Our Body Politic

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Mara S. Campo looks at the foundational role of Black Americans in country music, and the barriers to entry that still exist. First we hear Mara’s conversation with professor Francesca Royster, author of “Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions.” Then Mara talks with country music singer Brittney Spencer who was one of Rolling Stone’s 25 artists to watch in 2023. We round out the show hearing grammy-nominated Mickey Guyton speak with Mara about paving the way for other Black women in country music.

On this special episode of Our Body Politic produced in partnership with Level Forward, we highlight the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women’s (MMIW) crisis. Guest-host Andrea Ambam, an Artist and Host of Level Forward’s More to Talk About, speaks with Lorna Cuny, a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe from South Dakota and Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Medicine Wheel Ride and Darlene Gomez, attorney at her law firm Darlene Law, who serves on the MMIW-R Task Force for New Mexico and is General Counsel for Medicine Wheel Ride, about The Medicine Wheel Riders, a national group rais...

Can the world of classical music become more inclusive given its history? On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Celeste Headlee, a journalist and best-selling author, speaks with Professor Philip Ewell, professor of music theory at Hunter College about the history of classical music and Blackness. Then Celeste speaks with professor and Harpist Ashley Jackson about the significance of performing the works of Black female composers. Celeste is also joined by 8-time Grammy-winning musician Christian McBride on the links between jazz and classical music. We round out the show with Lara Downes, concert pianist, musical creator and host...

Guest host Mara S. Campo, Anchor and Managing Editor at Revolt Black News, looks at the ongoing national mental health crisis and talks to people who are working outside the box to make a difference.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, Farai Chideya looks back at our conversations around Black Maternal health. First, she speaks with Aftershock co-director Tonya Lewis Lee and film subject Shawnee Benton-Gibson. Then, we hear from Dr. Rachel Hardeman about racism as one of the root causes of health disparities in the U.S. After, author Anna Malaika Tubbs talks about her book The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation. We round out the show with Tressie McMillan Cottom who speaks about her horrific labor and delivery experience.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Mara S. Campo looks at the idea of the “soft life” as a form of self care for Black women. Mara speaks with Dr. Judith Joseph, a board certified psychiatrist, and Chair of Women in Medicine Collaborative at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons about the concept. Mara also talks with the founder of Saddie Baddies, Priscilla O. Agyeman about using her skills to teach women how they can embrace a soft life. We round out the show with Zee Clarke, author of Black People Breathe who offers practi...

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Mara S. Campo looks at the foundational role of Black Americans in country music, and the barriers to entry that still exist. First we hear Mara’s conversation with professor Francesca Royster, author of “Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions.” Then Mara talks with country music singer Brittney Spencer who was one of Rolling Stone’s 25 artists to watch in 2023. We round out the show hearing grammy-nominated Mickey Guyton speak with Mara about paving the way for other Black women in country music.

By now, the story of what happened on January 6 2021 is seared into the public psyche. But there is still an untold story.

Many of the investigators and team leads on the January 6th Committee were people of color. In this podcast, we bring you the story of their leadership, and why their mix of lived experience as descendents of enslaved people; children of immigrants; or immigrants themselves deeply shaped the committee’s quest to protect and uphold a multiracial pluralistic democracy. 

The story they tell about the inner workings of the committee also reveal deep rif...

By now, the story of what happened on January 6 2021 is seared into the public psyche. But there is still an untold story.

Many of the investigators and team leads on the January 6th Committee were people of color. In this podcast, we bring you the story of their leadership, and why their mix of lived experience as descendents of enslaved people; children of immigrants; or immigrants themselves deeply shaped the committee’s quest to protect and uphold a multiracial pluralistic democracy. 

The story they tell about the inner workings of the committee also reveal deep rif...

By now, the story of what happened on January 6 2021 is seared into the public psyche. But there is still an untold story.

Many of the investigators and team leads on the January 6th Committee were people of color. In this podcast, we bring you the story of their leadership, and why their mix of lived experience as descendents of enslaved people; children of immigrants; or immigrants themselves deeply shaped the committee’s quest to protect and uphold a multiracial pluralistic democracy. 

The story they tell about the inner workings of the committee also reveal deep rif...

By now, the story of what happened on January 6 2021 is seared into the public psyche. But there is still an untold story.

