Higher Learning Podcast Summary: "Ye’s Apology, Latest Death in Minneapolis, and Aldis Hodge and Ben Watkins on ‘Cross’"

Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay
Guests: Aldis Hodge and Ben Watkins (from the Prime Video show Cross)
Episode Focus: A deep dive into Kanye West’s public apology, the killing of Alex Preddy by federal agents in Minneapolis, systemic policing issues, and a conversation with the creators of Cross about Black representation and storytelling.

Episode Overview

This episode opens with immediate reactions to Kanye West’s headline-grabbing apology, moves into a thorough discussion of the recent ICE/Border Patrol killing in Minneapolis (Alex Preddy), and then hosts Aldis Hodge and Ben Watkins to discuss their show Cross, Black representation, and cultural responsibility in media.

1. Kanye West's Full-Page Apology

[02:02 – 07:48]

Context & Main Narrative

• Breaking news: Kanye West published a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal to both the Jewish and Black communities.
• The letter provides personal context about his 2001 car accident, reveals a late bipolar type 1 diagnosis, and details his struggles with mental illness as root cause for his controversial behavior.

Letter Highlights (read nearly in full):

• West cites undiagnosed frontal lobe trauma leading to mental health and later, a confirmed diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2023.
• He accepts responsibility for actions during manic episodes but clarifies, “It does not excuse what I did.”
• Emphasizes commitment “to accountability, treatment and meaningful change,” requests patience, not sympathy.
• Notably addresses the Black community: “To the Black community… I am sorry to have let you down. I love us.”
• Mentions finding comfort in Reddit forums and engaging in ongoing treatment.

Hosts’ Reaction

• Rachel Lindsay refuses to “apology-rate”: “He’s talking in this letter extensively about his mental health… I don’t want to do that when it comes to somebody’s mental health.” [07:48]
• Rachel: “This is very detailed in a way we haven’t seen from Kanye before… [He] says he’s not asking for a free pass… I think people can accept what he’s saying and wish him well, but also the damage might be done.”
• Van Lathan: Discusses Kanye’s possible motives (seeking reentry to mainstream culture, “maybe he doesn’t like the wilderness as much as he thought”). Asserts the apology feels sincere per sources close to West, but also emphasizes the gravity of his public betrayals: “He made monsters to eat the people that made him. He… gave it [his cultural platform] to them [right-wing figures]. That has to be undone.” [14:17]

Notable Quotes

• Van Lathan: “To accept him as a cultural figure that you would then empower again, he’s got to choose a side… He’s got to: I don’t stand with Nazis. I don’t stand with anti-Blackness.” [15:38]
• Rachel Lindsay: “It should be that he should be held accountable and people should be waiting for the actions of him undoing that… But people are already forgiving and writing it off.” [17:16]

Key Themes

• Tension between compassion for mental illness and public/cultural accountability.
• The expectation that Black artists who draw from Black culture owe protection to their community.
• Worry that apologies may erase a nuanced reckoning with past harm, especially concerning Kanye’s enabling of extremists.

2. ICE-Related Police Killing in Minneapolis: The Death of Alex Preddy

[31:58 – 57:08]

Context & Summary

• 37-year-old Alex Preddy was killed by federal agents (Border Patrol) in Minneapolis—the second such fatality there this month.
• Preddy, a nurse and community member, was legally armed, helping after pepper-spray use, and shot 10-11 times in a well-documented incident.
• Community activism and video evidence sharply contradict the official ICE narrative.

Key Analysis & Conversation Points

• Rachel Lindsay frames it as authoritarian precedent: "The lawlessness… is being cosigned by the administration… You can kill an American citizen and… justify the killing with lies." [34:33]
• Van tallies at least 16–19 ICE-involved shootings since Trump’s second term and describes systematic lying and coverups by authorities.
• Rachel highlights numerous civil rights violations—Fourth and Fifth Amendment infringements, law enforcement impersonation, warrantless arrests, and “administrative warrants” in lieu of judicial ones.
• The hosts sharply critique ICE, Border Patrol, and political leadership for open lies and contempt for community safety.
• Rachel points out underlying white supremacist affiliations and the double standard in gun rights enforcement: “It is okay for you to hold a gun as long as you are aligned with their beliefs.” [53:43]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Van Lathan (on official denials): “That’s such a profound, amazing lie… These people think that you are either so stupid or so weak or so captured that you will believe anything they say.” [42:09]
• Rachel Lindsay: “To be MAGA is to be a hypocrite. That is the only way you can exist within that thinking. That's why we call it cult-like thinking.” [53:43]
• Van (critiquing 2A hypocrisy): “You 2A community motherfuckers are the biggest hypocrites... The government that supposedly is on your side said having a gun is punishable by death… I thought y’all wanted that.” [49:07]

Legal & Political Action

• Temporary restraining order issued to preserve evidence in the Preddy case.
• Minnesota AG seeks restraining order to halt ICE surges; legal options for prosecuting federal agents remain but are likely to hit conservative judicial roadblocks.

