Posts in P3
The Four Things to Watch on Election Night

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

In this Episode:

binoculars_illustration-02.png

With just five days left before Election Day, we offer a How-To guide of what to watch for as election results unfold on November 3rd. We hone in on the top four signs to watch for to get a sense of who is going to win. Our favorite data scientist, Dr. Julie Martinez Ortega, breaks down which states and counties to keep an eye on—and at what time of the night. Also, Steve and Dr. Julie give us their quick gut-check: whether they think certain swing states will end up going for Biden or Trump.

References:

Election Night 2020 - Follow Along At Home With Democracy in Color on Election Night 
Dave Wasserman // NBC News - Will Trump Win Again? Watch Florida’s Sumter County for first election night clue. 
Allen Smith // NBC News - 'Nothing happening': Third-party candidacies appear less a factor in 2020
Protect the Results - Website 

<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
Why Trump's Health Matters to Democrats

In this Episode:

Trump didn't believe in COVID; then he got COVID. Then he got better (or so it is seeming, at least for now). Schadenfreude abounded especially when the news that he had tested positive for the virus was first announced. In this episode, we talk about why our country, this election, and Democrats’ prospects for taking back the White House and Senate are better off if No. 45’s health stays steady/doesn't take a nosedive.

Our special guest Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and Twitter celeb for his insightful posts on Trump’s health, shares with us his thoughts on the president’s medical outlook.

And data scientist extraordinaire Dr. Julie Martinez Ortega joins us to explain why the top two Senate races that progressives should be supporting in these final weeks before Election Day are those in Georgia and Texas.

Also this episode—our 30th—marks the one-year anniversary of this podcast! Thank you to all of our listeners!

REFERENCES:

Dr. Bob Wachter - @Bob_Wachter
Steve Phillips // The Nation - These Are the States to Focus on to Flip the Senate
Tram Nguyen // The New York Times - Democrats Could Learn a Lot From What Happened in Virginia States Don’t Become Battlegrounds Overnight
Megan Thee Stallion - @theestallion
Megan Thee Stallion // The New York Times - Why I Speak Up for Black Women
Susan Sandler - Series of Essays: When I First Found Out I had Cancer - Website

Senate Candidates
Raphael Warnock for GA - Website
Jon Ossof for GA - Website
MJ Hagar for TX - Website
Sara Gideon for ME - Website 
Jamie Harrison for SC - Website 

Organizations
New Virginia Majority Website
New Georgia Project Action Fund Website
Texas Organizing Project Website



<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
What You Can Do Before Election Day
hourglass_graphicV3-03.png

IN THIS EPISODE:

With Election Day right around the corner, we answer a question on everyone’s mind—What more can I do in these final few weeks? In this episode, we offer suggestions on top actions you can take right now to make a difference before November 3rd. We also sit down with Krystal Ortiz, a director of NEWCO Strategies, who shares insight about strategic election-related volunteering options. Steve describes NEWCO, a political consulting firm, as “a quiet, behind-the-scenes force of a lot of the most important work happening in progressive politics and social change in this country.”

Steve also discusses what recent developments since RBG’s death have revealed about the exact nature of the fight we are currently in as a nation and why Democrats and progressives need to get clear on this, and fast.

REFERENCES:

Krystal Ortiz, Director at NEWCO Strategies Bio - @klortiz14
Campaign Healthy Website - @EatReal2Win
The New York Times // Lisa Lerer  - ‘Election Stress Disorder,’ the Sequel
Bobby Seale Founder of the Black Panthers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Seale
Documentary - And She Could Be Next

Where to Donate:

Arizona Wins Website
New Georgia Project Action Fund Website - @ngpaction
New Florida Majority Website - @NewFLMajority
One Pennsylvania Website - @OnePennsylvania
Casa in Action Website - @CASAinAction

Where to Volunteer if you have Time and Energy:

Swing Left’s The Last Weekends Website
Vote Forward Website - @votefwd

Protecting Voting Results:

Protect the Results Website
Power the Polls Website - @PowerThePolls

Television Show Choices:

Krystal: Schitt’s Creek IMDB Page
Sharline: Avatar The Last Airbender IMDB Page
Steve: Ted Lasso, IMDB Page; The Bridge IMDB Page; Trapped IMDB Page



<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
Are We Going To Win?

