Terrell J Starr Official
by Terrell J Starr
Founded in 2020 and led by Terrell Jermaine Starr, this is the go-to podcast for those who want relatable content on global affairs that doesn’t center the perspectives of white male experts. Few foreign policy shows are led by Black people or center the opinions, experiences and expertise of people of color. Black Diplomats is one exception. Guests are mostly people of color and people who are indigenous to the regions the episodes focus on.
Episodes
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Ukrainian POW Recalls How He Went From Pacifist To Soldier
I sat down with Maksym Butkevych, a human rights activist who spent more than two years as a POW in Russian captivity. Hearing him describe the torture and starvation he endured was heartbreaking. What moved me most was Maksym's transformation—from a pacifist with no military experience to…
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Ukrainian Soldier: Trump Thinks Putin Is His Friend. He’s Not.
Regardless of how the talks in Alaska end between Russian President Vladimir Putin And U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian-American soldier Yaroslav Ponomarov believes it will not end in Ukraine’s favor. Yaroslav moved to Brooklyn with his parents when he was five and grew up American. But…
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Terrell at the Lviv Book Forum with Myroslav Shkandrij and Bohdana Romantsova
Terrell was invited to be on a panel at the Hay Festival in Lviv in October. It's a wide ranging conversation that places the current war in the kind of historical context that is rarely a part of legacy media reporting. The work of Myroslav Shkandrij, professor emeritus at the Department of…
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What is Project 2025?
Have you heard of Project 2025? If not, you better learn fast. It's the GOP's 900-plus page conservative manifesto aimed at dismantling the federal government and the Democratic Party has no answer for it. Here to talk about 2025 is Anne Nelson, who read the entire document and is traveling the...
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Are Pro-Palestine Protests An Elite College Phenomenon?
Do HBCU students care about what’s happening in Gaza? Of course they do, but there are some distinct social-economic factors that play a role in how Black kids who attend HBCUs are protesting—or, in many cases, not at all. Two-time HBCU president Dr. Walter Kimbrough joins the podcast this week…
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Black People Care About Foreign Affairs
This week, Black Diplomats Podcast speaks with Christopher Shell, a fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment. At Carnegie, Christopher’s work studies how Black Americans feel about foreign policy issues. We talked about how Black folks feel about Ukraine, Gaza and other...
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Young Georgians Talk About #TbilisiProtests
Today, I speak with two young Georgians under 30-years-old who have been hitting the streets every day in protest of their ruling government’s introduction of a “foreign agent” law that critics say will restrict the work of organizations and independent media that safeguard free and fair…
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Ukrainians and Palestinians Are Fighting Occupation
This week, I spoke with two Ukainians who support Palestine and why they feel it is important for their countrymen and women to understand colonialism in other parts of the world. Rita Adel, a humanitarian analyst, and Vladyslav Starodubtsev, a socialist leader and historian, and I talked about...
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How A Ukrainian Therapist Supports People Sexually Assaulted By Russian Soldiers
Warning: This week’s episode will focus on sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers. Reader, listener and viewer discretion is advised This week, I talk about Ukrainian civilians who survived sexual assault from Russian troops during the war. Ukraine is investigating nearly 300 cases of…
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Why Georgians Are Protesting a Russian 'Foreign Agent' Bill
This week’s episode is about the ongoing protests in Georgia in response to the country’s ruling political party, Georgia Dream, moving forward with its “foreign agent.” Officially titled “On the Transparency of Foreign Influence," the bill, if passed into law, would require organizations in the...
