In celebration of National Children's Book Week, Karen speaks with Newbery Medal-winning cartoonist Jerry Craft about his acclaimed graphic novels New Kid and Class Act, his contribution to the Black Boy Joy anthology, and the vital importance of depicting everyday childhood experiences without trauma.

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Karen speaks with author Andrea Williams about her book Baseball's Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues, exploring the pioneering impact of baseball executive Effa Manley and the rich history of Black baseball.

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Karen interviews author and editor Kwame Mbalia about his anthology Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood, exploring the importance of uplifting representations of Black boys and discussing the perseverance needed to navigate the publishing industry.

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Geriatrician Dr. Nana Yaw Adu-Sarkodie discusses his poignant children's book about a grandmother struggling with memory loss and shares how parents can navigate tender conversations about aging, illness, and family caregiving with young children.

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Rapper and songwriter Sampa the Great joins Karen & Tyler Merritt to discuss channeling authentic lived experiences into conscious hip-hop, dismantling one-dimensional stereotypes of Africa, and refusing to let fear hinder her journey toward becoming the greatest version of herself.

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Karen reflects on the spiritual and emotional toll of channeling another person's voice as a ghostwriter, explaining why authentic storytelling requires a vulnerable exchange of human energy that AI can never duplicate while questioning the rush to publish new works over reading timeless literature.

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Karen speaks with Jeremy Busby about navigating systemic censorship in prison, challenging dogmatic hierarchies to defend human dignity, and ultimately stepping away from organized religion to claim authentic spiritual freedom.

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Karen sits down with Baltimore organizer Dayvon Love to examine why true political liberation requires building independent community power, rejecting symbolic compromises, and holding institutions accountable rather than settling for fear-based survival.

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