Equal Time with Mary C. Curtis

President Biden has made clear from his first day in office that social justice issues are at the top of his agenda. A sweeping infrastructure bill sits with Congress now that would increase funding for climate, education, the environment and the social safety net. But to get this passed, Democrats have embraced the reconciliation process. Mary C. Curtis speaks first to Norman Ornstein, emeritus s...

Martin Luther King III joins Equal Time to talk with Mary C. Curtis about his father’s “I have a dream" speech, voting rights today and personal memories of his father. Fifty-eight years after his father's iconic words, MLK III joins John Lewis' family and others to galvanize the nation to, once again, ensure voting rights for all Americans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

Voter nullification, authoritarianism, and the end of democracy, that’s what Rep. James E. Clyburn says are the very real consequences of not passing legislation to protect voting rights. The South Carolina Democrat emphasized that voter suppression is not just an issue of access to the ballot box, it includes who gets to overturn elections.  “I want you to call it what it is, use the word. Nullif...

Six years ago, Malcolm Graham lost his big sister, Cynthia Graham Hurd, in the Charleston shooting that took nine Black churchgoers' lives. Now a city councilman in Charlotte, N.C., Graham reflects on the work he did to remove the Confederate flag from its prominent place on the South Carolina statehouse grounds, the future of racial matters in our country and his sister's legacy.  Learn more abou...

Slavery, Jim Crow laws and COVID-19 all have contributed to a yawning gap between white public school students and students of color. While the 1950s Supreme Court decision known as Brown v. Board of Education was supposed to correct "separate but equal," there is still a long way to go before public schools can talk about equity. Mary C. Curtis talks with Terra Wallin of the Education Trust to un...

The country’s history of redlining, racially restrictive covenants, zoning regulations and more has embedded racism in its housing policies. Simply put, Black communities have been devalued through these policies. Untangling that legacy has proven difficult, especially when some politicians have resisted progress. Mary C. Curtis sits down with Andre M. Perry, author of “Know Your Price: Valuing Bl...

Even as the U.S. will likely have a federal holiday to mark June 19th or Juneteenth — an important date not a part of many history books — battles over teaching race continue. After the murder of George Floyd, many sought to learn lessons that were absent in the traditional white-washed version of American history taught for generations. But educating students about race — what some call critical...

The United States has the highest -- yes the highest -- maternal mortality rates in the developed world. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women. That is in keeping with other sobering statistics of racial health inequities revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mary C. Curtis sits down with Marcella Nunez Smith, President Biden's pick to lead the...

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack sits down with Mary C. Curtis to discuss Black farmers and the USDA plan to provide debt relief to socially disadvantaged borrowers through the March COVID-19 relief law. That means Black farmers who have lost 90 percent of their land in the last century, in large part because of USDA policies, may receive compensation. The administration says equity is overdue...

In a fiery and no-holds-barred conversation, Mary C. Curtis speaks with former RNC chair Michael Steele on the future of the GOP, why he cannot defend the current Republican party to Black voters and why he believes the country can and should do better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cecilia Rouse is the first Black woman to chair the Council of Economic Advisers, a White House think tank, of sorts, on economic policy. Yes, she has an impressive background — dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a member of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers.  But her mandate seems near impossible. She's been charged by President Biden to steer the na...

What do paying taxes and racial equity have to do with one another? As it turns out, quite a lot since American tax policy is written in a way that keeps Black Americans impoverished, according to Professor Dorothy Brown, author of  “The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans — And How We Can Fix It." Brown, who has been trying to make this point for decades is finall...

Jaime Harrison gained national attention last year when he broke fundraising records running against South Carolina incumbent Senator Lindsey Graham. While Harrison didn't win the election, his candidacy gave notice that the Old South is now the New South. Mary C. Curtis sits down with the DNC Chair and talks race, his grandfather's life lesson and what 2022 -- yes 2022 -- may hold. Learn more abo...

It’s been 30 years since the world saw Rodney King on video being beaten by Los Angeles police officers. Since then, the list of Black people killed at the hands of police has grown -- Eric Garner, Daunte Wright and Ma’Khia Bryant, the 16-year old Black girl shot hours before Chauvin was pronounced guilty of murdering George Floyd. Mary C. Curtis speaks to activist and podcast host DeRay McKesson...

After a heated and contentious presidential election in 2020, voting rights are under attack. Georgia just passed a law that makes it harder for those who may be disenfranchised to cast their ballots. Other states are following suit. Mary C. Curtis speaks to Rashad Robinson, president of the social justice organization Color of Change, on what is at stake and what is being done to curtail the roll...

The Equal Rights Amendment known as ERA — yes that ERA — is back. The House passed a bill last week that would extend the deadline to ratify the amendment to the Constitution prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. But is this five-decade-old amendment up to this moment? A moment that includes #MeToo, rising hate crimes against women of color and a pandemic that has battered women more tha...

It's been one year since the global pandemic hit. Most Americans had no idea what was in store. The numbers of those impacted by COVID-19 are staggering. More than half a million American lives have been lost to the virus. And for people of color, the negative impact on their lives has been disproportionate — lost jobs, homes, health and lives. Reflecting back, the pandemic has shined a light on j...

When Virgin Islands Del. Stacey Plaskett took center stage last month as a House manager in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, America took note. A star was born. In the latest episode of Equal Time, Mary C. Curtis talks with Plaskett about the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, her work on the House Ways and Means Committee, inequities in infrastructure and education, and even hip-hop...

The recent extreme climate event in Texas slammed many cities and towns throughout the state, but, as is the case in most natural disasters, communities of color were most affected. This has been a trend in the country, with many of these communities still feeling the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey – as well as man-made disasters such as the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. What is the cau...

Immigration policy is one of President Biden's top priorities. He has signed five executive orders and issued another four statements and proclamations — in less than two weeks — that include: upping the annual number of refugees allowed into the country nearly tenfold, seeking to reunify families that were separated at the border, stopping construction of the border wall, and looking at access to...

Racial equity is front and center for the Biden administration. That said, how does the nation begin to dismantle centuries of ingrained policies? Mary C. Curtis talks to award-winning social change agent Dr. Gail C. Christopher in this episode. Christopher has some compelling ideas and is working with Congress to try to change policies that enable racism and inequity to flourish, and transform a ...

In Carol Anderson's book “White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide,” she reframes the conversation about race, methodically chronicling the powerful forces that have historically impeded Black progress in America. She speaks with Mary C. Curtis about the insurrection at the Capitol, voter suppression, and where this country is headed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

The late evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, known as America's pastor, was as world famous as the presidents who sought face time with him. But after a friendship with Richard Nixon affected that image, Graham backed away from the political spotlight. His son has chosen a different path. Mary C. Curtis speaks with the Reverend Franklin Graham. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

Former Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley has usually been the only U.S. African American, female diplomat in the room. It's a reflection, she tells Mary C. Curtis, of how few Black women — or women in general — are senior diplomats. Abercrombie-Winstanley makes the case for diversity in national security, talks about her role in creating the organization Leadership Council for Women in Nation...

Mary C. Curtis speaks with Democratic Rep. James E. Clyburn, the majority whip, about his role in President-elect Joe Biden's win, where the country is and where it needs to go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices