Our Body Politic

Between layoffs, show cancellations, downsizing and network shut-downs, some are calling the recent news about the news an all out “media massacre.” Will this disintegration of outlets cause increased polarization? The people who get the platform to tell the news – and how they tell it – will matter more than ever before.

In today’s image-obsessed world, the pressure from celebrities, beauty brands and pop culture toward changing and manipulating one’s body can be overwhelming. How can we cultivate joy and wellness within ourselves and the world of fitness and movement? In this week’s episode, Farai Chideya speaks with two guests who are helping their clients connect the dots between physical health and mental health; who are building their communities and businesses; and who are aging not with grace but with vigor. Plus, we answer questions from you, our listeners!

Our Body Politic was founded on a mission to give a platform to and uplift the voices of Black women and women of color. This week, we hand the mic over to three of our guest hosts to showcase the amazing interviews they’ve done. First, Natasha Alford speaks with Alisha Fernandez Miranda on embracing new paths in Alisha’s memoir, “My What If Year.” Then, Karen Attiah talks business and Black hair with Janell Stephens, the CEO and founder of Camille Rose Naturals. Finally, Emmy-nominated producer Tanya Selvaratnam leads our Sippin' the Political Tea roundtable on South Asian creators and filmmaking with Academy Award winning producer and director Joseph Patel; and founder of Anthem of Us, Anurima Bhargava.

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the United States. And people of Indian descent make up the largest part of America's South Asian diaspora, which includes Bangladeshi, Nepalis, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans as well as people from Bhutan and the Maldives. With such a diverse community, defining what it means to be a South Asian American can be complex. This week, we dive into that complexity, exploring identity, history, political representation and a pressing issue for the South Asian diaspora: caste discrimination.

This week, an Our Body Politic encore: Farai interviews Steven Thrasher, LGBTQ scholar, journalist and author of “The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Diseases Collide.” Thrasher offers insights from his new book on how systematic marginalization determines who is most affected by public health crises like HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and mpox. Then, Farai speaks to Howard Polskin, president and founder of “TheRighting,” a newsletter, site and social media feed that compiles and disseminates far-right political commentary to cross-pollinate the divided media audiences in the U.S. and combat disinformation in the news.

Guest host Mara S. Campo, Anchor and Managing Editor at Revolt Black News, looks at the ongoing national mental health crisis and talks to people who are working outside the box to make a difference.

More than fifty years after Title IX, we take a wider look at the treatment and coverage of female and transgender athletes. At the close of a dramatic NCAA women’s championship, Natasha Alford, Senior Correspondent at The Grio, sits in for Farai Chideya to talk about Black women athletes, college sports, and sports journalism.

Guest host Natasha Alford, in for Farai Chideya, explores political coalition building through three lenses. From the national stage - to hotly contested state races - to local politics - elected officials owe a duty of care to the constituents they serve. But how do politicians at all levels of government communicate with marginalized communities and how do those communities get their voices heard?

Guest host and Washington Post Columnist Karen Attiah sits down with writer, historian, and scholar Jelani Cobb at the 2023 Just Economy Conference to discuss the challenges facing journalists of color in today’s media landscape.

Guest host Hagar Chemali, foreign policy expert and Creator and Host of the YouTube show "Oh My World!" looks closely at the latest in international policy, from the conflict in Ukraine to US and China Relations, and finally, the recent election in Africa’s largest democracy, Nigeria.

Another OBP Extended Edition! Guest host Natasha Alford speaks with former Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes on the hotly contested election for State Supreme Court in Wisconsin.

This week, we share a panel from the 92nd Street Y’s State of America Summit. Host Farai Chideya asks: who defines America’s Values? We discuss the power of storytelling and civil society with Bird Runningwater, CEO of Cloud Women Media, award-winning author and Harvard Professor Suketu Mehta, author Anna Malaika Tubbs, and Washington Post Contributing Columnist Danielle Allen.

Guest host and ESPN executive Marsha Cooke continues a conversation about black women in the media. Panelists share how they focus on building inclusive content for Black audiences including expanding coverage to undercovered topics and communities. The guests are Mary Annaïse Heglar, Co-creator and Co-host of the Hot Take podcast Lauren Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Capital B.

Three years after the first lockdowns in the US, we look at how public health has changed and how we have changed with it. Plus a new book, “Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem,” explores black women’s contributions to the Biden administration.

The Turkish government's weak response to the region’s devastating earthquakes may signal the beginning of a political shift away from the current administration. We speak with Prof. Ali Tekin, a political scientist on the ground. Then we pivot to a conversation about apologies–how to give and how to receive– with co-authors of the book “Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies", Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy.

When the College Board removed concepts like “intersectionality, mass incarceration, reparations, and the Black Lives Matter movement” from its Advanced Placement African American Studies course, both educators and students were alarmed. These changes are just one of the results of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ 'Stop “Wrongs to our Kids and Employees” Act,’ otherwise known as the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, passed in 2022. Guest host Natasha Alford, Senior Correspondent for The Grio, speaks with Dr. Keisha Blain of Brown University and Sommer Brugal, reporter at the Miami Herald to learn how the policy is affecting students right now. Next Amara Abdullah, a student organizer and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Youth Vanguard talks about her work for justice for Black students in schools, and author Marisa Renee Lee describes collective grief and how the erasure of Black history prevents necessary healing.

There are at least 18 documented gangs inside the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Farai speaks with award-winning reporter Cerise Castle about her 15-part investigative series that explores the complex history of ‘deputy gangs.’ Her reporting finds that this group has terrorized and murdered Angelenos for decades with litigation related to these cases costing the County just over $100 million over the past 30 years. Later, Karen Attiah, Washington Post columnist and show contributor, leads our weekly roundtable ‘Sippin’ The Political Tea,’ on the importance of authentic self care including social media breaks. Attiah is joined by Morra Aarons-Mele, host of The Anxious Achiever podcast AND a forthcoming book with the same title; and Isa Watson, author of Life Beyond Likes and founder & CEO of the Squad app. Content Advisory: Descriptions of police violence

We’re uplifting Indigenous voices! First, Farai interviews Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on what she’s learning from the survivors and descendants of the Federal Indian Boarding School system. Then, Farai speaks with Deputy Director of Western Native Voice, Ta’jin Perez, on the fight for tribal sovereignty. Plus, we revisit a 2014 conversation about Native American media from the podcast, “One With Farai” featuring Bird Runningwater, co-executive producer of the forthcoming TV series "Sovereign", and former director of the Sundance Institute Indigenous Program.

Farai interviews senior news writer and founding staffer at The Trace, Jennifer Mascia on the recent shootings in California, and what's going wrong with gun regulations in the US. Then, she speaks with the President of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Thema Bryant on how to identify individuals who are prone to committing acts of domestic terrorism, as well as how affected communities can heal from gun violence. Content Advisory: Mentions of various types of gun violence and suicide.

Hagar Chemali, foreign policy expert and host of the YouTube Show "Oh My World”, facilitates a conversation with OBP creator and host, Farai Chideya and foreign policy enthusiast and creator of the “What in the World?” podcast, Bunmi Akinnusoto about what pro-Bolsonaro Brazilians storming their congress tells us about extremism here in the US and around the world.