Be Antiracist imagines what an antiracist society might look like and how we all can play an active role in building one. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is the author of How to Be an Antiracist, the book that spurred a nationwide conversation redefining what it means to be antiracist, and in this podcast, he guides listeners how they can identify and reject the racist systems hiding behind racial inequity and injustice. Alongside notable guests, Dr. Kendi continues his journey towards building a just and equitable world and proposes how we can all help create it with him.
Indigenous author Rebecca Nagle interviews historian Ned Blackhawk about how the hunger for Indigenous land fueled the American Revolution.
25 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
From Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise
Host Ibram X. Kendi interviews journalist Kai Wright about Frederick Douglass's fight for citizenship and belonging during the unfulfilled promise of Reconstruction.
6 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT
Richard Pryor: The Truth‑Teller Who Changed Comedy Forever | From Big Lives
Richard Pryor redefined comedy by telling the truth, even when it scorched him. And today, we’re sharing a preview of a new podcast, Big Lives (https://apple.co/4saWuDN), and a special episode about Pryor. Every week on Big Lives, hosts Kai Wright and Emmanuel Dzotsi dig into the BBC archive to explore the story behind the icons who shape our culture—trailblazers like David Bowie, George Michael, Muhammed Ali, and Tina Turner—and better understand how each legend set the stage for our contemporary cultural landscape. In this preview, Kai and Emmanuel look at how Richard Pryor rose from a Peoria, Illinois brothel to become a comedic great, only to then wrestle with racism, fame, desire, and self‑destruction.
If you like what you hear, find more episodes of Big Lives wherever you get podcasts. (https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/big-lives)
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21 Jul 2025
Introducing Charlie’s Place: A Cultural Haven That Brought People Together Through Music
Here’s a preview from a new podcast, Charlie’s Place. How did a Black man in 1940s Jim Crow South open a club where Black and white people danced together? Charlie’s Place was revolutionary, and that meant it was dangerous. Host Rhym Guissé explores the unbelievable true story of Charlie Fitzgerald, a mysterious Black businessman whose nightclub became an unlikely site of integration in 1940s Myrtle Beach. Charlie broke down racial barriers through the power of music and dance, hosting some of the greatest musicians of our time: Little Richard, Count Basie, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and many more. But who was Charlie? How did he rise to power? And what price did he pay for achieving the impossible—an integrated club in the Jim Crow South? This is a story of joy and passion that erupted into violence and changed a community forever.
Listen to Charlie’s Place wherever you get your podcasts. Binge the entire season early and ad-free by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Charlie's Place show page on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/charlies-place/id1823737633) or at pushkin.fm/plus (http://pushkin.fm/plus).
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4 Feb 2025
Introducing Fiasco: The Battle for Boston
Journalist Leon Neyfakh examines Boston's tumultuous year of upheaval, violence, and protests following a controversial desegregation experiment known as "busing," revealing the human stories behind the headlines in this interview episode.
11 Aug 2021
Black & Asian American Solidarity: Exchanging Ideas, Sharing History
Cathy Park Hong and Ibram X. Kendi explore the Asian American experience, dissecting the complexities of racist stereotypes and the pursuit of solidarity, in this interview.
4 Aug 2021
Repairing the Past: Returning Native Land
David Treuer discusses historical erasure and anti-Native racism with Ibram X. Kendi, exploring Treuer's antiracist proposal to return National Parks to Native tribes in this interview.
28 Jul 2021
Prison & Police Abolition: Finding True Safety
Abolitionist Mariame Kaba discusses with Ibram X. Kendi how mass surveillance, police, punishment, and incarceration will never create a safe society in this interview.
21 Jul 2021
Antiracism & Immigration: People First
Ibram X. Kendi interviews Julián Castro about prioritizing people in immigration policy and finding common ground between antiracist and pro-immigrant movements.
14 Jul 2021
Beyond Capitalism: A Multiracial Labor Movement
Historian Robin D.G. Kelley discusses the historical roots of American labor movements and racial capitalism with Ibram X. Kendi, exploring paths toward an antiracist world that uplifts all workers in this interview.
7 Jul 2021
Racism & Sports: Changing Athletics, Changing Society
Sports journalist Jemele Hill and Ibram X. Kendi discuss actionable strategies to dismantle racism within sports, from ownership structures to media representation, in this interview.
30 Jun 2021
Leveling Difference: The Antiracist Struggle for LGBTQ+ Justice
Don Lemon shares his experiences as a Black gay man with Ibram X. Kendi, discussing how the antiracist struggle includes combating homophobia and transphobia in this interview.
23 Jun 2021
The Attack on Voting Rights: An Ugly History
Ari Berman and Ibram X. Kendi explore the historical context of voting rights in the U.S., examining contemporary challenges and antiracist policies needed for a fair democracy in this interview.
16 Jun 2021
The Juneteenth Mixtape
Ibram X. Kendi explores the history of Juneteenth, while Annette Gordon-Reed, Heather McGhee, Adam Serwer, Tiya Miles, and Maurice Carlos Ruffin reflect on its significance in their lives in this interview episode.
14 Jun 2021
The Zero-Sum Myth: We're Divided, We're Conquered
Heather McGhee and Ibram X. Kendi explore how racism negatively impacts society for everyone, suggesting that investing in each other leads to better outcomes in various aspects of life in this interview.
8 Jun 2021
Ableism & Racism: Roots of The Same Tree
Disability rights advocate Rebecca Cokley discusses the interconnectedness of ableism and racism with Ibram X. Kendi, exploring civil rights legislation and advocating for a more inclusive future in this interview.
8 Jun 2021
Bridging Divisions (with Malcolm Gladwell)
Ibram X. Kendi interviews Malcolm Gladwell about racism, exploring how podcasting can bridge divides, while also previewing a discussion with Heather C. McGhee on the economic costs of racism.
21 Apr 2021
Introducing Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi
Ibram X. Kendi introduces the "Be Antiracist" podcast, previewing discussions on antiracism and social justice.
Inside a recent episode
From First America: Merciless Indian Savages
Published 29 Jun 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Still the only? Tenured faculty member, yes. Is it ever lonely? Yes. Ned wears a long ponytail and the kind of sweater you imagine a professor would wear. Ned and I have been talking about this history for years. He, along with Nick Estes and some other indigenous scholars, helped shape the idea for this podcast. I wanted Ned to tell me the story of why the founders hated indigenous people so much they put it in the Declaration of Independence. Ned says that story starts a couple decades earlier with this big, big war. Was it kind of like World War Zero? No, it is the First World War. It started as a fight over who would control North America, and it eventually covered the globe. […]
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