Thu, Aug 1, 2019
The Rev. Kaji Dousa, Pastor of Park Avenue Christian Church in NY and Co-Chair of the New Sanctuary Coalition on her ministry with immigrants and asylum seekers. During a recent trip to the border, Rev. Dousa was detained and interrogated by Customs and Border Protection. She has since been placed on a watch list. She has filed a federal lawsuit alleging her First Amendment Rights and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act have been violated.
Thu, Aug 8, 2019
Mark Thompson sits amongst a panel of women at the NAACP convention in Detroit. With Canada serving as their back drop they discuss the all to real fears of deportation, asylum, and safe spaces for those that don't belong here according to Trumps Presidency. They also discus the importance of removing hate speech, and how they're not only empowering each other but their various communities to restore peace amongst diverse communities. It is now more important than ever to call out hatred and promote love and community. They elaborate on how we can do just that.
Thu, Aug 22, 2019
This week, Mark Thompson is joined by former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy and author and early education specialist Lauren Dungy to discuss their books We Chose You: A Book About Adoption, Family and Forever Love, and Carson Chooses Forgiveness. They also discuss Jay-Z's collaboration with the NFL, and family separation at the border.
Thu, Aug 29, 2019
Mark Thompson moderates a UDC Institute for Politics, Policy and History panel on disinformation and voter suppression in 2016 and 2020 with former Naval Intelligence Officer Malcolm Nance, Ambassador Daniel Fried, the League of Women Voters' Virginia Kase, and U of Baltimore Prof. Gilda Daniels.
Thu, Sep 5, 2019
Mark Thompson presents part 2 of a UDC Institute for Politics, Policy and History panel on disinformation and voter suppression in 2016 and 2020, moderated by Mark Thompson and featuring former Naval Intelligence Officer Malcolm Nance, Ambassador Daniel Fried, the League of Women Voters' Virginia Kase, and U of Baltimore Prof. Gilda Daniels.
Thu, Sep 19, 2019
"The Great Hack" explores how the data company Cambridge Analytica came to symbolize the dark side of social media in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In this conversation the film's editors discuss the ways in which social media manipulates us, during election years and beyond.
Thu, Oct 10, 2019
Prof. David Carroll, featured in Netflix documentary The Great Hack, describes what's going on with our personal data, declares that "Mark Zuckerberg is the most powerful man in the world;" and Mark Thompson asks, "If Facebook tuned over every piece of information it has on us, would we even need a census?"
Thu, Oct 24, 2019
"Dirty Rubles: An Introduction to Trump/Russia" is the latest book by author Greg Olear, as he makes the argument that Trump/Russia is the greatest political scandal in American history and the most complex. In this conversation, Olear discusses the evolution of Trump's relationship with Russia and Russia's intersection with Turkey.
Thu, Nov 7, 2019
Karen Gibson is the founder, choir conductor and workshop leader with London's The Kingdom Choir. She has been described as "Britain's godmother of gospel". She joins Mark to talk about the influence gospel music in the States has had upon her, and the Royal who actually invited the Choir to sing at the Royal Wedding.
Thu, Nov 14, 2019
Military intelligence veteran Malcolm Nance is the former United States Navy senior chief petty officer specializing in naval cryptology. He is an author and media commentator on terrorism, intelligence, insurgency, and torture. He speaks with us about his new book, "The Plot To Betray America."
Wed, Dec 11, 2019
You might not know it, but you probably know someone who is food insecure. It affects 42.2 million Americans, which means they are often forced to skip meals, eat less food at meals, buy cheap non-nutritious food, or feed their children but not themselves. The team at WhyHunger believes nutritious food is a human right, and Senior Director of Programs Alison Cohen joins to educate us on food insecurity and the shocking statistics, draws the connection to poverty, and shares how we can work to end hunger.
