The Breakdown with Shaun King

Smart local voting can truly change systems. For the next 28 days, I am dedicating my life to supporting candidates for office who are truly going to change the game from the inside out. Today I want to tell you about Sarah Iannarone who is running for Mayor of Portland, as well as Terra Lawson-Remer and John Avalos - who are running for county supervisor roles in San Diego and San Francisco. Even...

This weekend a wonderful brother named Jonathan Price was murdered by police in a rural town outside of Dallas, Texas. People are now sharing an old Facebook post he made where he spoke of how much respect he had for police - as if this means we shouldn't fight for him. I very strongly disagree. Let me explain why. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consid...

Trump is so consistently dishonest - a pathological liar - that it's genuinely difficult to believe anything he says. Today I'll tell you why I think he actually has it and what I think the impact will be on the election which is just a few weeks away. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakd...

Of course Trump supports bigots and hate groups. Of course he refuses to repudiate them. Of course he refuses to take the threat of white supremacist violence seriously. He is a white supremacist and has been one for his entire life. His father was literally in the KKK. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.pat...

Today is a very, very important day as we continue our fight to hold the officers who murdered Breonna Taylor accountable. A judge has ordered that the transcripts from the grand jury be released. We now know for sure that the Attorney General didn't even attempt to hold the officers accountable. The grand jury notes will show us exactly what went down. Also, I want to unpack and explain what we s...

Over the past 48 hours we've learned so much about the Breonna Taylor case to warrant it being reopened. Today I unpack and explain all that we've learned so far. Tomorrow, after a member of the grand jury filed a suit stating that the Kentucky Attorney General misrepresented them, all of the records from the grand jury will be released. The truth is - a new grand jury needs to be formed. ---- If...

We have to be real here. Donald Trump didn't sneak anything past the IRS by only paying $750 in taxes. They've known EXACTLY what he's been doing for 50+ years. They just don't care. Because the IRS - much like America's justice system - was designed to protect the rich and privileged. It's not a bug. It's a feature of capitalism itself. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support...

All is not lost. I see multiple pathways to change, justice, and accountability for Breonna Taylor. Today, I'll share some clear action steps for us. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

Last night on Instagram Live I took time to really break down and explain the systems, structures, and people that are responsible for Breonna's murder and the subsequent lack of justice and accountability. I want you to hear that entire conversation. Later today, on The Breakdown Live, I will give us solutions and action steps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we learn whether or not any of the officers who murdered Breonna Taylor will be held accountable. Let me give you a refresher on this case, explain the laws that were broken, and begin discussing what accountability feels like for Breonna's family. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebrea...

If Democrats aren't willing to do this one thing, they don't deserve our support. The rules have changed. Hell, the whole game has changed. And this is their only logical next step. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content. Learn more...

We’re 43 days from the moment we call Election Day, but the truth is that today is Election Day. Tomorrow is too. Early voting is already underway from coast to coast and every day between now and November 3rd is its own mini-Election Day. We must pivot and see this as Election Season, where every single day matters. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, cons...

Today on a special episode of The Breakdown, we are running an episode of another TNS produced podcast - America the Voiceless. Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez dig into the roadblocks faced by Americans who navigate through the criminal justice system. Americans who have been incarcerated or are currently incarcerated often lose the right to vote and have difficulties regaining that right. We he...

Have you heard of the murder rule? Most countries in the world have gotten rid of this rule. But, of course, it is still in place in most states in the US. On today's episode, a rerun from last year, Shaun unpacks and explains exactly what this rule is, and how it is leveraged against people of color. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a...

When Shaun hears about horrible cases of police brutality, he runs the situation through, what he calls, the Taylor Swift test. On today's episode, a rerun from last year, listen as he breaks down what the Taylor Swift test for police brutality is. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdown...

The United States does not have one justice system or one legal system. We often talk about changing the system, but in reality, we have 30,000 microsystems. Each microsystem has its own set of rules, laws, and politics, which is simultaneously great news in our fight to change the status quo, as well as horrible news. On today's episode, a rerun from last year that remains painfully relevant, Sha...

What's the plan to change the criminal justice system? Do you know it? Read it? Heard about it? Plans do exist, but a plan is only as effective as the ability of everyday people to repeat it back to you. On today's rerun episode, Shaun unpacks and explains why we need to be on board for the plan. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a membe...

To be an abolitionist, you not only have to have an abolitionist worldview, you have to take abolitionist actions. On today’s rerun episode, Shaun unpacks and explains what that means. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content. Learn m...

Most of us know what it meant to be an abolitionist before the American Civil War, but what does it mean today? Listen to Part 1 of a mini-series we are rerunning as Shaun unpacks and explains how we can all be modern-day abolitionists. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusiv...

Shaun gets asked one question more than any other -- "How do I change the world?" To give you an answer, Shaun needs to ask you an even bigger question: What are you going to fight for? Making a conscious, honest decision about what you're going to fight for is not simple. It's complicated and personal. And all of us need to make that decision to make real meaningful change. In today's episode, a...

Right now, jails & prisons in the United States have the highest documented infection rates of COVID-19 in the world. On today's episode, a re-run from April that sadly remains relevant, Shaun explains the concept of jail churn and breaks down how it shows up in our prison system, and contributes to the spread of coronavirus. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we...

Last week police in San Antonio shot and killed a decorated military veteran named Damian Daniels on the doorstep of his home. He hadn’t broken the law or committed a crime. He needed to go to the doctor. But in 2 minutes, police shot and killed him. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdow...

Moments ago, the Missouri State Senate just passed a bill by a 22-8 margin stripping St. Louis DA Kim Gardner of some of her most essential powers. They refused to do this to any other prosecutor in the state - just her - a Black woman who just won re-election by a landslide last month. Listen, and take our action steps today. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work w...

Moments ago, I just learned that the Governor of Oregon, a Democrat, is literally working with the Trump administration to interfere with the decisions of Portland's courageous new District Attorney ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to co...

I have good news for you today! A powerful piece of legislation just passed in California and is awaiting the signature from the Governor. Let me tell you what it means and why it matters to all of us. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to...