Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

Stacey talks to renowned chef, activist, and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio about why the United States has a food insecurity crisis despite being the richest country in the world — and why this issue is especially pressing with an incoming Trump administration. They discuss what can be done to address the problem head on, including what Colicchio has learned from years of advocating for school lunches and solving for food deserts on Capitol Hill. Then, Stacey answers a listener question about what the potential appointment of Robert F. Kennedy will mean for the FDA, CDC, and America’s health in general. 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

Learn & Do More: 

• Watch the documentary “A Place At The Table”
• Visit Double Up Food Bucks to see if your state has this program, or how to get it there
• Check out Food Research and Action Center for information on your state’s school meal programs
• Support the Eco-Friendly Mobile Farm Stand Project
• Donate to children and families in need at your local food bank, Feeding America or No Kid Hungry.

Stacey speaks with historian Heather Cox Richardson to see what history can teach us about moving forward after Trump’s reelection. They discuss strategies for countering disinformation, how Democratic leaders are preparing to use states’ rights to their advantage to challenge Trump’s federal overreach, and how the era following William McKinley’s presidency can be a guide for progressives. Then, Stacey answers questions from the audience on how to get involved in politics, and how to respond to community in this post-election environment.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

Learn & Do More: 

• Read Heather Cox Richardson’s nightly newsletter, “Letters from an American”, or her book, “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America”.
• Build community and find ways to help locally at Unitedway.org

Stacey offers a reflection and a call to action to move beyond resistance and into insistence after the re-election of Donald Trump. Then she speaks with Grammy, Pulitzer, and MacArthur Genius Grant winning musician Rhiannon Giddens about the connection between politics and art. Giddens dives into the way categorization divides the music industry, the deep and multicultural history of the banjo, and how she has put her unique stamp on every genre from opera to folk music.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

Learn & Do More: 

• Watch the documentary Stacey Abrams and Selena Gomez produced called “Louder: The Soundtrack of Change”.
• Support independent musicians like Rhiannon Giddens and her group The Silk Road Ensemble.
• Plan ahead for Biscuits And Banjos, a festival Giddens is organizing dedicated to the reclamation and exploration of black music, art, and culture.

Stacey talks with meteorologist and veteran hurricane expert, John Morales, who describes how growing up in Puerto Rico led him to his career and how important it is to talk about extreme weather effects. He explains the science of why storms are getting stronger, heatwaves are getting hotter, and droughts are becoming more frequent. Plus they discuss how your vote can help push policy makers to mitigate climate change and the most impactful actions we need to take to help our communities.
 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

Learn & Do More: 

• Visit the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
• Participate in the support group Extreme Weather Survivors
• Locate your mutual aid organization at Mutual Aid Hub
• Be vigilant about disinformation and listen to our episode “Deepfakes, Lies, and How to Fight Disinformation”

Giving birth in the United States can be dangerous – but it doesn’t have to be. Stacey talks to Representative Jennifer McClellan of Virginia about the disparities in maternal health outcomes in the U.S. and policies to expand access to reproductive healthcare and affordable childcare. Then, Stacey welcomes ProPublica reporter Kavitha Surana to discuss her story on the deadly impact new state abortion bans are already having on pregnant people – and the importance of sharing these stories. 

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Learn More: 

Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable (ProPublica)

The19thNews.Org

The Only Doctor (PBS)

Black Maternal Health Caucus

The Momnibus

Stacey sits down with artist KNA to discuss how artists are impacted by AI and other evolving technologies, how they can use them to fuel their creativity, as well as what next steps need to be taken to secure resources and protection for the arts in an increasingly digital world. 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

Do More:

- Read the terms and conditions of social media and streaming platforms

- Support artists directly by buying their art and merchandise

Stacey sits down with award-winning actor, producer and activist Bryan Cranston to talk about how the entertainment industry is evolving one year on since the writers’ and actors’ strikes, how Hollywood can sustain our thirst for content, as well as the livelihoods of the artists who make it.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

Learn More: 

Pencils Down! The 100 Days of The Writers Guild Strike

Entertainment Community Fund

Stacey is joined by Mother Jones’ national voting rights correspondent and author, Ari Berman, to untangle threats to voting rights ahead of November’s election, what’s changed since the last presidential election, and how to push back to protect access this year and beyond. 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

Learn More:

Links to Ari Berman's books:

Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People

Give us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America

Marc Elias’ Democracy Docket

To register to vote or update your registration: vote.gov

To find volunteer opportunities and get involved in protecting the right to vote: fairfight.com/lfgv

Stacey's new children's book: Stacey Speaks Up

In honor of Banned Books Week, Stacey is joined by two guests: Her mom and former librarian, Reverend Carolyn Abrams, and actor, director, and literacy advocate, LeVar Burton. The trio discuss the transformative power of story and strategies to combat book banning.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

Learn More: 
Banned Books Week: https://bannedbooksweek.org/events/
https://twitter.com/BannedBooksWeek
https://www.instagram.com/banned_books_week/
https://www.facebook.com/bannedbooksweek/

American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom Banned Books Report: https://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/report

American Library Association Dear Banned Author Campaign:
https://www.ala.org/bbooks/dear-banned-author

Stacey Speaks Up: https://bookshop.org/p/books/stacey-speaks-up-stacey-abrams/21172602

LeVar Burton Reads: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/levar-burton-reads/id1244649384

If there’s power in numbers, then there are arguably few groups as powerful American tenants. Stacey is joined by founding director of the KC Tenants Union, Tara Raghuveer, to highlight the vast political potential they’re building through their organization in Kansas City and beyond.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

We want to hear your questions. Send us an email at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 213-293-9509. You and your question might be featured on the show.

Learn More: 

Read Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

Visit the KC Tenants website for a link to donate, an organizing toolkit, and resources on how to organize a campaign, write letters, and more.

Look up your local mutual aid groups for fund drives, food banks, and other ways to volunteer.