Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips

Beto O’Rourke on Racial Justice & Transforming Texas

Texas might not be blue yet, but it’s getting there, and several leaders across the state are laying the foundation for a political transformation that’ll change the future of American politics.
In this episode, we speak with former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who’s following in the footsteps of former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams and doing the work to expand democracy across the Lone Star State. Beto joins us to talk about his innovative, historic 2018 Senate campaign, radical empathy as a framework for white progressives, and what the future of Texas politics means to the rest of the nation.
We discuss how he learned to be a white ally and his efforts to help seniors in Texas during last month’s devastating winter storm. He also talks about his future plans and shares the top three artists he would include on a road trip playlist! Spoiler alert: the Texas pride is real.
REFERENCES:
Beto O’Rourke - https://twitter.com/BetoORourke
'I can think of nothing more American': Beto O’Rourke responds to question on NFL protests - https://youtube.com/watch?v=lAw9eXXVwfM
Colin Kaepernick - https://twitter.com/Kaepernick7
Steve Phillips / The Nation - This Is Why Texas Is the Next Georgia https://thenation.com/article/politics/texas-georgia-elections-democrats/
Powered by People - https://twitter.com/poweredxpeople
Texas Organizing Project - https://twitter.com/OrganizeTexas
H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2019 https://congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1
Isabel Wilkerson - https://twitter.com/isabelwilkerson
Beyoncé - https://twitter.com/Beyonce
Joe Ely - http://ely.com
Willie Nelson - https://twitter.com/WillieNelson

Texas: Cowgirls, Colonias, and Climate Change

Following the lead of Georgia, a wave of new, fearless progressive leaders has been laying the groundwork for a political revolution in Texas. They’re changing the state's white cowboy narrative and with their leadership, the Lone Star State is poised to upend the political balance of power in America.
In this episode, Texas State Rep. Mary González joins us just mere hours after presiding over an appropriations subcommittee for the state, the 9th largest economy in the world. We discuss the political implications of the 2021 historic winter storm, the progressive power building movement happening in Texas, and the significance of her role as an openly woman of color in a historically conservative state.
And you heard it here first: Mary’s story will be a movie one day, starring Salma Hayek!
REFERENCES:
Texas State Representative Mary González - @RepMaryGonzalez
Julián Castro - @JulianCastro
Colonia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonia_(United_States)
2019 El Paso mass shooting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_El_Paso_shooting
1835 Texas Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Revolution
Media References
The Hurricane - 1999 Film with Denzel Washington https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hurricane_(1999_film)
Lonesome Dove - 1989 Mini Series with Robert Duvall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonesome_Dove_(miniseries)
Salma Hayek https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salma_Hayek

Black History, Black Futures: A Conversation with Jessica Byrd

It’s Black History Month (don’t tell Steve). While he may not be a fan of our very short month of Black history reflection, we can all agree that every month is a good month to highlight Black people leading the charge towards a better future for all of us.
In this episode, we chat with Jessica Byrd—one of those dynamic Black leaders—about the “political renaissance” she’s witnessing in this country. One of the most important political strategists in the country, she’s the founder of the political consulting firm, Three Point Strategies, and was one of the co-founders of the Electoral Justice Project of the Black Lives Matter movement. She was just named to Time magazine’s Time100 Next list.
As we make our way into this new era in America, we will need the energy, insight, and drive of the next generation of leaders. We think that Jessica Byrd is among the most promising of that generation, and we hope you get to know her a bit better in our podcast.
References:
Jessica Byrd - @JessicaLBYRD, Founding Partner, Three Point Strategies https://threepointstrategies.org
Time // Alicia Garza - Time100 Next - Jessica Byrd https://time.com/collection/time100-next-2021/5937626/jessica-byrd
National Black Political Convention or the Gary Convention (1972)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Black_Political_Convention
Black National Convention (2020)https://m4bl.org/black-national-convention
The Movement for Black Lives https://blacknovember.org
Electoral Justice Project - @m4blEJP https://twitter.com/m4blejp
Black Futures: An Ode to Freedom Summer https://vimeo.com/507147022

