A Word … with Jason Johnson
America doesn’t need another conversation about race. At least, not the kind we’ve been having ... the ones that are sparked by a crisis and move quickly from shock, to empty promises, to forgetting. No. What America needs are REAL conversations about race … ones that shine a light on the facts, the history, and the reality of how race plays out in our politics and society. That’s what Slate offers each week on A Word With Jason Johnson. A veteran political commentator, Johnson will bring his incisive wit to thoughtful discussions with leaders, journalists and other change-makers who will tell the truth about America’s challenges around race, and ideas on the way forward.
101
Shut Up and Teach?
Florida’s anti-”woke” law is already scaring educators into silence.
20 min
102
Dying for Football?
Damar Hamlin’s collapse reminded fans of football’s dangers. Can anything make it safer?
23 min
103
Season’s Streamings
What to watch as you unwind over the holidays.
16 min
104
HBCU Football Blues
Deion Sanders said God called him to coach Jackson State University football. Not anymore.
19 min
105
Is Rikers Island a Death Trap?
This year, a record number of prisoners could die at the infamous jail. Why?
19 min
106
Bot Battling in the Age of Elon
Has Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover boosted disinformation, or just fear?
22 min
107
Black Soccer GOALS!
Building Black love for soccer at the World Cup.
21 min
108
Black Panther’s Pride
While Wakanda Forever honors Chadwick Bosman, writers are inventing Wakanda’s future.
26 min
109
Gang Bangers with Badges
The podcast, A Tradition of Violence, probes charges of deputy gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
25 min
110
Jim Crow’s Killers
By Hands Now Known: Resurrecting stories of segregation’s brutality.
22 min
111
We Won’t Black Down
GOP-backed laws aim to discourage Black voters. Can activists fight back?
30 min
112
How Tech Can Help—or Harm—Racial Justice
Talking about the intersection of technology and the social sciences with Ruha Benjamin.
27 min
113
Bleeding Heart on the Bayou
Interview With the Vampire actor Jacob Anderson sinks his teeth into an iconic role.
21 min
114
The Case for Critical Race Theory
Critical race theory isn’t taught in public schools. Should it be?
23 min
115
The Kids are Alright
The documentary Defining US spotlights hard work and hope in diverse schools.
29 min
116
Teaching While Black
Black educators are fleeing classrooms at a higher rate. Why?
26 min
117
Save the Children
Black youth suicides have surged, and doctors are searching for answers.
29 min
118
A Dream Defaulted: Black College Debt
Does President Biden’s relief plan for student loans fall short for Black borrowers?
17 min
119
Ballers and Shot Callers
How Black quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes rewrote the NFL playbook on race.
28 min
120
Black Wombs Matter
Why does the maternal mortality crisis kill more Black mothers?
23 min
121
Designing Wakanda
The Black Panther franchise is lifting up a new generation of Black creatives in film.
23 min
122
Full-Court Fighter
NBA great Bill Russell never apologized for fighting racism. It cost him.
33 min
123
The Third COVID Summer
People are done with the virus; unfortunately, the virus isn’t done with us.
18 min
124
Hip Hop McCarthyism?
Prosecutors are using rap lyrics in court, with very high stakes.
16 min
125
They Want to Kill Americans
“They brag about having all the guns. They mean it.”
20 min