Season 2 is almost over! This week Kamau and Hari are joined by Damon Young (Co-founder of VerySmartBrothas.theroot.com) and David Litt (author of "Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years") to discuss the power of the pen. Young explains Pittsburgh culture and headline structure. Litt lets us in on the challenges and triumphs of writing for President Barack Hussein Obama. If you’ve enjoyed the podcast, call in and tell us what YOU'VE learned this season by dialing 646-389-3721. Your v...
Sep 28, 2017•1 hr 15 min
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson joins W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu to discuss the politics of space exploration, people's fear of artificial intelligence, and even tell some jokes. Tyson is Director of the Hayden Planetarium. In his latest book, “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry,” he breaks down the basics of the Big Bang theory and quantum mechanics, among other essentials we should understand about the universe. Follow Neil deGrasse Tyson! (@neiltyson) http://www.haydenplanetarium.org...
Sep 21, 2017•1 hr 10 min
W. Kamau Bell won an Emmy!!! And while he was on the red carpet, Hari was able to interview legendary feminist and author bell hooks about love, labels, and her views on the current administration. Kamau and Hari also gain understanding on DACA from Luis Fernando Macías (assistant professor in Chicano and Latin American Studies at Fresno State) and Elizabeth Perez (the first DREAMer to work for the City of Phoenix). Follow our guests! bell hooks (@bellhooks): http://www.bellhooksinstitute.com Lu...
Sep 14, 2017•1 hr 22 min
Kamau and Hari dive into the impact of structural and environmental racism with Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor (professor of African American Studies at Princeton University) and Mustafa Santiago Ali (environmental justice leader with Hip Hop Caucus). Taylor advocates for building a unified movement against racism and economic inequality. Ali explains how disasters such as Hurricane Harvey amplify injustices evident in our society. They both share what can be done about it. Listeners also tell us how t...
Sep 07, 2017•1 hr 11 min
How do social commentary and comedy mix? W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu are joined with guests Roy Wood Jr. (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah) and Franchesca Ramsey (MTV’s Decoded) to explore the power of humor in today’s polarizing political era. Roy talks about the new sense of diversity on 'The Daily Show' and dissects a rising style of comedy where comedians get audiences to clap in agreement rather than laugh at jokes. Franchesca describes her balancing act with social media and how she av...
Aug 31, 2017•1 hr 20 min
The ACLU got a lot of heat last week when their neutral free speech stance had them defending the alt right in Charlottesville. We talk to ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Lee Rowland about the organization’s decision to change course and not defend groups that protest with firearms and the effect that will have on their methods going forward. Historian Mark Bray teaches Kamau and Hari how to pronounce Antifa and what the group is all about. And April Reign, a co-creator of trending hashtag #NoConfede...
Aug 24, 2017•1 hr 7 min
This week on Politically Re-Active we dedicated a full episode to the events that stirred the nation last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. We asked our listeners to call in and share their thoughts. And they sure did show up! We received more than 50 powerful messages centering on love, education, and perseverance. Thank you for inspiring us. For updates on us, follow Politically Re-Active on Facebook (@politicallyreactive) and Twitter (@PoliticReActive.) Send us your comments using the #po...
Aug 19, 2017•16 min
Kamau and Hari dive deep into the events that stirred the nation this past weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. One of the largest white supremacist demonstrations in recent US history led to the death of anti-racist protester Heather Heyer and injured many others. Journalist/activist Spencer Sunshine explains the historical background of white supremacy groups in America and how they organize themselves today. We also hear from Media Matters senior fellow Matthew Gertz, community organizer Ros...
Aug 17, 2017•1 hr 18 min
This week, Kamau and Hari cope with possible nuclear threat, learn how Jessica Byrd helps underrepresented communities engage in the political process, and “bravely” release the interview with Jake Tapper. How has the Trump administration affected Tapper’s reporting style? Why hasn’t Byrd given up all hope on the Democratic party? ALL OF THIS IS ANSWERED HERE. Find Jessica Byrd on Twitter at @JessicaLBYRD and at http://threepointstrategies.org Follow Jake Tapper on Twitter at @jaketapper and on ...
Aug 10, 2017•1 hr 16 min
This week’s Politically Re-Active finds our hosts meeting up with legendary political comedian Lewis Black, and getting some important questions answered. How did he become “The King of Rant”? What’s making him rant right now? From his early days yelling at walls, to his current “fan rant” driven tour, Black let’s us in on his creative process. Black has been making regular appearances on The Daily Show since the show began over two decades ago, and he weighs in with a unique perspective on each...
