Black Diplomats

On today's episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr talks to three people who are dealing with the war in Ukraine on very personal terms. Most of the news about the war is concentrated on borders, troop losses, and the nuclear threat. Our guests in this episode are focused on protecting loved ones and rebuilding their communities. After spending many years in Ukraine, Starr has deep relationships in the country. These stories are not academic. These are the personal stories of war that remind us of the real stakes. This episode is the first in a new series, and a new style for us that presents long-form journalism in a crafted audio environment. Welcome back to Black Diplomats, thank you for listening!

Inna Sovsun is a member of Parliament in Ukraine and a university professor. Sovsun is in an opposition party so she's usually working against the established leadership in her country. But one thing she's very clear on: politics can wait until they've kicked Putin's troops off their land. From a NATO no-fly zone, to the history of anarchism and mutual aid in Ukraine, and what she thinks when she hears about Russian culture, this conversation covers the hottest buttons in the war. Terrell has been on the ground in Ukraine from the beginning of the invasion so he's tuned in to the important conversations among average people and leaders like Sovsun. The war is not going to plan for the Russian army. No one knows what will happen next, but we'll be there to cover it. For more information go to our website at blackdiplomats.net. Thank you for listening.

Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr is in Ukraine covering the Russian invasion. This week he spoke with Oleg Volsky, the mayor of Zhovkva, a town about 40 minutes north of Lviv. Volsky was in the town square talking to constituents when he sat with Terrell for a short interview. As mayor of the town Volsky has several concerns, including helping the vulnerable members of his community, and preparing to defend it with those who are able. They've also got refugees from other parts of Ukraine to care for. Zhovkva is in western Ukraine so the fighting hasn't come to their town yet, but Volsky believes it's possible. "I have two guns and I am preparing for this war," Volsky says. "Today we are very proud for our country." For more information follow Terrell on Twitter https://twitter.com/terrelljstarr (@Russian_Starr) or check out our website at https://www.blackdiplomats.net/ (blackdiplomats.net). Thank you for listening!

War has come to Ukraine. Black Diplomats has been on the ground in Ukraine from the beginning of the show two years ago. We've talked to journalists, diplomats, policy experts, military strategists, and others about exactly this scenario. We heard for months that the Ukrainian military was prepared for a Russian invasion and that the citizens of Ukraine would stand and fight. All of it turned out to be true. Today we're taking a break from the politics to focus on the real cost of war. Irina Klimova was being treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma when the war started and it became clear her doctors needed her bed to treat incoming soldiers. Now she has moved to Lithuania with her mother and her 5 year-old son Ivan, leaving her husband behind to comply with the draft laws. While the media replays speeches from sanctimonious world leaders, the people of Ukraine are suffering everyday. Terrell has been reporting from the war zone, but his personal efforts have focused on helping friends, including Irina. If you're new to Black Diplomats this is a great way to get to know us. Terrell is a recognized expert on nuclear and foreign policy in the post-Soviet countries, and we spend most of our time talking about the global chess match. But today is about the people caught in the middle. For more information go to our website blackdiplomats.net or dig into past episodes. Thank you for listening.

With so much hysteria and propaganda going around the world about Ukraine it's important to find journalists on the ground that we can trust. Whether it's Kremlin backed mouthpieces like Russia Today or anything coming out of the US State Department it's clear the concerns of the innocent majority are not being addressed. It is especially hard to find independent Ukrainian voices working in English, and their ability to translate between three languages is invaluable to interested folks in the West. Today on Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr welcomes Ukrainian journalists Toma Istomina and Romeo Kokriatski. Istomina is the deputy chief editor of the Kyiv Independent, a new journalism venture that was formed by the team from the Kyiv Post after they were summarily fired for resisting oversight by an oligarch. Kokriatski is the managing editor of the New Voice of Ukraine and host of the podcast Ukraine Without Hype. Please support their work by checking out the links mentioned in the episode at our website blackdiplomats.net. Thank you for listening!

Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr is in Ukraine, despite President Biden's warning that Americans should leave. He's reporting on the ground, but also spending time with loved ones and friends. Like everyone else in the country he's keeping an eye on the Russian troops at the border but trying not to let the situation get to him. With so much focus on what Russia is doing in Eastern Ukraine, it's easy to forget why they're doing it. Today on Black Diplomats we have two keen observers of the Russian model of colonialism - journalist Maksym Eristavi and historian Alexander Etkind. They cover the history of Ukrainian/Russian relations going back to Catherine the Great, compare the American “frontier” with Russias takeover of Siberia, and talk about Putin's sense of a Slavic peoples that is distinct from other Europeans. Thank you for listening!

Michael McFaul is a seasoned Diplomat who was Ambassador to Russia under President Obama. This is a man who has been in the room for negotiations with Putin and he has a lot to say about the current situation in Ukraine. Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr has been following McFaul's career and reading his work for years. As the conversation develops it becomes clear that the respect and admiration goes both ways. McFaul opens the conversation about Russian-style colonialism and how that mindset overlaps with Western imperialism by referencing Starr's frequent comments on the subject. As the situation in Ukraine continues to grow there is a sense that these two really understand the stakes. To learn more about Ambassador McFaul you should give him a follow on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

As Russian troops continue the build up on Ukraine's border some people are suggesting Germany toughen their rhetoric and policies. But even Ukrainian President Zelensky has asked the Biden administration to tone it down, so what's the move? The history of these nations is as hard as it gets, with a brutal invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany during WWII leaving millions of dead soldiers and civilians between them, followed by a long occupation of East Germany by the Kremlin. These experiences still weigh heavy on the world and on the relationship between the two countries. To get a better sense of the domestic conversation in Germany, Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr welcomes Sarah Pagung from the German Council on Foreign Relations and Janis Kluge from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin, Germany. If peace is going to be maintained it may be up to the new German administration to turn down the heat because the gun runners in Washington are doing what they do best: stoking the market. Thanks for listening!