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

swingstates_graphic-01.png

We are here for you. In this episode, we offer insight and analysis to help talk you and your friends off the ledge as we all anxiously wait and work towards the November elections, which is less than 50 days away.

We offer facts and information to back up our assertion that we truly believe Democrats have—in a fair election—an electoral advantage, even in a number of swing states. We hope this episode will sustain you and help you focus your energy and efforts in these final weeks before Election Day.

References:

Ron Brownstein - @RonBrownstein
Joy Reid - @JoyAnnReid // TheReidOut 

Polls

Voter Doubt of 2020 Outcome Possible - Monmouth University Poll 
The New York Times/Siena College National Poll Article

Organizations

Fairfight Website
PCUN (Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste) Website 
Vote Save America Website
Plant Based Fitness Oakland Website

Media

The New York Times // Astead W. Herndon  Minnesota Seemed Ripe for a Trump Breakout. It Has Not Arrived.
NPR Politics Podcast with Domenico Montanaro - Website 
Brown is the New White // Steve Phillips Website

General

FiveThirtyEight Presidential Forecast - Website
Nixon’s campaign and “law and order” position background
Voting Right Act of 1965 background

<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
Pass or Fail?: Report Cards for Democratic Super PACs

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

In this Episode:

report_card-illo-02.jpg

Hot off the press! Democracy in Color just released our 2020 Report Cards on the Democratic Party SuperPACs—the organizations that raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars to elect Democratic candidates. These SuperPACs have already raised more than $600 million. We issue these Report Cards to reveal how these organizations are performing so far this cycle, whether they are on track in terms of spending and strategizing to win on Election Day. Spoiler alert: Most of them are barely getting passing grades.

We also take a moment to remember actor Chadwick Boseman, who starred in Black Panther and other movies, and who recently passed away at the age of 43.

References:

Democratic SuperPACs 2020 Report Cards: The Good, The Bad, and The Wasteful
Ludovic Blain - @LudovicSpeaks // California Donor Table Website
Stacey Abrams @staceyabrams // Fair Fight Website
Tram Nguyen - @TramNVM // New Virginia Majority Website
Tom Steyer - @Tom Steyer // NextGen America Website
Chadwick Boseman - @chadwickbosman // Black Panther - Marvel Website

<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
The Kamala Harris We Know

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

In this Episode:

Few people know Kamala Harris like we in the Bay Area do. We discuss Joe Biden’s selection of the former San Francisco district attorney and Oakland native as his running mate. We also hear from one of Kamala’s long-time mentees—another Bay Area political star—Lateefah Simon, who was hired by Kamala 20 years ago despite not having a college degree at the time. Simon, an award-winning nonprofit leader and elected official who is currently president of the Akonadi Foundation where she runs one of the leading racial justice foundations in the country, talks about what it’s like when your mentor becomes the Democratic vice presidential candidate. She also shares how Kamala’s belief in the potential of and encouragement of young women like herself is just one example of her commitment to improving society and the lives of others.

References:

kamala_silhouettev6-04.png

Lateefah Simon - @lateefahsimon // Lateefah for BART
Kamala Harris - @Kamala Harris 
2009 Bart shooting - Oscar Grant

Organizations
Akonadi Foundation Website
Bart Board Website
MacArthur Fellows Program - Website
Young Women’s Freedom Center Website

Videos
Joe Biden Introduces Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) As Running Mate Clip
Kamala Harris on George Floyd Clip
Kamala Harris on her mother Clip

<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
Veepstakes! - The women who could be vice president (Part 2)

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

A vice presidential candidate will be chosen by Joe Biden any day now. The top six finalists are Kamala Harris, Susan Rice, Karen Bass, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth and Val Demings. We discuss the historic significance of this year's vice presidential selection process. We also dive into factors Biden is likely weighing before making his decision, and the maddening critique of some Black women contenders as being “too ambitious.” And lastly, Steve, who is friends with four of the people Biden has considered, offers his prediction—who he thinks the winner of the 2020 Veepstakes will be!

