We're sharing an episode from our friends over at Talk Easy. Kamau sits down with host Sam Fragoso to discuss his four-part docuseries We Need to Talk About Cosby. They talk about Kamau's reluctance to talk about Bill Cosby, whose legacy became something he decided to publicly grapple with. You'll hear about Kamau's approach to the series, the integral women who helped create it, and a formative United Shades of America moment that transformed the way he encounters and tells painful stories. Plu...
Mar 28, 2022•38 min
Hari and Kamau face up to their mistakes before it's too late. And we all learn so much.Rosa Clemente calls bullshit on Puerto Rican statehood—and gives a crash course on the Puerto Rican people’s historic struggle for self-determination.Yasmin Benoit unpacks the basics of asexuality and shares asexual perspectives on libido, attraction, romance, and kids.And Oren Nimni talks Cargill v. Doe and Nestle v. Doe—the Supreme Court cases about cocoa, corporate America, and child slavery we should have...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 25 min
LaLa B Holston-Zannell invites Hari and Kamau to let go of the shame and have a real conversation about sex work, white supremacy, and why decriminalization is a matter of life and death for trans Black women.Then Ilana Glazer talks about mobilizing young voters during a pandemic, the pros and cons of baby modeling, and how to make a horror movie about fertility treatments. And yeah, "Yas queen."Find our guests:LaLa B Holston-Zannell (@LaLaZannell) https://www.aclu.org/news/by/lala-b-holston-zan...
Apr 01, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Three powerful, absolutely-nothing-like-one-another conversations on this week's jam-packed mega-episode:The ACLU's Chase Strangio blows open the absurdity and cruelty of state legislation targeting trans youth who want to play sports—and agrees with Hari about Rodney Dangerfield's relevance to the conversation.Dr. Connie Wun lifts up the humanity of the victims of the spa killings near Atlanta and connects their murders to America's long history of racist and colonial violence against Asians an...
Mar 25, 2021•1 hr 45 min
Desmond Meade, who led the campaign to restore voting rights to the formerly incarcerated in Florida, returns to talk about Gov. Ron DeSantis's decision to deny him a pardon and renewed threats to democratic participation in his state. But in spite of it all, Desmond's excitement about people exercising the franchise is infectious.Then, Emmy-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien is ready to Disrupt & Dismantle structural racism in her new BET series—and to call out cable news for its role in sp...
Mar 18, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Do Black people have an attitude problem about the COVID-19 vaccine? Dr. Rhea Boyd says absolutely not—the problem is lack of access to the vaccine and to real information. So she's launched BetweenUsAboutUs, a national campaign with Black doctors, scientists, and health care professionals (and a certain podcast host), to give Black communities the resources they need to make informed choices and get vaccinated.Then Kamau and Hari have the conversation that every politically engaged basketball f...
Mar 11, 2021•1 hr 30 min
Amber Ruffin's career is really taking off (FYI, The Amber Ruffin Show is now on NBC), and she and her sister Lacey Lamar are as close as ever, trading stories about the crazy everyday racist behavior Lacey encounters in their hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Their book You Won't Believe What Happened to Lacey is necessary reading for anyone who doesn't understand how enough microagressions and you'll want to flip a table. Hari and Kamau also talk to top litigator and former Acting Solicitor General...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 24 min
Can we talk about Palestine? Dr. Marc Lamont Hill (who, admittedly, calls himself "a prisoner of hope") says we can, and that Americans are ready to even if our government isn't. He joins Hari and Kamau for a conversation that encompasses Michael Che, Bill Clinton, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the Columbia House record club. Then Kamau's Mom, Janet Cheatham Bell, talks about structural racism in healthcare and her distrust of the pharmaceutical industry—and why none of that stopped her from...
Feb 25, 2021•1 hr 32 min
Historian, journalist and hero-of-Hari Vijay Prashad analyzes the Farmers' Protest in India and makes a powerful case for why their struggle is our struggle. And while he's at it, he salutes Rihanna, defines Marxism, and makes quick work of Dinesh D'Souza. Comic duo The Lucas Brothers give the backstory for the new film Judas and the Black Messiah and their 15-year journey to making a movie about Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. Plus: How Kenny and Keith's stoner nihilism withered in the face ...
Feb 18, 2021•1 hr 21 min
What does cancel culture have to do with defunding the police? How do we liberate our attention? Can better orgasms improve public policy? Hari and Kamau get answers—and Valentine's Day advice—from pleasure activist and abolitionist adrienne maree brown, author of We Will Not Cancel Us. Plus: Adam Jentleson lays out the Jim Crow roots of the filibuster and gives a Senate insider's view on why even Joe Manchin might be convinced to abandon it. His new book is Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern S...
