Unbossed, Unbothered and Unfiltered

The events happening in California should leave all of us alarmed. We are watching authoritarianism move in daylight and real time.

President Trump gave a joint address to Congress yesterday. The lack of resistance from the Democratic party was quite telling.

These first 8 days of the second Trump administration have felt like 100. So much intentional madness and chaos in only a week.

My thoughts on the fallout from the election and what steps we need to take. Yes, I am late.

President Obama's comments on Black men voting for Kamala Harris created a lot of reactions this week and the agenda for Black men is a great response. Obama footage: ABC News Magic Johnson footage: MSNBC

The DNC and The Courage Tour are painting two very different versions of what it looks like to be a person of faith in this election-- and the decision is clear. Collusions between religious leaders and the government has never proven itself to work out for anyone, including Jesus. https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/a-christian-nationalist-trojan-horse-in-the-election-room/

Kamala Harris being at the top of the ticket for the Democratic party means that we might have even new levels of misogyny and misinformation. Is she a flawless candidate? No. But she deserves to be treated with the same respect that all other candidates and that's making decisions based on her policy, not her dating history. Elementary Truancy Policy Chicago Ideas Death Penalty Defund the Police

I took some personal time but I am back for the 2024 election! VP Kamala Harris is headed for the top of the ticket and I am taking us along for the ride. It's been a while but little has changed. I promise to be honest, accurate and engaged. Let's dive in.

After this most recent Supreme Court session, there were two buzz words that seemed to be on the lips of everyone: Christian theocracy. If you have been listening to my show for a while, then you know that issues of faith are often something we discuss and I wanted to bring in someone who has experienced this personally and professionally. Fresh from Denver, raised in Oklahoma, Ben Mann (they/them) "Pastor Ben" has spent a career-long obsession with growing dynamic campaigns and ministries. From a humble beginning of raising funds for a small adoption agency to recently filming the international smash Coming Out Colton (available on Netflix), Pastor Ben considers their top value a commitment to excellence. Presently, they serve as Senior Pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of the Rockies, part of the MCC network, an international gathering of churches founded within the LGBTQ+ community. Here, they share the joy of Christ's vision with an intergenerational, diverse congregation that seeks to serve the marginalized. In addition to this work, they serve as a Chaplain at the University of Colorado Hospital, where they counsel and support families in the Transgender Clinic and beyond. Beyond the persistent pursuit of learning and justice, Pastor Ben is a pet parent to Aster (their rescue dog) and an avid fan of karaoke. When not working they enjoy spending time with friends and family, as well as cooking and hosting dinner parties. If they could share one mantra, they would reiterate something that a former boss used to emphasize, "Bloom where you're planted." IG: https://www.instagram.com/queerpastorben Twitter: https://twitter.com/queerpastorben Church Website: https://www.mccrockies.org/

This summer the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival held the largest gathering of poor and low wealth people in the nation's history at the Mass Poor People and Low Wage Worker's Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls. While gearing up for this major event we got a chance to talk to Zillah Wesley about organizing in DC. Zillah F. Wesley, II is a native Washingtonian. She loves working in the DC community and working towards the beloved community. Zillah had earned her bachelor's in political science from the University of the District of Columbia. At the time of this interview she was working Kairos Center as a policy organizer. She's worked with the DC Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and other collectives in the DC Community. She was raised in Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, DC. Growing up in the UCC helped her become the person she is today and gave her the fire for social justice. She loves DC and would like to see all people enjoy it. Zillah is about the liberation of people by transformative and healing organizing.

During the summer of 2020, people across the country and world were captured by footage of George Floyd pleading for his life at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, MN. Here we sit in the aftermath of countless rallies, protests, and even attempts at legislation asking what is next. For so many, George Floyd is a symbol about much needed change in this country, but he is also a man who left behind a family picking up the pieces and trying to move forward. The George Floyd foundation put together the Gentle Giant, a short film about George Floyd the man and it is available now on Hulu. I got a chance to sit down with one of the actors from the movie, Tsalta Baptiste to talk about what it means to be Black in Hollywood in the time since and how it feels to tell a story this important. Tsalta Baptiste (pronounced 'tuh-salt-tuh') was born in Berkeley, CA . Growing up, Tsalta's neighbors often referred to his home as 'The Movie House' for being the place to find VHS tapes of popular movies if Blockbuster were ever out of stock. He began his career in acting on the Texas Southern University Speech and Debate Team. He later ventured overseas and became recognized by international audiences due to his portrayal of Tupac Shakur in 'Until the End of Time.'

