Annie Menzel: White Innocence and Black Infant Mortality

Annie Menzel discusses her book, Fatal Denial Racism and the Political Life of Black Infant Mortality. Drawing on her own experience as a midwife as inspiration, Prof. Menzel lays out the history of white innocence, flawed racial science, and the cult of true babyhood all contribute to real violence to black maternal outcomes. As overt racist practices gave way to more systemic biases, they seamlessly perpetuated black infanticide by blaming Black mothers and communities themselves. While the…

Katharina Motyl: From “Feminist Lies” to “White Replacement”

Katharina Motyl discusses her chapter, "From “Feminist Lies” to “White Replacement”: Digital Anti-Feminist Forums as Spaces of Collective Radicalization.”Which explores how the "manosphere" draws men and boys into a world of increasingly radical far-right ideologies, through grievance and misogyny . Prof. Motyl explores how digital platforms enable the spread of extremist ideologies, transforming individual grievances into collective radicalization and influencing offline…

Alexia Rauen: When Immigrants Call the Police

Alexia Rauen discusses the article she co-authored, "Experiences of immigrant survivors of violence with law enforcement." She explains how immigrant victims of domestic violence viewed their interactions with responding police officers. Based on interviews with survivors, she found that experiences with police varied widely based on factors such as immigration status, English proficiency, and gender. Alexia Rauen is the Co-Executive Director at Advocates for Immigrant Survivors…

Julie Farnam: Inside the January 6th Insurrection

Julie Farnam discusses her book, "Domestic Darkness: An Insider's Account of the January 6th Insurrection, and the Future of Right-Wing Extremism" After being named Assistant Director of Intelligence for the Capitol Police just days before the 2020 election. She warned Capitol Police leadership of planning and coordination online which led to the insurrection. Her report sharing that "Congress itself is the target on the 6th." Her warnings were ignored. She recounts the…

Andra Watkins: Christo-Fascist Code in Project 2025

Andra Watkins discusses her substack, "For Such a Time as This: A Guide to Decode the Country America Has Chosen To Be." Ms. Watkins' life growing up in a Christian Nationalist Southern church indoctrinated her into a worldview and understanding of a coded language based on Christian Biblical Literalism. Since leaving the church, she has used her understanding of this Christian Nationalist code to explain Project 2025, the new Trump Administration's goals, as well as the…

Aidan Beatty: Sexual Antisemitism

This episode deals with sexual topics and abuse, all trigger warnings apply. Aidan Beatty discusses his article, “The Pornography of Fools: Tracing the History of Sexual Antisemitism.” Professor Beatty looks into historical sexual depictions, emotions and desires developed in the middle ages that continue to work in contemporary far-right antisemitic rhetoric. Aidan Beatty is a Lecturer and Senior Academic Advisor in the Department of History at Carnegie Mellon University.

Spencer Sunshine: Neo-Nazi Counterculturalism

Spencer Sunshine, PhD discuss his book, Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism: The Origins and Afterlife of James Mason’s Siege. Sunshine describes how Ohio native and lifelong Neo-Nazi James Mason's newsletter Siege, which praises terrorism, serial killers, and Charles Manson, influenced today's generation of hate groups and alt-right influencers. Spencer Sunshine, PhD, has written extensively about the U.S. Far Right, from militias to neo-Nazis. He has been documenting…

César García Hernández : Immigration Detention

César García Hernández talks about his book, Migrating to Prison America’s Obsession with Locking Up Immigrants. Professor Hernandez lays out the history of immigration imprisonment and detention through the lens of politics and law. Additionally, noting the way in which the way immigration changed during the 1970 and 80s during the Cuban and Haitian influx. As detention and deportation roar back into the headlines, this history takes on a renewed relevance. César García Hernández is the…

Emily Widra: Police Contact and Disparity

Emily Widra discusses her article, "Despite fewer people experiencing police contact, racial disparities in arrests, police misconduct, and police use of force continue." By looking at the newly released Bureau of Justice Statistics report that collects data of police contact in 2022, she finds that even while fewer people interacted with police than in prior years troubling police behavior remains consistent. Emily Widra is a Senior Research Analyst at the Prison Policy…

Khiara M. Bridges: Race and the Roberts Court

Khiara M. Bridges has written many articles concerning race, class, reproductive rights, and the intersection of the three. Today’s episode focus on her 2022 Harvard Law Review article, “Race in the Roberts Court”. Professor Bridges talks about Dobbs, Bruen, and the fate of Affirmative Action in relation to how each uses arguments about black history and freedom in contradictory and problematic ways. The Roberts Court's leans on racial skepticism to up end established precedent. Khiara…

