Michelle Duster is a great-granddaughter of Wells, and she joins us to talk about the Civil Rights icon’s strategies for giving a voice to the voiceless and how they might be used in present-day America.
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Why The Nice People You Barely Know Are Important
Amanda Mull joins us to talk about how we’ve traditionally undervalued these acquaintances and how the loss of these occasional interactions has caused our lives to shrink.
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Extra! Extra! Read All About It! (On Nextdoor)
Will Oremus joins us to talk about how as local newspapers die out, the social media site Nextdoor is filling that need.
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How Ancient Cities Created The Modern World
Author Ben Wilson joins us to talk about the innovations of ancient cities, which connect the Sumerian city of Uruk to the world’s urban mega-centers of today.
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From Black Pain, Black Heroism
Jerald Walker, professor of creative writing at Emerson College, joins us to talk about his book of bracing – and often funny – essays.
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Inside NASA’s Mission To Diversify Its Ranks
Jay Bennett, science editor at National Geographic, joins us to talk about how NASA is pinning its future on a diverse collection of scientists and future astronauts.
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How Pocahontas Kept The Peace
Karen Ordahl Kupperman, Silver Professor of History Emerita at New York University, joins us to talk about how Pocahontas collaborated with a trio of English boys to keep communication flowing between the colonists and their Indian neighbors.
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How A Murderer Got Out To Kill Again
Robert Riggs joins us to talk about the flaws in the parole system that allowed a murderer to walk free several times over.
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What Is Appalachia Without Coal Mining?
Jeff Young is managing editor of Ohio Valley ReSource, a regional journalism collaborative reporting on economic and social change in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. He joins us to discuss his investigations into the struggles of the people and businesses there, and why they don’t bode well for the future of the nation.
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Life As A Black Vegan
Amirah Mercer is the founder of Other Suns, a wellness guide for Black women, and she joins us to talk about her switch to a vegan lifestyle, the isolation from community she initially felt, and her subsequent deep dive into the long history of plant-based diets in the Black diaspora.
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The Heavy Weight of American Racism
Mary-Frances Winters, president and CEO of diversity and inclusion consulting firm The Winters Group, joins us to discuss the exhaustion that comes with constantly fighting for a seat at the table, especially amid white fragility and empty promises for change.
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It’s OK to Press Pause
Journalist and author Katherine May joins us to talk about finding meaning in moments when life isn’t joyful — and why tribulations ultimately build our strength.
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