WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show

According to The Met, the Harlem Renaissance has not been surveyed in a New York museum since 1987. The museum's new exhibition, The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism, presents more than 160 works of various mediums examining the culturally rich period of Black American creativity in the early 20th century, with Harlem as its epicenter. For our ongoing Black History Month series dedicated to both famous and overlooked Black New Yorkers, we speak to curator Denise Murrell and preview the exhibition, which opens on February 25.

As The Met prepares to open a major exhibition dedicated to the Harlem Renaissance, we speak to Carolyn Johnson , founder of Welcome to Harlem, which hosts walking tours of the borough. Johnson also created the Monopoly spinoff board game, Harlem-Opoly, featuring historical sites and figures of the Renaissance era. She joins to give us a Harlem Renaissance walking tour and take your calls, continuing our Black History Month series learning more about both famous and overlooked Black New Yorkers.

On February 23, 1999, Eminem released his second full-length album, The Slim Shady LP. It landed him his first song on Billboard's Hot 100 (the hit "My Name Is"), a Grammy for Best Rap Album, and quadruple platinum certification only a year later. On its 25th anniversary, as part of our series Silver Liner Notes, we revisit the album with Noah Callahan-Bever , former editor-in-chief at Complex and VP at Def Jam, and current co-CEO of the multimedia company Idea Generation.

Joy Reid , MSNBC host of "The ReidOut," has written a new book about the historical relationship between Medgar and Myrlie Evers (now Myrlie Evers-Williams). Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America , traces the love story between the two Civil Rights figures, their efforts in Mississippi fighting against Jim Crow laws, and the aftermath of Medgar's assassination by a member of the KKK. Reid joins us to discuss the book, and why this relationship is key in understanding the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

*This segment is guest-hosted by David Furst .

Every New Yorker has a Veselka story. A new documentary follows second-generation owner Tom Birchard, as he plans to retire from running the beloved Ukrainian restaurant, an East Village staple. The film also follows the day to day of the restaurant in the midst of the war in Ukraine, and how the conflict affected the staff and changed what Veselka represents to New York's Ukrainian community. "Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of The World," is in select theaters tomorrow, and director Michael Fiore joins us alongside owners Tom and his son Jason Birchard to talk about the film, and we take your calls.

*This segment is guest-hosted by David Furst .

Last week, an essay in The Cut by Charlotte Cowles went viral after Cowles described how she was scammed out of $50,000 . Readers online seemed confident they wouldn’t fall for such a scheme, but experts caution that you shouldn’t be so sure. Amy Nofziger , director of Victim Support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network, and Rachel Tobac , co-founder and CEO of SocialProof Security, join us to discuss how to identify a scam and how to protect yourself. Plus, we take your calls.

*This segment is guest-hosted by David Furst .

Our Full Bio this month will focus on tennis great Althea Gibson, who broke barriers as one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line and compete on an international stage in tennis. She was also the first Black player to win a Grand Slam title. We're spending the week talking to Sally Jacobs , author of the biography Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson . Today, we discuss Gibson's career switch to golf, her relationship with the Civil Rights Movement, and her final years.

Our Full Bio this month will focus on tennis great Althea Gibson, who broke barriers as one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line and compete on an international stage in tennis. She was also the first Black player to win a Grand Slam title. We're spending the week talking to Sally Jacobs , author of the biography Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson . Today, we discuss Gibson breaking the color line, and becoming the first Black tennis player to win a Grand Slam title.

In December of 2022, OpenAI, the company behind several well-known artificial intelligence products, launched a free public version of ChatGPT, which first launched in earnest the conversation about how this new technology could impact our lives, particularly in the workplace. Now, a little over a year later, we check in on how much AI has actually been implemented in people's jobs. Listeners call in to share their experiences with AI at work, plus, Lauren Larson , freelance writer, most recently of a piece in The Verge called "In defense of busywork" shares her thoughts and her reporting on the subject.

In order to bring the steampunk world of Bella Baxter to life for the film "Poor Things," first-time film composer Jerskin Fendrix worked with dissonant sounds to create a wholly unique score that fits the movie's fantastical universe. Fendrix joins us to discuss his work, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score. This interview is part of our ongoing series "The Big Picture," which spotlights Oscar nominees working behind the camera.

Today kicks off a week of concerts for The Paco de Lucía Legacy Festival, inspired by the famous flamenco guitarist around the tenth anniversary of his death. Tonight, the festival begins with a concert at Carnegie Hall, before more than thirty musicians play in venues around the city through February 24. To preview the festival and the Carnegie Hall set tonight, we're joined by artistic director Julio Martí , and we hear a performance from guitarist and festival participant Yerai Cortés .

