The Root Presents: It's Lit!

Here at The Root we’ve always loved, praised, and centered Black literature in the broader conversation. Each week host Maiysha Kai sits down with an author we love to talk about their work, what inspires them, and what they hope to contribute to the culture at large. Guests so far include Nikole Hannah Jones, Brittney Cooper, Stacey Abrams, Ibram X. Kendi, Ijeoma Oluo, Morgan Jerkins, and Claudia Rankine.

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Episodes

4. Just Us: Talking Justice With Claudia Rankine

This week we're speaking with award-winning poet, author and playwright Claudia Rankine. Claudia's latest book, Just Us: An American Conversation is a stunning collection of poems, essays and images that address the meaning of whiteness and all of its impacts. Listen to hear Claudia talk with Danielle and Maiysha about white male privilege, entitlement and the importance of digging into uncomfortable conversations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ...

Oct 16, 2020•31 min

3. Wandering in Strange Lands, With Morgan Jerkins

This week we're joined by author Morgan Jerkins—Senior Editor at ZORA , and author of the New York Times bestseller This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America . Listen to hear Morgan talk with Danielle and Maiysha about her latest book, Wandering in Strange Lands , which chronicles her journey to uncover her roots by following the footsteps of The Great Migration. It's an eye-opening journey through a history that remains largely untold....

Oct 09, 2020•37 min

2. Getting Crunk with Brittney Cooper

This week on It's Lit we're joined by author, academic, “crunk feminist” and 2017 Root 100 honoree Brittney Cooper, author of the New York Times bestseller Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower . Listen to hear Brittney talk about Black women's political power, the importance of emphasizing Black feminism, and why she will always ride for Beyoncé in spite of her critics. https://www.theroot.com/c/its-lit See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No...

Oct 02, 2020•35 min

1. 401 Years a Slave, With Nikole Hannah-Jones

Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones joins us for our very first episode of The Root Presents: It's Lit! Tune in to hear her talk about the development and progression of the 1619 project, the immense debt that is owed to Black Americans, and the importance of reframing history and our electoral process in a more honest way. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....

Sep 25, 2020•41 min

Introducing The Root Presents: It's Lit!

The Root is bringing you something lit this September. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Sep 14, 2020•1 min

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