In this two-part episode, Andon and Nikki talk with James Ponzo a professor of African-American studies and PhD candidate at the University of Buffalo. His research engages the rich cultural tradition of African-Americans, including an MA thesis centering on Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and his developing dissertation on the works of James Baldwin, their relevance, and significance to contemporary society. In the first part, we discuss James Baldwin, athlete activism, the Black Lives Matter movement, the history of black people and the police, politics, and social issues. James' recommendations: I Am Not Your Negro, Harriet, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.