Capehart
394 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.3K ratingsOpinion writer Jonathan Capehart talks with newsmakers who challenge your ideas on politics, and explore how race, religion, age, gender and cultural identity are redrawing the lines that both divide and unite America. "Capehart" is a podcast from Washington Post Opinions, with conversations adapted from Washington Post Live events.
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Episodes
Best Of: Colin Jost on his journey to SNL and the power of comedy
April 11, 2024 20:00 - 23.4 MBLongtime SNL cast member Colin Jost will be hosting this year's White House correspondents’ dinner. We revisit a 2020 conversation with Jost about how he has used the power of the written word and comedy to get through life’s challenges and some of the poignant events that have shaped him. Conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 20, 2020.
Alex Edelman on ‘Just for Us’ and the state of Jewish comedy
April 04, 2024 11:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on April 3, comedian Alex Edelman talks about his HBO comedy special “Just for Us,” how it became “conversant with the times” in the aftermath of Oct. 7, the mechanics of his comedy and why he’s decided to stop doing the routine.
Adam Bry on the future of drones at home and in the battlefield
March 28, 2024 11:00 - 21.6 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 21, Skydio CEO Adam Bry talks about the prominence of China in the drone industry, why it threatens U.S. national security, and how the company’s drones are being used both in Ukraine and here in the United States.
Regina King on bringing groundbreaking lawmaker Shirley Chisholm to the big screen
March 21, 2024 20:59 - 29 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 22, actor Regina King breaks down her starring role as Shirley Chisholm in the new biopic, “Shirley,” talks about why the film took 15 years to make and explores the lawmaker’s enduring legacy.
Julio Torres on his surrealist take on the U.S. immigration system, ‘Problemista’
March 14, 2024 11:00 - 22 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 13, actor and comedian Julio Torres talks about his directorial debut, “Problemista,” which he also wrote and stars in, digs into how his own experience with the U.S. immigration system informs the film and explores the importance of the protagonist Alejandro being a fully fleshed character.
Rep. Ro Khanna on why he’s calling for a permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Gaza war
March 08, 2024 21:21In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March. 6, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) breaks down why he’s worried President Biden’s support for Israel is fraying the Democratic coalition, how Congress should investigate the administrations steady and quiet transfer of arms to Israel, how activists’ calls for a permanent cease-fire have affected White House messaging, and what he hopes to hear from the president’s State of the Union address.
Jeffrey Wright on ‘American Fiction,’ identity and ‘improving discourse’ regarding race in the U.S.
February 29, 2024 16:45 - 28.5 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 23, Oscar-nominated actor Jeffrey Wright discusses his latest film, "American Fiction," how the movie further explores themes of race and identity, how to have "better discourse" regarding race and the landscape for Black storytellers in Hollywood.
A’ja Wilson on inspiring the next generation with ‘Dear Black Girls’
February 22, 2024 14:44In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 15, two-time WNBA champion A’ja Wilson discusses her new book, “Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You,” as well as how her grandmother made her a dreamer, what brought her to basketball and why Black women and girls need to have “the talk” that’s associated with Black men and boys since the death of Trayvon Martin.”
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on the ‘catastrophe’ of U.S. immigration policy
February 15, 2024 16:22In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 14, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston talks about how the influx of migrants sent to his city has pushed it to “a breaking point,” what the impact of the bipartisan Senate immigration bill would have been and how former president Donald Trump is trying to keep the crisis going.
Post Opinions: The Disorienting Feeling of Being American Amid the Israel-Gaza War
February 08, 2024 14:47 - 19 MBAlmost four months since Hamas’ barbaric attacks, Israel’s bloody operation in Gaza is still ongoing, with civilian casualties mounting by the day. The war has dominated our news feeds and dinner table conversations, and opened up rifts that cross traditional partisan lines. Three of our columnists — Jason Rezaian, Alyssa Rosenberg and Shadi Hamid — got together to discuss if the war is changing how they think about America, its moral standing in the world and what it means to be an American....
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor on the journey from ‘Caste’ to ‘Origin’
February 02, 2024 21:00 - 30.5 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 2, actor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor digs into her new film “Origin," working with director Ava DuVernay, and how she prepared her portrayal of author Isabel Wilkerson writing the best-selling book, “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.”
Michele Norris shines light on ’Our Hidden Conversations’
January 25, 2024 12:00 - 36 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Jan. 19, Post columnist Michele L. Norris discusses her new book, “Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity,” how she got people to open up about such a fraught topic, and the difference between “race” and “racism.”
