Episodios

  • What it’s like to be young and biracial in America today?
    Jan 21 2026

    Kendrick Lamar has taken aim at his rival Drake’s biracial identity. President Trump did the same against his rival former Vice President Kamala Harris. Bridging identities and cultures has been part of the Black experience for centuries, so what’s it like for a generation moving into adulthood? Paris Alston talks culture, Frederick Douglass, and the end of racism with two twenty-somethings navigating biracial backgrounds in a supposedly post-racial America.

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    16 m
  • Should Black women stop using synthetic hair?
    Jan 14 2026

    Braids are a way to get 'hang time' but there's new evidence that synthetic hair often contains chemicals - including lead and benzene - associated with cancer.
    Zina Thompson of Zina’s Hair Salon, Shellee Mendes of Salon Monet and Dr. Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip of Vibrant Dermatology & Aesthetics joined Paris Alston at the roundtable to discuss the evidence, risks and lack of regulation on hair products.

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    20 m
  • Why Rep. Ayanna Pressley is pushing for reparations now
    Jan 7 2026

    The Trump administration is dismantling DEI programs, the Republicans control congress, and Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley says the time is right for reparations. Why now? And what would a reparations law look like? Paris Alston sat down with Rep. Pressley to ask about the timing of a reparations bill and the Democrats response to Trump 2.0.

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    18 m
  • Black Stories, White Comfort: Who’s Still Controlling the Narrative?
    Dec 17 2025

    From Harlem Renaissance rebels to Hollywood stereotypes, Black storytelling has always been a battleground for power. Today, the pen, the lens, and the mic are finally in Black hands but what does that mean when the legacy of racial violence still hangs over us, literally and figuratively?

    In this episode of Rooted, playwright Zora Howard unpacks her haunting new work Hang Time, inspired by real-life tragedies and the urgent need to see Black men beyond headlines and hashtags. Then, filmmakers Dan Algrant and Don Wright take us inside their documentary Cathedrals, a raw reckoning with race, memory, and who gets to tell the truth about America’s housing projects.

    This isn’t just art it’s a fight for voice, visibility, and ownership. Are we ready to confront the stories we’ve ignored? Or will we keep walking by?

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    27 m
  • Why are Black survivors still invisible in the Digital Age?
    Dec 10 2025

    Every minute, someone is abused and tech is at the center of it all. From stalking through smart devices to survivors fighting back with screenshots, this episode exposes how technology is both weapon and lifeline. Featuring raw stories, expert insights, and a fight for justice you won’t hear anywhere else.



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    27 m
  • Who Holds the Keys? Conservatorships, Mental Health & Black Men’s Autonomy
    Dec 5 2025

    Inspired by Gucci Mane’s candid Breakfast Club interview, Rooted dives deep into the complex world of conservatorships and Black men’s autonomy over their lives when living with a mental health condition. Featuring owner of the estate planning firm Life & Legacy Counselors, Aimee Griffin; clinical social worker and executive director of Fathers' Uplift, Dr. Charles Daniels; as well as marriage and family counselor Rob Badgett; we explore the fine line between safeguarding assets and safeguarding autonomy. How do legal control, cultural stigma, and mental health intersect and what does it mean for families and communities?

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    27 m
  • Beyond the Headlines: Who Gets to Tell America’s Story?
    Nov 26 2025

    As the political climate intensifies under the Trump administration, journalists and media leaders from historically Black-owned outlets and public media’s equity and justice units explore what it means to tell diverse stories in an era of disinformation, censorship, and cultural backlash. This episode examines how legacy and emerging voices are fighting to preserve truth and representation.

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    27 m
  • Edges of Empowerment: The Politics of Black Hair
    Nov 19 2025

    Paris speaks with a panel of experts to explore how Black haircare serves as a powerful tool for community care, social activism, and civil liberties in America.

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    27 m