Democracy In Color

It’s our 100th episode!  Erin Heaney, executive director of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), joins us to discuss the role of white allyship in the fight for justice and a multiracial democracy.  Erin shares her path to organizing, her hopes for SURJ, and details on the White Stripe Project—a new initiative between the Sandler Phillips Center, the Working Families Party and SURJ focused on increasing the number of white voters committed to progressive causes.   REFERENCES: Erin Heaney, Executive Director, SURJ - @heaney_erin SURJ - @showup4rj and surj.org "Progressives want to grow the ‘White Stripe’ of a multiracial coalition" Politico

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, Eddie Wong, former national field director for Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign, joins Steve and Sharline to reminisce on the alliance that transcended boundaries of race, gender, and socio-economic status to create a powerful force for change. Steve, Sharline, and Eddie delve into the strategies, challenges, and triumphs that marked the coalition's journey, as well as its influence on shaping today's movements for social justice and equity. Original coalition members also share personal anecdotes, insights, and reflections on how the Rainbow Coalition ignited a transformative movement that redefined the landscape of social and political activism, and the impact of Reverend Jackson’s visionary leadership in their own lives.   REFERENCES: Eddie Wong Jesse Jackson 1984 Democratic National Convention Speech Rainbow Coalition Recordings: Dr. Amanda Kemp Pierre Barolette Theresa Montaño  Ellen Spears

Congressmember Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) joins Steve and Fola to talk about his time as an educator, from being a crisis intervention teacher to founding his own school. He shares what he sees as the role of the Squad; how he got involved with Justice Democrats; and what led him to run for office in the first place. He shares his thoughts on the major issues we’re facing in K-12 education, from attacks on LGBTQ+ youth to the conservative backlash against so-called “critical race theory,” and Republicans’ refusal to take action on gun legislation. Rep. Bowman also shares what’s giving him hope and answers a very important weight-lifting question. REFERENCES: Representative Jamaal Bowman - @JamaalBowmanNY // IG: jamaalbowmanny

In a personal and moving conversation with Sharline, Steve shares the winding, yet connected roads that led to his first keynote speech at the City University of New York’s School of Labor and Urban Studies’ fifth commencement ceremony. Steve discusses the art and poetry that inspired his speech and the childhood memories that resurfaced as he wrote. In his advice to the graduates entering the workforce at one of the most critical times in our country’s history, he shares key lessons from his time in political and labor movements to his time spent writing How We Win the Civil War. He also honors Susan’s legacy and the friends they gained in their joint effort to make a difference in the world. REFERENCES: CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies Commencement 2023 - https://slu.cuny.edu/current-students/commencement Barbara James-Hogu - "Rise and Take Control" - https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/rise-and-take-control-117946 Margaret Walker - "For My People" - https://poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poe

Ben Smith, author of the new book Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral, joins the podcast to discuss how the media revolution has changed the political landscape and the implications for the future. Ben and Steve talk about his new book, the historical relationship between media and politics, and the transformation of Facebook from a social platform into a media juggernaut. Ben also shares details about Semafor, the news platform he’s building and who on the Left is actually doing media well. REFERENCES: Ben Smith - @semaforben https://twitter.com/semaforben Semafor - https://semafor.com Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral - https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/678592/traffic-by-ben-smith

In honor of Juneteenth, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the 2023 Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award Amina Luqman-Dawson joins us to talk about her award-winning debut children’s novel Freewater. Amina shares how she learned about the Great Dismal Swamp(where Freewater is set) in Virginia, the former home to the real-life maroon colony of thousands of formerly enslaved Africans who lived there in the 1700s and 1800s. She also explains why she chose to use fiction to tell the story about this important piece of American history. She and Steve reflect on the years leading up to Amina’s successful debut and Susan’s contribution to Freewater. Amina reads a passage from Freewater and Sharline’s daughter shares her thoughts on the novel. REFERENCES: Amina Luqman-Dawson - https://aminaluqman-dawson.com // https://twitter.com/AminaLuqman Freewater - https://goodreads.com/en/book/show/58275990

