A Word … with Jason Johnson

It’s been almost 30 years since the Los Angeles riots rocked the nation. Even now, many Americans remember where they were when they heard that four L.A.P.D. officers were acquitted for beating Rodney King. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Joel Anderson, host of Slate’s Slow Burn Season 6: The L.A. Riots. They talk about the roots of the 1992 crisis, and whether it’s better understood as a riot or an uprising. 

Guest: Joel Anderson, Slate writer and host of Slow Burn: The L.A. Riots

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

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School is supposed to be a safe environment for students to thrive. But too many school policies put non-white and disabled students on the path to prison. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with professor and author Lori Martin, about fighting the school-to-prison pipeline, and how parents can protect their children from falling into the criminal justice system.

Guest: Lori Martin, sociology professor at Louisiana State University and author of Big Box Schools: Race, Education, and the Danger of the Wal-Martization of Public Schools in America

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

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Whether the issue is Covid policy or police violence, Black athletes can’t run, jump, or score their way out of the racial power dynamics of major sports. On today’s episode of A Word, veteran sportswriter and author Howard Bryant joins Jason Johnson to talk about the intersection of sports and race. They discuss the controversy over basketball star Kyrie Irving’s vaccine resistance, former NFL coach Jon Gruden’s offensive emails, and Colin Kaepernick’s endless campaign to return to the football field. 

Guest: Howard Bryant, veteran sportswriter, commentator, and author of several books including The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis

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California’s Governor Newsom recently signed legislation to return Bruce’s Beach, beachfront property that had been seized from a Black family after a campaign of racist violence and intimidation. But it’s only one of thousands of cases where African American families lost property to everything from extra legal land seizures, to systematic lending discrimination. Professor Thomas Mitchell, a law professor at Texas A&M University and MacArthur Genius Grant winner, joins the show this week to talk about protecting and reclaiming African-American land. 

Podcast production by Samira Tazari, Jasmine Ellis, and Asha Saluja

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Slate. And for a limited time only, we’re offering our annual Slate Plus membership at $25 off. As a member, you’ll get no ads on any of our podcasts, unlimited reading on the Slate site, and member-exclusive episodes and segments.

Sign up for Slate Plus at slate.com/awordplus to keep us going for another 25 years. This special offer goes through Oct. 31st, so sign up now at slate.com/awordplus.

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The Supreme Court is back in session and its public support is in free fall. But the unpopular court seems poised to radically alter the lives of millions of Americans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by political analyst Elie Mystal to discuss what’s on the docket, and why so many Americans are braced for the Court to shred their rights.  

Guest: Elie Mystal, MSNBC political analyst and the justice correspondent for The Nation

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis

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The 2020 Census revealed that a growing number of Latino Americans are acknowledging their Black heritage. But that choice has never been simple. Professor Tanya Hernández of Fordham University School of Law joins Jason Johnson to talk about the bias Afro-Latinos have faced across the Americas, from their governments and even their own families. They also explore how Afro-Latinos pressing for greater representation in entertainment, media, and politics.

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Guest: Professor Tanya Hernández, Fordham University School of Law

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel, Jasmine Ellis, and Asha Saluja

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Recorded as part of the Texas Tribune Festival, this week’s episode is a conversation with brothers US Representative Joaquin Castro and 2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro. The brothers join Jason to discuss how the Biden administration is measuring up on the issues that were important to their own campaigns, the potential ripple effects of Texas’ new extreme abortion legislation, and the importance of Latino representation in the media. 

Guests: Joaquin Castro, US Representative for Texas’ 20th District, and Julián Castro, former Secretary of HUD and 2020 presidential candidate 

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel, Jasmine Ellis, and Asha Saluja.

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Your barista, your golf buddy, your ex-college roommate...just because you are friendly with a Black person doesn’t mean you’re friends. And even if you are, you can still be a racist. Scholar Khalil Gibran Muhammad explores the “Black buddy” myth of racial healing this through his podcast “Some of My Best Friends Are…”, which he co-hosts with his white best friend, Ben Austen. On today’s episode of A Word, Muhammad joins Jason Johnson to talk about interracial friendships, and evolving views about how they reflect racial progress in America. 

Guest: Khalil Gibran Muhammad is a historian, author, and the co-host of “Some of My Best Friends Are…,” a new podcast on the Pushkin network.

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis

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Black Republican Larry Elder is leading the race to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom. For decades, the GOP was the default choice of millions of Black voters. But that changed during the civil rights era, as that party emerged as the home of segregationists, white supremacists, and their sympathizers. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Michael Steele, Maryland’s former lieutenant governor, and ex-chair of the RNC to talk about Black Republican leadership and the future of Black conservatives.

Guest: Michael Steele, former chair of the RNC, and a political analyst for MSNBC

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis

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Haiti was already reeling from a presidential assassination when a massive earthquake struck in August. And organizations that have “helped” Haiti in the past have exploited its people, filled their own pockets, and left the country off worse than before. On A Word, Jason Johnson talks about the Haitian crisis with Professor Marlene Daut, a professor of African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia. She’s also the author of Tropics of Haiti: Race and the Literary History of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World. 

Guest: Marlene Daut, professor of African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel and Jasmine Ellis

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