Thu, Dec 19, 2019
"He was nefarious. He was horrible." That's how Dave Marcus describes his cousin Roy Cohn, who was a mentor to Donald Trump up until his death. Cohn taught Trump and Giuliani how to be criminals, showing them plays from his own playbook, which he used to aid members of the mafia, among others, as a "fixer." Cohn taught Trump and Giuliani the tactic they employ most frequently today: deny, attack, obfuscate. Marcus gives a unique insight on what his family considered their most "phony" member and how his most corrupt methods are on display in Trump's White House.
Thu, Dec 26, 2019
2019 has seen more mass shootings than days on the calendar, and Igor Volsky is doing something about it. Mark sits down with the Executive Director of Guns Down American to look back on the year, which, despite its horrific violence, has also included some significant "wins" for Volsky and the organization--most notably pushing Wal-Mart to step back from promoting gun sales and get involved with lobbying Congress on gun reform. Volsky also talks about the first-ever gun safety scorecard for national retailers--is your favorite store getting a passing grade?
Thu, Jan 2, 2020
The majority of women who are incarcerated have been victims of violence and/or abuse, and Donna Hylton is working to change that. Hylton is best known for her social justice activism, serving as one of the key drivers in the Less Is More NY Bill, the passage of the Domestic Violence Survivors' Justice Act, and participating in the successful Close Rikers campaign. Now, she's fighting for the 90-percent of incarcerated women and girls who experience violence and sexual assault. She joins Mark to discuss her recently established non-profit, A Little Piece of Light (the same name as her memoir), which is looking to provide comprehensive support for women, girls, transgender, and non-conforming individuals whose lives have been impacted by trauma and incarceration.
Thu, Jan 16, 2020
When people recognize Maya Wiley from her legal commentary on MSNBC and NBC, she gets stopped on the street by those asking how worried they should be as a citizen in the midst of the impeachment chaos. She answers this question with Mark as they dive deep into analyzing the intricacies of the process, its origin and the Constitution, and point to some stark (and troubling) differences between how Republicans are acting now as opposed to the Nixon/Watergate scandal. Her expert legal analysis proves helpful in understanding Trump's privileges, how the Supreme Court comes into play, and what may be coming next, as we see a power volley between House Democrats and Senate Republicans play out in the media spotlight.
Thu, Jan 23, 2020
Veteran journalist Ed Gordon knows we are in a crucial moment in our country's history, which is why he knew the time was now to put out his hard-hitting book, "Conversations in Black: On Power, Politics, and Leadership." There is a lack of consistency in progress and he gathers a powerful team of voices to examine what has been working, what holds the progressive agenda back, and the tactics and strategy needed going forward. Mark and Ed use his conversations with his incredible lineup of thought leaders to explore how to harness the power of the black voting muscle and make it commonplace in our elections.
Thu, Jan 30, 2020
How did our democracy get whittled down into two extreme parties? Lee Drutman says it's complicated, but he's able to break it down for us in this week's podcast episode as he digs into the chapters and research from his book, "Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America." He thinks there's no going back to what used to be, but that doesn't mean we can't plan for a different future with multiple, diverse parties. Listen to this week's episode to gain an understanding of how the parties divided, how it helped Trump get elected, and the innovative ways we could potentially transform what Drutman calls our antiquated election system.
Thu, Feb 6, 2020
PART ONE of a two-part series featuring an incredible panel discussion, moderated by Mark Thompson, titled "The Power of the March: MLK and a Legacy of Activism" This powerful panel explores the importance and effectiveness of marching and organizing, marked with personal stories, historical revelations, and a discussion on how to tell and report on important stories from within communities of color in a way that the mainstream media does not. Featuring: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; Denise Rolark Barnes, Publisher of The Washington Informer and chairman of Washington Informer Charities; Dr. Eric Arnesen, GW Professor of Modern American Labor History; Professor Lyrical, Associate Professor at the University of the District of Columbia.
