Nashville Sounding Board

On the one-year anniversary of the Let's Move Nashville referendum, Zak Accuardi and John Buntin look back and discuss lessons learned. Call it "Talking Transit Part 6."

Zak is a transit and transportation expert who has conducted over 40 interviews as part of a forthcoming case study on the Let's Move Nashville transit referendum.

Hosted by Governing Magazine writer John Buntin.

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt

In February 1994, Cyrus Wilson was convicted for the 1992 murder of Christopher Luckett. Wilson maintained his innocence at the time and has ever since. Cyrus Wilson is scheduled for a parole hearing on April 17th at 8:00 a.m. at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.

Guests on this episode:

Casey Wilson and daughter Kassidy

Rahim Buford - Unheard Voices Outreach

Dawn Deaner - Choosing Justice Initiative

Petition: https://www.change.org/p/free-cyrus-wilson

Two excellent articles by Steven Hale:

(April 2019) - https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/cover-story/article/21062386/the-trials-of-cyrus-wilson

(Oct. 2017) - https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/cover-story/article/20980285/how-the-murder-case-against-cyrus-wilson-has-fallen-apart

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles. Views expressed by Benjamin Eagles in this podcast and on social media are his alone and do not reflect the views of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt

For those of you who don't know anything about Will Pinkston, here is his twitter bio: @WillPinkston: Served on the Nashville School Board from 2012-19. Blocks cranks and nitwits. Author of “Race to the Bottom: How Bad Actors Tried to Destroy Public Education" www.RacetotheBottom.us

This interview includes questions about:

- His support for MNPS Superintendent Dr. Joseph

- His opposition to charter schools after once founding one

- Social media antics

- Attendance at MNPS Board meetings

- Motivations for resigning

- MNPS Budget and teacher raises

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles. Views expressed by Benjamin Eagles in this podcast and on social media are his alone and do not reflect the views of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt

Bishop Marcus Campbell has a powerful personal story and his group Gentlemen And Not Gangsters does some of the most important work in Nashville. GANG is a youth diversion program that combats youth violence by changing lives.

You're going to want to listen to what Bishop Campbell has to say. After you listen, please join me in supporting his work.

https://gentlemenandnotgangsters.com/donate

Contact: [email protected] or 615-636-0012

Topics by minute:

2:20 - Bishop Marcus Campbell's personal background

5:46 - Experience in a gang

7:10 - Transformative experience

12:30 - His mentors

13:33 - Starting GANG and the work they do

16:55 - Role of parental involvement

21:10 - What is the weekly program like?

24:32 - College tours

25:40 - How many kids have gone through the program?

27:15 - What factors make rehabilitation more possible?

29:00 - Rearrest rate of GANG graduates

30:50 - Success stories (and summer camp story)

34:20 - Story of kids who slipped through the cracks

37:00 - How have you seen the scale of the youth violence problem change?

41:50 - Have you applied for grant funding from the city?

44:45 - Documenting to become an "evidence-based" organization

48:20 - Reaction to the murder of Kyle Yorlets

51:36 - Visiting the detention center

54:25 - How can listeners support GANG?

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles. Views expressed by Benjamin Eagles in this podcast and on social media are his alone and do not reflect the views of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt

My guest on this episode is Dr. BethAnn McLaughlin, a neuroscientist in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a faculty member in the School of Medicine. Dr. McLaughlin is the founder of the #MeTooSTEM nonprofit group and was awarded the MIT Disobedience award for her advocacy for victims of sexual harassment and misconduct. We recorded this interview on February 28th, the same day that her employment at Vanderbilt was set to expire following an unusual tenure process.

Change.org petition: https://www.change.org/p/vanderbilt-don-t-fire-prof-bethann-mclaughlin-for-standing-against-sexual-harassment

Topics by minute:

1:20 - Personal background and education

2:07 - What drew you to the field of neuroscience and what was your path to becoming a neuroscientist?

3:30 - Your post doc adviser was a man. What was that experience like and how did it contrast with that of other women?

5:00 - Do you think that sexual harassment is worse in STEM programs than in private industry and other parts of academe? If so, why might that be?

6:40 - What is your research specialty and what’s your record of obtaining grant funding?

8:07 - What was the nature of your own experience with harassment? When did you first become aware of the scale of the problem generally and specifically in STEM?

