Speak Out with Tim Wise

Episode 61 - Your Money or Your Life: COVID-19 and the False Choice of the Far-Right May 07, 2020

In this episode, I discuss the anti-lockdown protests and opposition to ongoing quarantining in the face of COVID-19. Rather than focusing on the extremist gun nuts, anti-vaxxers, and conspiracy loons behind some of this activity, I focus on the more reasonable fears of average, everyday folks, simply worried about the economy and their ability to support their families.
But as I explain, however reasonable their fears may be, the assumption that we must choose our money/jobs or our lives/health is false. It is a position into which people have been placed only because right-wing ideology and policymakers resist the kinds of government support for families and workers that other nations provide as a matter of course.
We could be doing the same things as nations like Denmark, for instance -- paying their people significant sums to stay home until the danger passes -- but our cultish devotion to the so-called free market and limited safety nets makes that unthinkable.
And yet, using two thought experiments, I show that we WOULD do those larger state interventions IF the victims of COVID-19 were disproportionately white, affluent, healthy, and in the prime of their lives. Similarly, we would take that route if the virus had a much greater ability to spread or was as deadly as say, a chemical weapons attack.
The fact that we could go the direction of a huge government support effort, but aren't doing that currently, proves that we value some lives more than others and that we value our ideology far more than the lives we're sure to lose if social distancing measures are lifted.

Episode 60: Political Organizing with Gratitude & Humility Rather than Guilt and Shame Apr 16, 2020

In this episode, I explore the importance of gratitude and humility, in terms of how we think of our own place and the place of others in the economy (especially in this moment of quarantine), and also as political organizing tools.
As we enter the home stretch for the 2020 election, activists in both the Biden camp and Sanders camp have been quick to deploy guilt and shame to motivate those in the opposite camp. For Biden supporters, it's shaming those Bernie die-hards who say they will refuse to vote for Biden in November, by insisting they will be responsible if Trump wins a second term. For the Berners its shaming supporters of literally any other Democrat for "not caring if people die because they can't afford insulin," or not caring about the climate crisis or student debt. In neither case is this approach intellectually honest, strategically wise, or ethical.
Instead, as I explain in this episode, we should utilize gratitude for those who could be our allies in the struggle for a more just society. And we should deploy humility when it comes to our own awareness--since, after all, whatever we know (or think we know) is the result of what we've been taught and the insights to which we've been exposed. We haven't the right, ethically, to be smug about how woke we are, when our own awareness may be fairly recent and is largely the result of others helping us come to whatever insights we've managed to stitch together.

Episode 59 - Facts Don't Care About Your Feelings, But Decent People Do: The Dangerous Emotional Detachment of the Right Nov 27, 2019

In this episode, I examine the right's new favorite mantra -- "facts don't care about your feelings" -- and what it says about modern conservatism's deeply stunted emotional core.
Looking at the political, philosophical and psychological underpinnings of this notion, that "reason and logic" are a) conservative, and b) in opposition to feelings and emotion (which are "liberal") I note the absurdity of such arguments, and also their fundamentally dehumanizing and dangerous logic.
Fact is:
1) What the right considers facts often aren't;
2) Conservatives are some of the biggest snowflakes on the planet;
3) Reason and emotion are NOT opposed to one another; rather they are complimentary and both critical to making us fully human;
4) In fact, only by caring about feelings and emotions (our own and those of others) can we fully make logic and rationality function as it should, and persuade anyone of the facts we seek to share with them;
and, 5) Psychologically speaking, to embrace detached indifference to people's emotions and feelings is to embrace sociopathy. It is to suggest that the nurturing of an anti-social personality is a morally compelling life goal. It is not. It is a sickness.
And apparently, that sociopathy is a hallmark of the modern conservative mind: something to be resisted and defeated for the good of us all.

Episode 58: Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and the Need for Solidarity Nov 02, 2019

On this episode, taped live at the 2019 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, Tim and his guests discuss the need for solidarity between Jews and Muslims in the face of growing white nationalism, fueled by deep-seated anti-Semitism as well as Islamophobia.
As synagogues and mosques around the world come under attack from terrorists intent on sowing hatred, the importance of Jews and Muslims seeing themselves as allies to one another becomes ever more important. Islam and Judaism have both been intensely racialized by white supremacists in ways that “other” them both and necessitate greater solidarity between the two.
But how do we build such solidarity, especially with so much division and misunderstanding concerning the ongoing Israel/Palestine conflict? How can we navigate that issue to produce greater understanding and a shared commitment to justice for all? We’ll also discuss how whiteness intersects with Judaism in America, and how Islam and Judaism both sometimes operate with an undercurrent of anti-blackness in this country.
My guests for this panel were Dr. Amer Ahmed, Dr. Lisa Albrecht and Kahled Al-Hakim, whose bios and work are explored in greter detail on the program

Episode 57 - Affirmative Action, the Model Minority Myth & Right-Wing Divide-and-Conquer Oct 14, 2019

