There's something so human about live theatre. Real people are telling a story in a shared space, while you share space with other people watching. It’s intimate. For playwright Gabriel Diego Hernández, it’s also a way to tell truths about, and poke fun at, race in the United States.

His play “Quarter Rican” explores his worldview as a mixed-race Puerto Rican man and father. In this episode, we talk about the power of the stage to be its own brand of protest, which includes talking about representation. And since our host is a playwright too, they had a lot to say about how we tell stories on stage to make bigger points about the world we live in.

Learn more about New Jersey hip hop artist, actor, poet, educator, and playwright Gabriel Diego Hernández on Instagram: @gabriel_diego_hernandez

This season of Race Unwrapped is supported by the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, and by our listeners. Click here to help make this work possible!

There’s nothing like the right combination of music and lyrics to crystalize a moment... or a movement. It’s why we’re asking every guest this season their favorite protest songs: everyone has an answer to that question, because we all instinctively understand music’s power. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Chelsey Green, musician, educator, and the first Black woman to chair the Board of Trustees for The Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards. She helps us unwrap why music, and representation in music, is such a big part of the quest for justice.

Learn more about Dr. Chelsey Green’s work at chelseygreen.com.

And if our conversation inspires you, let us know what your favorite protest song is at raceunwrapped@lpm.org. We’re making a playlist, and it’s already gooood, y’all.

This season of Race Unwrapped is supported by the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, and by our listeners. Click here to help make this work possible!

Most people know her as a political juggernaut. She’s a former minority leader of the Georgia state House, whose coalition building in that state became a blueprint for campaigns across the country. But Stacey Abrams is also a New York Times bestselling author, and NOT just of political nonfiction. Her series of legal thrillers follows protagonist Avery Keene through the inner workings of the U.S. Supreme Court and beyond. And while you’re turning the pages well into the night, you may also start thinking in new ways about democracy and justice. Abrams joins host Michelle Tyrene Johnson to kick off our fifth season, which is all about art as protest.

Learn more about Stacey Abrams’ work at staceyabrams.com

This season of Race Unwrapped is supported by the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, and by our listeners. Click here to help make this work possible!