Since the 2016 presidential election revealed some stark differences along racial lines in voting, the rallying cry of listening to Black women has become prevalent in many different areas of work. Today we are in conversation with Gabrielle Wyatt founder of The Highland Project, an organization focused on building and sustaining a pipeline of Black women leading communities, institutions, and systems, resulting in the creation of multi-generational wealth and change in their communities. Prior to founding The Highland Project, Gabrielle led major change initiatives in our nation's largest and most complex school systems and shaped the investment strategy of leading national philanthropic initiatives. Most recently, she was a Partner at The City Fund, founded by leading national philanthropists to support local education leaders to build local movements for systemic change in education. Gabrielle supported local education leaders across the nation to expand opportunities for students in public schools through strategic advising, board service, and philanthropic investments. During her tenure, Wyatt launched the City Leadership Fellowship, an executive leadership development program focused on empowering Black and Latinx leaders pursuing bold education visions. Before joining The City Fund, Gabrielle was the Chief Strategy Officer at Civic Builders. A non-profit focused on solving the facilities challenge for high quality charter schools. Gabrielle led partnerships with the Walton Family Foundation and Laura and John Arnold Foundation to launch three national facilities funds to support growing high performing public schools. As a Baltimore native, Gabrielle began her career as a Baltimore County Public Schools Board of Education member. Gabrielle is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Harvard Kennedy School. Gabrielle Wyatt is the proud daughter of two Baltimore educators, Mary Alice Thomas and Quentin Wyatt. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LeadHighland/ Website: https://www.thehighlandproject.org/index.html

Last month, the Commonwealth of Virginia held its first statewide election under the Biden administration. The night did not go well for the Virginia Democratic Party as they lost the seats for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general along with some prominent delegates. I worked for 3 years in Virginia politics and brought in former colleague of mine Matt Rogers to discuss what happened in Virginia on election night. This conversation also happened on the day of the Rittenhouse verdict so we talk about that some as well. In addition to being a new dad and Chief Strategist of Politidope, Inc. Matt is a passionate professional with close to a decade of experience working with local, state, and federal elected officials, as well as, caucuses, campaigns, and nonprofit organizations.

Dr. King said that the core triple evils of America are racism, capitalism and militarism. While we have discussed racism and capitalism some, we have not discussed militarism and I am excited to be having that conversation today with Khury Petersen Smith. Khury Petersen-Smith is the Michael Ratner Middle East Fellow at IPS. He researches U.S. empire, borders, and migration. Khury graduated from the Clark University Graduate School of Geography in Massachusetts, after completing a dissertation that focused on militarization and sovereignty. He is one of the co-authors and organizers of the 2015 Black Solidarity with Palestine statement, which was signed by over 1,100 Black activists, artists, and scholars. I'm excited to welcome to Unbossed, Unbothered and Unfiltered Khury Petersen Smith. 

 In 2007, when I was in high school in TX I started volunteering with TACT, Teenage communication theater through Planned Parenthood North Texas. We were peer educators and advocates on sex education, birth control, healthy relationships and so many other important issues that teenagers deal with. That group ended up being my entry point into political advocacy and education and I am excited to be able to bring those together on this side of things. Even though it is under unfortunate circumstances. Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate bill 8 into law, making abortion in TX illegal after a fetal heart tone can be heard which is around 6 weeks. This is an extreme anti choice piece of legislation and is currently under review by the Supreme Court but is nonetheless law of the land in TX. I am here with Kelly Hart from Planned Parenthood of Greater TX to talk about what this law looks like in practice and who is most impacted. Kelly Hart is the Sr. Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas (PPGT).   PPGT's Public Affairs Department advocates for every person's right to comprehensive, confidential reproductive health care and works in cooperation with supporters to maintain and increase access to these services.  Kelly has a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas in Austin and a graduate degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She has been with the agency for more than 20 years, and is responsible for directing the agency's community engagement, advocacy, and volunteer programs.  Additionally, she works with the local Community Board, as well as the agency's Clergy Advisory Council.PPGT Website: www.ppgt.orgTACT Website: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-greater-texas/education-outreach/teenage-communication-theatre

Today's episode features our second candidate Alaina Reaves, who was kind enough to step away from the campaign trail to tell me about running for office and what inspires her. Alaina is a veteran community organizer who understands the need for responsive representation, and has demonstrated an ability to communicate effectively with constituents. She is passionate about building connections and engaging with her community–that is why she ran to be the next Commissioner for District 1 in Clayton County, Ga. A longtime resident of Clayton County, Reaves has been interested in community and public service ever since her days as a Girl Scout. Alaina launched her career in policy in Washington, D.C. where she interned with the late Congressman John Lewis and at the White House under President and First Lady Obama. She spent several years as a community organizer in Clayton County where she advocated for voting rights and civic engagement. She formerly served as the President of the Clayton County Young Democrats, Chair of the Black Caucus for the Young Democrats of Georgia, and Political Director for the Clayton County Democratic Party. In June of 2020, Reaves made history when she was elected as the youngest Democratic National Committee member to represent the state of Georgia. Her election was on October 19 and this conversation happened about 3 weeks from then.