References:

ticket_graphic-03.jpg

Democracy in Color - The White List

Potential VP Picks
Stacey Abrams - @staceyabrams
Karen Bass - @RepKarenBass
Val Demings - @RepValDemings
Tammy Duckworth - @SenDuckworth
Kamala Harris - @KamalaHarris
Susan Rice - @AmbassadorRice
Elizabeth Warren - @SenWarren

Book
Richard Ben Cramer // What It Takes: The Way to the White House

Scholarship
Cecil Rhodes Scholarship

Organization
Venceremos Brigade - Website

Clip
C-SPAN - John McCain Speech 2008 Republican Convention

<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
Passing the Baton

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

In this Episode:

With the recent passing of Civil Rights legends Congressman John Lewis and Reverend C.T. Vivian, many people are focusing on who will take the baton of leadership and carry it forward. In today’s episode, we are joined by two of the country’s most inspirational young leaders — Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and Stockton First Partner Anna Malaika Nti-Asare-Tubbs whose work will be featured in a new HBO documentary, “Stockton On My Mind,” which debuts July 28th. From Universal Basic Income to fighting for gender justice to being new parents, Michael and Anna discuss their respective and collective work to carry on the struggle for justice and equality.

References:

batongraphic-01.jpg

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs - @MichaelDTubbs
Stockton 1st Partner Anna Malaika Nti-Asare-Tubbs - @annas_tea_

Video Clips

Washington University in St. Louis - U.S. Rep John Lewis on Bloody in Selma
Visionary Project - C.T. Vivian: Freedom Rides
The Obama White House - President Obama Delivers Remarks on the 50th Anniversary of the Selma Marches
The Obama White House - The Benediction at the Inauguration of Obama by Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery 

Michael Tubbs HBO Documentary

Stockton on my Mind - Television Tues, July 28, 9:00PM PT; On Demand Available Wed, July 29

At age 26, on the same day Donald Trump was elected in 2016, Michael Tubbs became the first African American mayor of his beleaguered hometown of Stockton, California, as well as the youngest mayor of a major American city. Stockton On My Mind, from filmmaker Marc Levin (HBO's One Nation Under Stress, Class Divide) follows Tubbs’ personal and political journey, exploring how growing up amid poverty and violence shaped his vision for innovative change.

Books

Anna Malaika Nti-Asare-Tubbs - The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation

In her groundbreaking and essential debut, Scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates Black motherhood by telling the story of the three women who raised and shaped some of America's most pivotal heroes: Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.

Martin Luther King Jr. - Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?
Connie Schultz - . . . and His Lovely Wife: A Memoir from the Woman Beside the Man

Reports

San Joaquin Community Data Co-op in partnership with Anna Nti-Asare-Tubbs and Sukhi Samra // Report on the Status of Women 2018

Organizations: 

Economic Security Project 
Mayors for a Guaranteed Income 
Stockton Strong
Stockton Scholars

Other Authors and Writings

Steve Phillips - Justice and Hope: Past Reflections and Future Visions of the Stanford Black Student Union, 1967-1989.
Prof. Clayborne Carson - Martin Luther King Papers Project 
Author Paulo Freire

<<Back to Podcast

Reparations 101

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

In this Episode:

School is not back in session yet but clearly there are a lot of people who need schooling, especially when it comes to understanding reparations. In this episode, "Professor” Steve Phillips breaks down the history of slavery and its legacy in this country and answers the question: Does the U.S. government owe anything to Black Americans? We also talk about why it's so important for Congress to act now and pass HR 40, the bill to establish a commission to study the legacy of slavery and to make recommendations about possible remedies, including reparations.

References:

H.R. 40 is a bill that would create a commission to study the effects of slavery on African Americans and explore possible remedies—including reparations
Congress.gov -  Summary
Wikipedia - Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act

Other Reparations Resources

NJ-S322 - New Jersey Reparations Task Force 
Forbes // Rachel Sandler - California Assembly Passes Reparations Bill  
Reparations to Japanese Americans - Civil Liberties Act of 1988

Video and Audio clips

Martin Luther King Jr. I Have a Dream Speech
Trevor Noah on the Daily Show - The Reparations Debate Should America Compensate the Descendants of Slaves
Beverly Hillbillies - Opening and Closing Theme Song
Daily News Post Reports Podcast, hosted by Martine Powers - Why Americans Don’t Learn About Tulsa, or Junteenth
TIME - Mitch McConnell Says Reparations for Slavery Are Not a ‘Good Idea’
PBS News Hour - Ta-Nehisi Coates Full Opening Statement on Reparations at House Hearing

Books
Sven Beckert - Empire of Cotton

Articles

The Nation // Steve Phillips - This is the Perfect Moment to Push for Reparations
The New York Times // Angela Glover Blackwell and Michael McAfee  - Banks Should Face History and Pay Reparations 
The New York Times // Nikole Hannah-Jones - What is Owed

Study

National Bureau of Economic Research - “Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal?” 