Anne Quaranto: Dog Whistles and Coded Speech

Anne Quaranto discusses her article, "Dog Whistles, Covertly Coded Speech, and the Practices that Enable Them." Dog whistles are words or phrases that seem ordinary but send hidden, often derogatory messages. These forms of coded speech are often used by pundits, politicians, and public figures. Why do they use them and what do they mean? On the one hand, it seems possible to dog whistle unintentionally, merely by uttering certain expressions. On the other hand, the intention of the…

Tracey L. Meares: Effective Policing

Tracey L. Meares discusses her article, “The Good Cop: Knowing the Difference Between Lawful or Effective Policing and Rightful Policing — And Why it Matters.” Prof. Meares describes the two traditional roles of policing as they function under the law and in fighting crime. These two roles place the responsibility of policing on the behavior of citizens. But Prof. Meares suggests a third role, rightful policing, that places the emphasis on procedure, fairness, and transparency of conduct of the…

Gabriel Schwartz: Evictions and Health Risks

Gabriel L. Schwartz discusses his work on “Eviction as a Community Health Exposure.” and “Moving due to unaffordable housing and disrupted social safety net access among children.” He talks about how moving and evictions lead to sometimes catastrophic health outcomes based on losing access to social safety net programs. Evictions upend people’s lives and the effect on children is great. Gabriel L. Schwartz, Assistant Professor Health Management & Policy, Drexel FIRST Program at Drexel…

Grace E. Howard: Eugenics, Drugs, and Fetal Personhood

Grace Howard discusses her book, The Pregnancy Police: Conceiving Crime, Arresting Personhood . Professor Howard illustrates how our society has regulated and criminalized pregnancy, through the history of eugenic race science, the war on drugs, fetal personhood laws. Slowly, medical professionals fell in line with prosecutors and police to enforce fetal assault laws with increasing risks to women, families, and ultimately, society. Grace Howard is an Associate Professor of Justice Studies…

Jonathan Haines: Genetics and Alzheimer's Disease

Jonathan Haines is a researcher and educator with experience in all aspects of genetic epidemiology, with a particular focus on illuminating the genetic architecture of complex diseases. We discussed his research into the genetic origins of Alzheimer's and dementia. His work seeks to include diverse and minority populations to expand the scope of what factors might contribute to disease prevention. He clarifies genetic research's purpose and use in the future. Dr. Jonathan Haines is…

Jonneke Koomen: Teaching Black Internationalism

Jonneke Koomen discusses her two articles, “International Relations/Black Internationalism” and “Madness in the Classroom: Thomas Sankara’s Disobedient International Relations.” Professor Koomen shows how introducing W.E.B. du Bois’ essays and speeches by Thomas Sankara places teaching about international relations into conversation with its critics. Colonialism, white supremacy, and race based economic systems served as the foundations of International Relations theory and practice, but by…

Andrew McKevitt: Gun Rights and Consumerism

Professor Andrew McKevitt talks about his book, “Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America.” America’s gun culture was not an inevitable outcome of the Second Amendment and Professor McKevitt explains why. Framing America’s obsession with guns as essentially a consumerist market, not unlike another other collectible or commodity, Prof. McKevitt uncovers one potential origin – post-War European military surplus. Professor Andrew McKevitt is the John D. Winters Endowed…

Jim Wallis: White Christian Nationalism and the Church

Jim Wallis, the founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, discusses his book, The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy. He argues that the civic promotion of fear, hate, and violence as the trajectory of our politics under a banner of Christian Nationalism, should be faced to contend with a greater response of a civic faith of love, healing, and hope to defeat it. Jim Wallis is the Chair in Faith…

Justin Brooks: Why You Might End Up In Prison

Professor Justin Brooks, director of the LLM Program in U.S. Law in Spanish at the University of San Diego, discusses his book, You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent. Prof. Brooks explains how bad lawyering, bad science, and inadequate investigations, lead to wrongful conviction. We look into how police interrogations and juries all contribute to a broken justice system, where innocence is no protection from incarceration. Professor Brooks directs the LLM Program in U.S. Law…

