The Compass
BBC World Service
Categories: Society & Culture
Listen to the last episode:
How are black Americans represented and what does it mean to be black in America today? Rajini Vaidyanathan discusses with those involved in politics, culture and activism.
Travelling widely across the country she hears from families in Atlanta, activists in Missouri and academics in New York City. She speaks to the artist Kehinde Wiley about his subversive attempts to literally paint power differently; to the poet Tracy K. Smith about the vital role stories can play in encouraging empathy and hears from the civil rights icon John Lewis why he is using comic books to tell his story.
Rajini discusses what is taught in schools, what is shown on TV, and how the reality of being black in America means new black migrants to the United States are increasingly retaining their immigrant identity to avoid being considered ‘African American’. She discusses the next generation of leadership, who can authentically lead the Black Lives Matter movement, and attends a remarkable convention in Baltimore encouraging Americans to have ‘courageous conversations about race.’
Image: Eyshana Webster (L) and other students from John McDonogh Senior High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Previous episodes
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334 - America in Black and White: Looking Ahead Mon, 25 Jan 2016
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333 - America in Black and White: Segregation Thu, 14 Jan 2016
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332 - America in Black and White: Economic Opportunity Thu, 14 Jan 2016
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331 - America in Black and White: Criminal Justice Thu, 07 Jan 2016
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330 - Local Warming: California Thu, 03 Dec 2015
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329 - Local Warming: The Philippines Thu, 26 Nov 2015
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328 - Local Warming: Nigeria Thu, 19 Nov 2015
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327 - Waithood: Could Delaying Adulthood be a Good Thing? Thu, 12 Nov 2015
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326 - Waithood: Trying to Grow Up in Italy and Spain Thu, 05 Nov 2015
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325 - Waithood: The Passage to Adulthood in Ghana Thu, 29 Oct 2015
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324 - My Perfect Country: Green Energy in Costa Rica Thu, 11 Feb 2016
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323 - My Perfect Country: Estonia's Digital Society Thu, 04 Feb 2016
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322 - The sacred song of war Wed, 08 Mar 2023
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321 - Catherine the Great and the question of Europe Wed, 01 Mar 2023
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320 - The Invention of Russia: The empire strikes back Wed, 22 Feb 2023
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319 - The invention of Russia: A tale of two Ivans Wed, 15 Feb 2023
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318 - Sounds of the city: Tel Aviv Wed, 11 Jan 2023
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317 - Sounds of the city: Los Angeles Wed, 04 Jan 2023
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316 - Bhopal: Part one Wed, 21 Dec 2022
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315 - How to be a former president: Part three Wed, 14 Dec 2022
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314 - How to be a former president: Part two Wed, 07 Dec 2022
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313 - How to be a former president: Part one Wed, 30 Nov 2022
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312 - Stories from the New Silk Road: Mexico Wed, 23 Nov 2022
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311 - Stories from the New Silk Road: Jamaica Wed, 16 Nov 2022
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310 - Stories from the New Silk Road: Panama Wed, 09 Nov 2022
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309 - Stories from the New Silk Road: Ecuador Wed, 02 Nov 2022
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308 - On the Border: Narva Wed, 26 Oct 2022
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307 - On the Border: Kinshasa and Brazzaville Wed, 19 Oct 2022
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306 - On the Border: Niagara Falls Wed, 12 Oct 2022
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305 - On the Border: Maastricht Wed, 05 Oct 2022
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304 - Life in soil: Tasting the earth in France Wed, 28 Sep 2022
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303 - LIfe in soil: The death of soil Wed, 21 Sep 2022
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302 - Life in soil: The psychology of soil in California Wed, 14 Sep 2022
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301 - Green energy: Finance Wed, 31 Aug 2022
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300 - Green energy: Iceland Wed, 24 Aug 2022
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299 - Green energy: Renewables Wed, 17 Aug 2022
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298 - Green energy: Transport Wed, 10 Aug 2022
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297 - The reclaimers: The games people play Wed, 03 Aug 2022
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296 - The reclaimers: Into the valley Wed, 27 Jul 2022
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295 - The reclaimers: Return to Zambia Wed, 20 Jul 2022
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294 - The reclaimers: Bronzes and Birmingham Wed, 13 Jul 2022
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293 - Walking the Iron Curtain: Booming Balkans Wed, 29 Jun 2022
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292 - Walking the Iron Curtain: Wild lands reunited Wed, 22 Jun 2022
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291 - Life on the line Wed, 15 Jun 2022
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290 - Saving Asia’s water towers Wed, 08 Jun 2022
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289 - High lives Wed, 01 Jun 2022
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288 - Money, money, money: Power Wed, 25 May 2022
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287 - Money, money, money: Psychology Wed, 18 May 2022
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286 - Money, money, money: Value Wed, 11 May 2022
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285 - Money, money, money: Trust Wed, 04 May 2022