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Breaking Down Putin's Weird Obsession with Ukrainian 'History'
#ukraine #russia #putin #warinukraine #blackdiplomats #ukrainianhistory #history #harvard Terrell J. Starr spoke with Havard Professor of Ukrainian History Serhii Plokhii about Putin’s obsession with fake Ukrainian history, Ukrainian resistance against Russian colonialism, Stepan Bandara…
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Ukraine's Fight for Crimea
#crimea #crimeantatars #ukraine #russia #ukrainianhistory #history Terrell spoke with Tamila Tasheva, the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea about liberating Crimea, human rights violations on the peninsula, Crimean history and what people…
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Fighting Putin's Disinformation with Maria Adveeva
#ukraine #russia #putin #zelensky #warinukraine #blackdiplomats Terrell J. Starr spoke with Ukrainian security expert Maria Avdeeva about Russia’s ongoing missile attacks against civilian targets, Germany’s reluctance to send Taurus missiles, why Russia doesn’t want peace, her own work…
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Ukraine’s Nobel Peace Prize Winner Talks Solidarity With Palestine, Africa
#ukraine #blackdiplomats #foreignpolicy #un #unitednations #nobelprize Terrell Jermaine Starr speaks with Ukraine’s first Nobel Peace Prize Winner Oleksandra Matviichuk about her work as a war crimes documentor, the broken United Nations system, why it’s not possible to have peace with Russia and...
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Putin’s Bluffing About Nukes
I spoke with Christopher Shell and Nola Haynes about Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats, why Black people should care about foreign policy, Andrew Tate’s arrest, uncommitted voter movement and more. Host: Terrell Jermaine Starr Guests: Christopher Shell is a fellow at Carnegie Endowment for...
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Ukraine, Trump, and Building Solidarity with Africans
#ukraine #russianinvasion #foreignpolicy #trump #nato This week, Terrell Starr and Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk discuss how Ukrainians are reacting to the possibility of Trump winning the U.S. election, her curiosity over Black support for Trump, NATO’s relationship with its Eastern…
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MAGA’s White Nationalism Is Blocking Ukraine Military Aid. Plus Thoughts on Navalny’s Death and African Refugees Who Fled Ukraine
Terrell J. Starr and guest Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon discuss the second year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the African students who faced discrimination while fleeing the war, House Speaker’s Mike Johnson’s refusal to bring the U.S. Senate’s bill to the floor for a vote, how…
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Black Women Defending Democracy and Thoughts on Navalny's Death - Black Diplomats w/ Gaslit Nation
Greetings, everyone. This week, I was a guest on Andrea Chalupa’s Gaslit Nation podcast, where we discussed Alexei Navalny’s death and how we should all be reflecting on it. This recording is from her most recent episode. We also talked about how New York State Attorney General Tish James and...
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Palestine In Context
This week, we’re replaying our May 10 show about Palestine. We’re pretty sure you’re aware of the terrorist attacks Hamas committed against Israeli civilians October 7 and Israel’s response. What is making matters worse is the massive disinformation that is going around on social media. Twitter…
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Liberating Iran featuring Priscillia Kounkou Hoveyda
The fifth and final episode of “Liberating Iran” features Priscillia Kounkou Hoveyda. She talks about being Black in Iran and the racism she and other Black Iranians face under Tehran’s brutal theocracy. This episode is one of the few pieces of reporting that deals with the lives of Black…
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Liberating Iran featuring Yegi & Jason Rezaian
The fourth episode of “Liberating Iran” features Yegi Rezaian, who tells us about her life as a reporter in Iran and her efforts to free her husband Jason, with whom she was falsely imprisoned after he was accused of being a U.S. spy in July 0f 2024. Please go and buy his book, “Prisoner: My 544...
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Liberating Iran featuring Nahid Siamdoust
The third episode of “Liberating Iran” features Nahid Siamdoust, who takes us through the history of Iranian feminism and the decades of female musical expression that defines today’s protests in Iran. Please go and buy her book, “Soundtrack of the Revolution: The Politics of Music in Iran.” This...
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Liberating Iran featuring Pouya Alimagham
The second episode of “Liberating Iran” deals with the 1953 CIA coup that overthrew Iran's leadership and how that event provides better context for Washington’s relationship with Tehran—not the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover. Historian Pouya Alimagham helps us understand how devastating the West’s...
