Politically Re-Active with W. Kamau Bell & Hari Kondabolu

Latest Episodes:

BONUS EPISODE: NoDAPL, Mailbag, & Our Old Pal Adam Mansbach Sep 15, 2016

Show notes

The long-awaited Mailbag Episode!HOLD UP; WAIT A MINUTE – it’s a bonus episode in three acts! As Native tribes continue their protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline, Kamau and Hari catch up with the #NoDAPL movement by calling writer, filmmaker, and indigenous advocate, Benalex Dupris. Then we dig into the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Politically Re-Active mailbag, from your questions about “being invited into whiteness” to Hari’s awkward relationship with John Brown. Last but not least: White people, come get your boy! Author Adam Mansbach joins Kamau to talk about owning whiteness and taking down the Donald.We KNOW you want to hear more Hari and Kamau, so find their latest work at www.harikondabolu.com and www.wkamaubell.com.You can check out a short interview Benalex Dupris did with Vice earlier this week:http://www.vice.com/video/daily-vice-standing-rock-reservation-big-oilYou can check out Adam Mansbach’s latest work at www.adammansbach.com and be on the lookout for the new movie he wrote about a young Obama at Colombia called Barry.And keep sending us those comments! #politicallyreactive and politicallyreactive@firstlook.orgThanks!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jasiri X: Hip Hop and the Movement Sep 14, 2016

Show notes

Also - bonus episode tomorrow!Before Kendrick Lamar electrified the Grammys and Beyonce got mainstream America in “Formation,” rapper Jasiri X was making music with a message. His social justice-inspired approach to hip hop has won him countless fans – Angela Davis, Harry Belafonte, and Chuck D, to name a few. Molded by his experiences as a teenager in Pittsburgh, Jasiri’s songs address the challenges and current events that affect people of color in America. In this episode, Jasiri talks with Kamau and Hari about how art and activism are inseparable, the pros and cons of being a “conscious” rapper, and how there’s never a good time for your wife to find out you’ve just been arrested. Find Jasiri’s work at www.jasirix.com and follow him on Twitter at @jasiri_x.Hari’s coming to a venue near you! Check out his tour dates and find his new album Mainstream American Comic at www.harikondabolu.com. And subscribe to Kamau’s other awesome podcasts at www.wkamaubell.com.Tune in tomorrow for our much-anticipated “Mailbag” episode featuring YOU! Keep sending us your questions and comments at #politicallyreactive or politicallyreactive@firstlook.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shaun King on Controversy, Color, and Kaepernick Sep 07, 2016

Show notes

And Kamau's musical take on the Star Spangled Banner.Our guest this week is known for his bold and relentless writing on racial injustice and police brutality. Surprise: the “alt right” is not a fan. They’ve accused New York Daily News Senior Justice reporter Shaun King of everything from theft to being the new Rachel Dolezal (remember her?). One of the most vocal members of the Black Lives Matter movement, King breaks down how BLM unites unlikely allies and is a true extension of the Civil Rights Movement. The activist also responds to accusations that he’s white (he’s not) and reflects on why he identifies with his friend, Colin Kaepernick. In this episode, we get into all of it – not only King’s own past, but the past, present, and future of race in America. Keep up with Shaun on Twitter: @shaunkingAnd find Hari’s new album Mainstream American Comic at www.harikondabolu.com! That’s also where you can find tour dates (meet him on the road!). And learn more about Kamau’s podcasts and projects at www.wkamaubell.com. Tune in next week when we answer your questions! Keep commenting at #politicallyreactive and politicallyreactive@firstlook.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lindy West on Seeing Women as Real People Aug 30, 2016

Show notes

And how movies in the 80s were really kinda creepy.This week on Hari and Co. Politically Re-Active, Kamau and Hari chat with author, columnist and legendary internet-troll confronter, Lindy West! West delves into rape culture, the objectification of female Olympians, the perils of white feminism, and why her feelings on Hillary may be complicated, but her decision to vote for her isn’t. Check out Lindy’s new book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman at lindywest.net, and follow her on Twitter at #thelindywest. And come meet Hari at a venue near you! Find his tour dates at www.harikondabolu.com. That’s also where you can find his new album Mainstream American Comic. And subscribe to Kamau’s million other podcasts at www.wkamaubell.com.We’re answering your questions soon, so send us your Twitter comments and emails!: #politicallyreactive or politicallyreactive@firstlook.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dave Zirin on Loving and Hating the Olympics Aug 25, 2016

