When we began conceptualizing The Carlos Watson Show shortly after the murder of George Floyd, one goal was to create a space for meaningful discussions around race. We wanted to make space for questions or mistakes, for disagreements and new perspectives, to hear from a range of people with different backgrounds and ideologies. And what we’ve found is wisdom from unexpected sources. After a year that has forced each of us to reckon with our own blind spots and society’s systemic failures, questions of race have been on everyone’s mind. In the past week alone, here are some of the interesting conversations we have had.

Marcus Samuelsson is so much more than a celebrity chef: He’s a community-minded global citizen making real change with his restaurants. In his episode, the acclaimed chef gives a cooking demonstration (Cuban-coffee tuna tataki, anyone?) plus talks about elevating the voices of Black chefs and his own struggles with identity. What’s his secret weapon in the kitchen? Watch now to find out.

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You know Tomi Lahren as a political firebrand who’s great at nailing conservative talking points on Fox News. But when they chatted last year, Carlos got the young South Dakotan to open up about her past, her political future and her surprising liberal friends. They also had a noteworthy debate on the impact and tactics of the Black Lives Matter movement.

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You might know Topher Grace from That '70s Show or BlacKkKlansman, but now get to know what filming them taught the beloved actor about himself. Hear him share his thoughts on the Derek Chauvin trial, how working with Spike Lee opened his eyes to issues of race and taught him to “shut up and listen.”

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Dr. Fauci is back. The man who needs no introduction and the subject of the most-viewed episode of the show yet joins us for another candid conversation on everything from coping with working round-the-clock at the age of 80 to what COVID taught him about racial disparities in health care. Plus, his bold prediction for the next scientific breakthrough that could result from the COVID vaccine race: an HIV vaccine.

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Meet WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike. The Los Angeles Sparks player and first Black woman to host a national radio show for ESPN joins Carlos to talk about why Nigerian culture promotes winning, playing against her star sister and the difficulties of showing vulnerability as a WNBA player. Plus, she sings her best Alicia Keys for us. Don’t miss it!

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Interested in Carlos’ thoughts? Hear him as a guest on The Megyn Kelly Show, where he discusses his path from being deemed a “problem child” to attending Harvard and Stanford. He also shares his thoughts on how to improve opportunities for low-income communities and debates teaching critical race theory in schools.

Enjoy the week and keep learning!