Deepak Bhargava, president of the Movement Action Fund, discusses the reality of the moment we’re facing and what it’s going to take to win back our democratic freedoms.

He shares what history, both at home and abroad, can teach us about defending ourselves against fascism and authoritarianism and he explains why the “Sue, Protest, Vote” framework is not robust enough anymore.

Deepak shares lessons learned from civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson, including how to engage nonviolent resistance as a way of life and he dives into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to winning power and protecting our rights. 

REFERENCES: 

Deepak Bhargava - Practical Radicals

"We are no longer free. But we can win our freedom back" The Guardian

In this episode:

New York Times bestselling author and scholar Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs discusses her new book Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden From Us and why she set out to write a book that makes plain one of the organizing principles and primary barriers to progress in the U.S.

Against the backdrop of what’s happening in L.A. right now, Anna’s book offers insight into whose values and ways of life Trump is fighting to protect. Anna dives into the nuances of sexism and racism, sharing stories from her personal life that illuminate the many ways American patriarchy works to erase the contributions of Black women, Native women, immigrants, and people of color across the board.

REFERENCES:

Anna Malaika Tubbs - annamalaikatubbs.com

Instagram - @annamalaikatubbs

Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us - Buy the book

In This Episode:

Director of Mission Telecom Giving Ashindi Maxton shares why she’s viewing this otherwise harrowing political climate as a moment of opportunity. 

Ashindi discusses the role of philanthropy in social justice movements, including its strengths and limitations and how she’s helping to transform the sector into one that is more social justice oriented, innovative, and capable of stepping up to the challenge.

She offers a global perspective on social justice and how different movements are finding new ways to secure funding towards their mission. She also shares insight into her new role at Mission Telecom, a broadband company that invests in systemic change and has a progressive goal to make internet connectivity affordable, particularly across the South. Ashindi also shares stories from her recent conversations with social change groups in the South, a place where she is witnessing deep and sophisticated levels of organizing. 

REFERENCES:

Ashindi Maxton - Bio
Mission Telecom Giving - missiontelecom.org

In This Episode:

Way to Win Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Jenifer Fernandez Ancona shares the organization’s research findings about where Democrats went wrong in 2024 and what it’s going to take to win in 2026 and beyond.

She explains what the data really shows about last year’s election and how her organization’s qualitative focus groups reveal a fundamental error in Democrats’ understanding of where the party goes from here.

Jen shares what she’s hearing from voters who sat out of the 2024 election, including how they perceive the Democratic Party and their opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. She discusses the role of data-driven messaging vs. voter mobilization, and she breaks down why Democrats’ failure to fight back against Republicans caused them to lose voters who were looking for a break from business-as-usual politics. 

REFERENCES:

Jenifer Fernandez Ancona - @jenancona // @jenancona.bsky.social

Way to Win - waytowin.us // @WayToWinAF // @waytowinus.bsky.social 

Way to Win Substack - "Americans—And The Missing Biden Voters—Want Change"

Michigan’s first Black lieutenant governor Garlin Gilchrist discusses his race for governor in 2026 and lessons learned as the state’s second-in-command in the middle of the extraordinary crisis that was the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He shares his wins in office, including advancing criminal justice reform and expanding broadband access, as well as what he believes went wrong in the 2024 election. Gilchrist also shares why his unique background as a software engineer turned community organizer makes him fit to lead the state and he shares his vision for the future of Michigan.

REFERENCES:

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist - campaign website // bluesky

IN THIS EPISODE:

Thea Lee, economist and former deputy undersecretary for international labor affairs at the Department of Labor, provides insight to Trump’s economic madness and the global chaos unleashed. 

Thea offers us a 101 on tariffs and their role in economic policy. She explains why Trump’s trade policy lacks credibility in its purported goal of supporting workers and manufacturers. She also lays out the consequences of tariffs, from hurting small businesses to increasing the cost of living for the most vulnerable, including Black and Brown communities. 

As a longtime champion for worker’s rights, Thea shares lessons learned from Trump’s first term and what actual strategies in support of American workers could look like. 

