Frequent listeners of NPR’s "Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me" may know of Maz Jobrani. He’s an Iranian-American comedian and actor, and a frequent panelist on the show. Jobrani says comedians can play an important role in challenging stereotypes. We talk about how he’s doing that ahead of a series of performances this week at the Punchline Comedy Club in Atlanta.

Then, Atlanta activist Cecily McMillan is only 27 years old, but she's experienced things that most of us will never face. In 2014, McMillan was convicted for assaulting a police officer during an Occupy Wall Street protest, and she served three months behind bars at Rikers Island in New York. She made numerous accusations while incarcerated about abuse and prisoner neglect. We speak with her about her new memoir, which chronicles her time at Rikers Island, and the changes she wants to see in the correctional system.

Plus, this summer during the Democratic National Convention, First Lady Michelle Obama revealed a piece of American history that’s not well known - that slaves helped construct the White House. Many of the early U.S. presidents had slaves. In his new book, author Ken Davis documents that history from the perspectives of five people who were enslaved.

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