Thu, Feb 13, 2020
PART TWO of a two-part series featuring an incredible panel discussion, moderated by Mark Thompson, titled "The Power of the March: MLK and a Legacy of Activism." The second half of the panel brings us the rhymes of Professor Lyrical, the history of protests and organized labor, and an analysis on the power of protests today. Featuring: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; Denise Rolark Barnes, Publisher of The Washington Informer and chairman of Washington Informer Charities; Dr. Eric Arnesen, GWU Professor of Modern American Labor History; Professor Lyrical, Associate Professor at the University of the District of Columbia.
Thu, Feb 20, 2020
Ari Melber is usually the one asking the questions, but this time, Mark turns the mic on him. The legal analyst and host of MSNBC's "The Beat with Ari Melber" joins Mark to discuss the Trump administration's erosion of the constitution, the rule of law, and pressing candidates like Bloomberg on their controversial backgrounds.
Thu, Feb 27, 2020
Are you seeking a way to get involved in media, technological, economic, and criminal justice? Technology is embedded in our culture, and Color of Change recognizes its intersections and power in politics. Mark sits down with Arisha Hatch and Heather McGhee from Color of Change to talk about how the organization uses their online community of more than 1.5 million people to push for change in both the public and private sectors, forcing companies and politicians to disconnect from white supremacist groups and stop their suppression of activist movements.
Thu, Mar 5, 2020
The seed of Linda Sarsour's activism was planted when she was a young child and, for the first time in her seven years of life, faced with the realities of racial profiling in America. From there, it has been an evolution from a young truth-teller in the Bronx to finding herself on a national stage with the Women's March. Listen to her tell the stories of her upbringing in New York, gain an understanding of the Palestinian military occupation and how it inspired her family's migration to America, learn about the personal experiences that inform her activism and how she knows that justice is impossible without intersectionality.
Thu, Mar 12, 2020
Mark took a trip to Capitol Hill to meet with nearly HALF of Senate Democrats, for what was a productive round-table discussion between lawmakers and African American journalists. No topic was off limits in this intimate conversation, including discussion on the Coronavirus outbreak "made worse for Americans by Trump's incompetent mishandling, according to Sen. Schumer", the disparities in our health care system, problems and proposed changes to our criminal justice system, the 2020 election, reparations, and more.
Thu, Mar 19, 2020
Jerry Mitchell is an award-winning investigative reporter and author of Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era." Jerry sits down with Mark to discuss this incredible historical examination and shares details from decades of research and time spent covering racially charged trials in the Deep South. That includes time spent time with infamous Klansman Byron De La Beckwith while he was jailed ahead of his trial for assassinating civil rights activist Medgar Evers, a time when he convinced a source to leak him the transcript of a sealed interview with convicted murderer and white supremacist Sam Bowers, and how some of the push back to his work comes in the form of death threats from klansmen.
Thu, Mar 26, 2020
Jennifer Epps Addison is the President and Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy and CPD Action, where they utilize a network of grassroots organizations across 34 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, in the fight to break up the status quo and reinvent the structures of our society. At CPD and CPDA, they believe in universal housing, fundamental transformations of immigration processes, and uprooting the legal system-and they also believe in electing Sen. Bernie Sanders to be the next president. This episode has the potential to get you fired up. Listen to hear about their incredibly thoughtful process of choosing to endorse Sen. Sanders, as well as a look inside all of the tireless work they do at the community level to change this country.
Thu, Mar 26, 2020
Rep. Val Demings (D-FL10), who served as a Manager in the House Impeachment hearings, spoke with Mark this morning about today's House vote on the historic $2 trillion dollar corona virus stimulus bill. Despite the importance of getting this bill passed, she also touched on why we'll need more legislation going forward, the danger of the Trump administration downplaying the pandemic, why we should be prepared to see confirmed case numbers continue to rise, and some insight on the inaction of her home state's governor, Ron DeSantis.
Mon, Mar 30, 2020
In the midst of corona virus chaos, Rep. Jim Clyburn takes the time to talk with Mark about what's happening between the House and Senate, Mitch McConnell twisting Rep. Clyburn's words on the stimulus bill, how we can restructure systems so rural areas don't get left behind, why we're going to need more legislation down the road, concerns about voting in the primary and general elections (voter suppression, anyone!), and why Trump is feeding us "Jim Crow with a new flavor" and how the House stopped the Trump family from benefiting financially from the corona virus stimulus bill.
