Yo, Miss! Podcast

Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels, yes, the one known for push-ups and protein shakes, not primary sources, recently took to CNN to downplay the role of slavery in U.S. history. Sitting across from host Abby Phillip, Michaels insisted that “less than 2% of white Americans owned slaves,” arguing we are exaggerating slavery’s significance. Let’s pause there. This is a classic deflection tactic. Tec...

Last night, I was in the room as Beto O’Rourke took the stage at the Howlin’ Wolf in New Orleans and fired up a crowd of over 2,000 people. This wasn’t a typical town hall. It was a blunt, emotional call to action, focused on resisting authoritarianism, organizing from the ground up, and refusing to write off the South. “This is not a red state,” Beto said. “This is a rigged state,” calling out th...

The Civil Rights Movement: voting rights, grassroots organizing, and the fights still unfolding in Congress. New episode alert. I’m back on Capitol Hill with Senators x History , the series where I ask U.S. Senators what they’d teach if they had my classroom for a day—and how the past guides the work they do now. For Episode 2 , Senator Cory Booker chooses the Civil Rights Movement —from Selma and...

New series alert. I’m bringing my classroom to Capitol Hill. In Senators x History , I ask U.S. Senators what they’d teach if they had my class for a day, and how the past guides the work they do now. For our premiere, Senator Ed Markey makes the case for teaching the 1960s : from civil rights and Vietnam to organizing tactics and civic courage. His bottom line is simple: the movement didn’t end;...

This week, I brought my U.S. history textbook to the Senate and sat down with several Senators to talk about the past, the people who inspire them, the fight to save our democracy and our public schools and the anthems that keep them going. Stay tuned: I’ll be dropping these interviews over the next few weeks. Get full access to Yo, Miss! at saribethrosenberg.substack.com/subscribe

What do the charts of American Inequality look like when you’re living them in a public school classroom? In this conversation, Jeremy Ney and I connect the data to the daily realities: teaching U.S. history through democratic backsliding, rising inequality, and political fear. We talk about what students are facing now, from trans rights to food insecurity, and how policies like budget cuts and b...

Education policy expert Josh Cowen has spent decades exposing the truth behind school vouchers and the billionaires pushing to dismantle public education. Now he’s taking that fight to Congress. In this live interview, we talk about what the data really says, why he’s stepping into the political arena, and what’s at stake in Michigan’s 7th district—and beyond. Learn more about Josh Cowen and contr...

Get full access to Yo, Miss! at saribethrosenberg.substack.com/subscribe

OK, so people are out here on TikTok saying Harriet Tubman wasn’t real. There’s a wave of TikToks going around claiming she was “an industry plant” or straight-up “not real.” Yes, really. People are posting like she was some government-made myth designed to “control the narrative.” This is terrifying on so many levels. I cannot believe we’re at the point where I have to say this, but here we are:...

I had the honor of interviewing former Congressman Jamaal Bowman, and we went deep. From the fractured state of the Democratic Party to the urgency of this political moment, Jamaal doesn’t hold back. He shares why he’s endorsing Zohran Mamdani for New York City Mayor and lays out what real leadership should look like—grounded in justice, courage, and community. Jamaal also breaks down his six pill...

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Qatar is reportedly gifting Donald Trump a $400 million luxury jet —framed as a temporary Air Force One, but ultimately bound for his presidential library foundation. Unlike the Statue of Liberty—a public gift from France to the American people, symbolizing democracy and welcome—this jet is a personal tribute to one man’s power and ego. However, that didn’t stop MAGA from twisting history to defen...

I sat down with Brad Lander to talk about his vision for the future of New York City — and what inspired him to run for mayor. From education to leadership to the kind of city we all want to live in, we covered what’s at stake and how he hopes to make a difference. It’s a thoughtful, candid conversation about policy, purpose, and the importance of public service. Don’t miss it. You can read all ab...