The year 2020 was a year where we asked for a lot of reforms at local and county levels and the narrative was that those reforms were being asked for, even demanded by young Black people. We saw activists of all stripes pressuring politicians at all levels for change and while that was very impactful some advocates took it a step further and ran to replace many of the current officeholders. Our next 2 episodes feature young people who ran for office to create change in their communities. Nathan G. Alexander III, is an advocate, and voting enthusiast who at the time of his election was the youngest elected official in the State of Texas, elected to the Prairie View City Council at the age of 22, Councilman Alexander was elected in a special election in November of 2020 finishing the term of his predecessor . In May 2021, Councilman Alexander was reelected to serve his first full term on City Council.By way of Wichita Falls, Texas. Alexander earned a Bachelors in Political Science and Government from Prairie View A&M University,  where he furthered his demonstration for leadership serving in multiple student leadership positions through his undergraduate tenure. In 2019, Nathan interned for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation serving the office of Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. Prior to that, he served as the External Affairs Intern for Camp Fire North Texas, reporting to the Executive Director/CEO.A person who believes in kids finding their sparks, Councilman Alexander has spent his life advocating for the youth, and has become a strong voice for those who feel theirs is going unheard. While on Council, one of the Councilman's top initiatives is to help form special services that help our youth prepare to become leaders of tomorrow. Councilman Alexander aspires to enter law school, and has a deep passion for government relations, public policy, and local and state government.

In response to shifting demographics across the country, Republicans led state legislatures have been passing extreme voter suppression bills in places like Georgia and TX. Democrats are fighting back and today we are speaking with someone on the frontlines of the issue. Aneesa McMillan is one of America's leading political communicators. She currently serves as Deputy Executive Director of Communications and Voting Rights at Priorities USA which is the largest Democratic Super PAC in the nation. In this capacity, she helps lead the organization's communications strategy while managing a $32 million litigation program aimed at challenging restrictive voting laws across the country. Over the course of her career, Aneesa has worked with the country's top progressive leaders to effectively develop and deliver their messaging, including Mayor DeBlasio in New York City, Representative Terri Sewell in Alabama and Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont. She also worked briefly with a pro-Hillary Clinton Super PAC before becoming Deputy Communications Director for then-Congressman Keith Ellison's bid for DNC Chair.Aneesa is a cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science. She also holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccinations has spread rapidly and Facebook has been a major player in that. This episode we are talking with Beth Tadesse about how that misinformation has impacted her work.Beth Tadesse is currently the Operations Section Chief for the COVID 19 vaccine operation center at the Chicago Department of Public Health. While, she currently works in public health emergency preparedness and response, she has a background working in reproductive health when she coordinated bringing STI screenings and reproductive health education to adolescents in schools across Chicago's west and south sides while working for Planned Parenthood. In addition, Beth worked for the Washington DC Department of Health as a Public Health Analyst working to ensure low income HIV+ persons had access to HIV medications and comprehensive healthcare.  Beth earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master's degree in public health from Tulane University in New Orleans, La.  Her moves across public health spaces have varied, but she's always been committed to health equity in every role she's served.

Last season, we evaluated the first 100 days of the Biden/Harris administration, and this season we are kicking it off with their evaluation. It's been a long summer and things have definitely been a mixed bag.Featuring guests: Rev. Alyssa Aldape, Will Brummett, Jarrell Cook, and Antonya Jeffrey 

We took off for Holy Week last week but we are back with a conversation on cannabis legalization. While cannabis legalization has been popular in different state legislatures, that hasn’t always meant that everyone has equal access or that the criminal justice issue will be solved. This week, we will talk with Cree Robinson, cannabis social justice advocate about what barriers this access has meant for Black communities. Cree Robinson is a Detroit-based tech entrepreneur and social justice advocate within the cannabis industry. A graduate of Spelman College, she co-founded touCanna, a full scale operations management software for dispensaries and cannabis lounges. She is passionate about social equity and ensuring that those harmed by the war on drugs achieve ownership within the industry. She is currently investing her time into building programs around supporting social equity applicants after they have been awarded licenses.  

The anti-Asian racism and hate crimes have increased at alarming rates in recent months, some allege because of early reports of COVID-19 deriving from China. However, racism against Asian populations has been prevalent long before COVID-19 through harmful stereotypes and dismissal of experiences. We have with us today two women, Aryani Ong and Janelle Wong, who are bringing awareness to this issue  through academia and activism. Aryani Ong is a civil rights attorney, activist and consultant who has worked on Asian American issues for 30 years.  She is founder and co-director of the Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network (MoCoPAAN). Aryani also is co-founder and Senior Advisor to Communities United Against Hate (CUAH) in Montgomery County.  Working with national Asian American civil rights organizations like AAAJ-Asian American Justice Center and OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, she has tracked hate crime data for national reports, written a community response guide, lobbied for stronger federal law and spoken before audiences nationally and before the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.Janelle Wong is a co-director of the Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network in Maryland.  In her day job, she is a professor of Asian American Studies at the Univerisity of Maryland, College Park.For more information on the Montgomery County Progressive Asian American Network in Maryland visit https://www.facebook.com/MoCoPAAN/ or https://twitter.com/MoCoPAAN1.