Feb 11, 2021•1 hr 28 min
Hari and Kamau debate the morality of Super Bowl-watching before being joined by legendary poet Nikki Giovanni. She's out with a new collection called Make Me Rain, and ready to talk about everyone from Kwame Alexander to Tupac, James Baldwin to Colin Kaepernick. Hear why Nikki Giovanni is inspired by the women who launched Black Lives Matter—and the prospect of traveling to Mars.Find our guest:Nikki Giovanni https://nikki-giovanni.com Find us:Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) http://www.harikonda...
Feb 04, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Porsha Williams, star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and granddaughter of civil rights legend Rev. Hosea Williams, talks about why she put her body on the line to demand justice for Breonna Taylor. ACLU Racial Justice Program Director ReNika Moore breaks down the immediate and long-term agenda for racial equity after Trump. And Kamau tries to explain Garth Brooks to Hari.Find our guests:ReNika Moore (@ReNikaMoore) https://www.aclu.org/news/by/renika-moore/Porsha Williams (@Porsha4Real) https:...
Jan 28, 2021•1 hr 16 min
Hari and Kamau explore the pressing questions: What would Martin Luther King Jr. have been like on Twitter? Can live-streaming a federal crime boost your real estate business? And how many ways can Donald Trump end up in jail? They're joined by CNN analyst and former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa. Plus: Listeners bid a fond farewell to our 45th President. Find our guests: Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) https://asharangappa.com Mentioned in the show: Justice for Oscar Grant https://www.justicef...
Jan 21, 2021•52 min
Hari and Kamau can't help noticing that Blue Lives Matter, except when they try to defend the Capitol. Cat Brooks of the Anti Police-Terror Project and Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff of the Center for Policing Equity unpack what it means to "defund the police" — and why it's so damn hard. Plus, the ACLU's Kate Ruane is concerned about Twitter's Trump ban, even though she thinks he deserves much worse. Find our guests: Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff (@DrPhilGoff) https://www.policingequity.org Cat Brooks (@catsc...
Jan 14, 2021•1 hr 33 min
Just when Kamau and Hari thought they could breathe and take in the Democratic victories in Georgia's Senate runoff, an armed right-wing mob storms the Capitol. Hear their reaction to the chaos in DC and their conversation with Nse Ufot of the New Georgia Project and The Intercept's Ryan Grim about how Democrats can make the most of their power (and not fuck it up this time). Find our guests: Nse Ufot (@NseUfot) https://newgeorgiaproject.org Ryan Grim (@RyanGrim) https://theintercept.com/podcast...
Jan 07, 2021•1 hr 6 min
The multitalented Daveed Diggs joins Hari and Kamau to talk about translating Blindspotting for TV, James McBride's liberating take on Frederick Douglass, and rich people loopholes in the time of COVID. Plus: Advanced-level Oakland shit, from Dope Era to Children's Fairyland. Find our guest: Daveed Diggs (@DaveedDiggs) And mentioned in the episode: Deconstructed: Inside Biden's Meeting With Civil Rights Leaders https://theintercept.com/2020/12/10/biden-audio-meeting-civil-rights-leaders/Daveed D...
Dec 17, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Hari and Kamau are ejected from their post-election malaise by LaTosha Brown, the unstoppable co-founder of Black Voters Matter. She's on fire to build electoral power in Black communities and has her sights set on Democrats winning both seats in the Georgia Senate runoff. She's also got a message for progressives: If you want to win, time to root out structural racism. Plus: Hari confronts the inconvenient truth about John Kerry. Find our guest: LaTosha Brown (@MsLaToshaBrown) https://blackvote...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr
Ijeoma Oluo breaks down the costs of catering to underwhelming white guys in her new book Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America – and describes what it’s like to be a target for harassment from people who’ve never read a word she’s written. Sarah Silverman can’t wait for there to be a vaccine so she can get back to stand-up, but in the meantime she checks in about scumbag artists, relearning comedy for her new podcast, and the “Mostly Not Racist” t-shirt Kamau gave her. Plus: Hari...
Dec 03, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Comedian Sarah Cooper shares the secrets she's learned lip-syncing to our most toxic president and making her Netflix special Everything's Fine. Then, Dr. Peter Hotez talks about surviving the COVID-19 spike, fighting anti-science propaganda, developing a dollar-a-dose coronavirus vaccine — and why Kamau should settle his beef with Surgeon General Jerome Adams. Find our guests: Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) https://sarahcpr.com Dr. Peter Hotez (@peterhotez) https://peterhotez.org Find us: Hari Kondab...
Nov 19, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Jesse Wegman dives into the extortionate history of the Electoral College. Indivisible's Meagan Hatcher-Mays outlines the prospects for the pro-democracy agenda without the blue wave. And Hari and Kamau kick back with Dope Queen Phoebe Robinson to talk publishing, Black Frasier, and texting with Michelle Obama. Find our guests: Jesse Wegman (@jessewegman) https://jessewegman.com Phoebe Robinson (@dopequeenpheebs) https://www.phoeberobinson.com Meagan Hatcher-Mays (@importantmeagan) https://indiv...
