United Shades of America

Immigrants and Refugees

In just one freewheeling visit to the D.C. Metro area, Kamau enjoys an abundant cross-section of immigrants who come to this country from all over the world to make a better life.

Chicago Gangs

Kamau goes to the heart of Chicago gang territory to explore the truth about violence in the city.

Native "Americans"

Kamau heads to the Dakotas to shed light on the indigenous people we mistakenly call Native Americans.

Muslims in Small Town America

Kamau meets Muslims in Michigan who are eager to explain practitioners of Islam aren’t what people assume they are.

Kamau Buys a Gun

Kamau, an outspoken critic of gun laws in America, buys a .357 Magnum.

Puerto Ricans and Puerto Rico

Kamau unlocks some of the myths of Puerto Ricans with an epic journey from New York City to the captivating island itself.

Appalachian Coal Country

Appalachia may be one of the hardest hit areas of the country economically, but it is still a region rich with history and optimism for Kamau to mine.

It's Chinatown!

Kamau visits San Francisco’s Chinatown for a conversation around what it means to be American and culturally connected to another country.

The Border

Kamau heads to the U.S. Mexico border to find out what life is like for the people who live there.

Sikhs in America

Kamau unravels the stereotypes of one of the most misunderstood religions in America, Sikhism.

The South Carolina Gullah

Kamau visits the coast of South Carolina to meet the Gullah Geechee people.

The Disability Community

Kamau meets with people in the disability community to understand their views on healthcare and how they’re portrayed in the media.

HBCUs

Kamau heads to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to answer the question on why these schools are important.

Sweet Home (Mobile) Alabama

Kamau heads down south to debunk some myths while also retracing his family roots with his father.

The Canadian Way

Kamau takes a trip up north to Canada to see if everything is truly as great as everyone says.

Native Hawaii

Kamau visits the islands of Hawaii to talk to natives.

Megachurches

Kamau visits Dallas, TX - the home of the Megachurch, to find out what is creating the new face of Christianity today, in a city where church and state are far from separate.

Not All White People

While in and around Seattle, Kamau takes a look at different forms of activism that white people are using to combat America’s history of white supremacy and the rise of extreme right wing groups across the country.

Hmong Americans And The Secret War

Kamau meets members of the Hmong community brought here after the Secret War forced their expulsion from Laos and learns the multi generational stories of loss, perseverance and hope that make up their American journey.

Body Politics

Kamau visits Jackson, MS to explore the divisive world of reproductive rights and reproductive justice including abortion, sex education, and women’s health.

The Real DC

Kamau takes a look at Washington D.C. through the eyes of the city’s residents who show him the vibrant culture of D.C. that is distinct from the Washington politics that surround it.

Out And Proud Salt Lake

Kamau visits Salt Lake City, Utah, to explore the growing LGBTQ+ community living in the epicenter of the Mormon religion.

#livingwhileblack

Kamau visits Milwaukee, WI--the most segregated city in America--to better understand why living while black can be so challenging

Toxic America

Kamau visits Philadelphia and Chester, Pennsylvania to learn about the toxic man-made disasters that have polluted these communities for generations.

Where Do We Even Start With White Supremacy?

Having met with the Ku Klux Klan in the first episode of United Shades five years ago, Kamau takes a deeper look into the damaging systemic applications of white supremacy in the United States. Through the lens of Pittsburgh and its local black leaders, writers and activists, Kamau investigates how this lauded progressive island masks a history of racism. Meeting with former leaders of the KKK and Nazis, as well as CNN correspondent Sara Sidner, Kamau examines the larger upwelling of national and international hate rhetoric in the current political era; an upwelling that led to the murder of eleven Jewish worshipers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue.

All-American Family Farms

Kamau is thrown into the strenuous work of independent farming in Oklahoma. As he travels across the state, he examines the once-thriving history of Black farmers who through racist economic and social practices, have been largely lost to time. He also talks to independent farmers who now face that same fate at the hands of international consolidation, political posturing and economic disparity. He discovers that the power of land ownership and representation is critical in the efforts to provide safe, reliable and accessible food for our nation.

Going to Public School

W. Kamau Bell explores inequities in the public education system through two very different school districts near Cleveland, Ohio. He sees how one district strives for students to rise above their economic circumstances while the other confronts the U.S.-wide racial achievement gap. In both districts, Kamau hears from students and teachers who are having these difficult conversations.

The Gig Economy

Kamau takes a look at the state of working America today. Across the U.S., the fastest-growing category of new jobs is gig work, spurred on by tech companies and their never-ending stream of apps. In the gig economy, low and uncertain incomes have replaced benefits, health care, and all the other worker's rights the labor movement fought for.

The Time for Reparations

Kamau heads to New Orleans to explore the topic of reparations. He learns that while there is a popular assumption that reparations means doling out a check, many scholars and activists believe the first step is an unflinching acknowledgement of the scale and scope of slavery and the systemic oppression that followed with Jim Crow laws, redlining and Black Codes.

Venezuelans in Florida

Kamau heads to South Florida, home of the largest number of Venezuelans in the United States. He meets with newly arrived Venezuelans, as well as established Venezuelan-Americans in the community, to better understand the complicated crisis that displaced millions from their homes. It’s a story of loss, hope, and how the U.S. system’s actions regarding Venezuelans here and abroad, has political implications for us all.

Iranian-Americans in NY

Within the conventional American imagination, Iran is too often associated with little that is good: the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iran hostage crisis, and its nuclear program. But the United States and Iran are as connected as they are oppositional––deeply intertwined through culture and politics. Kamau visits New York City to talk to recent Iranian immigrants and those who came here decades ago, to learn about their American experience.

The Homeless Crisis in LA

Kamau spends time on LA’s notorious Skid Row. This large area of downtown LA is the epicenter of the nation’s devastating housing crisis and home to a community of thousands of houseless individuals whose tents have become the marker of failed policy and economic inclusion in our country. Here, Kamau explores the racial, socio-economic and statistical dynamics that drive this national crisis. He meets with those who call “The Row” home and those compelled to help.