Success, the subtle ways in which movie studios attempt to engage faith-based audiences with ostensibly secular films, and more. Also, Aisha and producer Veralyn Williams share what they consumed over the holidays.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Hollywood Women Respond to #MeToo

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris and Monica Castillo, New York Times film writer, discuss Time’s Up, the ambitious initiative for fighting sexual misconduct, driven by hundreds of women in the entertainment industry. Also, the latest winner of, The Great American Baking Show, Vallery Lomas, joins us to talk about her love of baking and the show's sudden cancellation after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against one of its judges.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rethinking "Gone With the Wind"

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha talks with Studio 360 about how America is finally rethinking, Gone With the Wind.

Read Aisha's full article, How Movie Theaters, TV Networks, and Classrooms Are Changing the Way They Show Gone With the Wind. And you can find more from Studio 360 here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | 2017 in Review

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 07:00:00 -0000

It’s our very last episode of 2017! To help us reflect on the year in representation, we’re joined by three friends of the show: Alex Jung, a writer for Vulture; Antonia Cereijido, a producer at Latino USA; and Tiffany Vazquez, a host at Turner Classic Movies. They recap their favorite (and least favorite) moments from 2017, try to pass Aisha’s quiz, and revisit their predictions from last year’s show.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "She’s Gotta Have It" Writer Radha Blank

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 08:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris chats with Radha Blank, writer and producer on Spike Lee’s Netflix series, She’s Gotta Have It. Also, Slate writer, Christina Cauterucci share’s why Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is problematic.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | She's Gotta Have It and Filmmaker Greta Gerwig

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris chats with filmmaker Greta Gerwig about how she crafted the contentious mother-daughter bond at the center of her directorial debut, Lady Bird. Also, senior editor at Mic, Erin Evan, joins is to talk, She’s Gotta Have It.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Coco and Portrayals of Latinos in Animation

Fri, 24 Nov 2017 07:00:00 -0000

On this episode of Represent inspired by Disney-Pixar’s new movie Coco, Aisha Harris talks to film critic Carlos Aguilar about how Latinos have historically been portrayed in animation. Then, Antonia Cereijido, a producer at Latino USA, joins to chat about Coco and whether or not it succeeds as a representation of Mexican culture.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Chau Tu

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weinstein Accusers in Conversation

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 11:00:00 -0000

Three women who spoke out about Harvey Weinstein—Alice Evans, Katherine Kendall, and Tomi-Ann Roberts—sit down together with Slate’s editor-in-chief, Julia Turner, to discuss the movement they helped start, whether it’s gone too far, and whether there could ever be a satisfying apology.

For a transcript of this conversation, go to Slate.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Comedian Hari Kondabolu

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris chats with comedian Hari Kondabolu about his new documentary, The Problem With Apu. Also, Slate producers Veralyn Williams and Ben Frisch join us to share their own personal "Apu" characters.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | The Mindy Project and Queen Sugar's Dawn-Lyen Gardner

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris chats season two of OWN’s Queen Sugar, with Dawn-Lyen Gardner, who plays middle child Charley Bordelon on the hit drama, centered around a trio of estranged siblings living in rural Louisiana. Also, the Washington Post’s Lavanya Ramanathan and Splinter's Isha Aran joins us to discuss the legacy of The Mindy Project.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Actress Q’orianka Kilcher on Portraying a Native American Heroine

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris chats with actress and activist Q’orianka Kilcher about starring in Te’Ata, a biographical film about the life of Te’Ata Fisher, a Chickasaw Nation citizen who helped tell the stories of Native Americans through her performances across the country throughout much of the 20th Century. Also, Represent’s social media assistant, Marissa Martinelli, and an entrepreneur and movie fan, Oni Hartstein, join us to discuss a trope that has popped up in multiple movies this year-- a blind characters who suddenly regains their sight.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Live with Actress Gabourey Sidibe

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to actress Gabourey Sidibe live from the New Orleans Film Festival, about her directorial debut, the short film, The Tale of Four, sexism in the industry, and much more.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Telling Marsha P. Johnson’s Story

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to trans Activist Victoria Cruz about her role in the Netflix documentary, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. Also, Slate’s Evan Urquhart joins us to unpack the controversy the documentary has ignited over who gets to tell trans stories.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Harvey Weinstein and Hollywood’s “Open Secret” Culture