Nov 12, 2020•1 hr 29 min
Hari and Kamau check in with Alicia Garza of Black Futures Lab about the hope and confusion of Election 2020, what Joe Biden owes popular movements, and why this is no time for Democrats to follow the rules. Plus, Alicia's take on BLM going mainstream and becoming the target of all kinds of weird misinformation. Find our guest: Alicia Garza (@aliciagarza) https://blackfutureslab.org Find us: Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) http://www.harikondabolu.com/ W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) http://www.wkam...
Nov 04, 2020•56 min
Hari and Kamau welcome Congresswoman Katie Porter, who wields her whiteboard against corrupt CEOs and regulators who don't do their jobs. Caroline Rose Giuliani talks about riding the Rudy rollercoaster and inspires Kamau to reveal his true identity. Plus, Hari's Dad Ravi Kondabolu on voting for the first time, citizenship and Hari's comedy. Find our guests:Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) https://katieporter.comCaroline Rose Giuliani (@CarolineRoseGiu) www.carolinerosegiuliani.com Find us: Hari Ko...
Oct 29, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Hari and Kamau talk to Maria Hinojosa, anchor of Latino USA and co-host of In The Thick. She was the first Latina in the newsrooms at NPR, CNN, and PBS, and in her new memoir "Once I Was You," she connects the experiences of her Mexican immigrant family to her passion for defending the humanity of immigrants and refugees. She does her best to explain Latino Trump voters and discovers that she and Kamau went to the same high school in Chicago. But first, Hari has some QUESTIONS about court-packin...
Oct 22, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Hari and Kamau welcome insurgent Democrat Cori Bush, the nurse and Black Lives Matter activist who's poised to win election as Missouri's first Black congresswoman and join The Squad in Washington. Then, they rave on with Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett about our traumatized democracy, the price Democrats have paid for Barack Obama's genius, the silliness of constitutional originalism, and Hari's time in Hillary Clinton's mailroom. Find our guests: Jon Lovett (@JonLovett) https://crooked.com...
Oct 15, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Hari & Kamau relaunch Politically Re-Active by getting you oriented for Election 2020. Alexandra Rojas of Justice Democrats talks about inspiring progressive candidates, who has power in the Democratic Party, and why Hari can't get AOC to return his calls. Then, we go to the battleground state of Florida to talk to Desmond Meade, just named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People for his role in re-enfranchising 1.4 million Floridians with felony records, including himself. Baby turtles, s...
Oct 08, 2020•1 hr 11 min
On this special pre-launch edition, Kamau & Hari catch up after three years away and assess their responsibilities as hosts of the vital public institution that is Politically Re-Active. They talk about the pain of parenthood in San Diego, the horror of Indian Matchmaking, why Antonin Scalia was just batshit crazy — and how to save America. Find us:Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) http://www.harikondabolu.com/W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) http://www.wkamaubell.com/ Find the show:Twitter (@Polit...
Oct 06, 2020•32 min
Election 2020’s almost here — and Kamau & Hari are back, just in time! They’ll be your companions in these final weeks and help you survive whatever comes afterward by talking to the people doing the work to make democracy in America an actual thing. Why are they back after three years away? It just takes two minutes to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 01, 2020•4 min
We'd like to introduce you to The Intercept’s newest podcast, Deconstructed. Every Friday, journalist Mehdi Hasan unpacks the most consequential news event of the week, challenging the mainstream media’s tired takes. As a Brit, a Muslim, and an immigrant based in Donald Trump's Washington, D.C., Mehdi gives a refreshingly provocative perspective on the ups and downs of American and global politics. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher More about the show: theintercept.com/deconstru...
Apr 02, 2018•3 min
Hari and his brother Ashok have a new podcast: Kondabolu Brothers. Check out the first episode in your podcast app right now. Witness two brothers occasionally acknowledging their live audience, find out why World War 1 is overrated, and learn why pizza should not be your favorite food. It’s fun. Subscribe here in Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/untitled-kondabolu-brothers-podcast/id594239207?mt=2 Listen in Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=176079 See omnystudio.com/lis...
Mar 08, 2018•4 min
It’s the end of season 2 already? We close strong with messages from our listeners and conversations with #BlackLivesMatter co-founder Alicia Garza, and comedian Wyatt Cenac. Garza is an Oakland-based organizer who is currently the Special Projects Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance. She describes her lasting impressions from the 2016 election cycle and gives advice for those hoping to be “allies.” Cenac opens up about his experiences on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and exp...
Oct 05, 2017•1 hr 48 min
