Slate Race and Identity

Headlines suggest that Haiti could be on the verge of collapse, with gangs controlling its streets, the economy at a standstill, and political leaders fearing for their lives. But while international observers decry it as a “failed nation,” Haiti’s path to success has been consistently blocked since its successful slave rebelion in 1804. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Leslie Alexander, author “Fear of a Black Republic: Haiti and the Birth of Black Internationalism in the United States.“ 

Guest: Historian Leslie Alexander, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of History at Rutgers University

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act has been law for less than a year. And while court challenges persist, it’s already having a chilling effect on many educators who teach about race. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Jonathan Cox, a University of Central Florida Professor of Sociology. Cox recently spoke with ProPublica about how the crusade against critical race theory led him to cancel some classes and alter others.

Guest: University of Central Florida Sociologist Jonathan Cox

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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In the wake of the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, and now similar riots in Brazil’s capital, we’re picking up our conversation about how to reduce political violence. In the first episode of our two-part series, we heard from Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This week, we’re talking with Curtis Toler, director of outreach at Chicago CRED. After joining his first street organization at the age of 9, Curtis went from a gang leader to a violence interrupter. He talks about how to reach people entrenched in cycles of conflict, how to get to the peace table, and what Congress (and all of us) can learn from his success on the streets of Chicago. 

Resources: 

Chicago CRED

A Savage Order: How the World's Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security by Rachel Kleinfeld

An Ex-Gang Leader’s Advice for Deescalating Violence in Politics by Amanda Ripley

If you liked this episode, check out: “​​How To Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Part 1 and Part 2.” 

Do you have a question without an answer? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, and Kevin Bendis.  

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Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we create the show? Check out Slate's Pocket Collections for research and reading lists, as well as additional insights into how we think about the stories behind the episodes. 

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Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin seems to be making a remarkable recovery after suffering cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football. But the incident has renewed questions about how the NFL tries –and often fails– to keep the sport from threatening the health of its athletes. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by veteran sports journalist Howard Bryant to discuss the NFL’s history of responding to injuries, and whether media and fans are complicit in the suffering of players. 

Guest: Sports writer Howard Bryant, author of Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field 

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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With the holidays comes time to rest, recuperate, and unwind. What are this year’s best seasonal offerings to curl up in front of and watch with the family? 

Guest: Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, essayist and pop culture critic.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario talks to comedian and activist Aida Rodriguez about the state of women in comedy. They dig into Aida’s background and what it was like to come up as a woman of color in comedy. They also unpack the sneaking suspicion that women of color are getting fewer and fewer chances these days, and how to turn trauma into comedy. 

In Slate Plus, Aida and Daisy talk about whether it’s feminist to not stand up for yourself in a loud way.

Catch Aida’s comedy Fighting Words on HBO Max. 

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

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Former NFL star Deion Sanders turned the struggling Jackson State University Tigers into a winning team, and brought a national spotlight to football at historically Black colleges and universities. That’s why his decision to take a coaching job at the University of Colorado sparked a debate among HBCU fans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by University of Houston Professor Billy Hawkins about why Sanders’ time at JSU had such an impact, and whether HBCUs can retain some of the momentum that Sanders helped to build.

Guest: University of Houston Professor Billy Hawkins, author of The New Plantation: Black Athletes, College Sports, and Predominantly White NCAA Institutions. 

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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New York’s Rikers Island is infamous for its violence and danger, even to prisoners who haven’t been convicted of any crime. At least 18 detainees have died there under questionable circumstances this year alone. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by attorney Olayemi Olurin. She shares more about what led to these deaths, and why political leaders like New York Mayor Eric Adams may be standing in the way of closing Rikers or making it safer.

Guest: Olayemi Olurin, a public defender at The Legal Aid Society in New York City. 

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola 

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On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior supervising producer of audio Daisy Rosario is joined by sisters and authors Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar. Amber and Lacey just released their second book, The World Record Book of Racist Stories, a collection of humorous and sometimes heartbreaking essays about the racism they and the people they know experience every day. Daisy, Amber and Lacey talk about needing to write a second book (because they didn’t fit all the stories in the first book), the importance of family in surviving micro and macro aggressions, and why humor is the only way to get through the pain. 

In Slate Plus, Daisy, Amber and Lacey talk about why Omaha actually is a great place to live. 

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

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For many years, tech professionals dismissed the threat of disinformation. Christopher Bouzy was one of them, until the 2016 election changed his mind. Bouzy founded and leads the organization Bot Sentinel to fight online disinformation. On today’s episode of A Word, he talks with host Jason Johnson about how best to detect lies and false narratives in social media, and how Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter complicates his mission. 

Guest: Christopher Bouzy, founder and C.E.O. of Bot Sentinel

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

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