This past weekend, an estimated 5 million folks across the country protested Trump's attack on our rights. And if you asked anyone in the crowd why they showed up—and who they showed up for—they’d likely have an answer. Today, W. Kamau Bell is joined by three activists—Ash Lazarus Orr and Stephen and Hobbes Chukumba—who are showing up for LGBTQIA+ rights. Listen in as they discuss how they’re navigating Trump’s escalating abuses of power, what trans rights have to do with reproductive and racial...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 10 min
June is a time to honor and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s also a month when the Supreme Court has historically made pivotal decisions for LGBTQIA+ rights. This week, Co-Director of the ACLU's LGBT & HIV Project Chase Strangio joins W. Kamau Bell to reflect on the 10-year anniversary of marriage equality with Obergefell v. Hodges, how that case bears on the pending U.S. v. Skrmetti decision, and what it looks like to show up for trans youth and their families in this critical moment....
Jun 06, 2025•52 min
It may be graduation season, but here on At Liberty, class is still in session—and this week, we’re exploring students’ right to learn. Since the Trump administration took office, schools across the country have faced book bans, funding cuts, and a rollback in civil rights protections. This week, ReNika Moore—Director of the ACLU's Racial Justice Program—joins W. Kamau Bell to discuss what’s at stake for K-12 and higher education institutions, and why equal access to education must be protected....
May 23, 2025•50 min
We talk a lot on At Liberty about knowing our rights, but since Donald Trump returned to office, where do those rights stand? This week, the ACLU’s National Legal Director Cecillia Wang joins Kamau to make sense of Trump’s first 100 days, from the more than 140 executive orders he signed to the more than 100 legal actions the ACLU has filed since January. Plus, listeners share their questions on immigration rights, freedom of speech, and how we can stay prepared for what’s ahead. This episode wa...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 12 min
End-to-end encryption. Burner phones. Biometric authentication. Our technology is more advanced than ever, but what does that mean for our digital footprints—and how our data is tracked, whether we’re crossing a US border or at home? This week, we’re exploring our right to digital privacy and how protecting our data can help protect our freedom of speech and expression. This conversation was made to be leaked. Esha Bhandari is deputy director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project...
Apr 25, 2025•56 min
You know that phrase “born on the wrong side of the tracks”? Well, there’s something to it: highways, roads, and sidewalks across America have, for decades now, been racial and economic dividers. And these thoroughfares don’t just reflect inequality—they continue to play an active role in it. This week, W. Kamau Bell is joined by Deborah N. Archer and Sister Helen Jones for a conversation about transportation infrastructure in the United States, and what a safer, more equitable system could look...
Apr 11, 2025•48 min
Mahmoud Khalil is a recent Columbia University graduate, activist, soon-to-be father, and U.S. green card holder. On March 8, he was unlawfully detained because of his speech in defense of Palestinian human rights. On this week’s episode of At Liberty, host W. Kamau Bell is joined by two members of Khalil’s legal team—the ACLU’s Ben Wizner and Baher Azmy from Center for Constitutional Rights—to discuss why his case should raise alarm bells for anyone who cares about free speech. Ben Wizner is di...
Mar 27, 2025•54 min
Seventeen. That’s the number of states suing the US government to end federal protections for disabled individuals. 880 billion. That’s the amount of money that Congress is primed to cut from Medicaid funding. One in four. That’s the number of adults in the US who report having a disability. The math, well—it isn’t adding up. This week, W. Kamau Bell is joined by advocates Zoe Brennan-Krohn and Nicole Jorwic to discuss the current state of disability rights in the US, how we got here, and what a...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Restaurants. Churches. Street corners. These are meant to be community spaces—not sites where immigrants and their loved ones live in fear of ICE raids. This week, the ACLU’s Maribel Hernández Rivera and Lee Gelernt join W. Kamau Bell to share the latest on immigrants’ rights in the US, from both an advocacy and legal perspective. Listen in as they discuss what’s changed since Trump took office, how listeners can protect themselves and their neighbors, and why we’re all in this together—regardle...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr 3 min
This week, the ACLU’s Chase Strangio joins W. Kamau Bell to discuss the current state of LGBTQIA+ rights across the country. Listen in as they explore how Trump’s executive orders have already affected folks’ access to gender-affirming care, passports, and beyond; what the ACLU is doing to contest these measures; and why protecting LGBTQIA+ rights is critical to ensuring everyone’s rights. Chase Strangio is Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project as well as a nationally recognized exper...