13:27 - Taking off the blinders and becoming an activist

14:34 - What are the specific shortcomings of the Title IX process?

15:52 - Being a Title IX witness against a colleague

20:25 - What was the nature of your activism or political involvement prior to #MeTooSTEM?

24:00 - Where did the idea of #MeTooSTEM come from? What has been the response both nationally and at Vanderbilt?

26:07 - You frequently use the term “harassholes”...was that your creation?

26:25 - Today (2/28/19) the National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins released a statement apologizing to victims of sexual harassment and highlighting what NIH is doing to change the culture of sexual harassment in science. Director Collins tweeted a special thank you to you and said your “leadership with the #MeTooSTEM movement has given a voice to victims of harassment. Her activism has been valuable in shaping #NIH’s discussion on how to strengthen our efforts.” Have you ever gotten that kind of support and acknowledgement from Vanderbilt administrators?

27:10 - Has your #MeTooSTEM work interfered with your research and grant ability?

30:35 - How do you think your tenure case relates to your activism? The timeline as I understand it is that you were initially recommended and approved for tenure but then that decision was reversed after Vanderbilt Med School CEO Jeffrey Balser asked for the committee to review the decision. Can you talk about your tenure process and the nature of your grievance?

30:45 - So we’re talking here on February 28th...what’s the current status of your case? Is your employment in the hands of Vanderbilt Chancellor Zeppos?

35:50 - You’ve said that you’ve lost 4.5 years of your career and there is no path back. What steps can be taken to lower the price of defiance?

39:45 - Anita Hill, now a professor at Brandeis, wrote you a letter of support. She called you a hero and wrote, “The impact on you and your career are not to be underestimated.” How did that feel??

41:17 - How can listeners support you?

46:25 - What are your plans for the future of #MeTooSTEM?

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles. Views expressed by Benjamin Eagles in this podcast and on social media are his alone and do not reflect the views of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt

After a decade of reporting in Nashville, Joey Garrison is off to Boston! Joey covered Metro Nashville government and local politics for The Tennessean after covering local issues including education for the Nashville City Paper.

Topics by minute:

1:23 - When are you launching your sports podcast?

3:00 - Would you rather see a Preds Stanley Cup, Titans Super Bowl or Vandy Final Four?

4:30 - How did you get into journalism?

7:36 - What is one thing that people might not know about your background?

8:55 - How will your job in Boston compare to your beat in Nashville?

11:05 - City Paper or Tennessean, which one was your favorite experience?

12:12 - Experience covering education

14:15 - Reporting on Great Hearts Academy story

16:30 - Did you prefer covering education or Metro government?

19:00 - 2019 Mayoral election and John Cooper's decision

22:00 - Bill Freeman's chances

24:20 - What reporting that you did in Nashville are you most proud of?

25:30 - Reporting on the Megan Barry scandal

29:20 - What's the most frustrating part about local journalism?

32:15 - Layoffs and the future of local papers

34:20 - You win the lottery and become a publisher -- who do you hire?

36:00 - What's your best story idea that never ran?

37:25 - Who is the most interesting local politician who people may not know about?

38:17 - Would you ever consider working in an elected official's administration?

38:45 - Thoughts on working for a PR firm?

40:00 - Joey's thoughts on the direction of Nashville

42:25 - Joey's idea for reforming council meetings

45:35 - What advice would you have for a college student interested in a journalism career?

47:00 - What will you miss most about Nashville?

48:25 - Any plans to return to Nashville?

48:45 - Signing off with some closing thoughts

In January, Holly McCall challenged Mary Mancini in the election for Tennessee Democratic Party chair. Holly McCall is a longtime Democratic operative and public communications strategist. She currently serves as the chair of Emerge Tennessee and as the chair of the Williamson County Democratic Party. In 2016, McCall ran for TN State House in District 65.

Topics by minute:

1:50 - What motivated you to run for TNDP Chair?

3:35 - What were your main critiques of TNDP Chair Mary Mancini?

8:00 - What is the path forward and what are other states doing differently?

10:40 - How would a more liberal candidate play statewide?

12:40 - Target races - How would you suggest focusing resources?

16:00 - If TN Democrats are on a 20 year path back, how should progress be judged?

18:08 - Similarities between McCall's results in Williamson County and Mancini's results statewide

19:35 - Lessons to learn for TNDP to move forward

20:45 - As a communications professional, what are your comms ideas?

