Holding the Center: Between Extremes in American Discourse

Andrew Yang Podcast

Humanity Forward Productions

Society & Culture

4.8 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 August 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Andrew Yang hosts author Thomas Chatterton Williams in a deep discussion about race, identity, and political polarization. They critique the extremes of both political sides, reflect on the failures of post-2020 activism, and argue for a centrist, nuanced approach to solving America’s cultural and political divides. Check out Thomas Chatterton Williams’ new book, “The Summer of Our Discontent” ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Watch the full episode on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have any burning questions for Andrew on our next Q&A episode? Send your questions and voice memos to ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠! ---- Follow Andrew Yang: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Thomas Chatterton Williams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠ | The Summer of Our Discontent book ---- Get 50% off Factor at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Factor Meals⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get an extra 3 months free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Express VPN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get 20% off + 2 free pillows at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Helix Sleep⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Use code: helixpartner20 Get $30 off your first two (2) orders at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wonder ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| Use code: ANDREW104 ---- Subscribe to the Andrew Yang Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This week on the Andrew Yang podcast.
0:04.0	Most people are not on board with the agendas that the very energized, illiberal extremes on both sides are foisting on us.
0:13.0	And so I really, the optimism I have is that there is actually, you know, quite a large appetite for nuanced centrism that can negotiate and compromise and find common ground.
0:33.2	Our next speaker is a book coming out, and we're going to be sitting down. I'm going to
0:36.9	interview him about his book.
0:39.0	You're in for a treat, because he's a brilliant writer, very, very lucid and courageous, I would say.
0:46.4	He's written a couple of books.
0:48.2	One is, I believe, self-portrait and black and white.
0:51.1	His book coming out this summer is called The Summer of Our Discontent,
0:56.3	Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse, which is a very, very profound title. Please
1:02.0	join me in welcoming my friend Thomas Chatterton Williams. I should mention too that Thomas
1:08.9	spends a lot of time in the area. His family has a home and a town, like two towns over from here.
1:14.6	You know, you just sent a theme here.
1:15.6	It's like I reached out to people who I know love Hudson Valley,
1:18.6	and Thomas certainly falls in that camp.
1:20.6	Absolutely, yeah.
1:21.6	That's fun.
1:22.6	So there's a theme to this particular session called Unlearning Race,
1:26.6	which itself seems sort of provocative.
1:29.9	But you've written pretty extensively on this topic.
1:35.5	What do you think we're getting right and wrong on race?
1:39.2	I mean, that's a lot, so you could probably talk for some time. But you've done a lot of speaking and writing on this topic.
	...

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