Critical Race Theory is an important part of understanding how pervasive white supremacy is in America. Using this framework, we can see why we need to centralize the stories of the marginalized and oppressed when telling American history.  Our guest today will explain to us how the application of Critical Race Theory is important for policy work today.Jazmyne Owens is a policy advisor on the PreK–12 team at New America, a large think and action tank here in DC. In her current role, Jazmyne is working with the Education Policy Program to improve education policy making for marginalized communities, but especially Black, Brown, and indigenous students, English Learners, and students with disabilities. She joined the Education Policy Program in October after managing both the education and health policy portfolios at the National Urban League. There, Jazmyne had the opportunity to serve a large affiliate network by supporting direct service work with federal advocacy. Because of her experiences in the classroom, Jazmyne approaches education policy issues with an eye toward how they impact real classrooms, students, teachers, and families, but particularly for communities of color.Jazmyne holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a secondary education concentration from Spelman College, and a master’s degree in sociology and education with a policy concentration from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the oldest of three children, and mama to one pup named Crash Bandicoot. 

Reproductive justice is an important part of the healthcare conversation and is often stigmatized as being solely about abortion. While abortion is important, reproductive justice encompasses all decisions a person makes about their body. Yemi Miller-Tonnet (she/her) is a Black Queer Femme liberation strategist, abortion advocate, and reproductive justice organizer. Yemi is currently the Local Campaign Coordinator for AMPLIFY-GA. She has a background in intimate partner violence advocacy as a former Legal Advocate with Partnership Against Domestic Violence and Yemi also worked as a bookseller for Charis Books and More, the south’s oldest independently owned feminist bookstore. Yemi began her career in abortion advocacy as a front desk associate at Summit Medical Associates, an abortion clinic in Atlanta, GA. Yemi began her interest in liberation work as a Comparative Women’s Studies major at Spelman College where she concentrated in Black Women’s Activism. Also, Yemi works as a full-spectrum doula supporting marginalized folks through their reproductive journeys.Twitter: @yemisicombahee

Our show today is on equity in education particularly for children in grades K-12. Our guests today Dr. Avis Williams and Dr. Brenda Elliott have spent their careers as Education Equalizers and I am glad to have them with us.Dr. Avis Williams is an award-winning superintendent of Historic Selma City Schools in Selma, AL. A native of Salisbury, NC, she has served in leadership positions in the U.S. Army, as an entrepreneur and school administrator.She received her undergraduate degree from Athens State University, master’s from Alabama A&M and Jacksonville State Universities, education specialist degree and her doctorate from the University of Alabama. She taught English and Physical Education and coached dance team and track.Dr. Williams has been an elementary, middle and high school principal. She was the executive director of curriculum and instruction in Greensboro, North Carolina where she led instruction for over 60 schools. Prior to moving to Selma, she served as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in Tuscaloosa City Schools in Alabama.Dr. Williams was awarded the Marbury Technology Innovation award by the AL State Department of Education in 2011 as a principal and 2019 as superintendent. Dr. Avis Williams is the 2020 AL ABSE, Dr. Ulysess Byas Superintendent of the Year and a 2019 finalist for Alabama State Superintendent of the Year.Dr. Brenda (Bren) Elliott grew up poor on a small farm in North Carolina and credits those challenging life circumstances as key to her success in addressing the needs of our most vulnerability and historically marginalized students in public schools. She currently serves as DC Public Schools’ Chief of School Improvement and Supports, where she leads key strategic equity levers to include Talent Development, the school-based leader and staff evaluation program (IMPACT), School Improvement initiatives, Equity Strategy and Programming and Student Supports.Prior to coming to DCPS, Bren served as Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services for Wake County Public Schools System (WCPSS), the largest school district in North Carolina and the 16th largest school district in the nation. In this position, Bren oversaw the Office of Early Learning, the Counseling & Student Support department, the Alternative & Extended Learning department, and the Student Due Process Office for the district’s more than 160,000 students and 180 schools. While WCPSS, she led the district-wide implementation of Multi-Tiered System of Supports and the development of a Comprehensive Plan for Equitable Disciple Practices to address an OCR inquiry requiring disproportionate suspension and law enforcement contact with black students.