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Liberating Iran featuring Assal Rad
The first episode of “Liberating Iran” drops today. Assal Rad breaks down the Iran Deal and the political history between the U.S. and Iran that explains why relations between the two nations are so frayed. Please go and buy Assal’s book “State of Resistance: Politics, Culture & Identity in…
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Black Diplomats presents: Liberating Iran
Coming July 29: A five-part series about Iran through the eyes of Iranians - protest, history, music, Black Iranian struggle, what the U.S. always gets wrong, and how we can get it right this time. Join host Terrell J. Starr as he unlearns years of media hype to find out the real history of Iran.
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WTF IS GOING ON IN RUSSIA?
Good evening from Kyiv! Today’s show is all about the ongoing and ever-changing newscycle revolving around the aftermath of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed mutiny of the Russia’s Ministry of Defense. I break down the aftermath of how Russian President Vladimir Putin is responding to everything and the...
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Kakhova dam explosion and Fatima Muhammed at CUNY
This week on Black Diplomats, I start off with news about the Kakhova dam explosion in the Kherson region that has claimed at least 5 lives and is causing a massive ecocide in the area. For on the ground coverage, please read these articles that break down what is going on: The New York Times…
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Terrell Goes Back to Ukraine
On this episode of Black Diplomats we're doing something different. Terrell is on his way back to Ukraine so he sat down with BD producer Michael Hull to talk about his plans for the summer, some special projects we have coming up, and what the media needs to do to help the world survive the 2024...
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The State of Disinformation with Shireen Mitchell
What are we to believe nowadays? It’s a question most of us have asked since social media platforms began competing with traditional media outlets in the 2010s. Everyone has the power to push out information and that is actually a good thing. We saw the power of citizen journalism during the...
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War in Ukraine, Sudan, and remembering Shireen Abu Akleh
Terrell J. Starr opens up this week’s episode of Black Diplomas with his thoughts on Great Britain’s likely shipment of long range missiles to Ukraine, weapons Kyiv have long requested. He also talks about the disinformation fog that will precede the upcoming Ukrainian offensive. From there he...
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Fighting Fascism in Israel, Europe, Russia, and the U.S.
Producer’s Note: We need your financial support! Please give us 5 star ratings on Spotify, iTunes or wherever you listen to us. Also support our work financially on CashApp at $BlackDiplomats,Venmo @BlackDiplomats and on PayPal at paypal.me/BlackDiplomats. This week on Black Diplomats, where...
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Fighting Russian Colonialism and Western White Supremacy
Today’s show is a great one! I had the pleasure of discussing what it means for Black Lives Matter organizers and Ukrainian activists to fight systems of oppression together. LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, and Maryna Prykhodko, a board member at Razom, one of the biggest...
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Black Diplomats is back, baby!
Black Diplomats is back, baby! We have a new show format that’ll make the episode easier to follow, so let us know what you think about it. Today, my special guests, Nola Haynes and Earl Carr, will discuss the worsening Chinese-U.S. relationship, with a focus on the Chinese nationals arrested in...
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Ukraine Take Kherson
This week Russia was pushed out of the regional capital of Kherson, bringing Ukraine another dramatic step closer to ending the war on their terms. Much of the oblast is still under Russian control, but capturing the city and surrounding territories is a major victory for Ukraine. This is only…
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Ukraine Offensive and NATO Membership with Solomiia Bobrovska
The effective borders of Ukraine are in constant motion, with Russian forces in retreat. The massive Kerch Bridge connecting Russian and Crimea was severely damaged by a truck bomb this week, and there have been several missile strikes in civilian neighborhoods in Ukraine. While war is raging on...
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Russians Flee to Georgia on "Vacation"
Russia is losing their war in Ukraine. They’ve been pushed back on the ground, and Ukraine is re-arming with Western help. Even Russia’s global allies are voicing concern. With losses piling up, the Kremlin decided to start calling on their national reserve - trained soldiers who are not on…
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War With Friends part 2
In this episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr talks to Andriy Kononenko, a close personal friend and fighter in Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Force. Andriy is a language professional and co-founder of NovaMova, a language school with outposts in Kyiv and all over Eastern Europe. He is an...
