Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips

Where We Go From Here: Post-Election 2024

Steve and Sharline reflect on the results of the 2024 election and where we go from here as a nation. They share how they’re processing their feelings and discuss top takeaways of this election cycle including the impact of sexism, how to understand the exit polls, and changing voter dynamics across the country. 
They also lift up lessons learned and future strategies centered around state and local elections, as well as key leaders, groups, and organizations that will be central to the fight for a multiracial democracy in the coming months and years.
REFERENCES:
Steve's Recs for what to do and who to support:
Subscribe to: Stacey Abrams' Assembly Required podcast
Get involved with: Working Families Party
Learn about: Michael Tubbs
Support: LUCHA
Follow: Congressman Greg Casar

All Eyes on Pennsylvania

Philadelphia-based journalist Ernest Owens joins Steve and Sharline to share how things are shaping up in one of Democrats’ most critical states leading up to Election Day. Ernest describes the current energy in the state and the nuanced levels of engagement he’s witnessing compared to previous elections. He shares what’s top of mind for Black voters in Philly including his take on the media’s hand-wringing about Black male voters. 
References: 
Ernest Owens - ernestowens.com @mrernestowens

Understanding the Black Male Vote with Perry Bacon Jr.

The media can’t seem to stop talking about Black men. So, we decided to do something radical: let two Black men discuss Black men. Washington Post opinion columnist Perry Bacon Jr. returns to the show to share his thoughts on where VP Harris’ race stands, how he’s thinking about Black voters, and the evolving media landscape in this election.
 
REFERENCES: 
Perry Bacon Jr - Washington Post, @PerryBaconJr & @perrybaconjr.bsky.social

The Future: Changing the Trajectory

Right now, we find ourselves at an urgent intersection with several timelines and possibilities intertwined. We’ve declared that “We’re not going back”, that to “Make America Great Again” is to reverse decades of hard-fought progress. But what does a true and sustainable path forward actually look like? And who is leading the way?
 
In the third and final part of The Path Forward, we hear from two women—Shaheedah Jackson, a formerly incarcerated individual, and Patrice Funderburg, executive director of a transitional facility for formerly incarcerated folks—who exemplify what it means to live and work at the crossroads of the white supremacist foundations of this country as well as the path forward towards transformative justice and healing.
 
Credits:
Created, directed and written by Fola OnifadeProduced and edited by Olivia ParkerSpecial thanks to Sharline Chiang and the Democracy in Color Team

One Thing…Or More

Steve and Sharline share one…or maybe more than one thing they’re hopeful for, worried about, and watching for in the tea leaves as Election Day draws closer. 
In the second half of the show, Steve’s niece and her friend Julia join him on “Exit Polls” to share their thoughts on Kamala Harris’ candidacy and offer some insight into how Gen Z’ers are processing this election cycle.

The Present: This Moment Feels Urgent

The summer of 2024 will no doubt go down in history as one of the most tumultuous, transformative, and monumental summers before an election. Following Biden’s historic decision to step down from the race, Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise to the top of the Democratic ticket shifted the national sentiment into high gear and generated Obama-level excitement among constituents.
In Part 2 of The Path Forward, we hear from four women voters across the country about how they’re processing this year’s election, the issues at the top of their mind, and what their vision for a country that works for everyone could look like.  
 
Credits:
Created, directed and written by Fola OnifadeProduced and edited by Olivia ParkerSpecial thanks to Sharline Chiang and the Democracy in Color Team

“Obama States” in Play in 2024

Between Kamala Harris’ sharp debate performance and the increased hateful rhetoric from the right, Democrats are poised to win in states Obama captured.
Steve and Sharline discuss the latest reported assassination attempt against Trump and the broader issue of increased political violence and gun violence in the U.S. from school shootings to death threats against election workers in Georgia. 
They also share their thoughts on the debate between Harris and Trump, including Trump’s dangerous lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. Sharline shares an important connection to her own childhood experiences with anti-Asian and anti-immigrant hate.
The two also look at a “six-pack” of other critical races that will be key to Democrats’ victory this fall, including states that Obama won, such as North Carolina and Florida, as well as major swing states like Arizona and Pennsylvania.

The Past: We’re Not Going Back

On November 5, millions of voters will make their way to the polling booths to answer some of the most pivotal questions defining American politics today: What kind of country do we want to be? And do we want to move our country forward towards progress or backward towards harm and repression?
In Part 1 of The Path Forward, we explore the key components of the modern-day “Confederate Battle Plan” (coined by Steve Phillips, author of How We Win the Civil War) to make America white again. We place Trump and the Republican political strategy of hatred and bigotry in historical context to answer the question of what Kamala Harris means when she says “We’re not going back.”
 
Credits:
Created, directed and written by Fola OnifadeProduced and edited by Olivia ParkerSpecial thanks to Sharline Chiang and the Democracy in Color Team

60 Days Out

Steve and Sharline recap VP Harris and Coach Walz’s first sit-down media interview, held last week with CNN, as well as the DNC which took place earlier in August. They discuss the upcoming presidential debate on September 10 and what Kamala Harris needs to do to win. They also briefly touch on how Democrats can gain a government trifecta in 2025. 

The Kamala Harris We Know (Rerelease)

Back in 2020, we had current congressional candidate (and recent pod guest) Lateefah Simon on the show to talk about President Biden’s historic announcement in choosing Kamala Harris as his VP as well as Kamala’s long record of being a champion for others. 
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From 2020: Few people know Kamala Harris like we in the Bay Area do. We discuss Joe Biden’s selection of the former San Francisco district attorney and Oakland native as his running mate. We also hear from one of Kamala’s long-time mentees—another Bay Area political star—Lateefah Simon, who was hired by Kamala 20 years ago despite not having a college degree at the time. Simon, an award-winning nonprofit leader and elected official who is currently president of the Akonadi Foundation where she runs one of the leading racial justice foundations in the country, talks about what it’s like when your mentor becomes the Democratic vice presidential candidate. She also shares how Kamala’s belief in the potential of and encouragement of young women like herself is just one example of her commitment to improving society and the lives of others.
References:
Lateefah Simon - @lateefahsimon
Kamala Harris - @Kamala Harris 2009 Bart shooting - Oscar Grant
OrganizationsAkonadi Foundation WebsiteBart Board WebsiteMacArthur Fellows Program - WebsiteYoung Women’s Freedom Center Website
VideosJoe Biden Introduces Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) As Running Mate ClipKamala Harris on George Floyd ClipKamala Harris on her mother Clip