**Some technical difficulties on this episode, my apologies.**Today, we are talking about how the economy is really doing for Black and brown people and some of his work in trying to distribute power to our communities within capitalism. Nathan Jones IV is the founder of Morning Tea a real estate development firm with the mission to invest in more vibrant communities. Previously Nate spent 4 years as a private equity associate, investing in impact real estate assets and early-stage mission-driven technology companies across the United States.Nate began his career as a community organizer and co-founder of Village Micro Fund where he now is a board member. Village Micro Fund is a social enterprise with the mission to train and invest in minority business owners in South West Atlanta. During his tenure, he spearheaded small business training, lending, and market access programs in partnership with Invest Atlanta, Morehouse College, and local community stakeholders to increase access to opportunities. Village’s work has been funded by the Kendeda Fund, Annie E Casey Foundation, and the Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative. Nate has been featured in NPR, HuffPost, and the Bitter Southerner.Nate holds a bachelors degree in Economics from Morehouse College and a Masters in Business Administration from the Mccombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin.

Confused by the snowstorms across the south this week? Well bizarre inclement weather is only one element of climate change and this week we are talking to Kandyce Perry, Director of Stormwater Management at New Jersey Future on how climate change impacts marginalized communities and why Black women should be apart of conversations on climate justice.Kandyce Perry, an environmentalist born and raised in Detroit currently living in Philadelphia, is the Director of Stormwater at New Jersey Future, a nonpartisan nonprofit based in Trenton, NJ that promotes sensible growth, redevelopment, and infrastructure investments to foster vibrant cities and towns, protect natural lands and waterways, enhance transportation choices, provide access to safe, affordable, and aging-friendly neighborhoods, and fuel a strong economy. Kandyce directs New Jersey Future’s programs, projects, and strategies to improve stormwater management, including those aimed at moving green stormwater infrastructure practices into the mainstream and projects to cultivate the use of stormwater utilities to equitably fund upgrades. Prior to joining New Jersey Future, Kandyce worked on brownfield redevelopment at the City of Camden Redevelopment Agency. Kandyce holds a master’s degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Environmental Science from Spelman College. Kandyce is a graduate of the Environmental Leadership Program and DiverseForce on Boards Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Criminal justice reform is new for a lot of people in reaction to the events of last summer. But our guest this week has been on the frontlines of this issue for the better part of a decade. Paula Thompson is the Executive Director of Voices for a Second Chance, an organization that helps people returning from prison get back on their feet.Paula Thompson has served in her role as Executive Director of Voices for a Second Chance [VSC] for 9 years. VSC is an organization with over 50 years of service to the community that bridges the gap for individuals from incarceration to community and serves over 4,000 individuals a year. Ms. Thompson is a passionate, proven leader, champion andadvocate for incarcerated and returning citizens and her commitment to this population is evidenced through her visionary leadership that has resulted in the implementation of gender-specific trauma informed focused groups individual pre-and-post release counseling, expanded reentry, family centered/reunification services and children of incarcerated parents focused programming and special projects to respond to their growing complex needs while “doing time” at home when a parent/loved one is incarcerated.As an expert in the field of social justice, human rights and equity for marginalized populations, Ms. Thompson continues to elevate the discussion to influence policy makers and stakeholders togive returning citizens real access to a second chance with the tools and resources necessary to integrate effectively into the community. To achieve this end, Ms. Thompson continues to advance advocacy around policy and funding through public private partnerships while also serving as the Founder and Co-chair of the DC, Reentry Action Network (RAN), Council for Court Excellence Board Director, appointed Commissioner by Mayor Bowser to the Returning Citizens Affairs Commission served from 2016-2019, and other community and civic affiliations. In 2017, Ms. Thompson was the recipient of the DC Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen AffairsExcellence in Reentry Leadership Award.Website: www.vscdc.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/voicesforasecondchanceTwitter: https://twitter.com/2ndChanceVoicesInstagram: www.instagram.com/voicesforasecondchance

Kicking off Black History Month, this episode honors the Black excellence among us: HBCU graduates. HBCU graduates are everywhere across all industries, all the way to the White House. Even just this week, Stacey Abrams, a Spelman alumna, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the world. HBCUs have a rich history and have some of the most prestigious alumni in our history, and we will be delving into what that means for higher education as a whole.Jainaba Seckan is devoted to excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion. A graduate of Spelman College where she earned her B.A. in International Studies, she brings a global perspective to her work in creating inclusive spaces for people of all backgrounds. She is a certified unconscious bias trainer with a proven ability to develop and manage diversity initiatives and produce data-driven solutions. In Harvard University’s Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Jainaba plays a critical role in advancing a University-wide change initiative aimed towards inclusive excellence. Jainaba was featured in the OkayAfrica 100 Women 2019 List honoring African women who are change agents and innovators in their industries.Twitter: @jseckanLinkedIn: Jainaba Seckan Minister Devon Jerome Crawford, is staff director of the William Monroe Trotter Collaborative for Social Justice at The Center for Public Leadership. Originally from Birmingham, AL, is an alumnus of Morehouse College where he received a Bachelors in Philosophy, and University of Chicago where he received a masters in divinity. Early in his career Crawford served as a Humanity in Action fellow for the NAACP, where he connected the polls to pop culture, leading a countrywide millennial voter campaign in partnership with Chance the Rapper’s Magnificent Coloring world tour. He was also named an Oprah Winfrey South Africa and Zimbabwe Leadership Fellow (Morehouse College) and a John Lewis Fellow (Humanity in Action). A scholar of African and African-American religious ethics, historical theory, the intersection of faith and politics, and social movements in the U.S., Crawford’s writing and activism have been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, CNN, The Chicago Tribune, and The Birmingham Times.Twitter: @devonjcrawfordWebsite: https://trotter.hks.harvard.edu/

