A Moment with Erik Fleming

Host Erik Fleming interviews Professor Ingrid Cockhren about collective and generational trauma, the limits of the original ACEs study, and how systemic racism shapes health, behavior, and policy. Cockhren explains trauma inheritance across communities — including its effects on both the oppressed and the oppressors — and offers trauma-responsive approaches for schools, families, and institutions....

In this episode, Dion Dawson, Chief Dreamer of Dion’s Chicago Dream, explains why today’s leaders have to be dreamers and doers.

In this episode Erik Fleming interviews Dr. Stacey Patton about her new book Strung Up, exploring the lynching of Black children in American history, how white communities socialized cruelty across generations, and the lasting impact on families and society. They discuss archival research, links between corporal punishment and public violence, the psychological effects on both Black and white chil...

Erik Fleming hosts Harvard Law professor Guy-Uriel Charles on America Unfinished, discussing the audacious idea of being "one people," the evolution of voting rights, and proposals like proportional representation to protect political voice. Economist Rick Roberts explains the economy in plain terms—inflation, Fed policy, interest rates, AI, energy and tariffs—while the episode closes with the hos...

Host Erik Fleming interviews philosopher Roger S. Gottlieb about his book "Nature Spirituality and Environmental Crisis: Embracing a Sacred, Wounded Earth." They explore how encounters with nature foster spiritual virtues like gratitude, compassion, and love, and examine the moral and practical implications of environmental damage. The episode also touches on podcasting updates and political conte...

In this episode, Intisar Rabb, Faculty Director for the Program of Islamic Law at Harvard Law School, talks about her legal achievements and why Americans should not be afraid of Sharia law. Then, political strategist Maya Rupert discusses her recently released book, The Real Ones, which deals with authenticity from an African American perspective.

In this episode, Witney Schneidman, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, talks about his memoir, This Africa Idea, which chronicles his extensive career improving US-Africa relations.

In this Labor Day episode, Host Erik Fleming rips on Enes Kanter and Vice President Vance, while offering thoughts on Gloria Steinem, Cassandra Wilson and his uncle, Juan Charleston, Sr.

Host Erik Fleming sits down with Akil Parker, founder of All This Math, to explore how mathematics — taught through culture and everyday life — builds critical thinking, empowers Black families, and reshapes how we learn. Parker explains "histematics," practical resources for parents, and why math is a language everyone uses. Also joining the conversation is psychologist Cole Davis, author of The...

Host Erik Fleming sits down with novelist Erica Kent, Men4Choice leader Aaron Bos-Lun, and writer Ke’Aun Charles to explore themes of addiction, reproductive justice, and Afrofuturism. The episode moves from a discussion of Kent’s debut novel Black Dog and its compassionate portrayal of teen addiction, to Aaron’s work activating men in the fight for reproductive freedom, and concludes with Keon’s...

Erik Fleming speaks with Harvard historian Michael Klarman and Cornell civil rights lawyer Joseph Margulies about the resurgence of white supremacy, threats to democracy, and the human costs of an unforgiving society. The episode also includes a news roundup and reflections on public scrutiny, institutional responsibility, and the need for empathy and accountability in law and politics.

In this episode Erik Fleming interviews two Harvard professors: Alexandra Natapoff, co-editor of America Unfinished, on criminal justice, rule of law, and the legal work needed to make democracy more inclusive; and Dr. Bianca J. Baldridge, author of Laboring in the Shadows, on the vital but often overlooked role of Black youth workers, community-based education, and the resilience and joy that sus...

Hosts Erik Fleming interviews Lieutenant Colonel Eileen Isola about her book "Necessary Turbulence," which compiles fifty years of women's experiences at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and Ryan Virden about "Breaking the Privilege Frame," his call for white Americans to join racial justice work as a path to mutual healing and systemic change. The episode explores military service, gender and racial b...

Host Erik Fleming sits down with three remarkable guests: Dr. Erica B. Wattley on leadership, education and cybersecurity; Victoria Hetherington on her book The Friend Machine and the ethics of AI companionship; and Pamela Campos‑Palma on political organizing, veterans' advocacy, and movement strategy. The episode also opens with a concise news roundup that sets the context for each conversation....

Host Erik Fleming opens the episode with news and housekeeping before interviewing three guests about urgent public issues. He speaks with Charles Gueli, an 80‑year‑old author of Fixing Federal Dysfunction, about gerrymandering, campaign finance, housing, and ways to revive citizen engagement in government. Alexa Morris joins to share The Courtyard, the intimate Holocaust memoir of her father‑in‑l...

Host Erik Fleming interviews Massachusetts State Senator Lydia Edwards about her journey from public-interest attorney to state senator and National Guard JAG officer, highlighting her work on the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, the Protect Act, and relief for federal workers during shutdowns. The conversation also touches on Boston’s rising political cohort, the role of the National Guard, natio...

Host Erik Fleming speaks with four guests about urgent public issues: Jerren Chang on building civic infrastructure and "democracy renovation," Dr. Bhumika Muchhala on decolonial feminist political economy, climate justice, and sovereign debt, and Mason Donovan & Mark Kaplan on workplace policies and their new book The Parenthood Advantage. The episode explores practical reforms—from civic edu...

Host Erik Fleming interviews two Atlanta-area changemakers: Connie Di Cicco on environmental advocacy, data center impacts, and electoral engagement, and Sia Henry on restorative justice, psychedelic-assisted healing, and the Hood Exchange travel program for formerly incarcerated Black youth. This episode explores community power, policy challenges, and practical efforts to expand imagination, hea...

Host Erik Fleming speaks with historian Dr. Karlos K. Hill about the meaning of Juneteenth, the need to remember slavery honestly, and the case for a national memorial. Then program manager and author Justin Carter discusses violence prevention, the power of language, and his forthcoming book Translation: From Bigotry to Justice. The episode also includes news updates and Erik's commentary on curr...

Erik Fleming hosts a powerful episode featuring three guests: Crystal FitzSimons of the Food Research & Action Center on hunger and federal nutrition policy; Pauline Steinhorn, author of Dreaming of the River, sharing her mother and grandmother's Holocaust survival story; and Dehjah Vaughn, a PhD candidate and educator discussing Black political consciousness and education. The episode explore...

Host Erik Fleming speaks with author David Dunaway about his book A Four‑Eyed World — the surprising history, social impact, and future of eyeglasses — and explores how vision, technology and stigma shape culture and politics. Also featured is community organizer Lakeland Barnes, who discusses her work with SheWill and ReNforce to promote financial literacy, reentry support and civic engagement. T...

Professor Gloria J. Browne-Marshall introduces Martyrs Day, a new annual remembrance on July 5 to honor protesters and activists who gave their lives advancing social justice in the United States. The episode also features former Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges on racial equity and civic leadership, and Cecelia Thomas of NMAC on HIV policy, public health advocacy, and organizing to protect vital pr...

Host Erik Fleming interviews Denise Berkhalter-Miller, National Director of Communications for Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), about her Mississippi and Jackson State roots, her career in journalism and public relations, and why entrepreneurship education should be a required part of schools to build durable skills for young people. The episode also includes Erik’s election-day refle...

Host Erik Fleming speaks with Judge Steve Teske on juvenile justice reform and the school-to-prison pipeline, Dr. Jessica Kriegel on leadership and creating belief-shifting experiences, and Dr. Terri Givens on radical empathy, racial reckoning, and the political backlash following recent court decisions. The episode explores detention reform, the harms of charging youths as adults, strategies to s...

Host Erik Fleming leads a fast-moving episode featuring three guests: Dr. Tammy Greer on the implications of Louisiana v. Callais and Southern redistricting, Les Leopold discussing his new book calling for a working-class political party, and Representative Dr. Jasmine Clark on her run for Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. The show mixes policy analysis, campaign updates, and a moment-of-news...