22:10 - How would Democrats go about running more liberal candidates?

23:45 - Most of McCall's support was from Middle TN and new members of the TNDP Executive Committee

28:54 - What were your biggest takeaways from running for party chair?

30:00 - How can Democrats utilize young activists?

31:00 - Getting rid of the TNDP Executive Committee?

33:05 - Future involvement for Holly McCall

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles. Views expressed by Benjamin Eagles in this podcast and on social media are his alone and do not reflect the views of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt

David Plazas leads the Civility Tennessee campaign. Plazas is the opinion and engagement director for the USA Today Network Tennessee. He writes editorials and columns, manages community engagement, and serves on The Tennessean Editorial board.

Topics by minute:

1:08 - Book Recommendation

1:45 - First year of Civility Tennessee campaign

4:50 - Civility as more than politeness

7:42 - Does "civility" suppress the voices of marginalized people?

11:30 - BLM protest. With protest speech is there still a need for civility?

14:50 - The place for incivility

16:00 - Can policy positions themselves be uncivil?

17:04 - Destroying each other on social media

17:55 - Kid Rock uproar

21:45 - The 2016 editorial that Plazas regrets

27:36 - Unfriending and incivility on social media

30:00 - Incivility decreased after Twitter increased the character limit

33:50 - How does The Tennesseean decide on when (not) to endorse?

38:34 - Endorsements in the digital age and the process for 2019

47:50 - Year 2 of Civility Campaign...what can we expect?

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles. Views expressed by Benjamin Eagles in this podcast and on social media are his alone and do not reflect the views of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt

I sat down with Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini following her January 12th re-election to a third two-year term. See the below list of topics with minute markers. Interview with challenger Holly McCall coming soon!

Topics by minute:

1:15 - Critiques of her tenure at the TNDP

4:33 - Path back to relevance in a deeply red state

8:33 - What's a fair standard for judging the TNDP - process vs. results?

11:05 - Has your work set the stage for wins in 2020 and beyond?

12:52 - Candidate support. Did you stretch resources too thin in 2018?

20:22 - Identifying target races

26:05 - How detrimental was the Kavanaugh situation for Bredesen?

28:10 - What happened to cause you to lose support of some activists?

34:28 - Key lessons learned from this cycle

37:02 - Only 41% of the TNDP Executive Committee donated?

39:05 - Goals for 2020

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles. Views expressed by Benjamin Eagles in this podcast and on social media are his alone and do not reflect the views of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt

Trying something new for the final episode of 2018! Vanderbilt University Professor Larry Bartels discusses his book, Democracy for Realists, with guest host and Governing Magazine writer John Buntin. Bartels also discusses what identity politics means and why politics today is more partisan than ever.

(Scroll down for list of books mentioned)

Topics by minute:

2:30 - "The Folk Theory of Democracy"

3:30 - How well informed are voters?

5:18 - Impact of the economy on voting behavior

7:40 - Thermostatic nature of American politics

11:13 - Voters blaming Presidents for natural disasters

14:20 - Are elections a game of musical chairs?

15:40 - Swing voters

17:05 - Partisanship as identity

18:30 - Religion and reinforcing identities

23:20 - Polarization

26:35 - Race and "collapse of liberalism"

29:21 - Shift beginning in 1964

31:15 - Racial backlash or "white southern identity?"

34:48 - Race and party affiliation post Obama

40:42 - Trump and the racialized lens

43:09 - What was most striking about Trump's campaign?

47:23 - How well do elections hold politicians accountable?

50:00 - Political engagement and groups contending for power

51:51 - Local elections and national partisanship

54:38 - Book recommendation

Books Mentioned:

-- "Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity" by Lilliana Mason

-- "Ideology in America" by Christopher Ellis and James Stimson

-- "Identity Crisis: the 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America" by Sides, Vavreck and Tesler

-- "The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker" by Kathy Cramer

-- "Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government" by Larry Bartels

Nashville Sounding Board is a podcast dedicated to discussing social and political issues affecting Middle Tennessee.

www.nashvillesoundingboard.com

www.facebook.com/NashvilleSoundingBoard

www.twitter.com/NashSoundBoard

NSB is produced by Benjamin Eagles. Views expressed by Benjamin Eagles in this podcast and on social media are his alone and do not reflect the views of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Music by Craig Turner and Joe Halberstadt