The Biden Harris administration has pledged immigration as a primary value in the first 100 days including, ending the mismanagement of the asylum system, the caging of children at the border, and protecting Dreamers and their families. Immigration activists and advocates have long made the case that a comprehensive path to citizenship for all immigrants who desire it. Diana Pliego works at the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) as a policy associate in NILC’s DC office. In her role, she works on a range of issues, including protection for DACA recipients and fighting immigration enforcement. She conducts policy research, analyzes and tracks legislation, and develops materials for movement and field partners as well as for congressional advocacy. As an immigrant with a passion for social justice, Diana designed her Bachelor’s degree at Columbia College in Community and Policy Advocacy. While in undergrad, she helped found a grassroots organization called Young Immigrants in Action (YIA) in South Carolina. She organized and trained young immigrants from across the state to advocate for themselves and their communities. Since then she has worked on federal policy for a faith-based social justice lobby and as a campaign field organizer before continuing her work on immigrants’ rights at NILC. She also currently serves on the board of National Justice for our Neighbors, a network of legal service sites that provide free or low-cost, faith-based immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers. Twitter: @dianappliegoSara Benitez directs the organizing department at Faith in Public Life where she works to empower clergy and lay leaders of all faith traditions to lead in their communities and promote their values. She is frequently humbled by the many faith leaders who selflessly serve and mobilize their communities for social justice.Twitter: @faithpubliclife and @sarahstoryteller

We're back for Season 2! Now that Trump is gone, I am looking forward to seeing what we can get done. But first, a mea culpa on the damage done by the now former president and his followers. In this first episode of the second season, we're joined by guests Dr. Kristopher Norris and Reverend Elijah Zehyoue who walk us through the various groups that supported Trump and how they fit into the narrative of our nation. Kristopher Norris is a scholar of Christian ethics and political theology. His research focuses on race, politics, and moral formation in Christian community. He currently serves as the Kreistler Visiting Professor of Ethics at Virginia Theological Seminary and is the author of Witnessing Whiteness: Confronting White Supremacy in America’s Churches, released this past summer with Oxford University Press. He completed his PhD from the University of Virginia in 2017 in Religious Studies, and holds Masters degrees from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and from Duke Divinity School. Dr. Norris is an ordained Baptist minister and has written two previous books on the relationship of Christianity and politics, Kingdom Politics and Pilgrim Practices, as well as several peer-reviewed and popular articles in publications like the Journal of Religious Ethics, Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, Political Theology, and The Christian Century. Originally from North Carolina, he currently lives in Washington, DC and is a member of Calvary Baptist Church. Originally from Monrovia Liberia, and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Elijah showed an affinity for history at a young age. He attended Morehouse College where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in History and went on to receive a Masters in Divinity from the University of Chicago. He lives in Washington, D.C. where he is pursuing a PhD in History at Howard University and serves as Associate Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church

For the past 13 episodes we have talked to real people who are doing the work on this election and the ways that Black people felt the messages that were being sent. I want to thank each and everyone of you for your thoughts and time and energy to take this journey with me. It has been a ride and I am so grateful that you were willing to lend me your ear this season. Since its the finale, I decided to do something a little different. So I hope you don’t mind, but this episode is just me and in an effort to be hopeful or optimistic about the incoming administration, I wanted to offer my final thoughts on different topics that I believe should be top priority of Biden/Harris administration.So many of you have reached out over these past few months to tell me how much you are enjoying the podcast, whether you watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Thank you so much for your support. What would actually be super helpful is if you told Apple or Spotify of YouTube that. No matter where you watch if you would give me a 5 star rating and a comment how much you’re enjoying the podcast, I would really appreciate it.Take care of yourselves and each other and I hope to join you all soon.

