Congresswoman Lateefah Simon on Doing the Work

Kristen Kish on Uplifting Community By Being Yourself

Kamau sits down with chef-turned-host Kristen Kish to talk about her stepping up as host of Top Chef after the departure of Padma Lakshmi, being kind, outrage over Netflix's Roast of Kevin Hart, and being a transracial adoptee. Kamau starts by giving Kristen her flowers for being a true natural on camera and the shoes she had to fill as a relative newcomer to television. They talk about the surprisingly big cultural gap between Generation X and Elder Millennials. Kamau recounts his time as a guest judge on Top Chef during a particularly sauce-heavy episode. The conversation turns to comedy vs. cooking, leading to a discussion of the broader cultural impact of the racist jokes at the Roast of Kevin Hart. Finally, Kristen discusses her experience of having white adoptive parents who supported her cultural background and made her feel seen and accepted. Donate to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation at emeril.org and City Harvest at cityharvest.org    Chapters: 00:00:00 Kristen Gets Coffee and Her Flowers 00:10:14 The Generational Divide 00:18:00 Why are you so Good on TV? 00:27:07 Kamau on Top Chef 00:36:00 Cooking Is Science, Comedy Is Math, The Kevin Hart Roast 00:55:30 Comedians Doing Damage to Society 01:00:48 Shouting Out Causes 01:03:47 Being a Transracial Adoptee   Who's With Me is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Music by Chris Dowd. Part of the Pushkin Network. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Ted Danson on Comedy with a Conscience

Kamau Bell and Ted Danson discuss Ted’s long, storied career, starting with his breakout role as Sam Malone in the legendary sitcom Cheers. They discuss activism, Jane Fonda, Ted’s podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name, and dive deep on the 1993 Friars Club Roast of Whoopi Goldberg.  Kamau opens by praising Cheers, a show that was a huge comedic influence on him. They talk about how Ted’s innate goodness counterbalanced Sam’s sleazy ways, making the character palatable to mass audiences.  They talk about Ted’s remarkably long career, which he attributes to good writers, and his recent work with showrunner Mike Schur.  Ted and Kamau talk about activism and questioning if you’re doing enough to make a change in the world. Ted has been an advocate for saving our oceans for over 35 years and an outspoken advocate of progressive politics, but he still compares himself to his activist peers like Jane Fonda and wonders if he is doing enough. Kamau gives Ted his flowers for demonstrating how a White person can apologize, and the conversation takes a serious turn as they discuss his infamous Friars Club Roast of Whoopi Goldberg, in which he appeared on stage in blackface. Ted is and always has been deeply regretful and embarrassed by the incident, and is grateful for the opportunity to clear the air. He discusses his thinking leading up to that night, the immediate aftermath, and his work to right the wrong. They wrap up the conversation by talking about Ted’s favorite roles that he thinks haven't gotten enough attention. Donate to support formerly incarcerated individuals as they reintegrate into society at PathwaytoKinship.org [https://pathwaytokinship.org/], and help fight for our oceans at Oceana.org [https://oceana.org/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Congresswoman Lateefah Simon on Doing the Work

W. Kamau Bell sits down with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, a lifelong organizer and public servant representing California’s 12th District, which includes Oakland, Berkeley, and several neighboring cities. Lateefah traces her journey from growing up in the Bay Area and organizing as a teenager working with young women on the streets, and eventually winning a seat in Congress without ever abandoning the politics and “fire” she started with. She talks about being a Muslim and how her faith grounds her commitment to welcoming neighbors, feeding hungry children, and fighting for single-payer healthcare and LGBTQ+ rights. The conversation dives into what it means to represent a district that spans deep poverty and intense wealth, from West Oakland to Piedmont, and why she believes every kid in West Oakland deserves the same schools, childcare, and opportunities that affluent cities provide. Lateefah explains why she calls Trump-era small business policies “racist” rather than just “unfair,” connects today’s attacks on immigrants and voting rights to a long history of excluding Black, Latino, and Asian communities from GI Bill benefits and SBA loans, and lays out why she refuses to let polling dictate her moral compass. They confront the “Trump Court” head-on, unpacking the gutting of the Voting Rights Act, the rollback of abortion rights, and why Lateefah believes the Supreme Court needs structural reform, including expansion and real accountability rather than lifetime, consequence-free appointments. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Delroy Lindo on The Continuum of Black Creativity

Kamau Bell and Delroy Lindo discuss themes of clarity, grace, Black artistic lineage, community, parenting, and place (especially Oakland), framed by Lindo’s long career and his recent awards campaign for the film Sinners. Kamau opens by “giving flowers,” describing Lindo’s career through the words “clarity” and “grace.” Lindo accepts these as fitting, explaining that he strives for clarity in his choices and communication, and sees grace, both extending and receiving it, as critical, especially in contemporary America. Kamau traces his first impression of Lindo back to Malcolm X, where Lindo’s performance as West Indian Archie convinced him that the actor’s clarity and grace were not just acting but an expression of who he is. Lindo responds by correcting a common misconception about a supposed “gap” in his career, clarifying that he spent roughly a decade as a New York theater actor before Malcolm X became the springboard for his film career. They discuss the great Denzel Washington; Lindo expresses his appreciation for Denzel, both with regard to his breadth of work and their personal relationship. Kamau, speaking as a fan, describes how Black audiences came to Malcolm X for Denzel but quickly recognized Lindo as a force: first as the cool, dangerous Harlem figure and later as the frail, broken Archie, concluding that Lindo’s range made him “capable of anything” and cemented him as “our guy.” They discuss Lindo’s range through the character Rodney Little in Clockers. Lindo explains that Rodney is nothing like him on the surface, and he had to stretch and challenge himself to make the character believable, which he’s proud of. Kamau and Lindo discuss why they chose Oakland over New York or Los Angeles, and they wrap up the conversation by getting into the recent controversy at the BAFTA awards. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Who's With Me? with W. Kamau Bell | Trailer

Male comedian-led podcasts need a savior, and W. Kamau Bell is the man for the job. Instead of hosting a podcast that turns young boys into assholes, fans the flames of fascism, plays footsie with war criminals, and lies more often than it tells the truth, Kamau is going to do something different with his new podcast Who’s With Me?  Over his multifaceted career, W. Kamau Bell is known for having conversations about the issues that divide, enrage, and confuse us. Filling these conversations with humor, heart, and intellect, Kamau has shown us that a simple conversation can spark change, not only for the participants but also for the audience. Kamau is bringing all that and more to his new weekly podcast, Who’s With Me?  Inspired by Kamau’s popular Substack newsletter of the same name, Who’s With Me? is more than just a simple question. It is an invitation to connect, a call to action, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder in these increasingly hectic times. Every episode, Kamau will sit down with someone he admires deeply to give them their flowers, ask his most burning questions, and invite his guest to give him and his audience homework on how to make the world a better place.  So… who’s with Kamau? New episodes every Wednesday, starting May 27th. Subscribe now on Youtube, Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-with-me-with-w-kamau-bell/id1896571384], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/033f2OO2A0rFdAyRl5jLg5?si=36e9b86724e24571], or wherever you get podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.