Racism in American culture and political life has made major headlines in recent weeks: Mississippi Senate runoff winner Cindy Hyde-Smith made favorable comments about public hangings and the Confederacy, today’s Senate vote advanced federal judicial nominee Thomas Farr for a North Carolina district court position, and various instances of anti-Semitic graffiti and hate crimes have been rampant here in Massachusetts.

Jim Braude was joined by Lawrence Watson, a professor at the Berklee College of Music; Michael Curry, former president of the Boston NAACP, now chair of the national NAACP Advocacy and Policy Committee; and the Reverend Irene Monroe, a syndicated religion columnist, WGBH News contributor and regular Boston Public Radio guest.