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 23:38:00 -0000

Aisha Harris is joined by Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens and science editor Susan Matthews to discuss fallout from the scandal that has engulfed film producer Harvey Weinstein.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | The Return of Scandal

Sat, 07 Oct 2017 02:24:00 -0000

On this episode of Represent, Aisha Harris, Slate producer Veralyn Williams and writer Demetria Lucas D'Oyley recap the premiere episode of Scandal’s final season.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Fall TV Roundup

Fri, 06 Oct 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris, Black Girl Nerds contributor Jacqueline Coley, Vulture writer Alex Jung, and Turner Classic Movies host Tiffany Vazquez talk representation in the new and returning TV shows this fall-- with a bit of debate, a pop quiz, and predictions.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | “Strong Island” Director Yance Ford

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris sits down with Yance Ford, director of the stunning and incredibly personal Netflix documentary, Strong Island. And Indiewire editor, Kate Erbland, joins us to discuss the numerous sexual assault allegations connected to both the national theater chain Alamo Drafthouse and the long-running pop culture website, Ain’t It Cool News.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Bollywood Star Ali Fazal

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris sits down with Bollywood star Ali Fazal to discuss his new film, Victoria & Abdul, in which he stars opposite Judi Dench. And Slate staff writer Christina Cauterucci shares her “Pre-Woke Watching” story, about a little-known Disney film called The Ugly Dachshund.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Big Freedia Comes To Slay

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris sits down with Big Freedia, Queen of Bounce to discuss the latest season of her Fuse show, Big Freedia Bounces Back, cultural appropriation, and the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | The "Insecure" Recap Edition

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris, Slate producer Veralyn Williams and Robin M. Boylorn, Ph.D, Associate Professor at The University of Alabama and member of the Crunk Feminist Collective discuss the emotional end to Season 2 of Issa Rae’s hit show.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | “Dear White People” Music Supervisor Morgan Rhodes

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Morgan Rhodes, a music supervisor whose curated sounds on some of the biggest movies and TV shows of the last few years, including Selma, Netflix’s Dear White People, and Queen Sugar. Also, we’ve got a brand new Recognize, in honor of producer Veralyn’s newest TV obsession: Survivor’s Remorse⁠.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Steven Universe’s Ian Jones-Quartey On His New Show, O.K. K.O.!

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Steven Universe’s Ian Jones-Quartey about his new Cartoon Network show, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes. Also, we give a slow handclap to Ed Skrein for setting himself apart from other white actors, casted as Asian characters in a major Hollywood film.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | The Represent Rose: The Epilogue

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Bachelorette contestant Eric Bigger and his aunty Vernā Myers chat’s with Slate producer Veralyn Williams and Doctor Robin M. Boylorn, Associate Professor at The University of Alabama and member of the Crunk Feminist Collective.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "Atypical" and "Insecure" Star Yvonne Orji

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Yvonne Orji, aka Insecure’s Molly, about Season 2 and much more. Also, Timotheus Gordon Jr., the creator of the blog, Black Autist, and Sara Luterman, founder and editor of, NOS magazine, tell us why the Netflix series, Atypical, contributes to a negative representation of an autistic person.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "Detroit" and “Lemon” Filmmaker Janicza Bravo

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks Janicza Bravo, about her new movie Lemon, challenging what it means to be a black female filmmaker, and directing that great episode of Atlanta, "Juneteenth." Also, Slate’s Chief Political Correspondent, Jamelle Bouie joins us for the second week in a row, to discuss Kathryn Bigelow's much criticized-- Detroit.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "Whose Streets?" and Actress Anika Noni Rose

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to the incredibly talented Anika Noni Rose, aka the voice of Disney’s first black Princess, Tiana, about her latest, game-changing role on the hit Starz series, Power. Also, Slate’s Chief Political Correspondent, Jamelle Bouie joins us to discuss the new documentary, Whose Streets?.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | The Represent Rose: Part 4

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Slate producer Veralyn Williams and Robin M. Boylorn, Ph.D, Associate Professor at The University of Alabama and member of the Crunk Feminist Collective, recap the final two episodes of The Bachelorette⁠.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Prolific Video Essayist-Turned-Filmmaker Kogonada

