Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps

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SZEPS WORLD TOUR - KMELE FOSTER on Race, Spirituality & 'Wokeness'

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Aug 8, 2025

Guest

Kmele Foster

Kmele Foster, Editor-at-large of Tangle and co-host of The Fifth Column, dives deep with Josh into race and identity. They explore parenting in racially charged environments and the struggle for understanding amid polarizing narratives. Kmele critiques the concept of wokeness, arguing against enforced equality and emphasizing personal experiences. The conversation touches on the complexity of privilege, the power of literature in shaping identity, and the role of mindfulness in navigating life's challenges. It's a thought-provoking, engaging discussion!

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insights

INSIGHT

Race Monomania Limits Perspective

Race monomania makes race the dominant lens for politics and economics, overshadowing individual experience.
Relying on racial identity overlooks the profound diversity within racial groups and their unique lived experiences.

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ANECDOTE

Ancestor on Jamaican Currency

Kmele shared about his Jamaican ancestor who led a slave rebellion and is on the country's currency.
Despite that heritage, Kmele lives a life of privilege far removed from those historical struggles.

insights

INSIGHT

Individual Experience Trumps Race

Individual lived experience and family environment outweigh abstract racial identity in shaping life outcomes.
Many pressing social issues relate more to family structure and personal trauma than race alone.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Navigating Ethics of Belief and Consumption

Navigating Privilege and Race in America

19:21 • 18min

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Rethinking Race and Identity

37:04 • 16min

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Navigating Race and Identity in Education

53:21 • 12min

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Examining Wokeness: The Flaws of Enforced Equality

01:05:45 • 4min

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The Transformational Power of Mindfulness and Perspective

01:09:20 • 2min

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The Transformative Power of Literature

01:11:36 • 13min

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Shakespeare and the Invention of the Human

Harold Bloom

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The book explores how the ideas 'what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker,' 'always trust your feelings,' and 'life is a battle between good people and evil people' have become embedded in American culture. These 'Great Untruths' contradict basic psychological principles and ancient wisdom, leading to a culture of safetyism that interferes with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. The authors investigate various social trends, including fearful parenting, the decline of unsupervised play, and the impact of social media, as well as changes on college campuses and the broader context of political polarization in America.

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Being and time

Martin Heidegger

In 'Being and Time', Heidegger delves into the fundamental question of what it means to 'be'. The book is divided into two main divisions: the first analyzes the existentials of Dasein, or 'being-in-the-world', while the second grounds these existentials in temporality. Heidegger introduces key concepts such as 'Dasein', 'Being-with', and the three temporal ecstases (having-been, present, and to-come), emphasizing that Dasein's existence is essentially futural and characterized by its possibilities and projects. The work challenges traditional philosophical notions of subject and object, instead positing that Dasein is inseparable from its world and historical context.

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Henry David Thoreau

Published in 1854, 'Walden; Or, Life in the Woods' is a series of 18 essays that reflect Thoreau's experiences living in a small cabin near Walden Pond from July 1845 to September 1847. The book is a personal declaration of independence, a social experiment, and a voyage of spiritual discovery. Thoreau details his life in the woods, discussing the construction of his cabin, his daily activities, and his philosophical reflections on economy, social relations, and the importance of living in harmony with nature. The work is considered a cornerstone of American literature and a foundational text in the Transcendentalist movement, emphasizing the benefits of a simplified lifestyle and the importance of individual freedom and self-reliance.

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Harrison Bergeron

Kurt Vonnegut

Set in the year 2081, 'Harrison Bergeron' is a dystopian short story that critiques the concept of enforced equality. In this future, the government mandates that everyone must be equal in every way, using handicaps to prevent anyone from being smarter, stronger, or more attractive than others. The story follows Harrison Bergeron, a 14-year-old genius who rebels against these oppressive laws by breaking into a TV studio, removing his handicaps, and briefly showcasing his true abilities before being silenced by the Handicapper General. The narrative explores themes of individual freedom, conformity, and the dangers of an overly controlling government.

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The Hour of the Star

Clarice Lispector

The Hour of the Star is Clarice Lispector's final novel, narrated by Rodrigo S.M. , who tells the story of Macabéa, a marginalized woman living in Rio. The book delves into themes of poverty, identity, and the search for meaning, challenging traditional notions of fiction and reality. Through Macabéa's tragic life, Lispector reflects on the human condition and the intersection of justice and the void.

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The Road

Tom Stechschulte

Cormac McCarthy

The Road is set in a world that has been devastated by an unspecified cataclysmic event, resulting in the extinction of nearly all life on Earth. The story follows an unnamed father and his young son as they travel south along the road, carrying their meager possessions and a pistol with only two bullets. The father, suffering from a worsening respiratory condition, is determined to protect his son from the dangers of their new world, including cannibalistic marauders. Along their journey, they encounter various survivors, some of whom are cruel and others who show kindness. The novel explores themes of love, survival, and the preservation of humanity in a world devoid of hope. Ultimately, the father's health fails, and he dies, but not before ensuring his son's safety with a new family who may offer a chance for a better future.

What is your race? What is your identity? How should your kids think about how they fit in at school, or don't, on the basis of their racial or economic group? What is it really about, this game of being human?

Kmele Foster is one of the most original and humane thinkers Josh has the privilege of knowing. Funny, fearless and wise, the two young dads sat down in Brooklyn during the Szeps Live Around-the-World Podcast Marathon to wrestle with Blackness, whiteness, racism, parenting, guilt-ridden woke white leftists in San Francisco (where Kmele lives) and the meaning of the cosmos.

After having a falling-out with Silicon Valley, Kmele was recently appointed the editor-at-large of Tangle, an independent news website that summarises arguments from the right, left, and center. Kmele's first column was this absolute barnstormer. He also serves on the board of directors of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and co-hosts the smash hit podcast The Fifth Column.

Don't miss this uplifting, provocative, moving, mind-expanding chat.

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