Kousha Navidar

A culture war from our past: Before he could define America’s sound for the next century, Aaron Copland had to overcome conflict over what “America” meant.

Arab Americans around the country are celebrating their diaspora. And it starts with two guys in a band blasting music at underground parties in Washington, D.C.

This is what happens when the law works the way it’s supposed to.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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. 

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. 

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. 

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

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

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.”

On the 55th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, one journalist examines the 1968 Holy Week which he calls one of the most consequential weeks in U.S. history.