Thu, Apr 2, 2020
Jessica Care Moore is a critically acclaimed poet with numerous collections, the founder and CEO of Moore Black Press, Executive Producer of Black WOMEN Rock!, and Founder of the literacy-driven Jess Care Moore Foundation. Her latest poetry collection, "We Want Our Bodies Back," is out now, and she talks with Mark about generating income as artists (especially in uncertain times like we're experiencing right now), seeking comfort in black artistry, perfecting her craft with nothing more than library books, and lifting up other women in the arts.
Thu, Apr 9, 2020
Kim Ortiz, also known as Copy Watch Kimmy, is the Co-Founder of NYC Shut It Down and President of the Copwatch Patrol Unit Women's Division--and she is clear on why she became an abolitionist. Ortiz sits down with Mark to discuss that moment she became conscious about police brutality, her thoughts on stop-and-frisk and why Bloomberg would never be the right candidate, and how waiting on the government to make the necessary structural changes to the criminal justice system is a fruitless effort. She's also working on "Black Mama's Bail-Out," raising money to bail out black mom's before Mother's Day. Listen to hear about her strength, activism, and how you can get involved and help out in the simplest of ways.
Sun, Apr 12, 2020
Tom Perez, Chairman of the DNC, says Trump's lack of leadership--including his initial denial of the seriousness of the virus and the press conferences he treats like campaign rallies--has landed us in the position our country is in, now leading the globe in the number of deaths from corona virus. He discusses the vast differences between present-day and working with former President Obama leading the global response and preventing Ebola from becoming a pandemic; the hypocrisy in Wisconsin Republicans forcing the primary election, where the number of infected people continues to climb; voting in the November election, with concerns of another surge of the virus, and how it will be a state-by-state battle; Republicans using voter suppression to counteract their shrinking base; what proper mail-in voting should look like; a contingency plan for this summer's Democratic convention; and Biden's commitment to picking a woman.
Mon, Apr 13, 2020
Fox News is endangering people's lives with their misinformation--the gap has officially closed between their broadcast of lies and how it could impact viewers. As the President of Media Matters, Angelo Carusone deals with Fox fallacies daily, and he says that the damage is irreparable, as hosts show no shame in giving life to conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, Trump shows support and enthusiasm for a news program that suggested beating COVID-19 by pointing a hair dryer up your nose.
Tue, Apr 14, 2020
FACT: The corona virus is disproportionately killing people of color. Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change, knows this isn't a coincidence, it's because of the conditions that existed in our society before corona virus arrived. But Color of Change came to life after another historic moment in this country--after Hurricane Katrina, "born in the midst of a crisis where government failure was at the heart of the impact," says Robinson. And now, Black America is feeling the depths of despair that New Orleans experienced; but Color of Change is working to find ways to provide lasting relief "read: systemic changes".
Wed, Apr 15, 2020
What happens to those who are incarcerated when a pandemic takes hold of our country? April Grayson is a National Surrogate for the REPRESENT JUSTICE Campaign, in addition to her work for the Young Women's Freedom Center, a coalition of currently and formerly incarcerated women creating awareness of the unique issues facing women in prison, and she is working to shed a light on the vulnerability of inmates. There are no social distancing requirements within prisons, and if staff and guards choose not to wear masks, gloves, or other protective gear, they can easily walk the virus right inside. That brings us to Grayson's work, where she is asking governors and lawmakers to consider releasing the elderly or immunocompromised sooner than planned. She also discusses her experience as she was incarcerated for both the SARS and H1N1 outbreaks, and how inmates are left without information or resources to protect themselves from getting sick.
Thu, Apr 16, 2020
The Trump administration continues to expand access to firearms during the Coronavirus pandemic, and so gun sales continue to rise, which is no coincidence--we've seen similar statistical jumps when Barack Obama was elected to office, as well as just after 9/11. That makes it a particularly interesting time to sit down with Frank Smyth, author of "The NRA: The Unauthorized History," who shares insight on how the ideology of the NRA's fiercely supportive members are a huge part of what upholds the organization, even in the midst of a national crisis.
Sun, Apr 19, 2020
In the midst of the corona virus, Trump has been communicating with leaders all over the world, but none as much as Putin, who he's been having regular phone calls with. This is what Max Bergmann, Co-Founder of The Moscow Project tells us. He and Mark also get into how the corona virus can potentially impact Putin's regime, how Trump's relationship with Putin has strained our ties with the European Union in ways that were once unimaginable, Putin's relishing in the transatlantic instability, and how Russia's efforts to interfere in our election are actually made easier by all of this chaos.
Mon, Apr 20, 2020
For every one COVID-19 mobile testing site in the United States, there are about 100 gun shops that offer drive-through purchasing--which is a new service made available in the midst of the pandemic, thanks to the Trump administration classifying these businesses as essential. And what we learned from March's data is that there were 1 million additional gun permit applications as opposed to March of 2019. Igor Volsky is the Executive Director of Guns Down America and an expert in gun ownership and the subsequent violence and deaths, and he says that while gun permit numbers are up, so are the number of phone calls to domestic violence and suicide hot lines, and that's not the only trouble afoot. Listen to this episode to hear more startling revelations, potential implications, and some ideas for how you can get involved from home.
Tue, Apr 21, 2020
Many, if not most, religious communities in COVID-19 affected areas are reacting responsibly to the corona virus and implementing practices to honor social distancing--but we can't discount the effect of far-right propaganda. Katherine Stewart is an investigative journalist, frequent New York Times op-ed contributor, and author of "The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism," and in today's episode she dives into what Religious Nationalism is, how it comes into play with the Trump administration, and how that ultimately affects our country's response to corona virus "with bits of reproductive justice and voter suppression mixed in--after all, we're talking conservatives here".
Wed, Apr 22, 2020
Did you know about the test before the test? It's the first step in the COVID-19 screening process that determines if you'll get the swab test--and it's linked to one of the reasons that African-Americans are disproportionately affected by corona virus. Dr. Leon McDougle is the President Elect of the National Medical Association and he is on with Mark today to offer insight into the screening and testing process, how implicit racism could be a driving force, and why we're still missing crucial data. He also shares the details of the COVID-19 Health Manifesto collaboration with the National Medical Association and Rainbow PUSH.
Thu, Apr 23, 2020
Senator Kamala Harris knows the public health crisis comes first, and the economic crisis follows--because without healthy Americans, nothing else matters. And that's why she's fighting for items in the next corona virus stimulus package like free medical treatment and data collection based on race, in order to better target resources based on need. It's also why she's worried about states reopening businesses too soon, and what the repercussions could look like. Mark covers this and so much more with the former presidential candidate in today's episode.
Sun, Apr 26, 2020
The death toll from corona virus in the United States has topped 50-thousand, and Sam Smith, Founder and Editor of prorev.com, let's us know that's more than we lose to suicide in an entire year. Another death that Sam and Mark discuss, is that of the United States Postal Service--its still standing now, but the future is uncertain, and it just might have something to do with Trump not wanting people to be able to vote by mail in November.
Mon, Apr 27, 2020
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand knows the importance of the United States Postal Service--especially in the upcoming presidential election--and she has a plan to save it. Did you ever consider the possibility of banking at the post office? Sen. Gillibrand has, and that is just one portion of her three-part plan to keep this crucial resource from sinking under the weight of corona virus. ALSO in this episode is Eric Boehlert, Author and Publisher of pressrun.media, who refuses to sugarcoat Trump's misinformation campaigns OR how the press is covering him--and he is fed up with networks airing his daily "briefings." Listen to today's episode to learn about something Trump pulled straight from Putin's playbook: the fog of unknowability.