The Progressive Happy Hour

As Florida's population continues to grow, it has become a key battleground state in national elections. And Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum's recent primary win is just one indicator of Florida's changing political tide.

In the September 14 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," co-hosts Drew Courtney and Cici Battle talk to Corryn Freeman, project manager for Florida's Statewide Alignment Group, about the state's electoral landscape and the push for more equal representation.

Progressive activists have been increasingly thoughtful about ensuring meaningful representation of marginalized communities. But disability activists have noticed that disability representation is an issue that remains underrepresented in progressive spaces.

In the September 7 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," Drew Courtney and Diallo Brooks talk to Rachna Sizemore Heizer, disability rights activist and board member of Virginia Autism Project, about the fight for a more inclusive progressive movement that holistically incorporates disability rights and issues.

Over the past several years, as deadly mass shootings continue to occur with alarming frequency, gun violence prevention has been hotly debated by our federal and state officials and the general public.

In the August 29 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," co-host Drew Courtney and guest host Diallo Brooks talk to Kris Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, about gun violence's dangerous impact, Supreme Court, how their work has evolved over time, and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's dangerous stance on guns.

Over the past several years, as deadly mass shootings continue to occur with alarming frequency, gun violence prevention has been hotly debated by our federal and state officials and the general public.

In the August 29 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," co-host Drew Courtney and guest host Diallo Brooks talk to Kris Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, about gun violence's dangerous impact, Supreme Court, how their work has evolved over time, and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's dangerous stance on guns.

Earlier this month, hard-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' podcast was banned from Spotify, Google, YouTube, Apple and other tech companies for violating of their terms of service. In the August 24 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," co-hosts Cici Battle and Drew Courtney catch up with Right Wing Watch's Jared Holt, whose tweet helped to spark the Infowars bans, about his research on the alt right, the movement's dangerous intersection with technology and how social media companies might address violent rhetoric on their sites.

The midterm elections are less than 3 months away, and progressive young candidates and data suggests that young progressive voters are galvanizing to take the ballot box by storm in November.

Friends of the podcast may recall that the PFAW Foundation's Young People For empowers young folks with the tools and resources they need to cultivate their leadership and grow their networks. And in this special August 17 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," we hit the road with co-host Cici Battle to chat face-to-face with YP4 alumni and a YP4 staff trainer about their work in the movement.

Bigotry and racism have become increasingly normalized, and in response, young people are boldly leading the charge for systemic policy change. Affiliate PFAW Foundation's Young People For (which co-host Cici Battle leads) leverages young folks' passion and energy to become progressive leaders in their communities. In the August 10 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," co-host Drew Courtney interviewed Battle to discuss Young People For's work and the issues young people are fighting for.

Trump's anti-Muslim bigotry is no secret. Aside from his hateful rhetoric, he's enacted the Muslim ban and other policies attacking Muslims that have caused damage to millions of families around the world.

In the August 3 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," co-hosts Drew Courtney and Cici Battle spoke with Muslim Advocates' Legal Director Johnathan Smith to discuss the Trump administration's anti-Muslim ideology and the Supreme Court's complicit role in upholding that animus.

Progressive activists are fighting back against Trump and his enablers, but it's local politics that addresses community issues and creates immediate change—and young people are leading the charge.

In the July 27 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," co-hosts Drew Courtney and Cici Battle sat down with DC State Board of Education Representative and Young Elected Officials Communications and Program Coordinator Markus Batchelor to discuss his road to political leadership and how his young age gives him a unique opportunity to understand the needs of his constituents.

Both the Supreme Court and the lower courts have played a key role in recognizing the constitutional rights of LGBTQ people. But since Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Court, activists are spreading the word about what's at stake for the LGBTQ community if he were confirmed. In the July 20 episode of "The Progressive Happy Hour," co-host Drew Courtney and PFAW's Right Wing Watch Research Director Adele Stan chat with Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Sasha Buchert to discuss the importance of the judiciary and the threats to LGBTQ civil rights if he is confirmed.