Feb 14, 2025•46 min
In this episode of At Liberty, W. Kamau Bell makes his debut as the official host, marking an exciting new chapter for the ACLU podcast. Joined by ACLU National Legal Director Cecillia Wang, the first podcast of 2025 dives deep into the pressing challenges facing civil liberties in America today. In this episode, Cecillia and Kamau discuss the new administration's first days in office, examining the wave of executive orders that threaten fundamental rights - from birthright citizenship to asylum...
Jan 30, 2025•43 min
In this fourth annual year-end holiday edition of our series, the kids of ACLU staff take over the mic to share their big ideas for a better world. From what they’d do as president to how their parents are making a difference every day, these young voices offer fresh perspectives on the work of the ACLU and inspire us all to imagine a brighter future.
Dec 30, 2024•20 min
You may recognize W. Kamau Bell from his multi-Emmy award-winning docuseries United Shades of America, or from his Substack Who’s With Me, or from his commercials for the ACLU. If you're a long-time ACLU supporter, you'll know Bell has worked with us for more than a decade as our artist ambassador for racial justice. We're excited to have him as our interim host for our At Liberty podcast, where he will host conversations with leaders, legal experts, artists, and storytellers dedicated to the fi...
Dec 20, 2024•46 min
You may recognize W. Kamau Bell from his three-time Emmy Award-winning docuseries United Shades of America, or from his Substack Who’s With Me, or from his commercials for the ACLU. If you're a long-time ACLU supporter, you'll know Bell has worked with us for more than a decade as our Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice. We're excited to have him as our interim host for our At Liberty podcast, where he will host conversations with leaders, legal experts, artists, and storytellers dedicated to t...
Dec 03, 2024•50 min
You may recognize W. Kamau Bell from his multi-Emmy award-winning docuseries United Shades of America, or from his Substack Who’s With Me, or from his commercials for the ACLU. If you're a long-time ACLU supporter, you'll know Bell has worked with us for more than a decade as our artist ambassador for racial justice. We're excited to have him as our interim host for our At Liberty podcast, where he will host conversations with leaders, legal experts, artists, and storytellers dedicated to the fi...
Nov 06, 2024•39 min
You may recognize W. Kamau Bell from his multi-Emmy award-winning docuseries United Shades of America, or from his Substack Who’s With Me, or from his commercials for the ACLU. If you're a long-time ACLU supporter, you'll know Bell has worked with us for more than a decade as our Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice. We're excited to have him as our interim host for our At Liberty podcast, where he will host conversations with leaders, legal experts, artists, and storytellers dedicated to the fi...
Nov 04, 2024•33 min
You may recognize W. Kamau Bell from his multi-Emmy award-winning docuseries United Shades of America, or from his Substack Who’s With Me, or from his commercials for the ACLU. If you're a long-time ACLU supporter, you'll know Bell has worked with us for more than a decade as our Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice. We're excited to have him as our interim host for our At Liberty podcast, where he will host conversations with leaders, legal experts, artists, and storytellers dedicated to the fi...
Oct 31, 2024•42 min
You may recognize W. Kamau Bell from his multi-Emmy award-winning docuseries United Shades of America, from his Substack Who’s With Me, or from his commercials for the ACLU. If you're a longtime supporter of the ACLU, you'll know Bell has worked with us for more than a decade as our Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice. We're excited to have him as our interim host for our At Liberty podcast, where he will host conversations with leaders, legal experts, artists, and storytellers dedicated to the...
Oct 15, 2024•29 min
You may recognize W. Kamau Bell from his multi-Emmy award-winning docuseries United Shades of America, from his Substack Who’s With Me, or from his commercials for the ACLU. Bell has worked with us for more than a decade as our Artist Ambassador for Racial Justice. We are fortunate to welcome him as our interim host for our At Liberty podcast over the next few months where he will host conversations with leaders, legal experts, artists and storytellers dedicated to the fight for civil rights and...
Sep 25, 2024•31 min
This Friday, July 26, the summer Olympics will kick off in Paris, France. From the athletes and storylines, to dreams being made and records being broken, the spirit of the Olympics brings out the inner patriot in many of us. To commemorate this year’s Games, we have a special treat for you. Today, we are joined by a 5-time Olympic gold medalist, Sue Bird. Sue Bird is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players in modern history, with her name often followed or preceded by the word “L...