<<Back to Podcast

Trump Is In Trouble

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

In this Episode:

From failed political rallies to plummeting poll numbers to big losses in the Supreme Court, Trump is descending rapidly toward the nadir of his presidency. We discuss how the political tide is turning in America and why this is happening. In addition, our special guest—“Super Lawyer" and former Supreme Court clerk Stacey Leyton—offers insight into last week's major decisions and a “behind the scenes” look at how the Supreme Court functions.

References:

Stacey Leyton is a partner at the San Francisco law firm Altshuler Berzon where she practices constitutional and labor law.  - @Stacemundo 
Ruth Bader Ginsburg - @scotusginsburg
Civil Rights Act - Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Book:
Bruce Wright - Black Robes, White Justice

Court cases: 

Dred Scot v. Stanford - In 1857, right before the Civil War, in the Dred Scot case, the Court held descendants of Africa, “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect” and could not become U.S. citizens 
Plessy v. Ferguson - In 1896, after the destruction of Reconstruction, the court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson, the separate but equal case, they wrote, “The white race deems itself to be the dominant race in this country. And so it is in prestige, in achievements, in education, in wealth and in power. So, I doubt not, it will continue to be for all time if it remains true to its great heritage and holds fast to the principles of constitutional liberty. 
Ozawa v. United States - In 1922, the court ruled in the Ozawa vs United States case that Asians could not become U.S. citizens because they were not white (citing the original immigration law restricting immigration to “free white persons.”

Video Clips:

ABC13 Houston - Houston members of FIEL, Dreamers React to DACA vote
Bostock vs. Clayton County oral arguments US Supreme Court - Stanford Professor Pam Karlan making her case in October 2019 in court 

<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
Elizabeth Warren Talks Anti-Racism

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

In this Episode:

As the nation continues to protest anti-Black police violence, including the recent killing of Rayshard Brooks, we sit down with Sen. Elizabeth Warren for a special episode to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement, the potential for reparations, and what white allies should do in this moment.

“White progressives need to be active, anti-racist allies in this moment and beyond,” Warren says. “Being anti-racist means fighting for anti-racist public policy. Being race neutral just won't work.”

Our wide-ranging conversation begins with Sen. Warren’s response to the police killing of George Floyd, the ongoing global and national protests and how Congress is responding. We also discuss the prevalence of racism in virtually every American institution.

References:

Senator Warren - @SenWarren
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Website
Author Ta-Nehisi Coates - Website

Press Releases:

Warren to Introduce Legislation to Investigate and Hold Police Officers and Departments Accountable for Discriminatory Practices
Booker Reparations Bill Reaches 12 Senate Cosponsors
Elizabeth Warren and Ro Khanna Unveil Essential Workers Bill of Rights

<<Back to Podcast

The Whole World Is Marching

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

In This Episode:

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of the Minneapolis police, a historic nationwide and global movement has emerged in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, calling for the end of anti-black racism and police brutality, and defunding the police.

Demonstrations have been held in all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 800 cities on six continents across the world. 

In this episode, we discuss how we’re processing all this through our respective cultural lenses and then we dive into how we, as a nation, got here and what should happen next to ensure that this moment brings about lasting meaningful change.

In addition, we discuss what this moment means in terms of growing support for Black equality and what that means for this November's elections and beyond.

