Russia’s long played with U.S. racial politics. Brittney Griner is the latest example

What does Brittney Griner’s hypervisibility as a tall, queer, Black woman have to do with her 9-year sentence in a Russian prison? A lot, according to historian Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, who studies race and Blackness in Russia. She chats with guest host Tracie Hunte about what Griner’s detainment means for Black queer folks who travel and the antagonism surrounding the case.

Then, Tracie talks about the big moment Nigerian pop culture is having in the U.S. She is joined by Nigerian American filmmaker and artist Amarachi Nwosu to discuss why this is happening now and how Nigeria’s success might impact pop culture from other African nations.

Plus, we play Who Said That! Tracie connects with NPR’s B. A. Parker and Juana Summers to test their pop culture knowledge.

You can follow us on Twitter @npritsbeenamin and email us at ibam@npr.org.