Commentary

We've all been there — confronted with something shy of overt racism, but charged enough to make us uncomfortable. So what do you do?

National

Hear Something, Say Something: Navigating The World Of Racial Awkwardness

10:42am September 28, 2016

by NPR Staff

What do you do when a friend or loved one talks about race in a way that makes you cringe? Karen Good Marable, Aaron Sanchez, Robyn Henderson-Espinoza and Channing Kennedy tell us how they reacted.

Sports

'Deflategate' As Seen Through The Prism Of Broadway's 'Hamilton'

6:13am September 28, 2016

What do NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, deflated footballs, QB Tom Brady and a hit Broadway musical have in common? Commentator Pablo Torre, a senior writer with ESPN The Magazine, has the answer.

National

Barbershop: Police Shootings And Race Relations

5:40pm September 24, 2016

In the barbershop, contributors comment on the news making the rounds this week: Ron Christie, Arun Venugopal and Jolene Ivey, former representative of the Maryland House of Delegates, join the panel.

Education

For Students In Tulsa, Pain Frames Conversation About Crutcher

8:59am September 24, 2016

by Scott Simon

Rebecca Lee teaches in Tulsa. Lee has been talking with students about their feelings after Terence Crutcher, whose daughter attends her school, was shot to death. She shared them publicly online.

Schrafft's was a chain of restaurants, with a candy store attached, that catered to ladies who lunch. To NPR's Lynn Neary, who used to waitress there, Schrafft's "always felt like the epicenter of the comfort zone."

While Everyone Was Partying At Woodstock, I Was Stuck At Schrafft's

8:51am September 24, 2016

by Lynn Neary

The chain restaurant that catered to women helped redefine how Americans eat, according to a new book. For NPR's Lynn Neary, it also defined how she did and didn't fit with the counterculture.

Week In Politics: Police Shootings, Upcoming Presidential Debate

4:43pm September 23, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with our regular political commentators David Brooks of The New York Times and E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution. They discuss reaction to the police shooting in Charlotte, N.C., and look ahead to the presidential debate next week.

Megan Rapinoe kneels during the national anthem before the match between the United States and the Netherlands at the Georgia Dome on Sept. 18.

Sports

Player Protests: When Athletes Stand Up (Or Kneel) For Social Justice Issues

11:43am September 21, 2016

by Christine Brennan

We're seeing something we did not witness a decade or two ago: Sports as a vehicle not just for making money, but for social change.

Queue Listen Now

The hulking, shuttered Eastern State Penitentiary, a short walking distance from Philadelphia's downtown, was in many ways the first modern American prison. Almost from its opening in the early 19th century, there were people calling for it, and prisons l

Imagining A World Without Prisons For Communities Defined By Them

8:17pm September 20, 2016

by Gene Demby

The activist Marc Lamont Hill argues that America needs to end its prison system. With crime at all-time lows, he might sway people of color who've long called for harsher punishment for lawbreakers.

Last Thursday, Donald Trump stated he believes President Obama was born in the United States after years of questioning his place of birth.

With Donald Trump's Birther Spin, He's Crossed A Line

9:27am September 20, 2016

by Ron Elving

Donald Trump has found it possible not only to circumvent the media and defy them, but to exploit their power and discredit their judgment at the same time.

Lupita Nyong'o in her Nigerian-style head tie.

Health & Safety

Lupita Nyong'o, Who Designed Your Nigerian-Style Head Tie?

6:02pm September 18, 2016

by Amma Ogan

The Oscar-winner got raves for the outfit she wore this past week. The gown was by Carolina Herrera. And the head tie? Pure Nigeria.