The Ryles Report

The Ryles Report
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You’re hearing all these buzzwords in the news and on social media. And if you don’t understand the historical context then you won’t understand what is happening today in the world around us. Well no worries because you’re now listening to the Ryles Report. This is our chance to sit down and connect the dots between history and the world we live in today. My name is Richard Ryles and as an attorney and community leader, I blend candid conversations with historians, artists, educators, and changemakers. Together, we explore how the past shapes the issues, culture, and people we care about most.Love, Life, and Politics.So follow along wherever you get to your podcast. 

  1. 5h ago

    Ep. 221: White America Is Gaslighting Black America

    They say America has outgrown racism. That we are living in a “post-racial” society. I don’t believe that. I believe there is something much deeper we have refused to confront about racism in this country. Something that history keeps revealing, generation after generation. And I believe we’ve spent far too much time asking Black people to explain a problem we did not create and cannot fix for somebody else. In this episode, I want to turn the question around. Maybe it’s time for White America to look in the mirror.

  2. 4d ago

    Ep. 220: The Cost of a Disconnected Black Community

    Black America does not have a shortage of talented people. We have professionals, business owners, educators, organizers, voters, leaders and people with access. The problem is what happens when everybody moves for themselves. In this episode of The Ryles Report, Richard Ryles breaks down how a community becomes disconnected — from the way generations communicate with each other, to political leadership, voting, economics, education and what happens when individual success stops benefiting the people around us. He looks at what history can teach us through Rosewood, Tulsa, Wilmington, Ocoee and Mound Bayou; why Black political organization continues to fall short; why information and opportunity have to be brought back into the community; and what the Black Panther Party understood about organizing people around the problems they actually live with every day. The point is not simply to talk about what Black communities once had. It is to understand what functioning community requires now: shared knowledge, respected leadership, strong institutions, communication, service and organization. Individual success is not the same thing as community progress.

  3. Aug 21

    Ep. 219: What should Black people fight for today?

    In this episode of The Ryles Report, Richard Ryles sits down with Dedrick Straghn for a direct conversation about Black political power, economic power, education, integration, ownership, media, and what the Black community is willing to build for itself. They challenge the idea that voting alone is enough, question what integration actually gave us, and examine whether Black communities have become too dependent on political leadership to define the fight. The conversation also revisits the Clark Doll Test, where Black children associated positive traits with white dolls and negative traits with Black dolls, raising a larger question that still matters today: who is teaching Black children how to see themselves?   This episode gets into: Black political leadership and accountabilityWhat a real Black agenda should look likeIntegration vs. desegregationBlack ownership and economic powerMedia, propaganda, and identityThe Clark Doll Test and Black childrenSupporting Black institutionsBuilding power instead of waiting for someone else to provide itWhat Black people should actually be fighting for today We have the power. The question is what we’re going to do with it. Subscribe to The Ryles Report for conversations about Black history, politics, culture, law, economics, and the issues shaping our communities today.

  4. Aug 17

    Ep. 218: What Black Americans Should Understand About Power

    There are some lessons our elders already understood that we are being forced to learn all over again. Who really has power? Who benefits when we stay divided? And when someone tells you who deserves your vote, your trust or your support, how do you know whose interests they are really serving? In this episode of The Ryles Report, I’m talking about political endorsements, corporate influence, the growing divide between generations, what history leaves out about our ancestors, and why understanding the past may be one of the best ways to understand the game being played today. A mouth will say anything. Pay attention to what people actually do.

  5. Aug 14

    Ep. 217: Our Schools Are Failing Black Children

    Our schools are failing Black children. But who is actually being held accountable? Students are tested. Teachers are evaluated. Schools are graded. Yet year after year, many of the same achievement gaps remain. In this episode of The Ryles Report, I sit down with longtime educator and former superintendent Dr. Anthony Hamlet for a conversation about what happens when we stop looking only at the children and start examining the adults, leadership, school boards, and systems responsible for their education. We talk about third-grade literacy, the achievement gap facing Black students, accountability at the highest levels of public education, the role parents play, and Hamlet’s argument that “student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change.” We also discuss the enormous financial and political interests surrounding public education, and whether the priorities of business, government, parents, and students are always aligned. But this conversation isn’t only about what’s broken. Dr. Hamlet shares what happened when African American male graduation rates increased from 58% to 72% under his leadership—and why he believes different leadership practices can produce different outcomes. If the children keep getting measured, maybe it’s time we start asking harder questions about the people making the decisions.

  6. Aug 7

    EP. 216 – Black America Lost More Than We Admit

    In this episode of The Ryles Report, I’m asking some uncomfortable questions about integration, Black education, family legacy, generational wealth, politics, music, leadership, and the culture we’re leaving behind. I also share parts of my own family’s history—including an ancestor who bought himself out of slavery, a grandfather whose accomplishments I almost never learned about, and 500 acres of land that taught me an important lesson about what one generation is supposed to leave the next. Some of my opinions in this episode will probably make people mad. That’s fine. Because if Black America is serious about where we’re going, we also have to be willing to examine what we’ve lost, what we’ve stopped protecting, and what we may be doing to ourselves.

  7. Jul 31

    Ep. 215 – The Biggest Lie America Ever Told Black People

    For generations, Black Americans have been told a story about America. But what if the story we’ve been taught doesn’t match the history that actually happened?In this episode of The Ryles Report, I examine propaganda, racism, media narratives, education, the legal system, and how history continues to shape the Black experience in America. From Bacon’s Rebellion and the construction of race to modern news coverage, jury selection, and America’s institutions, this conversation challenges listeners to question what they’ve always been told.Whether you agree or disagree, the goal is simple: think critically, ask better questions, and pursue the truth.

  8. Jul 24

    EP: 214: The Hidden System Imprisoning Black Communities

    Why do so many of the same challenges continue to affect Black communities generation after generation? Is it simply personal responsibility, or are there larger historical systems still shaping the present? In this episode of The Ryles Report, Attorney Richard Ryles examines how history, education, economics, politics, and community leadership continue to influence opportunities and outcomes in Black communities today. Drawing from his own life experiences and historical examples, he explores how long-standing institutions and decisions continue to impact generations. This conversation covers: • Growing up during segregation and desegregation • The lasting effects of systemic inequality • Why Black history is often minimized in education • Rosewood, Tulsa, and the destruction of thriving Black communities • Economic opportunity and generational wealth • Community leadership and political accountability • Family, faith, and rebuilding stronger communities • Why understanding history matters today Whether you agree with every perspective or not, this episode is intended to encourage thoughtful discussion, deeper research, and meaningful conversations about history, leadership, and the future of Black communities. If you found value in this discussion, like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who is passionate about history, community, and understanding the forces that continue to shape our society.

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About

You’re hearing all these buzzwords in the news and on social media. And if you don’t understand the historical context then you won’t understand what is happening today in the world around us. Well no worries because you’re now listening to the Ryles Report. This is our chance to sit down and connect the dots between history and the world we live in today. My name is Richard Ryles and as an attorney and community leader, I blend candid conversations with historians, artists, educators, and changemakers. Together, we explore how the past shapes the issues, culture, and people we care about most.Love, Life, and Politics.So follow along wherever you get to your podcast. 

Information

  • Creator
    The Ryles Report
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Clean

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