References:

James Baldwin Quote - To Be Black and Conscious in America
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison - @AGEllison
Jessica Byrd, Electoral Justice Project - @JessicaLBYRD
Simone Jacques -  a 17-year-old Mission District teen leads protest of thousands in San Francisco // video clip by Jay Jaspar Pugao
BBC news clip - Slave trader’s statue toppled in Bristol as thousands join antiracist protest
CBS This Morning news clip - Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones on protesting and democracy 
Movie trailer // Ava DuVernay - 13th
The New York Times // Michelle Alexander -  America, This Is Your Chance
Robin DiAngelo - White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Erica Armstrong Dunbar -  Never Caught:  The Washington's Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge
Ibram X. Kendi - How to Be an Antiracist and Stamped From the Beginning
Dr. Monica Muñoz Martinez - The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas  
Andrea J. Ritchie - Invisible, No More Urgent Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color
Doug J. Swanson - Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers

<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P4, P3Olivia Parker
Rewriting the Story on Unemployment

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

The enormity of this crisis has revealed the ugly underpinnings of our public assistance system — both in terms of how we think about people who are struggling financially and also about the systems designed to help those people.

Unemployment figures in the U.S. are at their highest since the Great Depression—nearly 40 million people have filed for unemployment since the pandemic began. (That's greater than the combined population of 21 states, according to Forbes.) 

In this episode, we talk about why we have a system that is so adversarial to people in dire economic straits and how this crisis also presents an opportunity for rethinking and redesigning these systems for the coming era.

Namely, what can we do from here on out to shape U.S policy and politics for decades to come in terms of how we treat and perceive the poor?

We also talk about two recent law enforcement shootings of innocent men and one “Karen, Please” incident in the news that have further cemented the fact that to be African American in this country means to have your every move in your everyday life be regarded as a potential threat to white existence.

REFERENCES:

The New York Times front page // Sunday, May 24, 2020 - An Incalculable Loss
The Washington Post // Stephanie McCrummen - ‘This feels great’: A preview from Georgia about how America might reemerge from the coronavirus
PBS Newshour clip - How missed rent payments spark a ‘cascade’ of financial hardship
PBS Newshour clip - The true story behind the ‘welfare queen’ stereotype 
The Nation // James Baldwin - Notes on the House of Bondage
Fox News clip - McConnell slams Dems for trying to ‘incentivize’ unemployment in new bill 
The New York Times //  Nikole Hannah Jones  -  1619 Project
NPR // Barbara Sprunt - Biden And Sanders Announce Task Forces To Find Party Unity Over Policy

<<Back to Podcast

Podcast S4, P2, P3, P4Olivia Parker
Battleground Michigan: Saving Lives, Beating Trump

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

Garlin Gilchrist, Michigan's lieutenant governor, talks to us about life on the frontlines in a battleground state that is dealing all at once with the COVID-19 crisis, armed protesters storming the Capitol demanding the lifting of stay-at-home orders, and ensuring a safe and fair Fall election in a state Trump won by just 10,704 votes. [8:15]

Gilchrist, a 38 year-old political rising star, also shares with us the story behind his unlikely path from Microsoft software engineer to second-in-command state leader, the first African American to ever hold the position. Gilchrist is chair of the recently created Michigan Coronavirus Taskforce on Racial Disparities, one of the first taskforces of its kind in the country.

We also talk about how the indifference coming from the White House in the face of catastrophic human suffering reveals the lack of a shared “social contract” when it’s the lives of people of color that are being disproportionately affected, and we discuss the implications for progressive politics and policy.

References:

Garlin Gilchrist - @Garlin and @LtGovGilchrist
Gretchen Whitmer - @GovWhitmer
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun - @DrKhaldun
Ron Meloni - Audio Clip
Michigan Coronavirus Taskforce on Racial Disparities - Executive Order 2020-55 (Covid-19)
The Atlantic Monthly // Adam Serwer - The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying

<<Back to Podcast

I Survived, But What About Georgia?

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

Nikema Williams, chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, talks to us about both her personal experience as a COVID-19 survivor and her continued efforts as a State Senator to keep her constituents healthy and safe in a state that is one of the first in the nation to lift its shelter-in-place order, according to Governor Brian Kemp’s plans. Williams shares valuable lessons for states across the country debating when and how to reopen.

References: 
Nikema Williams - @NikemaWilliams

Georgia Democratic Party - Website//@DPGChair

The Washington Post // Reis Thebault, Andrew Ba Tran and Vanessa Williams - For black folks, it’s like a setup: Are you trying to kill us? 

