Jeremy Carl — President Trump's nominee for a senior State Department role — was called out for his commentary on "white erasure" during his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this month. He defended the idea that "white culture" is in danger of being erased in the U.S. and that white people face more racial discrimination than any other group in country. So on this episode, we're talking to the Princeton historian Nell Irvin Painter about her book, The History of White People, and how definitions of whiteness have morphed over time depending on the interests of the people creating those definitions.

In 1942, the U.S. allowed Black men to enlist in the Marine Corps for the first time. It was during World War II, and resulted in more than 19,000 Black recruits being sent to Montford Point, North Carolina for basic training.

These men fought for their country in the midst of the racism and prejudice they faced at home. They were essential to the war effort but did not recieve the same respect in uniform as their white counterparts. 

Many of those men are no longer with us, but their voices can be heard in the StoryCorps archive. One of those voices is that of Corporal Sidney Allen Francis,  a retired New York City police detective.  Sidney came to StoryCorps with his daughter, Candice, to talk about how his time at Montford Point shaped him.

In this thought provoking and stirring episode, Meghan gets to the bottom of the label that is often pinned on Black women – “angry”. In her raw conversation with Issa Rae, coupled with candid chats with Ziwe and Professor Emily Bernard, this episode asks honest questions about the judgements we make about women, and specifically women of color. It begs the question: does setting boundaries, having an opinion, and being clear make you angry… or human?

In our March episode we are celebrating Women’s Empowerment Month looking at those paving the way for women in social activism and sports in the Bay Area community and beyond.

When most of us think of puberty, its not with fond memories. The awkwardness and self doubt weighs on you and many are just trying to figure out who they are. Well, at 72, Paula Degree is doing it all over again. Growing up Paula always knew something was off but couldn’t put her finger on it, until she was 68 and realized she was a trans woman.

When President Trump shared a racist video on his Truth Social account last week, the blowback was real. But the video is also part of a tradition that has existed in the U.S. since the early 1800s — of using "humor" to spread and crystallize racist ideals. On this episode, we speak with Raul Perez, the author of "The Souls of White Jokes: How Racist Humor Fuels White Supremacy," who tells us how making fun of Black people was crucial to constructing "whiteness" — and perpetuating white supremacy — in the early days of the U.S.

Maori talks with filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, the brilliant co-creator and showrunner of FX’s breakout hit Reservation Dogs. Filmed in this home state of Oklahoma, the sitcom follows the lives of four Native teenagers living on a reservation who are on a mission to head to California while dealing with the death of their friend. He is also the director of the short films Goodnight, Irene (2005) and Four Sheets to the Wind (2007), which premiered at Sundance. Maori and Sterlin discuss working in Oklahoma, how he runs his sets, and which “Rez Dog” character he most identifies with.

Cosby's legacy is a third rail conversation we need to have. W. Kamau Bell is ready

Have you ever felt like a stranger in your own home? Well, in the affluent black community of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, Abigail McGrath felt like a fish out of water. For WCAI’s Ways of Life, I spoke with Abigail about how she made a place of her own the island.