Billy Porter on growing up Black and gay in America

Longtime SNL cast member Colin Jost will be hosting this year's White House correspondents’ dinner. We revisit a 2020 conversation with Jost about how he has used the power of the written word and comedy to get through life’s challenges and some of the poignant events that have shaped him. Conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on July 20, 2020.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on April 3, comedian Alex Edelman talks about his HBO comedy special “Just for Us,” how it became “conversant with the times” in the aftermath of Oct. 7, the mechanics of his comedy and why he’s decided to stop doing the routine.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 21, Skydio CEO Adam Bry talks about the prominence of China in the drone industry, why it threatens U.S. national security, and how the company’s drones are being used both in Ukraine and here in the United States.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 22, actor Regina King breaks down her starring role as Shirley Chisholm in the new biopic, “Shirley,” talks about why the film took 15 years to make and explores the lawmaker’s enduring legacy.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March 13, actor and comedian Julio Torres talks about his directorial debut, “Problemista,” which he also wrote and stars in, digs into how his own experience with the U.S. immigration system informs the film and explores the importance of the protagonist Alejandro being a fully fleshed character.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on March. 6, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) breaks down why he’s worried President Biden’s support for Israel is fraying the Democratic coalition, how Congress should investigate the administrations steady and quiet transfer of arms to Israel, how activists’ calls for a permanent cease-fire have affected White House messaging, and what he hopes to hear from the president’s State of the Union address.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 23, Oscar-nominated actor Jeffrey Wright discusses his latest film, "American Fiction," how the movie further explores themes of race and identity, how to have "better discourse" regarding race and the landscape for Black storytellers in Hollywood.

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 15, two-time WNBA champion A’ja Wilson discusses her new book, “Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You,” as well as how her grandmother made her a dreamer, what brought her to basketball and why Black women and girls need to have “the talk” that’s associated with Black men and boys since the death of Trayvon Martin.”

In this conversation recorded for Washington Post Live on Feb. 14, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston talks about how the influx of migrants sent to his city has pushed it to “a breaking point,” what the impact of the bipartisan Senate immigration bill would have been and how former president Donald Trump is trying to keep the crisis going.

Almost four months since Hamas’ barbaric attacks, Israel’s bloody operation in Gaza is still ongoing, with civilian casualties mounting by the day. The war has dominated our news feeds and dinner table conversations, and opened up rifts that cross traditional partisan lines. Three of our columnists — Jason Rezaian, Alyssa Rosenberg and Shadi Hamid — got together to discuss if the war is changing how they think about America, its moral standing in the world and what it means to be an American. Keep listening for updates on more conversations coming from the Opinions team at The Post. Capehart will be back with a new episode next week.