The 19th News’ LGBTQ+ reporter Orion Rummler breaks down the scope of the attacks against the LGBTQ+ community and the importance of having trans journalists out in the field telling these stories. Orion shares his thoughts on the Biden administration’s response, the state legislators speaking truth to power, and what’s giving him hope despite the ongoing assaults on LGBTQ+ rights. REFERENCES: Orion Rummler - @i_oriion https://twitter.com/i_oriion The 19th News - https://19thnews.org/author/orion-rummler

Greenpeace’s new executive director Ebony Twilley Martin shares her path to climate activism and the significance of her position as the first Black woman to lead a national legacy environmental organization. She discusses Greenpeace’s recent lawsuit victory and the legal strategies corporations use to silence environmental activists. She also shares her thoughts on President Biden’s response to the climate crisis, the proposed Cop City in Atlanta, and the role of young people in the fight for climate justice. REFERENCES: Ebony Twilley Martin - @Ebony_4_Justice To support Greenpeace: Text 86799 1-800-722-6995 engage.us.greenpeace.org

The Washington Post’s White House Bureau Chief Toluse Olorunnipa and The New Yorker’s Robert Samuels join us to discuss their book, His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life and The Struggle for Racial Justice. The book was a finalist for the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction. The writers discuss how the concept for the book came to be and why it was important to trace George Floyd’s ancestry as far back as the Civil War. They also share their outlooks on where we are as a country today and what they hope readers take away from their book. REFERENCES: Robert Samuels - @newsbysamuels Toluse Olorunnipa - @ToluseO His Name Is George Floyd - https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/703358/his-name-is-george-floyd-by-robert-samuels-and-toluse-olorunnipa

Steve, Sharline, and Julie dive into the facts and data of the California Senate race ahead of the 2024 election to replace Senator Dianne Feinstein. They discuss current polling data related to the race, racial demographics underlying the state, including its growing Latino population, and Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2020 promise to appoint a Black woman to the seat. REFERENCES: CA-12 - Rep. Barbara Lee - https://barbaraleeforca.com CA-47 - Rep. Katie Porter - https://katieporter.com CA-30 - Rep. Adam Schiff - https://adamschiff.com The Nation // Steve Phillips - “Don’t Count Barbara Lee Out of the California Senate Race” - https://thenation.com/article/politics/barbara-lee-ca-senate-race

NOTE: This episode was recorded a week before former President Trump was indicted by the state of New York on charges related to alleged hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels. We discuss the current state of the Republican Party and its continued devolvement into the party of white racial resentment. We examine four leading contenders for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination, including Trump, who despite his recent indictment could very well still be in the running. We analyze Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ attempts at fanning the flames of hatred and division and what makes him a modern-day George Wallace. We also look at two POC South Carolina Republicans—former governor Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott—and discuss whether their attempts to weave their backgrounds into a party that is hellbent on attacking people based on their identity can work. REFERENCES The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Mark Niesse – Ban on ‘Zuckerbucks’ election money in Georgia heads to final votes(https://www.ajc.com/pol

Newly-elected Congressmember Jennifer McClellan just became the first Black woman representative from Virginia. She comes with a powerful slate of accomplishments dedicated to expanding and protecting our democracy. Rep. McClellan joins us to share how her love of history and her family’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement led her to politics; her proudest achievements during her time in the Virginia state legislature; and her goals as a new House member. She explains how the Voting Rights Act of Virginia came to be (she was one of the main architects behind the bill), and what it meant for her to see the monument honoring white supremacist Confederate general, Robert E. Lee, come down in 2021. REFERENCES: Rep. Jennifer McClellan - @JennMcClellanVA

Activist, strategist and organizer Heather Booth is a living legend. Booth—the founder of Jane, an underground abortion service she started in Chicago prior to Roe v. Wade—joins us to share how she got started in organizing and social justice work, the legacy of the Janes, and the lessons she’s learned for future generations of organizers and leaders. She recounts her early activist days as an organizer alongside Fannie Lou Hamer during Mississippi’s 1964 Freedom Summer to her founding of the Midwest Academy, the go-to training program for organizers in the progressive movement today. Heather also shares what it’s been like to be a woman leader in the movement and her advice for those who want to make a difference today. REFERENCES: Heather Booth - @hboothgo Documentary - Heather Booth - Changing the World https://heatherbooththefilm.com Documentary - The Janes - https://hbo.com/movies/the-janes Feature Film - Call Jane - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Jane Photo - Heather Booth & Fannie Lou Ha

