The Breakdown with Shaun King

Today Rai King takes over The Breakdown to talk about the lives and legacies of Myrlie Evers-Williams, Betty Shabazz, and Coretta Scott King. She discusses why they are more than footnotes in the stories of their husbands and why their work is relevant today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let me unpack and explain Day 1 of the trial of the disgraced police officer Derek Chauvin. From their opening statements forward, the prosecution did a very good job yesterday. I also think that Donald Williams will turn out to be a star witness for them. Not only did he witness the entire thing, he testimony was full of expertise and painful honesty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Today the prosecution and defense will make their opening statements in the trial of disgraced police officer Derek Chauvin. What his lawyers want to make this is the trial of George Floyd. They want the jury to think that George somehow took his own life. But George Floyd did not kill himself. He was murdered. Everybody on the scene, from children to adults, knew and said it was happening in real...

In so many ways, St. Louis is ground zero for the Black Lives Matter Movement. And right now, we have a chance to help elect a brilliant Black woman, Tishaura Jones, to be the first Black woman ever elected to the position. Today, I'll tell you all about Tishaura and give you a key chance to support her! Let's GO! This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent m...

I've defended myself enough. Now it's time to get back to work. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As soon as you can, scroll back to March 4th on my Instagram page. Do you see the post that says "March 23rd. That's All?" That's today. 19 days ago, my team and I decided to start an experiment to prove something that we thought was going to happen. And our worst fears were proven true. And started almost immediately. We had determined that every time over the past 5 years that I made a big annou...

On today's episode of @TheBreakdown I unpack and explain how police brutality is a math problem. African Americans are forced to interact with police FAR too much. And by drastically reducing these number of forced interactions, we will, by default, reduce the incidents of police brutality as well. Racism is deeply baked into the fiber of America. It's full embedded in our systems and structures o...

You don't have to be Asian or Asian American to be heartbroken by the gross sting of bigoted and sexist violence that visited metro Atlanta this week.  You just have to have a heart. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenort...

Over the past week, a coordinated attack has been leveled against the most prominent civil rights leaders of the day - including myself and some of my very best friends in this movement. Today, I want to unpack and explain what I really think is going on. It's a misinformation campaign designed to destabilize the movement and cause massive confusion. For a few days, it has worked, but not a single...

Do you know what COINTELPRO was? Let me begin to unpack and explain it today with a quick introduction. It was how the federal government undermined movements for Black people and Black power. And I think we are experiencing COINTELPRO 2.0 right here, right now. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want...

After losing the House, Senate, and Presidency, Republicans are starting to fight back in the most diabolical ways imaginable. Let me unpack and explain what they're doing and tell you what we should learn from it. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, hea...

The special congressional election in Louisiana is THIS SATURDAY and this is the final week, and final chance we all have to volunteer to send @GaryChambersJr to Congress! It's not enough for us to like and share his videos - or for us to comment on his courage - this week, Gary needs our help and you can help him from wherever you are in the world. If you click the link in my bio on Instagram you...

Last week when I spoke to two members of the Joe Biden administration and asked them when we could expect him to begin fulfilling promises he made on issues of justice, policing, and mass incarceration, they said that I'd see progress once he had an Attorney General. Well, after 2 months of delays, Merrick Garland was finally approved this week. Even with that, I don't expect Joe Biden to do much...

I just wanted you all to hear my voice on this today. I wanted you to hear my heart and sincerity. And I want to confront a few big questions that I am getting from my followers. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthsta...

I don't talk a lot about pop culture, but over the past few weeks I've seen something disgusting that I wanted to unpack. White people are having full on meltdowns over Black people merely existing in traditionally white spaces - from Meghan Markle being in the British royal family to the popular show "The Bachelor" having a Black man at the center of it. In both instances, popular talk show hosts...

Last night, Joe Biden's new Secretary of State, Antony Blinken announced that he opposes an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the gross human rights violations and murders and atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians. The image I included with today's podcast on Instagram is of Rouzan al-Najjar - a brilliant (and of course unarmed and non violent) nurse that was kil...

The Breakdown with Shaun King # 417 - Don't you want a leader who fights for us in Congress? Here's what we can do! Description: @GaryChambersJr has been fighting for the people his whole life! You've seen it! But now he needs us to step up and fight for him! Early voting starts THIS WEEKEND in Louisiana and Gary needs our help! Listen to today's episode to learn of all the ways you can help him r...

Like you, I am seeing all of the newly created videos of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, but I'm not sure how I feel about. They are equal parts fascinating and eerie. What do you think? This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://...

Yesterday Joe Biden dropped bombs on Syria, but just can't find a way to send people the stimulus checks he said would be in the mail immediately after he got elected. It's almost March. What I know is this - governments get done what they want to get done. This government simply lacks the will to help everyday people. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independ...

Yesterday, a beloved leader in New York came forward to say that she was sexually assaulted and harassed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. She provided detailed receipts, text messages, and emails - and gave names, dates, and locations. And by and large, prominent Democrats were COMPLETELY SILENT. I mean nothing.  And here's what I know - if the exact same person, wrote the exact same story, with...

Last week in Fort Wayne, Indiana - a violent white supremacist walked up to a car with 3 Black teenagers and unloaded his gun on them - killing Josh Cooper and Andy Retic and critically injuring Jaylin Rice. Let me unpack and explain the case and then let's plan on doing everything we can to support these families. We paid for their funerals through @GrassrootsLaw but they are going to need a lot...

Today I wanted to take a moment to help us remember the gravity of what happened in this country one year ago today - as three brutal white supremacists targeted, chased and murdered Ahmaud Arbery. And police and prosecutors colluded together to make sure those men were never held accountable. Until we organized together to change everything. When we organize, we win. This podcast is produced by T...

This weekend we learned that a 95-year-old Nazi was arrested and deported by the American government for being a guard during the Holocaust in 1945. I'm glad about this. I just want the American government to give African Americans this same type of justice. They can start with arresting Carolyn Bryant for her essential role in the murder of Emmett Till. She's 8 years younger than the Nazi guard a...

Maybe it's because he has been in the shadows of Donald Trump for the past 6 years, but DAMN Ted Cruz sucks. This man is a monster and doesn't really get enough credit for how truly horrible he is. Now listen, I didn't expect him to have the heart required to stay home and serve and help his state as they suffer through a once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm. The man has proven over and over again that he...

As I speak, millions of people in Texas are without power, heat, gas, and water. People are literally dying. And hungry. And freezing. And politicians like Texas Governor Greg Abbott somehow have the time to go on Fox News and blame Democrats and policies like the Green New Deal. But here's the thing - Texas is literally controlled by Republicans on every level. The Governor, the Lt. Governor, the...