Many of the investigators and team leads on the January 6th Committee were people of color. In this podcast, we bring you the story of their leadership, and why their mix of lived experience as descendents of enslaved people; children of immigrants; or immigrants themselves deeply shaped the committee’s quest to protect and uphold a multiracial pluralistic democracy. 

The story they tell about the inner workings of the committee also reveal deep rif...

By now, the story of what happened on January 6 2021 is seared into the public psyche. But there is still an untold story.

Many of the investigators and team leads on the January 6th Committee were people of color. In this podcast, we bring you the story of their leadership, and why their mix of lived experience as descendents of enslaved people; children of immigrants; or immigrants themselves deeply shaped the committee’s quest to protect and uphold a multiracial pluralistic democracy. 

The story they tell about the inner workings of the committee also reveal deep rif...

PART 1: By now, the story of what happened on January 6 2021 is seared into the public psyche. But there is still an untold story. Many of the investigators and team leads on the January 6th Committee were people of color. In this podcast, we bring you the story of their leadership, and why their mix of lived experience as descendents of enslaved people; children of immigrants; or immigrants themselves deeply shaped the committee’s quest to protect and uphold a multiracial pluralistic democracy. The story they tell about the inner workings of the committee also reveal deep rifts over the role of...

On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya looks back on some of our favorite conversations with authors this past year. First we hear Farai’s conversation with author Linda Villarosa about her latest book “Under the Skin” and the dangers of medical racism. Then guest host Karen Grigsby Bates speaks with Baynard Woods, about his book “Inheritance: An Autobiography of Whiteness.” We round out the show hearing Farai’s conversation with award-winning author Tananarive Due about her latest spooky book, “The Reformatory” and the true family story that inspired it.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya looks back on our best advice from guests about how to take care of our relationships, communities, and ourselves. First we hear Farai’s conversation with authors Susan McCarthy and Marjorie Ingall about what it means to give and receive an apology. Then Farai talks with professor Andrea Roberts about celebrating Black Memory and Freedom on Juneteenth. We round out the show by listening back to Farai’s conversation with Jasmine Lamb, founder of Whut We Share and singer Geminelle about making music for mindfulness.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Callie Crossley, who is a host and commentator for GBH Boston, looks back at the first 50 years of women in Hip-Hop with educator and MC Queen D and author and cultural critic Aisha Durham. Then Callie talks with journalist Brooklyn White about the iconic Missy Elliot, the first woman Hip-Hop artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We round out the show by hearing from our viewers about what Hip-Hop means to them and the impact it’s made on their lives.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, Sayu Bhojwani, guest host and founder of Women’s Democracy Lab, speaks with Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, Executive Director at The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center about the power of ballot initiatives. Then Sayu talks with Grace Choi, CEO & Founder of Karis Consulting Group and LaTosha Brown, Co-founder of Black Voters Matter Fund about mobilizing diverse voters. We round out the show with host Farai Chideya’s conversation with Tiffany Hammond, author of “A Day with No Words” about creating community while raising two sons with autism.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, Karen Attiah, guest host and Columnist for the Washington Post, speaks with labor journalist Kim Kelly about the past year in labor movements in the U.S. Then Karen talks with journalist, activist and documentarian Rokhaya Diallo about the anti-racist protests in France. We round out the show with part 2 of Farai Chideya’s conversation with Former U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant, Aquilino Gonell about his new book, “American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya listens back to some of the conversations she is thankful for this year. First, is Farai’s most recent interview with Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland. Then Farai speaks with Renata Joy, founder of Pure Joy Wellness and Dionne C. Monsanto, Founder of Joyous Ocean about gratitude for good health. We round out the show with guest host Imara Jones and her interview with Oklahoma State Representative Mauree Turner, and then hear The Grio’s Natasha Alford in conversation with Jemele Hill about the gift of allyship in women’s spor

On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya talks with Shannon-Janean Currie, vice president at Benenson Strategy Group, which conducted our inaugural survey for our Living Data series. Farai then speaks with Cathy Cohen, the founder and director of GenForward Survey about the importance of polling. Then, Farai, Cathy Cohen and Shannon-Janean Currie, discuss the main GenZ survey takeaways. We round out the show with Farai in conversation with Former U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant, Aquilino Gonell about his new book, “American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy.”

