The Best People with Nicolle Wallace Best of The Best: Joan Baez is Calculating How Much She’s Willing to Risk
Jan 5, 2026
Joan Baez, the legendary folk singer and activist, discusses her life of protest and artistry in a captivating conversation. She reflects on the fear and risk of modern activism compared to her earlier years, emphasizing the need for joy and laughter amidst struggle. Baez critiques the current political climate, highlights the importance of community in movements, and shares her thoughts on the role of art in inspiring change. With anecdotes about dancing with drag queens and her hopes for future protest anthems, Baez inspires listeners to embrace joy as a form of resistance.
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Risk Is Central To Social Change
- Joan Baez believes social change requires someone willing to take a risk.
- She warns that it will get scarier to take risks going forward under current conditions.
Cruelty Raises The Stakes For Protest
- Joan Baez says arrests today feel different because the administration's first order is cruelty.
- That cruelty makes protesting and civil disobedience scarier than in her earlier years.
This Moment Feels Worse Than The 60s
- Joan Baez views the current moment as worse than the 1960s and more extreme.
- She cannot imagine the present abuses happening during the civil-rights era.