As Ukraine celebrates its long holiday season, all eyes are on the East. Putin has built up a massive force on the border between Russia and Ukraine but so far no one knows what he plans to do with it. The US media are talking about a possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia, apparently forgetting there was already an invasion during the takeover of Crimea in 2014. What they're not doing is interviewing Ukrainians, of course. On today's episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr talks to Polina Sinovets, an international relations specialist at Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University, and Mykola Bielieskov, a Research Fellow at the National Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Ukraine. They cover the lack of international support for armed resistance, relations with NATO, and Ukraine's military readiness for an attack by the Kremlin. It's a heavy episode about subjects with serious consequences so we're glad to have locals walk us through the details. Thank you for listening!

There have been nationwide protests in Kazakhstan recently and the Western media did what they always do: show a few pictures of destruction and ignore the cause of the people in the streets. With Russian troops coming in to ‘maintain order' and a ban on the widely used mobile internet it's very hard to tell what is going to happen next. This week on Black Diplomats Terrell talks to two experts who are from the Kazakh region and know firsthand the frustrations that are driving the largely peaceful protests. Dr Diana T. Kudaibergenova is a lecturer and author who specializes in Central Asia, and Dr. Asel Doolotkeldieva teaches graduate courses in Political Science at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek. They're both keen observers of the post-Soviet struggles in the region and perfect guests for Black Diplomats. Thank you for listening!

It has been one year since the attempted coup on January 6, 2021, when supporters of former president Trump broke into Congress and tried to take control of the seat of government. The folks responsible for the chaos have worked hard to change the narrative any way they can - blaming Black Lives Matter, or in some cases claiming it was nothing more than a bunch of tourists out for a holiday. To commemorate this awful anniversary Terrell is talking to photojournalist Ira Lupu, who was in the crowd at the capital that day. Lupu is from Ukraine so she has seen authoritarian nationalists and what they do to government. She has no illusions about what would have come next. Lupu remembers watching the day get violent and her feelings as everything spun out of control. In the face of the misinformation going around in rightwing circles, we believe it's important to provide this firsthand testimony from someone with a powerful global perspective. Thank you for listening!

2021 was a beast. There was an insurrection, a global pandemic, vaccine inequality, rich people went to space (sort of). Bad people lived while good people died. It was a lot. Pam Keith joins Terrell in this episode of Black Diplomats for a debrief. Of course they talk about their mental health and how they're surviving it all. Other big topics include Putin increasing tensions in Ukraine, all the myriad ways Democrats have failed us again, and what kind of madness we can look forward to in ‘22. Happy New Year everyone. Probably best to keep your seatbelt on for now.

The USSR dissolved 30 years ago this week, so Terrell sat down with two people in a former Soviet colony who are living through the aftermath. Olga Tokariuk and Illia Ponomarenko are journalists in Ukraine where Russian troops are currently occupying Crimea. With the threat of a larger invasion always literally on the eastern horizon, people in Ukraine have learned to prepare for the worst while continuing to build the country they want to live in. Subjects include the current build up of troops by Putin's regime, little-known reasons for the fall of the Soviet Union, and what they're looking forward to in 2022. Merry Christmas from Black Diplomats!

Black Diplomats is back with Alexa Kellogg-Kurmanova, a PhD student in anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. Terrell met Alexa at the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies conference in New Orleans and they hit it off immediately. Kellogg-Kurmanova is a queer Black woman from Chicago, and her husband is a trans man from Kyrgyzstan. She speaks Russian and has spent a lot of time in East European communities, both in Central Asia and the US. They go deep on how Kellogg-Kurmanova was introduced to the Russian language and babushka culture, and what it means to be your authentic self when you're thousands of miles from home. This is part two of a two-part conversation, check out last week's post for part 1.

Welcome back! Black Diplomats is back from our hiatus with an update from Terrell about plans for the show and an all new interview. Our guest today is Alexa Kellogg-Kurmanova, a PhD student in anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. Terrell met Alexa at the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies conference in New Orleans and they hit it off immediately. Kellogg-Kurmanova is a queer Black woman from Chicago, and her husband is a trans man from Kyrgyzstan. She speaks Russian and has spent a lot of time in East European communities, both in Central Asia and the US. They go deep on how Kellogg-Kurmanova was introduced to the Russian language and babushka culture, and what it means to be your authentic self when you're thousands of miles from home. This is part one of a two-part conversation.

Haiti has been hit with another earthquake just weeks after the assassination of their President. As the world struggles to find ways to help one thing has become clear: the condescending Euro-centric model of aid has very little to offer. On this week's episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr welcomes Emma Ashford to talk about how the world community has failed Haiti, and what we're supposed to do now. This conversation isn't just about the dollars and cents, they get into deep philosophical questions like reparations and what it means to feel safe. Thank you for listening!