In this episode, taped live at the 2019 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, Tim and his panelists discuss the way in which Asian Americans have long been viewed by some as a "model minority," and how that framing papers over ongoing racism against all persons of color, incuding Asian folks.
Particular attention is given to the way in which this trope has been deployed by reactionary attorneys who brought the recent lawsuit against Harvard for its affirmative action programs.
By pointing to higher average test scores for Asian students, the lawsuit claims more qualified Asian Americans are being discriminated against in elite college admissions to make way for black and Latino students with lower test scores. This argument rests on any number of false assumptions, but is a cynical and effective way to divide people of color by pitting them against one another, rather than engaging all such students in a fight for greater equity and access.
Tim's guests for this panel -- who are introduced in the panel itself -- were Dr. Helen Zia, Dr. David Pilgrim, Dr. Mary Danico and Dr. Nolan Cabrera.

Episode 56 - When Hate Comes to Campus: Responding to the New White Nationalism in the Age of Trump Jul 31, 2019

In this episode, taped live at the 2019 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE), Tim and his panel discuss the rise of overt racist and white nationalist organizing in America, and especially on college campuses.
With groups like Identity Europa actively recruiting college students, and with young people especially susceptible to right-wing radicalization via internet-based hate forums, it will be important for colleges—as places of learning and as spaces ostensibly committed to pluralism and equity—to devise strategies for responding to the upsurge of racist, Islamophobic, xenophobic and anti-Semitic activity.
Panelists will explore the causes for resurgent white nationalism, controversies regarding free speech/hate speech as they pertain to this new threat, and various institutional responses that colleges and universities will need to explore in order to meet the challenge.
Panelists include: Scot Nakagawa, Lindsey Schubiner, Rahuldeep Gill and Tim Wise

Episode 55 - Antifa: Myths and Realities with Daryle Lamont Jenkins Jun 25, 2019

In this episode, Tim speaks with Daryle Lamont Jenkins, founder of One People's Project and a leading figure in the American antifa (anti-fascist) movement.
With so much misinformation about antifa in mainstream corporate media, Tim and Daryle take the opportunity to discuss what antifa is and what it isn't; to discuss various tactics of antifa, from releasing the personal information of white supremacists to confronting Nazis in the streets. Do these tactics help or hurt the cause? Are there limits to the tactics? And what is the goal of antifa?
Additionally Wise and Jenkins discuss why ignoring fascists doesn't work, the overlap between extreme and mainstream right-wing figures and movements, and why there are even people of color and Jews in neo-fascist and white supremacist movements nowadays.
An important and enlightening discussion in the age of Trumpism

Episode 54 - Redemption & Restoration for the Formerly Incarcerated: A Conversation with Bettie Kirkland of Project Return May 14, 2019

On this episode, Tim speaks with Bettie Kirkland of Project Return: a Nashville-based non-profit that has been working for forty years to help formerly incarcerated persons find jobs, and most recently housing, despite the oftentimes substantial barriers they face to both.
Tim and Bettie discuss Project Return’s efforts over the years, how their work can help break down persistent stereotypes about the formerly incarcerated, and why a model of redemption and restoration is so much more logical than a model of punitiveness and shame—the latter of which, sadly, too often predominates in the criminal justice system.
They also reflect on the recently passed First Steps Act—the criminal justice reform bill signed by President Trump—and how activists can hopefully use its passage as adrenaline for further reforms, rather than allowing it to become anesthesia, lulling us into a false sense of security that the problems of the justice system have been solved with one piece of rather limited legislation.

Episode 53 - Dying of Whiteness: A Conversation with Scholar Jonathan Metzl Apr 02, 2019

In this episode, Tim speaks with Dr. Jonathan Metzl, a professor of sociology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, and the author of the new book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland. In his groundbreaking volume, Metzl sets out to explore and answer the question: why do working class and struggling white Americans so often seem to vote against their own interests? Electing politicians who vote against public health care initiatives (like Obamacare) from which they themselves would benefit? Or politicians who vote for fewer restrictions on gun availability even as white gun suicide rates skyrocket? Or politicians who vote to cut funding from education budgets upon which they themselves depend?
Wise and Metzl discuss the latter’s explosive findings from months of research in Tennessee, Kansas and Missouri—findings that illuminate how white fear (of black criminals, of “wasting” tax dollars on people of color, and of squandered resources in “urban” school districts) lead many whites to support right-wing policies that only make their own lives less livable. As one white man in Metzl’s study, who was dying of an untreated illness but couldn’t afford health care, put it: he would rather die than go on Obamacare, because he doesn’t support tax dollars going to welfare recipients and “illegals.” That man, who indeed has since died, is perhaps the best (but hardly the only) example of how white racial resentment harms not only its intended targets, but ultimately can destroy whites as well.
A powerful and illuminating conversation about a critical topic, this episode of Speak Out With Tim Wise will force us to ask the critical question: can we build a movement for justice in a nation where whites are so blinded by racial resentments and anxieties as to not even care for their own well-being, to say nothing of the well being of others? And if we are to build such a movement, what will it take to overcome the politics of resentment so aptly chronicled in Metzl’s research?

