Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips

As the our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, LaTosha Brown, organizer and Black Voters Matter co-founder, joins us to reflect on the unfinished struggle for democracy in the wake of the Supreme Court's assault on the Voting Rights Act. She shares her thoughts on the enduring importance of the South, the lessons of Selma, and how people-powered organizing can meet this political moment with...

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi joins Steve for a live conversation at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival in Seattle about the growing threat of authoritarianism in the United States and around the world. Drawing from his new book, Chain of Ideas, Kendi explains how fear, division, and "Great Replacement" narratives are being used to undermine democracy and consolidate power. Together, he and Steve explore the con...

In conjunction with the release of Steve Phillip's new book, Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America, Democracy in Color presents a three-part podcast series exploring one crucial question. In the final installment of the Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else? series, Robert Raben, founder and president of Raben and executive direc...

President and CEO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Aaron Dorfman breaks down how right-wing donors and foundations spent money to curtail voting rights and reshape the broader political landscape. He explains the often unseen role philanthropy plays in politics and the retreat from racial justice funding after the murder of George Floyd. He also shares why long-term investment...

CNN NewsNight anchor Abby Phillip delves into the legacy of Revered Jesse Jackson and her new book, A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power.  She discusses Jackson’s groundbreaking 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns and what they mean for the fight we're in today. She also traces Jesse’s role in shaping modern progressivism and his influence on figures like Sen. B...

In conjunction with the release of Steve Phillip's new book, Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America, Democracy in Color presents a three-part podcast series exploring one crucial question. White men are 29% of the U.S. population, but dominate positions of power across nearly every sector.  In Part 2 of this special series, Steve and...

In conjunction with the release of Steve Phillip's new book, Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America, Democracy in Color presents a three-part podcast series exploring one crucial question. In Part 1 of this special podcast series, three young people share their thoughts on the overrepresentation of white men in positions of power and...

Three key voices behind the new documentary First They Came for My College join Steve to share how community, art, and activism became tools to fight back against censorship and ideological warfare at the New College of Florida. Harry Hanbury, a seasoned filmmaker and alumnus of New College, shares behind-the-scenes insights to documenting the fight to save a campus under siege. Amy Reid, a former...

Our guest needs no introduction. Stacey Abrams returns to the show to unveil her latest initiatives and share insights on building systems of justice and advancing equity. She reflects on what this moment demands and shares her “10 Steps to Freedom and Power” framework. She explains how authoritarian tactics are evolving, how we must adapt in response, and why DEI has become such a central battlef...

This is a rerelease of an episode from 2023 with a new intro from our founder, Steve Phillips. In honor of the 40th anniversary of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, Eddie Wong, former national field director for Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign, joins Steve and Sharline to reminisce on the alliance that transcended boundaries of race, gender, and socio-economic status to create a powerful for...

New York Times White House Correspondent Erica Green shares candid and necessary insights into the increasingly explicit racial dynamics shaping American politics.  She discusses the Times interview that forced Trump to publicly articulate his views on who faces discrimination in America and the blatantly racist video he shared on social media—and then deleted—of former President Barack Obama and...

Indivisible’s Leah Greenberg joins Steve and Sharline to discuss what we can learn from history about confronting rising authoritarianism and defending democracy today. The organization’s co-founder and co-executive director, Leah shares how Indivisible (and the country) have evolved since 2016 and the role of big-tent coalitions in building effective resistance movements. Leah also offers advice...

In our first episode of the year, veteran journalist Ron Brownstein returns to offer a cogent analysis about the larger ongoing, existential battle over the identity of this nation and the fears and anxieties animating the Trump coalition.  Ron, Steve and Sharline discuss voter behavior in the 2024 election cycle, from racial and gender dynamics in the presidential contest to the economic conditio...

In our final episode of 2025, Representative Crockett joins us to talk about what kind of leadership this moment requires.  Recorded just days before she officially entered the race, she shares her journey as a civil rights lawyer turned legislator and the experiences that led her to run for Congress.  She highlights key issues Texans are facing and discusses what it’s going to take to win her Sen...

Happy Thanksgiving! Our team is taking a break this week, so we’re re-sharing one of our most popular episodes from last year featuring somatics coach Viveka Chen, now with a brand-new intro from our co-host Sharline Chang.   In This Episode:  Let’s pause for a moment and remember that we need to take care of ourselves.  Leadership coach, transformative justice practitioner, and somatics coach Viv...

The 19th News’ childcare and economy reporter Chabeli Carrazana discusses the unique beat she’s formed and why reporting on the economy from a gender lens matters. Chabeli explains how the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted women of color, and she discusses the challenges faced by immigrant childcare workers in the wake of Trump’s immigration crackdowns. She shares the undue burden LGBT...

For the Bay Area Book Festival’s inaugural Merritt Dialogue Speaker Series, Steve and writer Rebecca Solnit join Working Families Party California State Director Jane Kim for a hopeful conversation on changing the narrative and imagining a better future. They cover several issues relevant to this political moment including, voter suppression, the climate crisis, youth activism, and media misinform...

Somos Votantes founder and president Melissa Morales returns to discuss the critical role of the Latino electorate and what her organization is hearing from voters about our current political climate. She unpacks how voter behavior among Latino communities shifted from 2020 to 2024 and the impact of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign to be the first woman president of the United States.  Moral...

Executive Director of Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) Fahd Ahmed discusses Zohran Mamdani’s historic race for New York City mayor and the lessons for Democrats and progressives in future elections. Ahmed explains how DRUM Beats NYC (DRUM’s sibling organization) has mobilized South Asians and working-class immigrants across the political spectrum in support of Mamdani, whose platform centers the...

San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer, and longtime observer of California politics, Joe Garofoli offers historical and political context to California’s growing role as a bastion against the Trump administration’s march towards fascism.  He breaks down the upcoming November ballot measure to redistrict the state and neutralize the five additional Republican seats created in Texas. He...

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

Emmy Ruiz, former advisor to the President during the Biden-Harris administration, and White House director of political strategy and outreach, returns to discuss the redistricting showdown in Texas.  She dives into the impact of gerrymandering on democracy, and offers her thoughts on the response from Democratic-led states to Republicans' redistricting efforts. She also shares her insights on gra...

United We Dream Co-founder Cristina Jiménez joins Steve to discuss her new book, Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear Into Pride, Power & Real Change.    She shares the impact of American foreign policy around the world, but particularly in her home country of Ecuador, that led to mass migration movements in search of safety and stability. She discusses the role of eugenics in immigration policy...

In this re-release of our 100th episode, Erin Heaney, executive director of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), discusses the role of white allyship in the fight for justice and a multiracial democracy. REFERENCES: If you’d like to volunteer with SURJ, you can join their remote SURJ Action Hours: Summer to Grow, Turn Up the Heat campaign that takes place every other Wednesday through the summer...

Steve and Sharline share how they’re processing the last several months before diving into the books and television shows that are helping them regroup, from Sharline’s first watch of Gilmore Girls with her daughter to Steve’s love of British murder mystery books.  They also share how they’re finding humor on social media and in live comedy clubs. REFERENCES: Sharline's Recs Soul Authority: Libera...