A Word … with Jason Johnson

Minister and scientist Chris Jones has launched a long-shot campaign to be governor in Arkansas. But does the Democratic candidate have what it takes to change the political landscape in his home state? On today’s episode of A Word, Chris Jones talks with host Jason Johnson about his unlikely path to politics, and his hopes for the race. Guest: Chris Jones , Democratic candidate for governor in Ar...

Many Cuban Americans have long called for new leadership in that nation, including Afro-Cubans who --from social media to the streets-- are challenging the historic American narrative about Cuba’s government. For Afro-Cuban professor, Amalia Dache, the fight is personal. She’s the author of the book Rise Up! Activism as Education . On today’s episode of A Word, Professor Dache joins host Jason Joh...

Donald Trump’s combination of bigotry, lies, and meanness led to a victory that stunned political pundits in 2016. Atlantic writer Adam Serwer would go on to coin the phrase that summed up Trump’s appeal: the cruelty is the point. Serwer has collected his essays chronicling the Trump era in the new book, The Cruelty is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump’s America, and joins host Jas...

Even as conservative critics call for her to be ousted from the Olympic squad, track and field athlete Gwen Berry won’t back down after protesting the American flag and national anthem during the Olympic trials. Amira Rose Davis joins the show to contextualize Berry in a long history of Black and female athlete activists. She also explains the personal risks these athletes take in peacefully prote...

Police violence and protests were the sounds of summer 2020, and Black musicians from across the spectrum lent their voices to the moment. In honor of Black Music Appreciation Month, entertainment and music reporter Jewel Wicker talks with Jason Johnson about the tradition of popular music mixing with protests --from The Staple Singers, to Beyoncé, to DaBaby-- and which songs will have staying pow...

Stacey Abrams dealt with a narrow --and tainted-- loss in the Georgia governor’s race by helping to turn her red state blue in 2020. On today’s episode of A Word, she tells host Jason Johnson about her campaign plans, her voting rights fight, and her worries about economic boycotts as a political tactic. Guest: Stacey Abrams , politician, author, and the founder of the voting rights group, Fair Fi...

Kendi joins the show this week to explain critical race theory, and why it has become such a political lightning rod. He also talks about how the backlash against critical race theory is threatening academic freedom, and specifically how it kept Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones from tenure at the University of North Carolina.  Dr. Kendi is the host of a new podcast, Be Antirac...

David Alan Grier is a comedian’s comedian, from his iconic stint on ‘In Living Color,’ to his many sitcoms roles, including his latest on the Netflix show, ‘Dad Stop Embarrassing Me.’ He’s also a dramatic actor, with roles in Broadway classics and Ava Duvernay’s ‘Queen Sugar.’ On today’s episode of A Word, David Alan Grier joins Jason Johnson to talk about his career, staying booked and busy durin...

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, marking her second anniversary in office, would only grant one-on-one interviews to journalists of color. Lightfoot said she was highlighting a lack of media diversity. Critics call it racist. Could this policy change the status quo, or just be a distraction? Jason Johnson is joined by Errin Haines, editor-at-large of The 19th*, a non-profit news outlet focused on wom...

Whoopi Goldberg’s early views, Barack Obama’s youthful indiscretions, Diahann Carroll’s big break. Those stories and thousands more have been preserved by The HistoryMakers , a video archive of notable African Americans. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with the founder and president of The HistoryMakers, Julieanna Richardson, about the project’s mission, and the urgency of prese...

Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility climbed back on the best-seller charts after George Floyd’s murder. On today’s episode of A Word, she talks with Jason Johnson about what white allyship looks like after Derek Chauvin’s conviction, and the challenges of building an anti-racist society. The two originally spoke at the Crosscut Festival, an online conference that took a hard look at the people, polic...

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Emmy-nominated actor William Jackson Harper. Fans might know him as indecisive professor Chidi from The Good Place. But he’s back on screens this spring in Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad. The series is based on the Pulitzer prize-winning novel from Colson Whitehead. Harper talks about the upcoming Amazon Prime series, playing Chidi...

It’s game time, and Black women creatives are leveling up in the online video gaming business. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by online gamer Briana Williams, better known as Storymodebae. She’s a content creator, gamer, and Twitch ambassador. They discuss her path to winning in the white and male-dominated business of online gaming, and how she and Black women gamers are bu...

Advocates of police reform, including President Biden, say Derek Chauvin’s conviction is a crucial step in ending racist police practices. But abolitionists say it’s too little, too late. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with Professor James D. Ward, the author of Policing and Race in America: Economic, Political and Social Dynamics. Ward explains why he thinks abolishing police...

Minnesota police killed another unarmed Black man, less than a year after George Floyd’s death. On Sunday, twenty-year-old Daunte Wright was fatally shot by then-officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Johnathon McClellan, president of the civil rights advocacy group Minnesota Justice Coalition. They talk about Wright's...

Black farmers scored a major victory in the Covid relief package, winning billions of dollars in aid. The farmers call it fairness. Some Republicans call it reparations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by John Boyd Jr. to talk about what this relief means for Black farmers across the country. Boyd is the founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, and say...

After historic Black turnout flipped Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed a new law that could hit Black and other voters of color hard. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by LaTosha Brown. She is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter, one of the groups that helped Democrats win Georgia at the Senate and presidential level. They discuss how activists are fighting back agai...

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the latest example of Black characters taking on the mantle of comic book superheroes. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by professor and award-winning comic book artist John Jennings. Jennings is also the curator of the ABRAMS Megascope line of graphic novels. They discuss the importance of Black characters winning more power in comic b...

On today’s episode of A Word, host Jason Johnson discusses how the recent water crisis that struck Jackson, Mississippi has become an everyday consequence of inequality in many rural Black communities. His guest is MacArthur “Genius” Catherine Coleman Flowers. She is the author of “Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret.” They talk about environmental justice and how access to saf...

On today’s episode of A Word, host Jason Johnson discusses the death of Breonna Taylor, one year later, with Kentucky State Representative Attica Scott. She’s the author of Breonna’s Law, which would ban no-knock warrants, like the one used by the police who killed Taylor.  Guest: Representative Attica Scott , a state lawmaker for Kentucky’s 41st District and author of Breonna’s law.  Podcast prod...

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson discusses cancel culture with Professor Loretta Ross. Professor Ross teaches a course titled White Supremacy, Human Rights and Calling In the Calling Out Culture as a visiting associate professor at Smith College. They talk about the role cancel culture plays in society and politics, and if there’s a better way to hold powerful people accountable.   Gues...

On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by national security analyst Malcolm Nance to discuss how the Capitol insurrection illuminated ties between violent white nationalists and US law enforcement. They address why white supremacists groups find some willing recruits in the military service and the police, and what officials are doing to stop it.  Guest: Malcolm Nance , national sec...

From Slate Podcasts, A Word with Jason Johnson shines a light on the facts, the history, and the reality of how race plays out in our politics and society. Every Friday, veteran political commentator Jason Johnson will bring his sharp analysis to discussions with policy-makers, journalists, entertainers, and other experts about America’s challenges around race, and ideas on the way forward. Episod...