Notes from America with Kai Wright

Americans under 30 years old have been through a lot in their young lives. Perhaps living through and witnessing the volatile political moment that was Donald Trump’s presidency, a global pandemic, a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, and growing devastation due to war in the Middle East, has led to their reported lack of trust in several key political and social institutions. And yet, as we hear in this episode, Gen Z is deeply engaged with the issues and ideas that will improve their experiences as young adults who want their personal rights protected, and the ability to have safe communities and economic security. Gen Z voter voices are at the center of this conversation, hosted live by Kai Wright at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. We hear from journalist Rachel Janfaza, who covers the political culture of the Gen Z generation; Askar Mirza, commissioner of Ridgefield, N.J.; and Alexis Williams, who is a coder and a political and social justice content creator. They join Kai for a conversation about how they became engaged themselves and what they know about their peers’ political priorities this election year.Special thanks to the entire staff at NJPAC, especially Donna Walker Kuhne, Kitab Rollins, Megan Barry and Shira Vickar-Fox. Thanks also to the following colleagues at WNYC: Brenda Williams Butts, Kristina Newman-Scott, Ed Haber, George Wellington, Aaron Cohen, Bill O’Neill, Jim Stagnitto, Robin Bilinkoff and Matthew Marando. Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

30 Sep 202454min

Host Razia Iqbal sits down with the celebrated civil rights lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson, a man as dedicated to his chosen profession as James Baldwin was to his.Stevenson is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, based in Montgomery, Alabama, which has not only transformed the conversation about the disproportionate numbers of incarcerated Black Americans, but has also challenged how we think about the criminal justice system and the system’s treatment of children in particular. He's been described by the late South African bishop and civil rights activist Desmond Tutu as “America's Nelson Mandela.” Stevenson also initiated the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, and continues to make us all think about the lived legacy of more than 200 years of slavery in the U.S. By Stevenson’s own admission, Baldwin has had a profound impact on his life, professionally and personally. When asked to choose a single Baldwin quote that inspires him, Stevenson chose three, and an exception was made in the interest of an exceptional conversation. Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

28 Sep 202439min

More than 36 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in the 2024 presidential election. Who they will support in November is still very much in play — and this year, the candidates’ approach to seeking that support can’t be copied from playbooks of the past.In this episode, guest host Janae Pierre is joined by Mike Madrid and Chuck Rocha, co-hosts of the Latino Vote podcast, which looks at the voting trends and behavioral patterns among Latino communities in the U.S. from the view of two political strategists from different ends of the political spectrum. Madrid is a GOP consultant, co-founder of The Lincoln Project and author of a new book, “The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority is Transforming Democracy.”  Rocha is a Democratic Party consultant and the former senior strategist for Bernie Sanders’ campaign.They talk about whether Harris or Trump is resonating more with Latino voters, how different factions of this voting bloc view the issues, and why stereotypes about Latinos continue to cause candidates to miss opportunities to connect with these communities. Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

23 Sep 202448min

In the debut episode of “Notes on a Native Son,” host Razia Iqbal sits down with essayist and novelist Ta-Nehisi Coates to discuss one of his favorite passages from the works of writer James Baldwin. His choice comes from Baldwin’s essay “On Being ‘White’…And Other Lies,” published in Essence Magazine in 1984. Coates shares why this piece resonates with him as a writer tackling whiteness, race and what it means to be an American today. Coates is the author of the bestselling books “Between the World and Me” and “The Water Dancer.” His latest book, “The Message,” (published October 2024) documents the time he spent in Palestine, Senegal and South Carolina — and details why the stories we do and don’t tell from areas of conflict matter.  Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

21 Sep 202441min

Warning: This episode contains profane language and detailed descriptions of sexual assault allegations.More than 20 women say a man who went by Officer “Champagne” sexually assaulted them while they were held at the Rikers Island women's jail. Their allegations span decades and they are now suing the city for more than $500 million. But the Department of Correction says there was no one with that name who worked there during that time.WNYC spoke with several women who say they were assaulted by Champagne, and started to unravel the mystery. Who was Correction Officer Champagne?What the WNYC investigation found led to more questions — including why city officials have done so little to investigate more than 700 recent claims of sexual assault at the troubled jail?.Related links:He was Officer 'Champagne' at Rikers. 24 women accused him of sexual assault in jailRikers guard charged with rape while off duty has a string of accusations from detaineesCREDITSReporter: Jesse EdwardsEditor: Christopher WerthExecutive producer: Ave CarrilloProducer: Jared MarcelleContributors: Jared Marcelle, Samantha MaxTechnical Director: Wayne ShulmisterAudio Mixing: Wayne Shulmister, Liora Noam-KravitzMusic: Jared Paul, Owen KaplanEpisode art: Rhe CivitelloThanks to:  Sean Bowditch, Stephanie Clary, Audrey Cooper, Lauren Cooperman and Ann Givens Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

19 Sep 202457min

Come November, an estimated 36 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in the U.S. presidential election. Across the nation, there are Spanish language radio stations invested in them as an audience — and content on those stations is targeting listeners with disinformation about the candidates, the parties and political issues.In this special episode, host Kai Wright sits down with journalist Paulina Velasco to discuss “Frequency of Deception,” an investigation into the lies, rumors and propaganda that have been peppering Spanish language broadcasts in recent years. Velasco’s reporting includes egregious examples of attempts to manipulate listeners, ideas about who and what is behind these nefarious efforts, and a look at the ongoing push to combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation among vulnerable communities.This story is part of Frequency of Deception / Radiofrecuencia de engaños, a six-part series on the spread of dis- and misinformation on Spanish-language radio in the U.S. by Feet in 2 Worlds in partnership with WNYC’s Notes from America, palabra and Puente News Collaborative. Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

16 Sep 202450min

“Notes on a Native Son” is a new, limited audio series about how and why the writer James Baldwin continues to matter. We hear from people who turn to his words again and again for ideas and inspiration, including Ta-Nehisi Coates, Nikki Giovanni, Bryan Stevenson and many more.Hosted by journalist Razia Iqbal, each episode explores a Baldwin passage chosen and beloved by her guests. Their conversations underline Baldwin's lasting power and remind us of his prescience and acuity on issues such as race, class, sexuality, power, belonging and love.New episodes are available on-demand every Saturday in the Notes from America podcast feed. This project was made possible through partnership between Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, Sea Salt & Mango Productions and WNYC Studios. Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

14 Sep 20243min

Elie Mystal, justice correspondent and columnist for The Nation, joins host Kai Wright “On the Call” to break down how Vice President Kamala Harris used classic trial lawyer tactics to take apart former president Donald Trump in their ABC News debate.Perhaps you’ve noticed: the news is newsing in overdrive lately. Notes from America is meeting the moment with an extra podcast drop on Thursdays like this one. It's a pop-up series of conversations about politics, voters and democracy right now that we're calling “On the Call.” Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

12 Sep 202429min