Shoshana Guy, the “sho”-runner (pun intended) of Hulu’s new docuseries The 1619 Project, joins the podcast to discuss the significance of the series and her career trajectory—from broadcast network news to leading the critically acclaimed Netflix series High on the Hog. She and Sharline also reminisce about how they met more than 15 years ago and Shoshana shares what’s next for her as a creative Black woman at the top of her game. REFERENCES: Shoshana Guy - @Shoshana_Guy The 1619 Project // Hulu - https://press.hulu.com/shows/the-1619-project Nikole Hannah-Jones - @nhannahjones The 1619 Project // The New York Times - https://nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html

Executive Director of Justice Democrats Alexandra Rojas joins us to talk about the organization’s instrumental role in recruiting and running young progressive candidates and how they’re rewriting the rules for what a political leader looks like. Justice Democrats is the group behind Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ historic 2018 victory against 10-term Democratic incumbent Joseph Crowley, as well as freshman Representative Summer Lee’s historic 2022 victory to become the first Black Congresswoman from Pennsylvania. Alexandra recounts AOC’s political rise and the role Justice Democrats has been playing in revolutionizing U.S. electoral politics. Alexandra also shares her own story, including why she dropped out of community college to work on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. REFERENCES: Alexandra Rojas - @alexandrasiera Justice Democrats - @justicedems - justicedemocrats.com

Emmy Ruiz, current Assistant to the President and White House Director of Political Strategy & Outreach and former campaign aide to President Barack Obama, Secretary Hillary Clinton, and Vice President Kamala Harris, is an all-around rockstar. Emmy joins us to talk about her path to politics, the importance of building diverse campaign teams, and what she’s learned along the way from her time as a presidential campaign manager in Nevada and Colorado to what it’s like to be a mother in a high-pressure career. She also shares the powerful role her family played in helping her get to where she is today and she provides insight into what young people who are interested in politics can do to get involved.

Happy New Year! For our first episode of 2023, Steve and Sharline take a look at some of the key issues Democrats should pay attention to this year. From the upcoming Virginia elections to the Party’s new primary calendar and questions surrounding Biden’s reelection, they dive into the major themes that will define the year ahead. They also touch briefly on the chaos taking place within the Republican Party and what it means for the next two years. Steve also shares his thoughts on grief and Sharline pays a touching tribute to Susan Sandler, Steve’s partner in social change and life, who passed away on December 16, 2022, and who would have encouraged us all to keep doing the work and fighting the fight.

For our final episode of the year, Steve, Sharline, and Julie reflect on the past year as they highlight some of the major political victories and challenges of 2022. They also share their favorite pop culture moments from this year. And Steve makes a touching tribute to his wife Susan as they celebrate the 32nd anniversary of their first date. See you in 2023! REFERENCES: “Wednesday” - Netflix Jenna Ortega - @jennaortega “Only Murders in the Building” - HULU Selena Gomez - @selenagomez Wakanda Forever - Marvel Tenoch Huerta - @tenochhuerta

Crystal Hayling, executive director of the Libra Foundation, joins us to discuss her path to philanthropy, how she’s helped center issues of social and racial justice, and what it’s going to take to make sure those at the forefront of change are able to get the resources they need. Crystal also shares why and how she started the Democracy Frontlines Fund, which raised over $36 million to fund Black-led organizations fighting for democracy, following the police murder of George Floyd. REFERENCES: Crystal Hayling - @CHayling Libra Foundation - https://thelibrafoundation.org

Hosts of the “democracy-ish” podcast Wajahat Ali and Danielle Moodie join us for a special crossover episode to discuss 2022 midterm election results, the fragility of our democracy, the role youth voters played this cycle and what to expect in 2024. Our guests share how their podcast came to be, how they’re feeling about last week’s elections, and their hope for a multiracial democracy in this country. This special episode is the first half of a larger conversation and you’ll be able to hear the other half of that conversation next week on the “democracy-ish” podcast. REFERENCES: “Democracy-ish” Podcast - https://dcpofficial.com/democracy-ish Danielle Moodie - @DeeTwoCents Wajahat Ali - @WajahatAli