This week, former Mayor of New Orleans and self-proclaimed “white southerner,” Mitch Landrieu,  sits down with the professors to discuss how his upbringing in the south was centered around building community with his Black neighbors, as opposed to building a sense of superiority. Landrieu describes his belief that we must truly fix America, not just ‘change the carpet,’ and talks about how America has been “divided by design.” Finally, hear Dr. West reflect on his times growing up returning to the south during summers and the impact these experiences had on his personal development.

Mitch Landrieu is an American Politician, Lawyer, author, speaker, nonprofit leader and CNN political commentator. He served as the 61st Mayor of New Orleans (2010-2018) When he took office, the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and in the midst of the BP Oil Spill.

Under Landrieu's leadership, New Orleans is widely recognized as one of the nation’s great comeback stories. Landrieu gained national prominence for his powerful decision to take down four Confederate monuments in New Orleans, which also earned him the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. In his best-selling book, In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History, Landrieu recounts his personal journey confronting the issue of race and institutional racism that still plagues America.

In 2018, he launched E Pluribus Unum (“Out of Many, One”), an initiative in the South created to fulfill America’s promise of justice and opportunity for all by breaking down the barriers that divide us by race and class. Prior to serving as Mayor, Landrieu served two terms as lieutenant governor and 16 years in the state legislature. He and his wife Cheryl live in New Orleans, where they raised their five children.

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EP/Host: Cornel West

EP/Host: Tricia Rose

Producers: Allie Hembrough, Ceyanna Dent

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