logo
episode-header-image
Today
25m 49s

The proposal to know less about America

NPR
About this episode
Census data about race can be incredibly important – but we might lose it.

The Trump administration has proposed to stop asking people in the U.S. about their race and ethnicity in the upcoming 2030 census. But what's the point of getting rid of these questions? And what makes the narratives around our nation's demographics so fraught?

To get into it, Brittany is joined by Russell Contreras, senior race and justice reporter at Axios, and Hansi Lo Wang, a correspondent at NPR who covers voting rights and the census.

For more episodes about policy and culture, check out:
Bacteria is taking over the food pyramid
Is your city shaped by yuppie taste?
Don't get got by big MILK

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Oct 9
The Palestinians telling their own stories
Palestinians are challenging the narrative one story at a time.Editor-in-Chief of The Key, Sara Yasin, wants us to rethink what she calls ‘it’s complicated' journalism. As more young people are exposed to the destruction in Gaza -- outside of traditional media outlets -- Sara wan ... Show More
27m 2s
Oct 7
The secret pain of your high school bully
Some of life's hardest lessons are learned in high school.In Jocelyn Bioh's Broadway play, School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play, the ladies of Aburi Girls' Boarding School live these hard lessons through their friendships, feuds, and the upcoming Miss Ghana 1986 beauty p ... Show More
26m 22s
Oct 6
Is loving your mother worth the pain?
Author Mary H.K. Choi is obsessed with her mom.New York Times bestselling author, Mary H.K Choi, is known for her young adult novels Emergency Contact and Yolk. But her latest novel, Pool House, is for adults, and details the relationship between a Korean-American D-list actress ... Show More
35m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2020
It's About Damn Time
Monique Heart reflects on Kamala Harris’ historic win, Megan Thee Stallion’s new music, and the fashion industry's continuation of Blackfishing. This week Monique learns about voting in America and why some Latinx voters vote conservatively with Northwestern professor & Author, G ... Show More
1h 7m
May 2017
“Product, Not the Producer”
<p>DeRay, Brittany Packnett and Sam Sinyangwe are together again to talk about the most important news of the past week. Then, Grammy-award winning artist and activist John Legend joins DeRay to talk about parenting, women’s reproductive rights, mass incarceration and using his c ... Show More
1h 29m
Jul 2023
Say It Ain't So
A congressional hearing looks to the heavens, the Black community mourns a broken earth, and a Hollywood star drops in for a conversation about grace. For show notes and more, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
1h 1m
Oct 2021
All Eyes on Me
This week Erin Ryan and Alyssa Mastromonaco talk about the latest whiplash with Texas’s abortion ban, Wisconsin breweries helping parents sue schools over anti-mask mandates, CA Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia pioneering women’s rights in the state and the chaos in Idaho politics. ... Show More
1h 16m
Apr 2023
The Sands They Are A-Shifting
Words versus mobs, reckoning with CT’s past, and weird neighbors. For show notes and more, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
53m 42s
Dec 2021
NFT Shows Vs. Quality, Creator Economy Vs. Art, and COVID Variants Vs. Us
Today we talk about the topics in the title, as well as the Ahmaud Arbery case and some secret good news at the end of the episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
53m 31s
Feb 2021
Almost Famous: A Time to Listen
<p>Award winning producer, bestselling author and renowned motivational speaker DeVon Franklin joins Ben and Ashley for an honest and important conversation about race. </p><p><br></p><p>We discuss the recent controversy surrounding The Bachelor franchise and what steps can be ta ... Show More
1h 12m
Oct 2019
SMNTY Roundup: Kavanaugh, #MeToo, Games and More
<p>In this grabbag of an episode, Anney and Samantha do an update on some recent stories including new allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, #MeToo, trauma, board games, green army women, D&amp;D and the mysterious more.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="htt ... Show More
42m 30s