Rooted

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 InstagramListen to Rooted on SpotifyFollow Rooted on ThreadsFollow Rooted on TikTokSubscribe to the Rooted newsletterSupport 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

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 filmRooted 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

Bluey to Baddies: Why is there no 'tween' media?

On Rooted, we’re unpacking the “Bluey‑to‑Baddies” pipeline—and why tween media feels impossible to find in a world drowning in YouTube algorithms and AI‑generated slop. Paris taps award‑winning animator Chaz Bottoms to break down the brutal realities of making it in cartoons, especially for creators of color. Then Genie Deez and Thy Than, showrunners of the new PBS Kids series Phoebe & Jay, join her to ask the big question: Can public media’s hand‑crafted, mission‑driven storytelling still compete with the algorithm?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:  https://www.instagram.com/rootedgbhListen to Rooted on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hVZTdc...Follow Rooted on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@rootedgbhFollow Rooted on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rootedgbhSubscribe to the Rooted newsletter at https://www.wgbh.org/tv-shows/gbh-new...Visit our website: https://www.wgbh.org/newsGBH News wants to hear from YOU! We are conducting our annual audience survey 📝  https://bit.ly/3ZQXSQr. This will help us understand your interests and what you want to see more of from us. It only takes a few minutes, and we are grateful for your input. 🙌GBH News is a premier source for in-depth local news and original story telling based in Boston, Massachusetts.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

88% Women, Majority Women of Color — So of Course Their Degrees Got Devalued

The federal government just slashed how much future nurses, counselors, educators, and social workers can borrow — a move that hits women, Black students, and entire communities like a punch to the gut. Paris Alston digs into how a bureaucratic “reclassification” could gut the nursing pipeline, deepen care shortages, and widen racial health disparities. Then we head to Roxbury, where Children’s Services is doing what Washington won’t: creating a free, community‑rooted pathway to grow Black and brown mental health providers. When institutions make care harder to access, the community builds its own solutions.

Are we drifting away from Black History Month? The conversation no one is having!

In this episode, we mark 100 years since Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week by asking what Black History Month truly means today—and whether it still matters. We hit the streets to hear how everyday people perceive the holiday’s legacy, then sit down with Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, comedian Jason Cordova, and culture commentator Shane Faiteau for a candid conversation about the ways Black history gets flattened, who should be trusted to tell our stories, and why younger generations often feel disconnected from familiar narratives. We also speak with author and former Minneapolis City Council leader Ralph Remington, whose book Penetrating Whiteness pushes us to confront how policing, immigration enforcement, and the threat of political violence echo through Black life in 2026. Through these layered voices funny, sharp, skeptical, and deeply reflective we explore identity, diaspora, capitalism, community, and the future of resistance, reminding listeners that Black history cannot be contained to February because it shapes and is shaped by every moment we’re living now.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