Kai Wright

Host & Managing Editor, Notes From America with Kai Wright

Kai Wright appears in the following:

Affirmative Action is About More Than Acceptance Letters

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Everyone’s talking about affirmative action at elite universities. But they educate fewer than 5 percent of students seeking advanced degrees. So why should the other 95 percent care?

What Does “Color-Blind” Really Mean?

Monday, July 10, 2023

Affirmative action is gone. Ibram X. Kendi tells us the history leading up to this moment and what could be next.

Why It’s So Hard to Sound “American”

Monday, July 03, 2023

A culture war from our past: Before he could define America’s sound for the next century, Aaron Copland had to overcome conflict over what “America” meant.

The Coolest Music Parties You Didn’t Know Were Happening

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Arab Americans around the country are celebrating their diaspora. And it starts with two guys in a band blasting music at underground parties in Washington, D.C.

Why the Indian Child Welfare Act is the Gold Standard in Family Law

Monday, June 26, 2023

This is what happens when the law works the way it’s supposed to.

95 Unmarked Graves

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Sugar Land, Texas has a dirty little secret. A striking story about Black emancipation.

Juneteenth Is an Act of Bravery

Monday, June 19, 2023

It goes beyond the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s about liberating our own hearts and minds and staking a claim to freedom.

Comedian Sam Jay Isn’t Afraid of Getting Canceled

Thursday, June 15, 2023

At least not anymore. That confidence comes from her purpose, her identities, and how comedy has evolved from the sitcoms she used to watch as a kid.

Billy Porter Doesn’t Need a Month to Celebrate Pride

Monday, June 12, 2023

He celebrates all year long through art – and that’s been the journey of a lifetime.

Trust the Media? Yeah, Right.

Thursday, June 08, 2023

Our listeners call in and tell us about their frustrations – but in one case, a newfound respect – for the people who report the news.

January 6th Was Not a Secret Attack

Monday, June 05, 2023

One reporter had been listening to the online chatter of the militia movement, and heard them fantasizing about violence for over a year.

Padma Lakshmi’s Low-Key Subversive Food Show

Thursday, June 01, 2023

What exactly IS American food? And what makes us American?

No, We Can’t Stop Saying Their Names

Monday, May 29, 2023

George Floyd was killed on Memorial Day three years ago. Let’s remember his impact on us – but let’s also ask how the stories we tell about Black life (and death) shape our future.

How the Supreme Court Got So Supreme

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Black nationalism twisted its way to the country’s highest court unexpectedly. It started with one young man listening to Malcolm X records in his room on repeat.

Clarence Thomas and his Hotep Supreme Court

Monday, May 22, 2023

Justice Thomas is a Black nationalist — but that doesn’t mean he loves all Black people. We unearth his ideological roots and what they mean for the Court’s looming opinions.

Who’s Responsible for Jordan Neely’s Death?

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Brian Lehrer of WNYC and Elie Mystal of The Nation ask what Neely’s death says about each of us – not just the man who’s been charged with killing him.

Homelessness Hides in Plain Sight. So Does Its Fix.

Monday, May 15, 2023

Jordan Neely’s death on the New York City subway exposed a collective failure to see his humanity. We learn about a novel program in Houston – that sees people without homes as people.

Joy Harjo and Native Stories

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Before she was the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo’s journey as an artist began at a federal Indian boarding school. She reveals an unexpected perspective about her experience.

Indian Boarding Schools Are Not Ancient History

Monday, May 08, 2023

From 1819 and 1969, the U.S. removed thousands of Native children from their homes and tried to strip them of their culture. What would a reparations program for this history look like?

Money Shame, and How To Overcome It Through Financial Literacy

Thursday, May 04, 2023

The world of finance can be confusing for people who weren’t born into it – more often, that’s people of color. Berna Anat is a “Financial Hype Woman” on a mission to fix that.