Stacey Abrams - Meet the Press video clip

CBS’s American legal web TV series - The Good Fight

Hulu TV drama series - Little Fires Everywhere

Celeste Ng - Little Fires Everywhere novel

Director David Yates and Writer J.K. Rowling - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 

The French Georgia Choir message to Kemp: No Sir Kemp. Stay Home! #StayHomeGeorgia

The Six Women Who Could Be Vice President

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

Stacey Abrams, Kamala Harris, Gretchen Whitmer, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Catherine Cortez Masto are the six women most often mentioned as Biden's possible choice for running mate. We analyze each person's strengths and weaknesses in terms of what Biden and the Democrats most need in order to win in November.

REFERENCES:

New York Times Op Ed  // Steve Phillips - It’s Obvious Whom Joe Biden Should Pick as Vice President

Donors of Color - Website

<<Back to Podcast

One Virus, Two Americas

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

We sit down with Ron Brownstein, senior editor at The Atlantic and senior political analyst for CNN to talk about how responses and attitudes towards the coronavirus differ along the same lines that divide the country politically. What does this divide mean for how this pandemic unfolds? How will it all play out politically, and what does it mean for November?

Brownstein is one of the nation’s top political journalists. He’s a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He has written six books, including The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America.

His analysis that America is in the midst of a battle between the Coalition of Transformation and the Coalition of Restoration is one of the most illuminating frameworks for understanding U.S. politics presented by any analyst.

REFERENCES:

Ron Brownstein - CNN Profile // The Atlantic // @RonBrownstein

The Atlantic // Ron Brownstein - Red and Blue America Aren’t Experiencing the Same Pandemic

Ron Brownstein - The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America

Jonathan Metzl - Dying of Whiteness

Frank Chin (Editor), Jeffery Paul Chan (Editor), Lawson Fusao Inada (Editor), Shawn Wong (Editor) - AIIIEEEEE!: An Anthology of Asian American Writers

Ralph Waldo Emerson - Self Reliance

Homer // Translated by Robert Fitzgerald - The Odyssey

Manuel Pastore - USC

<<Back to Podcast

We’re All In This Together

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

IN THIS EPISODE:

Coronavirus has upended life across the country and the world. We talk about how it’s been affecting us, how we’re coping, and what the future looks like. We’re joined by special guest Stephanie Douglass, human resources director for a global company with offices in Beijing, on how China flattened the curve and lessons we can learn from China and other Asian countries. [4:10] Also, what’s happening in politics and public policy in light of COVID-19.

REFERENCES:

SFGovTV - City Officials to announce new Public Health Order
Democracy in Color & She the People - Open Letter to Democratic Presidential Candidates: A Call for Committing to Choosing a Woman of Color as Candidate for Vice President
The Nation // Steve Phillips - The Vice Presidential Nominee Should be a Woman of Color
The Washington Post // Vanessa Williams - Groups call on Biden, Sanders to choose a woman of color for vice president
The Washington Post // Harry Stevens - Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to “flatten the curve”

<<Back to Podcast

And the Winner Is...

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

In this Episode:

Post-Super Tuesday: What happened, why, and what’s next? After a dizzying week in national politics, we try to make sense of it all by discussing why Biden bounced back, what it means for Bernie, and what the data says about how it’ll all end up.

References:

Democracy in Color - How to Help
Warnock for GA Senate 2020 - Website
Rolling Stones // Tessa Stuart - Stacey Abrams Is Building a New Kind of Political Machine in the Deep South
New York Times // Steve Phillips - Bernie Sanders Can Beat Trump. Here’s the Math.
C-SPAN - Joe Biden Remarks in Los Angeles

<<Back to Podcast

Dear Left, You're Missing The Mark

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

In this Episode:

We talk about how the Left is missing the mark at this moment with its troubling silence on Trump’s white nationalism, which is the key to and cornerstone of his continued power. By failing to make this their top priority issue—and keep it front and center—the Left, including all current Democratic primary candidates, risks throwing away their best chance at winning this November. We also hear what our special guest, Maurice Mitchell, formerly a key leader in the Black Lives Matter movement and now National Director of the Working Families Party, has to say on this topic, the party’s support of Elizabeth Warren, and much more. [11:21]

References:

Maurice Mitchell - @mauricewfp
Working Families Party - Website // @workingfamilies
Rashad Robinson - @rashadrobinson
Texas Organizing Project (TOP) - Website
Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) - Website
New Georgia Project - Website

<<Back to Podcast