Episode 52: Palestine/Israel, the Firing of Marc Lamont Hill & the Limits of Open Inquiry Dec 04, 2018

On this episode, Tim discusses CNN’s firing of contributor Marc Lamont Hill (a former guest on the show), for comments he made in favor of full equality and justice for the Palestinian people.
Hill’s words, misinterpreted as a call for violence against Israeli Jews, have demonstrated not only the intellectual dishonesty of some of Israel’s most militant defenders, but also the limits of open inquiry and dialogue around the pressing issue of Middle East peace. In this reflection on Hill’s firing, Wise examines the way his own critique of Zionism has resulted in professional pushback and attacks over the years, and explores the way in which the conflation of anti-Zionist thought with anti-Semitism is not only rooted in ignorance but actually results in greater danger for Jews around the world.
Unless and until we can separate Zionism as a political movement from Judaism as an ethnic/cultural and religious community, not only will Jews themselves/ourselves be unwilling to sufficiently criticize Israel, but anti-Semites will conflate the two in a way that ultimately, and ironically, makes Jews less safe. In short, the silencing of pro-Palestinian narratives is not only bad for Palestinians, but when done so as to “protect” the interests of Jews, actually makes everyone including Jews, worse off.

Episode 51 - Analyzing the Midterms: What Do They Mean for Progressives, the Democrats & the Fight Against Trumpism? Nov 07, 2018

Well the midterm elections are over and the Democrats have retaken the House of Representatives, though losing ground in the Senate. What do the outcomes of key races mean for the Democratic Party, the battle against Trumpism and the future of the country? In this episode, Tim breaks down the good, the bad and the ugly of the midterms, and discusses what progressive forces need to do (and not do) in the wake of the election.

Episode 50: Donald Trump, the Myth of Meritocracy and Building Solidarity Through Radical Humility Oct 23, 2018

The recent New York Times expose on the Trump family—and how Donald’s father passed along hundreds of millions of dollars to his son—has once again exposed the way great wealth is often the result not of hard work and talent, but inheritance and intergenerational handouts. Although the focus of the story was on the Trumps, its value goes well beyond piercing the veil of self-dealing and occasional graft at the heart of one family’s empire. The narrative of “rugged individualism” and the myth of meritocracy—the idea that people “make it” or don’t based on talent and hard work—is firmly ingrained in the American psyche. Exposing the falsity of the notion as it regards the Trumps can allow us to examine the broader concept as it regards the rest of us and the society we share.
In this extended commentary, I explore the reasons why the notion of meritocracy is so compelling, psychologically, even for folks who are struggling. I also examine the evidence suggesting the notion is more mythical than real, and then delve into why the mythology is actually dangerous for most Americans, both individually and in terms of the kind of society people beholden to the concept end up creating.
Finally, I offer a method for progressives to push back against the notion of meritocracy and individualism, which can begin to chip away at this key stumbling block to solidarity: namely, a radical and transparent humility about our own stories. By acknowledging our own path—the unearned advantages we had, perhaps because of economic status or racial privilege, or even the luck and serendipity over which we had little control—we can forge an honesty that makes it harder to judge those below us and less likely that we’ll undeservedly praise those above. And by sharing our stories with others, we can build sustainable movements rooted in humility and a sense of collective purpose, both of which are critical to the creation of a more just society.

Episode 49 - Talking About Race in a Time of Turmoil: Dr. David Campt on the White Ally Toolkit for Constructive Dialogue Oct 09, 2018

On today’s episode, I speak with Dr. David Campt, racial dialogue facilitator, educator, and creator of the new White Ally Toolkit Workbook, which aims to provide white folks with the rhetorical and practical tools they need to engage other whites around issues of racial equity.
At a time of increasing political and racial division, the importance of white progressives and so-called “woke” folks knowing how to speak to (and with) those whose awareness of race issues is limited—or who steadfastly repel from the idea that racism is really an issue of importance at all—has never been greater. In their conversation, David and Tim explore why it’s so hard for some white progressives to speak to conservatives about these issues, why its important to figure out a way to do so, and what rhetorical and narrative tools are most effective for the purpose of ratcheting down partisan and ideological hostility, while possibly building bridges across philosophical divides.
So whether you’re interested in facilitating large scale group dialogues at your school, your place of worship or in your community, or just looking for practical advice about how to speak to that difficult family member at Thanksgiving, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Episode 48: Educational Inequity is a Feature not a Glitch: Racism and Schooling in America Sep 19, 2018

On this episode — the last before returning to the regular interview format of the program — please enjoy Tim's presentation to the teachers, staff and administrators of the Cahokia Illinois School district on August 31 of this year.
In this presentation, he discusses the ways that racial and ecnomic inequities in education, far from indicating failures in the system, actually suggest that inequality is a desired and deliberate outcome of schooling, and has been for many years. Herein, Wise explores the role techers can play in challenging that system of inequity, the importance of adopting a paradigm of schooling that focuses on collective liberation rather than individual accomplishment, and discuss the problems with colorblindness as a method for eduating children of color.

Episode 47: The Psychological Effects of Police Violence, Racism & Inequality in America Sep 04, 2018

This week’s episode features Tim’s plenary presentation at the 2018 American Psychological Association’s National Conference in San Francisco, this August. In this speech, Wise addresses the way that inequities in the justice system — especially police violence, racial profiling and disproportionate incarceration—impact the psychological health of peoples of color in America, and what those impacts mean for professionals seeking to offer trauma-informed care.
He also examines the way that racial disparities in the justice system and elsewhere affect the psychological well-being of whites. From internalized notions of superiority to a mentality of entitlement and unrealistic expectations, racial inequity can generate unhealthy states of mind even for those who typically benefit from a system of inequity. When entitlement and expectations are then frustrated (as with a global economy or as a result of changing demographics) whites then either lash out at others in ways that fail to make their own lives better, or internalize shame for their failures, contributing to things like the current opioid epidemic.
Bottom line: solidarity across racial lines and a society of greater equity are necessary to a psychologically healthy nation.

Episode 46: Facts Matter (No They Don't!) Well, Actually They Do (But it's Complicated)... Aug 21, 2018

On this episode, I explore what it means for progressive political movements that so much recent research suggests “facts don’t matter” when it comes to persuading people on various social issues. Does this mean we ought to ignore research, analysis and data in favor of more emotional and narrative forms of political appeals? Is the research even accurate when it says “facts don’t matter?” How do we know, and what do the answers suggest for organizing strategy or the way we engage others around politics?
With stories from my own experience, I’ll make note of the way facts seem not to matter, but also one very important way in which they do. Also, I’ll discuss the importance of progressives learning to illustrate facts with stories and narratives in a way that can compete with the right-wing’s talent at doing the same.
And finally, I’ll note the way that facts, used badly, can harm progressive movements, leading to the inescapable conclusion that when we mobilize on the basis of them we need to make sure we’re doing so accurately and logically.
A helpful primer on the way to make the case for a politics of social justice and equity...and the way not to.

Episode 45 - First Amendment Follies: What the Right Gets Wrong About Free Speech & the College Campus Aug 14, 2018

As I wind down my summer hiatus from interviewing guests, enjoy this extended commentary on the issue of free speech, and what it means—and doesn’t mean—on campuses and in the nation at large.
Lately, amid the decision of various social media companies to ban conspiracy theorist Alex Jones or neo-Nazis from their platforms—and amid pushback against right-wing speakers invited to college campuses—many folks (conservative and liberal) have insisted that these moves amount to violations of the free speech rights of those affected. But this is neither legally nor logically accurate. Free speech does not entitle anyone to another person’s platform, online, in a newspaper, on the radio, or in a lecture hall at a University.
In this commentary I explore the fallacies surrounding the notion of free speech and the requirements of the first amendment, the legal standards currently in place on these matters and what colleges can do (and should be able to do) to uphold their missions and values, and to fulfill their core function: the dispensation of scholarship. To think that schools are obligated to provide platforms to particular outside speakers as part of the "search for truth" or as part of the “marketplace of ideas” is philosophically ridiculous, for reasons I explain in detail on this week’s show.

Episode 44: Why Identity Politics is Necessary (But Whiteness is a Fraud): Race & Class Inequity in America Jul 24, 2018

While I take a break from guest interviews for the summer, enjoy these three commentaries: one new and two previously available in my 2017 Patreon archives.
In the first (and new) piece, I respond to common critiques of “identity politics,” and explain why those criticisms are wrongheaded on multiple levels. First, they are selective: only condemning a political focus on marginalized groups (people of color, women and LGBTQ folks, for instance) while ignoring the way that a focus on the “white working class,” conservative Christians, or bringing back manufacturing jobs mostly for men, are also about prioritizing certain identities. Second, to the extent most of us have not only dominant identities from which we benefit, but also identities that confer disadvantages—for instance, white folks who are poor—a politics that examines how identity impacts us is of benefit to all. Ultimately the problem is not identity-based politics, but identity-based oppression.
In the second piece, I examine the difference between a critique of whiteness (as a social force) and white people as individuals. Too often a critique of the first is seen as an attack on the second. But whiteness was created as a way to sucker most so-called white people into casting our lot with the wealthy, rather than recognizing the interests we share with working class people of color. To the extent whiteness has served as a trick to divide and conquer working folks, criticizing whiteness is not only something we should do for the sake of people of color, but also something we should do for the benefit of most so-called whites.
In the third and final piece, I explore how our tendency to venerate the wealthy—and give them credit for all good things that flow to the rest of us, like jobs—not only rests on a faulty understanding of economics, but also relies upon two important American forces, which make a politics of class solidarity harder here that in many other societies. The first of these is the myth of meritocracy, which leads even those who are struggling to believe they’ll be rich someday if they just work hard enough, and the second is the role of white supremacy, and specifically what W.E.B. DuBois called the “psychological wage of whiteness.” By providing relative advantage for white workers over people of color, America’s racialized version of capitalism keeps many working class whites in line, loyal to the wealthy, even as they would be better off joining with people of color to fight for a more just system.

Episode 43: It’s Not About Bigotry: Institutional Racism, Gentrification and the Perpetuation of Inequality Jul 17, 2018

While I take a break from guest interviews for the summer, enjoy this compilation of two previous (but still highly relevant) commentaries from my 2017 Patreon archives.
In the first, I explore the way that racism operates institutionally, even in the absence of deliberate racist and bigoted intent. When we presume that racism requires overt prejudice we often overlook the subtle but destructive ways in which racial inequity is perpetuated in labor markets, education and the justice system, simply by way of the normal, seemingly race-neutral operation of those systems. In so doing, we miss some of the most persistent and destructive manifestations of racial injustice.
In the second piece, I explore the issue of gentrification and the way that “economic revitalization” often serves to displace and further marginalize already marginalized persons of color, and the poor (of all colors), while disproportionately benefitting affluent whites.
Although perhaps preferable to white flight and the abandonment of urban areas, the question remains: why do lawmakers only commit to economic development when certain people move back to an area? Why don’t urban planners and elected officials have the same interest in creating opportunities for working class folks of color as they do for upper income white hipsters, tech-bros and “creative class” artists? And how might cities balance the need for economic development with the need for affordable housing, cultural preservation and respect, and opportunities for all?

Episode 42: White Nationalism and the Absurdity of Neo-Nazi Rhetoric (A Best of Tim Wise Episode) Jul 10, 2018

While I take a break from guest interviews for the summer, enjoy this compilation of two previous (but still highly relevant) commentaries from my 2017 Patreon archives, in which I discuss, dissect and dismantle the logic and argumentation of white nationalists and Neo-Nazis.
First, I explore the inherent moral and practical absurdity of white nationalism and white racial identity politics itself, and why organizing for “white interests” is inherently different than when people of color organize on the basis of theirs.
Then, I examine the particularly illogical and flawed reasoning behind the anti-Jewish bigotry so central to these movements. From claims that Jews enjoy “Jewish privilege” to claims that Jews control the media and financial sectors, the stupid is seriously strong with these arguments, as I explain in the second half of the show.

Episode 41 Free Speech, Hate Speech & Equal Protection on Campus: Challenges & Obligations in Higher Ed Jul 03, 2018

This episode features the third of three public dialogues held specifically for the show at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE), last month in New Orleans.
In this conversation, I’ll speak with educators and advocates, David Pilgrim, Michael Benitez and Loretta Ross – whose bios will be presented in the program itself – about the challenges facing college campuses when it comes to balancing the right to free speech (even for those espousing ideas that are racist, homophobic, sexist or in other ways hurtful) with the rights of equal protection for all students, especially those targeted by hateful or prejudicial speech.
What can campuses do to ensure the free and open exchange of ideas while at the same time ensuring civility and promoting an equitable and just community where all students can feel respected and safe?
Are there lines campuses can draw between speech that is protected and that which is disallowed? If so, how do we determine those lines?
Does the notion of free speech obligate campuses to provide platforms for any and all speakers, even when their views violate the stated mission and principles of the institution itself?
And putting aside actual restrictions on certain speech acts, what actions can institutions of higher learning take, proactively, to minimize the damage of hateful activity on campuses and create environments that are conducive to learning and community engagement?

Episode 40: Immigration & the Meaning of America: From the Muslim Ban to Family Separation & the Rhetoric of Hatred Jun 27, 2018

On this special episode, I offer an extended commentary on the extraordinary events of the past two weeks with regard to the issue of immigration policy, including the Administration’s cruel and inhumane policy of family separation at the border, as well as the ban on migration from several Muslim nations, which was just upheld by the Supreme Court.
What do these policies and rulings mean in terms of how we see the nation and the very concept of an “American?” What are the real motivations for these policies, and how does the president’s regularly dehumanizing rhetoric towards migrants of color prime the public for ever greater levels of cruelty? What does it really mean to speak of people as “legal” or “illegal,” given the arbitrary nature of those concepts?
And what should people of conscience do now in response: from lawmakers to church parishioners to average everyday folks? Is public shaming of Administration officials a legitimate response to their policies, and why are so many people calling for “civility” from the left, while the president and folks on the right have made a pastime of issuing cruel and demeaning invective towards virtually anyone who opposes of even questions them?

Episode 39: Movement Building for Justice: Black Self-Determination, White Allyship & Intersectionality Jun 19, 2018

Today’s episode features a conversation on social justice movement building between Tim and three of the nation’s most engaging thinkers and activists: Tia Oso, Dayvon Love and Chris Crass. The dialogue took place in front of a live audience at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE) in New Orleans on May 31.
Among the topics discussed by the panel: What things get in the way of effective movement building? What are the lessons we can take away from past and present movements about how to push through those obstacles? Are there common mistakes we make in this work, and if so, how can we learn from them as we move forward? What is the role of white people in social justice work? How important is Black self-determination to the cause of liberation and how has it been often overlooked within both historical and contemporary accounts of movement organizing? We’ll discuss all this and more on today’s episode of Speak Out With Tim Wise.

Episode 38 - Psychologies of Oppression: Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome, the Death of Empathy & the Assimilation Blues Jun 05, 2018

This episode is the first of three programs taped in front of a live audience at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE), held from May 29 to June 2, 2018 in New Orleans.
The guests — Joy Degruy, Jacqueline Battalora, and Rahuldeep Gill — explore the ways that people of color are psychologically affected by racialized injustice, from internalizing oppression to feeling intense pressure to assimilate, and the way whites in America are conditioned not only to accept our “superiority” but to restrain and subdue our own natural empathic tendencies, which might otherwise mitigate against injustice.
Additionally, the panel discusses the way racial trauma is transmitted across generations, the importance of using a sense of shared injury and pain as a bridge for building movement solidarity, and the issue of how and why we must begin to repair the damage of accumulated racial injury, both collectively and individually.

Episode 37 - Before You Call the Cops: A Conversation w/ Tyler Merritt About Personal Narrative & the Power of Empathy May 30, 2018

On this week’s episode, Tim speaks with Tyler Merritt, whose original video “Before You Call the Cops” recently went viral, provoking conversations across the nation about racism, stereotypes, and the importance of empathy in combatting racial injustice.
The video, part of a larger effort he calls the Tyler Merritt Project, seeks to reach hearts and minds through original video content steeped in both humor and personal narrative. Tim and Tyler discuss the importance of personal narrative, the proper role of humor in addressing social injustice, the role of artists in addressing matters of social concern, and what it means that so many people responded viscerally to “Before You Call the Cops.” They’ll also address some of the criticisms leveled at the video by folks in the larger antiracism struggle as well as some of Tyler’s other material on race and how it fits into racial justice activism.

Episode 36: Equal Opportunity for Dummies: Reclaiming Progressive Principles from Right-Wing Distortion May 22, 2018

On this episode of Speak Out with Tim Wise, I offer an extended analysis of the issue of equal opportunity and its real meaning. Often the right insists that they are the ones who believe in equal opportunity while the left is calling for “equal outcomes” or “equal results,” and that these notions are fundamentally at odds with the reality of individual differences in ability and the requirements of a free society. But this framing is fundamentally dishonest.
First, the left does not claim that everyone has the same abilities, or that everyone should have exactly the same “stuff” or expect the same outcomes. But the reality of inequalities and the normalcy of certain disparities in outcome cannot justify the vast gaps between the haves and have-nots in this society or the world, especially since those gaps have grown in recent years. And as regards race, there is no reason for individual-level ability differences to cluster by so-called racial group unless one presupposes racial inferiority or superiority: fundamentally racist notions that most all conservatives insist they reject.
Second, for real equal opportunity to exist, a certain equity of access is a necessary prerequisite. Simply passing civil rights laws and proclaiming the competitions of life fair and equal doesn’t make them so when generations of sedimented inequality have been built up and transmitted. To simply rely on procedural equality of opportunity would be like expecting those who start out 5 laps back in an 8-lap race to catch up to those with a built-in (unearned) advantage, and thinking such an expectation fair and just.
Justice requires that correctives to intergenerational inequality be developed and carried out so as to provide the groundwork for any meaningful and operational system of equal opportunity.
Bottom line: the right’s version of equal opportunity is a smokescreen intended to sound as though it is rooted in a commitment to fairness, but one which in truth is intended to rationalize the maintenance of existing hierarchies of power and privilege.
This extended personal commentary is an important corrective to common conservative propaganda and right-wing talking points.

Episode 35: Coffee, Community and Justice: A Conversation with Keba Konte of Red Bay Coffee May 15, 2018

On today’s episode, I speak with Keba Konte, founder of Red Bay Coffee in Oakland CA. On a mission to diversify the look and feel of the specialty coffee business in America, Konte’s business model for Red Bay considers issues of equity and fairness at all points along the supply chain: from where the coffee is grown and how much growers are paid, to how much his own baristas and other employees receive in pay and profit sharing, so they can continue to afford to live in rapidly gentrifying communities like the Bay Area.
Blending commerce and conscience — and demonstrating a successful model rooted in fairness, equity, and community — makes Red Bay Coffee a model for not only the coffee industry but for companies in general.
And at a time when companies like Starbucks are training their white employees on matters of implicit racial bias, companies like Red Bay are demonstrating that people of color ownership and connection to communities of color might well be an even deeper and more meaningful institutional challenge to racism.
This episode also contains Tim’s commentary on the recent spate of white folks calling police on people of color in a number of high profile incidents, and what these suggest about white privilege, white fragility and the current political and cultural moment.

Episode 34: Raising White Kids for Racial Justice in a Racially Unjust Society: A Conversation with Dr. Jennifer Harvey May 08, 2018

On today’s episode of Speak Out with Tim Wise, Tim speaks with Dr. Jennifer Harvey, Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Drake University, and author of the new book, Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in Racially Unjust America (for which he provided the foreword).
They’ll discuss the reasons why so many white parents avoid discussions of race with our kids, and the harm this silence ultimately does to our children's understanding of racial dynamics in America.
The conversation explores the common (if well-meaning) mistakes often made by white parents, and why telling your kids “we’re all equal,” is not only unhelpful but actually detrimental to the creation of a more racially just society.
They’ll discuss examples in their own lives, and interactions with their own kids, where racial issues came to the fore and how they handled those moments — for good and bad — and how parents can become more competent at fostering a healthy antiracist white identity development in their children, thereby helping to generate in those young white people a true sense of solidarity with peoples of color.

Episode 33: Jody David Armour - Examining & Confronting "Negrophobia" in White America and the Legal System May 01, 2018

On today's episode of Speak Out with Tim Wise, Tim speaks with Jody David Armour, the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at the University of Southern California, and a leading expert on the intersection between race and legal decision making. They’ll discuss the ongoing relevance of a book Armour wrote over 20 years ago, concerning the way that white Americans and the larger legal system have sought to rationalize racism and discriminatory treatment of African Americans, and to normalize what Armour calls “Negrophobia.”
From Bernard Goetz in 1980s New York to George Zimmerman more recently, as well as in case after case of police-involved shootings of unarmed black folks, the rationalizing of racial prejudice and the fear of black bodies has been a constant. As Armour notes on the program, this problem is more than one of individual bias; indeed, the workings of the justice system itself — from evidentiary standards to the “reasonable person” standard of analysis in jury instructions — virtually ensure the enshrining of Negrophobia in law and custom.
Wise and Armour will also explore the way Negrophobia can affect the thinking of black Americans, often leading to an internalized bias against other black folks, especially along lines of socioeconomic status. And finally, they’ll examine possible ways to move the national narrative on crime and violence away from irrational fear, hatred and a thirst for revenge, towards more restorative and redemptive practices and policies.

Episode 32: Monifa Bandele - Empowering Black Women and Reducing Racial Disparities in Maternal Health Apr 24, 2018

On today’s episode, Tim speaks with Monifa Bandele, Vice President and Chief Partnership & Equity Officer for Moms Rising: an organization committed to amplifying women's voices within the national public policy dialogue and media.
Tim and Monifa discuss Mom’s Rising’s campaign to address the disturbing maternal health disparities between black and white women in America, including distressing rates of maternal mortality for African American women irrespective of socioeconomic status. Why are black women dying at much higher rates, and how does racism — implicit and institutional — contribute to the problem? How do stereotypes of black women, often held even by white physicians, endanger their lives? And what policy changes are needed to address the problem?
They’ll also discuss last week’s removal of the statue of J. Marion Sims from Central Park in New York City. Sims, often called the “father of gynecology” (itself a rather absurd term given the long history of midwifery), developed many of his gynecological methods after submitting enslaved black women to torturous techniques, against their will, and without anesthesia. Why is the removal of the statue important, and not only at a symbolic level?
Finally, this episode includes a commentary by Tim about the implicit white nationalism at the heart of a number of recent incidents, in which black bodies were presumed not to belong in certain spaces, including that Philadelphia Starbucks we’ve all heard about. While many think of white nationalism as something that comes with burning crosses and marching around with tiki torches (as in Charlottesville last August), the presumption that black folks (and other people of color) simply don’t belong “here” (meaning our neighborhood, our school, our businesses, etc) is all too common and ingrained in the fabric of America.

Episode 31: (LIVE Taping) Victories from Inside Out: Dismantling the Prison-Industrial Complex Apr 17, 2018

On today's episode, Tim sits in conversation with two of the nation’s most inspiring criminal justice and prison reform activists, Taina Vargas-Edmond and Dorsey Nunn, during the first-ever recording of the show in front of a live audience.
Vargas-Edmond is the Executive Director and co-Founder of Initiate Justice and Dorsey Nunn is the Executive Director of Legal Services for Prisoners With Children/All of Us or None. In this public dialogue — a fundraiser for their respective groups sponsored by Bay Area SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) — they discuss a number of critical issues, including:
-- The devastating impact of incarceration on families and communities;
-- The importance of seeing the incarcerated as multi-dimensional human beings rather than broken and dangerous individuals incapable of restoration;
-- Why it’s so important to involve the incarcerated and their families directly in advocacy work and to have them actually leading those efforts;
-- The importance of some recent successes in California and elsewhere when it comes to criminal justice reform; and finally, the work that remains to be done to create a more just society for all.

