Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips

A Fearless Conversation with Lucy #FierceFlores

Lucy Flores served two terms in the Nevada House, making her the first Latina member of Nevada's legislature. She then ran as the Democratic Nominee for Lt. Governor, and later for Congress. In this episode, Lucy shares her story of growing up in poverty, overcoming adversity and fighting for the rights of underrepresented communities.

Women of Color: Uniting the Party, Leading the Country

Democracy in Color made history at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. We kicked off the week by hosting a luncheon celebrating the political power of women of color, the first event of its kind in the history of the convention. 
Titled, “Women of Color: Uniting the Party, Leading the Country,” the event drew more than 300 attendees and featured the rising stars of the Democratic party. Our panelists shared personal stories about their struggles and successes as women of color in politics.
Featuring: Stacey Abrams; House Minority Leader for the Georgia General Assembly, Nina Turner; former state Ohio state senator, Lucy Flores; former member of the Nevada State Assembly, Jane Kim; assembly member of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, Alida Garcia; Executive Director of Inclusv and Rida Hamida, president of the Arab American Chamber of California.

The War Is Home: On the Shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge

Before opening fire on police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, shooters Micah Johnson and Gaving Long served in the U.S. military. We cannot overlook the importance of their shared experience. Their military service is not a tangential issue; it is the issue. In this personal essay, Aimee offers her thoughts on the police shootings, and recounts her journey as an Army medic and direct witness to the moral injury and damage inflicted on our military personnel who have been dispatched to war.

Best of Brown is the New White

It is clear that we are at a turning point. Last week we were reminded that we, as a nation, still have so much work to do to make true racial justice a reality, that the movement for Civil Rights continues and must continue. We are faced with two existential questions: “Who are we becoming as a country? Who do we want to become?”
The upcoming elections will be pivotal to answering these questions.
During this episode, Steve Phillips addresses: the legal history that supported an understanding of the United States as a white country; whether American systems will maintain an apartheid-like structure; how to sustain political activists and organizers between election cycles; the need to shift national focus from income inequality to wealth inequality, and Democratic campaign finance/spending.

S1E4 Nina Turner: America’s Progressive Future

Nina Turner in a candid conversation about life after Bernie, uniting the party, and leading with the heart even when it hurts.

Fighting for Ohio: The Swing State of Swing States

Most electoral campaigns underinvest in voters of color and often take them for granted. Campaigns assume voters of color will vote for Democrats no matter what, and some campaigns dismiss voters of color because they assume low income people won’t turn up on election day. Truth is, Democrats cannot win without large turnouts of voters of color, in 2016, and in the foreseeable future. Did the bellwether state - the swing state of swing states - get the memo?

Why Are There No Black Women in the Senate?

Congresswoman Donna Edwards ran to be the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate during Maryland's 2016 primary. She's a strong progressive and a real champion of social justice who ran to represent the 4th Blackest state in the country. Why then, did the Democratic Party - the party of inclusion and diversity - fail to support her? How much longer until we have a truly reflective democracy?

S1E1 Why are Politicians Still Chasing White Swing Voters?

American demographics have changed drastically, but politicians are still obsessed with chasing white swing voters. How come? What’s to be done?
In this inaugural episode of Democracy in Color Aimee Allison is joined by New York Times Bestselling author of Brown is the New White, Steve Phillips and former Deputy Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton, Maria Echaveste. Steve and Maria discuss what it takes for the Democratic party and progressives to truly engage and mobilize New American Majority voters.