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks prolific video essayist-turned-feature-filmmaker Kogonada on his first feature film, Columbus, the difficulties of trying to sell a film with an Asian lead, and the story behind his mysterious moniker. Also, we highlight the short story, The Black Fairy, which was commissioned by the NAACP in 1920, as part of a book aimed at showing black children alternative representations of blackness.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page⁠.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Girls Trip and Showrunner Monica-Owusu Breen

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to showrunner Monica-Owusu Breen about her new show Midnight, Texas, a supernatural ensemble drama on NBC, based on the book series by True Blood author Charlaine Harris. Also, Brittany Luse, host of The Nod podcast, joins us to to talk Girls Trip.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | The Represent Rose: Part 3

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 17:46:00 -0000

The Bachelorette recap (episode 7-9) with Slate producer Veralyn Williams and Doctor Robin M. Boylorn, Associate Professor at The University of Alabama and member of the Crunk Feminist Collective.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | 13 Reasons Why and Who’s Afraid of Aymann Ismail?

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Slate video producer Aymann Ismail about his new video series, Who’s Afraid of Aymann Ismail?, which seeks to uncover new and different perspectives on Muslim American identity today. Also, producer Veralyn Williams and our social media guru Marissa Martinelli weigh the pros and cons of Netflix's controversial 13 Reasons Why, including its depictions of suicide and sexual assault.

If you need to talk, or if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273- 8255.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Hawaii Five-0 Controversy and The Big Sick

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks Kumail Nanjiani’s romantic comedy, The Big Sick with Ahmed Akbar, host of BuzzFeed’s podcast, See Something Say Something. And Vulture writer, Alex Jung comes on to discusses the reports of unequal pay on Hawaii Five-0.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | “One Day at a Time” Showrunner Gloria Calderon Kellett

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Gloria Calderon Kellett, the showrunner for One Day at a Time, about how the show pulls from her personal life and Latinx representation on screen. And in our Pre-Woke Watching segment, Panoply producer Renee Richardson reflects on some problematic aspects of Sex and the City.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Indie Filmmaker Nefertite Nguvu

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to up-and-coming filmmaker Nefertite Nguvu, about her film, In the Morning, on the love life and friendships of a group of black professional Brooklynites. And writer Corey Atad joins us to discuss Sofia Coppola’s latest film, The Beguiled.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | The Represent Rose: Part 2

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 15:40:00 -0000

The Bachelorette recap (episode 4-6) with Slate producer Veralyn Williams and Doctor Robin M. Boylorn, Associate Professor at The University of Alabama and member of the Crunk Feminist Collective⁠.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "GLOW" Star Betty Gilpin

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Betty Gilpin about starring in the new Netflix comedy GLOW, being typecast in Hollywood, and finding empowerment through wrestling. And in our Pre-Woke Watching segment, Slate’s science editor Susan Matthews reflects upon a show that was integral to her adolescence and young adulthood: Gilmore Girls.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social media: Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to writer and showrunner Prentice Penny about his work on the hit HBO series Insecure and his new TruTV lifestyle series Upscale.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Oscar-Winning Actress Marlee Matlin

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to actress and deaf advocate Marlee Matlin about her 30+ years in Hollywood, including her recent guest spot on Season 2 of The Magicians. And Slate Web designer Derreck Johnson shares his “Pre-Woke Watching” story.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Whitewashing in "Ghost In The Shell"

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Inkoo Kang of MTV News and Alex Jung of Vulture about recent whitewashing controversies over casting in Ghost In The Shell. And in our second installment of Recognize, producer Veralyn Williams discusses, Big Little Lies⁠.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | “Every Single Word” Creator Dylan Marron

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Dylan Marron, the creator of the viral video series cataloging dialogue in popular movies spoken by people of color, Every Single Word. And co-host John Raphael Oliveira of A Brit And A Yank, comes on to discuss Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Underground's Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Amirah Vann

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 06:00:00 -0000

Producer Veralyn Williams steps into the interviewer’s chair and talks to the stars of WGN’s Underground, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Amirah Vann. And host Aisha Harris talks American Housewives with Slate Managing Producer June Thomas.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "The Last Laugh" Director Ferne Pearlstein

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to director and cinematographer Ferne Pearlstein about her new documentary The Last Laugh. And Slate culture intern David Canfield comes on to talk ABC’s four-part miniseries When We Rise.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Unpacking Jordan Peele's "Get Out"

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris and Slate’s chief political correspondent Jamelle Bouie have a spoiler-filled discussion of Get Out, the directorial debut of Jordan Peele. And Valerie Woodward Srinivasan, Panoply Software Engineer shares her “Pre-Woke Watching” story.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | What Went Down at the Oscars

Mon, 27 Feb 2017 17:45:00 -0000

Aisha Harris and producer Veralyn Williams recap everything that went down at the Oscars last night.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Comedians/Writers W. Kamau Bell and Kevin Avery

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris is joined by comedians and writers W. Kamau Bell and Kevin Avery, hosts of the Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time Period podcast, to look back on the historic Oscars night when Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, and Sidney Poitier all won.

