The NAACP is launching the original podcast series “Our Culture, Our Stories,” promising intimate and “unfiltered” conversations with a range of media and entertainment luminaries about navigating adversity, celebrating excellence and fostering community strength.
Guest appearances in the 12-episode series include: actors Sterling K. Brown, Ryan Michelle Bathé, Hill Harper and Aja Naomi King; comedian Roy Wood Jr.; documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter; Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter; academic and TV personality Henry Louis Gates; journalists Scott Evans and Trymaine Lee; authors Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Brea Baker and LaDarrion Williams; and actor-social activist Kendrick Sampson. Additional guests will be announced later.
“Our Culture, Our Stories” premieres Thursday, January 9 on major podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The podcast is a companion to the NAACP Image Awardswhich celebrates excellence in the arts. The nominees for the 2025 Image Awards will be announced on Tuesday (January 7). New episodes of “Our Culture, Our Stories” will be released every two weeks leading up to the 56th NAACP Image Awards, which will air live on BET and CBS on February 22.
The first episode of “Our Culture, Our Stories” features Image Award winner Sterling K. Brown and his wife, actor Ryan Michelle Bathé, who “share insights on how to navigate the demands of Hollywood while upholding their values, principles and artistic integrity,” according to the NAACP. The parents of two discuss the cultural significance of the NAACP Image Awards, highlighting its impact on amplifying black voices and driving social change, along with faith, aspirations and more.
“The NAACP Image Awards and ‘Our Culture, Our Stories’ are powerful platforms that do more than celebrate the achievements of black icons and trailblazers — they call for change,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “They remind us that real progress requires breaking down barriers and creating real opportunities where talent, passion and vision can flourish, allowing the next generation of activists, creators and entertainers to rise with power and purpose and transform the future.”
“Our Culture, Our Stories” is produced by the NAACP. The series provides a “safe space for celebrities, writers, actors, musicians, activists and other notable personalities to share stories of triumph and unity,” according to the organization. “In our changing political and social environment, telling Black stories is more important than ever, and ‘Our Culture, Our Stories’ offers a vibrant platform for such candid and exclusive conversations.”
Regarding the podcast’s launch, Kyle Bowser, senior VP of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau, said, “Black entertainers serve as advocates on behalf of a 42 million member community that consistently generates brilliant cultural assets that are voraciously consumed around the world. Their tenacity, resilience and undeniable talent produce remarkable depictions of black life that essentially shape mainstream culture.The NAACP Image Awards and “Our Culture, Our Stories” are franchises that highlight those the bold leaders and emerging trends driving global commerce and narrative. The growing platform of NAACP’s media assets amplifies the voices and sources of humanity’s most influential cultural expressions.”
(Pictured above, l. to r.: Sterling K. Brown, Roy Wood Jr., Ruth Carter, Dawn Porter)