Samuel James is a musician, journalist and storyteller. As a storyteller, James has been featured on This American Life and The Moth Radio Hour. His other work with The Moth includes Mainstage storyteller, interviewer, Radio Hour host, and contributor to the books The Moth Presents: All These Wonders and the NYT Bestselling How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth.
As a musician, James has been touring internationally for more than fifteen years, performing in the Black American Folk Tradition. He has released seven albums, scored film soundtracks and museum exhibits. James' award-winning songwriting has been compared to Leonard Cohen's and his guitar virtuosity to that of Jimi Hendrix.
James’ monthly column Racisms can be currently found in The Bollard and his weekly newsletter Banned Histories of Race in America can be found on Substack. He’s also the creator and host of the podcast 99 Years, exploring the deliberate creation of the whitest state in the nation.
Photography: Matthew Robbins and Still Frame Media