Check out:

-Reports of Russell Crowe after his 2002 Bafta speech was cut short

-Comedian W. Kamau Bell reflecting on the 2002 Oscars in the midst of #OscarsSoWhite

-Sidney Poitier receiving his Honorary Award from the Academy

-Halle Berry accepting her Oscar for Best Actress

-Denzel Washington Oscars acceptance speech in 1990 for Supporting Actor and 2002 for Best Actor

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Moonlight Editor Joi McMillon

Fri, 17 Feb 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Moonlight co-editor Joi McMillon about her path to becoming the first black woman to be nominated for an Oscar in her field—and only the second black person ever nominated in the Best Film Editing category. But first, on this week’s segment of “Guess Who’s Coming to Oscar,” we talk West Side Story with Turner Classic Movies host Tiffany Vazquez.

Check out:

-Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days Of Oscar 2017

-West Side Story as Cinema: The Making and Impact of an American Masterpiece by Ernesto R. Acevedo-Muñoz

-Rita Moreno winning Best Supporting Actress in 1962

-Variety’s look at minority workers and the fight against below-the-line bias

-Moonlight director Barry Jenkins on a previous episode of Represent

-The cast and director of Lemon discuss the film with the Hollywood Reporter

-“Moonlight Has One of the Best Food Scenes of the Year” in Bon Appétit

-The Cosby Show spinoffA Different World

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Social Media by Marissa Martinelli

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Filmmaker and Former Black Panther Jamal Joseph

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer Aisha Harris talks to filmmaker, educator, and former Black Panther Jamal Joseph about his new film, Chapter and Verse. And this week in, Guess Who’s Coming to Oscar, we talk the 1957 Oscar-winning film Sayonara with Phil Yu of the Angry Asian Man blog, and Yoko Kawaguchi, author of Butterfly's Sisters: The Geisha in Western Culture.

Check out:

-Truman Capote New Yorker profile of Brando while he made Sayonara

-The Japan Times remembering Miyoshi Umeki

-Jamal Joseph’s TEDx Talk: Panther Baby -- a revolution of knowledge and equality

-Tupac Shakur's 'One Nation': Associates Share Story Behind Late Rapper's Unreleased Album

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Filmmaker Raoul Peck

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer Aisha Harris talks to filmmaker and activist Raoul Peck about his Oscar-nominated James Baldwin documentary I Am Not Your Negro. We also kick off our monthlong series, Guess Who’s Coming to Oscar, and revisit Dances With Wolves with writer/professor Adrienne Keene.

Join our Guess Who’s Coming to Oscar conversation by using #OscarsRepresent.

Check out:

-Adrienne’s post: “I’m a true Indian now: I finally saw Dances with Wolves”

-Reel Injun, a documentary on the history of Native Americans in Hollywood films

-The 1995 New York Times piece “To Some Sioux, Costner Now Dances With Devil”

-Russell Means interview with Dan Skye of High Times

-Smoke Signals

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | #OscarsSoWhite Creator April Reign

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to April Reign about how she inadvertently started the #OscarsSoWhite movement and what work still needs to be done. Also, Slate Double X writer, Christina Cauterucci comes on to chat about Hidden Figures and the Women's March.

Check out:

-Slate: Hidden Figures Is a Powerful Statement Against Bathroom Discrimination

-Represent producer Veralyn Williams discussing Hidden Figures on the Culture Gabfest

-April’s Ebony OpEd: Here’s Why Lee Daniels Is Wrong About #OscarsSoWhite

-Slate: Finally, the Academy Acknowledges Black Stories Don’t All Have to Be About Oppression or Slavery

-Some of the Best Memes of Melania Trump and Michelle Obama’s Awkward Exchange

-Jezebel: I Want to Trust the Women's Marchers

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | (A)sexual star and director David Jay and Angela Tucker

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 08:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to David Jay and Angela Tucker, the star and director, respectively, of the 2011 documentary (A)sexual; as well as three members of the Asexual community.

