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WAMU-FM, Washington’s NPR news station, launched 51st, a six-episode third season of its podcast What’s With Washington. The series will focus on Washingtonians’ fight for representation and why attempts to secure statehood have been repeatedly thwarted.
Hosted by WAMU’s Mikaela Lefrak, 51st will begin by answering the question: Why are we talking about statehood now? Future episodes will trace how racism, party politics and the U.S. Constitution have stood in the way of the city’s path to full representation.
Lefrak will bring listeners the history of the D.C. statehood movement, the effects of lack of representation on D.C. residents, the potential future of the statehood movement and more, while interweaving compelling interviews with advocates and dissenters alike.