How did comedy get so… political? Well, we have Dick Gregory to partially thank for that. Garrison and comedian/The Daily Show host Josh Johnson talk about Gregory’s subversive brand of political comedy, his activism and how he put his values above the fear of being cancelled.

Who’s a defiant person you think we should feature on the show? Or do you have a story about someone who inspired you to be “about that life"? Leave us a voicemail at 814-326-2866. 

Support the show by subscribing on Substack

Show Notes

Guest: Josh Johnson

Want to learn more?

Read:

N****r

Dick Gregory’s Political Primer

Watch:

The One & Only Dick Gregory

Follow Garrison

YouTube

TikTok

Instagram

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever feel powerless in the face of an atrocity? Well, that never stopped George Washington Williams, a Black man who went from being a “barely literate” veteran to a crusader who exposed a genocide in the Congo and nearly toppled a king. Garrison and activist Mohammed Elnaiem discuss how we can learn from someone who let his faith and love for Black people around the world guide his actions.

Who’s a defiant person you think we should feature on the show? Or do you have a story about someone who inspired you to be “about that life"? Leave us a voicemail at 814-326-2866. 

Support the show by subscribing on Substack

Show Notes

Guest: Mohammed Elnaiem

Want to learn more?

Read:

George Washington Williams: A Biography

History of the Negro Race: 1619-1880

King Leopold’s Ghost

Watch:

King Leopold’s Ghost

More on the crisis in the Congo:

Friends of the Congo

Congo Week (Oct 18-24, 2026)

Follow Garrison

YouTube

TikTok

Instagram

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 1 - The Future According to Octavia Butler

Sci-Fi author Octavia Butler seemed to have predicted our dystopian present over 30 years ago. But can her understanding of history help us change our future? Garrison and Erika Alexander (actor and futurist) discuss the power of radical imagination and the lasting impact of her work.

Who’s a defiant person you think we should feature on the show? Or do you have a story about someone who inspired you to be “about that life"? Leave us a voicemail at 814-326-2866. 

Support the show by subscribing on Substack.

Guest: Erika Alexander 

Want to learn more?

Read:

Kindred 

Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Talents 

Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler 

Watch:

Octavia Butler: A Cautionary Tale

Octavia Butler Interview with Julie Dash

Follow Garrison Hayes:

YouTube

TikTok

Instagram

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lessons from the defiant ones– past and present. Coming August 26, 2026.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices