Our Body Politic is unapologetically centered on reporting on not just how women of color experience the major political events of today, but how they're impacting those very issues
Created and hosted by award-winning journalist Farai Chideya, Our Body Politic is unapologetically centered on reporting on not just how women of color experience the major political events of today, but how they're impacting those very issues. Weekly episodes feature in-depth conversations about the economy, health, politics, education, the environment, and the most prescient issues—because all issues are women's issues. Tune in every Friday everywhere you listen to podcasts, and on public radio stations around the country. Presented by KCRW, KPCC, and KQED.
This week Farai Chideya speaks with Senator Tammy Duckworth about serving in the military, becoming a mother, and advocating for safe and equitable environments for veterans. Washington insider Stephanie Valencia breaks down the so-called Latino vote, and challenges the major parties to show up beyond an election year. Farai talks to our finance contributor Ruth Umoh about the significance and optics of Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris for women of color. And journalist S. Mitra Kalita and Farai get real on the role of journalists in a pandemic.
This week, Farai Chideya talks with Senator Elizabeth Warren about why she still pushes for student debt relief and an increased minimum wage, and why she believes these are racial-justice issues. Epidemiologist and Our Body Politic contributor Dr. Kavita Trivedi takes our most pressing questions about Covid-19 vaccinations. Film producer and author Tanya Selvaratnam discusses her new book “Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence.” Plus, our political roundtable with Errin Haines and special guest Brittany Packnett Cunningham, unpacks the racial resentment behind the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection, CPAC, and Senators’ grilling of the Biden-Harris Cabinet picks.
This week on Our Body Politic, Farai Chideya talks with Congresswoman Deb Haaland of New Mexico about leading with her Laguna Pueblo heritage. Farai digs into politics and the economy in conversations about income taxes and the role of disinformation in our elections. Our weekly Covid update puts President Trump’s diagnosis in context with other impacted Americans. Our Rise segment looks at one woman uplifting families of police-violence victims, and how exotic dancers in Atlanta are getting out the vote.
CORRECTION: This episode’s COVID update misstated the likelihood of Black and Hispanic patients dying of Covid as 3 and 4 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites. But they are roughly 2.5 times more likely to die than white patients.
Farai Chideya is an American novelist, multimedia journalist, and radio host. She produced and hosted Pop and Politics with Farai Chideya, a series of radio specials on politics for 15 years. She currently produces and hosts One with Farai, a podcast for Public Radio International (PRI), in which she interviews distinguished individuals with a range of stories and opinions. Guests whom Chideya has interviewed include Melissa Harris-Perry, Urvashi Vaid, and Alec Ross. Additionally, since 2012 Chideya has held the position of distinguished writer in residence at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University, where she teaches courses in radio production and media economics.