A Word … with Jason Johnson

President Biden and Vice President Harris made impassioned speeches in Georgia this week, calling voting rights a top political priority. But the grassroots organizers who helped turn Georgia in 2020 want more than words, and many refused to attend the president’s event. One of those people is Nsé Ufot, the CEO of the New Georgia Project voting rights group. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with Ufot about dangers to voting rights, frustrations with Biden, and the dire consequences for people of color should voting protection efforts fail.

Guest: Nsé Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project 

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

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This week, we’re bringing you an episode from another show we think you’ll like. 

Slate's history podcast One Year introduces you to people and ideas that changed American history, one year at a time. The new season of One Year covers 1995, a year when homegrown terrorists attacked Oklahoma City, America went online, and the Macarena took over nightclubs.

When a serial rapist struck Ann Arbor, Michigan, the police turned to drastic measures, based on the promise and power of DNA. For law enforcement, genetic testing seemed like a can’t-miss idea. But DNA didn’t fix anything in Ann Arbor. Instead, it ripped the community apart.

One Year is produced by Josh Levin, Evan Chung, and Madeline Ducharme. Additional production help from Cheyna Roth. Mixing by Merritt Jacob.

Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $1 right now.

For a behind-the-scenes look into some of the articles we read when we create the show, check out our Pocket collection at http://getpocket.com/slate. 

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Should journalists work to end American racism, not just report on it? That’s what the Boston Globe’s new project, The Emancipator, is making its mission. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by its co-editor-in-chief, Amber Payne. They discuss The Emancipator’s history, and its vision for an anti-racist American future.

Guest: Amber Payne, co-editor in chief of The Emancipator at the Boston Globe

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

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It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time to press play on your favorite Christmas movies. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by essayist and pop culture critic Rebecca Theodore-Vachon to talk about what really makes a Black Christmas movie, and which classics they recommend. 

Guest: Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, essayist, pop culture critic, and host of The Spectrum Lounge podcast. 

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

 You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

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It’s already a devastating situation when a loved one goes missing. And if you’re Black, you’ll likely have fewer resources and help to find your family member. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Derrica Wilson. She’s the co-founder and CEO of the Black and Missing Foundation, the group that inspired the HBO documentary Black and Missing. They talk about the disparities in the way the media and police treat missing people of color, how that impacts the chances that people are found, and what the Black and Missing Foundation is doing to change the dynamics.

Guest: Derrica Wilson, Co-Founder, and CEO of the Black and Missing Foundation, Inc. 

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

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How do you make a struggling public school --with outdated textbooks, a shady principal, and broken everything-- funny? Ask comedian Quinta Brunson, star and creator of the new ABC show Abbott Elementary. Brunson joins Jason Johnson on today’s episode of A Word to discuss the sitcom, her work on HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, and her unconventional path to comedy stardom.  

Guest: Quinta Brunson, writer, producer, comedian, and actress. She’s the author of the memoir “She Memes Well.” Brunson’s new show Abbott Elementary on ABC is out now.

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

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With a growing number of Americans vaccinated, many are contemplating traveling for the holidays, despite concerns about a new COVID variant. For Black travelers, navigating an unfamiliar society’s ideas about race adds another complication. On this episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran lifestyle journalist and travel expert Dayvee Sutton to talk about her experience while traveling as a Black woman during the pandemic. 

Guest: Dayvee Sutton, veteran lifestyle journalist and travel expert

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

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The holidays bring out the chef in many of us. For Vallery Lomas, stress-baking through her final year of law school laid the foundation for a career as a chef, and a victory in the Great American Baking Show. This week, she joins host Jason Johnson this week to talk about her unlikely path to celebrity chef status, and her new book Life is What You Bake It. 

Guest: Vallery Lomas, cookbook author, recipe developer, and creator at @foodieinnewyork on Instagram

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis

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Zeba Blay popularized the hashtag #carefreeblackgirls, a celebration of positive online representation of Black women and girls. In her book Carefree Black Girls, she reckons with why––even in a pop culture led by people of color––so many critics are white men. Blay joins the show this week to discuss The Harder They Fall, Passing, Dave Chappelle, and where today’s artists are, and aren’t, hitting the mark on race. 

Guest: Zeba Blay, culture and film critic and author of the book Carefree Black Girls

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis

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Decades before Moonlight, Black Panther, or anything from Spike Lee, Black film artists worked through and around the studio system to bring their visions to the big screen. Now the Black Film Archive has brought together classics from 1915 to 1979. Its creator Maya Cade joins Jason Johnson on A Word to talk about the importance of African Americans connecting with movies from the past.

Guest: Maya Cade, creator of Black Film Archive and audience development specialist for the Criterion Collection

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.