On The Issues With Michele Goodwin

The recent rise in documented anti-Asian violence—which saw grandmothers being punched on the streets, and a major shooting in Atlanta—has raised questions about the current status of Asian American identity and safety in the U.S.     How does “Asian” fit into the American racial taxonomy, which has for so long relied on a dichotomy of Black and white?     Helping us to sort out these questions an...

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been rife with controversy—from rulings targeting Black athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson, to COVID protests taking place just outside the stadium, to transphobia directed at the first openly trans athletes to ever compete on this highest international stage. And what about protecting mental health and threats against Simone Biles?  Is the Olympics an uneven play...

Republican lawmakers in Texas seem obsessed with passing extreme voter suppression legislation, banning critical race theory and outlawing abortion outright. In protest, Texas House Democrats have fled the state en masse and are making national news while camped out in the U.S. capital. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to arrest legislators when they return from Washington, D.C., *and* vo...

In this exciting episode, we’re having the sex talk you wish you got from your parents.  Do you remember Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret ? Well, today it’s me , host Michele Goodwin, asking the questions and inviting you to join us as we talk about sex, periods, non-binary healthcare, maternal health—and what don’t we know or ignore about our own bodies.     Today we ask: Wh...

In our second '15 Minutes of Feminism’ episode, the Badass Women of Podcasting take on the Supreme Court. As the court goes into recess, we’re recapping the highs and lows of the past year. What was at stake? What did feminists win — and whose rights remain at risk? We update you on the state of the court, cases feminists should be keeping their eyes on going forward, and more.     Helping us...

What does independence mean for the rest of us? Women have long asked this question—as have groups that have felt or experienced being shut out, excluded, colonized or enslaved.  On July 5, 1852—a time in which the U.S. reaped benefit from the enslavement of kidnapped and trafficked Black people from the shores of Africa—Frederick Douglass put it this way: “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?...

In this joyous episode, host Michele Goodwin is joined by music icon Anita Pointer of the three-time Grammy Award-winning R&B group the Pointer Sisters and her brother Fritz Pointer, acclaimed professor and historian and former music manager. They celebrate Juneteenth and unpack their award-winning memoir, Fairytale: The Pointer Sisters' Family Story.  Fritz and Anita Pointer discuss comi...

All eyes are on Washington D.C., with commissions to study the January 6 insurrection, expansion of the Supreme Court, and coronavirus origins. But that means much can be overlooked at home. Do you know the names of your local school board members? What about the folks on your city council?  It’s time to dive into local leadership and why it matters. Helping us to address these questions and more...

This week, we’re giving listeners a new way to listen to Dr. Michele Goodwin’s reporting, rebelling and truth-telling: 15 Minutes of Feminism , where we give a serious take on an important issue featuring a single guest (okay, fine—maybe two from time to time.) In these jam-packed, bite-sized episodes, you can expect voices from the center of the story—people you should know, those who roll up the...

" Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women. ”  —Professor Jessica Calarco In this episode, we're focusing on moms, child care, single parenting and teen parenting. We know that women have been hit hard by COVID—causing many to dub the economic downturn a “she-cession.” And as it stands, current U.S. laws and policies are woefully inadequate—leaving mothers, particularl...

On March 31, the Biden administration released the American Jobs Plan, which establishes broad goals for achieving a cleaner and more equitable future, including significant investments in green jobs like caregiving and clean energy infrastructure. On April 22—Earth Day—Biden further raised the stakes, committing the U.S. to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent below 2005 levels...

In this episode, we confront the question at the center of Derek Chauvin’s trial: Who killed George Floyd? Our guests unpack that question as an issue central to police and societal violence. Examining who killed George Floyd means taking stock of legacies of racism in the Twin Cities, including redlining, school segregation, policies that undermine equality, and disparate rates of policing and ma...

It's tax season! It’s time to talk race, taxation and D.C. statehood. The U.S. tax system raises serious questions about equity and inclusion and—according to our guests—taxation is at the root of many social and economic injustices.  So, who does the U.S. tax code benefit? Who does it leave behind? How does racism manifest in the U.S. tax system? What role does D.C. statehood play in all of...

Brooke Baldwin is a renowned CNN anchor and author of a new book, HUDDLE: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power , out this month. Huddle examines the phenomenon of "huddling,” or what happens when women lean on one another—in the arts, activism, politics, Hollywood and everyday friendships—to lift up each other and to provide empowerment, support, inspiration and the creativity and courage...

Gender-based and sexual violence are pervasive symptoms of a larger violence issue in this country. This reality is exemplified by recent reports that some insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on January 6 have histories of violence against women, including domestic violence and sexual assault. Of course, we also remain in mourning for the lives lost to gun violence in America—most recently th...

The 2020 election revealed the deep fractures in U.S. democracy and its electoral system. Many were already there, but this past election truly pushed our voting system to its limits.    “Many of the familiar procedures for translating the people’s will into the choice of a president depend on norms of behavior, not laws,” guest Rick Hasen put it—evident from the significant efforts undertaken to...

"Women’s rights are human rights," proclaimed then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in September 1995 at the United Nations’ Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. This groundbreaking speech marked a turning point for feminism and international efforts toward gender equality, articulating women’s rights as a basic fundamental concept of civil rights, human rights and dignity. Duri...

As women continue to be hit by job loss, increased home responsibilities, family caretaking, unaccounted for invisible labor, homelessness and domestic violence, it’s clear the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed underlying institutional and infrastructural inequalities in our society.  It’s time to check in on and reimagine the international status of women and girls. What would a feminist foreign pol...

In this special bonus episode, we remember our friend and advocate for women in prison, Sue Ellen Allen, who died this week on February 24, 2021.  In the latter part of her life, she became an internationally renowned advocate for incarcerated women and girls.  She championed banning the box, promoting reentry, and protecting the integrity and dignity of people tethered to the criminal justice sys...

On January 16, 2021, the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dustin Higgs became the 13th and final person executed by the Trump administration—just days before Inauguration Day for President Joe Biden, the first sitting president to openly oppose the death penalty.  President Trump’s spate of executions began six months before Biden's inauguration, with six executions occurring in the pe...

Women make up the fastest growing incarcerated population in the U.S—yet, politicians and the media frequently frame incarceration as an issue that affects only boys and men.  Why is so little attention paid to women and mass incarceration?  What does the failure to include women in the analysis on mass incarceration mean for communities, families and the women themselves? What are the unique chal...

Friday, January 22 marked the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade , the Supreme Court’s landmark decision affirming a constitutional right to abortion. Yet, decades later, reproductive health care access remains illusory for many women and people of birthing capacity.  Is the constitutional right to abortion a reality today? If so, for whom? How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted women’s health and ex...

On today’s show, we planned to introduce listeners to the new feminists in Congress—and we do.  But, in the period since our team at Ms . curated the design and content of this episode, another shoe has dropped in American politics: the insurrection.   We examine what the Jan. 6 riot and insurrection at the U.S. Capitol signify for our nation, including what we can learn from it. Why did it happen...

This year has been defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, a reckoning on racism and policing in America, the 2020 election, and the ongoing fight for justice.      What does the 2020 election and the Biden/Harris win mean for our democracy? How important is the outcome of the Georgia runoff for the incoming administration? Where are we on immigration? How are we to undo the damage to our federal courts...

Government leaders worldwide met the election of President-Elect Joe Biden with a collective sigh of relief. But while many celebrate Biden’s win, many still wonder if the possibility of another presidency that devalues global treaties and relationships related to protecting global health, the environment, and stemming nuclear proliferation is in America’s future.  How is the U.S. viewed abroad? W...