A live, national show hosted by Kai Wright about the unfinished business of our history, and how we break its grip on our future.

Vanessa Handy was watching reruns of "Good Times" with her family. It made her realize how important comedy was growing up – especially sitcoms centering Black families. So she called up Sam Jay to talk about comedy of the past, and what the future looks like to one comic who’s forging it. As you can guess, that comedy is tied to the identities we hold true for ourselves, and the universal identities that connect us to each other.

**C-segment pitched, scripted, and edited by Vanessa Handy. This aired live on NPR stations nationwide on June 11, 2023


​​​​​​​ Reported and gathered field tape for opening montage and bumpers. To celebrate and learn more about Ramadan, host Kai Wright speaks to Ahmed Ali Akbar, a James Beard award-winning writer. Together, they explore how Ramadan celebrations can evolve over time and take calls from listeners who are celebrating. 

​​​​​​​ Edited this episode, produced opening montage, and voiced mid-roll. Led the social outreach and listener engagement  in pre-production. Senior Digital Producer Kousha Navidar hosts a conversation about coming of age as an immigrant in the U.S. He shares the story of his failed first date and what the experience revealed about what it means to be an immigrant. 

Produced the opening montage, and scripted and voiced billboard promotion with host Kai Wright for the radio broadcast. Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of "The Woman King," joins Kai Wright to talk about her experience in Hollywood and making space for women of color in front of and behind the camera.

​​​​​​​Led the social outreach and collected and cut voicemails for this episode. Narges Bajoghli, Assistant Professor of Middle East Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, joins senior producer Kousha Navidar and host Kai Wright to talk about Mahsa Amini’s death and the response in Iranian communities across the U.S.

​​​​​​​I pitched this episode with Dr. Aje-Ori Agbese, professor in the Communication department of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Agbese joined host Kai Wright to discuss Hollywood’s spotty history with stories about Africa and the cultural significance of the new blockbuster hit.

​​​​​​​Led the social outreach, handled day-of guest relations and wrote and recorded  the midroll for this live MLK Day event at the Apollo Theater. Notes from America opened the celebration with a live, in-person conversation acknowledging the young leaders of today impacting society through activism, engagement and a commitment to justice.

​​​​​​​Led the social outreach, screened calls and wrote and recorded  the midroll for this episode. Christian nationalism – the push to have laws, policies and social norms reflect Christian values –  is a growing movement in the U.S. As its rise continues to influence contemporary politics, how should we consider and prepare for its impact on our government?