Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness

Who Does America’s “Child Welfare System” Serve? with Professor Dorothy Roberts


Listen Later

Each year, more than 250,000 children in America are removed from their families by judicial means—and more than 3.5 million children are investigated by child welfare agencies. Most of these children are Black, Indigenous, queer, disabled, and / or otherwise marginalized. And much of the tens of billions of dollars allotted each year to so-called “child welfare” is spent on separating families. This week’s guest Dorothy Roberts joins Jonathan to discuss how this system operates; who it most harms; and what it has to do with mass incarceration, police brutality, and centuries’ worth of inequities in this country.

 

Dorothy Roberts is the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a contributor to the 1619 Project book and the author of four books, including the best-selling Killing the Black Body. Her path breaking work in law and public policy focuses on urgent social justice issues in policing, family regulation, science, medicine, and bioethics.  She has been featured in countless media outlets including The New York Times, New York Magazine, MSNBC, NPR, PBS, Vice News, CNN, ABC, and many others. She lives in Philadelphia.

CW: This episode discusses police violence, bodily harm, and hateful rhetoric.

You can follow Dorothy on Twitter @DorothyERoberts. Her newest book, Torn Apart, is available now.

 

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation.

 

Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook.

 

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

 

Love listening to Getting Curious? Now, you can also watch Getting Curious—on Netflix! Head to netflix.com/gettingcurious to dive in.

 

Our executive producer is Erica Getto. Our associate producer is Zahra Crim. Our editor is Andrew Carson.

 

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

 

Getting Curious merch is available on PodSwag.com.


 

Headshot Credit: Chris Crisman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Getting Better with Jonathan Van NessBy Sony Music Entertainment / Jonathan Van Ness

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

19,033 ratings


More shows like Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness

View all
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang by Big Money Players Network and iHeartPodcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

9,102 Listeners

Code Switch by NPR

Code Switch

14,656 Listeners

It's Been a Minute by NPR

It's Been a Minute

9,106 Listeners

Why Won't You Date Me? with Nicole Byer by Headgum & Nicole Byer

Why Won't You Date Me? with Nicole Byer

15,357 Listeners

IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson by Higher Ground

IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

13,100 Listeners

Maintenance Phase by Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes

Maintenance Phase

16,946 Listeners

We Can Do Hard Things by Treat Media and Glennon Doyle

We Can Do Hard Things

41,513 Listeners

Normal Gossip by Normal Gossip

Normal Gossip

5,823 Listeners

Vibe Check by Zach Stafford, Saeed Jones

Vibe Check

1,786 Listeners

I've Had It by Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan

I've Had It

18,285 Listeners

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus by Lemonada Media

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

10,823 Listeners

Handsome by Headgum

Handsome

13,708 Listeners

A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein by Matt Bernstein

A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein

2,597 Listeners

Pretty Curious with Jonathan Van Ness by Sony Music Entertainment / Jonathan Van Ness

Pretty Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

35 Listeners

Good Hang with Amy Poehler by The Ringer

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

12,470 Listeners

It's Open with Ilana Glazer by It's Open Podcast

It's Open with Ilana Glazer

205 Listeners