Check out:

-Slate: Asexuality and Intersex Conditions Are Television’s New Frontier

-USA’s Sirens: Brian and Voodoo on S2:E1

-Netflix’s BoJack Horseman: Todd Chavez comes out as asexual on S3:E12

-Fox’s House: House “successfully disproves” asexuality on S8:E9

-Resources from The Asexual Visibility and Education Network

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

This week, Represent is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron’s meal kits are delivered right to your door, and make cooking at home easy. Get your first THREE meals FREE by going to ⁠BlueApron.com/represent⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | One Day at a Time's Rita Moreno

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 07:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to Rita Moreno about her new Netflix show, One Day at a Time, overcoming depression, and being a Latina woman in Hollywood.

Check out:

-Rita Moreno performances schedule: A series of lectures and cabaret

-Popular Rita Moreno & The Electric Company videos

-Slate’s Norman Lear Sitcoms All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and More May Be Due for a Reboot

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 08:00:00 -0000

Aisha Harris talks to Ruth E. Carter about designing costumes for Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, Joss Whedon’s Serenity, and more. And A.C. Valdez, Panoply Senior Producer shares his “Pre-Woke Watching” story.

For links on what we discuss check out our show page.

Email: represent@slate.com

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to Pamela Adlon about her career and semi-autobiographical FX series, Better Things. And we share our second edition of our “Pre-Woke Watching” segment.

Check out:

-Slate: Pamela Adlon’s new show is like a brasher, more confident, female-driven Louie.

-Slate Represent episode with our inaugural “Pre-Woke Watching” segment.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Disney and Representation: Moana and Floyd Norman

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 07:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris digs into Moana, Disney’s new musical film inspired by Polynesian mythology, with New York Times and Jazz Times music writer, Nate Chinen. Then we talk to Disney’s first black animator, Floyd Norman about working for the studio in the 40’s and 50’s and the documentary that tells his story⁠.

Check out:

-Disney's Moana Soundtrack

-Nate Chinen’s Moana article: Consider the Coconut

-The last time Nate write about Hawaiian representation on screen

-Aisha’s Moana Makes It Official: Disney Has Entered a Progressive, Inclusive Third Golden Age

-LA Times: Our national parks can also be reminders of America’s history of race and civil rights

Dakota Access Pipeline:

-Native America Calling conversation from 5/10/16 (starts at 6:00)

-Another Round’s Heben talks with Dr. Adrienne Keene about Standing Rock

-Newsweek: Dakota Access Pipeline Protest Standing Rock Sioux

-Slate: Police Clashed With Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters Sunday Night

-Donate: Sacred Stone Legal Defense Fund

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Thanksgiving Message

Fri, 25 Nov 2016 07:00:00 -0000

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Comedian and Actress Kathy Griffin

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 07:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to Comedian and Actress Kathy Griffin about her start, how she handles rejection and criticism in an industry that’s especially harsh to women, and her new book, Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins: My A-Z index⁠.

Check out:

-Kathy Griffin’s New Bravo Special Sets Guinness World Record

-From Johnny to Jimmy: The History of Politics in Late Night TV

-Aisha’s conversation with writer-director Paul Haggis about Crash.

-Soul food on the boondocks

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | TV/Filmmaker Nisha Ganatra

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 07:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to industry vet Nisha Ganatra about her directing career, and her work on a slew of TV shows, including Transparent, Mr. Robot, and the new FX series, Better Things. And guest co-host John Raphael Oliveira, comes on to discuss the new film, Loving.

Check out:

-Labor of Loving: A Conversation with Jeff Nichols and Joel Edgerton

-'Loving' Director Jeff Nichols Has Great Affection for the Deep South

-Mila Kunis On Sexism In Film And The Workplace

-Wesley Morris’ Last Taboo: Why Pop Culture Just Can’t Deal With Black Male Sexuality

Slate Plus members: Get your ad-free podcast feed.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Good Girls Revolt's Joy Bryant

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to actress Joy Bryant about her role as the groundbreaking attorney Eleanor Holmes Norton, in the new Amazon series, Good Girls Revolt.