Aug 03, 2017•53 min
You’re going to walk away from this week’s Politically Re-Active, happier and smarter after listening to our conversation with Killer Mike of Run the Jewels. From equity, to allyship and building political power, Killer Mike rallies us to think big and do better. This may take learning how to survive the zombie apocalypse, which Killer Mike shares some insights on too. And in this week’s episode we yet again gain a new term to add to our vocabulary, “the big three.” So get ready to learn and lau...
Jul 27, 2017•1 hr 8 min
What do you do when a Twitter beef disrupts your plans? That’s what happened to this week’s Politically Re-Active. But don’t you worry. We’re picking up the pieces and bringing you the good, bad, and ugly of today’s digital age. We’re speaking with Jessie Daniels about how anything can turn into a shitstorm in a matter of seconds on Twitter. She’s a Professor of Sociology at Hunter College and The Graduate Center, CUNY. She is also among the founders of the emerging field of digital sociology. W...
Jul 20, 2017•1 hr 12 min
We’re back with a powerhouse episode! California Congresswoman Barbara Lee and National Women’s March Co-Chair Linda Sarsour breakdown the reality of fighting for social, racial, and economic justice. We learn about how Congresswoman Lee’s political career was shaped by working with the Black Panthers and on Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm's historical presidential campaign. We learn about how Linda Sarsour fought to disband the NYPD’s unwarranted surveillance of the American Muslim community aft...
Jul 13, 2017•1 hr 31 min
Coming to you LIVE from San Francisco, it’s Politically Re-Active at Comedy Central’s Clusterfest! Joining your favorite hosts on stage are comedian and podcast queen Phoebe Robinson, the brilliantly witty writer (and This American Life favorite) Lindy West, and our favorite undercover investigative journalist, Shane Bauer! We talk about white nationalists taking over Berkeley, the danger of buying into Ivanka Trump’s beauty, and of course, Bill Maher. And for the comedy nerds, a surprise guest ...
Jul 06, 2017•53 min
She’s spoken at the Women’s March on Washington, hosted a show for MSNBC, edited for Allure and Marie Claire, and written a New York Times bestselling memoir – and that’s not even half of the revolutionary work that trans writer and activist Janet Mock has done in her young career. In this episode, we talk with Janet about the writing process for her latest memoir “Surpassing Certainty,” the strong history and community of trans people in her native Hawaii, why the term “passing” is problematic ...
Jun 22, 2017•53 min
It usually takes Naomi Klein five years to write a book. This time, it took her less than five months. The journalist, author, and activist’s latest work _No Is Not Enough_ is all about Trump, the dark trends that have led to his presidency, and the urgent need for intersectional action right now – not later. In this episode of Politically Re-Active, we dig into the “capitalist burlesque” that has taken over the White House and explain how Trump’s scandals only reinforce his corporate brand (“im...
Jun 15, 2017•1 hr 12 min
Live from Limestone! Professor Jeffrey C. Isaac, Karinda Dobbins, Arish Singh, Sophie Hughes, and Janet Cheatham Bell! For the first time ever, it’s Politically Re-Active LIVE! Kamau and Hari take the show on the road to Bloomington, Indiana, for the Limestone Comedy Festival (AKA, “THE GREATEST WEEKEND OF YOUR LIFE VOL V.”). Your favorite hosts talk with Indiana University Political Science Professor Jeffrey C. Isaac about rating Trump’s performance, the Paris Climate Agreement, and why Trump p...
Jun 08, 2017•56 min
Writer Jill Filipovic on the feminist pursuit of happiness Imagine a world in which women weren’t forced to struggle for equality in a system rigged against them. Imagine instead, the ideal world of journalist and author Jill Filipovic – one in which happiness for women is the driving force behind policies like fair pay and legal recognition of best friendships. In that world, Jill says, not only are women happier and healthier, but most everyone else (read: people who aren’t white men) are bett...
Jun 01, 2017•1 hr 2 min
Rashad Robinson has done battle with Bill O’Reilly and won – twice. He’s taken on the shady, corporate-driven conservative operation ALEC and gotten companies like Coca Cola and Walmart to back down from supporting stand-your-ground laws. And now, after successfully campaigning to remove O’Reilly from Fox News - along withgreat work from UltraViolet, the Women's March, NOW-New York, CREDO, Sleeping Giants, and MoveOn - he’s taking on the prison-profiteering bail bond industry – and it’s not even...