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Sayu Bhojwani talks with Adriane Lentz-Smith, associate professor of history at Duke University about polarization, division and the politics of rage. Sayu then speaks with Christina Greer, Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow about what’s behind the low approval numbers for Vice President Kamala Harris. We round out the show with Sayu in discussion with Andrea Mercado, Executive Director, Florida Rising and Fernand Amandi, Pollster, strategist, MSNBC analyst about takeaways from the 2023 election.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Karen Grigsby Bates talks with Virginia Kase Solomón, CEO of the League of Women Voters, about the threats and issues poll workers face protecting democracy. Karen then speaks with Melissa Murray, NYU law professor and host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny about some of the cases SCOTUS will hear this term. We round out the show with Karen discussing how to navigate medical bias with artist, author and doctor, Shirlene Obuobi.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya is celebrating the spooky season with Black women creators of horror. First we hear her conversation with Louisiana-based writer and director Zandashé Brown on expanding the canon of Black Southern gothic horror. Then Farai speaks with Tonia Ransom, author and creator of the award-winning horror fiction podcast Nightlight. We round out the show with award-winning author Tananarive Due talking about her newest book, ‘The Reformatory.’

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Hagar Chemali, Creator and Host of Oh My World! talks with SiriusXM Host and MSNBC columnist Nayyera Haq and Global Opinions Editor for The Washington Post, Karen Attiah, about the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. We round out the show with a conversation between host Farai Chideya and author Roxane Gay about her new collection of essays, Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business.”

On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Karen Grigsby Bates talks about redistricting and newly redrawn maps in Alabama with Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Then Karen looks at redistricting on the city level with Los Angeles City Council Member Nithya Raman who represents the 4th district. We round out the show with Karen speaking with Jenisha Watts, senior editor at The Atlantic about her October cover story which details her upbringing in a crack house in Lexington, Kentucky.

On this special episode of Our Body Politic, we highlight the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women’s (MMIW) crisis. Guest-host Andrea Ambam, speaks with Lorna Cuny, Co-Founder of the Medicine Wheel Ride and Darlene Gomez, who is General Counsel for Medicine Wheel Ride, about The Medicine Wheel Riders, a national group raising awareness about the MMIW crisis. Then Andrea speaks with Alecia Onzahwah, about her efforts to arm Indigenous women with tools to defend themselves. We round out the show with Andrea speaking with Prairie Rose Seminole, co-director of the documentary We Ride for Her.

On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya, speaks with Linda Villarosa, journalist, author and educator about the dangers of medical racism. Then Farai speaks with Donald K. Sherman, Executive Vice-President of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, about section three of the 14th amendment to the Constitution and whether it can be used to hold former President Trump responsible for his actions leading up to the January 6th insurrection. We round out the show with Sabrina Rodriguez, National Politics Reporter for The Washington Post and Danielle Moodie, Political commentator, host of Woke AF Daily and Democracy-ish...

We’re celebrating our third year anniversary at Our Body Politic! We started this journey covering the 2020 election, so let’s continue on that path by covering one of the states that will be key in the next election - Georgia. On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya, speaks with Kendra Davenport Cotton, CEO of the New Georgia Project about mobilizing voters in the peach state. Then Farai speaks with Georgia State Representative Mesha Mainor about her decision to switch parties and become the first Black Republican woman serving in the Georgia Assembly. We round out the show...

From redistricting to Governors acting against the will of the people, we explore, whose vote counts? On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya, speaks with Elected Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell about being suspended by Governor Ron Desantis, and running for office again. Then Karen Grigsby Bates, founding member of NPR’s Code Switch Team AND Our Body Politic co-host, speaks with Michigan State Representative Donavan McKinney about suing over new state legislative maps. We round out the show with Farai speaking with fashion icon Bethann Hardison about her legendary career and her work to diversify the fa...

One of the biggest threats facing Americans today…is extremism. What can be done to combat the rising danger of extremist events in the United States? On this episode of Our Body Politic, host Farai Chideya, speaks with Kristofer Goldsmith, founder and CEO of Taskforce Butler, about engaging veterans in the fight against extremism. Then Farai gets a debrief from journalist and Our Body Politic team member Joanne Levine, who attended the Mom’s For Liberty Annual Summit. They’re an organization that has been designated to have “racist” and “extremist ties. We round the show out with our Sippin’ the Political...

Can the world of classical music become more inclusive given its history? On this episode of Our Body Politic, guest host Celeste Headlee, a journalist and best-selling author, speaks with Professor Philip Ewell, professor of music theory at Hunter College about the history of classical music and Blackness. Then Celeste speaks with professor and Harpist Ashley Jackson about the significance of performing the works of Black female composers. Celeste is also joined by 8-time Grammy-winning musician Christian McBride on the links between jazz and classical music. We round out the show with Lara Downes, concert pianist, musical creator and host...