Fast and Furious: Breaking Down Biden’s Executive Actions

ICYMI, Joe Biden and his administration hit the ground running since his first official day in office. After four years of, well, you know, we like our White House this way: boring and efficient. Light on drama, heavy on getting stuff done. From COVID relief to immigration reform, Biden has signed a slate of executive actions signaling a surprisingly impressive understanding of what it will take to advance equity for millions of Americans.
In this episode, we take a high level overview of what Biden’s executive actions mean for the New American Majority. And we also introduce a new segment called “How We Win the Civil War” where Steve grounds our current political climate in the historical context of the U.S. Civil War that never ended.
REFERENCES:
Alida Garcia, Esq. - @leedsgarcia - VP of Advocacy, FWD.us & Founder, Inclusv
Susan Rice - @AmbassadorRice - Director, US Domestic Policy Council
Executive Actions
CNN.com // Kate Sullivan - Here are the executive actions Biden has signed so far https://cnn.com/interactive/2021/politics/biden-executive-orders/index.html
Articles
NYT Opinion Editorial // Ease Up on the Executive Actions, Joe! https://nytimes.com/2021/01/27/opinion/biden-executive-orders.html
New York Times // Jim Rutenberg, Jo Becker, Eric Lipton, Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Martin, Matthew Rosenberg, and Michael S. Schmidt - 77 Days: Trump’s Campaign to Subvert the Election https://nytimes.com/2021/01/31/us/trump-election-lie.html
The Root // Stephen A. Crockett Jr. - The Return to Boredom America Deserves https://theroot.com/the-return-to-boredom-america-deserves-1846092852
Newsweek // Jacob Jarvis - Joe Biden Signed More Executive Orders Than Trump, Obama Combined in Their First 12 Days https://newsweek.com/joe-biden-executive-orders-more-donald-trump-barack-obama-first-12-days-1565795
Newsweek // Aimee Allison - The Women Behind Biden’s Executive Orders I Opinion https://newsweek.com/women-behind-bidens-executive-orders-opinion-1565510
Ms. Magazine // Carrie N. Baker - “Uplifting the Rights of Girls and Women in the U.S. and Around the World”: Biden and Harris Announce New White House Gender Policy Council https://msmagazine.com/2021/01/26/white-house-gender-policy-council-biden-harris-tina-tchen/
NPR.org // Barbara Sprunt - Biden Picks Susan Rice For Top Domestic Policy Position https://npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/12/10/944997218/biden-picks-susan-rice-for-top-domestic-policy-position
Book
Jean Guerrero // Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda https://harpercollins.com/products/hatemonger-jean-guerrero?variant=32999929610274
Pop Culture Reference
YouTube.com // Schoolhouse Rock - I’m Just a Bill https://youtube.com/watch?v=OgVKvqTItto

Next: The First 100 Days

We’re not crying, you are (okay, we’re crying). On January 20th, we watched history unfold as President Joe Biden and Madam Vice President Kamala Harris took their oaths of office.
In our newest episode we pause to appreciate the historic moment of a new administration and then turn our attention to discussing the top priorities for the first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration. For the first time since 2010, with control of the executive and legislative branches, the Democrats are poised to deliver sweeping change for the American people. We reminisce on Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration and point to the successes and missteps of his, and his administration's, first few months in office.
We also share our feelings at the end of the dark era of the past four years as we enter this new, long-anticipated era.
References:
Joe Biden - @JoeBiden & @POTUS
Kamala Harris - @KamalaHarris & @VP
The White House - @WhiteHouse
Biden Inaugural Committee - @BidenInaugural – Watch the 59th Presidential Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris https://bideninaugural.org/watch/
Articles/Polls
CNN.com//Ron Brownstein – Trump leaves America at its most divided since the Civil War https://cnn.com/2021/01/19/politics/trump-divided-america-civil-war/index.html
Gallup.com // Jeffrey M. Jones – Last Trump Job Approval 34%; Average Is Record-Low 41% https://news.gallup.com/poll/328637/last-trump-job-approval-average-record-low.aspx
NPR.org // Franco Ordoñez – On Immigration, Biden Goes Big In Opening Bid to Congress https://npr.org/sections/inauguration-day-live-updates/2021/01/20/958626092/on-immigration-biden-goes-big-in-opening-bid-to-congress

Who Is the Next Stacey Abrams?