May 25, 2017•1 hr
Listeners, you and your kids need a new alphabet – specifically, one that starts with “A is for Angela Davis”. In this episode of Politically Re-Active, we talk with writer Kate Schatz and artist Miriam Klein Stahl about their illustrated children’s books, "Rad American Women A-Z" and "Rad Women Worldwide." We also dive into ways that you – yes you! – can join the resistance in your local community through Solidarity Sundays, a network of feminist activist groups that meet each month to engage e...
May 18, 2017•59 min
It’s hard to find a bright spot in the 2016 election, but born woke, political commentator and analyst Angela Rye was one. A regular on CNN’s thuderdome-like panels, Angela doesn’t mince words calling out lies and advocating for people of color and women. In this episode of #politicallyreactive we speak with Angela about authenticity and difficult conversations. Click “play” to find out why Angela is not trying to be objective. Follow Angela on Twitter (@angela_rye ). Book tours, TV shows, stan...
May 11, 2017•59 min
Folks on both the left and the right have a love-hate relationship with reporter and Intercept co-founder Jeremy Scahill. His brand of “adversarial” investigative journalism makes no exceptions – not for the nation’s most powerful, and especially not for those advocating for wars abroad. In this episode of #politicallyreactive, we talk with Jeremy about his refusal to sit on a panel with Milo Yiannopoulos on Real Time with Bill Maher, what it was like to interview Julian Assange for the Intercep...
May 04, 2017•54 min
You probably got to know him as the “Senior Middle East Correspondent,” or the “Senior Muslim Correspondent,” or maybe the “Senior Foreign Looking Correspondent”, but actor, writer, and former Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi has moved into the hot seat for this episode of Politically Re-Active. Join Aasif and your favorite hosts as they talk about political satire during the Bush years, Aasif’s reaction to the Muslim ban and the “gaslighting presidency”, and what it means to “wrestle your ...
Apr 27, 2017•1 hr 1 min
Long before we asked our white audience members to “come get your boy” (keep tweeting!: #WhitesAgainstTrump), activist and entrepreneur Michael Skolnik was using his privilege to support social justice movements and reform the criminal justice system all over the country. Whether it’s getting “I can’t breathe” t-shirts to LeBron James, advising celebrities making their first foray into political activism, or supporting grassroots organizers, Skolnik is all about listening to and building up othe...
Apr 19, 2017•56 min
It’s been six years of the devastating civil war in Syria – more than 11 million people have been displaced, and last week’s horrifying chemical attack on Syrian citizens by their own president Bashar al-Assad has been yet another reminder of the human cost of the conflict. On this episode of Politically Re-Active, journalist and author Alia Malek helps contextualize the war and shares her own experiences of living in Damascus during the start of the conflict. Alia recommends following these out...
Apr 12, 2017•57 min
Our guest this week is Akilah… obviously! Akilah Hughes – otherwise known as Akilah Obviously – is a writer, comedian, and YouTuber who talks as easily about race, feminism, and intersectionality as she does pizza, hair, and punching Nazis. In this conversation, our hosts chat with Akilah about her life as a creator and the videos she’s most proud of (like the fantastic series, “This Shouldn’t Be News”). We also dive into what it’s like to be a black woman in media in the time of #blackwomenatwo...
Apr 05, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Kick off Season 2 with your favorite hosts and grassroots organizer, resistance fighter, and #blacklivesmatter co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors! We dig into why Patrisse identifies as an organizer and not an activist, what it was like to see #blacklivesmatter go viral, and the fear – and courage – that goes along with being viewed as an enemy of the state. There’s no other person we’d rather laugh and resist with than Patrisse – and you.Follow Patrisse on Twitter: @osope. You can also learn more...
Mar 29, 2017•1 hr 16 min
The second season of Politically Re-Active launches March 29th! Be sure to subscribe now on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts, so you won't miss a thing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 22, 2017•4 min
Kamau and Hari play catch up on the state of the world since last November. We hear some updates on past guests and they talk a little about who they might want to have on, if, you know, they were interested in doing another season...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 15, 2017•17 min
This week, we present a new podcast from our friend Maeve Higgins! Maeve grapples with perhaps the hottest topic of Trump’s USA: immigration. More importantly, she meets Roz Koo - business woman, activist, and professional butt-kicker of the highest order. Roz recounts a childhood in occupied Shanghai, a high flying career in 1980s San Francisco, and a bold life of service that merges two countries into one.Be sure to subscribe to Maeve in America so that you don't miss an episode!See omnystudio...
Nov 23, 2016•41 min