David Oyelowo on bringing the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River to life
January 18, 2024 15:00 - 29.1 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Jan. 10, actor David Oyewolo talks about his new series, “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” in which he plays the eponymous Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. Oyelowo also discusses what it was like to work with his wife in a part weighted with personal and historic significance, and why it was important for him to bring Reeves’s story to the screen.
Justin Pearson on continuing the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
January 11, 2024 22:00 - 25.9 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Jan. 11, Tennessee Rep. Justin J. Pearson discusses how the legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has impacted the rising generation of political leaders and why he thinks U.S. institutions are being degraded through partisan politics.
Best of: Colson Whitehead on ‘Crook Manifesto’ and his Harlem trilogy
December 28, 2023 12:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 20, Colson Whitehead discusses his new book, “Crook Manifesto,” how the novel fits into the Harlem trilogy, his process of grounding critiques of how we live into his writing, and what genres he plans to conquer next.
Best of: How Ruth E. Carter brings Black style to the big screen
December 21, 2023 12:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on June 22, two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter discusses her new book, “The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther,” dives deep on her creative process, and reflects on how her work has helped define Black style and culture.
Michelle Ebanks is forging the Apollo Theater’s next act
December 14, 2023 22:00 - 21.8 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Dec. 14, Michelle Ebanks, the president and CEO of the Apollo Theater, discusses the history of the legendary performing arts venue in the heart of Harlem, the building’s first expansion and renovation – and how two decades of leadership at Essence Communications have positioned her to lead the Apollo into its next chapter.
Adrienne Warren and Marissa Jo Cerar dig into ‘Black Cake’
December 07, 2023 12:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Dec. 6, actor Adrienne Warren and creator & showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar discuss their new series, “Black Cake,” and dig into the intergenerational, intersectional story of a Black American family learning the truth about their mother after her death. Warren and Cerar also touch on the importance of showing stories of Black and Brown people that are not about the civil rights movements, slavery or oppression, and why the story could onl...
Lily Gladstone and Erica Tremblay on their ‘love letter’ to Native communities
November 30, 2023 12:00 - 29.2 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Nov. 29, actor Lily Gladstone and writer-director Erica Tremblay discuss their new film, “Fancy Dance,” the importance of setting the story on a Seneca-Cayuga reservation, the themes of indifference and invisibility, and why, despite its great acclaim and reviews, no studio has bought the film.
Best of: Ned Blackhawk on ‘The Rediscovery of America’
November 23, 2023 12:00In this conversation first recorded for Washington Post Live on April 27, Yale University professor Ned Blackhawk discusses his book, “The Rediscovery of America: Natives Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History,” which recently won the National Book Award for nonfiction, and explores the foundational role Native Americans have played in U.S. history, including in the formulation of our country’s Constitution, and how their presence and contributions are frequently overlooked, or worse, erased.
The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop: ‘Somebody knows’
November 19, 2023 17:48Every 19th of October, Grenadians mark a somber anniversary: the 1983 execution of the country’s former prime minister and revolutionary leader, Maurice Bishop, and others who died alongside him. The people of this Caribbean nation still have no closure 40 years later. The remains of Bishop and his supporters were never returned to their family members and are missing to this day. In the first episode of “The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop,” The Washington Post’s Martine Powers takes us on ...
Tzipi Livni and Rula Jebreal share their perspectives on the Israel-Gaza war
November 14, 2023 21:56In these Washington Post Live conversations from Nov. 14, former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni and award-winning Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal discuss the Israel-Gaza war from their respective vantages, plus the next steps for the conflict.
Rob Rubba on charting Oyster Oyster’s sustainable path
November 09, 2023 12:00In this Washington Post Live conversation from Nov. 8, Rob Rubba — winner of the 2023 James Beard Award for outstanding chef — discusses his Michelin-starred restaurant Oyster Oyster, why he sees it as a “stepping-stone” for restaurants of the future and how sustainability is worked into everything from the food in the kitchen to the plate on the table.