Hello everyone, Mike here, the producer of Black Diplomats. We have a couple of short announcements this week, so I thought I’d jump on your feed for the update. Terrell is dealing with a family emergency right now, so our regular episodes are postponed for a couple weeks. Please keep him in your thoughts. In more lighthearted news, we recently received a grant from the Ploughshares Fund to do a series on the Iran nuclear deal and the nuclear program in North Korea. Ploughshares has supported a lot of great people and a lot of great causes over the years, and we are genuinely proud to be welcomed into their community. We’re working on those episodes now, look forward to hearing them later this year. Thank you for listening!

After 100 years of lobbying the US government has finally recognized the Armenian genocide, carried out by the Turkish government in the transition out of the Ottoman empire. On this episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr talks to Sophia Armen, a scholar and activist who lost eight members of her family in the genocide. She is the third generation of activists in her family who have fought to keep the memory of those bloody days alive. Armen talks about some of the details of the systematic removal of Armenians from Turkey, and reminds us that Hitler looked to the program as a model for his final solution. Terrell talks about his experience learning about how race functions in the Caucasus. They recognize the global nature of empire that underpins it all, and how different groups of oppressed people can work together to achieve reparations and healing. Thank you for listening!

The Republic of Georgia has a storied history in the heart of the Caucasus mountains. Host Terrell Starr first went there after the fall of the Soviet Union when they were still struggling to figure out a new way of life. In today’s episode of Black Diplomats he talks about that critical time, for him and for the nation of Georgia. He talks about living in the region as a Black man, and how he found ways to connect with his neighbors. Then Terrell talks to Eka Gigauri, a native Georgian who serves on the board of Transparency International and has been watching the political crisis in Tblisi with a close eye. Terrell wrote an article for Foreign Policy magazine on the situation last week and was eager to get up to speed with someone on the ground. These two old friends reminisce on the past, give us a tour of what Georgians have built in their country, and talk about what they’re looking forward to. Music by Tall Black Guy and Quintet Urmuli. Thank you for listening!

This week on Black Diplomats we’ve got a new format and new guests, but have faith - we’re still taking aim at white supremacist imperialism, and there’s nothing new about that. We’re all about giving platform to people who don’t get invited into mainstream media, and we’ve done a great job of it. We also want to broaden the foreign policy conversation by bringing in new audiences. One of the barriers for a lot of folks is basic context and geography, so we’re going to start filling in some blanks. Host Terrell Starr will be opening the show with news highlights and a little context for the interview, including his personal stories, racial analysis, policy expertise, and historical information. These bite-sized segments help make sense out of the news and cut through the propaganda. Our guests segments will be a little shorter, but we still won’t be talking to any Ukrainian ‘elites’! Journalist and filmmaker Olga Tokariuk brings us the perspective from Kyiv, where there isn’t any evidence of panic, or any surprise at Putin’s bluster. Eilish Hart is a journalist and researcher who writes about the former Soviet Union. She’s been keeping a keen eye on Alexei Navalny, and joins us to explain his recent hunger strike that ended on April 23. We hope you enjoy the new format! Thank you for listening!

President Biden announced that he wants all US troops out of Afghanistan by 9/11/21, two decades after the attack that ostensibly launched our global war on terror. As usual, we’re hearing plenty of opinions from people who’ve never been there and don’t know what they’re talking about. This week on Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr is talking to three vets who have multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Isiah James was a “door kicker” as he calls it, a frontline grunt who saw the horrors of war firsthand. Richard Brookshire was an Army medic who dealt with the aftermath of battle, and Brittany Ramos DeBarros interacted with Afghan citizens as part of the ‘hearts and minds’ campaign. Three different experiences, three different perspectives, but they all agree - we should have been out of Afghanistan years ago. Our guests talk about their time in country, and point out that leaving Afghanistan doesn’t mean US imperialism has slowed down one bit - anyone ever heard of Africom? Thank you for listening!

There’s a lot happening in Florida right now! From whatever the hell is going on with Matt Gaetz, to the governor acting like the pandemic is over, and the state legislature trying to restrict voting. Of course there are progressives all over the state fighting back, but where are the Democrats? This week Black Diplomats welcomes Pam Keith to try to make sense of it all. Keith ran for congress in Florida and has a plan for how to turn the state blue. Her razor sharp observations of the important battleground state are the best way to know what’s coming up. One thing on everyone’s mind - what’s going on with Florida Man fratboy Matt Gaetz?! Keith points out that he’s always had his dad get him out of trouble in the past, but he might be in too deep this time. Finally, Keith describes her plan for getting Florida out of the mess that’s been caused by the Republican political machine. Her new group, Fight 4 Florida, is learning lessons from movements all over the country and bringing real progressive change to Florida politics. Thanks for listening!

On this week’s episode of Black Diplomats we’re sharing an interview Terrell did on The Power Vertical, a podcast about Russian politics hosted by Brian Whitmore. They talk about Terrell’s op-ed in The Washington Post on Alexi Navalny, how race works in the former Soviet states, and what the US has to do to weaken Russian government interference in our society. How can we deal with urgent issues like race, without letting the Kremlin dictate the terms? Whitmore also asks about Terrell’s upcoming memoir, A Black Man on the Steppe. This episode is a chance to hear Terrell chop it up with a fellow Atlantic Council colleague. This is what it sounds like at the smartest table in the bar. The Power Vertical is an excellent podcast and blog for keeping up with Russian politics from an insiders perspective. Like Terrell, Whitmore has spend a lot of time in the former Soviet states and has a lot of friends in the region. These guys know their stuff. Thank you for listening!

