“I knew that I lived in a country in which the aspirations of black people were limited, marked-off. Yet I felt that I had to go somewhere and do something to redeem my being alive.” – Richard Wright, from “Black Boy.” Richard Wright’s writing was controversial. His work was both praised as improving race relations and criticized as perpetuating dangerous st ... Show More
Oct 2019
BONUS: Anticolonial Resistance with Dr. Priyamvada Gopal
Stay tuned for season 2 of Unpopular! In the meantime, enjoy this episode with Dr. Priyamvada Gopal, author of the book "Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent," stops by the show to discuss how enslaved people and people who lived in the British colonies w ... Show More
51 m
Aug 2022
Defining Blackness: How Systemic Racism Divides Black Communities - Beyond the Scenes
From the One Drop Rule to low essence media stereotypes, America continues to attempt to fit Blackness into a box. This has led to Black folks policing their own Blackness and divisions based on colorism and ethnic backgrounds. Daily Show writer Ashton Womack, and Yaba Blay, auth ... Show More
59m 54s
Jun 2021
BONUS: Tom Hanks, Fox News, And A Debate About Whiteness In Hollywood
This all started with a guest essay by Tom Hanks for The New York Times called "You Should Learn the Truth About the Tulsa Race Massacre," in which Hanks made the case for a more widespread teaching of American history involving Black Americans, especially of events like the Tuls ... Show More
16m 26s
Apr 2021
Debate: Is The West Fundamentally Racist?
The West is rich because the rest is poor. Capitalism is racism. So argues Kehinde Andrews, academic and self-described Black radical, who came to Intelligence Squared on March 29 to set out the ideas in his latest book, The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rul ... Show More
56m 49s
Jun 2018
The Story of America with Baratunde Thurston
Baratunde Thurston is a comedian, writer and activist who has worked at The Onion and The Daily Show. He is the author of "How to Be Black," a satirical guide to better understanding issues around race. Baratunde talks with Bassem about being Black in America, the different stori ... Show More
30m 29s
Sep 2022
The Power of Black Twitter (feat. Michael Harriot)
From hashtag activism to action offline, Black Twitter has been a vehicle for real change. Host Roy Wood Jr. chats with author of the book, Black AF: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America, Michael Harriot and Professor of Media Studies at Northeastern University, Meredith D. Clark ... Show More
55m 43s