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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. 

In this Episode:

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

Growth and Opportunity Project Wiki

Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips · Unapologetic and Authentic: St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones

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IN THIS EPISODE:

In one of the realest and most authentic interviews we’ve had with an elected official, we chat with St. Louis’ first Black woman mayor, Tishaura Jones. In this raw and honest conversation, Mayor Jones speaks straight from the heart about her path to politics; mental health and the dangerous myth of Black women’s “magical” resilience; her vision for public safety, and her love of good bourbon.

REFERENCES:

Tishaura O. Jones @tishaura

#StuffAdenSays

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones @saintlouismayor

TikTok: https://twitter.com/tishaura/status/1237520256861646849?s=20

Articles

Stlmag.com // Power List 2012: 100 People Who Are Shaping St. Louis Today

stlouis-mo.gov // Nick Dunne:

–  Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Signs Executive Order to Strengthen Police Accountability, Collect Corrections Complaints

– Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Passes FY2022 Budget with Amendments, Redirects Excess Police Staffing Budget to Diversion and Support Programs

 – Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Signs Crown Act Into Law, Vetoes Two Tax Abatements

Stlamerican.com // Featured – Tishaura Jones slams Post editorial board while declining interview

The Nation // Jimmy Tobias – Can a Champion of Black Lives Matter Become Mayor of St. Louis?

St. Louis Public Radio // Rachel Lippmann, Maria Altman, Jo Mannies, Jason Rosenbaum –  Alderman Krewson narrowly beats Treasurer Jones in St. Louis' Democratic mayoral primary

St. Louis Public Radio // Ryan Delaney – Treasurer's College Savings Program Has Detractors, But Parents Like It

LA Times // Stephen Caesar – L.A. schools police will return grenade launchers but keep rifles, armored vehicle

Shooting of Michael Brown – Wikipedia

Books
Walter Johnson – The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States

Richard Rothstein – The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

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Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips · 100 Days In: Is Biden Actually a Progressive?

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IN THIS EPISODE:

In this week’s episode, we review some of the most consequential news out of Washington D.C., from President Biden’s American Families Plan to the latest DOJ confirmation hearings and the House Judiciary Committee’s historic approval of H.R. 40 (a bill that would establish a commission to study reparations). It’s safe to say we are pleasantly surprised with how well things are going.

REFERENCES:

Joe Biden - @JoeBiden & @POTUS

Vanita Gupta - @vanitaguptaCR

Kristen Clarke - @KristenClarkeJD

Kristen Clarke and Vanita Gupta being tapped for the DOJ

NYT // Katie Brenner – Senate Democrats joined by Lisa Murkowski, confirm Vanita Gupta for a top Justice Dept. job

NPR.org // Jason Breslow – Civil Rights Attorney Vanita Gupta Confirmed As Associate Attorney General

Newsweek // Kristin Clarke –  I Prosecuted Police Killings. Defund the Police—But Be Strategic 

NPR.org // Carrie Johnson – Kristen Clarke's Civil Rights Record Led Her To Barrier-Breaking DOJ Nomination

BuzzFeed News // Zoe Tillman – There Are 93 US Attorneys. Seven Are Women And Only Two Are Black.

American Families Plan 

WhiteHouse.gov // Fact Sheet: The American Families Plan

Washington Post // Jeff Stein  – White House’s new 1.8 trillion ’families plan’ reflects ambitions – and limits – of Biden presidency

NYT // Jim Tankersley – Biden Will Seek Tax Increase on Rich to Fund Child Care and Education

H.R. 40

Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips - Reparations 101

Congress.gov // Sponsor Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee – H.R. 40 - The Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

Associated Press // Kevin Freking – House panel poised to advance bill on slavery reparations

Aljazeera // William Roberts – Reparations for US slave descendants gains momentum

NYT // Angela Glover Blackwell and Michael McAfee – Banks Should Face History and Pay Reparations

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Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips · Fighting the Same Beast: White Supremacy

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, we take stock of major news headlines from the latest police violence in Minnesota to the onslaught of voter suppression in Georgia and around the country. We also discuss Republican attacks on transgender rights as a part of their strategy to instill fear among their constituents by “othering” trans youth.

We end with a song called “A Prayer for Melvin Truss” by Jon Jang and Francis Wong and we offer it as a prayer for Daunte Wright, George Floyd and the countless others killed by police violence.

REFERENCES:

Queer Silicon Valley // 1985: Fatal Police Shooting of Melvin Truss Sparked Public Outcry

‘Prayer for Melvin Truss’ - written and performed by Jon Jang, Francis Wong, AsianImprov Arts

George Floyd Wikipedia

Daunte Wright Wikipedia

Virginia Delegate Marcia Price Website and @PriceforDel95

Campaign for Voting Rights #StopJimCrow2

Film

HBO Documentary Exterminate All The Brutes

Cinemablend // Corey Chichizola – Will Smith And Antoine Fuqua Explain Why They're Pulling Emancipation Movie Out Of Georgia In New Statement

Articles

Vox.com // German Lopez – Police officers are prosecuted for murder in less than 2 percent of fatal shootings

Brennan Center for Justice – State Voting Bills Tracker 2021 and Congress Must Pass the ‘For the People Act’

Politico.com // Nolan D. McCaskill and Zach Montellaro – All Eyes On Georgia. Again.

NYT// Nick Corasaniti and Reid J. Epstein – What Georgia’s Voting Law Really Does

NYT// Reid J. Epstein and Nick Corasaniti – Virginia, the Old Confederacy’s Heart, Becomes a Voting Rights Bastion

Opinion: Roll Call // Sylvia Albert – Why Congress must pass HR1 and the John R. Lewis Rights Act

Washington Post // Michael Scherer – Zuckerberg and Chan to give another $100 million for local election administrators despite conservative pushback 

Washington Post // Todd C. Frankel – More than 100 corporate executives hold call to discuss halting donations and investments to fight controversial voting bills

Seattle Times // Joseph O’ Sullivan – Bill restores voting rights to Washingtonians with felonies upon release from prison

The Appeal // Kera Lerner – Oregon Bill Would Enable People to Vote From Prison 

Anti-Trans News

19thnews.org // Kate Sosin – Arkansas lawmakers override governor’s veto of youth gender-affirming care and Senior White House official: Any attempt to discriminate against trans kids is ‘against the law’

Advocate.com // Trudy Ring – Reggie Greer Named White House Senior Adviser on LGBTQ+ Issues

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