WNYC Studios’ Notes from America and Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs present NOTES ON A NATIVE SON
Hosted by Razia Iqbal
A new limited audio series celebrating James Baldwin
Debuts on Saturday, September 21
Listen to the audio trailer here
(New York, NY – September 20, 2024) WNYC Studio’s Notes From America with Kai Wright is thrilled to partner with Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs for the release of Notes on a Native Son, a new audio series celebrating author James Baldwin in the year marking the centennial of his birth. The series will be available in the Notes from America feed wherever podcasts are found starting Saturday, September 21; the trailer is available now.
James Baldwin occupied a unique position in American letters: novelist, essayist and activist. His writing made him an international public intellectual to be reckoned with in his own lifetime, and his legacy has resonated with millions ever since; he continues to be embraced by new generations around the world. In Notes on a Native Son, host Razia Iqbal, a journalist and former BBC presenter, sits down with public figures to explore what Baldwin means to them. They are invited to choose a Baldwin passage which becomes the starting point for wide-ranging conversations on issues that mattered to Baldwin, and still feel relevant today: race, sexuality, political power, love. The podcast guests are prominent writers and thinkers, including the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, poet Nikki Giovanni and Equal Justice Initiative founder and civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson, among others.
“Encountering the work of James Baldwin when I was a teenager growing up in London in the 1970s transformed me and gave me solace. He was first and foremost, a terrific writer,” said host Razia Iqbal. “His compassionate, humane and unique perspective has left a lasting impact. I am excited to continue to explore his legacy with some of today’s great minds.”
Veteran journalist Razia Iqbal has worked at the BBC for over three decades; from 2011 to 2023 she also anchored “Newshour” on the BBC World Service, the network’s flagship current affairs program. She currently teaches at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, where she holds the John L. Weinberg/Goldman Sachs & Co. Visiting Professorship.
Notes on a Native Son is a Sea Salt and Mango production. Its director is the veteran audio producer Tony Phillips, who has been making award-winning programs for the BBC and WNYC Studios for three decades.
New episodes of Notes on a Native Son will be available to stream on-demand every Saturday in the podcast feed for Notes From America with Kai Wright beginning with the audio trailer on September 7. Learn more and check out the trailer at notesfromamerica.org/jamesbaldwin.
ABOUT PRINCETON SPIA
The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) is dedicated to integrating world-class scholarship and a commitment to service in order to make a positive difference in the world. We welcome a robust exchange of ideas and strive to foster a close-knit community that values and supports every member. We believe that public policy in the 21st century demands a passion for service, a respect for evidence of unsurpassed quality, a global perspective, and a multiplicity of voices. Our graduates pursue careers around the globe in government, nongovernmental and multilateral organizations, foundations, and policy and research institutes.
ABOUT WNYC STUDIOS
WNYC Studios is the premier producer of on-demand and broadcast audio, and home to some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and popular podcasts, including Radiolab, On the Media, The New Yorker Radio Hour, The United States of Anxiety, Death, Sex & Money, Dolly Parton’s America, and La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience. WNYC Studios is leading the new golden age in audio with podcasts and national radio programs that inform, inspire, and delight millions of curious and highly engaged listeners across digital, mobile, and broadcast platforms. Programs include personal narratives, deep journalism, revealing interviews, and smart entertainment as varied and intimate as the human voice itself. For more information, visit wnycstudios.org.