How Confronting the Myth of American Innocence Can Stop Our Slide into Authoritarianism, and a Look Ahead at the Political Lessons We Carry into 2022

Host Farai Chideya talks with Pulitzer-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones about why people need to speak out against bans on teaching U.S. history, which we’d likely condemn if they were happening in any other country. Two publishers—Elizabeth Méndez Berry of One World and Lisa Lucas of Pantheon and Schocken—discuss the role of books and cultural criticism in the wider political discourse. Merlyne Jean-Louis shares her legal expertise making sure creative entrepreneurs protect their rights to intellectual property. On Sippin’ the Political Tea, Errin Haines of the 19th and Karen Attiah of the Washington Post discuss the legacy of bell hooks and how she impacted their work.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

1:08 Nikole Hannah-Jones on what we lose when we ban the teaching of history

12:26 Elizabeth Mendez Berry and Lisa Lucas on the importance of cultural criticism

23:26 Merlyne Jean-Louis on protecting your brand as a creative entrepreneur

31:16 Sippin’ the Political Tea: Errin Haines of the 19th and Karen Attiah of the Washington Post join Farai in a discussion of the week’s news