Policy and Political Conclusions

• Van: “ICE cannot be reformed. ICE is too far gone… They must be abolished… It’s them or us. What side are you on?” [59:51]
• Rachel: “Senate Democrats… will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included. If it does not pass, we’re looking at a government shutdown.” [61:06]

3. Interview: Aldis Hodge & Ben Watkins on ‘Cross’ and Black Storytelling

[68:33 – 112:30]

The Show Cross (Prime Video)

• Season 2 upcoming; season 1 was a surprise hit.
• Cross is adapted from the James Patterson novels; season structure mirrors novels—"each season is its own book."
• Character focus: Alex Cross (Aldis Hodge) is a Black detective, navigating law enforcement’s fraught relationship with Black communities.

Key Discussion Topics

The Pressure and Responsibility of Black Creatives

• Ben Watkins: “There’s so many things that come built in with that [Alex Cross being Black]… To have his best friend, the love story is two Black men who love each other as friends and brothers. That’s rare.” [74:13]
• Aldis Hodge: Describes representing nuanced, full Black humanity: “This is what we have been and have always been. I was relieved to not have to try to explain these things—just walks into a room unapologetically… putting intellect first.” [81:08]

Navigating "Copaganda" and Nuance in Storytelling

• The show intentionally grapples with the enduring cultural contradictions of Black officers in police institutions, aiming for nuance over propaganda.
• Cross aims to depict both the affiliation and tension between community and policing without preaching.
• Ben: “There is no version where it’s not propaganda… You really gotta make sure that you’re telling the whole story.” [80:41]

Black Artists and Audience Expectations

• Hodge and Watkins discuss the challenge of having to "represent the totality" of Black experience due to lack of comparable shows.
• Ben: “There might not be another person in this chair for a long time… I can educate them… [If only] 10 of them… get the lightbulb moment, that will have a ripple effect.” [87:30]
• They share stories of executive pushback and fatigue, but now try to embrace the opportunity to expand perspectives.

Discussion of Vigilantism (Season 2 themes)

• The season interrogates morality—“If somebody does the wrong thing for the right reason, is that justifiable?” [94:37]
• They want viewers to question their own rooting interests and complicity—“We make you feel a certain way about them, then hope to make you question your own feelings.” [97:06]

Audience Reception and Black Community Engagement

• The show’s success aided by intentional community outreach and word-of-mouth, with Amazon’s marketing supporting targeted engagement.
• Fans connect with different elements (fatherhood, brotherhood, community).

Notable Quotes

• Aldis Hodge: “When we get in our position, we’re often isolated, where we now have to represent the totality of all.” [89:05]
• Ben Watkins: "If you do the show you want to do, you'll never regret it." [71:34]

Humorous/Light Moments

• The group jokes about old soap-operas, Die Hard sequels, and being recognized for their roles.

4. Brief Notes on Other Segments

[62:12 – 65:27]

• Crockett/Talarico debate: Both aligned on abolishing ICE; neither strongly distinguished themselves on other key issues.
• Chris Broussard tweet criticized for “both-sidesism” equating anti-trans rhetoric with ICE’s gun violence: “What the fuck are you talking about...blood in the streets, and we're both sides in it?” [66:53]

5. Closing & Takeaways

• Van and Rachel preview upcoming topics: the Cory Hul punching incident; Congressman Maxwell Frost's assault at Sundance; continued tracking of political and moral fallout in Minneapolis.
• Final Note: The episode blends unflinching assessments of politics, culture, and media, asking listeners to balance empathy for those struggling with mental illness with holding public figures to account, and to demand better of both policy and representation.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Van Lathan: “He made monsters to eat the people that made him.” [14:17]
• Rachel Lindsay: “I appreciate this. I really hope you’re okay. But for me, too much has been done.” [08:55]
• Van Lathan (on ICE): “ICE cannot be reformed. ICE is too far gone… They must be abolished.” [59:51]
• Rachel Lindsay: “It is okay for you to hold a gun as long as you are aligned with their beliefs and what they do.” [53:43]
• Ben Watkins: “If you do anything trying to please somebody else... if it doesn't go well, you gotta be kicking yourself.” [71:39]
• Aldis Hodge: “I've had to explain... it's only one of me here representing this percentage... but you got 75 of y'all.” [89:05]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Kanye West's Apology: [02:02–18:26]
• Minneapolis ICE Killing/Alex Preddy: [31:58–57:08]
• Abolish ICE & Dem Politics: [57:08–65:27]
• Debate Recap, Chris Broussard Critique: [62:12–67:54]
• Interview: Aldis Hodge & Ben Watkins: [68:33–112:30]

Tone & Language

• Conversational, passionate, sometimes profane and deeply personal—especially when discussing harm to Black communities or the duty of Black public figures.

This episode is rich with critical analysis, empathy, and sharp commentary—perfect for listeners looking to understand the complexities behind headlines in Black culture and politics, as well as evolving Black creative voices in television.