Check out:

Slate’s The Good Girls Revolt Trailer Shows the Dangers of Sexism and Sort-of-True Stories

Joy Bryant in Refinery29: Girl, You Beautiful

Joy Bryant’s Lenny Letter: Stop Telling Me I Should Have Kids

Aisha’s conversation with Moonlight Filmmaker Barry Jenkins

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | “Moonlight” filmmaker Barry Jenkins

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to filmmaker Barry Jenkins about his much buzzed about new film, Moonlight. And Latino USA producer Antonia Cereijido returns to talk season 3 of Jane the Virgin.

Check out:

AV Club’s Jane The Virgin gets used to the new normal with another powerful chapter

Aisha’s How Barry Jenkins’ Medicine for Melancholy Laid the Groundwork for His Gorgeous, Haunting Moonlight

A.O. Scott’s Review: ‘Moonlight’: Is This the Year’s Best Movie?

Master P on his contribution to Solange's new album, "A Seat at the Table"

Indiewire’s Naomie Harris On ‘Moonlight,’ The One Role She Never Thought She Could Handle

The Black Film Canon: The 50 greatest movies by black directors

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "9 to 5" writer Patricia Resnick discusses her 40+ years working in Hollywood

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to film/tv writer, Patricia Resnick, about working in Hollywood in the 70s and 80s, ageism and sexism in the industry, and the legacy of one of the most celebrated feminist comedies of all time, 9 to 5.

Check out:

-Patricia Resnick in the Hollywood Reporter, weighing in on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy

-Aisha’s interview with Lily Tomlin on the art of maintaining a long, successful career

-Lily Tomlin on what makes 9 to 5 a special movie

-Patricia Resnick’s 1992 filmStraight Talk

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | The Birth of a Nation Edition

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 07:00:00 -0000

Slate’s culture writer Aisha Harris and chief political correspondent Jamelle Bouie discuss the very controversial awards season contender, Nate Parker’s the Birth of a Nation.

Check out what we mentioned:

-Aisha’s piece in Slate, “In the Birth of a Nation, Women Don’t Participate in Nat Turner’s Rebellion. History Tells Us Otherwise.”

-Former President George W. Bush at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

-Good Morning America:Birth of a Nation Star Nate Parker Speaks Out

-The 2003 filmNat Turner: A Troublesome Property

For more Nate Parker rape allegation coverage we recommend:

-About Race podcast: Cold Empathy for Nate Parker with Roxane Gay

-Ebony: “Nate Parker on Campus Incident, Consent and Toxic Male Culture”

-Slate: “Nate Parker Seems Like He’s Had It With Talking About Rape”

Bonus: The 50 greatest movies by black directors.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Cord Jefferson discusses his journey from journalist to TV writer

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer Aisha Harris talks to former Gawker editor–turned–TV writer Cord Jefferson, writer for the dearly departed the Nightly Show and upcoming Season 2 of Master of None.

Check out:

-Cord Jefferson on NBC: “When will moderate whites condemn dangerous White Culture?”

-“The Racism Beat: What it’s like to write about hate over and over and over”

-Will Smith’s best performance in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "Spa Night" lead Joe Seo on being a working Asian American actor

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate culture writer, Aisha Harris talks to actor Joe Seo about his new film, Spa Night, and Vulture writer Alex Jung comes on to chat race and class in Season 3 of Transparent.

Check out:

-Radio Raheem’s “love, hate” monologue in Do the Right Thing

-Will & Grace scene about the 2016 election

-Fences teaser trailer

-Alex Jung’s interview with Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Represent is brought to you by Upstanders, a new podcast from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Hear stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities. Listen and subscribe to Upstanders on iTunes now.

And by Denial. From the screenwriter of The Hours and The Reader comes the true story of one woman’s court battle for historical truth against a Holocaust denier. Starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Wilkinson. Denial: Now playing in select theaters.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Writer-director Justin Tipping talks "making a film with no white people"

Fri, 23 Sep 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to writer/director Justin Tipping about his new movie, Kicks which tells the story of 15 year old Brandon, who goes on a dangerous mission through Oakland to retrieve his “fresh to death” pair of Air Jordans, after they were stolen.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | "Crash" director Paul Haggis reflects on his 2005 film

Thu, 22 Sep 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to writer-director Paul Haggis, of 2005’s Crash, one the most derided Best Picture Oscar winners, ever.

