Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips

2025 Bellwether Elections

Steve and Sharline reflect on Steve’s latest manuscript before diving into how they’ve been coping and surviving these last eight months of the second Trump administration.
They cover the key bellwether elections of 2025 that will be dominating headlines this fall from New York City’s mayoral race to the historic gubernatorial race in Virginia, one that will elect its first female governor. 
They discuss the significance of these upcoming elections and they touch on two key Senate races that could reshape Democrats' congressional power in 2026.

Texas Redistricting Showdown with Emmy Ruiz

Emmy Ruiz, former advisor to the President during the Biden-Harris administration, and White House director of political strategy and outreach, returns to discuss the redistricting showdown in Texas. 
She dives into the impact of gerrymandering on democracy, and offers her thoughts on the response from Democratic-led states to Republicans' redistricting efforts. She also shares her insights on grassroots organizing, mobilizing voter turnout in key districts, and the evolving landscape of Latino voter behavior. 
REFERENCES:
Emmy Ruiz - Twitter/X

Courage Over Fear with Immigration Activist Cristina Jiménez

United We Dream Co-founder Cristina Jiménez joins Steve to discuss her new book, Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear Into Pride, Power & Real Change. 
 
She shares the impact of American foreign policy around the world, but particularly in her home country of Ecuador, that led to mass migration movements in search of safety and stability. She discusses the role of eugenics in immigration policy, and how her experiences as a young person led her to activism. Cristina also shares what she’s learned as an organizer and what she believes is necessary to navigate this current political landscape. 

White People and the Fight for Racial Justice with SURJ’s Erin Heaney (Rerelease)

In this re-release of our 100th episode, Erin Heaney, executive director of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), discusses the role of white allyship in the fight for justice and a multiracial democracy.
REFERENCES:
If you’d like to volunteer with SURJ, you can join their remote SURJ Action Hours: Summer to Grow, Turn Up the Heat campaign that takes place every other Wednesday through the summer or you can find an in-person meeting near you. On August 5 and 12, SURJ is also hosting a 2-part remote training session on how to show up for immigrant communities.
Erin Heaney, Executive Director, SURJ - @heaney_erin
SURJ - @showup4rj and surj.org
"Progressives want to grow the ‘White Stripe’ of a multiracial coalition" Politico
Transcript (unedited)

Summer Reading Reset

Steve and Sharline share how they’re processing the last several months before diving into the books and television shows that are helping them regroup, from Sharline’s first watch of Gilmore Girls with her daughter to Steve’s love of British murder mystery books. 
They also share how they’re finding humor on social media and in live comedy clubs.
REFERENCES:
Sharline's Recs
Soul Authority: Liberatory Tools to Heal from Oppressive Patterns and Restore Trust in Your Heart Compass by Loraine Y. Van Tuyl
On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood by Lucy Jones 
The Spirit and the Strength: A Profile of Toni Morrison
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) - Watch on Netflix
Steve's Recs
Thursday Murder Club & We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
Four Seasons (2025) - Watch on Netflix
Dept. Q (2025) - Watch on Netflix
Book Rec Instagram - @Jennybookmama (Steve's niece!) 
 

How to Defeat Fascism with Deepak Bhargava

Deepak Bhargava, president of the Movement Action Fund, discusses the reality of the moment we’re facing and what it’s going to take to win back our democratic freedoms.
He shares what history, both at home and abroad, can teach us about defending ourselves against fascism and authoritarianism and he explains why the “Sue, Protest, Vote” framework is not robust enough anymore.
Deepak shares lessons learned from civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson, including how to engage nonviolent resistance as a way of life and he dives into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to winning power and protecting our rights. 
REFERENCES: 
Deepak Bhargava - Practical Radicals
"We are no longer free. But we can win our freedom back" The Guardian
 
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Understanding American Patriarchy with Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs

New York Times bestselling author and scholar Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs discusses her new book Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden From Us and why she set out to write a book that makes plain one of the organizing principles and primary barriers to progress in the U.S.
Against the backdrop of what’s happening in L.A. right now, Anna’s book offers insight into whose values and ways of life Trump is fighting to protect. Anna dives into the nuances of sexism and racism, sharing stories from her personal life that illuminate the many ways American patriarchy works to erase the contributions of Black women, Native women, immigrants, and people of color across the board.
REFERENCES:
Anna Malaika Tubbs - annamalaikatubbs.com
Instagram - @annamalaikatubbs
Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us - Buy the book

Philanthropy’s New Role with Ashindi Maxton

Director of Mission Telecom Giving Ashindi Maxton shares why she’s viewing this otherwise harrowing political climate as a moment of opportunity. 
Ashindi discusses the role of philanthropy in social justice movements, including its strengths and limitations and how she’s helping to transform the sector into one that is more social justice oriented, innovative, and capable of stepping up to the challenge.
She offers a global perspective on social justice and how different movements are finding new ways to secure funding towards their mission. She also shares insight into her new role at Mission Telecom, a broadband company that invests in systemic change and has a progressive goal to make internet connectivity affordable, particularly across the South. Ashindi also shares stories from her recent conversations with social change groups in the South, a place where she is witnessing deep and sophisticated levels of organizing. 
REFERENCES:
Ashindi Maxton - BioMission Telecom Giving - missiontelecom.org
 

Not Too Woke, Too Weak: Democrats’ Real Problem With Voters

Way to Win Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Jenifer Fernandez Ancona shares the organization’s research findings about where Democrats went wrong in 2024 and what it’s going to take to win in 2026 and beyond.
She explains what the data really shows about last year’s election and how her organization’s qualitative focus groups reveal a fundamental error in Democrats’ understanding of where the party goes from here.
Jen shares what she’s hearing from voters who sat out of the 2024 election, including how they perceive the Democratic Party and their opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. She discusses the role of data-driven messaging vs. voter mobilization, and she breaks down why Democrats’ failure to fight back against Republicans caused them to lose voters who were looking for a break from business-as-usual politics. 
REFERENCES:
Jenifer Fernandez Ancona - @jenancona // @jenancona.bsky.social
Way to Win - waytowin.us // @WayToWinAF // @waytowinus.bsky.social 
Way to Win Substack - "Americans—And The Missing Biden Voters—Want Change"

From Grassroots to Governing with Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist

Michigan’s first Black lieutenant governor Garlin Gilchrist discusses his race for governor in 2026 and lessons learned as the state’s second-in-command in the middle of the extraordinary crisis that was the COVID-19 pandemic. 
He shares his wins in office, including advancing criminal justice reform and expanding broadband access, as well as what he believes went wrong in the 2024 election. Gilchrist also shares why his unique background as a software engineer turned community organizer makes him fit to lead the state and he shares his vision for the future of Michigan.
 
REFERENCES:
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist - campaign website // bluesky