Ruha Benjamin, a professor at Princeton University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss why we are failing at imagining a better world and how thinking big is the path to unlocking good.
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The history of Gospel music
Shayla Harris, director and producer of a new PBS documentary series called “Gospel,” joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the legacy of this American art form, from its birth in churches to its rise to the mainstream.
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Why indigenous Americans are undercounted in the census
Mark Trahant, editor-at-large for ICT, and Dee Alexander, Intergovernmental Tribal Affairs Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, join host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways the government counts tribal affiliation vs. the ways tribes count their roles.
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Why LBJ and MLK needed each other
Peniel Joseph, professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the contentious but essential relationship between the president and Civil Rights leader.
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Why dyslexia gets overlooked
Education journalist Sarah Carr joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the outdated methods being used to diagnose dyslexia — which rely on I.Q. scores before help is given – and the ways students of color are often left behind.
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When eulogies are complicated
Rev. Esau McCaulley, associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the deep work that led him to seeing his father in a new light and how his father’s struggles are echoed in the experiences of many Black Americans.
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The plight of Black professionals in a white collar world
Kevin Woodson, a law professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, joins guest host Courtney Collins to discuss the barriers to success for Black workers in white collar industries.
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Journalists of color carry extra burden
James E. Causey, Ideas Lab reporter, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the hate mail he’s gotten through the years, why he initially hid his pain from his readers and colleagues, and why he feels it’s time to confront hate head on.
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The early online forum that built a trans community
Samantha Riedel, contributing writer for Them magazine, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the discovery of a CD-Rom with four years of content from the late 1990s, which shows a burgeoning trans community being born online.
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Musician and comedian Reggie Watts on the joy of being weird
Comedian and musician Reggie Watts joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his memoir about growing up mixed race in a small town, and how he embraced his differences to find what’s cool.
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Why twins really are special
Helena de Bres, a philosophy professor at Wellesley College and a twin herself, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the endless questions she’s asked about her and her sister – and to reflect upon what being a multiple is really like.
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The legacy of America’s first Black generals
Doug Melville joins guest host John McCaa to discuss his family’s patriarchs – how they were unfairly compensated and faced racism among the ranks, and his quest to bring these extraordinary men’s stories to light.
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