Mona Charen discusses the true meaning of conservative and the radical shift in the GOP. Then, a listener mailbag begs us to explore how "normal people" became part of the Jan 6. attack.

A conversation with historian Dr. Carol Anderson about how Black Americans have fought for their right to participate in the democratic process safely and make their votes count.

Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Lewis makes a case for the radical potential of love in our MLK Weekend show. Then, meet one of the 40 students who are on a hunger strike for voting rights.

NYT columnist Thomas Edsall helps tackle that question, as callers tell us how anxious they are about the state of our democracy. Then, is the right better at the internet than the left?

Playwright Lynn Nottage breaks down her remarkable career and shares how, as an optimist at heart, she finds the light and resilience in unexpected stories.

Composer Jason Moran takes us on a musical journey back to 1918, when a group of Black soldiers reinvented American music.

Do you need a revival? On the longest night of the year, join us to celebrate Yalda, a poetic Persian tradition. Then, a conversation about those we’ve lost with artist Gregory Porter.

Three men — White, Black, and Asian — discuss the nuances of identity that divide this country. A bonus episode, introducing a podcast we love.

A.O. Scott, co-chief film critic of the New York Times, helps us review the year in culture. What can we learn about our struggling effort to live together from this year’s art?