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.

Our Body Politic

The Complexity of South Asian American Identity

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.

OBP Rewind: Collective Crises: Infectious Disease and Informed Democracy

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.

Innovative Solutions For A Growing Nationwide Mental Health Crisis

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.

Women and Transgender Athletes in Sports

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?

Local, State, and National: The Power of Political Coalitions

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.

Just Economy: Jelani Cobb On Rebuilding Trust In The Media

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.

Around the World: The Latest in Geopolitics from Ukraine to China to 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.

Mandela Barnes on Wisconsin State Supreme Court

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.

The State of America Summit: How Storytelling and Civic Engagement Go Hand-in-Hand

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.

Black Women Creating a New Media Landscape

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.

Pandemic Woes and How Black Women Helped Build 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.

How Turkey’s Earthquake May Shake Up Its Political Future and Making the Case for Good Apologies

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.

The Censorship of Black History and its Impact on Students, Teachers, and Society

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

The Truth Behind Deputy Gangs Inside the LA Sheriff’s Office

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.

Indigenous Leaders on Protecting Native Rights, Land, & Culture

Created and hosted by award-winning journalist Farai Chideya, Our Body Politic is unapologetically centered on reporting on not just how women of color experience the major political events of today, but how they're impacting those very issues. Weekly episodes feature in-depth conversations about the economy, health, politics, education, the environment, and the most prescient issues—because all issues are women's issues. Tune in every Friday everywhere you listen to podcasts, and on public radio stations around the country.

hubhopper

Our Body Politic

hubhopper