African Americans
'Fresh Air' Remembers Toni Morrison With 3 Conversations Over 4 Decades
The Nobel laureate died Monday at 88. Terry Gross talked with Morrison in 1987 after she wrote Beloved, in 1992 after she authored Jazz and in 2015 when she published God Help the Child.
Uncovering The Story Of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's 1st Black Sports Star
At the height of America's Jim Crow era, Taylor broke barriers by becoming the country's fastest and most famous cyclist. Michael Kranish tells his story in the new book, The World's Fastest Man.
'Fresh Air' Remembers 'Boyz N The Hood' Director John Singleton
Singleton, who died April 29, spoke to Fresh Air in 1991 about his semi-autobiographical movie, which centered on kids growing up surrounded by drug addiction and gang violence in South Central L.A.
From Slavery To 'American Wonder': Revisiting Frederick Douglass' Remarkable Life
Historian David Blight's new biography describes Douglass' escape from slavery, his passionate leadership in the abolitionist movement and his gift as a writer and orator.
Actor Brian Tyree Henry On Fame, Authenticity And 'Atlanta'
Henry is nominated for an Emmy for his role as Alfred, aka the rapper "Paper Boi," on the FX series Atlanta. Originally broadcast April 18, 2018.
Growing Up Black, Gay And Catholic In Texas, Memoirist Put His Faith In Beyoncé
Michael Arceneaux's new book, I Can't Date Jesus, is a collection of essays about his early years. Beyoncé, he says, taught him a valuable lesson: "Just be yourself and be very good at what you do."
Comic W. Kamau Bell On The 'Shades Of America' And Not Feeling 'Black Enough'
Comic W. Kamau Bell talks about his new comedy special, searching his ancestry, and raising his bi-racial daughters in the Trump era.
A Filmmaker's 'Quest' For A Quiet Family Portrait Is Pierced By Unforeseen Trauma
Jonathan Olshefski spent 10 years filming Christopher Rainey and his family, who run a recording studio in North Philadelphia. Then their daughter was shot. Originally broadcast Dec. 20, 2017.
Director Dee Rees Explores Racism In Post-War Mississippi In 'Mudbound'
Mudbound follows two families — one white and one black — just before, during and after WWII. Rees' experiences growing up in Nashville, Tenn., informed her film. Originally broadcast Nov. 14, 2017.
3 Harlem Renaissance Novels Deliver An Ingenious Take On Race
Book critic Maureen Corrigan has been reading some newly reprinted novels from the Harlem Renaissance. She says these novels about American racism hardly feel dated at all.