Best Wnycstudios Podcasts (2024)

1
An Investigative Journalist Is Rocked By the ‘Inconceivable Truth’ Of His Own Identity 46:47

22m ago46:47

46:47

In this episode, we share the first part of the new podcast series Inconceivable Truth. It’s hosted by WNYC reporter Matt Katz, who has been searching for his biological father since he was a little kid. But it wasn’t until Matt was in his 40s that he realized he was on the wrong journey altogether. The true story is wrapped in confusion and secrec…

1
Amber Ruffin Talks ‘The Wiz’ Revival, Writing for ‘Late Night,’ and Representation in Comedy 50:34

3d ago50:34

50:34

Amber Ruffin is a comedy phenom. She’s spent a decade writing and performing on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and hosted her own show, “The Amber Ruffin Show.” She’s a co-author of bestselling books with her sister Lacey Lamar, with whom she co-hosts a podcast, The Amber & Lacey, Lacey & Amber Show. The Emmy and Tony nominee is now focused on a ne…

1
Voter Vibe Check: Why Trump Has More Support from Black Voters Than Ever 49:32

10d ago49:32

49:32

A February 2024 New York Times/Siena College poll reveals as many as 23 percent of Black respondents said they would vote for Trump if the election were held right then. The numbers are strikingly higher than they have been in the past — and they are notable for a community that has voted overwhelmingly for democrats and against Donald Trump specif…

1
Comedian Bassem Youssef’s Honest Reflection on Fame, the Pressure of Representation, and What it Means to be American 50:31

18d ago50:31

50:31

Egyptian American satirist and comedian Bassem Youssef was once known as “The Jon Stewart of Egypt,” after gaining notoriety for his criticism of the government during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. But it wasn’t long before the doctor-turned-comedian was forced to leave his home country and start over in the United States. Ten years later, as he en…

1
David Alan Grier Is Still Hitting Career Highs, More Than 40 Years After His Debut 52:27

25d ago52:27

52:27

David Alan Grier has been a mainstay on TV, Broadway and film since his initial acting debut in the acclaimed Broadway show “The First,” about Jackie Robinson’s life and legacy. That role, in 1981, earned him a Tony Award nomination, but he found a new level of fame as a core cast member on the classic 1990s sketch show “In Living Color.” His more …

1
Voter Vibe Check: Democratic Voters Are Torn Over Biden’s Gaza Policy 50:11

1M ago50:11

50:11

A movement is emerging among registered Democrats across the U.S. In Minnesota and Michigan, collectively, more than 150,000 voters chose “uncommitted” rather than selecting Joe Biden on their primary election ballots. Protest voting is a trend on the rise with many in the Democratic party expressing their frustration at U.S. policy as the war in G…

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 5: What If I Could Have Grown Old With My Brother? 40:36

1M ago40:36

40:36

In 1985, doctors at a methadone clinic in the South Bronx made the harrowing discovery: 50 percent of their patients had HIV. Three years later, in the same neighborhood, a pair of epidemiologists estimated that as many as one in five young men were positive for the disease. Those numbers made the South Bronx one of most critical hotspots for HIV i…

1
How Actor Danielle Brooks 'Already Won' Before The Oscars 50:25

1M ago50:25

50:25

Danielle Brooks, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress following her masterful portrayal of Sofia in the 2023 remake of “The Color Purple,” discusses her journey to the Oscars with host Kai Wright. Brooks was the sole representative at the 96th Academy Awards from last year’s film adaptation. The first time novelist Alice Walke…

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 4: Respectability Politics and the AIDS Crisis 49:44

1M ago49:44

49:44

By 1986, almost 40 percent of people diagnosed with AIDS in the United States were either Black or Latino. As the full contours of the crisis became apparent, a group of Black gay men began to organize in cities across the country, demanding attention and support for the people dying in their midst. This effort required them to confront big, import…

1
Are We Really Having a 'Migrant Crisis?' Depends Who You Ask. 49:12

2M ago49:12

49:12

Both President Biden and Donald Trump took campaign trips to Texas to visit the U.S. border in recent days. These simultaneous visits happened shortly after several polls found that immigration remains a top issue for voters. But the political discourse can often erase the lived experiences and realities of migrants throughout the country. In this …