The political crisis in the Republic of Georgia continues. Parliament still isn’t functioning, and the accusations of creeping authoritarianism against the ruling party are getting louder. On this episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell Starr talks to George Khelashvili, an MP in the ruling Georgian Dream party. Khelashvili compares the situation in Georgia to the polarization in the United States, and he’s willing to get into details. From political prisoners to unfair elections, Khelashvili says it’s mostly a lot of hot rhetoric, and encourages the opposition party to take their seats so government can get back to work. Thank you for listening!

The country of Georgia is one of the former Soviet states still fighting for autonomy from the Kremlin. With the ongoing Russian military occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, it’s not just an academic discussion. Today on Black Diplomats we have Dr. Sergi Kapanadze, a professor and politician in the Georgian opposition party. Kapanadze explains why his party has decided not to take their seats in Parliament, their allegations of voter fraud in the last election, and how the United States can help untie this knot. With hopes of joining the EU and drawing their economy closer to Europe, many in Georgia are fearful they could slide the other direction, ending up looking more like Belarus than Austria. Kapanadze doesn’t believe most members of the ruling Georgian Dream party want a more authoritarian government. He’s not so sure about Georgia prime minister Irakli Garibashvili. Host Terrell Starr spent two years in Georgia during his time in the Peace Corps, so the fate of the country has a personal stake for him. You can hear his love for the Georgian people all through this conversation. Thank you for listening!

Matt Duss is one of the good ones. A foreign policy advisor for Sen. Bernie Sanders, Duss is one of the folks in Washington trying to lead our government away from neoliberalism. After a career in progressive think tanks and left-leaning media, Duss started working for Bernie Sanders shortly after Trump was elected. They’ve got a lot done by D.C. standards, including the first invoking of the War Powers Resolution, to end U.S. assistance in the war in Yemen. Host Terrell Starr has plenty of questions, starting with a mental health check. Duss is a congressional staffer, after all. They talk about the attempted insurrection in January, how a congressperson like Sanders can impact foreign policy, and what Duss would like to see from the Biden administration. Duss is well known in DC as a thorn in the side of traditional corporate Democrats who are willing to support dictators if the trade deal is right. He’s taken plenty of barbs from both sides of the aisle for standing up for the human rights of Palestinians, among other things. Given Biden’s history as among the most old school of the centrist Dems, Terrell asks Duss if he thinks Sanders more progressive foreign policy has a chance of influencing the administration. He seems optimistic! Thank you for listening.

On this episode of Black Diplomats, host Terrell Starr convenes a panel of experts to talk about the recent decision by Amnesty International to revoke the “prisoner of conscious” status from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Starr wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post about the decision this week, criticizing the simplified discourse in the West. In order to bring some nuance to the conversation Starr hosts Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, Dr. Rano Turaeva-Hoehne, and Irina Kuznetsova, three women who follow Russian politics with a keen eye to the racial dynamics of the region. They break down Navalny’s racist statements, how his attitudes fit into the context of Russian imperialism, and what they think opposition parties need to do to move forward. And don’t miss the hilarious sidebar on babushka culture. There has to be a bench. Thank you for listening!

This is the episode of Black Diplomats where Rep. Karen Bass starts the soft diplomacy on Terrell, trying to talk him into joining the State Department! Bass represents California’s 37th district in Los Angeles, and is a fierce advocate for all the good things. As Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa she has regular contact with folks from the Continent and a lot of good ideas for how we can improve our behavior on their behalf. She’s involved in the Represent America Abroad Act to diversify our diplomatic corps, and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to bring incremental change to American policing. Terrell asks her if the bill goes far enough, and she provides the kind of candid answer you don’t usually get from politicians. As they get deeper into her roots, we find out that being a foreign policy wonk is nothing new to Karen Bass. She cut her teeth protesting against the Vietnam War and was dedicated to the anti-apartheid movement in the ‘80s. Her critical analysis of white supremacy in the global context is honed to a razor’s edge, and on display in this episode. Near the end of their conversation Bass breaks down America’s history of supporting bad actors in Africa, and then flips it - suggesting Terrell should help diversify the State Department by signing up for service! He is a Black Diplomat, right? Thanks for listening!

Today on Black Diplomats we’re honored to host Alicia Garza, one of the three co-founders of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, and Shaw San Liu, Executive Director at the Chinese Progressive Association. They’ve known each other for many years, after meeting as on-the-ground organizers from their respective communities who were looking to find solutions to common problems. Host Terrell Starr asks them about the recent spate of racist violence against Asian people, the way divisions are sown in communities of color for economic reasons, how COVID has impacted their work, and what it will take to reimagine safety in our society to include everyone. This is a very powerful episode of Black Diplomats about building bridges across racial boundaries to create a better world for us all. Thank you for listening!

On this week’s episode of Black Diplomats, host Terrell Starr does what very few American journalists do - talk to Iranians about Iran. Iran is surrounded by nuclear armed adversaries and American military bases. It is reasonable for them to feel threatened, but that’s a perspective we rarely hear in the U.S. media, because we keep being force fed the same crewcut white boys going on about the mullahs. Today we have two Iranians and a nuclear policy analyst on to provide some context to the conversation. Negar Mortazavi is an Iranian-American journalist, columnist for The Independent, and host of the Iran Podcast. Ellie Geranmayeh is a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations who advises governments and companies on developments with the Iran nuclear deal. They both have deep personal and family ties to Iran that inform their understanding of these nuanced issues. Michelle Dover is the host of the Ploughshares Fund podcast and a nuclear non-proliferation expert who has followed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action from its first draft. They get into the details of the JCPOA, the current status of the deal after Trump pulled the US out, Biden’t plans, and what peace in the Middle East could look like. This is a great episode that fills a lot of gaps left by the standard American reporting. Thank you for listening!

Pam Keith has a unique perspective from growing up in Turkey, Morocco, Syria, Brazil, and several U.S. cities, as the daughter of Ambassador Kenton Keith. She was an Officer in the Navy and a lawyer with some of the largest firms in the nation, before running for Congress from the 18th district in Florida. Host Terrell Starr has lots of questions! Their conversation went for more than two hours, so we’ve broken it up into two parts. Part one went out earlier this week. In part two they talk about living abroad, how foreign service changed their perspective on America, and Keith’s plans for becoming the Stacey Abrams of Florida. This episode of Black Diplomats is a deep dive on the state of America, with two seasoned analysts who have no fear. Thank you for listening!

Pam Keith has a unique perspective from growing up in Turkey, Morocco, Syria, Brazil, and several U.S. cities, as the daughter of Ambassador Kenton Keith. She was an Officer in the Navy and a lawyer with some of the largest firms in the nation, before running for Congress from the 18th district in Florida. Host Terrell Starr has lots of questions! Their conversation went for more than two hours, so we’ve broken it up into two parts. In part one, they start by talking about the white supremacist insurrection on January 6th, and why Keith thinks there were so many members of the armed forces in the crowd. Starr also asks about the impeachment process, and the chance of a conviction. Keith believes the process of impeachment has outlived its usefulness, and has some thoughts on what could replace it. This episode of Black Diplomats is a deep dive on the state of America, with two seasoned analysts who have no fear. Thank you for listening!

Malcolm Nance is a security specialist, intelligence analyst, author, military vet, and much more. He’s also a Black man in America, and a Black Diplomat overseas. On today’s episode host Terrell Starr asks Nance-stradamus to break down the missteps of the Trump administration, and what Biden will have to do to repair the damage. As two people who have a deep understanding of the history of global affairs, they put modern conflicts with places like Russia and Iran into historical context. Some of our allies don’t get off too easy either - here's looking at you Saudi Arabia. Thank you for listening!

Terrell appeared on the excellent show Pod Save the World, a podcast by Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes, two long serving members of the Obama administration. Rhodes introduces Terrell by pointing out that he isn’t just talking about changing policy, he’s helping change the whole mindset of American power. These guys get it. Rhodes talks about being in rooms where Obama was the only one who isn’t white, and asks Terrell about the importance of diversity in those rooms. Terrell points out that it isn’t just about skin color, it’s also about listening to folks who want to dismantle the whole neo-liberal structure and rethink how we move in the world. The conversation goes from there, into elections, Russia, white supremacy, and how the Black Lives Matter movement has emboldened new voices that deserve to be heard. This is a powerful episode and a great example of why Terrell’s perspective is having a real impact on the conversation. Thank you for listening!

This week on Black Diplomats we’re playing a recent episode of the Press the Button podcast from the Ploughshares Fund that features Terrell Starr talking about American nuclear policy, what “healing” means for our politics, and how white supremacy colors our views of our adversaries. It’s a great episode of the PTB podcast, and a fun opportunity to hear Terrell sit on the other side of the table as a guest. An engaging podcast on nuclear policy and national security, Press the Button is co-hosted by defense experts Tom Collina and Michelle Dover of Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation. This weekly podcast features top officials and experts discussing the latest developments on Iran, North Korea, nuclear weapons, military budgets and foreign policy. Press the Button offers diverse views on one of the most important issues of our time: preventing nuclear war. A new episode of Press the Button is available every Tuesday.

On today’s episode of Black Diplomats, host Terrell Starr is joined by two military vets, Arti Walker-Peddakotla and Shaniyat Chowdhury, to talk about the violent white supremacist insurrection on January 6th, where supporters of disgraced ex-president Donald Trump brutalized Federal employees and vandalized the Capitol. At this point we’ve seen there were a lot of ex-military in the crowd, so Terrell wants to know - did Arti or Shan serve with anyone who supports this movement, and what can the rest of us do to protect ourselves from them? Intro: 00:00 Terell, Arti and Shan talk about the white supremacist insurrection on January 6th, and what they make of the presence of so many military vets in the crowd. 20:00 Serving an administration that doesn’t serve you. 32:00 The problem with politicians (hint: they’re distracted and lazy). 37:00 Running for and serving elected office. Both guests have been through political campaigns, what did that experience teach them about moving policy? How has 2020 prepared you for 2021? 47:00 Defunding neo-liberalism! Closeout: 64:00 What’s everyone looking forward to in 2021? Thank you for listening!

The high-stakes Senate runoff in Georgia went to the Democrats - both Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff won their special election races, defeating Republican incumbents to flip the Senate. One of the people we have to thank for this outcome is Ms. LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. Brown is a world traveller who brings a global perspective to American politics. Host Terrell Starr talks to Brown about what worked for Democrats in Georgia, the foundations of America, and what we have to do to make things right. Brown also talks about their effort to return 198,000 voters to eligibility after the Secretary of State purged them without cause, and why Democrats and Republicans aren’t talking about the same thing when they say an election was stolen. Thank you for listening!

Happy new year, and welcome back to Black Diplomats! On this episode host Terrell Starr welcomes National Security expert Asha Castleberry-Hernandez, and nuclear policy analyst Lovely Umayam to talk about what safety means in 2021. For all the bluster of the last four years, not even the US nuclear umbrella can protect us from COVID-19. Intro: 00:00: Terell, Asha and Lovely talk about what foreign policy hopes they have for 2020. In the news: 15:02: Mike Pompeo's Swagger tweet about US foreign policy 23:14: The deployment of B-52 bombers to the Middle East and to intimidate Iran 42: 20: Let's debate an article that more American allies need nukes How has 2020 prepared you for 2021? 55:48: Asha talks about her run for congress 62:55: Lovely talks about the Bombshelltoe project and combining the arts with understanding nuclear policy What can America learn from the world? 80:00: Examples of what’s working in other countries (can you say bullet train?!) Closeout: 93:00: What everyone’s looking forward to in 2021 Go to blackdiplomats . net for more information. Thank you for listening!

Today’s guests on Black Diplomats are Pam Campos-Palma and Melissa Bryant, two women who have complicated relationships with America. Both women are military vets, one the daughter of immigrants, one a fourth-generation service member. Both were taught that the military is a pathway to prosperity. Both experienced the racism and misogyny that are defining parts of living in America, and both persevered. They know what it’s like to love this country, even when it doesn’t love you back. Host Terrell J. Starr asks Campos-Palma and Bryant what patriotism means to them, and talks about the way that word has been bound up with whiteness in the US. Is it possible for Americans be truly patriotic without also being white? From our bloated nuclear program to our militarized police departments, the philosophy of safety in the US is not capable of providing protection from the threats of the modern world. Rethinking safety means more than updating weapons systems and technology. Conversations like this one are defining the future, helping America work better for us all.

Jerwayne Cook was an Operations Manager who worked at the CIA for over a decade during the height of the War on Terror. He has seen nations fall into civil war, experienced radical terror first hand, and dismantled networks aiming to destabilize governments. And that’s why he’s worried about America. Host Terrell Starr talks to Cook about what kind of assessments the Agency would be making if another country had a dictator who wouldn’t recognize the results of a free and fair election. Cook also talks about some of the well known successes and failures of American intelligence, including the decision to go into Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11, but not Saudi Arabia. After nearly 13 years in the CIA during the height of the War on Terror, Jerwayne Cook has a remarkable resumé that is very light on detail. Since leaving the Agency in 2016 he has been in demand as an intelligence specialist and operations consultant for clients he lists as “confidential”. Describing his time in the CIA as “a season in life”, Cook has an expansive mind and keen insight that he’s using to help demystify American foreign policy for the rest of us.

The 2020 election is mostly wrapped up and one of the big takeaways is the profound effect of BIPOC organizers nationwide, from the Stacey Abrams juggernaut in Georgia, to the turnout among Native Americans in Arizona, even as Covid-19 ravages their communities. Today on Black Diplomats, host Terrell Starr talks to activist Dr. Melina Abdullah and journalist Anoa Changa about what Democrats owe BIPOC voters, how Joe Biden became the nominee in the first place, and what it’s going to take to repair the damage done by the Trump administration. Dr. Melina Abdullah is a recognized expert on race, gender, class, and social movements. She was among the original group of organizers that convened to form Black Lives Matter and continues to serve as a Los Angeles chapter leader. She is also Professor and former Chair of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Abdullah earned her Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in Political Science and her B.A. from Howard University in African American Studies. An organizer by nature and a lawyer by trade, Anoa Changa has a deep history of working within the realms of advocacy and justice. Her passion lies in building collaborative political spaces that fundamentally change the way communities and grassroots organizations engage with the social and political systems around us. Expanding on her experience as an attorney, Anoa has been a grassroots digital organizer and strategic advisor to several organizations.

On this episode of Black Diplomats, host Terrell J. Starr is joined by the two people who got him into podcasting: Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela, hosts of the In The Thick podcast. The 2020 election for President of the United States was this week, and it looks like Joe Biden is going to win the Electoral College count, as well as the popular vote. What happens in the courts is yet to be seen. All year long people have been predicting a Blue Wave that would result in control of both houses of Congress, and the Executive, but at this point Democrats are barely holding onto a narrow majority in the House and may not win the Senate. What happened to the Wave? And how did President Trump increase his percentage of the vote among white people?! As a reporter who was the first Latina in many newsrooms, Maria Hinojosa dreamt of a space where she could create independent, multimedia journalism that explores and gives a critical voice to the diverse American experience. To that end, in 2010, she created Futuro Media, an independent, nonprofit organization based in Harlem, NYC with the mission to create multimedia content for and about the new American mainstream in the service of empowering people to navigate the complexities of an increasingly diverse and connected world. Julio (Julito) Ricardo Varela is the Founder and Publisher of http://latinorebels.com/ (Latino Rebels). He created this community in 2011, propelling it to a must-visit source in the digital space. In 2018, Latino Rebels was acquired by Maria Hinojosa’s Futuro Media, an award-winning independent nonprofit media company based in Harlem. As Digital Media Director for Futuro Media, Julio works with the Latino USA team to promote the show’s episodes and expand its digital reach. He is a frequent contributor to the show and the editor of the show’s official site, http://latinousa.org/ (LatinoUSA.org). He also co-hosts http://inthethick.org/ (In The Thick) with Maria Hinojosa. Recently, he was named by Futuro to focus on the company’s new business opportunities. Check out www.blackdiplomats.net for more information. Thank you for listening!

