New Hopes, Old Fears

Kai checks in with poet Jericho Brown, historian Kidada Williams, and listeners as we all try to transition out of the Trump presidency.  Jericho Brown, recipient of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, reads his new work ‘Inaugural,’ and reflects upon the power of our words - political rhetoric and prose alike - to strengthen communities. Professor and historian Dr. Kidada E. Williams reflects on the relationship between justice, history and why we must make space for uncomfortable truths about our nation. Her research centers around the impact of racist violence on African Americans and she will be the host of a new podcast ‘Seizing Freedom,’ which debuts on February 1st. Arun Venugopal, senior reporter of WNYC’s Race and Justice Unit, then joins Kai as he invites callers to share what they have been carrying through the Trump era and what they are ready to put down. Companion listening for this episode: “‘I Did Not Watch The Video’” (5/21/20) In response to the viral video of Ahmaud Arbery’s death, dystopian fiction writer Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah talks about reimagining America's responses to anti-black violence, dealing with the spectacle and living through a pandemic. “Meditations on a Bittersweet Victory” (11/9/20) A post-election call-in show with Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry to explore complex feelings as Donald Trump’s presidency comes to an end. “The United States of Anxiety” airs live on Sunday evenings at 6pm ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts. To catch all the action, tune into the show on Sunday nights via the stream on WNYC.org/anxiety or tell your smart speakers to play WNYC.