Latest Episode

Each episode sits at the intersection of story, systems, and social impact — with conversations designed to inform, challenge, and connect.

Episode 7: Niema Jordan

Filmmaker, storyteller, and East Oakland native Niema Jordan joins Dr. Akilah Cadet for a candid, joyful, and deeply honest conversation about what it means to be human in a world that often asks us to be anything but. From Niema's journey of Producing documentaries — including her work on Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom — to the very personal terrain of dating, rest, and radical self-trust, this episode covers it all.

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Episode 5: Jim LeBrecht
In this episode of Humane Rights, Dr. Akilah Cadet talks with filmmaker and disability rights activist Jim LeBrecht, co-director of Crip Camp, about disability representation, activism, chronic pain, aging, sex, and joy. They explore why authentic disabled stories matter, how media shapes public understanding of disability, and what it means to live fully in bodies the world isn’t built for. Honest, funny, and deeply human—this conversation challenges stereotypes and centers disability as part of the human experience.

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Episode 4: Grace Porras, Post-Super Bowl
Grace Porras — Emmy-winning producer, Make It Bay Co-Founder, and Executive Producer of Humane Rights — joins host Dr. Akilah Cadet fresh off the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, where she worked behind the scenes managing talent for Bad Bunny's historic performance.

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Episode 3: CO-LLAB Choir, Post-Super Bowl
Dr. Akilah Cadet sits down with CO-LLAB Choir — director Cava Menzies and members Allison Skylr, Clarice Janine, Candace Goodwin, Zoë Boston, and Marc Allen — fresh off their historic 2026 Super Bowl performance at Levi's Stadium.

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Episode 2: Michelle MiJung Kim
What does it mean to be human in a world that keeps asking us to prove our worth? In Episode 2 of Humane Rights, Dr. Akilah Cadet sits down with author, community builder, and courage practitioner Michelle MiJung Kim for a deeply honest conversation about immigrant identity, dignity, collective courage, and what it means to stay human when systems are failing us.

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Episode 1: W. Kamau Bell
In the inaugural episode of Humane Rights, host Dr. Akilah Cadet is joined by comedian, writer, director, and executive producer W. Kamau Bell for a candid and wide-ranging conversation about humanity, justice, and what it truly means to lead with empathy in an increasingly polarized world.

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Episode 6: Taylor Smalls
In this episode of Humane Rights, Dr. Akilah Cadet sits down with Oakland-based palette knife painter and designer Taylor Smalls. They discuss Taylor's celebrated show Throughline, the radical act of painting Black and Brown women with vibrancy and joy, the threat AI poses to creative communities of color, and the importance of building genuine, reciprocal relationships in industries that routinely undervalue women. Personal, funny, and deeply grounded — this one is not to be missed.

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