The election is over and a decision has been made. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are who the people have elected to lead this country for the next 4 years. Unfortunately, down ballot races in the Senate and House of Representatives. In order to talk about what Democrats can and should do moving forward, I talked to Isaac Wright, a veteran communications strategist. Isaac Wright, a political and public affairs consultant at FSSG and co-founder of the Rural Voter Institute. Specializing in strategic communications, Isaac Wright has spent nearly two decades as a communications operative and strategist in campaigns and public affairs. He has appeared as a political commentator on Fox News Channel, CNN, POTUS Radio, Sky News, and other national and local programs.Guest Contact Information: Twitter: @Izac_WrightFSSG Website: www.forwardssg.comRural Voter Institute: www.ruralvoterinstitute

After the historic election of the first woman vice president Kamala Harris, it is clear we are ushering in a new era of politics. This most recent election was the culmination of decades of work put in by Black women across the country and up and down the ballot. In 2018, a record number of Black women were elected to Congress and other down ballot positions, a win for representation at large. In Harris County, 17 Black women were elected to judgeships setting a national record. Here to talk about the importance of the role of Black women in politics we have Judge Dedra Davis, who was apart of that class of 17. Judge Dedra Davis of the 270th District Court elected as judge on November 6, 2018. Judge Davis received her Bachelor’s Degree from Texas Tech University, and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law. Judge Davis is a member of the Texas Bar College, American Bar Association, Houston Bar Association, Association of Women Attorneys, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., NAACP, ACLU, and a number of other groups and organizations. Judge Davis is the recipient of numerous awards including being formerly named “Legal Executive of the Year,” receiving a “Dedra Davis’ Day” from the mayor of Houston, and a proclamation from a Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

When this episode was recorded at 5:08 PM ET on Thursday November 5, polls had been closed for over 24 hours ago across the country and we did not know who will be the president of the United States. Today's conversation is about the record turnout set in Texas, particularly Harris County. Chris Hollins, an attorney and fourth-generation Houstonian, is serving as the first Black Harris County Clerk. Before taking office, he was the principal attorney at Hollins Law Group PLLC. Chris has stepped away from private practice to dedicate his full attention to the residents of Harris County and the duties of this office. Chris developed a commitment to public service through the selfless example of his parents and their devotion for improving the lives of others. County clerk Chris Hollins has been on the front lines of making sure every vote is counted this election and I’m glad to have him here to talk about it. And without further adieu, I would like to welcome to Unbossed, Unbothered, and Unfiltered Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins.

This episode was recorded on October 27, 2020 with what to watch out for on Election Night November 3. Our guests are Dorien Paul Blythers and Jessica Taylor, two people who have been working in politics for many years in very different ways. Their insight is crucial to understanding the electorate this election. Jessica Taylor is the Senate and Governors Editor for the Cook Political Report, the oldest political prediction outlet in Washington, DC. She spent many years as a political reporter with NPR and this cycle you've been most likely to see her on MSNBC, C-SPAN, or CNN.Dorien Paul Blythers is Political Director for the End Citizens United PAC and Let America Vote, an organization devoted to ending corporate PAC money's influence in elections. He also served as Regional Political Director on Senator Harris' primary race.

On Thursday October 22, Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump were onstage together for the final time to make their case to the American voters 10 days before the election. While this cycle has seemed unlike any other, this debate ended up surpassing the abysmal standards set in the first one. I invited for a conversation policy experts Travis Randle and Sakeenah Shabazz for a discussion on the ups and downs of policy in the debate and what moments voters will use to make their decisions through Election Day.

Education has been such an important topic as people have been discussingkids going back to school, but more than that in this episode about what they arelearning when they are there, socially and scholastically. From classroom teaching todisciplinary measures, our children observe and absorb just as much at school as they do at home. For Black children, some of their first personal encounters with whitesupremacy come from teachers, administrators or even their peers. As they age, the way that material is taught has white supremacy baked in in a way that creates and maintains harmful stereotypes about Black people. And even at the policy level we know that K-12 and post secondary education policies can harm Black students and HBCUs. Our guests today have spent time with students in school and extracurricular settings and will be speaking to their experience of what that can look like.Shanteal Lake is the External Relations Associate at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. Prior to joining Equitable Growth, she managed a variety of work streams and policy portfolios focused on eliminating inequities in education with clients such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Collaborative for Student Success, and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Previously, she served on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and the Workforce, where she supported the committee’s messaging, media coverage, and digital presence across a diverse range of public policy issues. Shanteal holds an M.A. in political and strategic communication from American University and a B.A. in political science from Spelman College.Zuogwi Earl Reeves has spent several years working in the nonprofit and education sector, supporting first-generation students primarily from Ward 7 and 8 in the District of Columbia. He lives by the quote “You should avoid hedging, at least that’s what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you’ve made some contribution to mankind” by Dr. Vernon Johns. While working he has managed a total of 4.2 million dollars in scholarship dollars funded by the Gates Foundation, Ted Leonis, Rupert Murdock, and Don Graham. Zuogw is currently employed in the field of college access and youth development. Zuogwi accepted God’s calling in 2015 and was granted a license to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ on Thursday, April 6, 2017, at Shiloh Baptist Church. Zuogwi (Zuo) Reeves is the first son of Deaconess Myra Sampson Reeves and the late Rev. Justus Y. Reeves. Zuo was born in Washington, DC, and is a first-generation Liberian American.