kleptocracy https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noun (noun) klep·toc·ra·cy | klep-ˈtä-krə-sē plural kleptocracies : government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed also : a particular government of this kind On this episode of Black Diplomats host Terrell J. Starr is joined by Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa, founders of the podcast juggernaut Gaslit Nation. Terrell asks them to define what a kleptocratic government looks like for folks who might not be familiar with the word, and then they cover some of the many examples from the Trump Administration. They talk about the Russian oligarchs and advisors who’ve steered Trump from the start, and what a second term could look like. With friends like Paul Manafort, who has time for enemies? Gaslit Nation is hosted by writers https://www.twitter.com/sarahkendzior (Sarah Kendzior )and https://www.twitter.com/andreachalupa (Andrea Chalupa), experts on authoritarian states who warned America about election hacking before the 2016 election. They take a deep dive on the news, skipping outrage to deliver analysis, history, context, and sharp insight on global affairs. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gaslit-nation-with-andrea-chalupa-and-sarah-kendzior/id1400926647?mt=2 (Subscribe today )to catch up on previous episodes and get new ones! (also available on https://open.spotify.com/episode/00edfEFtrgmqdFiUevjJep?si=V--2sT_JRICeNB8RAN18JQ (Spotify), http://stitcher.com/podcast/range/gaslit-nation (Stitcher), https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0# (Google Play), http://tun.in/pi6cN (TuneIn), and https://pca.st/TFwp (PocketCasts)).

Today’s episode of Black Diplomats is a primer on the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed region in the mountains between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Host Terrell J. Starr talks to Lika Zakaryan, a journalist who has spent her life in Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh to the locals. Over 90% of the population of Artsakh is ethnically Armenian, but due to political wrangling in the Soviet era it is considered a territory of Azerbaijan. Zakaryan could hear bombs going off in the background during our interview, and was interrupted near the end with news of a ceasefire planned for the next morning. With family and friends on the front lines, Zakaryan has chosen to tell human stories rather than political ones. Her powerful testimonials remind us all of the cost of violence, and the indifference of the people in power. Lika Zakaryan is a journalist with CIVILNET who is reporting directly from Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh where she was born and raised, and currently lives. Go to https://twitter.com/LikaZakaryan (her Twitter feed) to access her reporting from the ground.  Thank you for listening!

On Black Diplomats this week, host Terrell J. Starr is joined by two experts in world affairs to talk about President Trump’s foreign policies, and how he has tried to use the State Department to further his own interests. What does having a White Supremacist in Chief mean for American relations with the countries in Africa? They also discuss the advantages of diversity in the diplomatic corps from an insiders perspective, and what it’s going to take to repair the damage done by Tump’s shallow posturing. Desiree Cormier Smith is the Senior Policy Advisor for Africa, Europe, and Eurasia for the Open Society Foundations. Previously, she was a Senior Director of the Africa practice at Albright Stonebridge Group, a strategic advisory firm. Prior to that, she was a Foreign Service Officer with assignments in Ethiopia, Mexico, South Africa, and Washington, DC. Mr. Travis L. Adkins is a Lecturer of African and Security Studies at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. As an international development leader, he has two decades of experience working in governance, civil society and refugee and migration affairs in over 50 nations throughout Africa and the Middle East. This includes serving as Staff Director of the House Subcommittee on Africa, working with leading international NGOs and think tanks, as well as within several branches of the United Nations system. Check out blackdiplomats.net for more information. Thank you for listening!

Black Diplomats is back to talk about nuclear non-proliferation with two experts from Eastern Europe - Polina Sinovits from Ukraine, and Ekaterina Mikhaylenko from Russia. Both women study, write, and teach about the way nuclear weapons affect international relations, and the massive, stupid threat they pose to the world. Host Terrell J. Starr has interviewed many experts in the field and contributes his own analysis of the ways the so-called Nuclear Club contributes to maintaining white supremacy on a global scale. They discuss the absurd numbers of nuclear weapons around the world and the cost to maintain them, disarm the myth of deterrence, and talk about what steps must be taken to walk humanity back from the brink. Ekaterina Mikhaylenko is Associate Professor at the Department of Theory and History of International Relations of Ural Federal University. She has more than 18-years experience teaching the history of international relations, political and security issues at the Department of International Relations, Ural Federal University. Currently Ekaterina is teaching courses, related to contemporary issues of international relations and international security problems. Ekaterina has more than 20 publications, in Russian and English, on European regionalism and projects realized in the post-Soviet space. Polina Sinovets is the head of the Odessa Center for Nonproliferation at the Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, Ukraine. She is also Associate Professor in the International Relations Department at ONU. Previously Dr. Sinovets served as senior research associate at Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies, as well as a fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and NATO Defense College. She is an expert in nuclear weapons policy  and published articles in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Russia in Global Politics, NATO Defense College Research Papers etc.  Dr. Sinovets is currently a Fulbright Scholar at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute International Studies, based at Washington DC. Thank you for listening!