Rep. Goldman on his first term in the House, and being in Israel on Oct. 7
November 03, 2023 12:50In this Washington Post Live conversation from Oct. 31, Rep. Daniel S. Goldman (D-N.Y.) discusses how he and his family sheltered in a Tel Aviv hotel during Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel, his support for Israel’s right to defend itself and his thoughts on new House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Jada Pinkett Smith corrects the record
October 19, 2023 11:00 - 28.4 MBIn this Washington Post Live conversation from Oct. 16, actress and author Jada Pinkett Smith discusses her new memoir, “Worthy,” growing up in Baltimore, her misunderstood relationship with Tupac Shakur, and corrects the record about her marriage with Will Smith.
Raoul Peck turns his lens on the land dispossession of Black owners
October 12, 2023 20:01In this Washington Post Live conversation from Oct. 4, filmmaker Raoul Peck discusses his new documentary, “Silver Dollar Road,” which explores the history of land dispossession of Black homeowners through the story of the Reels family, and explains what drew him to their fight to save their home.
Drew Gilpin Faust on her mid-century path to civil rights activism
October 05, 2023 11:00 - 28 MBIn this Washington Post Live conversation from Sept. 20, Drew Gilpin Faust, a historian and the first female president of Harvard University, discusses her new book, “Necessary Trouble: Growing Up Midcentury,” which chronicles her path toward civil rights activism, and puts her scholarship on the Civil War into greater context.
Samantha Power on climate change’s disproportionate impact on women
September 28, 2023 11:00In this Washington Post Live conversation from Sept. 18, USAID administrator Samantha Power discusses the ways women are leading the charge in combating our changing climate, why they are disproportionately impacted, and USAID’s efforts to help communities mitigate and adapt to the climate change.
Michele Norris on the importance of ‘Your Mama’s Kitchen’
September 14, 2023 11:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Sept. 6, Post columnist Michele Norris discusses her new podcast, “Your Mama’s Kitchen,” where she talks with guests about the importance of their mom’s kitchen in the life of their home and family, and how childhood food memories shape us.
Best of: Mark Whitaker on 1966 – the year Black Power challenged the civil rights movement
September 07, 2023 11:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 8, former Newsweek editor Mark Whitaker discusses his new book, “Saying It Loud: 1966 – The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement,” how the year transformed the way in which Black Americans viewed their lives and lessons for activists organizing today.
Best of: Chasten Buttigieg has something to say about coming out and acceptance
August 31, 2023 11:00In this Washington Post Live conversation from May 10, Chasten Buttigieg discusses the new edition of his memoir, “I Have Something to Tell You,” which he rewrote for young adults, why he thinks the far right is going after LGBTQ Americans and what he hopes for his two children when they are old enough to read his book.
Best of: Maya Moore Irons and Jonathan Irons on ‘Love & Justice’
August 24, 2023 11:00In this conversation first recorded for Washington Post Live on Jan. 19, Maya Moore Irons and Jonathan Irons discuss their new book, “Love & Justice: A Story of Triumph on Two Different Courts,” their journey to get him released from prison after a wrongful conviction and their view on reforms to the criminal justice system.
Pete Berg on the Sackler family and his new series, ‘Painkiller’
August 17, 2023 20:21In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Aug. 11, director Pete Berg talks about his new limited series, “Painkiller,” which details the efforts by the Sackler family to aggressively profit from OxyContin by expanding the availability and marketing of the prescription opioid.
Alicia Roth Weigel on new documentary about intersex community
August 11, 2023 00:13 - 27.3 MBIn this conversation recorded on July 19 for Washington Post Live, Alicia Roth Weigel, an activist profiled in “Every Body," a new documentary exploring the lives of intersex people who are born with a combination of male and female biological traits, joins The Post’s Jonathan Capehart for a conversation about the intersex community, gender identity and the state of LGBTQIA+ rights in the country.
Paul Ortiz on Florida’s efforts to curtail the teaching of Black history
August 03, 2023 11:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Aug. 2, University of Florida professor of history Paul Ortiz discusses the state’s efforts to curtail the teaching of African American history, including new curriculum standards to teach how enslaved people benefited from skills gained during slavery.
Christine Emba and Richard Reeves explore masculinity and modern men
July 27, 2023 11:00 - 30.2 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 12, Washington Post opinion writer Christine Emba and Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, discuss Emba’s essay, “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness,” how to address issues facing the modern American male and why the phrase “toxic masculinity” is a problem.
Colson Whitehead on ‘Crook Manifesto’ and his Harlem trilogy
July 20, 2023 20:13In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 20, Colson Whitehead discusses his new book, “Crook Manifesto,” how the novel fits into the Harlem trilogy, his writing process and what genres he plans to conquer next.
