Rooted

GBH News

Paris Alston hosts this weekly series that serves up Black intellect, culture and joy.  Rooted covers Black news and culture from down the block to around the diaspora. In a global news cycle that’s always cooking up new headlines, Rooted brings you the recipes you don’t want to lose: the stories, the voices, the dialogue that keep us connected. Tell us what you think and what you’d like to hear on future episodes at Rooted@wgbh.org.  Find more content and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

  1. Is Don Lemon redefiining what a Black journalist can be?

    14H AGO

    Is Don Lemon redefiining what a Black journalist can be?

    Paris Alston sits down with longtime journalist Don Lemon for a candid conversation about truth‑telling in a political era that punishes it. Lemon opens up about his arrest during immigration‑crackdown coverage, his complicated evolution since Ferguson, and why his new partnership with comedian D.L. Hughley works despite — or because of — their disagreements. Together, they unpack what it means to be a Black journalist navigating bias, backlash, and a media landscape where credibility is constantly under attack. Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/britebound  Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel:    •GBH News Rooted  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMQKK3_a14M1bsOL7ggcASlMGbvdGrbpt Follow Rooted on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rootedgbh  Listen to Rooted on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0hVZTdc7MUcV1ctFZeGHa2  Follow Rooted on Threads https://www.threads.com/@rootedgbh  Follow Rooted on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@rootedgbh  Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter https://www.wgbh.org/tv-shows/gbh-news-rooted Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT

    22 min
  2. Is anyone actually 100% Black? Henry Louis Gates Jr. on DNA, race, and power

    APR 29

    Is anyone actually 100% Black? Henry Louis Gates Jr. on DNA, race, and power

    Paris speaks with renowned historian and public intellectual Henry Louis Gates Jr. about race, identity, and how history continues to shape American life. Gates challenges long‑held assumptions about Blackness, explaining why race is not a biological fact but a social construct rooted in power and history. Drawing on genetic ancestry research, he unpacks what DNA reveals about African American identity, including the lasting impact of slavery and racial hierarchy. The conversation also surfaces often‑erased stories of Black and Indigenous people in early American history, particularly during the Revolutionary War, and examines why these narratives remain contested today amid debates over education and memory. Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/britebound  Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel:    •GBH News Rooted   Follow Rooted on Instagram Listen to Rooted on Spotify Follow Rooted on Threads Follow Rooted on TikTok Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter  Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT

    27 min
  3. Why do we exist? Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi on the universe, Black representation, and access to science

    APR 22

    Why do we exist? Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi on the universe, Black representation, and access to science

    Paris sits down with acclaimed astrophysicist and NOVA’s Particles of Thought host Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi for a wide‑ranging, thought‑provoking conversation that bridges cutting‑edge science, identity, and purpose. Drawing from his new book, Why Do We Exist?: The Nine Realms of Universe that Make You Possible, Dr. Oluseyi unpacks the hidden layers of the cosmos, from subatomic particles to the vast structure of space‑time and connects them to the very real question of who gets to participate in these discoveries. Together, Paris and Hakeem explore why making science accessible to Black communities matters, how representation in academic and scientific spaces can reshape what young people imagine as possible, and why seeing yourself reflected in the pursuit of knowledge is essential to expanding our collective understanding of the universe and our place within it. Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/britebound  Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel:    •GBH News Rooted   Follow Rooted on Instagram Listen to Rooted on Spotify Follow Rooted on Threads Follow Rooted on TikTok Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter  Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT

    27 min
  4. What the capture of Maduro reveals about U.S. fear of Black sovereignty

    APR 15

    What the capture of Maduro reveals about U.S. fear of Black sovereignty

    Four months after the capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, debates over corruption and authoritarianism have dominated headlines. On Rooted, scholars Dr. Layla Brown, Dr. Tony Van Der Meer, and Yvette Modestin look deeper examining the Bolivarian Movement’s roots, its central relationship to Afro‑Venezuelan identity, and the long U.S. tradition of intervening when Black‑led movements reshape power across Latin America. Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/britebound   Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel:    •GBH News Rooted   Follow Rooted on Instagram Listen to Rooted on Spotify Follow Rooted on Threads Follow Rooted on TikTok Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter  Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT

    27 min
  5. Why does America celebrate Black music 50 years late?

