Healing Race

Is Racial Inequality a "White Problem?"

Who is responsible for improving racial disparities, and why? Do White Americans today bear any responsibility for rectifying the sins that White Americans committed in the past? If they don’t, is there any moral duty to do something to help improve racial inequality anyways? And is there any benefit that White Americans still receive today for the legacy of racial discrimination and abuse from the past? 
In this conversation, our guests discuss what responsibility we have for one another as human beings and as fellow citizens, and they apply their ideas of responsibility to the area of race. What is the role of White Americans and what is the role of Black Americans to rectify the racial inequities we observe in society? How can we show up and show support for people of different racial and other identities when they are being disparaged, put down, or discriminated against? Is there a moral duty to do so? 

Why Do Black Americans Dismiss Some White "Wokeness?"

Why do some Black Americans sometimes react dismissively to White attempts to show support for the Black community? Are White Americans too defensive of criticisms of how they approach race in America? How do our egos block our ability to understand and accept each other across racial lines and our ability to heal race relations?
In this conversation, our guests share personal experiences that demonstrate some of the challenges that can surface in black-white relations and discuss the question of how to tell if something is truly racist. They emphasize the importance of understanding different perspectives and the role of individual experience in how we respond to each other across race. They also discuss how to distinguish performative actions and meaningful actions taken toward racial healing and racial justice.

Are Black & White Americans Too Suspicious of Each Other?

How do you know when someone is acting with racial prejudice or bias when you can’t see inside their mind and heart to know their intention? How can we rise above our stereotypes to come together as people? What kind of experiences indicate to Black Americans that someone is acting with racial bias? 
In this conversation, our guests discuss the barriers that can block our ability as Americans - and as human beings - to connect across our racial, political and other identities. How can we get past our tribal instincts - and the anxiety and mistrust it can foster - and make strong human connections across our differences? 

Black & White Americans Go Deep: What Matters Most in Life?

What do Americans - white, black or otherwise - all share when it comes to what matters most in life? And if there are racial inequalities in the opportunity to achieve the good life, what is the responsibility of White Americans, of Black Americans - and of all Americans - in rectifying unfair barriers where they exist?
In this conversation, our guests discuss what defines success in life and whether our society places value on what matters most to us as human beings. They also cover what they see as root issues contributing to racial issues and our tendency to stereotype, prejudice and discriminate against those different from us. What are we missing as a society and as human beings that lead us to form unfair or false impressions of one another? 

Are White Activists Reversing Black Progress in America?

This episode covers identity politics, critical race theory, and the idea that the U.S is somehow immune to succumbing to a dictatorship. It touches on freedom, racial inequalities and DEI efforts, questioning how we address US history.
Is the advancement of Black Americans still held back by White Americans with power? Is the attack on DEI a necessary corrective or an attempt to hold back Black progress? And is there an authoritarian movement that wants to rewind the clock on racial progress to times before racial integration and equality before the law were instituted?
In this conversation, our guests discuss recent anti-DEI efforts in education, in the economy, and in the teaching of American history. The guests also discuss whether a rise in authoritarian behavior is an omen of worse times ahead. Is there too much complacency among Americans who don’t see current trends as a dangerous sign of increased violence and oppression in our future, or are warnings about increasing authoritarianism overblown? 

DEI in American Colleges: A Major Threat or Overblown?

Should we keep affirmative action and other DEI diversity efforts to reduce racial inequality? Is the striking down of affirmative action in colleges an example of a wider trend of rolling back progress for - and targeting of - historically disadvantaged communities? And should we focus more on resolving inequalities in early education than on affirmative action policies?
Our guests discuss recent anti-DEI efforts in education, including the roll back of affirmative action policies. They discuss whether it unfairly targeted black students and whether it should instead focus on preferences and privileges based on wealth. Will racial inequalities ever get solved, and what levers of change are most important to prioritize? 

America: Too Much Government OR Too Capitalist?

Our guests discuss the merits and drawbacks of capitalism, the promise and challenges of relying on government to solve social and economic problems, and what kind of changes in American morality would be required to rise above materialism and find a sustainable shared humanity.
Are Americans too capitalist or not capitalist enough? Do Americans value the greater good, or are they too focused on their own personal and materialistic interests? Should we have faith in government to create equal opportunity for all Americans, or has government lost too much faith in its ability to solve economic and societal problems? 
Are we as Americans even in it together anymore, or have we lost our common humanity, our shared purpose, and our caring for one another’s well being and opportunity for success?
For instance, the guests discuss education inequality. Should Americans be willing to invest in creating quality education for children who don’t live in their own neighborhoods, or is it acceptable for rich neighborhoods to be able to fund well-resourced schools and poor neighborhoods to only be able to fund poorly resourced schools? 

Why Are Black Single Moms Blamed in America?

Is Black single motherhood a factor in racial inequalities? If so, are Black women themselves at fault? Is it black men? Is it a public policy issue related to welfare programs or mass incarceration? Is it the imbalance between the number of black men and black women? And what should be done to reduce the prevalence of single-parent households if they are indeed a key factor in economic issues?
In this conversation, our guests take on the sensitive, and sometimes contentious, issue of single-parent households and the role they might play in economic distress and racial inequalities. They also get very personal, discussing the kind of human motivations and difficult choices that can arise when it comes to marriage, having children, and the various factors that can lead to divorce or having children out of wedlock. 

Should Black People Give Up Being “Black?”

Should we get rid of our racial identities and see ourselves as “human” first? Do our racial identities prevent us from getting past racial issues in America, and does the construct of race also hurt white people?
Does calling ourselves “black” and “white” keep us from seeing each other’s humanity and perpetuate the racial divisions and inequities that we aspire to resolve? Is there a way to own our various identities and appreciate them all without conflict and division?
In this conversation, we discuss how we should navigate racial (and other) differences, whether these identity labels - or “boxes” - are part of the problem, and how we can move forward toward a more integrated country. 

Is There Still White Privilege in America? Conservatives & Liberals Discuss

Our guests discuss white privilege, touch on frustrations of being judged based on race, and talk about how society addresses racial inequality and institutional racism.
Do all white people have white privilege? What is it, and how does it show up in people’s lives? Is white privilege a major reason for racial inequality? And how do references to “white privilege” impact relationships across racial lines? Do they inflame tensions? Increase understanding? Lead to healing? Exacerbate racial conflict?
Our guests discuss whether or not white privilege exists, whether or not it is overused or misunderstood, and how racial biases affect White and Black Americans today. They share personal experiences of times they were judged based on their skin color and how stereotypes and biases have impacted their lives and their feelings about how we talk about race in America.