Is interracial marriage proof that racism is fading, or does it reveal something far more complicated? Grace talks with scholar and MacArthur Fellow Dorothy Roberts about the hidden history of interracial couples in Chicago, the legacy of the racial caste system, and how the one drop rule still shapes identity today. Drawing from Roberts’ book The Mixed Marriage Project, this conversation explores passing, white privilege, and the myth that love alone can dismantle institutional racism. From the Great Migration to modern debates about race and belonging, this episode digs into what interracial marriage does and does not fix in America.

00:00:00 The Invention of Race

00:01:11 Who Is Dorothy Roberts?

00:03:37 Growing Up Between Black and White in Chicago

00:09:05 A White Father’s Early Life

00:12:04 India, Caste, and Race

00:13:19 Education, Exposure, and Book Deal

00:20:26 Interracial Marriage and the Limits of Change

00:24:13 White Privilege, Colorism, and Passing

00:28:32 The Everett Family Story

00:34:04 White Supremacy and Identity

00:39:56 Interracial Marriage, Identity, and Privilege

00:49:05 20th-Century Marriage & Civil Rights

00:54:43 Politics, Marriage, Reflection

What happens when local news stops calling lies lies and starts softening the truth? In this conversation, journalist Deanna Pan joins Frogmore Stew to talk about media bias, editorial pressure, and why progressive journalism in South Carolina matters more than ever. From Trump coverage and the refusal to use words like racist, to the collapse of local watchdog reporting and the need for independent Substack voices, this is a candid look at how headlines shape public understanding. If you care about South Carolina politics, media accountability, and building progressive media in a red state, pull up a chair.

Deanna's Pulitzer Nominated Series

https://www.postandcourier.com/news/special_reports/stinney/

00:00 Introduction

02:39 Journalism & Media Bias

04:30 CBS, Barry Weiss & Media Power

07:51 Epstein Files & Systemic Failure

12:30 Newsroom Ethics & Editorial Pressure

15:29 Trump, Lies & Who Controls Coverage

19:35 Why Local Journalism Still Matters

24:33 Building Progressive Media in SC

America’s immigration story has always been about power, control, and who gets to belong. From the Chinese Exclusion Act and Operation Wetback to modern ICE enforcement and expedited removal, we trace the full history of US immigration policy before bringing it home to South Carolina’s front lines. Immigration attorney Jennie Montenotte of Charleston Legal Access explains how immigration court, Notice to Appear filings, ICE check ins, and asylum cases are playing out for families across our state. If you want to understand how federal immigration policy impacts South Carolina communities in real time, this conversation connects the national timeline to what is happening on the ground right now.

00:00 Introduction

02:19 Early U.S. Immigration Laws (1790–1850)

03:50 Exclusion Era and Border Expansion

06:23 WWII to 1965 Immigration Reform

09:32 Rise of Detention and Private Prisons

13:49 Obama to Trump Enforcement Shift

17:38 Biden Surge and 2026 Crackdowns

19:58 Meet Jennie Montenotte and CLA

23:20 Immigration in South Carolina

24:43 Court vs USCIS Immigration Process

28:57 ICE Dismissals and Expedited Removal

33:16 Criminal Records and SC ICE Bill

36:19 Immigration Costs and SC Detentions

41:43 Who ICE Is Really Targeting

43:30 What South Carolina Can Do

46:18 Outreach and Statewide Legal Access

Who really holds power in South Carolina politics? From the fight over closing open primaries to the South Carolina abortion pill classification bill H4760, Grace and Kathryn break down how election year maneuvering is reshaping voter access and women’s healthcare. They unpack the proposed ombudsman overseeing pregnant women care in Bill 717, the wastewater surveillance for abortion medication proposal, and what it signals about government overreach in the SC Statehouse. Plus, a look at ICE opening a legal office in Columbia and what it means for transparency, trust, and control in South Carolina.

00:00 Introduction

06:42 Voter Power and Party Control

11:09 Bill 717: The Pregnancy Ombudsman

16:41 Abortion Pill Crackdown H4760

22:31 Abortion Surveillance

27:47 Healthcare Gaps and Medicaid

32:03 ICE Office in Columbia

37:12 Whole 'Nother Thing

South Carolina is facing its most serious measles outbreak in decades, and the fight over vaccines has landed squarely in the State House. Senator Margie Wright Matthews breaks down her bill to remove the religious exemption for MMR vaccines in public schools while preserving parental choice outside the classroom. The conversation dives into how religious exemptions weakened herd immunity in Spartanburg County, the impact of vaccine disinformation campaigns, and the growing debate over parental rights versus public health in South Carolina. If you want to understand the real stakes behind SC bill S897, the measles outbreak in schools, and what it means for children, families, and the future of public health policy in South Carolina, this is a conversation you cannot miss.