Fall is on the way, and school is back in session. And THIS year, the summer heat and student loans are making big headlines. On this episode of Our Body Politic, host and creator Farai Chideya speaks with Neel Dhanesha from Heatmap who discusses the underestimated yet deadliest weather crisis - HEAT. We’re also joined by climate activist Dany Sigwalt on how to build a climate movement that includes BIPOC voices. Then co-host Karen Grigsby Bates, who is a founding member of NPR’s Code Switch team speaks with Persis Yu, the deputy executive director and managing counsel at the...

Tonya Mosley never expected to become a darling of public radio and podcasting; in fact, she had her heart set on becoming a print reporter. Now she’s the host of her own podcast, “Truth Be Told,” and the newest co-host of the iconic NPR interview show, “Fresh Air.” On this episode of Our Body Politic, host and creator Farai Chideya speaks with Tonya about her life growing up in Detroit, how she developed an interest in the news, and how her career unfolded on multiple media. Plus, we hear some clips from the latest season of “Truth Be Told,” which is cente...

This week, Our Body Politic host and creator Farai Chideya unpacks the latest indictment against former President Trump, with former Senior Investigative Counsel for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Soumya Dayananda. Then, she digs into why political rumors thrive and how to challenge them with MIT Professor Adam Berinsky, author of the new book Political Rumors: Why We Accept Misinformation and How to Fight It. Plus, Farai talks with Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist Julia Angwin about how technology is changing our everyday lives through surveillance and fear speech.

Hollywood is on strike. How will this historic double strike affect the already dwindling numbers of writers of color in television and feature-film writers rooms? And what is the path forward as actors and writers face the challenges of streaming services, mini-rooms and artificial intelligence? First, Our Body Politic guest host Callie Crossley speaks with award-winning television writer Erika Green Swafford about her career, what it’s like to be the only Black woman in a writer’s room and the need for creating spaces for writers of color in TV. Then, TV and feature-film writers Jeane Phan Wong and Sylv...

This week on Our Body Politic, Farai Chideya revisits some of her favorite conversations with three authors. She starts with award-winning journalist, producer and author Danyel Smith, whose book Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop offers insight into Danyel’s career in music journalism and highlights Black women’s seismic - and sometimes underrated - influence on the world of pop music and business. Farai also talks with MacArthur Grant Award winner, Harvard professor and author Tiya Miles about one family heirloom from the enslavement period that remarkably stood the test of time. Then, Farai inte...

America is in a time of unprecedented mental health challenges. Many different cultures developed mindfulness techniques over millennia, and now, more people are embracing them for physical and mental health. On this episode of “Our Body Politic,” host and creator Farai Chideya digs into the what and how of mindfulness, how Black women and women of color are centering themselves, and the creative inner workings of artists creating music-rich meditations for mindfulness.

On June 29, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against a long-standing college admissions practice: affirmative action. For many, the conservative court's decision wasn't a surprise. But the fallout from the ruling will be felt for years to come. On this episode of “Our Body Politic,” guest host Karen Grigsby Bates, founding member of NPR’s “Code Switch” team, is joined by experts and advocates to break down the history of affirmative action, what the recent decision means and who it’s impacting. Plus we hear the voices and stories of those most affected by the ruling: students.

This episode of Our Body Politic is a special on caregiving. We start the show with the voices of caregivers, lawmakers and advocates. Then, OBP creator and host Farai Chideya speaks with Sade Dozan, Chief of Development and Operations at Caring Across Generations, a movement with the goal of creating “a world where everyone can age with dignity, and caregivers are respected and supported,” about her caregiving journey. Farai also speaks with nationally recognized author Ai-jen Poo, the co-founder and Executive Director of Caring Across Generations, about taking care of our elders, our children and ourselves. Finally, on our weekly roun...

On this episode of Our Body Politic, we focus on two hot topics in the news: the wave of white supremacist sentiments that has taken hold inside and outside of government, and the state of voting rights in America. First, Our Body Politic host and creator Farai Chideya speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery about his latest book,“American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress,” examining the “whitelash” to the notion of a “post-racial America” after the election of President Barack Obama. Then, Farai is joined by Tiffany Jeffers, associate professor of law at Georgetown Law and Our Body...