Leoandra Onnie Rogers: How Parents Talked To Their Children About BLM

Leoandra Onnie Rogers, Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, discusses her article, “Exploring Whether and How Black and White Parents Talk with Their Children about Race: M(ai)cro Race Conversations About Black Lives Matter.” which presents the results of an online survey conducted in 2020-2021. Professor Rogers details the ways in which white and Black parents spoke to their children about Black Lives Matter. While most parents had conversations about BLM, their methods and…

Joanna Wuest: LGBTQ+ Rights

Joanna Wuest is an assistant professor of politics at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Joanna Wuest discusses her book, Born This Way: Science, Citizenship, and Inequality in the American LGBTQ+ Movement. How did LGBTQ+ civil rights leaders address moral, medical, and legal obstacles to change the way American society views them and their communities? While society has come a long way in accepting and understanding Queer people, there is a renewed backlash that threatens these hard-won…

Sang Hea Kil: All Lives Matter Racism

Sang Hea Kil is the Chair, Anti-Racism, Social Justice Transformation Committee and Faculty member in Justice Studies at San Jose State University. Professor Sang Kil talks about how “all lives matter” (ALM) has advanced Whiteness in the news. Using critical race theory’s critique of neoliberalism’s use of race-neutral racism, Professor Kil, discusses how "All Lives Matter" works to undermine the civil rights meaning of Black Lives Matter by denying its central critique. Blue Lives…

Caitlin O'Loughlin: Banned Books and Gay Erasure

For Banned Books week, join Caitlin O’Loughlin as she discusses her article, “It’s Just Filth: Banned Books and the Project of Gay Erasure.” She explains how proposed bans seek to erase queer peoples, how these bans impact teachers, and what teacher preparation programs can do to counter these acts of censorship.

Rebecca Grant: Pregnancy in America

Journalist Rebecca Grant author of "Birth: Three Mothers, Nine Months, and Pregnancy in America" discusses her book. She describes the current state of maternal care in America, how midwifery factored into early American birth care, and how the rise of doulas can minimize harm during pregnancy and birth. Racial, social, and economic roadblocks create a system in maternal health defined in part by discrimination, judgment, and disparate treatment. But while things can seem desperate,…

Marquis Bey: Black Trans Feminism Liberation

Marquis Bey is Professor of Black Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, and English, and core faculty in Critical Theory, at Northwestern University. Professor Marquis Bey discusses their book, BLACK TRANS FEMINISM in which they argue that how we define, label, and identify ourselves can be a way to embrace freedom and the liberated possible. First looking at how we are captured by systems and stereotypes when we see ourselves as defined by our race, gender, or sexuality, Dr. Bey sees the…

Jacob Glick: Violent Extremists of Jan. 6th

Jacob Glick was counsel to Representative Jamie Raskin on the House Oversight Committee, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, managing its years-long investigation into violent white supremacy. He also served on the legal team for the House Managers during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump. Jacob Glick, Policy Counsel at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law Center, served as Investigative Counsel, Select…

Taifa Alexander: Mapping CRT Attacks

Taifha Natalee Alexander, J.D., LL.M., Project Director CRT Forward Critical Race Studies Program UCLA School of Law, discusses the how Critical Race Theory has become a rallying cry for anti-anti-racism and led to the organization of local, state, and national interventions against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. The CRT Forward project tracks actions by school boards and other local governments to introduce model legislation centered around removing or restricting classes and…

Erin Thompson: Smashing Monuments

Erin L. Thompson is a professor of art crime at the City University of New York. Professor Erin Thompson discusses her book, "Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments." Prof. Thompson explains the role of Confederate monuments, what they symbolize, and to whom their message is aimed. The design of the "parade stance" figure's rise to monument dominance provides insight into the submissive posture of white defender was intentional. Thompson…

Pamela Newkirk: Racial Diversity

Pamela Newkirk, PhD, is a journalist, New York University professor, author and multi-disciplinary scholar whose work examines contemporary and historical depictions of African Americans in popular culture. Professor Pamela Newkirk discusses her book, Diversity Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business. She exposes the decades-old practices and attitudes that have made diversity a lucrative business while they fail to realize diversity. We discussed the history of exclusion, the…

Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo: Microaggressions

Dr. Skinner-Dorkenoo is an assistant professor at the University of Georgia. Dr. Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo discusses her article, "How Microaggressions Reinforce and Perpetuate Systemic Racism in the United States." She defines what microaggressions are and how they support White superiority. Through subtle and slight processes microaggressions protect and reinforce the "othering" of people of color with environmental exclusions, treating people of color as second class, and…