Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips

100 Days In: Is Biden Actually a Progressive?

In this week’s episode, we review some of the most consequential news out of Washington D.C., from President Biden’s American Families Plan to the latest DOJ confirmation hearings and the House Judiciary Committee’s historic approval of H.R. 40 (a bill that would establish a commission to study reparations). It's safe to say we are pleasantly surprised with how well things are going.
REFERENCES:
Joe Biden - @JoeBiden & @POTUS
Vanita Gupta - @vanitaguptaCR
Kristen Clarke - @KristenClarkeJD
Articles on Kristen Clarke and Vanita Gupta being tapped for the DOJ
NYT // Katie Brenner – Senate Democrats joined by Lisa Murkowski, confirm Vanita Gupta for a top Justice Dept. job https://nytimes.com/2021/04/21/us/vanita-gupta-senate-confirmation.html
NPR.org // Jason Breslow – Civil Rights Attorney Vanita Gupta Confirmed As Associate Attorney General https://npr.org/sections/trial-over-killing-of-george-floyd/2021/04/21/989599055/civil-rights-attorney-vanita-gupta-confirmed-as-associate-attorney-general
Newsweek // Kristin Clarke – I Prosecuted Police Killings. Defund the Police—But Be Strategic https://newsweek.com/i-prosecuted-police-killings-defund-police-strategic-opinion-1510018
NPR.org // Carrie Johnson – Kristen Clarke's Civil Rights Record Led Her To Barrier-Breaking DOJ Nomination https://npr.org/2021/04/14/986851081/kristen-clarkes-civil-rights-record-led-her-to-barrier-breaking-doj-nomination
BuzzFeed News // Zoe Tillman – There Are 93 US Attorneys. Seven Are Women And Only Two Are Black. https://buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/trump-us-attorneys-lack-diversity-justice-department
American Families Plan
WhiteHouse.gov // Fact Sheet: The American Families Plan https://whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/28/fact-sheet-the-american-families-plan/
Washington Post // Jeff Stein – White House’s new 1.8 Trillion ’families plan’ reflects ambitions – and limits – of Biden presidency https://washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/04/24/biden-families-plan-tax/
NYT // Jim Tankersley – Biden Will Seek Tax Increase on Rich to Fund Child Care and Education https://nytimes.com/2021/04/22/business/biden-taxes.html
H.R. 40
Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips - Reparations 101 https://democracyincolor.com/podepisodes/2020/7/9/reparations-101
Congress.gov // Sponsor Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee – H.R. 40 - The Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act https://congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/40/cosponsors
Associated Press // Kevin Freking – House panel poised to advance bill on slavery reparations https://local21news.com/news/nation-world/house-panel-poised-to-advance-bill-on-slavery-reparations
Aljazeera // William Roberts – Reparations for US slave descendants gains momentum https://aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/15/reparations-for-us-slave-descendants-gains-momentum
NYT // Angela Glover Blackwell and Michael McAfee – Banks Should Face History and Pay Reparations https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/opinion/sunday/banks-reparations-racism-inequality.html