What do Lincoln, Bush, and Trump have in common? They’ve all tested the limits of habeas corpus —your constitutional right not to be detained without charge or trial. It’s one of the oldest protections in our democracy, meant to stop governments from locking people up without cause. Lincoln suspended it during the Civil War. Bush tried to deny it after 9/11. And now, in Trump’s 2025 administration...

Meet Mary Harris “Mother” Jones—once called “the most dangerous woman in America.” She wasn’t a politician. She wasn’t a general. She was a widowed Irish immigrant who turned her rage into a righteous crusade for workers’ rights. After losing her husband and children to yellow fever and watching her dress shop burn in the Chicago Fire, Mother Jones didn’t just survive—she fought. By the late 1800s...

I had the absolute honor to sit down with Secretary of State Michigan Jocelyn Benson—yes, that Jocelyn Benson—who stood her ground in 2020 when armed protestors tried to intimidate her into overturning a free and fair election. She didn’t back down then, and she’s not backing down now as she runs to become the next governor of Michigan. In our conversation, Benson opened up about her powerful new...

I just had an important conversation with Representative Eric Swalwell , and we covered some key issues threatening our democracy right now. We dove into the Journalist Protection Act , an important bill that he recently introduced — because let’s be real, a free press is essential for democracy to even function. Representative Swalwell broke it down: journalists are facing real threats, and if we...

Is it possible that Donald Trump’s doll rant isn’t just weird —but a window into a deeper right-wing talking point rooted in patriarchal politics? A quick recap if you missed it. On "Meet the Press" Trump told host Kristen Welker: "I don't think that a beautiful baby girl needs – that's 11 years old – needs to have 30 dolls. I think they can have three dolls or four dolls because what we were doin...

Today I dive into one of the biggest threats to American democracy you’re probably not hearing enough about: the Supreme Court is taking up a Trump-backed challenge that could erase birthright citizenship as we know it. In this 3-minute history drop, I break down the long—and urgent—story of birthright citizenship in the United States. From Dred Scott to the Fourteenth Amendment, Wong Kim Ark to P...

This should terrify all of us. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, one of the chief architects of Trump’s second term, gave a chilling briefing Thursday on the state of the Department of Education. In it, he declared: “Children will be taught to love America. Children will be taught to be patriots.” He made it clear: states that want federal funding will have to fall in line. And in a move strai...

When I teach my students about President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the creation of Social Security, I remind them it wasn’t just a policy — it was a promise. A promise that no American would grow old or become disabled without a safety net. But nearly 90 years later, that promise is under coordinated attack by the Trump Administration and Republicans. In this powerful interview, I sit down with Go...

Trump just hit his first 100 days back in office — and it’s time for a report card. As a history teacher, I’m used to grading work based on facts, effort, and integrity… so let’s just say this wasn’t a tough call. Art? Minimal credit for making himself head of the Kennedy Center just to whitewash culture. World Language? Blank — unless you count Russian. Math? The economy speaks for itself. Readin...

Donald Trump is making history — but not in the way he wants. As of April 27, 2025, President Donald Trump holds the lowest 100-day approval rating of any U.S. president in the past 80 years. According to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted from April 18–22, only 39% of Americans approve of his performance, while 55% disapprove. This marks a significant drop from February's 45% approva...

This morning, just before sunrise, Senator Cory Booker and Leader Hakeem Jeffries sat on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to speak directly to the American people — about faith, values, and the moral moment facing our nation. With Congress returning tomorrow, Republican leaders are pushing a reckless budget that would slash $880 billion from Medicaid and $230 billion from food assistance (SNAP) over...

Kilmar Abrego Garcia wasn’t deported. He was kidnapped. He’s not in a prison. He’s in a death camp. And he never got his day in court. That’s not just wrong—it’s unconstitutional. In the U.S., due process isn’t optional. It’s a right, guaranteed by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to everyone —yes, even people without legal status. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia m...