The BEST episodes of United Shades of America
Every episode of United Shades of America ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of United Shades of America!
Follow comedian and political gadfly W. Kamau Bell as he explores the far corners of our country and its various groups and subcultures.
#1 - Black To The Future
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/9/2021
Kamau visits Atlanta and digs deep into the discrimination and racism that lingers in programs like STEM; he looks at efforts to build a more inclusive workforce for the globally competitive future in technology and space.
#2 - The Real D.C.
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/26/2019
Kamau takes a look at Washington, D.C. through the eyes of residents who show him the vibrant culture that is distinct from the politics that surround it.
#3 - Out and Proud Salt Lake
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/2/2019
Kamau visits Salt Lake City to explore the growing LGBTQ community living in the epicenter of the Mormon faith.
#4 - Livingwhileblack
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 6/9/2019
Kamau visits Milwaukee, the most segregated city in America, to better understand why living as a black person in America can be so challenging.
#5 - Toxic America
Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/16/2019
Kamau visits Philadelphia and Chester, Pa., to learn about the toxic man-made disasters that have polluted these communities for generations.
#6 - Where Do We Even Start With White Supremacy?
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/19/2020
White supremacy in America, explained How our new war collided with an old fight -- and put Black Americans on the frontlines. We're living in a perfect storm for extremist recruitment. Five questions on America's racial reckoning. The one word that Tree of Life's rabbi refuses to say.
#7 - All-American Family Farms
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/26/2020
How we can fix America's broken food supply chain? A nightmare scenario for farmers is happening right now. 'Essential' farmworkers feel underpaid and at risk.
#8 - Going to Public School
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/2/2020
A look into the public education system of two contrasting school districts in Cleveland, Ohio.
#9 - The Gig Economy
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/9/2020
Across the United States, the fastest-growing category of new jobs is gig work, spurred on by tech companies and their never-ending stream of apps; low and uncertain incomes have replaced benefits.
#10 - The Time for Reparations
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/16/2020
W. Kamau Bell heads to New Orleans to explore the topic of reparations.
#11 - Venezuelans in Florida
Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 8/23/2020
W. Kamau Bell heads to South Florida, home of the largest number of Venezuelans in the United States, to understand the crisis that led them to seek asylum.
#12 - The Homeless Crisis in LA
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/30/2020
W. Kamau Bell visits Los Angeles to explore the homelessness crisis.
#13 - Iranian-Americans in New York
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/30/2020
W. Kamau Bell visits New York City to meet with Iranian immigrants to learn about their American experience.
#14 - Policing the Police
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/2/2021
Kamau examines the history and current state of policing in America through the eyes of activists, organizers, politicians, victims and police themselves in his hometown of Oakland, California and the Bay Area.
#15 - Body Politics
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/19/2019
Kamau visits Jackson, Miss. to explore the divisive world of reproductive rights and reproductive justice, including abortion, sex education, and women's health.
#16 - Power Of Protest
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/16/2021
Kamau goes back to Portland to explore the dynamics of the protests.
#17 - The Wealth Gap
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 5/23/2021
Kamau discovers American disparity through the lenses of generational wealth.
#18 - Thank You For Your Service
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/30/2021
Kamau spends time speaking with military veterans in San Diego to examine how the military is beset by the same destructive forces that keep the U.S. divided as a nation.
#19 - The Color Of America
Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 6/6/2021
Kamau goes to Philadelphia to explore the shifting ethnic makeup of the U.S. in a celebratory exploration of an increasingly robust mixed-race population and the ways in which they are changing and challenging the culture.
#20 - Trans in Texas
Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 6/13/2021
While visiting Dallas, Texas, to listen and learn about the joys and struggles of the Black transgender community, W. Kamau Bell hears from Naomi Green on the frightening reality of medical discrimination.
#21 - The Woke War
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/10/2022
In this episode, W. Kamau Bell explores what is going on with ‘wokeness.’ The term “woke” has become the epicenter of a massive political and ideological fight for control of the nation’s future. Bell visits Arizona, an emerging swing state on the front-line of a culture war that is an epicenter of national polarization.
#22 - Black in Appalachia
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/17/2022
When we picture Appalachians, we generally picture the white working class of America. But a significant and largely unknown population of Black Americans have called it home since the time of the conquistadors, and they have contributed to American culture in ways that are often overlooked.
#23 - Athletes and the Cost of Winning
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/24/2022
While sports can be exhilarating and bring us together, they also come with a lot of intensity and pressure that can compromise athletes’ mental health. W. Kamau Bell heads to the legendary sports town of Boston, Massachusetts to find out how athletes are speaking up and leading change.
#24 - California Is Burning
Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/31/2022
Years of prolonged drought and extreme heatwaves in California have seen wildfires grow in frequency, intensity, and size. It is a complex crisis, fueled by mismanagement of the land, corporate greed, and of course, climate change. There’s no quick or easy fix to any of this, so in the meantime, how do we learn to coexist with wildfire?
#25 - Asian Americans in the Spotlight
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/7/2022
W. Kamau Bell takes us on a personal journey as he discusses representation with some of his Asian American friends in the film and television industry, examining the commonality between his own experience and theirs. In the wake of Black Lives Matter Protests and anti-Asian hate, Bell discusses the need for Asian Americans to have a greater voice in bridging divides and helping shape a more equitable future for Black and Asian communities.