Notes from America with Kai Wright

It’s often emphasized as a defining factor in electoral politics: the ‘Latino vote.’ But that simple phrase erases a far more complex political story. Maritza Félix, founder of the Spanish news service Conecta Arizona, has been covering the political evolution of Arizona’s Latino community over the past decade...

Trump-to-Biden voters may decide the upcoming midterms. So, who are they? And what do they want from candidates now?  Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, host of the podcast “The Focus Group,” and founder of the Republican Accountability Project, has studied voters throughout this midterm election cycle. There’s one group that she finds particularly fascinating: modern-day swing voters...

Beauty. Everyone wants it, but only some are considered to have it. What steps can we take to democratize beauty? Journalist Tracie Hunte is trying to foster real and honest conversations about what it means to be beautiful, and who has access to the power that comes along with beauty. Hunte speaks with Tressie McMillan Cottom, a New York Times columnist and sociologist who has thought and written about the culture of “Big Beauty” in America for years...

We’ve received a lot of messages from listeners in response to our recent episodes so, producer Kousha Navidar and host Kai Wright open the listener mailbag and one voicemail inspires a conversation with Dr. Carol Anderson. The author of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy response spans from the efficacy of voting and voter suppression to what we can do beyond the ballot box. And, we take your calls about what motivates you to keep voting...

If you identify as conservative, what is at stake for you during these midterms? Which issues matter to you most, and how are you thinking about your place in the future of conservative politics? We’re looking for messages to use in our November 6th episode with guest Sarah Longwell. Here's how to talk to us: You can now record and send us a message right from https://www.speakpipe.com/notesfromamerica, or visit our website, notesfromamerica...

Student loans for higher education promises immigrants and people of color access to the American Dream — but at what cost? Higher education has traditionally been a pathway to achieving the American Dream for people of color and immigrants, but the high cost of tuition has resulted in a deepening of the wealth divide as student debt continues to create an economic crisis...

Young Black voters are the key to changing the politics of Georgia. What can the rest of the country learn from the civic engagement in that state? Georgia’s two big midterm races may be the most consequential this election year. One will likely determine control of the Senate. The other is a bellwether for American politics – and democracy – overall. Out of this, can political power shift in the South? The answer to that question might be in the hands of young, Black voters...

Young Iranian Americans are witnessing a historic moment, as protests continue in Iran. We invited some of them to share how they are finding ways to participate from afar. Young Iranian Americans are witnessing a historic moment, as deadly protests in Iran continue over the death of a 22-year-old woman who died while in custody of the Tehran Guidance Patrol, better known as morality police...

Christian nationalism – the push to have laws, policies and social norms reflect Christian values –  is a growing movement in the U.S...

Imani Perry introduces us to A Raisin in the Sun, the first show ever staged on Broadway written by a black woman – and the show’s legendary playwright, Lorraine Hansberry. In Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, author Imani Perry pays tribute to one of the most pivotal Black playwrights in modern history...