Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips

In this episode, we sit down with one of the brightest rising stars at the New York Times—political reporter Astead Herndon—for sharp conversation and analysis about the nature of the moment we’re in. Astead, 29, shares why he sees election reporting as culture reporting, how he helped make the reparations debate a litmus test for Democratic Presidential candidates back in early 2020, and why representation alone doesn’t chin the bar for younger voters of color.
We also discuss American journalism’s current gut check moment through the lens of Nikole Hannah-Jones’ recent denial of tenure at the University of North Carolina and how Astead shows up authentically at the Times (including getting paid to sing Beyoncé songs).
REFERENCES:
Sign up for our newsletter here: https://democracyincolor.com/join-us
Astead W. Herndon, New York Times, National Politics Reporter – @AsteadWesley
New York Times - Outtake from “The Daily” https://nytimes.com/audio/2019/11/22/podcasts/22daily-newsletter-audio.html
Nikole Hannah-Jones - @nhannahjones
New York Times // Nikole Hannah-Jones - 1619 Project https://nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html
New York Times Articles by Astead W. Herndon
 ‘These People Aren’t Coming From Norway’: Refugees in a Minnesota City Face a Backlash https://nytimes.com/2019/06/20/us/politics/minnesota-refugees-trump.html
Progressive Victories Signal Staying Power for the Movement https://nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/politics/election-primary-results.html
2020 Democrats Embrace Race-Conscious Policies, Including Reparations https://nytimes.com/2019/02/21/us/politics/2020-democrats-race-policy.html
Articles
Forbes - 30 Under 30 - Astead Herndon https://forbes.com/profile/astead-herndon/
The Atlantic // Ta-Nehisi Coates – Why Precisely Is Bernie Sanders Against Reparations?  https://theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/bernie-sanders-reparations/424602/
The Daily Princetonian // Marie-Rose Sheinermen  – Times reporter Astead Herndon talks newsroom diversity, 2020 election coverage https://dailyprincetonian.com/article/2020/09/journalism-reporter-astead-herndon-newsroom-diversity-2020-election-new-york-times
The Root // Michael Harriot – It Turns Out, All Those 'Woke' White Allies Were Lying https://theroot.com/it-turns-out-all-those-woke-white-allies-were-lying-1846959017
Slate // Aymann Ismail – “I Don’t See the Last Four Years as This Journalistic Anomaly” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/01/astead-herndon-interview-new-york-times-trump.html
NPR // Roberta Rampton – Trump Announces 'Patriotic Education' Commission, A Largely Political Move https://npr.org/2020/09/17/914127266/trump-announces-patriotic-education-commission-a-largely-political-move

Tram Nguyen, co-director of New Virginia Majority, talks with us about how her work with refugees and disaster survivors led her to electoral organizing, an effort that has transformed the former Confederate state of Virginia into a national leader in voting rights expansion and progressive ideals.
Tram also shares her family’s history of courage and resilience—from fleeing Vietnam to living in a refugee camp in Thailand to their early days as new immigrants facing racism in Virginia in the 1980s. We also discuss Virginia's upcoming gubernatorial election, who the New Virginia Majority is endorsing and why.
REFERENCES:
Tram Nguyen, New Virginia Majority, Co-Executive Director - @tramNVM
New Virginia Majority - @NewVAMajority
Support New Virginia Majority - https://secure.actblue.com/donate/supportnvm
BPSOS - https://bpsos.org
Virginia’s Movers and Shakers
Jennifer McClellan - @JennMcClellanVA 
Marcia “Cia” Price - @PriceForDel95
Lashrecse Aird - @delegateaird
Kathy Tran - @KathyKLTran
News Articles
NYT//Reid J. Epstein and Nick Corasaniti – Virginia, the Old Confederacy’s Heart, Becomes a Voting Rights Bastion Https://nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/virginia-voting-rights-northam.html
NYT//Tram Nguyen – Democrats Could Learn a Lot From What Happened In Virginia https://nytimes.com/2019/11/06/opinion/virginia-election-democrats.html
OZY//Sharline Chiang - I Tried It … Being White https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/i-tried-it-being-white/38961/
Background
Vietnamese Boat People - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_boat_people
VA State Legislature - SAVE Program https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/SB1077/2013

In one of the realest and most authentic interviews we’ve had with an elected official, we chat with St. Louis’ first Black woman mayor, Tishaura Jones. In this raw and honest conversation, Mayor Jones speaks straight from the heart about her path to politics; mental health and the dangerous myth of Black women’s “magical” resilience; her vision for public safety, and her love of good bourbon.
REFERENCES:
Tishaura O. Jones
@tishaura
#StuffAdenSays
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones
@saintlouismayor
TikTok: https://twitter.com/tishaura/status/1237520256861646849?s=20
Articles
Stlmag.com // Power List 2012: 100 People Who Are Shaping St. Louis Today https://www.stlmag.com/news/Power-List-2012-100-People-Who-Are-Shaping-St-Louis-Today/
stlouis-mo.gov // Nick Dunne:
– Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Signs Executive Order to Strengthen Police Accountability, Collect Corrections Complaints https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/news/jones-executive-order-police-202104.cfm
– Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Passes FY2022 Budget with Amendments, Redirects Excess Police Staffing Budget to Diversion and Support Programs https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/news/jones-passes-fy22-budget.cfm
– Mayor Tishaura O. Jones Signs Crown Act Into Law, Vetoes Two Tax Abatements https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/news/mayor-jones-signs-crown-act-into-law.cfm
Stlamerican.com // Featured – Tishaura Jones slams Post editorial board while declining interview http://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/tishaura-jones-slams-post-editorial-board-while-declining-interview/article_bf690c28-eee9-11e6-a351-1f4dd2a2e28d.html
The Nation // Jimmy Tobias – Can a Champion of Black Lives Matter Become Mayor of St. Louis? https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/can-a-champion-of-black-lives-matter-become-mayor-of-st-louis/
St. Louis Public Radio // By Rachel Lippmann, Maria Altman, Jo Mannies, Jason Rosenbaum – Alderman Krewson narrowly beats Treasurer Jones in St. Louis' Democratic mayoral primary https://news.stlpublicradio.org/government-politics-issues/2017-03-07/alderman-krewson-narrowly-beats-treasurer-jones-in-st-louis-democratic-mayoral-primary
St. Louis Public Radio // Ryan Delaney – Treasurer's College Savings Program Has Detractors, But Parents Like It https://news.stlpublicradio.org/education/2019-05-28/treasurers-college-savings-program-has-detractors-but-parents-like-it
LA Times // Stephen Caesar – L.A. schools police will return grenade launchers but keep rifles, armored vehicle https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-schools-weapons-20140917-story.html
Shooting of Michael Brown – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown
Books
Walter Johnson – The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51343985-the-broken-heart-of-america
Richard Rothstein – The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32191706-the-color-of-law?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=wkxpaUUGrT&rank=1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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