This is the third episode in our special coverage of the revolution in Belarus. After their last election was rigged to keep a dictator in power, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demand he step down. Top activists have been prosecuted, causing well known politicians and journalists to flee the country in fear for their safety. Host Terrell J. Starr talked to Katsiaryna Shmatsina, a Belarusian political analyst focused on Belarusian foreign policy, regional security, and the impact of great power relations on smaller actors. Shmatsina is one of the people who left Belarus after seeing the authoritarian government crack down. She continues her work through contact with an underground network still fighting the good fight in country. Katsiaryna’s portfolio includes non-residential fellowship at the German Marshall Fund (2020) and Think Visegrad Fellowship (2019). Previously, she worked for the American Bar Association where she managed the democratic-governance and rule-of-law projects. She holds a Master’s in international relations from Syracuse University, New York and a law degree from Belarusian State University.  Thank you for listening!

Volodymyr Dubovyk has a resumé that is long enough to make you dizzy. He is a faculty member in the International Relations department at Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University and an expert on the foreign policy of the US and Ukraine. As Ukraine’s leading “Americanist”, he often travels in the States to speak on Eastern Europe, and travels Eastern Europe to speak on the States. This cross-cultural communication is exactly the kind of thing we like to facilitate on Black Diplomats. On this episode host Terrell J. Starr talks to Dubovyk about the perspective of Ukrainian people on the U.S., anti-Black stereotypes that are alive and well in Europe, and how the summer uprisings in American cities are being talked about around the world. Starr interviewed Dubovyk in person in Odessa, Ukraine. For more information about Black Diplomats check out blackdiplomats.net or @russian_starr on Twitter. Thank you for listening!

Mike Espy was born and raised in Mississippi, and was Assistant Secretary of State, then Assistant Attorney General, before becoming a Congressman in 1986. He was the first Black congressman from Mississippi since Reconstruction, and then became Secretary of Agriculture under Bill Clinton, the first Black person to hold that position in our nation’s history. Now Espy is running to replace Cindy Hyde-Smith, who was appointed by a Republican governor after Thad Cochran retired from the seat. Hyde-Smith has a long history of engaging with racist Southern tropes, defending racist symbols, and supporting self-segregated schooling. Host Terrell J. Starr talks to Espy about running for Senate in the age of COVID-19, his work with different non-profit organizations, and American relations with the countries of Africa. Espy is an expert on trade, so he shares his thoughts on the tariff war the U.S. has been waging on China, investing in developing nations, and how a few rotten soybeans can be a symbol of a global market shift. Thank you for listening!

On this episode of Black Diplomats we’re talking to three Transgender Black Women in three different countries about what liberation looks like for them. There is more transgender representation in media and politics than ever before, but transgender people still have to deal with hate and misgendering. Host Terrell J. Starr brings together a brilliant panel of activists from the US, Nigeria, and South Africa to fill us in on where the movement stands today, what it means for their fight to be connected on a global scale, and the true sound of freedom for Transgender Black Women everywhere. Our guests include Diamond Stylz in Houston, Texas, Executive Director of Black Trans Women Inc., a national non-profit that is led by Black trans women focused on social advocacy, positive visibility and building strong leadership among Black trans advocates, activists, and our allies. We also have Audrey Mbugua, a Kenyan activist who heads Transgender Education and Advocacy (TEA), an organization that defends the rights of transgender individuals in Kenya. In 2014, Mbugua won a landmark case, wherein the Kenya National Examinations Council was ordered to legally change Mbugua’s name and remove the existing gender designation on her academic certificates. Rounding out our brilliant panel is Ricki Kgositau, an openly identified transwoman from Botswana who lives in Cape Town, South Africa. She is Executive Director to an International NGO known as Accountability International, which has a global team in Belgium, Kenya, Sweden (where it was founded and registered) and South Africa (where she is based in the Cape Town office).

When asked about the security services in Belarus, journalist Hanna Liubakova has a simple message: “There are no rules.” Black Diplomats host Terrell J. Starr interviews Liubakova about the ongoing protests in her country, and the brutal methods being used to shut them down. As a frontline journalist Liubakova and her colleagues have documented the beatings, arrests, and other crowd control methods employed by a corrupt dictator to maintain his hold on power. This is a special episode of Black Diplomats, released in addition to our regularly scheduled weekly shows. The ongoing revolution in Belarus is a major development in the Russian sphere of influence and we will continue to bring you interviews with people on the ground as it evolves. Follow https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakova (Hanna on Twitter) to keep up with the daily events. Hanna Liubakova is a freelance journalist and researcher from Belarus. She is currently a journalist with Outriders, an international multimedia platform that produces in-depth multimedia and interactive reporting and focuses on solutions journalism. She also works as a journalism trainer and mentor. She started her career at the only independent Belarusian TV channel where she worked as a correspondent and TV presenter. Hanna has reported from various countries and regions, including Belgium, UK, Poland, France, and Chechnya. She was a recipient of the Václav Havel Journalism Fellowship at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Czechia, as well as a World Press Institute Fellowship in the United States. Hanna received a degree in Art History from The Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland in 2010 and a Master of Art with distinction in International Journalism from Brunel University in London in 2017. She was awarded the Peter Caws Prize for best postgraduate dissertation.  Thank you for listening!