Fighting the Same Beast: White Supremacy

In this episode, we take stock of major news headlines from the latest police violence in Minnesota to the onslaught of voter suppression in Georgia and around the country. We also discuss Republican attacks on transgender rights as a part of their strategy to instill fear among their constituents by “othering” trans youth.
We end with a song called “A Prayer for Melvin Truss” by Jon Jang and Francis Wong and we offer it as a prayer for Daunte Wright, George Floyd and the countless others killed by police violence.
References:
Melvin Truss public outcry: https://www.queersiliconvalley.org/melvin-truss-story/
"Prayer for Melvin Truss": https://myspace.com/francis.wong/music/song/prayer-for-melvin-truss-107352505-120817040
George Floyd: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_George_Floyd
Daunte Wright: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Daunte_Wright
Virginia Delegate Marcia Price: http://www.delegatemarciaprice.com
@PriceforDel95
#StopJimCrow2: https://www.stopjimcrow2.com
Film
HBO Documentary Exterminate All The Brutes: https://www.hbo.com/exterminate-all-the-brutes
Will Smith And Antoine Fuqua Explain Why They're Pulling Emancipation Movie Out Of Georgia In New Statement: https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2565716/will-smith-antoine-fuqua-explain-pulling-emancipation-movie-out-georgia-statement
Articles
Vox.com // German Lopez – Police officers are prosecuted for murder in less than 2 percent of fatal shootings: https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/21497089/derek-chauvin-george-floyd-trial-police-prosecutions-black-lives-matter
Brennan Center for Justice
State Voting Bills Tracker 2021: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-voting-bills-tracker-2021
Congress Must Pass the ‘For the People Act’: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/congress-must-pass-people-act#s1-sf
Politico.com // Nolan D. McCaskill and Zach Montellaro – All Eyes On Georgia. Again.: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/04/georgia-voting-law-479002
NYT// Nick Corasaniti and Reid J. Epstein – What Georgia’s Voting Law Really Does: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/georgia-voting-law-annotated.html
NYT// Reid J. Epstein and Nick Corasaniti – Virginia, the Old Confederacy’s Heart, Becomes a Voting Rights Bastion: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/virginia-voting-rights-northam.html
Opinion: Roll Call // Sylvia Albert – Why Congress must pass HR1 and the John R. Lewis Rights Act: https://www.rollcall.com/2021/03/02/why-congress-must-pass-hr-1-and-the-john-r-lewis-voting-rights-act/
Washington Post // Michael Scherer – Zuckerberg and Chan to give another $100 million for local election administrators despite conservative pushback: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/zuckerberg-chan-elections-facebook/2020/10/12/0e07de94-0cba-11eb-8074-0e943a91bf08_story.html
Washington Post // Todd C. Frankel – More than 100 corporate executives hold call to discuss halting donations and investments to fight controversial voting bills: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/11/companies-voting-bills-states/
Anti-Trans News
19thnews.org // Kate Sosin – Arkansas lawmakers override governor’s veto of youth gender-affirming care: https://19thnews.org/2021/04/arkansas-governor-vetoes-ban-on-gender-affirming-medical-care-for-youth/
Senior White House official: Any attempt to discriminate against trans kids is ‘against the law’: https://19thnews.org/2021/03/reggie-greer-transgender-day-of-visibility/
Advocate.com // Trudy Ring – Reggie Greer Named White House Senior Adviser on LGBTQ+ Issues: https://www.advocate.com/politics/2021/3/05/reggie-greer-named-white-house-senior-adviser-lgbtq-issues

Bold Asian American Activism and Its Roots

Racist violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders isn’t new but neither is the community’s history of resistance.
In this episode, we speak with Professor Judy Tzu-Chun Wu, a national expert on Asian American history, about the rise in anti-Asian American racism and violence and how it fits into the larger historical and political context of white supremacy in the United States.
Judy, Steve and Sharline discuss the roots of their activism, the historical resilience of oppressed people in the face of white violence, and the enduring resolve of communities of color to establish justice and equality for all.
REFERENCES:
Judy Tzu-Chun Wu https://faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=6123 // UCI Humanities Center https://www.humanities.uci.edu/humanitiescenter
UnLadylike2020 https://unladylike2020.com/board/judy-tzu-chun-wu
Judy Tzu-Chun Wu // A Trip Down Immigration Lane https://www.facebook.com/judy.t.wu.3/videos/457086952835
Asian American Studies Irvine - https://twitter.com/uciasianam
Sharline Chiang // OZY - Reclaiming 5 Ugly Letters https://ozy.com/true-and-stories/reclaiming-5-ugly-letters/39905/
Atlanta Spa Shootings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Atlanta_spa_shootings
Who Killed Vincent Chin? https://imdb.com/title/tt0096440/
The Great Battlefield: Investing in Communities of Color to Make Progressive Change w/ New Virginia Majority's Tram Nguyen Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-battlefield/id1243705071?i=1000422012791
Fresh Off the Boat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Off_the_Boat
Margaret Cho’s All-American Girl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-American_Girl_(TV_series)
Organizations
Stop AAPI Hate Website - https://twitter.com/stopaapihate
Historical background
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Exclusion_Act
Japanese Internment in the United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans
Murder of Vincent Chin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Vincent_Chin
1922 Ozawa vs. United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozawa_v._United_States
1923 United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Bhagat_Singh_Thind

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