Lisa Jackson on Apple’s response to the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision
July 13, 2023 11:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 12, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, discusses the company’s ongoing efforts around equity and justice as well as its response to the Supreme Court’s curtailing of affirmative action in higher education.
How Ruth E. Carter brings Black style to the big screen
July 06, 2023 11:00 - 26.8 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on June 22, two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter discusses her new book, “The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther,” dives deep on her creative process, and reflects on how her work has helped define Black style and culture.
Assistant HHS Secretary Rachel Levine on disparate health outcomes in Black and Brown communities
June 29, 2023 20:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on June 29, Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for Health at the Department of health and Human Services, discusses the interlocking issues that lead to disparate health outcomes in Black and Brown communities and gives her thoughts on the rash of anti-LGBTQI+ bills popping up around the country.
Gov. Roy Cooper on fighting for abortion rights in North Carolina
June 22, 2023 11:00In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on June 15, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) talks about his fierce opposition to the his state’s recently passed 12-week abortion ban, contending with the Republican supermajority in the state legislature, Donald Trump’s second indictment and why he thinks President Biden can “absolutely” win North Carolina in 2024.
Best of: Demetre Daskalakis on the quest for an HIV vaccine
June 15, 2023 11:00In this Pride encore presentation of Capehart recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 22, Demetre Daskalakis, a career HIV specialist and advocate currently serving as the deputy coordinator for the White House National Mpox Response, discusses the search for an HIV vaccine, the role stigma plays in viruses propagating and whether eradicating HIV is possible in the near future.
Carlos Simon on composing music to honor George Floyd’s life
June 08, 2023 11:30In this Washington Post Live conversation recorded on May 17, composer Carlos Simon digs into his new work inspired by George Floyd’s life, “brea(d)th,” discusses the process of composing the work with librettist Marc Bamuthi Joseph and how it reflects the promise of an equitable future in America.
Keith Ellison reflects on the third anniversary of George Floyd’s murder
June 01, 2023 11:30In this Washington Post Live conversation, first recorded on May 24, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison talks about the third anniversary of George Floyd's murder, his role in holding former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin accountable, how Floyd’s death fits into a horrific pattern of violence in American life, and his new book, “Break The Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence.”
White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice’s exit interview
May 25, 2023 11:30 - 26.4 MBIn this Washington Post Live conversation first recorded on May 24, Susan Rice, the only person to serve as both national security adviser and domestic policy adviser in the White House, talks about her decision to leave her role, how her work in national security helped her in domestic policy as well as her greatest accomplishments and regrets.
Oscar Munoz’s ‘quintessentially American’ story - that started in Mexico
May 18, 2023 13:02In this Washington Post Live conversation from May 10, Oscar Munoz, the executive chairman of United Airlines, talks about his new memoir, “Turnaround Time,” in which he reveals that he was undocumented when he first came to the United States and recounts his journey to the c-suite of one of the country’s top four airlines.
Chasten Buttigieg has something to say about coming out and acceptance
May 11, 2023 14:33In this Washington Post Live conversation from May 10, Chasten Buttigieg discusses the new edition of his memoir, “I Have Something to Tell You,” which he rewrote for young adults, why he thinks the far right is going after LGBTQ Americans and what he hopes for his two children when they are old enough to read his book.
Kristina Ishmael on digital barriers to equitable education
May 04, 2023 21:15 - 19.1 MBIn this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on April 28, Kristina Ishmael, deputy director of the Education Department’s Office of Educational Technology, discusses the barriers to closing the digital divide, the importance of reliable internet access in providing equitable education and the obstacles to distributing financial assistance where it’s needed most.
Ned Blackhawk on ‘The Rediscovery of America’
April 27, 2023 20:31 - 27 MBIn this conversation first recorded for Washington Post Live on April 27, Yale University professor Ned Blackhawk discusses his new book, “The Rediscovery of America: Natives Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History,” which explores the foundational role Native Americans have played in U.S. history, including in the formulation of our country’s Constitution, and how their presence and contributions are frequently overlooked, or worse, erased.
Joan Biskupic on the rise of the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority
April 20, 2023 11:00 - 26.9 MBIn this conversation first recorded for Washington Post Live on April 17, CNN senior Supreme Court analyst Joan Biskupic discusses her new book, “Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court’s Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences,” which explores the rise of the court’s 6-3 conservative supermajority, the role of the Federalist Society in shaping it, and the complicated roles of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh.