Kai Wright

Host & Managing Editor, Notes From America with Kai Wright

Kai Wright appears in the following:

95 Unmarked Graves

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Sugar Land, Texas has a dirty little secret. A striking story about Black emancipation.

Juneteenth Is an Act of Bravery

Monday, June 19, 2023

It goes beyond the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s about liberating our own hearts and minds and staking a claim to freedom.

Comedian Sam Jay Isn’t Afraid of Getting Canceled

Thursday, June 15, 2023

At least not anymore. That confidence comes from her purpose, her identities, and how comedy has evolved from the sitcoms she used to watch as a kid.

Billy Porter Doesn’t Need a Month to Celebrate Pride

Monday, June 12, 2023

He celebrates all year long through art – and that’s been the journey of a lifetime.

Trust the Media? Yeah, Right.

Thursday, June 08, 2023

Our listeners call in and tell us about their frustrations – but in one case, a newfound respect – for the people who report the news.

January 6th Was Not a Secret Attack

Monday, June 05, 2023

One reporter had been listening to the online chatter of the militia movement, and heard them fantasizing about violence for over a year.

Padma Lakshmi’s Low-Key Subversive Food Show

Thursday, June 01, 2023

What exactly IS American food? And what makes us American?

No, We Can’t Stop Saying Their Names

Monday, May 29, 2023

George Floyd was killed on Memorial Day three years ago. Let’s remember his impact on us – but let’s also ask how the stories we tell about Black life (and death) shape our future.

How the Supreme Court Got So Supreme

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Black nationalism twisted its way to the country’s highest court unexpectedly. It started with one young man listening to Malcolm X records in his room on repeat.

Clarence Thomas and his Hotep Supreme Court

Monday, May 22, 2023

Justice Thomas is a Black nationalist — but that doesn’t mean he loves all Black people. We unearth his ideological roots and what they mean for the Court’s looming opinions.

Who’s Responsible for Jordan Neely’s Death?

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Brian Lehrer of WNYC and Elie Mystal of The Nation ask what Neely’s death says about each of us – not just the man who’s been charged with killing him.

Homelessness Hides in Plain Sight. So Does Its Fix.

Monday, May 15, 2023

Jordan Neely’s death on the New York City subway exposed a collective failure to see his humanity. We learn about a novel program in Houston – that sees people without homes as people.

Joy Harjo and Native Stories

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Before she was the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo’s journey as an artist began at a federal Indian boarding school. She reveals an unexpected perspective about her experience.

Indian Boarding Schools Are Not Ancient History

Monday, May 08, 2023

From 1819 and 1969, the U.S. removed thousands of Native children from their homes and tried to strip them of their culture. What would a reparations program for this history look like?

Money Shame, and How To Overcome It Through Financial Literacy

Thursday, May 04, 2023

The world of finance can be confusing for people who weren’t born into it – more often, that’s people of color. Berna Anat is a “Financial Hype Woman” on a mission to fix that. 

How Assata Shakur Became One of America’s Most Wanted

Monday, May 01, 2023

A deadly encounter fifty years ago between the New Jersey State Police and a group of Black activists turned Assata Shakur into a cultural icon – and an enduring political villain. 

Tucker Carlson, Rupert Murdoch, and the Future of Fox News

Thursday, April 27, 2023

The state of Fox News today is thanks to Rupert Murdoch. A look inside the Murdoch media empire shows how media outlets can turn into right-wing political influence machines. 

Why Ralph Yarl Was Shot

Monday, April 24, 2023

A history of anti-Black fear has left everyone unsafe in a nation full of anxious gun owners. 

The Joy and Pain of Little Richard

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Filmmaker Lisa Cortés tells the inspiring and painful story of the Black, queer inventor of rock and roll–Little Richard.

Tell Me Your Politics–But Do It In Verse

Monday, April 17, 2023

In a world that feels divided, two storytellers invite people to share what shapes their politics through poetry, using the prompt “Where I’m From.”