Check out what the critics had to say:

-Worst Movie Of The Decade by Ta-Nehisi Coates

-Crash and Fizzle by David Edelstein

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Director Kamala Lopez on ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 07:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris sits down with actress, filmmaker, and activist Kamala Lopez, about her new documentary, Equal Means Equal, which advocates hard for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment; and talks Donald Glover and his new off-kilter half-hour comedy on FX, Atlanta with Kara Brown, staff writer at Jezebel.

Check out:

-Donald Glover’s Community by Rembert Browne

-Solange Knowles essay: “And do you belong I do?” I do.

-Paperboy song from Atlanta

-How Amos ’n’ Andy Paved the Way for Black Stars on TV

-Black List Live! in LA Saturday, 9/17

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Actor/transgender activist Jen Richards talks Matt Bomer in "Anything"

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to writer/actor and transgender activist, Jen Richards, about Magic Mike star Matt Bomer being cast in the role of a transgender sex worker in the upcoming film, Anything.

Check out:

-Emmy nominated, Her Story

-Mark Ruffalo Addresses Concerns Over Trans Insensitivity on Twitter

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | MTV actor Nicole Byer on being a black female comedian on social media

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to MTV actor/comedian Nicole Byer, lead in her new semi-autobiographical new sitcom, Loosely Exactly Nicole. They chat about the show and some of the minor controversy it stirred, as well as frustrating casting calls, Leslie Jones and the perils of being a black female comedian on social media.

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Comedy vet Craig Robinson talks 'Morris From America'

Fri, 02 Sep 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris explores coming-of-age stories from the perspective of people of color. She talks to comedy vet Craig Robinson, about his new indie dramedy, Morris From America; and delves into the new Netflix show The Get Down, with Tiffany Vazquez, Saturday afternoon host for Turner Classic Movies.

Check out:

-SLATE: How Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Bruce Lee Inspired a Dazzling Dance Sequence in The Get Down

-EBONY: Nate Parker on Campus Incident, Consent and Toxic Male Culture

And the coming-of-age movies on Aisha’s “must watch” list:

-Girlhood: (Movie Clip) Diamonds

-Raising Victor Vargas

-Aaron Loves Angela: (Movie Clip) Too Much Like My Old Man

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Larry Wilmore on the end of "The Nightly Show"

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to Larry Wilmore about the cancellation of The Nightly Show and the state of late-night television.

Check out:

-Watch Larry Wilmore Respond to Nightly Show Cancellation, Declare That “Racism Is Solved"

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Journalist-turned filmmaker David Farrier on the world of tickling

Fri, 19 Aug 2016 06:22:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks to New Zealand journalist-turned-filmmaker, David Farrier, about his documentary, Tickled; and she discusses the “ethnic humor” in Seth Rogen’s animated food romp, Sausage Party, with guest co-host and one-half of the web series comedy duo A Brit and a Yank, John Raphael Oliveira.

Check out:

-A Brit And A Yank’s “SPICE GIRLS: The Untold Story”

-“Sausage Party”’s race problem: This “equal opportunity offender” is just plain offensive

-Why The Rape Scene In Sausage Party Wasn’t Funny

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Director Meera Menon talks women on screen

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 06:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris talks depicting women on screen with Equity director, Meera Menon; and discusses the cross-racial voice-over casting of the Netflix original animated series, BoJack Horseman with guest co-host and Vulture writer, Alex Jung⁠.

Check out:

-The Voice: The Tricky Topic of Race and Voice Actors-Nickelodeon’s Roundhouse "Feminism" episode

Email: represent@slate.com

Facebook: Slate Represent

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Represent | Robert Townsend on his remarkable filmmaking career

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 02:00:00 -0000

Slate Culture Writer, Aisha Harris kicks things off by discussing the new Ghostbusters movie with guest co-host & Another Round producer, Antonia Cereijida. Aisha also sits down with actor, comedian, and filmmaker Robert Townsend.

Email: represent@slate.com

Twitter: @SlateRepresent, @craftingmystyle

Production by Veralyn Williams.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing... Represent

Fri, 15 Jul 2016 18:01:00 -0000

Represent is a space for discussion, highlighting movies, tv and online shows created by and/or about women, people of color, and those in the LGBTQ community. Join Slate's Aisha Harris as she dives deep into conversations with critics about the latest pop cultural news, and filmmakers about what they do and how they do it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices