Our Body Politic

Host Farai Chideya talks to OBP’s economics analyst Jamila Michener of Cornell University about the real impact of inflation on low-wage workers, and why they are upsetting power dynamics in the labor market. Farah Stockman discusses her new book on the fates of workers at a factory in Indiana: “American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears.” Alina Brown explains why she shares her passion for astrology on YouTube. On the final Sippin’ the Political Tea of the year, Errin Haines of the 19th and Chrissy Greer of Fordham University examine the trajectories of women of color in leadership roles, especially Kamala Harris as she completes her first year as Vice President.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:30 Economics analyst Jamila Michener on the real impact of inflation

12:39 Farah Stockman on her book on the working class today

23:40 Alina Brown on bringing astrology to her YouTube channel

31:13 Sippin’ the Political Tea: Errin Haines of the 19th and Professor Christina Greer discuss the future of Black women in U.S. politics

In this holiday rerun, Farai Chideya brings back some of the best interviews of the year. First, Representative Lauren Underwood of Illinois on her personal and professional connection to the maternal health crisis, and what she thinks politicians can and should do about it. Author Carmen Maria Machado shares how her gay memoir found itself at the center of a controversy in a Texas school district over what to teach students. Educator Lydia X.Z. Brown explains their perspective working within and without institutions as an activist in the disability justice movement. On Sippin’ the Political Tea, Farai discusses how moms are faring with their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the co-hosts of The Double Shift podcast, Angela Garbes and Katherine Goldstein.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:50 Representative Lauren Underwood on maternal health in the U.S.

12:33 Author Carmen Maria Machado on the power of a moral panic

18:38 Educator Lydia X.Z. Brown on embracing different ways of learning

31:18 Sippin’ the Political Tea: the co-hosts of The Double Shift come on to talk to Farai about the mental health of moms during the Covid-19 pandemic

Host Farai Chideya talks with Pulitzer-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones about why people need to speak out against bans on teaching U.S. history, which we’d likely condemn if they were happening in any other country. Two publishers—Elizabeth Méndez Berry of One World and Lisa Lucas of Pantheon and Schocken—discuss the role of books and cultural criticism in the wider political discourse. Merlyne Jean-Louis shares her legal expertise making sure creative entrepreneurs protect their rights to intellectual property. On Sippin’ the Political Tea, Errin Haines of the 19th and Karen Attiah of the Washington Post discuss the legacy of bell hooks and how she impacted their work.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

1:08 Nikole Hannah-Jones on what we lose when we ban the teaching of history

12:26 Elizabeth Mendez Berry and Lisa Lucas on the importance of cultural criticism

23:26 Merlyne Jean-Louis on protecting your brand as a creative entrepreneur

31:16 Sippin’ the Political Tea: Errin Haines of the 19th and Karen Attiah of the Washington Post join Farai in a discussion of the week’s news

Host Farai Chideya talks with LaTosha Brown, cofounder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, about where she thinks constituents like herself belong in the country’s two-party politics. Then Farai looks back at another voting rights and civil rights activist from decades past: Fannie Lou Hamer, as revisited by historian Keisha Blain in her new book: “Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer’s Enduring Message to America.” Adriana Lozada, a doula with years of experience helping birthing people, explains what needs to be done to address the maternal health crisis in the U.S. On Sippin’ the Political Tea, Errin Haines of the 19th leads a conversation with OBP legal analyst Tiffany Jeffers and CNN editor Eliza Anyangwe examining the Supreme Court’s arguments about abortion rights, Stacey Abrams’ leadership in Georgia, and the fall-out of Omicron across the globe.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

1:18 Voting rights activist LaTosha Brown on what keeps her motivated to make change

12:32 Historian Keisha Blain on the life and legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer

22:26 Doula Adriana Lozada on the U.S.’s maternal health crisis

31:16 Sippin’ the Political Tea: Errin Haines of the 19th, Eliza Anyangwe of CNN, and Tiffany Jeffers of Georgetown Law dissect the week’s news

Host Farai Chideya talks with former Ohio state Senator Nina Turner about the pros and cons of being a progressive within the Democratic Party. Doctors Uché and Oni Blackstock share their family’s history with healthcare, and what we know and don’t know about the new Covid-19 variant. Dana Coester of 100 Days in Appalachia explains why she was not surprised by the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict after years studying rising, armed extremism among white youth. On Sippin’ the Political Tea, Farai and two fellow journalists and media trailblazers—S. Mitra Kalita of URL Media and Jenni Monet of Indigenously—examine what it really means to consider themselves women of color.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:28 Progressive Democrat Nina Turner on whether the party can deliver for voters

12:50 Doctors Uché and Oni Blackstock on their sense of purpose in medicine

21:15 Journalist Dana Coester on extremist recruitment of white youth in the U.S.

31:20 Sippin’ the Political Tea: journalists S. Mitra Kalita and Jenni Monet join Farai to discuss what it means to be a woman of color, especially in media

Host Farai Chideya talks with author and China expert Leta Hong Fincher about how feminists face up to the country’s authoritarian regime, and the similarities with gender-equality struggles in the U.S. Sixto Cancel of the non-profit Think of Us shares his experience in the foster care system, and what the organization is doing to reform it. Chef Kia Damon explains why she prefers the term “food apartheid.”  On Sippin’ the Political Tea, Farai and two guests dive into the details of saving for retirement as Black women—that’s with Michelle Singletary of the Washington Post, and Gwen McKinney of the platform Unerased: Black Women Speak.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:14 Leta Hong Fincher on the feminists pushing against authoritarianism in China

12:43 Sixto Cancel on his work to reform the U.S. foster care system

23:13 Chef Kia Damon feeds the people in Brooklyn

31:07 Sippin’ the Political Tea: communications specialist Gwen McKinney and the Washington Post’s Michelle Singletary get real about protecting your finances as you get older

Host Farai Chideya talks about the power of forgiveness with Sharon Risher, whose relatives were among the Mother Emanuel shooting victims. Michael Arad, the architect behind the new memorial to the Emanuel Nine, discusses the collaborative process of designing an homage to the congregation. Civil rights leader Rashad Robinson talks about the final report from the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder. On Sippin’ the Political Tea, Karen Attiah of the Washington Post and Khiara Bridges of UC Berkeley examine the way politicians use Critical Race Theory to win elections.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:15 A family member of those slain at Emanuel AME Church in 2015 on the recent settlement by the Department of Justice

12:36 Architect Michael Arad on building a memorial honoring the “Emanuel Nine”

19:14 Civil rights leader Rashad Robinson on the Aspen Institute’s report on information disorder

31:30 Sippin’ the Political Tea: columnist Karen Attiah and law professor Khiara Bridges examine the impact of critical race theory on our politics right now

Host Farai Chideya talks with MacArthur Fellow, poet Reginald Dwayne Betts, about why we struggle to articulate exactly how we want to change the prison system in the U.S. OB-GYN Dr. Jamila Perritt explains why she dreams of exercising her medical practice without the interference of politics. Gwen Ifill Award winner Sisi Wei of OpenNews examines the transition from focusing on diversity in newsrooms, to doing impactful anti-racist work in the media industry. And on Sippin’ the Political Tea, Mutale Nkonde of AI for the People and Nicol Turner-Lee of the Brookings Institution help Farai examine the latest tech news.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:44 Reginald Dwayne Betts on the power of reading books

13:01 Dr. Jamila Perritt on the impact of abortion restrictions on women of color

21:28  Sisi Wei on anti-racist work in the media industry

31:50 Sippin’ the Political Tea: Mutale Nkonde and Nicol Turner-Lee cover the most important tech news of the last few weeks

Host Farai Chideya talks with longtime immigrant rights expert Cecilia Muñoz about Welcome.US, a website that connects people to the process of resettling newcomers. Our Body Politic contributors Diane Wong and Jenn Jackson, researchers at the GenForward survey, share their findings about the favorability of both major parties with young people of color. Author and global citizen Chloe Dulce Louvouezo embarks on an exploration of identity in her book, "Life, I Swear: Intimate Stories From Black Women on Identity, Healing and Self-Trust.” And on Sippin’ the Political Tea, Errin Haines of the 19th and Tiffany Jeffers of Georgetown Law dissect the week’s news with Farai, going through the major elections this month and what they say about the issues getting voters to the polls.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

1:04 Cecilia Muñoz on her new initiative to help us welcome refugees

10:51 The data scientists at GenForward on young people of color and the two-party system

21:21 Author Chloe Dulce Louvouezo on finding home in herself

29:35 Sippin’ the Political Tea: Our Body Politic contributors Errin Haines and Tiffany Jeffers cover the week’s news with Farai Chideya

Host Farai Chideya asks Virginia gubernatorial candidate Princess Blanding about running on a third-party ticket and how her platform is diverse and inclusive. Our Body Politic public health contributor Dr. Kavita Trivedi covers everything we need to know about vaccines, and not only against Covid-19. Two sisters in the Bay Area share the story behind starting the Afghan Clinic, which serves the health needs of fellow Afghans. And on Sippin’ the Political Tea, Casey Mendoza of Newsy and Karen Attiah of the Washington Post, two contributors on the show, join Farai to examine what the Dave Chappelle controversy says about free speech, stan culture, and the importance of nuanced and fearless cultural critics, especially in communities of color.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:47 Third-party candidate Princess Blanding on her run to be Virginia’s Governor

11:59 Dr. Kavita Trivedi updates us on all news related to vaccines

21:18 Two public health professionals launch the Afghan Clinic to uplift their community’s health needs

30:56 Sippin’ the Political Tea: Our Body Politic contributors Casey Mendoza and Karen Attiah dissect the controversy around Dave Chappelle