Show notes

Today we're talking about sports! (And politics)Every four years, Americans pick a president. And every fours summers, the world’s nations send its most muscled and agile to compete in a display of artistry and athleticism. And on #politicallyreactive, we’re talking about both! Put your headphones on and get pumped because this episode has legs: Kamau and Hari zip through a recap of the Rio Olympics with The Nation’s sports editor Dave Zirin, talking about the political highlights (Ethiopian marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa’s symbol of protest and the triumph of Rio’s own Rafaela Silva in judo) to the worst (two words: Ryan Lochte). And of course because this is #politicallyreactive, we dig into the shadowiness of Olympic bids which if successful, tend to result in the displacement of poor communities while leaving the environment much worse off.Check out Dave Zirin’s podcast Edge of Sports from Panoply: http://www.edgeofsportspodcast.com/Check out Hari’s tour and pick up his new album Mainstream American Comic at www.harikondabolu.com. Find out where Kamau will be next and subscribe to his other great podcasts at www.wkamaubell.comAnd send us your Twitter comments and emails NOW! We’re answering your questions very soon: #politicallyreactive or politicallyreactive@firstlook.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Daley on How Republicans Ratf**ked American Democracy Aug 17, 2016

Show notes

No really, that's what it's about.The year 2012 looked like the start of a promising era for Democrats. Obama had just won his second term as president, the Dems had taken a big majority in the Senate, and the party had earned 1.3 million more votes than the GOP. So how on earth did the House of Representatives stay in the hands of Republicans?? Former Salon editor-in-chief David Daley says it all comes down to one word: gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is the drawing of congressional boundaries such that the district demographic favors one party over another. And it’s bad for American democracy. Really bad. Just check out the title of Daley’s new book: Ratf**ked: The True Story Behind The Secret Plan to Steal America’s Democracy.Join Kamau and Hari on this fascinating and terrifying journey through gerrymandering, and find David Daley’s book Ratf**ked on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/Ratf-ked-Behind-Americas-Democracy/dp/1631491628Got a minute? Come meet Kamau and Hari in person! Hari is promoting his new album “Mainstream American Comic” at a local venue near you, and Kamau is zig-zagging across the country with the “W. Kamau Bell Curve.” Learn more at http://www.harikondabolu.com/ and http://www.wkamaubell.com/.Special thanks to Evgeny Teilor for the use of “Unveiling Soul”: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Evgeny_Teilor/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Keep tweeting us at #politicallyreactive! Thanks!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

dream hampton on Black Liberation in the Hour of Chaos Aug 10, 2016

Show notes

And the price of being a critical woman of color. She was tight with Biggie and has the ear of some of today’s biggest musicians, but writer, filmmaker, and social justice activist dream hampton prefers to stay out of the limelight – if she can. Known as “your favorite rapper’s favorite writer,” hampton has become an influencer who doesn’t shy away from dialogue, both supporting the movements she cares about most while continuing to question them from within. In this name- and mic-dropping episode, hampton and the Politically Re-Active hosts talk about the promise and pitfalls of young activists today, the cost of being a critical woman of color on Twitter, and the power of celebrity involvement in political issues (remember when Jay Z rapped for Prop 47? That was all hampton.) It’s all in this episode of #politicallyreactive! Dive into the mind of dream hampton on Twitter: @dreamhampton.And catch our hosts at a venue near you! Hari is touring with his new album “Mainstream American Comic,” and Kamau is taking “The W. Kamau Bell Curve” cross-country. Find more info at http://www.harikondabolu.com/ and http://www.wkamaubell.com/.Remember to keep tweeting us at #politicallyreactive and send questions or suggestions to politicallyreactive@firstlook.org for our upcoming mailbag episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How Van Jones Keeps His Cool in the Cable News Circus Aug 03, 2016

Show notes

And why does he call himself Van...Our guest this week is one of Fox News’s least favorite people. Coincidentally, he’s one of Kamau and Hari’s favorites! Van Jones is a CNN commentator and activist who has started numerous social and environmental justice initiatives – and that’s on top of serving as President Obama’s green jobs advisor in 2009. In this candid conversation, Jones shares what it’s like to be the preferred punching bag of conservative pundits while also being the most compassionate person in the room. For those of you who were wondering how to keep your cool while talking with your Trump-loving uncle, this episode is for you.Learn more about Jones’s causes #yeswecode, #cut50, and Green for All at www.vanjones.net.And find Hari’s new album “Mainstream American Comic” at www.killrockstars.com/hari! Or if you prefer to see him live, check out the dates for his upcoming tour at www.harikondabolu.com. Kamau’s also coming to a venue near you – visit www.wkamaubell.com to find out when.Thanks for listening to #politicallyreactive!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman Gives Us the Election Unfiltered Jul 27, 2016

Show notes

(Almost) Live from the DNC!Kamau and Hari are in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention! ...or at least they’re in the recording studio just outside of the convention. In this episode, the Politically Re-Active hosts talk to Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman to break down the resignation of DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the policing Amy observed at the RNC, and the movements across America that give her hope.For more of Amy’s independent investigative journalism, head over to http://www.democracynow.org/. Hari’s new album “Mainstream American Comic” is out now at www.killrockstars.com/hari! You can find tickets for his upcoming tour at harikondabolu.com and for Kamau’s tour schedule, check out wkamaubell.com. And of course, leave US a good review on iTunes! Thanks for listening to #politicallyreactive – we’ll see you next Wednesday.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pramila Jayapal on Majority Minority Districts & Teaching Hari How to Dress Himself Jul 20, 2016

Show notes

Hari and Kamau also get into #GOPSoWhite.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices