Our Body Politic

This week Farai Chideya talks with Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley about her legislative priorities, holding fellow members of Congress accountable for the insurrection, and what keeps her going in the fight for justice. Georgia State Senator Dr. Michelle Au decries anti-Asian American hate and wants fellow politicians to treat gun violence as a public health issue. TransLash Media founder and journalist Imara Jones reflects on her experience of patriarchy and Trump’s weaponization of government against trans people. And our weekly roundtable, Sippin’ the Political Tea, welcomes sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen and podcast host Merk Nguyen to talk with Errin Haines about how Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are experiencing the racial animus of the past year.

0:53 Representative Ayanna Pressley on her goal to legislate healing and racial equity

12:44 Georgia State Senator Michelle Au on what’s needed to address anti-Asian violence

21:27 Imara Jones of TransLash Media talks about how to protect and uplift trans lives

29:11 Sippin’ the Political Tea: how Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are experiencing the racial animus of the past year

This week Farai Chideya talks with WNBA star Layshia Clarendon about their role in pushing the league to engage with politics, and why it’s important for them to proudly share their identity as a Black, trans and nonbinary, Christian person. Marian Liu of the Washington Post examines the shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, that left six Asian women dead, and how race, gender, and immigration underscore what happened. Author Anna Malaika Tubbs shares highlights from her new book about Louise Little, Berdis Baldwin, and Alberta King, the mothers of three important civil rights leaders. And our weekly political roundtable, Sippin’ the Political Tea, welcomes Our Body Politic Executive Producer Juleyka Lantigua-Williams in conversation with Farai and Jess Morales Rocketto, Civic Engagement Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. They discuss the workers who were murdered in Atlanta, the role of Trumpism in rising violence, and what Interior Secretary Deb Haaland intends to focus on.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:56 Layshia Clarendon on the grassroots activism in the WNBA

12:19 Marian Liu of the Washington Post discusses the violence in Atlanta

20:32 Anna Malaika Tubbs talks about the powerful Black mothers of civil rights leaders

28:07 Sippin’ the Political Tea: the gender-based violence in Georgia, Deb Haaland’s confirmation as Interior Secretary, and voting rights in Florida

This week Farai Chideya dives into the consequences of zero-sum thinking around race with Heather McGhee, author of “The Sum of Us.” Marissa Tirona recounts her harrowing experience with Covid-19, one year after her hospitalization in New York City. Our Covid Update looks at vaccination rates among people of color. Our Body Politic national security contributor Holli Draines breaks down what we need to know about threats to Capitol Hill. And Errin Haines of the 19th and Jess Morales Rocketto of the National Domestic Workers Alliance dissect the Covid relief package, the White House’s latest move on gender policy, and voter suppression in Sippin’ the Political Tea, our weekly political roundtable.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:54 Heather McGhee on the role racism plays in U.S. domestic policy failures

12:03 Marissa Tirona recalls her hospitalization with Covid-19 one year ago

22:06 Holli Draines on vetting security personnel at the U.S. Capitol 

27:53 Sippin’ the Political Tea: Covid relief, White House gender policy, and voter suppression in Georgia

This week we’re recharging and planning ahead. So we’ve curated some of the most interesting conversations Farai Chideya has had with our guests in the last few months. Senator Tammy Duckworth talks about how her service in the military inspires her political leadership, including her advocacy for veterans and people with disabilities. Investor Nathalie Molina Niño explains why it makes business sense to see entrepreneurship by women of color as an investment opportunity. Professor Steven Thrasher explains the ableism that seeps into talk of Covid-19’s disproportionate impact on communities of color, and the creation of what he calls a “viral underclass.” Journalist Leezel Tanglao talks about the platform Tayo Help which disseminates useful information to Filipinos, a population heavily impacted by Covid-19 due to the large number of Filpino healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic. MacArthur Fellow Tressie McMillan Cottom shares her personal story of pregnancy and loss to “reanimate” the worrisome statistics about Black maternal mortality. And futurists Sharon Chang and Kamal Sinclair discuss better ways our country could plan for retirement and work-life balance.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

3:40 Senator Tammy Duckworth says even though she was injured in combat, serving in the military was the “greatest privilege” of her life.

5:37 Senator Duckworth explains why it’s important to tailor policy so veterans can transfer their skills to the civilian workforce.

10:02 Senator Duckworth says she would like to see more people with disabilities in government positions in order to inform policy.

15:06 Nathalie Molina Niño describes the moment she realized that access to money was the root issue getting in the way of success for women and people of color entrepreneurs.

23:02 Dr. Steven Thrasher explains why he says ableism is a “plague” during the Covid-19 pandemic.

28:16 Leezel Tanglao talks about her online platform Tayo Help and how it works to stop the spread of misinformation about Covid-19 within the Filipino community.

37:44 Tressie McMillan Cottom talks about her hesitancy to write about the death of her newborn daughter, but says she did so to illuminate how a statistic could be someone’s lived experience.

44:20 Sharon Chang and Kamal Sinclair of the Guild of Future Architects discuss what a true work-life balance could look like if society redefined the value of work.

This week, Farai Chideya talks with Senator Elizabeth Warren about why she still pushes for student debt relief and an increased minimum wage, and why she believes these are racial-justice issues. Epidemiologist and Our Body Politic contributor Dr. Kavita Trivedi takes our most pressing questions about Covid-19 vaccinations. Film producer and author Tanya Selvaratnam discusses her new book “Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence.” Plus, our political roundtable with Errin Haines and special guest Brittany Packnett Cunningham, unpacks the racial resentment behind the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection, CPAC, and Senators’ grilling of the Biden-Harris Cabinet picks.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:59 Senator Elizabeth Warren talks about how her personal experience growing up “on the ragged edge of the middle class” informs her view of our current economic structures

6:15 Black and Latinx students are disproportionately impacted by student loan debt, Senator Warren explains, which is why she says debt relief is a racial-justice issue.

12:11 Dr. Kavita Trivedi explains in detail what you need to know about the protection the Covid-19 vaccine provides.

15:39 The decline in Covid cases in the U.S. might be a hopeful sign as we aim for herd immunity, Dr. Trivedi says.

22:06 Tanya Selvaratnam discusses why she wrote her new book, “Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence.”

25:13 Selvaratnam says she talks about her experience with intimate partner violence to remove the stigma of being a survivor of abuse.

30:41 “Sippin’ the Political Tea” guest Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks about her podcast, UNDISTRACTED.

35:19 Errin Haines talks about the potential significance of Maya Wiley’s candidacy in the New York City mayoral race.

36:04 Haines says the idea of “electability” hampers many minority candidates, including Black women who run for office, but that “electing somebody is what makes them electable!”

37:56 Packnett Cunningham compares the lack of accountability for the January 6th, 2021, insurrection to decisions made in the post-Civil War era.

40:12 “I'm less worried about Donald Trump running for reelection than I am about a kinder, gentler, ready-for-prime-time Donald Trump to run,” Packnett Cunningham says, about why it’s important to hold the former President accountable for his role in the insurrection.

42:28 Packnett Cunningham says the real concern about elections should be around the unprecedented amount of voter suppression bills currently in state legislatures.

44:50 Farai Chideya says fear of revenge from historically oppressed minorities may be a factor in the higher scrutiny several Biden-Harris Cabinet nominees are currently facing in the Senate.

This week, Farai Chideya talks to Charles Blow, New York Times opinion columnist and author of “The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto,” about his proposal for building Black political power in the South. Dr. Ashish Jha of Brown University explains why vaccinating against Covid-19 must be a global effort, and Dr. Debra Furr-Holden of Michigan State University says getting Black Americans vaccinated is a key part of that effort. Our business of entertainment contributor Casey Mendoza breaks down who was nominated, who was snubbed, and who might be miscategorized at the Golden Globes. And political roundtable regulars Errin Haines and Jess Morales Rocketto explain why it’s important to keep trying to hold former President Trump accountable for his actions, despite his acquittal by the Senate.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:55 Writer and columnist Charles Blow explains how moving en masse can change the political dynamics of a state. 

7:04 A central argument in his book, Blow dispels the myth that racism only exists in the South.  

10:34 Blow says that because of implicit bias, multi-racial coalitions can be limiting for building Black power. 

14:16 Dr. Ashish Jha explains how herd immunity works in the vaccination process. 

16:26 Dr. Jha says there is promising research that current vaccines can fight against most variants of Covid-19. 

17:54 Dr. Jha says that vaccination efforts must be global in order to eliminate the threat of Covid-19 variants that prolong the pandemic.

19:58 Casey Mendoza looks at past controversies addressing the lack of diversity in entertainment awards shows.

22:38 Mendoza reflects on the role of white creators in the conversation about diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. 

24:38 Mendoza explains why the Golden Globes were highly criticized for the categorization of “Minari” as a foreign language film. 

25:53 Categorizing international or foreign-language films still proves to be problematic, Mendoza explains.

30:00 Errin Haines reflects on her interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. 

33:28 Farai Chideya discusses Charles Blow’s idea for obtaining Black political power with Errin Haines.  

36:02 After the impeachment acquittal of former President Donald Trump, Jess Morales Rocketto says that the threat of Trump and Trumpism is still very real. 

39:00 Chideya tries to make sense of the conflicting positions from Senator Mitch McConnell regarding Trump’s role in the January 6th insurrection.

41:27 Sippin’ the Political Tea’s experts discuss other ways people are trying to hold Trump accountable for the events of January 6th, and why voting to convict on an impeachment charge would have had different consequences.

This week, Farai Chideya and her guests talk about whistleblowing in the tech industry, how ecofascism happens, and the second Trump impeachment trial. Ifeoma Ozoma, founder of Earthseed, talks about the discrimination she says she experienced as a Black woman working at Pinterest, and what she’s doing to protect more whistleblowers through a new California amendment. Technology contributor Mutale Nkonde breaks down why the way tech companies treat their employees impacts our everyday lives. And climate writer Mary Annaïse Heglar explains why how white supremacists engage with the climate crisis matters. Plus, Errin Haines of the 19th and Jess Morales Rocketto of the National Domestic Workers Alliance discuss the repercussions of former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial, pandemic relief from the Biden-Harris administration, and Stacey Abrams’ plan to strengthen our democracy.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

3:04 Ifeoma Ozoma talks about how Pinterest benefited from having her be the face of the company, and why she feels she was treated unfairly by those in more powerful positions.

5:37 Ozoma says the way tech companies treat employees like her is similar to the way they treat their PoC consumer base.

6:34 Ozoma talks about why she is working to get resources to whistleblowers in the tech industry, including protections through a proposed California legislation, the Silenced No More Act.

12:26 Contributor and tech expert Mutale Nkonde continues the conversation about discrimination in the tech industry.

13:45 Nkonde talks about Timnit Gebru, her significant research into artificial intelligence, and why her treatment at Google strikes so close to home.

17:41 Some of Nkonde’s recent research looks into a significant disinformation campaign during the 2020 Presidential election, that many newsrooms missed.

20:04 Climate writer Mary Annaïse Heglar talks about her work identifying ecofascism.

22:38 Heglar talks about how the climate crisis is a “threat multiplier.”

24:11 Heglar explains why she uses Twitter to call out fossil fuel companies for their wrongdoings.

28:10 Our weekly political roundtable “Sippin’ the Political Tea’ breaks down the ramifications of the second impeachment trial for the public, and the political parties.

29:42 Farai Chideya and Errin Haines of The 19th talk about the video of the January 6th insurrection that was played during the impeachment trial.

31:19 Jess Morales Rocketto talks about House delegate Stacey Plaskett and how female elected officials are using fashion to make a statement.

33:18 Chideya discusses the potential consequences of the impeachment trial for the Republican Party.

36:58 Haines discusses Vice President Kamala Harris’ role as an equal partner in the administration. 

39:30 Morales Rocketto says she wants to see the policies focused on helping immigrants, included in Covid relief negotiations.

40:43 Chideya says the pandemic relief plan gives Americans the opportunity to see what their government can do for them, and compares it to government aid in Europe.

This week, Farai Chideya and her guests discuss the Covid-19 vaccine, a Golden Globe-nominated film, and the future of the Republican Party. Businesswoman Bertica Cabrera Morris and Professor Geraldo Cadava share the diversity of the conservative Hispanic experience. Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious diseases specialist and epidemiologist, explains why the lack of public health infrastructure, especially technology, impacts the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. Business of entertainment contributor Casey Mendoza discusses two major Black films making waves in the upcoming awards season. Plus, political journalist Errin Haines of The 19th and Professor Tiffany Jeffers of Georgetown Law dive into the repercussions of the January 6th insurrection for the Republican Party, members of Congress, and voting rights across the country.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

1:24 Businesswoman Bertica Cabrera Morris talks about her relationship with the Republican Party as a Hispanic conservative.

6:15 Cabrera Morris says she doesn’t agree with the behavior exhibited at the Capitol on January 6th, and that it harmed organizers in the Republican party like herself.

11:47 A listener shares their response on the SPEAK platform, to the question, “How have your priorities changed since the beginning of the pandemic?” 

14:41 Professor Geraldo Cadava explains that the Republican Party has fed divisions between Latinos  and African Americans for political gain. 

16:51 Cadava explains that Hispanic Republicans will often point to the ways the Democratic Party has let down or alienated Latino voters, giving the Republican Party room to grow their base.

17:58 Dr. Celine Gounder explains how the variants of Covid-19 present new and different challenges to controlling the pandemic.

19:54 The vaccination process is hampered by the lack of health infrastructure, including basic technology for scheduling patients, says Dr Gounder.

21:38 Dr. Gounder dives into what is needed for a more equitable distribution of vaccines. 

25:54 Casey Mendoza gives an overview of Golden Globe-nominated film, One Night in Miami. 

27:28 Mendoza talks about the ways award shows have adapted to include movies that are streaming during the pandemic.

29:22 The documentary film MLK/FBI looks at how strategically the FBI worked to discredit the Civil Rights Movement.

30:40 Errin Haines and Tiffany Jeffers break down the recent events in Congress in the weekly political roundtable “Sippin’ the Political Tea.”

31:13 Farai Chideya talks about being impacted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s Instagram Live video recounting her experience of the January 6th insurrection.

33:13 Jeffers looks back to the Civil War and Reconstruction to draw comparisons to the divisions in politics today.

35:31 Haines and Chideya discuss the Republican Party’s response to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green.

37:14 Voters who changed their party registration after the election may be key to understanding the future of the Republican party, Chideya explains. 

42:02 Jeffers makes the case that granting D.C statehood could give Capitol Hill staff and D.C. residents more security. 

46:35 The burden that people of color endure when taking the time to vote needs to be addressed to ensure a more fair democracy, Chideya says.

This week, Farai Chideya and her guests talk about the challenges and victories of Covid vaccination efforts, and dive into the administration’s plans to reverse course on four years of Donald Trump. Dr. Grace Lee of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices describes what must be done to distribute vaccines equitably. “Vaccine Vixen” Ashley Nealy explains why as a Black woman she wanted to participate in the clinical trials. Actor and playwright Anna Deavere Smith analyzes the image of Vice President Kamala Harris in the White House. Author Kenya Hunt reflects on Black female identity around the world in her book, Girl Gurl Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic. Plus, political journalist Errin Haines of The 19th and Jess Morales-Rocketto of the National Domestic Workers Alliance get into the swift actions of the Biden-Harris administration, the white supremacy problem within law enforcement, and the future of the Republican party.

EPISODE RUNDOWN

0:43 Dr. Grace Lee explains that some populations who are less likely to be willing to receive the Covid vaccine, are the same groups that have been disproportionately ravaged by the disease. 

4:20 Although many people are skeptical about getting vaccinated, Dr. Lee says inoculation is the best way for society to create immunity.

7:10 Dr. Lee emphasizes the importance of community leaders leading the way towards vaccination, especially within groups that may not trust the medical establishment.

10:21 A caller from the SPEAK platform shares what she’d do to get the pandemic under control if she was at the White House.

12:03 Ashley Nealy, a Covid-19 vaccine trial participant, shares why it’s important to encourage other people of color to take the Covid-19 vaccine. 

15:56 Playwright, university professor and author Anna Deavere Smith discusses her most recent works, including a TIME magazine article on Vice President Kamala Harris. 

18:02 Deavere Smith explains how she uses performing arts to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.

23:04 Fashion director Kenya Hunt explores her experience of Black womanhood, in the U.S. and abroad.

24:14 Hunt explains why she thinks Black women like herself feel pressure to represent a whole demographic of people, and why that’s too simplistic.

27:20 Seeing the political force that Black women wielded in the recent U.S. elections gives Hunt hope and optimism.

28:19 Errin Haines, editor-at-large at The 19th, and Jess Morales Rocketto, civic engagement director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, take part in our weekly politics segment Sippin the Political Tea.

28:58 Haines and Chideya talk about the slate of executive orders signed by the Biden-Harris administration within the last week, including the reversal of the transgender military ban. 

34:09 With the new administration’s huge emphasis on racial equity, Morales Rocketto admits that she has been slightly skeptical, yet optimistic, about the Biden-Harris administration’s plan to deliver on this front.

36:56 Haines breaks down Democrats’ plans to get cash to people who are most in need of assistance, emphasizing the impact this could have specifically on women.

41:07 Haines and Chideya discuss the warnings from the Department of Homeland Security of increased threats of domestic terrorism.

43:24 Haines and Morales Rocketto unpack the importance of the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, which is expected to start on February 9th. 

This week, Farai Chideya and her guests discuss the new administration and the historic role of Vice President Kamala Harris. Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters discusses what her party wants to accomplish now that it controls the legislative and executive branches. Political strategist Glynda Carr of Higher Heights wants to elevate more Black women to political leadership roles. Activist and producer Sarah Eagle Heart examines what the Biden-Harris administration could do to address the needs of Indigenous communities. Plus, political journalist Errin Haines of The 19th and Jess Morales-Rocketto of the National Domestic Workers Alliance dive into the priorities, hurdles, and first 100 days of the 46th President and Vice President.

EPISODE RUNDOWN
1:26 Farai Chideya talks to people in D.C. for the Presidential Inauguration.
2:52 Representative Maxine Waters describes the scene during the Capitol siege. 
5:14 Representative Waters describes the inequalities that Black women like her experience in the many facets of society. 
8:39 Representative Waters says she is elated about the organizing efforts in Georgia.
11:16 Having Kamala Harris as Vice President speaks to what is possible for Black Americans, says Waters. 
13:16 Political strategist Glynda Carr talks about her efforts to get more Black women elected into leadership roles.
14:05 Carr breaks down the four pillars of Higher Heights, her organization that endorses and advocates to elect Black women into office.
17:10 Electing New York’s Attorney General Letitia James was a recent success story for Higher Heights.
21:40 The Covid update looks into the strategy to get Covid vaccinations to those who need it most. 
23:13 Activist and producer Sarah Eagle Heart dives into her social justice work as a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe. 
26:03 Eagle Heart recounts her first time protesting a racist depiction of Indigenous people at a homecoming ceremony in her hometown, when she was a teenager.
28:13 When Eagle Heart approached top organizers of the Women’s March to point out the lack of Indigenous representation, she became part of the solution to amplify these voices in the movement.
29:21 If she was able to ask anything of Vice President Kamala Harris, Eagle Heart would want to be sure that the rights of Indigenous people are included in the new administration.
32:34 Our segment Sippin’ the Political Tea, looks back at a historic week with political experts Errin Haines and Jess Morales Rocketto.
33:58 Youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman was Chideya’s favorite moment of last week’s inaugural celebration. 
36:39 Chideya takes her listeners to the streets of D.C. the morning of the Inauguration.
39:42 Morales Rocketto looks at some of the historic appointments to the Biden-Harris administration’s Cabinet.
43:14 Haines looks at how the media will shift its focus from President Trump to the Biden-Harris administration.
44:50 Although there is a new president, “Trump is gone, but Trumpism isn’t,” Chideya explains.
45:33 The Biden-Harris administration has promised to make sweeping reforms to immigration policy, Morales Rocketto says.
47:53 Haines questions how the Biden-Harris administration will tackle issues like systemic racism.