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John L. Hanson

August 24, 2025

Kemba Smith (Ep. 39, 2025)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a conversation with author and prison reform activist Kemba Smith, recorded in 2008, discussing her involvement with a crack cocaine dealer, her resulting six-year incarceration and Presidential pardon, and her current work as a criminal justice reform activist.

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August 17, 2025

Jessica Norwood (Ep. 38, 2025)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a conversation with Jessica Norwood, financial activist, investor, social entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Runway Project, and author of Believe-In-You Money, discussing the obstacles facing African Americans seeking to build wealth through entrepreneurism and investment, and ways to improve their relationship […]

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August 10, 2025

Chanel Dupree (Ep. 37, 2025)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Chanel Dupree, founder of Artistic Laughter Productions and award-winning screenwriter, producer and director of You Think You Grown? Dismantling Adultification, a documentary film highlighting racial and gender stereotypes and the role they play in the societal perception of African American […]

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August 3, 2025

T. Dallas Smith (Ep. 36, 2025)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with T. Dallas Smith, founder and CEO of T. Dallas Smith & Company, the largest African American-owned pure tenant representation commercial real estate firm in the U.S., catering to clients needing office space, industrial facilities and land.

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July 27, 2025

Kristen Gentry (Ep. 35, 2025)

On this week’s In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Kristen Gentry, author of Mama Said, a collection of short stories as told by three women who struggled with their mothers’ drug addictions and depression, providing insight into the damaging consequences of their mother’s life choices on multiple generations of […]

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July 20, 2025

Denita R. Conway, pt. 2 (Ep 34, 2025)

On this edition of In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. concludes a discussion of the challenges and opportunities for African American women in the real estate and facility management industry with Denita R. Conway, founder and president of Proven Management LLC, a leading transition planning and logistics company specializing in project […]

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July 13, 2025

Denita R. Conway, pt. 1 (Ep. 33, 2025)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. begins a conversation with Denita R. Conway, founder and president of Proven Management LLC, a recognized leader in the moving and logistics industry, specializing in project management, interior design and transition planning, discussing the challenges facing African American women in the real […]

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July 6, 2025

A Tribute to Earl Graves, Sr. (Ep. 32, 2025)

On this week’s edition of In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a tribute to the late Earl Gilbert Graves Sr., pioneering African American entrepreneur, publisher, philanthropist, and advocate of African-American businesses. A graduate of Morgan State University, he was the founder of Black Enterprise magazine and chairman of the media […]

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About

For 50 years, “In Black America” has featured weekly interviews with some of the most influential African American voices of our time discussing education, economics, social issues, sports, families, culture, literature and politics.

In 2019, the program received a recordings-at-risk grant to digitize hundreds of old reels containing shows going back to the early 1980s. We don’t yet have these ready for the podcast, but you can listen to them on the American Archive of Public Broadcasting website.

John L. Hanson

In this interview, Hanson reflects on 40+ years of hosting IBA.

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