Our Full Bio this month will focus on tennis great Althea Gibson, who broke barriers as one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line and compete on an international stage in tennis. She was also the first Black player to win a Grand Slam title. We're spending the week talking to Sally Jacobs , author of the biography Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson . Today, we discuss Gibson's tennis training and her college years.

New York City is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in history, and yet some of those languages are in danger of dying out. In his new book, Ross Perlin , author and co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance, follows six speakers of endangered languages in order to examine what it will take to keep these traditions alive in modern New York. Perlin joins us to discuss, Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York . Plus, we take listener calls.

Event: Perlin will be speaking tonight at the Strand at 7 pm.

Our Full Bio this month will focus on tennis great Althea Gibson, who broke barriers as one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line and compete on an international stage in tennis. She was also the first Black player to win a Grand Slam title. We're spending the week talking to Sally Jacobs , author of the biography Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson . Today, we discuss Gibson's early life in Harlem.

In order to get the costumes for Osage Nation characters right for the film "Killers of the Flower Moon," costume designer Jacqueline West turned to traditional research methods, but also partnered with members of the Osage tribe to ensure that all of the characters' attire was period-accurate. West joins us to discuss her work on the film, which earned her an Oscar nomination, as part of our ongoing series The Big Picture, spotlighting the Oscar nominees who work behind the camera.

German actor Sandra Hüller has the distinct honor of starring in two of this year's Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards. She is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as Sandra in "Anatomy of a Fall," which follows a woman accused of murdering her husband. And she stars as the despicable Hedwig Höss in "The Zone of Interest," which follows the Nazi family and their daily lives just outside Auschwitz. Hüller joins us to discuss both films.

All this week, as part of the launch of the 2024 Public Song Project , we're debuting contributions from professional musicians and friends of WNYC. Today we hear Valerie June's song for the project, and discuss how the 1920s were a pivotal decade for music and recording technology with Jessica Wood , assistant curator of music and recorded sound at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

A New York Historical Society exhibition tells the story of two Black athletes who democratized running in New York City. Allison Robinson , the associate curator of exhibitions at New-York Historical Society, and Marilyn Kushner , curator and head, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, joins us to discuss the show, Running for Civil Rights: The New York Pioneer Club, 1936 – 1976 which on display through Sunday, Feb. 25.

You have just under a month to check out The Nassau County Museum of Art's exhibit, Our Gilded Age , exploring the historical era from the perspective of both the upper class and the servant class who worked for the wealthy. The show also looks at the role the north shore of Long Island played in The Gilded Age: literary history and estate culture (even the Museum itself was once the estate of a wealthy Gilded Age era merchant). Our Gilded Age is on view through March 10, and curators Franklin Perrell and Alex Maccaro join to discuss the show.

We all know that diner culture in New York and New Jersey is special. Nikita Richardson , editor for the New York Times Food section, recently wrote about her favorite diners in our area for the Where To Eat newsletter , and she joins to talk about her go-to diner orders and take your calls. Plus, our very own New Jersey senior reporter Nancy Solomon calls in to tell us more about what makes Jersey diner culture unique, particularly when it comes to local politics.

In order to immerse viewers in a strange version of Victorian England and beyond for the film "Poor Things," production designers Shona Heath and James Price had a lot of sets to build and decorate, including a fantasy version of Lisbon and an elegant cruise ship. They join us to discuss their Oscar-nominated work for our ongoing series "The Big Picture," which spotlights Oscar nominees who work behind the camera.

In the new original musical "The Connector," an aspiring new journalist named Ethan Dobson (Ben Levi Ross) joins the staff of the beloved magazine, The Connector, quickly rising through the ranks. His rise comes much to the dismay of his new friend Robin, who has been working at the magazine for much longer. But is Ethan really everything he seems? We speak with composer Jason Robert Brown , director Daisy Prince , and star Ben Levi Ross about their new show, which is running at the MCC theater through March 17.

All this week, as part of the launch of the 2024 Public Song Project , we're debuting contributions from professional musicians and friends of WNYC. Today we hear a piano blues tune from Adam Weiner of Low Cut Connie. After the song, we're joined by Ambre Dromgoole, Cornell University assistant professor in the department of Africana studies, to dive more into the history of blues in the 1920s and, in particular, the leading women of the era.

