A Word … with Jason Johnson

Like so much of pop culture, online culture is largely rooted in the work of Black and other marginalized people. Writer and activist Bridget Todd celebrates their stories on her podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet. On today’s episode of A Word, she joins Jason Johnson to talk about the challenge of preserving that history, and building communities for women, LGBTQ people, and Black folks in an increasingly hostile online world. Guest: Bridget Todd, host of the “There Are No Girls on the Internet” podcast.Podcast production by Jasmine EllisYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Americans owing more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt, Black and other marginalized students are bearing a disproportionate share of the burden. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Braxton Brewington, the spokesperson for The Debt Collective. That organization, dedicated to ending what it considers unjust debt, closed out more than a million dollars owed by students at Bennett College. They talk about what went into making this happen, and the myths about student borrowing that are standing in the way of solutions.Guest: Braxton Brewington, spokesperson for The Debt CollectivePodcast production by Jasmine Ellis You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent massacre targeting the Black community in Buffalo has led to strong words from President Biden and other leaders, denouncing white supremacist violence. But for the remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and their descendants, those words ring hollow. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Damario Solomon-Simmons, a civil rights lawyer who is leading an effort to win reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre survivors. He won a historic legal victory this month, but argues that the president has failed to follow through on promises to do everything he could to pursue justice for Tulsa. Guest: Damario Solomon-Simmons is a civil rights attorney, and is leading efforts to win reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre victims and their descendants. He’s the Managing Partner of SolomonSimmonsLaw.Podcast production by Jasmine EllisYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of the threat to Roe v. Wade, abortion rights advocates are asking many companies –including in the tech industry– to take a stand. But many industry leaders are silent, and could be poised to profit from data that tracks abortion providers, advocates, and patients. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Bärí Williams, an expert on diversity in tech and artificial intelligence. They talk about the political, financial, and social priorities that may be keeping tech leaders quiet about the abortion issue. Guest: Bärí Williams, an expert on diversity in tech and AI. She’s also the COO of Bandwagon Fan Club, Inc., a data and identity analytics tech company focused on sports and entertainment. Podcast production by Jasmine EllisYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With one million dead from COVID, many Americans are suffering through profound grief. And for Black Americans, the pandemic combined with the racial reckoning has made the mourning feel endless. On this week’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with writer Marisa Renee Lee about her new book Grief Is Love: Living With Loss, and about making space for joy in the midst of grief. Guest: Marisa Renee Lee, a writer, speaker, and entrepreneur. Her new book is Grief Is Love: Living With Loss.Podcast production by Jasmine EllisYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Black Twitter has grown into a community where jokes, memes, and activism flourish. But with Elon Musk taking over, many users fear the most vital conversations will be silenced. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Omar Wasow, a pioneer in online culture, and the co-founder of the BlackPlanet social network. They discuss what Musk’s definition of free speech and his record on race could mean for the future of Black Twitter, and whether it’s time to leave the platform.Guest: Omar Wasow, assistant professor of politics at Pomona CollegePodcast production by Jasmine EllisYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Black Lives Matter movement has emerged as a major political force. Now, questionable spending by the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has sparked questions about whether key movement leaders have lost their way. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Sean Campbell, an investigative journalist whose report on the foundation was published in New York Magazine. He addresses what he uncovered about the foundation’s finances, including the purchase of a $6 million dollar home in Malibu under the guidance of its former leader, Patrisse Cullors.Guest: Sean Campbell, writer, and investigative journalist.Podcast production by Jasmine EllisYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although church and state are supposed to be separate, white evangelical power is a potent force in American politics. And it has historically been used to battle against racial equity. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Anthea Butler, the author of White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America. They discuss the resurgence of white evangelical influence in politics, and why so much of that movement has been focused on thwarting civil rights for African Americans. Guest: Anthea Butler, chair of the Religious Studies Department at the University of PennsylvaniaPodcast production by Jasmine Ellis and Sam KimYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s tax season, a stressful time for millions of Americans. But for many Black Americans, financial issues are complicated year-round by the “Black Tax;” that’s the complex web of structural bias in finance, banking, and housing policy that can make it harder for African Americans to build wealth. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by financial advice author Lynnette Khalfani-Cox to discuss the biggest tax and financial hurdles for African Americans, and how to overcome them.Guest: Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, a personal finance expert and author of several books on financial planning and strategy.Podcast production by Sam Kim and Jasmine Ellis You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Rock is back on tour, days after Will Smith struck him and won his first Oscar in the same night. While the Academy strongly condemned Smith, several Black stars and writers have publicly defended him, or even applauded him for standing up for his wife. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson talks with entertainment journalist Chris Witherspoon about how race is playing out in the debate over what happened, and what should happen next.Guest: Chris Witherspoon, entertainment journalist and founder/CEO of @PopViewers. Podcast production by Sam KimYou can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices