For our final episode of the year, Steve, Sharline, and Julie reflect on the past year as they highlight some of the major political victories and challenges of 2022. They also share their favorite pop culture moments from this year.

And Steve makes a touching tribute to his wife Susan as they celebrate the 32nd anniversary of their first date.

See you in 2023!

REFERENCES:

“Wednesday” - Netflix

Jenna Ortega - @jennaortega

“Only Murders in the Building” - HULU

Selena Gomez - @selenagomez

Wakanda Forever - Marvel

Tenoch Huerta - @tenochhuerta

Crystal Hayling, executive director of the Libra Foundation, joins us to discuss her path to philanthropy, how she’s helped center issues of social and racial justice, and what it’s going to take to make sure those at the forefront of change are able to get the resources they need.

Crystal also shares why and how she started the Democracy Frontlines Fund, which raised over $36 million to fund Black-led organizations fighting for democracy, following the police murder of George Floyd.

REFERENCES:

Crystal Hayling - @CHayling

Libra Foundation - https://thelibrafoundation.org

Hosts of the “democracy-ish” podcast Wajahat Ali and Danielle Moodie join us for a special crossover episode to discuss 2022 midterm election results, the fragility of our democracy, the role youth voters played this cycle and what to expect in 2024.

Our guests share how their podcast came to be, how they’re feeling about last week’s elections, and their hope for a multiracial democracy in this country. This special episode is the first half of a larger conversation and you’ll be able to hear the other half of that conversation next week on the “democracy-ish” podcast.

REFERENCES:

“Democracy-ish” Podcast - https://dcpofficial.com/democracy-ish

Danielle Moodie - @DeeTwoCents

Wajahat Ali - @WajahatAli

With important and history-making choices on ballots across the country this year, resident data expert Dr. Julie Martínez Ortega joins the podcast to help cut through the hazy 2022 midterm election predictions and offer an objective look at the final days leading up to November 8.

Spoiler alert: it all comes down to voter turnout. From Georgia to Florida and Arizona to Wisconsin, this year’s midterms will be decided by which side does a better job of motivating their supporters to hit the polls through Election Day.

We also list the groups and organizations doing this work across the country and explain how supporting them right now can help shape midterm outcomes.

REFERENCES:

Arizona - Arizona Wins https://secure.everyaction.com/nEWvcVbl2EioT4I6y_LmFw2

California - CHIRLA Action Fund - https://chirlafund.org/donate-now

California - Inland Empire Action Fund https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ieunitedactionfund

California - OC Action https://ocaction.org/give

Georgia - Stacey Abrams for Governor https://secure.actblue.com/donate/afg22-web

Wisconsin - PowerPAC https://secure.actblue.com/donate/powerpac-org-1

To celebrate the release of How We Win the Civil War, Steve joins Senator Cory Booker for a live, national virtual Town Hall, moderated by MoveOn Executive Director Rahna Epting, to discuss how we build majority support for a true multiracial democracy in the U.S.

This live recording was co-hosted by our national partners at Community Change Action, Justice Democrats, MoveOn, Netroots Nation, Voto Latino, and Working Families Party.

REFERENCES:

Purchase your copy of "How We Win the Civil War" today: https://barnesandnoble.com/w/how-we-win-the-civil-war-steve-phillips/1140905279

Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey - @CoryBooker

Rahna Epting, Executive Director, MoveOn - @rahnamepting https://front.moveon.org

Steve takes the hot seat as a guest on his own show in this penultimate episode of our special podcast series! Steve and Sharline discuss his forthcoming book How We Win the Civil War and how the concept developed over the last few years.

Sharline shares how she and Steve came to be a book publishing power team, and Steve discusses the formative experiences that have shaped his work and his path to writing (Jesse Jackson quotes, included). Steve and Sharline also explain when and how you can pre-order your copy of the How We Win the Civil War, out October 18!

CW: Adult Language

REFERENCES:

Steve Phillips - https://twitter.com/StevePtweets

Steve Phillips // New Press - How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good https://amazon.com/How-Win-Civil-War-Demographic/dp/1620976765/?maas=maas_adg_93B3BC931911EC8ED6FFABAE62AF7A37_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas

Isabel Wilkerson // Random House - Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents https://goodreads.com/book/show/51152447-caste

The New York Amsterdam News https://amsterdamnews.com/about/

Atlantic staff writer and CNN columnist Ron Brownstein joins us for Part 2 of our special How We Win series to discuss the coalitions competing to define the identity of this country and the historical context for this centuries-long existential battle.

Ron shares his analysis on why the 2020s could end up looking a lot like the 1850s, how he’s interpreting Biden’s changing rhetoric, and how he’s thinking about the upcoming midterms.

Ron also provides his expertise as we explore key themes in Steve’s forthcoming book How We Win the Civil War, out October 18.

REFERENCES:

Ron Brownstein - @RonBrownstein

Books

Rock Me on the Water: 1974-The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics by Ron Brownstein https://amazon.com/Rock-Water-1974-Transformed-Television/dp/006289921X

The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861 by David M. Potter https://amazon.com/Impending-Crisis-1848-1861-David-Potter/dp/0061319295

The South as a Conscious Minority, 1789-1861; a Study in Political Thought by Jesse T. Carpenter https://amazon.com/Conscious-Minority-1789-1861-Political-Thought/dp/1013813480

History Reference

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugitive_Slave_Act_of_1850

For the first episode of our special How We Win series, award-winning author and historian Mae Ngai places the existential crisis of our time into historical context as she highlights the pervasive nature of the question: who gets to be an American and who is deserving of dignity and equality?

Our conversation with Mae lays the foundation for our series’ deep dive into the parallels between our present moment and the not-so-distant past. She reveals the history of a partnership between the South and West to perpetuate white supremacy, and describes just how intertwined the “Chinese Question” and the “Negro Question” have been since the founding of America.

REFERENCES:

Mae Ngai, Professor of History and Lung Family Professor of Asian American Studies, Columbia University - https://history.columbia.edu/person/ngai-mae

Lawyer and former federal prosecutor Subodh Chandra joins us to help wrap our minds around the myriad legal challenges Trump is currently facing, from the January 6 hearings to the multiple investigations taking place in several jurisdictions. Subodh breaks down what a federal search warrant signals, and how much leeway Trump has been given so far to comply with the rule of law (hint: a lot).

Subodh’s explanation of the current state of Trump’s criminal investigations—and his overall optimism that our nation’s justice system will prevail—left us feeling fairly hopeful that the former president will, in fact, be held accountable for his crimes, and that we can rest assured that the levers meant to protect and ensure a functioning democracy have not completely disappeared.

REFERENCES:

Subodh Chandra - @SubodhChandra

Chandra Law - https://chandralaw.com/about/meet-the-team/subodh-chandra

Documentary

137 Shots 2021, TV-MA https://netflix.com/title/80172819

In this documentary, law enforcement faces scrutiny as Americans demand justice after police violence claims multiple Black lives in Cleveland.

We discuss the political power of Black people and other people of color, who, when factored into the math, have the ability to tip the scale in this year’s midterms. Our resident data scientist Dr. Julie Martinez Ortega joins us to help explain some of the most significant takeaways that surface when we apply a race-conscious perspective to existing election analyses.

REFERENCES:

Equis Research - 2020 Post-Mortem https://equisresearch.medium.com/2020-post-mortem-part-one-16221adbd2f3