We’re bringing you an episode of a new podcast we think you’ll love: The Amendment. A new podcast about gender, politics, and power from The 19th News and Wonder Media Network, The Amendment is hosted by award-winning journalist and 19th editor-at-large Errin Haines. Each week, Errin sits down with people who have fresh perspectives on the state of our country – and asks questions that center the voices of women, queer folks, and people of color. The Amendment adds much needed asterisks to America’s most pressing political conversations – and gets clear on the unfinished work of our democracy ..read more

The midterms were a turning point in the political season, all thanks to voters like you turning out to the polls. In today’s bonus episode, A’shanti sits down with Tamara Wilds Lawson, the Movement, Issue, and Charitable Organizations (MICO) Director at ActBlue. They discuss the midterms, grassroots momentum, and the issues that get people out to vote.  Thanks to our sponsor ActBlue.  The Brown Girls Guide to Politics Podcast is all about amplifying the voices of women who are too often forgotten in media coverage. Host A’shanti Gholar leads conversations with women changing the fac ..read more

It’s election day: the time to exercise our constitutional right to vote. While it should be simple to cast a ballot, it's often not. And that’s not by accident. The Black vote has never truly been protected, and many states are passing new legislation to actively suppress Black votes. In BGG’s Season 9 finale, A’shanti welcomes back previous guest LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund. Together, they lay out the various forces at play in our country that contribute to voter suppression, and discuss why building political power and embracing community is so vital when i ..read more

Though many view it as an ugly relic of the past, violence against Black and brown folks is still a massive problem in the United States. A’shanti brings on Melanie Campbell, the president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, to talk about the racial violence epidemic in our country. Much of Melanie’s work centers civil rights and social justice with a focus on building Black political power. They discuss the opportunity that the upcoming midterms present to vote in leaders who are vocal about ending the cycles of violence impacting our communities, and why police re ..read more

Not only is the classroom the gateway to education, it’s also the first place we learn about ourselves. Growing up, so many Black and brown kids learn not just about math and science, but about racism, microaggressions, and the world through the biases kids – and teachers – bring into the classroom. Lately, conservatives have been buzzing with complaints about the books children are being taught and critical race theory brainwashing children. This politicization of education is rooted in white supremacy.  To understand what’s happening in classrooms today, A’shanti talks to parent and edu ..read more

Here's a special episode from the Pushkin podcast Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso. Every week on Talk Easy, Sam invites an activist, artist, or politician to come to the table and speak from the heart – in ways you probably haven't heard from them before. Today, you'll hear his new conversation with Congresswoman Cori Bush. They unpack the state of the Democratic party, Bush's powerful new memoir, The Forerunner, her upbringing and activism in St. Louis, the Congresswoman's tireless fight for police reform and mental health resources, and much more. Hear more of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso at h ..read more

Gun violence is a uniquely American problem that has only gotten worse in recent years. In 2020, there were nearly 50,000 gun related deaths in the United States. However, in June 2022, gun violence prevention advocates saw a victory when President Biden signed into law the first major piece of gun safety legislation that Congress has passed in nearly thirty years. A’shanti sits down to discuss the gun violence epidemic with Monisha Henley, the Managing Director of State Government Affairs at Everytown, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country. They break down this year ..read more

Immigrants are a huge part of what makes America…America. And in recent months, we’ve seen an increasing number of  immigrants arrive at our southern border, many of them fleeing violence and persecution to claim asylum in the United States. A’shanti speaks with immigration attorney Katherine Ventura of the Capital Area Immigrant Rights (CAIR) Coalition about the complexities of doing her job in a country that denies the humanity and rights of so many immigrants. They talk about Title 42 and the “Remain in Mexico” policy and discuss the reasons  immigrants need AND deserve legal repr ..read more

The economy impacts all of us, but economic issues disproportionately impact Black and brown women. In this episode, A’shanti speaks with organizer Hope Wollensack, who is the founding Executive Director of the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund, an organization that advances solutions to racial and economic injustice. In their conversation, A’shanti and Hope discuss universal basic income, break down the racist myth of the “welfare queen,” and get into how giving money directly to Black women can positively impact various outcomes in their lives. ActBlue’s online fundraising tools ..read more

Youth climate activist Nalleli Cobo grew up in South Central Los Angeles across the street from a toxic oil drilling site. From a young age, she experienced headaches, nosebleeds, asthma, body spasms, and at age 19, she was diagnosed with cancer. Alongside her mother, she began attending meetings and going door-to-door to spread information about the dangers of oil extraction and in 2020, she successfully shut down the drilling site in her neighborhood. In this episode, Nalleli and A’shanti discuss how Nalleli went from being a shy girl to a powerful climate activist, the horrors of environmen ..read more