I want to acknowledge this conversation to say this conversation was supposed to be responding to the second, town hall style presidential debate between President Trump and Vice President Joe Biden. However, after the president hosted a superspreader COVID-19 event, was diagnosed with COVID-19 himself, and had a healthy amount of his advisors and high ranking members of the administration also be diagnosed with COVID-19, Trump backed out of the debate once it was announced it would be virtual. So instead, we will be having a conversation about the other host of things happening in the world-- including the attempted kidnapping of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Supreme Court hearings, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi hinting around some options with the 25th amendment. I will note that today’s panel is all men, which is by no means intentional or an attempt to limit voices. Chalk it up to the scheduling and be sure I will do my best to make sure it never happens again. All opinions on this episode are a reflection of the individual and not their employer. AJ Simonton is a graduate of Morehouse College and Notre Dame Law School and an attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana. Laurence Hull is a native of Great Britain and graduate of Morehouse College and Harvard Law School and a practicing attorney in Washington, DC. William Brummett is is a graduate of Elon University and received his Masters at Carson Newman University. He serves as the Program Manager for the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service at George Washington University.

In response to critique of Amy Coney Barrett's record, her supporters have often cried out that religious freedom Is under attack. However, often the right uses biblical language to cloud views that are ultimately rooted in white supremacy, which can be confusing to navigate politically. Our guests today are well versed in this topic through scholastic and life experience. We will be speaking with three Reverends today who all serve in Washington, DC with social justice and activism as a central part of their ministries.Rev. Sally Sarratt and Rev. Maria Swearingen share life, love, and ministry together at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Together, they serve a community of progressive Christian resisters, contemplatives, and dreamers who keep responding to national and global diseases like white supremacy, war, racism, religious bigotry, and homophobia with the good news of a liberating God who dares to call each of us “Beloved.”When Reverend Alyssa Aldape was fourteen, her family moved from San Antonio to India to do missionary work with the Banjara people. That was when Alyssa saw discrimination in a new light. The Banjara are a nomadic tribe in India and there is a social stigma against them in modern Indian society. Alyssa recalls seeing her parents—practicing Baptists from the other side of the world—motivated to work with this marginalized group. When she turned 18, Alyssa moved back to the United States to attend college in Birmingham, Alabama, where she lived for six years. Now, as an associate pastor at First Baptist Church DC, Rev. Aldape considers advocacy an integral part of her ministry.

*Remember that our debate recaps are live and we note any background noise will need to be accounted for*In the event you are interested in what else happened in the Vice Presidential debate beyond the fly that landed on Mike Pence's head, I've got just what you need. Some of the brightest political enthusiasts around came together late last night after the debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris to discuss the major takeaways of the evening. All of our guests today have experience in their respective fields with politics, and will give us what stuck out for them and what they wish we had more time to dive into. Join us for a conversation on the message that Americans received last night from the people who are campaigning to be the right hand of the president.

This summer in the wake of a global pandemic, people took to the streets in cities across the world to protest the killings of George Floyd, Armaud Arberry, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and so many other Black people who deaths were indicative of a larger problem in our history, a history that devalues the contributions of Black people to our country. Our guest, Reverend Elijah Zehyoue was born in Monrovia, Liberia West Africa and raised in Baton Rouge, LA. Elijah attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in History. From there he went on to receive a Masters in Divinity from the University of Chicago and is currently pursuing a PhD at Howard University in African and African American History. Elijah currently serves as Associate Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC and a contributing writer on issues of race, religion, and pop culture.

***This conversation happened live and cast to Facebook, any background noise should be attributed to that.*** A gathering some of the brightest minds in communications to break down the messaging during the first presidential debate.Kicking off, we've got the Founder of Nobleza Magazine, Yolitzma Aguirre Fierro. With a specialty in Latinx comms, she's focused on messaging to the fastest growing population in the country-- and knows what they are looking for from the Democratic party. Next, we have Media Strategist Veronica Sofia Bonilla. She's spent time on the Hill serving senior Democrats and crafting responses to some of the crises of the Trump administration. She'll give us insight to the strategies and tactics that might help us get the right outcome in November.Finally, we have the dynamic Antonya Jeffrey. A firebrand advocate for criminal justice reform in NY, she's been fighting for the vulnerable among us with Fines and Fees Justice Center. She knows what we should be thinking about as we're looking to build on the momentum of the movement from this summer.I say all that to say, you will not want to miss this conversation. You're gonna get the tea, the whole tea, and nothing but the tea.

Communications specialist Lauren Zehyoue is launching "Unbossed, Unbothered, and Unfiltered," a political communications show invested in talking to real people about the 2020 elections about the issues that matter to them. This first episode explains her background, the reason for the podcast and how each episode will work. Join her for a crash course in everything you need to know about this year's elections.