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Rooted

Rooted

By: GBH News
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About this listen

Paris Alston hosts this weekly series that serves up Black intellect, culture and joy. Rooted covers Black news and culture from down the block to around the diaspora. In a global news cycle that’s always cooking up new headlines, Rooted brings you the recipes you don’t want to lose: the stories, the voices, the dialogue that keep us connected. Tell us what you think and what you’d like to hear on future episodes at Rooted@wgbh.org.

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©2018 WGBH Educational Foundation Social Sciences
Episodes
  • What the capture of Maduro reveals about U.S. fear of Black sovereignty

    What the capture of Maduro reveals about U.S. fear of Black sovereignty
    Apr 15 2026

    Four months after the capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, debates over corruption and authoritarianism have dominated headlines. On Rooted, scholars Dr. Layla Brown, Dr. Tony Van Der Meer, and Yvette Modestin look deeper examining the Bolivarian Movement’s roots, its central relationship to Afro‑Venezuelan identity, and the long U.S. tradition of intervening when Black‑led movements reshape power across Latin America.

    Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/britebound

    Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel: •GBH News Rooted

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    Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT
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    27 mins
  • Why does America celebrate Black music 50 years late?

    Why does America celebrate Black music 50 years late?
    Apr 8 2026

    In this episode of Rooted, we ask what it really means to make jazz now. From Boston jazz clubs and basement jam sessions to TikTok lives and global stages, Grammy-nominated saxophonist Godwin Louis breaks down how jazz continues to evolve across generations, cultures, and continents.

    We explore jazz’s deep roots in Black American history, its ties to the African diaspora, and why America so often waits decades to celebrate Black innovation. If jazz was born from resistance, community, and improvisation—what does that look like in 2026?

    Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/britebound

    Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel: •GBH News Rooted

    Follow Rooted on Instagram

    Listen to Rooted on Spotify

    Follow Rooted on Threads

    Follow Rooted on TikTok

    Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter


    Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Why are Black women in reality TV held to a higher standard of accountability?

    Why are Black women in reality TV held to a higher standard of accountability?
    Apr 1 2026

    Rooted digs into reality TV accountability, revisiting America’s Next Top Model through a critical lens that centers Black women and power. Our panel unpacks the now‑iconic “We were all rooting for you!” moment, how a new documentary reframes Tyra Banks and the early‑2000s modeling industry, and what accountability looks like when those traditionally marginalized are positioned as gatekeepers.

    Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel: •GBH News Rooted

    Follow Rooted on Instagram

    Listen to Rooted on Spotify

    Follow Rooted on Threads

    Follow Rooted on TikTok

    Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter

    Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
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