Randall Kennedy: The N-Word - History of Race, Law, Politics, and Power | Lex Fridman Podcast #379

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

May 24, 2023

Duration

3h 10m

Channel

Lex Fridman Podcast

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Randall Kennedy is a law professor at Harvard and author of many seminal books on race, law, history, culture, and politics. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:

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EPISODE LINKS: Randall's Website: https://hls.harvard.edu/faculty/randall-l-kennedy N*****: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word: https://amzn.to/3MbrXSC Say It Loud!: On Race, Law, History, and Culture: https://amzn.to/3MfQWUT For Discrimination: Race, Affirmative Action, and the Law: https://amzn.to/3BASZxZ Race, Crime, and the Law: https://amzn.to/3pVtVyU PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41 OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 2:13 - The N-word 37:57 - The three N-words 1:04:30 - Education 1:17:32 - Critical race theory 1:28:06 - Racism and policing 1:35:26 - Racial profiling 2:04:59 - Racism in US history 2:22:57 - Affirmative action 3:06:24 - Martin Luther King Jr. SOCIAL:

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🎤 SPEAKERS

• Randall Kennedy

  guest

• Lex Fridman

  host

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Lex Fridman Podcast, featuring Randall Kennedy and Lex Fridman, Randall Kennedy: The N-Word - History of Race, Law, Politics, and Power | Lex Fridman Podcast #379 explores randall Kennedy Dissects the N-Word, Racism, Law, and Free Speech Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy joins Lex Fridman to examine the history, power, and contested uses of the N-word, arguing that honest engagement with the term is essential to understanding American racism. He describes the word’s evolution from descriptive label to weapon of terror, and also its repurposing by Black comedians, writers, and rappers as a tool of critique and solidarity. The conversation broadens into debates over academic freedom, critical race theory, policing, racial profiling, affirmative action, and meritocracy. Kennedy ultimately maintains a cautious but real optimism about the American experiment and the possibility of a genuinely multiracial democracy.

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