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War with Friends
On today’s episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr talks to three people who are dealing with the war in Ukraine on very personal terms. Most of the news about the war is concentrated on borders, troop losses, and the nuclear threat. Our guests in this episode are focused on protecting…
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War in Ukraine with Inna Sovsun
Inna Sovsun is a member of Parliament in Ukraine and a university professor. Sovsun is in an opposition party so she’s usually working against the established leadership in her country. But one thing she’s very clear on: politics can wait until they’ve kicked Putin’s troops off their land. From a...
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War in Ukraine with Mayor Oleg Volsky
Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr is in Ukraine covering the Russian invasion. This week he spoke with Oleg Volsky, the mayor of Zhovkva, a town about 40 minutes north of Lviv. Volsky was in the town square talking to constituents when he sat with Terrell for a short interview. As mayor of the...
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The Human Toll of War in Ukraine
War has come to Ukraine. Black Diplomats has been on the ground in Ukraine from the beginning of the show two years ago. We've talked to journalists, diplomats, policy experts, military strategists, and others about exactly this scenario. We heard for months that the Ukrainian military was…
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English Language Media in Ukraine
With so much hysteria and propaganda going around the world about Ukraine it’s important to find journalists on the ground that we can trust. Whether it’s Kremlin backed mouthpieces like Russia Today or anything coming out of the US State Department it’s clear the concerns of the innocent…
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Russian Colonialism
Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr is in Ukraine, despite President Biden’s warning that Americans should leave. He’s reporting on the ground, but also spending time with loved ones and friends. Like everyone else in the country he’s keeping an eye on the Russian troops at the border but trying…
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Ambassador Michael McFaul on Ukraine/Russia Relations
Michael McFaul is a seasoned Diplomat who was Ambassador to Russia under President Obama. This is a man who has been in the room for negotiations with Putin and he has a lot to say about the current situation in Ukraine. Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr has been following McFaul’s career and...
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German-Russian Relations and the impact on Ukraine
As Russian troops continue the build up on Ukraine’s border some people are suggesting Germany toughen their rhetoric and policies. But even Ukrainian President Zelensky has asked the Biden administration to tone it down, so what’s the move? The history of these nations is as hard as it gets…
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Ukrainian Security
As Ukraine celebrates its long holiday season, all eyes are on the East. Putin has built up a massive force on the border between Russia and Ukraine but so far no one knows what he plans to do with it. The US media are talking about a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia, apparently forgetting...
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Crisis in Kazakhstan
There have been nationwide protests in Kazakhstan recently and the Western media did what they always do: show a few pictures of destruction and ignore the cause of the people in the streets. With Russian troops coming in to ‘maintain order’ and a ban on the widely used mobile internet it’s very...
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American Insurrection
It has been one year since the attempted coup on January 6, 2021, when supporters of former president Trump broke into Congress and tried to take control of the seat of government. The folks responsible for the chaos have worked hard to change the narrative any way they can - blaming Black Lives...
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2021 Wrap Up with Pam Keith
2021 was a beast. There was an insurrection, a global pandemic, vaccine inequality, rich people went to space (sort of). Bad people lived while good people died. It was a lot. Pam Keith joins Terrell in this episode of Black Diplomats for a debrief. Of course they talk about their mental health…
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Fall of the USSR
The USSR dissolved 30 years ago this week, so Terrell sat down with two people in a former Soviet colony who are living through the aftermath. Olga Tokariuk and Illia Ponomarenko are journalists in Ukraine where Russian troops are currently occupying Crimea. With the threat of a larger invasion...
About this show
Founded in 2020 and led by Terrell Jermaine Starr, this is the go-to podcast for those who want relatable content on global affairs that doesn’t center the perspectives of white male experts. Few foreign policy shows are led by Black people or center the opinions, experiences and expertise of people of color. Black Diplomats is one exception. Guests are mostly people of color and people who are indigenous to the regions the episodes focus on.
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Terrell J Starr
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