Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

The Ringer

  • 35 minutes 1 second
    Malcolm D. Lee and Expanding Story of ‘The Best Man’

    Van and Rachel are joined by Director Malcolm D. Lee to discuss his new book, ‘The Best Man: Unfinished Business’, what inspired the writing of the original movie, and if we can expect a ‘Girls Trip 2’ anytime soon?


    (0:00)  Intro

    (1:35)  Adapting the story for the page

    (7:33)  Addressing criticism 

    (11:29)  Adapting the story for the screen

    (14:47) Prequels?

    (17:46)  One of the sexiest casts of all-time

    (22:35)  Sable bourbon

    (22:41)  Girls Trip 2

    (24:17)  Essence Fest
    Hosts: Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay

    Guest: Malcolm D. Lee

    Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith


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    15 July 2025, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 31 minutes
    Is Nicki Lying? Plus, Tucker’s Epstein Theory and the Miami Mess. | Higher Learning | The Ringer

    Rachel and Van discuss Nicki Minaj’s X rants about the discrimination lawsuit against Megan Thee Stallion and Jay-Z’s possible debt. Then, they dissect Tucker Carlson’s Epstein cover-up theory before getting Rachel’s opinion of “the Miami mess” on X.


    00:00 - Welcome!

    24:13 - Nicki Minaj’s X posts

    44:24 - Megan’s lawsuit moving forward

    57:39 - Tucker Carlson’s Epstein theory

    1:09:18 - The Miami mess

    1:24:50 - Thanks for watching!


    Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

    Producers: Donnie Beacham and Ashleigh Smith

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    11 July 2025, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 42 minutes
    Tragic Flooding in Texas and the Essence Fest Diaspora Wars

    Van and Rachel react to the tragic Texas floods, before switching gears to discuss the conversations coming out of this year’s Essence Festival.


    (0:00)  Intro

    (0:25)  Texas Floods

    (34:29)  Essence Fest 2025

    (43:40)  Diaspora War

    (1:02:07)  Epstein Files Update

    (1:07:27)  Zohran Mamdani, African American

    (1:23:43)  4Extra’s 4th of July Accident

    (1:33:04)  Skip Bayless 


    Host: Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay

    Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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    8 July 2025, 10:00 am
  • 2 hours 15 minutes
    The Fourth of July Delivers the End of Diddy’s Trial and Trump’s Big “Beautiful” Bill | Higher Learning | The Ringer

    Let’s “celebrate” the Fourth with a two-topic episode: the Diddy trial and Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” For today’s episode we bring in Yodit Tewolde to talk about the results from the Diddy trial, and Stephen Neukam to talk about how the country will be affected by Trump’s new bill.


    00:00 - Welcome!

    00:24 - Reaction to the Diddy Trial Results

    37:08 - Celeb Reactions

    39:30 - Yodit Tewolde Joins Us!

    1:40:42- Stephen Neukam Joins Us!

    1:56:46 - Breakdown of the Bill

    2:05:00 - It’s OK to Admit That You’re Wrong



    Thanks for Watching!


    Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

    Guests: Stephen Neukam and Yodit Tewolde

    Producers: Donnie Beacham and Ashleigh Smith

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    4 July 2025, 10:00 am
  • 2 hours 4 minutes
    Authentic Abs, the Big Beautiful Bill and a Constitutional Crisis

    Van and Rachel are joined by Columbia Law School professor Jamal Greene to help break down the recent rulings from the SCOTUS.


    (0:00)  Intro

    (00:27)  The morality of stealing 

    (24:47)  Jury deliberates in Diddy trial

    (31:34)  Knicks considering Dawn Staley?

    (36:11)  Zohran Mamdani update

    (53:21)  The Big Beautiful Bill

    (1:11:05)  Jamal Greene joins the show

    (1:33:21)  Glaze of the Week

    (1:39:08) Drake and the ‘abs’ debate

    (1:50:59)  Bachelorette fight breakdown


    Host: Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay

    Guests: Professor Jamal Greene

    Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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    1 July 2025, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 54 minutes
    Draymond’s Punch, Daddy Trump, and Dropping Loaves! Plus, a Diddy Trial Update. | Higher Learning | The Ringer

    It’s Rachel’s last day in Paris, and Van’s dropping loaves (gross)! They talk about the closing statements from the Diddy trial with Yodit Tewolde before getting into quick hitters, Zohran Mamdani’s victory, and the use of the n-word by That Mexican OT.


    00:00 - Welcome!

    03:47 - Rachel’s Paris call

    14:37 - Yodit Tewolde joins us!

    43:06 - The NBA draft

    51:22 - Chuck Schumer is Hospitalized During the Heat Wave

    57:05 - Trump is called "daddy" by NATO’s secretary-general

    1:11:50 - Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York primary

    1:24:02 - Draymond Green and the punch

    1:33:25 - That Mexican OT Saying the N-word

    1:44:31 - Thanks for watching!


    Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

    Guest: Yodit Tewolde

    Producers: Donnie Beacham and Ashleigh Smith

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    27 June 2025, 10:00 am
  • 2 hours 9 minutes
    All-Out War, or Deescalation? And Crowning the "Face of The Ringer"

    Rachel’s back! And the U.S. is on the brink of war! Rep. Ro Khanna joins to bring congressional perspective to our involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, before HuffPost’s Akbar Shahid Ahmed returns to help dig into Iran’s retaliation on a U.S. military base.


    (0:00)  Intro

    (17:24)  Rep. Ro Khanna joins the show  

    (29:54)  Authorizing strikes without Congress

    (34:08)  Andrew Cuomo vs. Zohran Mamdani

    (49:32)  Akbar Shahid Ahmed

    (52:25)  Trump’s response

    (1:23:04)  NBA Finals

    (1:29:17)  Kevin Durant traded

    (1:32:31)  McGrady compares career to Kobe’s

    (1:38:44)  Face of the Ringer

    (1:54:09)  Glaze of the Week


    Host: Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay

    Guests: Rep. Ro Khanna and Akbar Shahid Ahmed

    Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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    24 June 2025, 10:00 am
  • 2 hours 7 minutes
    Juneteenth: A Fundamentally American Holiday. Plus, the Tyler Perry Lawsuit

    It’s Juneteenth, so we brought Dr. Peniel Joseph back to discuss his book, ‘Freedom Season,’ and the activist Robert F. Williams before podcaster Demetria Lucas joins to help break down the Tyler Perry lawsuit. And finally, The Ringer’s Chris Ryan joins to weigh in on the "face of The Ringer" debate.


    (0:00)  Intro

    (08:52)  Tucker Carlson & Ted Cruz

    (30:34)  Dr. Peniel Joseph joins the show

    (32:39)  ‘Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights Revolution

    (36:32)  The assault on history

    (47:26)  The life of Robert F. Williams 

    (58:14)  Demetria Lucas joins the show

    (59:29)  The Tyler Perry lawsuit

    (1:17:16)  The Diddy trial

    (1:21:17)  Chris Ryan & the face of the Ringer

    (1:35:35)  Thoughts on Juneteenth

    (1:45:38)  Pusha T disses Travis Scott


    Host: Van Lathan Jr.

    Guests: Peniel Joseph, Demetria Lucas, and Chris Ryan

    Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr.

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    20 June 2025, 10:00 am
  • 2 hours 17 minutes
    Is World War III Happening? And Will Smith Like Pretty Girls, So There’s That

    With Rachel in Europe, Van’s flying solo to address the evolving conflict in the Middle East with HuffPost’s Akbar Shahid Ahmed.


    (0:00) Intro

    (3:14) Father’s Day

    (23:35) Israel-Iran attacks

    (28:48) Akbar Shahid Ahmed joins the show

    (1:03:09) GOP Rep calls for ‘nuking’ Gaza

    (1:08:04) Minnesota lawmaker shooting

    (1:21:08) Van hates Caitlin Clark

    (1:28:56) Stephen A. Smith loves solitaire

    (1:40:39) Will Smith’s new song

    (1:53:00) Glaze of the Week

    (1:59:56) N-----ism


    Host: Van Lathan Jr.

    Guest: Akbar Shahid Ahmed

    Producer: Donnie Beacham Jr.

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    17 June 2025, 10:00 am
  • 2 hours 16 minutes
    Are Americans Cool With Chaos? Plus, Kayla and Pastor Tim Johnson on ‘Fatherless No More’

    Van and Rachel give an update on the fallout from Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, before filmmaker Kayla Johnson and Pastor Tim Johnson join to discuss their documentary, ‘Fatherless No More’.


    (0:00) Intro

    (:31) Age guidelines in dating

    (7:00) Rachel’s skunk story

    (18:35) Remembering Sly Stone

    (20:53) Remembering Ananda Lewis

    (29:09) BET Awards

    (33:26) The Me Too Movement

    (50:01) Claressa Shields snubbed?

    (51:31) Update on the anti-ICE protests

    (1:14:42) Reactions to Sen. Alex Padilla removal 

    (1:18:12) Kayla and Tim Johnson join the show

    (1:44:55) A review of Tyler Perry’s ’Straw’


    Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

    Guests: Kayla Johnson and Pastor Tim Johnson

    Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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    13 June 2025, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 43 minutes
    Anti-ICE Protests and a “Should Black People Care?” Discussion

    Van and Rachel are joined by Seema Mehta of the Los Angeles Times to address the unrest in L.A.


    (0:00) Intro

    (3:11) Cardi B and the Target boycott

    (8:40) Why Keith Sweat is single at 63

    (18:01) Swedish gospel

    (24:06) Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka

    (30:28) Anti-ICE protests in L.A.

    (48:16) Seema Mehta joins the show

    (1:01:02) Should Black people care?

    (1:26:7) 'Tha Carter VI' Review

    (1:34:21) Glaze of the Week


    Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay

    Guest: Seema Mehta

    Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith

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    10 June 2025, 10:00 am
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