Jul 25, 2024•41 min
How much do you know about Araminta Ross? Her face is slated to start appearing on the twenty dollar bill by 2030. She’s the first American woman in history to lead a military raid that emancipated over 700 people, and one of the most important abolitionists in history. You might know her by another name: Harriet Tubman. But when it comes to Harriet Tubman’s legacy, an important part of her lived experience is often overlooked: her disability. With July being disability pride month, we wanted to...
Jul 18, 2024•31 min
Another Supreme Court term has come to a close. This year, the court delivered major decisions on reproductive freedom, voting rights, free speech, this women's rights, gun rights, and presidential immunity, among other decisions. The ACLU was involved in cases throughout the term, and as far as wins and losses, we're coming out somewhere in the middle. Here to discuss it all and help us reconcile this term's decisions is returning favorite David Cole, the ACLU's national legal director.
Jul 08, 2024•37 min
On June 4, the Biden administration signed an executive order that will severely restrict people's legal right to seek asylum, no matter how strong their claims. Among the measures announced, the administration will effectively shut off asylum for the overwhelming majority of people arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border once the average number of encounters reaches 2,500 between ports of entry, a threshold which has already been met. The order is the most restrictive border policy instituted by Pre...
Jun 27, 2024•32 min
On this episode, we’re going back into our archives to share an episode that unfortunately still has deep resonance today. Last year, we asked you what a year without Roe has been like in your lives and you responded in droves. Today, with abortion still banned in 14 states with little exception, life looks a lot like it did last year at this time. So we’re running it back today and sharing "A Year Without Roe" again, to remind us all of what’s at stake as abortion is on the ballot this November...
Jun 20, 2024•32 min
As we celebrate Pride Month and approach summer, one thing is on our minds: queer pop icons. From the fast fame of Chappell Roan and Reneé Rapp to praise for hitmakers like Billie Eilish and Victoria Monét, it feels like we’re in a moment for unapologetically queer music in the mainstream. This is especially true for queer femme artists, who are reaching pop stardom. To dive into this moment and see if others are noticing it too, we called up some fellow music-lovers who have been tuned in. In t...
Jun 13, 2024•34 min
“There is no shortage of voices demanding everyone pay attention to the violence trans women suffer. But one frighteningly basic question seems never to be answered: why does it happen? If men are not inherently evil and trans women do not intrinsically invite reprisal—which would make violence unstoppable—then the psychology of that violence had to arise at a certain place and time. The trans panic had to be invented.” This is the description for historian and gender scholar Dr. Jules Gill-Pete...
Jun 06, 2024•38 min
What would American democracy look like in the hands of teenage girls? That is the question at the center of "Girls State," a new Apple TV+ documentary and the nationwide civic leadership program that it's named after. As participants, high school students are competitively selected into an immersive experiment in which they must build a mock government from the ground up, complete with municipal roles, branches, a governor, and a Supreme Court. The film takes us inside Missouri Girls State 2022...
May 30, 2024•30 min
On this episode, "At Liberty" producer Vanessa Handy speaks with young adult and middle-grade literature author, Jason Reynolds. Though he writes for young audiences, Jason doesn't shy away from serious themes or challenges, with many of his books dealing with death, mourning, racism, police brutality, and gun violence. Jason writes the stuff of real life, and this has made him a superstar among young readers and adults alike. He has penned numerous bestselling and award-winning books like “Look...
May 23, 2024•36 min
May is Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Month and we’re celebrating with a guest that is sure to make you laugh hard. You might even recognize her infectious laugh from her viral videos on TikTok. Drew Afualo is one of today’s most popular feminist content creators. Her no-BS approach to roasting misogynistic men on the internet has been met with folks flocking to her social pages to feel seen, heard and to rally around squelching hate, bigotry and misogyny. Her mission to stand u...
May 16, 2024•35 min
On April 17, students at Columbia University set up an encampment to show support for Palestinians and demand the university divest from its business related to or within Israel as a means of anti-war protest. In the weeks since its inception, the protest movement has spread, with encampments set up on over 100 college and university campuses worldwide. But as these protests continue, we’ve watched university leadership and campus and local law enforcement meet these demonstrations with a distur...
May 08, 2024•36 min
