Larry is joined by professor, historian, and host of the PBS series 'Finding Your Roots' Henry Louis Gates Jr. They begin their conversation by discussing how Henry's upbringing and the parental influence fueled his passion for storytelling and education. Henry then details how the show and the accompanying DNA technology have evolved over the years from exclusively connecting African-Americans to their pre-slavery tribal roots to the highly revered service it is today that helps people from races and regions all over the world connect to their family trees (13:43). Dr. Gates then shares anecdotes about some of his favorite guests and moments from past episodes of 'Finding Your Roots', including Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis, and Morgan Freeman (25:13). Larry and Henry end the podcast by talking about the show's ability to consistently uncover deep family secrets, Gates's upcoming appearance on 'The Simpsons', and how listeners can explore their own genealogies (52:55).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Associate Producer: Chris Sutton
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Henry Louis Gates Jr. on 'Finding Your Roots'

Emmy Award—winning producer, actor, and comedian Larry Wilmore is back on the air, hosting a podcast where he weighs in on the issues of the week and interviews guests in the worlds of politics, entertainment, culture, sports, and beyond.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Larry is joined by U.S. Representative from California’s 17th congressional district Ro Khanna and they begin their conversation by discussing the protest movement happening on college campuses around the U.S. and the principal factors contributing to the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. They then pivot to the congressional misconceptions surrounding TikTok before examining the viability of progressive capitalism and the role of AI in modern industry (20:22). After the break, Larry and Ro try to make sense of Donald Trump’s popularity, break down the immigration issue, and talk about the most important qualities in leadership (36:46).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Rep. Ro Khanna
Producer: Chris Sutton
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Rep. Ro Khanna on the Israel-Gaza Conflict, Big Tech, Culture Politics, and More!

Larry is joined by attorney, political commentator, and host of 'The Bakari Sellers Podcast', Bakari Sellers, to discuss his new book ‘The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn't and How We All Can Move Forward Now’. They begin their conversation by discussing the importance of relatability in politics and examining the level of this quality within Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Next, Bakari breaks down the personal and sociological reasons he decided to write his book and how he hopes it can re-engage readers, particularly African-American ones, to be more active in local and national politics (15:38). After the break, Larry and Bakari talk about what today’s youth can learn from traumas and grassroots movements of the past, the value of celebrity in activism, and some of the biggest issues concerning Black voters heading into the 2024 election (29:12).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Bakari Sellers
Producer: Chris Sutton
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Bakari Sellers on ‘The Moment: Thoughts on the Race Reckoning That Wasn't and How We All Can Move Forward Now’

Larry is joined by journalist and author Tiffany Cross and they begin their conversation by discussing the racial obstacles Tiffany faced during her time at MSNBC and how her passion for storytelling developed. They then dive into her new podcast 'ACross Generations with Tiffany Cross', and talk about how the show touches on, and attempts to bridge the gap between, the psychological motivations between different age groups in our society (17:55). This leads to some deep examinations on the keys to personal success, the importance of maintaining healthy dynamics within all facets of life, and the value of giving versus receiving gifts (30:20). After the break, Tiffany shares a personal story of interviewing her mom for the ‘ACross’ pod and explains the biggest existential issues stunting Black relationships today (47:01). Larry and Tiffany end the pod by shining a light on Tiffany’s new political podcast ‘Native Land Pod’ and debating the viability of African-American Trump voters (1:06:05).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Tiffany Cross
Producer: Chris Sutton
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Tiffany Cross on ‘ACross Generations’ and ‘Native Land Pod’

Larry is joined by Oscar and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and producer Ed Zwick to discuss his new memoir ‘Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood’. They begin by examining the state of the film industry against other forms of modern media and reflect on the importance of the movie-going experience in the 1970s and '80s. Next, Ed expounds on some of the remarkable moments he experienced working with geniuses like Woody Allen, Matthew Broderick, and Denzel Washington, and on legendary projects like ‘Special Bulletin’, ‘Glory’, and ‘Thirtysomething’ (12:40). After the break, Ed offers tools to young creatives on dealing with fame, overcoming career lulls, and the finished script (45:37). Larry and Ed end the pod by talking about their favorite parts of filmmaking and the effect of streaming culture on Hollywood (54:46).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Ed Zwick
Producer: Chris Sutton
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Ed Zwick on ‘Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood’

Today, Larry reaches deep into the ‘Black on the Air’ Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram mailbags to answer some questions from some of you! Throughout the Q&A he weighs in on a myriad of burning topics including Donald Trump (11:30), the JFK assassination (24:18), ‘Cowboy Carter' (41:31), Louis Gossett Jr.(52:56), much, much more.
Host: Larry Wilmore
Producer: Chris Sutton
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Henry Louis Gates Jr. on 'Finding Your Roots'

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