1
We Could End AIDS. So Why Are People Still Dying? 49:08

2M ago49:08

49:08

Host Kai Wright started his career covering the impact of HIV and AIDS on communities in America. A new project brings that experience full circle. Kai hosts the latest season of the Blindspot podcast, “The Plague In The Shadows,” which introduces listeners to people who were affected in the early years of the HIV and AIDS epidemics. Decades later,…

1
Leading with Love: Care and Compassion in the Early Days of AIDS 51:56

2M ago51:56

51:56

The latest season of the Blindspot podcast, “The Plague In The Shadows,” brings listeners the voices of people who were affected in the early years of the HIV and AIDS epidemics. It includes stories like that of Kia LaBeija, an artist and activist who was diagnosed with HIV as a child soon after her parents both tested positive. LaBeija’s experienc…

1
It's Giving ‘Hell No’ — Danielle Brooks On Becoming ‘The Color Purple’s’ Sofia 9:14

2M ago9:14

9:14

There’s something about Sofia. The iconic character was first born within the pages of Alice Walker’s canonical 1982 novel, “The Color Purple.” She is a fierce, principled Black woman — friend to the protagonist Celie and wife to Celie’s stepson Harpo, who tarnishes their relationship with violence. But what is most notable about Sofia is that she …

1
A Palestinian-American Victim of American Gun Violence Becomes A Reluctant Poster Child 50:25

2M ago50:25

50:25

Hisham Awartani was visiting family in Vermont over Thanksgiving break in 2023 when he and two of his friends were shot. All three victims are of Palestinian descent and were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves when the attack happened. While his friends made full physical recoveries, 20-year-old Awartani now has to grapple with a new life that…

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 3: ‘Women Don’t Get AIDS, They Just Die From It’ 46:33

2M ago46:33

46:33

From the very earliest days of the epidemic, women got infected with HIV and died from AIDS — just like men. But from the earliest days, this undeniable fact was largely ignored — by the public, the government and even the medical establishment. The consequences of this blindspot were profound. Many women didn’t know they could get HIV. But in the …

1
Intercultural Relationships Are More Common, But Are They Less Taboo? 49:15

2M ago49:15

49:15

We’re living in polarized times – particularly, when it comes to questions of identity, such as race and culture and gender. At the same time, our growing cultural diversity is at this point baked into the future. Within the next 20 years, the majority of Americans will identify as something other than white; that’s already the case in four states.…

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 2: If I Didn’t Have HIV, I Wouldn’t Have Met You 39:55

2M ago39:55

39:55

It’s the 1980s — Harlem, USA — and the 17th floor of the area’s struggling public hospital is filling up with infants and children who arrive and then never leave. Some spend their whole lives on the pediatric ward, celebrating birthdays, first steps and first words with the nurses and doctors who’ve become their surrogate family. Welcome to Harlem…

1
Voter Vibe Check: Anti-Trump Conservatives On Republican Party Politics In 2024 49:16

2M ago49:16

49:16

With the Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries behind us, the 2024 election cycle is well underway. Donald J. Trump isn’t the 2024 Republican presidential candidate yet, but his victories in Iowa and New Hampshire suggest that it will be smooth sailing to the GOP nomination for the former president once again — notwithstanding his severa…

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 1: Mourning In America 35:54

3M ago35:54

35:54

Valerie Reyes-Jimenez called it “The Monster.” That’s how some people described HIV and AIDS in the 1980s. Valerie thinks as many as 75 people from her block on New York City’s Lower East Side died. They were succumbing to an illness that was not recognized as the same virus that was killing young, white, gay men just across town in the West Villag…

1
What A Segregated Mental Asylum Can Tell Us About Health Care in the US Today 49:56

3M ago49:56

49:56

If you were Black with mental illness in the early 1900s, you couldn’t seek help just anywhere. You’d have to go to a segregated asylum like Maryland’s Crownsville Hospital, formerly known as the Hospital for the Negro Insane. The facility opened in 1911 when 12 men were brought into the woods outside of Baltimore and told to start working. They we…