Today marks 100 years to the day since George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" premiered at the Aeolian Hall in New York City. We discuss about the composition's legacy with Colin and Eric Jacobsen , artistic directors of the orchestral collective The Knights, who have organized the multiyear project Rhapsody , as well as pianist Lara Downes , who recently released "Rhapsody in Blue, Reimagined ."

Actor Josh Radnor ("How I Met Your Mother"), has two new projects. Outside of being an actor, Radnor is also a musician, and he's recently released his new solo album, Eulogy: Volume I. Radnor is also about to star in a new play at The Public Theater, "The Ally," in which he plays a college professor named Asaf who is asked by students to sign a social justice manifesto, but the choice turns out to be much more politically complicated than Asaf first thought. "The Ally" is running at The Public starting on Thursday, and through March 10. Radnor joins for a Listening Party and to talk about the play.

A new show written by the Indigenous comedy sketch troupe The 1491s provides a humorous look at one Native American family's history and experiences, from the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890 to activism of the 70s. We are joined by Bobby Wilson , writer and member of The 1491s, and Justin “Jud” Gauthier , who plays Larry in the show, to discuss "Between Two Knees," running at the Perelman Performing Arts Center through February 24.

Author and comedian Lane Moore 's latest book serves as a total antidote to the flood of dating advice we usually see this time of year. It's titled, You're Not The Only One F*cking Up: Breaking the Endless Cycle of Dating Mistakes . She joins us to discuss breaking bad dating patterns and take calls about bad dates.

*Lane Moore's Tinder Live Valentines Day Specia l at TV Eye in Rigdewood, NY on Tuesday, Feb 13 will feature Danny Tamberelli and Mike Maronna (Pete + Pete). Then, she has a livestream available on Feb. 15.

Commercial jingles are composed with a purpose: to ensure a brand's name and product stick in your brain, by leveraging unyieldingly catchy musical hooks. Ahead of the Super Bowl this weekend, listeners call in to share the jingles that have stuck with them, and Steve Karmen , composer of over 2,000 ad jingles, including "Nationwide is on your side," Budweiser's "Here Comes The King," and "Trust the Midas touch," talks about changes in the jingle-writing landscape, and what it takes to write catchy tunes that sell products.

This Black History Month, we are the celebrating the legacy and contributions of Black New Yorkers. A new exhibition at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture looks at one of the most famous Black New Yorkers, Langston Hughes, and his many friendships, specifically his relationship with photographer Griff Davis, the first roving editor of Ebony Magazine. Dorothy Davis , guest curator, daughter of Griff Davis, and president of the Griffith J. Davis Photographs and Archives , joins to speak about the show. The Ways of Langston Hughes: Griff Davis and Black Artists in the Making is on view through July 8.

[REBROADCAST FROM November 7, 2023] In 1920, W.E.B Du Bois created the first American magazine addressing Black children. The Brownies' Book invited the era's most prolific Black creatives to submit material—poems, illustrations, songs—so that Black children could feel seen and represented (the magazine was the first to publish a Langston Hughes poem). A new collection, The New Brownies' Book: A Love Letter to Black Families , celebrates the history of the magazine alongside new material for children today. The book was created by married duo Dr. Karida L. Brown , a sociologist and Du Bois expert, and her husband, artist Charly Palmer . Brown and Palmer join us to discuss.

In the 1960s, British artist Harold Cohen developed AARON, a computer program that could draw and paint original work on its own. It was the earliest example of artificial intelligence designed for artmaking. A new exhibition at the Whitney, Harold Cohen: AARON , displays the work the AI has created over the years, and will also include live demonstrations of its drawing process in the gallery. Curator Christiane Paul joins me to discuss the show and what it says about our relationship with artificial intelligence today. Harold Cohen: AARON is on view through May.

With frequent headlines about layoffs, labor walkouts and general turmoil in the journalism and media right now, Jay Rosen , associate professor of journalism at New York University and a board member of the Peabody awards, explains how the landscape has changed for both news consumers and producers, and how newsrooms might be thinking about creating more sustainable business models. Plus, we take your calls.

With the Supreme Court's hearing tomorrow on whether the insurrection clause of the constitution allows the state of Colorado to remove former President Trump from the ballot in the 2024 election, journalist Andrea Bernstein , former host of the Trump-centric podcasts: Will be Wild and Trump, Inc and the author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, The Trumps and the Marriage of Money and Power previews tomorrow's proceedings, and talks about the many other legal challenges he is facing -- including the critical cases right here in New York.