    APR 8

    Why does America celebrate Black music 50 years late?

    In this episode of Rooted, we ask what it really means to make jazz now. From Boston jazz clubs and basement jam sessions to TikTok lives and global stages, Grammy-nominated saxophonist Godwin Louis breaks down how jazz continues to evolve across generations, cultures, and continents. We explore jazz’s deep roots in Black American history, its ties to the African diaspora, and why America so often waits decades to celebrate Black innovation. If jazz was born from resistance, community, and improvisation—what does that look like in 2026? Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/britebound    Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel:    •GBH News Rooted   Follow Rooted on Instagram Listen to Rooted on Spotify Follow Rooted on Threads Follow Rooted on TikTok Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter  Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT

    27 min
  6. Why are Black women in reality TV held to a higher standard of accountability?

    APR 1

    Why are Black women in reality TV held to a higher standard of accountability?

    Rooted digs into reality TV accountability, revisiting America’s Next Top Model through a critical lens that centers Black women and power. Our panel unpacks the now‑iconic “We were all rooting for you!” moment, how a new documentary reframes Tyra Banks and the early‑2000s modeling industry, and what accountability looks like when those traditionally marginalized are positioned as gatekeepers. Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel:    •GBH News Rooted   Follow Rooted on Instagram Listen to Rooted on Spotify Follow Rooted on Threads Follow Rooted on TikTok Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter  Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT

    27 min
  7. Is America losing its history? Fired librarian of Congress warns of the risks under a Trump 2.0 presidency

    MAR 25

    Is America losing its history? Fired librarian of Congress warns of the risks under a Trump 2.0 presidency

    Just days before she was fired by President Trump, Carla Hayden - the first woman and the first African American to serve as the librarian of Congress  - warned about the risk of losing important parts of U.S. history. Hayden and Noelle Trent, the head of Boston's Museum of African American History, spoke with GBH News Rooted Host Paris Alston about their efforts to preserve Black history. Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit Britebound. Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel:    •GBH News Rooted   Follow Rooted on Instagram Listen to Rooted on Spotify Follow Rooted on Threads Follow Rooted on TikTok Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter Support GBH and help shape a future where facts matter, stories unite us, and everyone has access to quality media. Join us. Fund the Future: https://bit.ly/FundtheFutureYT

    27 min
  8. A new era? What the 2026 Oscars mean for Black cinema, representation, and Hollywood’s future

    MAR 17

    A new era? What the 2026 Oscars mean for Black cinema, representation, and Hollywood’s future

    Callie Crossley guest hosts Rooted in leading a panel that breaks down the biggest surprises of the 2026 Oscars, from Michael B. Jordan’s groundbreaking win and Ruth E. Carter’s historic nomination milestone to the heated debates around Teyana Taylor’s role, Paul Thomas Anderson’s sweep, and whether the new casting category can push Hollywood toward real representation—all while questioning what the Oscars' move to YouTube means for the future of film Rooted is brought to you by our sponsor, Britebound—helping middle and high school students to explore their passions, try out career paths, and make confident decisions about their future. To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/britebound Subscribe to the Rooted YouTube channel:    •GBH News Rooted Follow Rooted on Instagram:    / rootedgbh  Listen to Rooted on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hVZTdc...Follow Rooted on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@rootedgbhFollow Rooted on TikTok:  / rootedgbh  Subscribe to the Rooted newsletter at https://www.wgbh.org/tv-shows/gbh-new...Visit our website: https://www.wgbh.org/news

    24 min
See All (33)

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Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Paris Alston hosts this weekly series that serves up Black intellect, culture and joy.  Rooted covers Black news and culture from down the block to around the diaspora. In a global news cycle that’s always cooking up new headlines, Rooted brings you the recipes you don’t want to lose: the stories, the voices, the dialogue that keep us connected. Tell us what you think and what you’d like to hear on future episodes at Rooted@wgbh.org.  Find more content and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

Information

  • Creator
    GBH News
  • Years Active
    2006 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2018 WGBH Educational Foundation
  • Show Website
    Rooted

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