On April 29th, the 25th anniversary of the L.A. riots, the residents of South Los Angeles came together to commemorate, reflect, and organize. Producer Mukta Mohan and Senior National Correspondent Jamil Smith went to the corner of Florence and Normandie, where the unrest began, to speak to the people, young and old, who have been rebuilding and strengthening their neighborhoods through activism and art. Interviews include Rodney King's daughter and his first wife, the aunt of Latasha Harlins, and several community activists.

Welcome to The Stakes. This week, Senior National Correspondent Jamil Smith sits down with Let America Vote founder Jason Kander—the Army veteran and former Missouri Secretary of State who narrowly lost his U.S. Senate race last fall to Republican incumbent Roy Blunt. They talked about his new organization's mission to stop voter suppression and gerrymandering; the President’s new “election integrity” commission; and that ad when he assembled a rifle blindfolded.

For several months beginning in late summer 2016, protesters camped out in North Dakota to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline — a $3.7 billion project that is currently transporting oil across four states. The self-described "water protectors" wanted to protect sacred Standing Rock Sioux sites that pipeline construction could destroy, and worried about potential contamination of the Missouri River should a rupture happen. At their peak, the protest camps housed several thousands of people from all over the country, including members from hundreds of different tribes.

On December 4, 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers announced that the pipeline would not be permitted at Standing Rock. Two days later the tribal council’s chairman told water protectors that it was time to pack up and go home.

On March 24 of this year, President Trump issued a memo announcing that the State Department had given final permission to proceed with the Dakota Access Pipeline through Standing Rock. By March 28, Energy Transfer Partners announced that there was crude oil in the pipeline under Lake Oahe.

In late 2016, MTV News writer Marcus Ellsworth and podcast producer Kasia Mychajlowycz traveled to the Oceti Sakowin Camp, a large allegiance of smaller camps containing an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 people, to talk to water protectors, volunteers, and allies about why they were standing up against the Dakota Access Pipeline, and what they’d do when December 5 rolled around.

Voices featured in this show include Eva Cardenas, André Perez, George Pletnikoff Jr., Andre Nunez, and Liz George.

This episode of “The Stakes” was produced by Kasia Mychajlowycz, Michael Catano, James T. Green, and Mukta Mohan and is part of the MTV Podcast Network. You can subscribe to "The Stakes" and other fine MTV Podcasts productions at podcasts.mtv.com

Welcome back to “The Stakes.” This week, producer Mukta Mohan brings us stories from Friendship Park: the only place along the 2,000 miles of border between the United States and Mexico where people from both countries can talk to each other face-to-face.

This week on The Stakes, senior national correspondent Jamil Smith speaks to Nicole and Akeem Browder, the siblings of Kalief Browder, who spent three years in Rikers Island without a trial. His powerful story was made into a six-part documentary series, Time: The Kalief Browder Story, which premiered on Spike on March 1.

Senior national correspondent Jamil Smith talks with Congresswoman Maxine Waters about going viral after 37 years of public service, and why she's no fan of the current administration. Plus, producer Mukta Mohan speaks with Pat Ivers and Emily Armstrong of GoNightClubbing about the time they spent documenting New York City’s punk and no wave scenes from 1975 to 1980.

Welcome back to “The Stakes,” where this week we're diving into the art world. Doreen St. Félix spoke with 61-year-old painter Kerry James Marshall — whose just-closed show "Mastry" drew huge crowds to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Met Breuer building in New York. The legendary artist reflected on what has changed over the course of his 35-year career, and what has remained the same — namely, his commitment to portraying only black subjects.

"You know you try to have fun with how scary this might be. I think ultimately comedy is cathartic. I think it's empowering. I think it's important to laugh at the things that scare you because I think it can help you.  You can fight that person more effectively. But I'm telling jokes but I'm going to be honest it's a hard time."

We’ve got a special episode for you this week featuring Jamil Smith in conversation with comedian Dean Obeidallah, host of the eponymous SiriusXM radio show. Jamil and Dean cover a broad range of subjects, from the Muslim Ban to what to make of the first weeks of Trump’s presidency.

Welcome back to “The Stakes,”  where we're trying our best to make sense of a world that increasingly defies the rules of logic. Coming up on the show today:

Part 1: MTV News staff writer Doreen St. Félix talks with I Am Not Your Negro director Raoul Peck, whose film continues the legacy of one of America’s most notable writers and social critics.

Part 2: Producer James T. Green heads to the Bronx Documentary Center for "Whose Streets? Our Streets!” an exhibit that acts as a testament to the deep spirit of resistance that we're feeling all over the country right now.

Part 3: Poet-in-residence Marcus Ellsworth reminds us why we continue to fight back against modern racism with his work, “The Ghost Of Jim Crow.”

Thanks for being with us on this journey, internet.

Welcome back to “The Stakes,” a rundown of the week’s news — without the talking heads. Coming up:

Part 1: We venture to a small town upstate with a long history in the fight for women’s rights, as writer Jaime Fuller and producer Kasia Mychajlowycz report from the Women’s March in Seneca Falls, New York — the birthplace of the American women’s suffrage movement.

Part 2: Producer James T. Green chats with Robyn Kanner, designer and co-founder of MyTransHealth, about the shortcomings of the Women's March — such as their non-inclusion of trans rights — and what cis-white women can do to become better feminists.

Part 3: In a country that continues to push marginalized folks into the corners, safe spaces are becoming more important, more necessary than ever. Producer Mukta Mohan takes us to a legendary DIY venue in Los Angeles called The Smell to find out why it’s so important to musicians and fans, and what they’re doing to keep it open.

Part 4: Style writer Gabby Noone reads her essay "Everything I Know About Style I Learned From Mary Tyler Moore" in honor of the legendary actress who passed away at 80 years old this week.