It’s a new year indeed. We’re just seven days into 2021 and the country’s New American Majority has wasted no time flexing its political muscle. While Republicans and Trump supporters make dangerous and desperate last-ditch efforts to overturn the will of the people, Georgia voters clapped back with a resounding “time’s up” and handed Democrats the reins to the U.S. Senate by electing Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.
Their victory is the result of a 10-year effort led by Stacey Abrams, the first guest on our “Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips” podcast. To kick off this episode, we reflect on how Steve and Stacey met and how her vision transformed the state, and the country.
But we also remind folks that the New American Majority is just getting started, and there are so many “Staceys” leading the way to turn the country’s demographic revolution into a political and electoral revolution. In this episode, we highlight seven people who are leading the way to real, systemic change in racial equity, immigration, and voter rights. [17:55]
References:
7 People to Watch
Jessica Byrd, @JessicaLBYRD, Founding Partner, Three Point Strategies https://threepointstrategies.org
Anathea Chino, @anatheabc, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Advanced Native Political Leadership https://advancenativepl.org
Maurice Mitchell, @MauriceWFP, National Director, Working Families Party https://workingfamilies.org
Alejandra Gomez, @Gomez_Alex07, Co-Executive Director, Lucha Arizona https://luchaaz.org
Andrea Guerrero, @guerreroandi, Executive Director, Alliance San Diego https://alliancesd.org
Vanita Gupta, @vanitaguptaCR, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights https://civilrights.org, and United States Associate Attorney General Nominee
Michelle Tremillo, @MtremilloT, Executive Director, Texas Organizing Project https://organizetexas.org
Other References
Stacey Abrams, @staceyabrams, Founder, Fair Fight
Ayanna Pressley, @AyannaPressley, Massachusetts Congresswoman
Nse Ufot, @nseufot, CEO, The New Georgia Project
“Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips” Podcast - Georgia: What Winning Looks Like https://democracyincolor.com/podepisodes/2020/12/9/georgia-what-winning-looks-like
Tweet - Stacey Abrams on Election Night https://twitter.com/staceyabrams/status/1346668456675061760

Looks Like We Made It: The Silver Linings of 2020

In this year’s final episode, we look back at the last 12 months to find the silver linings of a rough year. Turns out, there’s still a lot to smile about.
Steve and Sharline share their gratitude for the new COVID vaccine and reflect on how basketball both modeled how to safely navigate the pandemic and also brought a lot of people joy in quarantine. We also point to some major victories in a fraught election year, from Trump’s impeachment in Season 1 of 2020 to the poetic justice of Georgia’s national significance.
We’ll see you back in 2021!
REFERENCES:
Barry Manilow - Song “Looks like we made it” https://youtube.com/watch?v=dSyB-OIRtR0
Ed Yong // The Atlantic - How Science Beat the Virus and what it lost in the process https://theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/science-covid-19-manhattan-project/617262/
Kizzmekia Corbett, PhD - @KizzyPhD - a Black woman who is among the National Institutes of Health scientists working directly to develop and produce the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. https://twitter.com/KizzyPhD
Aaron Gould Sheinin // Webmed.com - Black Scientist Plays Key Role in Covid Vaccine https://webmd.com/lung/news/20201214/black-scientist-plays-key-role-in-covid-vaccine
The Late, Greats
John Lewis, congressman and civil rights activist, one of the “Big Six” leaders who organized the 1963 march on Washington.
C.T. Vivian, minister, author, and close friend of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reverend Joseph Lowery, minister, civil rights leader and founder of the SCLC—Southern Christian Leadership Conference—with Martin Luther King, Jr.
Journalist of Color
Jonathan Capehart @CapehartJ of The Sunday Show , MSNBC https://twitter.com/CapehartJ
Tiffany Cross @TiffanyDCross of The Cross Connection, MSNBC https://twitter.com/TiffanyDCross
Rashida Jones @RJonesNews , incoming President, MSNBC https://twitter.com/RJonesNews
Michelle Ye Hee Lee @myhlee, reporter, Washington Post https://twitter.com/myhlee
Ahiza García-Hodges // NBC News - Rashida Jones named next president of MSNBC https://nbcnews.com/news/all/rashida-jones-named-next-president-msnbc-n1250296
April Ryan @AprilDRyan white house correspondent, theGrio.com; political analyst, CNN https://twitter.com/AprilDRyan
Donate to Raphael Warnock & Jon Ossoff for U.S. Senate, and to Fair Fight https://secure.actblue.com/donate/warnock-ossoff?refcode=podcast

Georgia: What Winning Looks Like

It’s definitely December because holiday movies are streaming everywhere. But it feels like we’re in the middle of election season with the flurry of energy surrounding the upcoming Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs. In this week’s episode, we’re joined by one of the architects of the political transformation of the Peach State—New Georgia Project Action Fund CEO Nse Ufot.
We introduce a new segment called “Don’t Get Me Started.” In this inaugural take, we sound off on the Democratic hand-wringing about the purported negative electoral impact of activist calls to defund the police. [4:26]
We talk to Nse about how community organizers won Georgia for Biden, what it’s going to take to make it happen again in January, and the multiracial coalition that’s putting in the work(we also learn about Nse’s long-standing relationship with Oprah!)[14:45]
References
Nse Ufot - @nseufot - CEO of The New Georgia Project, a nonpartisan effort to register and civically engage Georgians. https://ngpaf.org
And She Could Be Next - Documentary https://andshecouldbenext.com
Emily Badger // The New York Times - How Atlanta’s Politics Overtook the Suburbs, Too https://nytimes.com/2020/12/09/upshot/atlanta-suburbs-democratic-shift.html
Carlos Granda // abc7news - LA school district returns grenade launchers; keeps armored vehicle, M16s https://abc7news.com/lausd-los-angeles-unified-school-district-grenade-launchers-department-of-defense-weapons-program/314715
Rashawn Ray // Brookings - What Does Defund the Police Mean and Does It Have Merit? https://brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/19/what-does-defund-the-police-mean-and-does-it-have-merit
Donate or Volunteer 
Donate - The New Georgia Project Action Fund https://secure.actblue.com/donate/new-georgia-project-action-fund-1
Volunteer - The New Georgia Project https://mobilize.us/thenewgeorgiaproject

Politically, We Need To Respect The Chitlins - A Thanksgiving Special

Thanksgiving is different this year, but it could’ve looked even more terrifying if not for the millions of people who persisted in myriad ways to forestall fascism, kick Trump out of the White House and reclaim our country for the multi-racial majority.
To celebrate, Steve, Sharline, and Julie gather around a virtual table for a little fun Thanksgiving dinner game of “This or That.” [5:43]
We then take time to reflect and thank all the people who helped us get through 2020 in our personal lives and in the political sphere as well. [13:01]
Thank you to all our listeners and Happy Thanksgiving!
REFERENCES:
Nse Ufot - @nseufot, CEO of The New Georgia Project, a nonpartisan effort to register and civically engage Georgians. @NewGAProject
Stacey Abrams - @staceyabrams - https://fairfight.com
Aimee Allison - @aimeeallison, founder and president of She the People, a national network elevating the voice and power of women of color. @_shethepeople
Susan Sandler - When I First Found Out I Had Cancer, a book which chronicles her journey with cancer and provides resources for survivors and their loved ones. https://braincancerandme.com
Clint Smith // The Atlantic - In 1864, Like in 2020, America Just Got Lucky https://theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/11/election-when-america-narrowly-avoided-disaster/617176/
Sweet Honey in the Rock - Ella’s Song https://youtube.com/watch?v=U6Uus--gFrc

After the Election: America’s Road Ahead

With the defeat of Trump, we managed to forestall fascism for the moment, and the entire world is taking a collective sigh of relief. Over the course of Election Week, we flipped Arizona and Georgia blue, witnessed record turnout across the country, and propelled Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House. In this episode, we revel in the victory just a little longer before honing in on what’s next—winning two Senate runoff races in Georgia in January so Democrats can take control of the U.S. Senate.
We also talk with our data expert, Dr. Julie Martinez Ortega, and Arizona strategist John Loredo, founder of Arizona Wins, about what the election results reveal about the American character and what we have to do to build lasting progressive power in the coming years. John also shares how Biden winning Arizona is the culmination of a sustained 10-year effort to turn the state blue, and he offers important lessons learned for the future of Democratic politics.
REFERENCES:
John Loredo - former member of the Arizona House of Representatives (1997-2005), Founder Arizona Wins! http://az-wins.org/
Donate to Raphael Warnock & Jon Ossoff for U.S. Senate, and to Fair Fight https://secure.actblue.com/donate/warnock-ossoff?refcode=podcast
Democratic Party of Georgia - Georgia Runoff Strike Team Sign Up https://mobilize.us/democracyincolor/event/362551/
America Votes Georgia Volunteer Sign Up https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfKPID0RoAGR2KUsg1sWHioMFVKfk0lTSUzQ-xVWElv1pjOg/viewform
Edison Research // New York Times - Election Exit Polls https://nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/exit-polls-president.html
Roxane // The New York Times - I Am Shattered but Ready to Fight https://nytimes.com/2020/11/05/opinion/trump-supporters-election-2020.html
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Election Results 2020 (23:22 - 23:55) https://youtube.com/watch?v=LyC855KdBKo
11Alive - Atlanta takes to the streets to celebrate the Biden and Harris win https://youtube.com/watch?v=C7p94KMgITk
One Arizona https://onearizona.org/
Lucha https://luchaaz.org
Our Voice, Our Vote https://ourvoiceourvote.us
Mi Familia Vota https://mifamiliavota.org
Chispa Arizona https://chispaaz.org
Unite Here http://unitehere11.org
Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy: CASE http://case-az.org/