In honor of Veterans Day, we observe the contributions of Black service members like The Harlem Hellfighters and the Tuskegee Airmen. In this episode, Host Roy Wood Jr. chats with the cofounder of the Black Veterans Project, Richard Brookshire and the author of “Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad,” Matthew F. Delmont. They discuss the racism and segregation Black soldiers have had to face in the military, how Black Veterans were excluded from GI Bill benefits, and how the GI Bill Restoration Act would be a step toward repairing the damage done to Black Veterans and their families.   Watch the original segment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX2sU6FOGb8See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transracial adoption has increased over the years and the experience of being raised by adoptive parents of a different race is not without complications. Host Roy Wood Jr. chats with author of the book,  All You Can Ever Know, Nicole Chung, and author of the book, Surviving the White Gaze, Rebecca Carroll, about their first-hand experiences as transracial adoptees. They discuss their upbringings in predominantly white cities, why adoptive families often don’t talk about race, and their lifelong journey navigating their racial identity.    Watch Nicole and Rebecca’s original Daily Show  interviews with Trevor Noah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MZ485tl33k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBGO0uPkQZYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rooney Rule came into effect in 2003 to increase the number of Black head coaches in the NFL. Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the league exposed how team owners don’t take this rule as seriously as they should. Host Roy Wood Jr. sits with CBS Mornings co-host, Nate Burleson, and former New York Jets coach, Collette V. Smith, to discuss the lack of diversity in the NFL’s head coaching positions and how the league can hold team owners accountable.   Watch the Original Segment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbSCsYedX4c&t=197sSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of Halloween season, host Roy Wood Jr. takes us back to his discussion on the roles Black actors are typecast into in horror movies and how Black filmmakers work to expand these roles beyond their stereotypes. He sits with Daily Show writer Ashton Womack, filmmaker and executive producer of Shudder’s Horror Noire documentary Tananarive Due, author and screenwriter Steven Barnes, and author and educator Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman to break down the history and evolution of Black horror.     Watch the Original Segment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCUDmZ11k0wSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cleveland Guardians and the Washington Commanders have changed their brands away from anti-Native imagery and slurs, but there are still a few sports teams who capitalize off of racist stereotypes. Sports journalist Bomani Jones and Crystal Echo Hawk, executive director of IllumiNative and citizen of Pawnee, join Roy Wood Jr. to discuss the harm posed by Native imagery in sports branding, how Americans are undereducated in Native issues, and what’s next for other professional sports teams (we see you, Atlanta and Kansas City).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children’s books craft the way a young person sees the world, and this view carries on well into adulthood. Daily Show researcher Stephanie O. and CEO, founder, and author of Hey Carter! Books, Dr. Thomishia Booker, sit with Roy Wood Jr. to discuss the importance of positively representing Black boys in children’s literature to help them develop their own sense of self.   Watch the Original Segment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YO2q7l6zEA&t=100sSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virgil Abloh, Zelda Wynn Valdes, and Stephen Burrows are iconic and influential Black designers, but the  fashion industry has had a long history of racism, classism, and nepotism. Host Roy Wood Jr. chats with Daily Show producer, Chelsea Williamson, CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, Brandice Daniel & Editor in Chief at The Cut, Lindsay Peoples about the influence Black culture has had on fashion and the hurdles of breaking into the industry. They also discuss how Lindsay’s 2018 article, “What’s It Really Like to Be Black and Work in Fashion” opened the door for conversations about racism in the industry.    Watch the original segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg3x3aW8OXs See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Books are being banned from schools and public libraries at alarming rates, and stories from LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC authors are disproportionately being pulled from shelves. How do book bans harm learning and access to information? What do these challenges say about the American educational system? Deborah Caldwell-Stone, Director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom and George M. Johnson, author of the widely challenged book “All Boys Aren’t Blue'' join host Roy Wood Jr. to break down where these book bans are coming from, the political ideology behind them, and how these banned books can help young readers understand complex issues.    More on Banned Books Week: bannedbooksweek.org   Get involved: https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beyoncé and Drake released house music albums this year, leaving fans confused by their shift from pop-soul sounds to dance beats. Despite popular belief, house music comes from the the 70s disco era and fostered a safe space for Black and queer folk to feel true liberation. Daily Show producer, Chelsea Williamson, house music great, DJ Derrick Carter, and music scholar and writer, Craig Seymour, join host Roy Wood Jr. to discuss the forgotten origins of house music.   Watch the Original Segment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fii1VZ1U0ygSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From hashtag activism to action offline, Black Twitter has been a vehicle for real change. Host Roy Wood Jr. chats with author of the book, Black AF: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America, Michael Harriot and Professor of Media Studies at Northeastern University, Meredith D. Clark about how Black Twitter has changed the narrative around policing, its influence on elections, how Black Twitter bailed Michael out of jail, and why Roy has a 36-hour tweet rule.   Watch the original segment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcSh2F8e__8 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.