00:00 Parental Rights vs Public Health Safety

05:19 Senator Matthews on Ending Exemptions

10:10 Herd Immunity and Senate Debate

16:14 School Safety, Blame, and Politics

20:08 Vaccine Bill Strategy and State Priorities

23:41 Poverty, Childcare, and Policy Hypocrisy

Hard work used to promise a stable life, and when that promise breaks, anger follows. Joan C. Williams explains how social class shapes political identity, voting behavior, and the resentment driving today’s divide, including here in South Carolina. From the diploma divide to class blindness among elites, we connect national research to the realities of the South Carolina Statehouse, rural communities, and the working families who feel economically squeezed. Joan helps us understand why voters across the Palmetto State are frustrated and how class dynamics shape our elections.

00:00 The Idea of Class Immigrants

07:21 Social Honor and Class Shame

09:58 Class Identity, Empathy, and Politics

11:28 Hard Work, Guilt, and Class Discomfort

16:14 Elite Individualism, Class, and Race

23:06 Gender Roles, Masculinity, and Status Loss

29:09 Performance Pressure Politics

35:52 Conspiracy Thinking and Trump’s Appeal

40:39 Making Class Politics Work

44:54 The Class Bubble Quiz

South Carolina politics are being warped by a system designed to protect power, not voters. When districts are drawn to eliminate competition and dark money floods campaigns through super PACs, lawmakers stop fearing the ballot box and accountability disappears. This conversation with Chris Kenney breaks down how gerrymandering suppresses turnout, why uncontested elections are becoming the norm, and how campaign finance rules fuel extreme legislation. It also makes the case that filing for office itself can be a direct way to push back and restore real political accountability in South Carolina.

00:00 Introduction

01:58 Campaign Finance Basics

04:48 Super PACs, Citizens United, and Red Boxing

09:39 Can Campaign Finance Be Fixed?

12:52 Mothers and Preborns Act

15:12 Gerrymandering, Primaries, and Rigging

22:15 How Filing for Office Fights Gerrymandering

29:40 South Carolina Demographic Shifts

36:13 Resist and Unsubscribe & Catnapping

Chris Kenny

https://www.comebacksc.com

The missing class is working hard and still falling behind. This conversation digs into new research from Spartanburg County that shows how thousands of working families live just above the poverty line while remaining one crisis away from losing everything. Sociology professor Colby King explains why wages, housing, childcare, and policy choices are pushing the working poor further from stability, even in fast growing communities. The discussion centers dignity, lived experience, and what it really means when work no longer guarantees economic security.

00:00 The Missing Class Explained

04:29 The Missing Class in Spartanburg

07:08 Working Students and Economic Strain

11:58 Poverty Lines and the Near Poor

15:25 Wages, Politics, and the Safety Net

24:16 Community Advocacy and the Cost of Poverty

27:32 What Comes Next

South Carolina punished five women for standing up to power, and the consequences are still unfolding. The Sister Senators join Frogmore Stew for a live conversation about crossing party lines, losing their seats, and what it costs women to challenge abortion bans in the South Carolina Senate. They speak candidly about retaliation, misinformation, and the deeply personal toll of fighting for reproductive rights in a legislature dominated by men. The conversation also lays out what advocates can do right now as new abortion restrictions and criminalization efforts move through the State House.

00:00:00 The Cost of Dissent

00:03:35 Meet the Sister Senators

00:07:42 Abortion Law, Power, and Male Control

00:13:38 Testifying Against the Abortion Ban

00:18:15 Resistance and Advocacy

00:22:27 Running on Abortion Rights, and the Backlash

00:38:34 Extremist Abortion Laws

00:43:24 Personhood and Pregnancy Laws

00:45:28 Playing Transactional Politics

00:49:36 Courage, Collective Power, and Action

Democracy doesn’t fail all at once. It fades when races go uncontested and communities are left without a real choice. Joined by Rep. Kambrell Garvin and Brady Quirk Garvan, the conversation breaks down how unopposed elections, gerrymandered districts, and political burnout are reshaping South Carolina politics from the ground up. They explain why running for state house, county council, or local office still matters, even in tough districts, and how showing up on the ballot creates accountability where none exists. If representation is going to mean anything, someone has to be willing to run.

00:00 Why Running for Office Matters

02:07 ICE, Home Rule, and Federal Overreach

09:01 Immigration Reform and Community Safety

11:23 Closing Primaries and Voter Exclusion

16:46 The Democratic Comeback

22:22 Accountability and Power

28:41 Young Candidates and Barriers to Office

32:32 Why Campaign Money Should Stay Local

35:43 Gerrymandering and Why Running Still Matters

43:06 Mentorship and Public Service

45:21 Generational Change and Representation

50:29 Redistricting and Citizen Action

53:28 Whole Another Thing