The Brown Girls Guide to Politics

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Unpacking Project 2025: For the People and the Planet

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 08:00:00 GMT

As we wrap up our season on Project 2025, A'shanti takes a global look at these policies. With Dr. Frances Colón, the Senior Director for International Climate Policy at the Center for American Progress, and Dr. Dorian Crosby, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Spelman College, A'shanti unpacks how Project 2025's proposals extend far beyond our borders, with implications for climate change, immigration, and a range of other issues.

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Unpacking Project 2025: Education is an Everyone Issue

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 08:00:00 GMT

As part of a special season on Project 2025, A'shanti is zooming in on two key states -- Arizona and Florida -- which have served as a model and playbook for conservative education policies. Among these are school vouchers, book bans, and cuts to public school funding. A'shanti is joined by Maria Polletta, an education equity reporter with the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, and Michi Ceard and Muah Dahn, organizers with Florida Student Power, to explore the impact of these policies.

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Unpacking Project 2025: Reproductive Justice in a Post-Roe World

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 08:00:00 GMT

In the third episode of a special season on Project 2025, A'shanti is speaking with activists on the frontlines of abortion access and reproductive justice. Since the Dobbs Supreme Court decision, states across the country have adopted a range of limits on abortion and reproductive health care. A'shanti speaks with Regina Davis Moss, the President and CEO of In Our Own Voice; Mia Ives-Rublee, the Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress; and Monica Simpson, the Executive Director of SisterSong. Together, they'll talk through the specific proposals outlined in Project 2025 -- and how that would impact an already difficult landscape for reproductive health care.

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What Follows Brat Summer? A Deep Dive into Third Parties and the 2024 Election

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:00:00 GMT

In our final episode on third parties, we're doing a deep dive into the role of third party candidates in this year’s critical election. Rahna Epting, the executive director of MoveOn, joins A'shanti to discuss the slate of third party candidates, how they might impact the outcome of the election, and how "the switch" on the Democratic side could impact things. We're laying it all out in this episode, so you have the information ready come November.

Thank you to our partners at Third Way for making this mini season of The Brown Girls Guide to Politics possible. Third Way is a center-left think tank and the driving force for high-impact ideas and advocacy campaigns that can unite the vast American middle to build political power and deliver solutions. Learn more about our research on third parties in 2024 at www.thirdway.org/thirdparty.

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Very Mindful, Very Demure? A Close Look at Third Parties

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 09:00:00 GMT

In our second conversation about third parties in the 2024 election, we take a look back at successful third-party candidates and the impact they had on our nation's politics. We discuss Ross Perot, Jill Stein, and what makes third parties so alluring with scholar Tammy Greer, a public policy expert from Georgia State University.

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Is It All Peachy? A Case Study from Georgia

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 09:00:00 GMT

To kick off a conversation about third parties, it’s crucial to get a sense of what voters on the ground are thinking. A swing state like Georgia makes for a particularly compelling case study. Georgia was crucial in President Biden’s victory and in securing the Democratic majority in the Senate — thanks in large part to efforts by voting engagement groups like the New Georgia Project.

Moving into 2024, A’Shanti talks to Ranada Robinson, the Research Director at the New Georgia Project, to get a sense of what she’s hearing from “overlooked” voters in the state.

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Third Parties and More: BGG Season 10

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Moving into the 2024 presidential election, voters across the board have been expressing dissatisfaction with the two major parties and an openness to third-party candidates. While a third-party candidate has never won, they have impacted the outcome of presidential elections for decades. This is the Brown Girls Guide to Third Parties. Join A'Shanti for conversations with experts, campaigners, and activists on the ground, for all the information you'll need heading into November.

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A Conversation with ActBlue’s Tamara Wilds Lawson

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 10:00:00 GMT

The midterms were a turning point in the political season, all thanks to voters like you turning out to the polls. In today’s bonus episode, A’shanti sits down with Tamara Wilds Lawson, the Movement, Issue, and Charitable Organizations (MICO) Director at ActBlue. They discuss the midterms, grassroots momentum, and the issues that get people out to vote.

Thanks to our sponsor ActBlue.

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Uplifting the Black Vote with LaTosha Brown

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 10:00:00 GMT

It’s election day: the time to exercise our constitutional right to vote. While it should be simple to cast a ballot, it's often not. And that’s not by accident. The Black vote has never truly been protected, and many states are passing new legislation to actively suppress Black votes. In BGG’s Season 9 finale, A’shanti welcomes back previous guest LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund. Together, they lay out the various forces at play in our country that contribute to voter suppression, and discuss why building political power and embracing community is so vital when it comes to turning the political tides.

ActBlue’s online fundraising tools make it easy to support the candidates and causes you care about. At ActBlue.com/directory, you can donate directly to Democratic candidates and progressive organizations, and join the millions of grassroots donors who are driving people-powered change across the country.

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America’s Inescapable Racial Violence Problem

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 10:00:00 GMT

Though many view it as an ugly relic of the past, violence against Black and brown folks is still a massive problem in the United States. A’shanti brings on Melanie Campbell, the president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, to talk about the racial violence epidemic in our country. Much of Melanie’s work centers civil rights and social justice with a focus on building Black political power. They discuss the opportunity that the upcoming midterms present to vote in leaders who are vocal about ending the cycles of violence impacting our communities, and why police reform is so needed.

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Investing in the Future through Education

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 09:00:00 GMT

Not only is the classroom the gateway to education, it’s also the first place we learn about ourselves. Growing up, so many Black and brown kids learn not just about math and science, but about racism, microaggressions, and the world through the biases kids – and teachers – bring into the classroom. Lately, conservatives have been buzzing with complaints about the books children are being taught and critical race theory brainwashing children. This politicization of education is rooted in white supremacy.

To understand what’s happening in classrooms today, A’shanti talks to parent and educator Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera who is the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at her local school district.

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A Uniquely American Problem: the Gun Violence Epidemic

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 09:00:00 GMT

Gun violence is a uniquely American problem that has only gotten worse in recent years. In 2020, there were nearly 50,000 gun related deaths in the United States. However, in June 2022, gun violence prevention advocates saw a victory when President Biden signed into law the first major piece of gun safety legislation that Congress has passed in nearly thirty years. A’shanti sits down to discuss the gun violence epidemic with Monisha Henley, the Managing Director of State Government Affairs at Everytown, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country. They break down this year’s legislative win and what it leaves unaddressed. With the midterm elections just around the corner, they emphasize the importance of voting in gun sense candidates and holding not only individuals but also the gun industry accountable.

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Immigrant Rights are Human Rights

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 09:00:00 GMT

Immigrants are a huge part of what makes America…America. And in recent months, we’ve seen an increasing number of immigrants arrive at our southern border, many of them fleeing violence and persecution to claim asylum in the United States. A’shanti speaks with immigration attorney Katherine Ventura of the Capital Area Immigrant Rights (CAIR) Coalition about the complexities of doing her job in a country that denies the humanity and rights of so many immigrants. They talk about Title 42 and the “Remain in Mexico” policy and discuss the reasons immigrants need AND deserve legal representation.

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Let’s Give Money to Black Women

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:00:00 GMT

The economy impacts all of us, but economic issues disproportionately impact Black and brown women. In this episode, A’shanti speaks with organizer Hope Wollensack, who is the founding Executive Director of the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund, an organization that advances solutions to racial and economic injustice. In their conversation, A’shanti and Hope discuss universal basic income, break down the racist myth of the “welfare queen,” and get into how giving money directly to Black women can positively impact various outcomes in their lives.

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The Truth About Environmental Racism

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 09:00:00 GMT

Youth climate activist Nalleli Cobo grew up in South Central Los Angeles across the street from a toxic oil drilling site. From a young age, she experienced headaches, nosebleeds, asthma, body spasms, and at age 19, she was diagnosed with cancer. Alongside her mother, she began attending meetings and going door-to-door to spread information about the dangers of oil extraction and in 2020, she successfully shut down the drilling site in her neighborhood. In this episode, Nalleli and A’shanti discuss how Nalleli went from being a shy girl to a powerful climate activist, the horrors of environmental racism, and Nalleli’s hopes for the future of the climate movement.

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Rebuilding the House: A Post-Roe Conversation

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 09:00:00 GMT

The overturning of Roe v. Wade was one of the most sensational events of the year, though not for the better. In the season 9 premiere, A’shanti sits down with Oriaku Njoku, the new executive director for the National Network for Abortion Funds to talk about what’s next following the fall of this landmark decision. They delve into the reasons abortion is healthcare, the importance of Black women’s voices at the forefront of the reproductive justice movement, and why it’s time for a radical reimagining of Roe.

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Midterm Matters: BGG Season 9

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 09:00:00 GMT

It’s been quite a year for voters. From the overturn of Roe v Wade, to spiking inflation rates, to ever-increasing violence against our communities, the decisions we make at the polls are as important as ever. The Brown Girls Guide to Politics Season 9 is here to steer listeners through the most pressing decisions this election season.

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BONUS: Ordinary Equality — Hanging On to a Future

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 09:00:00 GMT

Well, here we are. We're on the other side of what we've been talking about for years. Roe v. Wade has been struck down, and for the first time in our lifetime, abortion is no longer protected.

In our first episode, Kate and Jamia talk to folks who've been living, and working, and surviving, in a state where abortion access has been under fire for years, even before Roe fell -- Kentucky.

To learn more about the Kentucky Health Justice Network, click here.

Our sponsor, ActBlue, has tools to help you support local reproductive justice groups or abortion funds by either donating directly or creating your own fundraising form. These forms can be shared far and wide with your own personal networks, and allows for quick and easy donation asks that go directly to your groups of choice.

Take action today. Click HERE to find and support reproductive justice groups at every level.

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Eyes on Georgia: A Conversation with Fair Fight Action

Tue, 31 May 2022 09:00:00 GMT

Thanks to our sponsor, Fair Fight Action.

Fair Fight Action’s social media channels are:

Twitter: @fairfightaction

Facebook: @fairfightaction

Instagram: @fairfightaction

And Civics for the Culture, FFA's youth voter educational series can be found at:

Instagram: @civicsforus

TikTok: @civicswithchelsey

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