1
Kai Wright Hosts Blindspot: The Plague In The Shadows 5:07

3M ago5:07

5:07

The latest season of the Blindspot podcast brings listeners voices of people who were affected in the early years of the AIDS epidemic, when so little was known about HIV, and so much was misunderstood. It’s also hosted by a familiar voice – Kai Wright, who has covered the impact of HIV and AIDS in communities of color throughout his career as a jo…

1
Doom. Denial. ‘Hopium.’ What About Climate Action? 49:36

3M ago49:36

49:36

The hottest year on record was 2023, but we're expected to make the same claim at the end of this calendar year. As the world warms and reports of historic flooding, wildfires, tornadoes and droughts continue to permeate the news, it's easy to feel burdened with anxiety about the future of our planet. But there are moments of hope to hold on to. Ar…

1
Reclaiming Woke: Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr. Live At The Apollo 50:50

3M ago50:50

50:50

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final Sunday sermon was titled, “Remaining Awake Through A Great Revolution.” In other words, he was advising us to stay woke. Today, that term has become a political slur. “Woke” is at the very center of our culture wars – especially as we enter a contentious election year. But like a lot of slang words, woke has an or…

1
What the Ozempic Craze Means for Our Personal Health 49:21

3M ago49:21

49:21

Interest in Ozempic as a way to lose weight has only been outmatched by demand for the drug, which has been in short supply as celebrities and social media influencers continue to popularize its use. The Type 2 diabetes treatment, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017, has become a catch-all term for a class of medications …

1
Raoul Peck Fights for Justice With His Movies 49:39

4M ago49:39

49:39

Raoul Peck became known for his filmmaking and fight for racial justice with the released of his Academy Award-nominated film I Am Not Your Negro which attempts to complete James Baldwin's unfinished book about the assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Medgar Evers. It was followed by another documentary series, Exterminate All the B…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Wnycstudios Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Notes from America with Kai Wright

WNYC Studios

1
10 Things That Scare Me

WNYC Studios

1
The Realness

WNYC Studios

1
An Investigative Journalist Is Rocked By the ‘Inconceivable Truth’ Of His Own Identity 46:47

1
Amber Ruffin Talks ‘The Wiz’ Revival, Writing for ‘Late Night,’ and Representation in Comedy 50:34

1
Voter Vibe Check: Why Trump Has More Support from Black Voters Than Ever 49:32

1
Comedian Bassem Youssef’s Honest Reflection on Fame, the Pressure of Representation, and What it Means to be American 50:31

1
David Alan Grier Is Still Hitting Career Highs, More Than 40 Years After His Debut 52:27

1
Voter Vibe Check: Democratic Voters Are Torn Over Biden’s Gaza Policy 50:11

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 5: What If I Could Have Grown Old With My Brother? 40:36

1
How Actor Danielle Brooks 'Already Won' Before The Oscars 50:25

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 4: Respectability Politics and the AIDS Crisis 49:44

1
Are We Really Having a 'Migrant Crisis?' Depends Who You Ask. 49:12

1
We Could End AIDS. So Why Are People Still Dying? 49:08

1
Leading with Love: Care and Compassion in the Early Days of AIDS 51:56

1
It's Giving ‘Hell No’ — Danielle Brooks On Becoming ‘The Color Purple’s’ Sofia 9:14

1
A Palestinian-American Victim of American Gun Violence Becomes A Reluctant Poster Child 50:25

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 3: ‘Women Don’t Get AIDS, They Just Die From It’ 46:33

1
Intercultural Relationships Are More Common, But Are They Less Taboo? 49:15

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 2: If I Didn’t Have HIV, I Wouldn’t Have Met You 39:55

1
Voter Vibe Check: Anti-Trump Conservatives On Republican Party Politics In 2024 49:16

1
Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 1: Mourning In America 35:54

1
What A Segregated Mental Asylum Can Tell Us About Health Care in the US Today 49:56

1
Kai Wright Hosts Blindspot: The Plague In The Shadows 5:07

1
Doom. Denial. ‘Hopium.’ What About Climate Action? 49:36

1
Reclaiming Woke: Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr. Live At The Apollo 50:50

1
What the Ozempic Craze Means for Our Personal Health 49:21

1
Raoul Peck Fights for Justice With His Movies 49:39

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