Why do intersectionality and Critical Race Theory matter in today’s political climate? This week, Stacey sits down with civil rights advocate, Critical Race Theory scholar, and Columbia Law School professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to discuss how these frameworks help us make sense of issues ranging from the recent ICE killing in Houston, Texas, to the Trump administration’s attacks on the rights of marginalized communities. They also explore how today’s backlash against Critical Race Theory is tied to a broader effort to reshape American democracy, and explore how her own life shaped these groundbreaking ideas, as told in her new memoir, Backtalker: An American Memoir.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Learn & Do More:

• Be Curious: Pick up a copy of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s excellent new memoir, Backtalker: An American Memoir, as well as On Intersectionality: Selected Writings and Say Her Name: Black Women’s Stories of Police Violence and Public Silence.
• Solve Problems: We need more Black scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw to help us understand our history, navigate our present, and shape a more just future. As programs that support students of color continue to be dismantled, consider supporting the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) or other organizations that create educational opportunities for the next generation of Black scholars.
• Do Good: As we saw in Houston, ICE activity resulting in violence, detention, and deportation has not gone away, it continues to escalate. Consider donating to your local immigrant detention center's commissary fund to help provide detainees with basic necessities. Each Step Home (eachstephome.org) is one organization doing this work. You can also support the Acacia Center for Justice (acaciajustice.org), which builds, strengthens, and expands immigrant legal defense programs for adults and children across the country.

How can art help save our democracy? The relationship between art and politics has shaped American history for generations. From challenging those in power to inspiring social movements, artists have long played a vital role in protecting and strengthening democracy. This week, Stacey sits down with actress, director, and activist Kathleen Turner and former mayor of Ithaca and President of People For the American Way, Svante Myrick, for a conversation about the Trump administration's attacks on media and artistic expression, the role celebrities and influencers can play in political mobilization, and People For the American Way's efforts to defend Black voting power amid a racial gerrymandering crisis.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Learn & Do More:

• Be Curious: Check out Colson Whitehead’s novel John Henry Days. The story tracks 120 years of American history - from the folk tale of the railroad worker to how America confronts and cloaks its challenges even now.
• Solve Problems: Visit People for the American Way’s website at peoplefor.org and check out their Art of Saving Democracy Action Kit to learn more about how to use art for social impact.

• Do Good: Record high temperatures nationwide are slowly easing up, but they are an important reminder to be vigilant about caring for vulnerable communities when extreme weather hits. Please check on your elderly friends and neighbors, particularly those living alone, to make sure they are safe. Learn more about cooling centers in your community where people without power can go.

This week, guest host Melissa Murray, host of Crooked Media’s Strict Scrutiny podcast is joined by Erin Ryan, co-host of Crooked Media’s Hysteria. They juxtapose the Obama Presidential Center opening with Trump’s UFC event celebrating his 80th birthday, and talk about the two very different visions of our country that those events (and their attendants) represent. They also touch on Trump’s dismal approval ratings, the biggest takeaways from primary battles in states like New York and Georgia, the positive vibes at the World Cup, and why the right just can’t move on from attacking pride month.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Learn & Do More:

• Be Curious: Listen to Strict Scrutiny and Hysteria, wherever you get your podcasts.
• Solve Problems: Don’t let the right twist your understanding of our founding documents. Educate yourself and those around you by picking up a copy of Melissa’s newest book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader.
• Do Good: Celebrate America’s 250th birthday by visiting constitutioncenter.org.