REFERENCES:

Thea Lee - @TheaMeiLee

IN THIS EPISODE:

House Representative and Chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Greg Casar (TX) breaks down the evolving role of the CPC in this current Trump era and shares what the Democratic Party needs to do to regain trust and power among voters.

He discusses the future of the party and emphasizes the need to build a multiracial working-class coalition that is not afraid to pick big fights. 

REFERENCES:

Congressman Greg Casar - @RepCasar (official) & @gregcasar (campaign)

Aria Florant, co-founder and CEO of Liberation Ventures (LV), joins the podcast to share how her organization is driving the movement for reparations forward, even in the face of the current administration’s full-scale assault against equity and justice. 

She breaks down the four pillars of a comprehensive reparations program and shares LV’s bold mission to make reparations “common sense and commonplace” in America. 

Aria also highlights inspiring local and state victories—like the progress happening in Palm Springs, CA. She offers valuable insights on how to cultivate white allyship and multiracial support for racial justice and reparations. 

REFERENCES:

Aria Florant, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Liberation Ventures - Liberation Ventures / Bluesky / Instagram 

IN THIS EPISODE:

ACLU Legal Director Cecillia Wang explains the strategy behind Trump’s barrage of executive orders to reverse decades of progress and unleash the power of the federal government against anyone who is not a straight, white man. 

She describes his overall goal of creating “in-groups” vs. “out-groups” of people by attacking the structural reforms of Reconstruction, scapegoating immigrants, and targeting trans youth. Cecillia shares the country’s history of anti-immigration policy and how Trump’s attacks on immigration have shifted from his first term. She also discusses the importance of mass movement alongside legal action in fighting for social justice and equality.

Cecillia reminds listeners that we are not starting from scratch and that despite America’s history of racism and exclusion, there is also a rich legacy of struggle and progress.

REFERENCES:

Cecillia Wang, ACLU National Legal Director - Bio

RSVP for the ACLU's Know Your Rights Trainings

IN THIS EPISODE:

Former co-executive director of the Highlander Center Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson shares why this moment is ripe for transformative social change towards justice and progress. 

Ash-Lee discusses the role and impact of Highlander, including its legacy of identifying and supporting movement leaders from the Civil Rights era to the Black Lives Matter movement. She also shares why she remains excited at this moment, despite increased attacks on American democracy.

REFERENCES:

Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson - @_AshDashLee_

In This Episode:

Tram Nguyen co-executive director of New Virginia Majority, returns to the show to help break down why Virginia remains at the forefront of what progressive change can look like and what can happen when we transform a state. She discusses how she decided on her vote to help elect the new head of the DNC and shares her experiences as an Asian American growing up in Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy. She also explains how Medicaid expansion became an electoral tool for pushing progressive policy in the Virginia legislature and the critical races happening in the state in 2025, including the race for governor and House races where the multiracial coalition can make a true difference.

References:

Tram Nguyen - @tramNVM

New Virginia Majority - Website / @NewVAMajority

In This Episode:

The beginning—and the end—of the Trump era is here.

National Director Maurice Mitchell returns to the show for a three-peat to discuss how the Working Families Party (WFP) is approaching these next four years under Trump and why they’ve dubbed the next ten years as the “Working Families’ Decade.”

Maurice lays out a compelling vision for the future of American politics and explains why he and the WFP see an opportunity to fill the inevitable gaps that will emerge during Trump’s presidency as he toes the line between the billionaire coalition and some disillusioned working-class voters. 

He explains what Democrats need to do as they recalibrate and why the “woke-ism” debates are a distraction from the real issues facing the multiracial working class. 

REFERENCES:

Maurice Mitchell - @mauricewfp.bsky.social

Working Families Party - workingfamilies.org

"Left Organizing Is in Crisis. Philanthropy Is a Major Reason Why" by Nina Luo, The Nation

In This Episode

Happy New Year!

To kick off 2025, Steve and Sharline look ahead to 2025 and dig into key areas of focus as we enter a new Trump administration. 

They discuss three dominant yet fundamentally incorrect mainstream narratives about the 2024 election. In addition, they survey the current race for the next DNC chair, including the lack of diverse candidates. They also highlight the slate of key members of Congress we’ll be watching from Texas’ Greg Casar to Arizona’s Ruben Gallego to California’s Lateefah Simon.

In this Episode:

For our final episode of the year, Manuel Pastor, University of Southern California professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity, joins Steve and Sharline to discuss lessons learned from this year’s presidential election including how to understand Latino political identity and the role of narrative and messaging in building broad coalitions. 

Manuel touches on the dangerous rise of technoauthoritarianism and shares his framework for how progressives can and should be thinking about geography and political strategy. 

REFERENCES:

Manuel Pastor - X: @Prof_MPastor & Bluesky: @profmpastor.bsky.social

In This Episode:

Let’s pause for a moment and remember that we need to take care of ourselves. 

Leadership coach, transformative justice practitioner, and somatics coach Viveka Chen (she/they) discusses the intersection of personal healing and collective liberation. Viveka shares insights from their work helping activists, organizers, and community leaders build resilience and foster connection in the face of systemic injustice.

Viveka discusses healthy ways to deepen our capacity for change, how to transform burnout into sustainable action, and she shares grounding practices for getting through the holiday season and beyond.

Viveka, Steve, and Sharline also share how they’re each finding gratitude in this moment and take a moment to breathe deeply and reflect.

REFERENCES:

Viveka Chen - Strozzi Institute

co-LAB Collective's Radical Sabbatical

co-LAB Collective's Helpful Frameworks for Hard Times

When No Thing Works: A Zen and Indigenous Perspective on Resilience, Shared Purpose, and Leadership in the Timeplace of Collapse // Norma Wong

In This Episode:

Steve and Sharline reflect on the results of the 2024 election and where we go from here as a nation. They share how they’re processing their feelings and discuss top takeaways of this election cycle including the impact of sexism, how to understand the exit polls, and changing voter dynamics across the country. 

They also lift up lessons learned and future strategies centered around state and local elections, as well as key leaders, groups, and organizations that will be central to the fight for a multiracial democracy in the coming months and years.

REFERENCES:

Steve's Recs for what to do and who to support:

• Subscribe to: Stacey Abrams' Assembly Required podcast

• Get involved with: Working Families Party

• Learn about: Michael Tubbs

• Support: LUCHA

• Follow: Congressman Greg Casar

Philadelphia-based journalist Ernest Owens joins Steve and Sharline to share how things are shaping up in one of Democrats’ most critical states leading up to Election Day. Ernest describes the current energy in the state and the nuanced levels of engagement he’s witnessing compared to previous elections. He shares what’s top of mind for Black voters in Philly including his take on the media’s hand-wringing about Black male voters. 

References: 

Ernest Owens - ernestowens.com @mrernestowens

In This Episode:

The media can’t seem to stop talking about Black men. So, we decided to do something radical: let two Black men discuss Black men. Washington Post opinion columnist Perry Bacon Jr. returns to the show to share his thoughts on where VP Harris’ race stands, how he’s thinking about Black voters, and the evolving media landscape in this election.

REFERENCES: 

Perry Bacon Jr - Washington Post, @PerryBaconJr & @perrybaconjr.bsky.social

In This Episode:

Steve and Sharline share one—or maybe more than one—thing they’re hopeful for, worried about, and watching for in the “tea leaves” as Election Day draws closer. 

In the second half of this episode, we feature a conversation from Steve’s other podcast, “Exit Polls”, where he recently spoke with two young voters in New York City—his niece, Leah, and her friend, Julia. They share their thoughts on Kamala Harris’ candidacy and offer some insight into how Gen Z’ers are processing this election cycle.

In this Episode:

Between Kamala Harris’ sharp debate performance and the increased hateful rhetoric from the right, Democrats are poised to win in states Obama captured.

Steve and Sharline discuss the latest reported assassination attempt against Trump and the broader issue of increased political violence and gun violence in the U.S. from school shootings to death threats against election workers in Georgia.

They also share their thoughts on the debate between Harris and Trump, including Trump’s dangerous lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. Sharline shares an important connection to her own childhood experiences with anti-Asian and anti-immigrant hate.

The two also look at a “six-pack” of other critical races that will be key to Democrats’ victory this fall, including states that Obama won, such as North Carolina and Florida, as well as major swing states like Arizona and Pennsylvania.