At Liberty is a podcast that explores the most pressing civil rights and civil liberties questions of our time. New episodes air biweekly on Fridays.
episodes
April 11, 2025
Know Your Right To Transportation Justice with Deborah Archer and Sister Helen Jones
You know that phrase 鈥渂orn on the wrong side of the tracks鈥�? Well, there鈥檚 something to it: highways, roads, and sidewalks across America have, for decades, been racial and economic dividers. These thoroughfares don鈥檛 just reflect inequality鈥攖hey continue to play an active role in it. This week, W. Kamau Bell...
Know Your Right To Transportation Justice with Deborah Archer and Sister Helen Jones April 11, 2025
Know Your Right To Transportation Justice with Deborah Archer and Sister Helen Jones
Know Your Right To Transportation Justice with Deborah Archer and Sister Helen JonesYou know that phrase 鈥渂orn on the wrong side of the tracks鈥�? Well, there鈥檚 something to it: highways, roads, and sidewalks across America have, for decades, been racial and economic dividers. These thoroughfares don鈥檛 just...
July 8, 2024
The Supreme Court Ruled, What Now?
Another Supreme Court term has come to a close. This year, the court delivered major decisions on reproductive freedom, voting rights, free speech, this women's rights, gun rights, and presidential immunity, among other decisions. The 吃瓜直播 was involved in cases throughout the term, and as far as wins and losses,...
The Supreme Court Ruled, What Now? Another Supreme Court term has come to a close. This year, the court delivered major decisions on reproductive freedom, voting rights, free speech, this women's rights, gun rights, and presidential immunity, among other decisions. The...
May 23, 2024
Jason Reynolds Is Creating a Literary Archive for the Next Generation
On this episode, "At Liberty" producer Vanessa Handy speaks with young adult and middle-grade literature author, Jason Reynolds. Though he writes for young audiences, Jason doesn't shy away from serious themes or challenges, with many of his books dealing with death, mourning, racism, police brutality, and gun violence. Jason writes...
Jason Reynolds Is Creating a Literary Archive for the Next Generation May 23, 2024
Jason Reynolds Is Creating a Literary Archive for the Next Generation
Jason Reynolds Is Creating a Literary Archive for the Next GenerationOn this episode, "At Liberty" producer Vanessa Handy speaks with young adult and middle-grade literature author, Jason Reynolds. Though he writes for young audiences, Jason doesn't shy away from serious themes or challenges, with many...
April 11, 2024
Live from Brooklyn Public Library: The Power of Poetry and Magical Thinking
From the 吃瓜直播, this is At Liberty. I'm Kendall Ciesemier, your host. A month ago, we visited one of our favorite spots, the library. You know, at the 吃瓜直播, we love a good library. So much so that we even spent a recent Saturday night at the Brooklyn Public Library,...
Live from Brooklyn Public Library: The Power of Poetry and Magical Thinking April 11, 2024
Live from Brooklyn Public Library: The Power of Poetry and Magical Thinking
Live from Brooklyn Public Library: The Power of Poetry and Magical ThinkingFrom the 吃瓜直播, this is At Liberty. I'm Kendall Ciesemier, your host. A month ago, we visited one of our favorite spots, the library. You know, at the 吃瓜直播, we love a good library. So...
March 14, 2024
This Economic Policy Could Break the Poverty Cycle
The 鈥淎merican dream鈥� has long been regarded as the pinnacle of success, rewarded to all who display hard work and pick themselves up by their bootstraps when life knocks them down. This might be our culture鈥檚 prevailing narrative, but it actually rarely bears out this way. The truth is that...
This Economic Policy Could Break the Poverty Cycle March 14, 2024
This Economic Policy Could Break the Poverty Cycle
This Economic Policy Could Break the Poverty CycleThe 鈥淎merican dream鈥� has long been regarded as the pinnacle of success, rewarded to all who display hard work and pick themselves up by their bootstraps when life knocks them down. This might be our...
February 22, 2024
This Case Could Upend the Death Penalty In North Carolina
On August 10th, 2009, the North Carolina legislature passed the Racial Justice Act, or RJA. A first of its kind law that allows people on death row to challenge their sentences if they could show race played a factor at the time of their trial. This historic legislation allowed us...
This Case Could Upend the Death Penalty In North Carolina February 22, 2024
This Case Could Upend the Death Penalty In North Carolina
This Case Could Upend the Death Penalty In North CarolinaOn August 10th, 2009, the North Carolina legislature passed the Racial Justice Act, or RJA. A first of its kind law that allows people on death row to challenge their sentences if they could show...
February 15, 2024
3 States, 3 Plaintiffs, and the Fight for Fair District Maps
Since 1965, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has been integral to protecting people of color at the polls. But in recent decades, the strength of the VRA has been diminished by decisions like Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, and the subsequent influx of voter restrictions imposed by states. Despite...
3 States, 3 Plaintiffs, and the Fight for Fair District Maps February 15, 2024
3 States, 3 Plaintiffs, and the Fight for Fair District Maps
3 States, 3 Plaintiffs, and the Fight for Fair District MapsSince 1965, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has been integral to protecting people of color at the polls. But in recent decades, the strength of the VRA has been diminished by decisions like Shelby County...
February 8, 2024
How to Dismantle the Anti-DEI Machine
Free speech on campus, book bans, education gag orders, the overturn of affirmative action, the resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay. All of these issues center on one hot-button topic: DEI. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has become a staple in national vocabulary after the so-called 鈥渞acial reckoning鈥� of...
How to Dismantle the Anti-DEI Machine Free speech on campus, book bans, education gag orders, the overturn of affirmative action, the resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay. All of these issues center on one hot-button topic: DEI. Diversity, Equity, and...
February 1, 2024
Rap Is Art Not Evidence
As the gang conspiracy trial of rapper Young Thug and his famed rap collective, YSL, extends past 20 days in Atlanta, we鈥檙e bringing you a conversation about the use of rap lyrics in court. Despite a groundswell of activism and legal opposition against the legal admissibility of Young Thug鈥檚 lyrics,...
Rap Is Art Not Evidence As the gang conspiracy trial of rapper Young Thug and his famed rap collective, YSL, extends past 20 days in Atlanta, we鈥檙e bringing you a conversation about the use of rap lyrics in court. Despite...
October 12, 2023
We're Suing Florida for Anti-Asian Housing Discrimination
This May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 264, a law that restricts Chinese nationals from acquiring property in the state of Florida under the guise of protecting national security. But the issue is actually pretty clear 鈥� Chinese people are not the Chinese government, and conflating the two is just...
We're Suing Florida for Anti-Asian Housing Discrimination October 12, 2023
We're Suing Florida for Anti-Asian Housing Discrimination
We're Suing Florida for Anti-Asian Housing DiscriminationThis May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 264, a law that restricts Chinese nationals from acquiring property in the state of Florida under the guise of protecting national security. But the issue is actually pretty...