Episode 30: #WeCounterHate - Creating an Innovative Digital Response to Racism on Twitter Apr 10, 2018

On today’s episode of Speak Out With Tim Wise, Tim speaks with the folks behind the We Counter Hate project: an ingenious and creative new effort to counter hate speech on Twitter. As you’ll hear on the program, the project involves the use of computer technology to identify hate speech, alert those who spread it that it has been deemed hate speech, and then let them know that for every re-tweet of the material, a donation will be made to an organization fighting the very hatred they seek to spread. Ultimately the goal is to get “hatefluencers”to think twice before retweeting bigoted content, by raising the cost of their free speech. Neither censorship nor shaming of racists will suffice to shut them down, but this creative approach is making a difference. Tweets marked by the We Counter Hate system get retweeted up to 70 percent less often than tweets sent out by the same Twitter accounts, but which were not marked.
Also on the program is Sammy Rangel, the Executive Director of Life After Hate — which works to help people leave the white supremacist movement and inoculate others to their poison — and which has worked with the folks at We Counter Hate to develop the model and the approach used in this effort.

Episode 29: Jasmine Tyler (Human Rights Watch) -Criminal Justice Policy in the Age of Trump Apr 03, 2018

On today’s episode of Speak Out With Tim Wise, Tim speaks with Jasmine Tyler, of Human Rights Watch, about criminal justice policy in the age of Trump and under the watch of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. They’ll explore the administration’s threats to states that have legalized recreational marijuana and their call for the death penalty for drug dealers, and what it could mean to re-invigorate the failed and racially-disparate war on drugs.
Tyler and Wise will also examine the ongoing racial disparities in street-level drug arrests, even in states that have legalized weed dispensaries, and the importance of linking decriminalization efforts to racial justice work. Finally, they’ll discuss the problem with drug courts, as well as using “risk assessment algorithms” to predict future offending—often offered as an alternative to financially oppressive money bail, but which threatens to replicate all the racial and economic inequities of the existing system.
Also on the episode, Tim offers an analysis of the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of racial (in)equity since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., 50 years ago this Wednesday.

Episode 28: Marc Lamont Hill on Youth-Led Justice Movements, Police Violence, and the Racialization of Terror Mar 27, 2018

Today’s guest on Speak Out With Tim Wise is Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, one of America’s leading public intellectuals. Hill is a Temple University professor, host of BET News, a regular political contributor for CNN, and the author of the NYT bestseller, Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on the Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond.
On this week’s program, Wise and Hill discuss Trumpism, and the inspiring state of youth resistance, both in the U.S. and abroad. Additionally, they explore the relationship between younger and older activists, including how elders can provide helpful insights to youth while at the same time giving them the space to grow, make their own mistakes, and ultimately lead the struggles for equity and justice.
Hill and Wise also examine the ongoing reality of police shootings of unarmed persons of color—as with the killing of Stephon Clark in Sacramento—as well as the differential way media frames violence and terrorism, whether committed by people of color and Muslims on the one hand, or white Christians like the recent bomber in Austin, Texas, on the other.
Finally, Hill discusses why he opened a bookstore in Philadelphia, and why black bookstores are such a vital component of community there and elsewhere.

Episode 27: Bradley Onishi on What Really Motivates White Evangelical Politics (and Why?) Mar 20, 2018

On today’s episode, Tim speaks with Bradley Onishi, an Assistant Professor of Religion at Skidmore College and author of the forthcoming book, The Sacrality of the Secular, from Columbia University Press.
Onishi’s recent writings, in which he discusses his past as an evangelical Christian, frame the conversation as he and Wise explore the way that white evangelism in particular filters virtually all issues of political morality through the lens of abortion. They’ll discuss why this is, how it explains fundamentalist support for Donald Trump despite his repeated violation of Christian norms of behavior, and how it connects to the religious right’s racial vision for America as well.
Onishi also discusses the privilege of white nostalgia for a fictive religious, racial and national past, as well as the meaning of Billy Graham and his elevation to the role of “America’s Pastor,” following his recent death.
This episode also features Tim’s weekly commentary, in which he discusses recent bombings in Austin, TX as well as the arrest of two white men who were hoarding weapons and bomb-making materials in NY and FL, and what the lack of news coverage — and the president’s silence about these events — says about the way we view terrorism, violence, and danger in America.

Episode 26: Robin DiAngelo/Debby Irving - White Fragility, Obliviousness & White Allyship Mar 13, 2018

On this episode of Speak Out With Tim Wise, Tim speaks with antiracism educators and authors, Robin DiAngelo and Debby Irving. They’ll discuss the ways in which white obliviousness to the reality of racism, and "white fragility" as DiAngelo calls it—which causes such backlash when matters of race and privilege are raised—both complicate efforts to produce racial equity in American institutions. They’ll explore how white fragility manifests, why it’s so toxic for both people of color and (ironically) white folks, and how even “nice white people” can derail conversations and efforts aimed at rectifying racism unless the phenomenon is understood and confronted.
They also discuss the inherent tensions they all feel as whites doing antiracism work, in which they confront and critique privilege, on the one hand, while most assuredly benefitting from it on the other. How should whites navigate that space? How can we do so in a more accountable way to people of color? And how have they come to see the proper role of whites in the movement for racial justice?

Episode 25: Rashad Robinson (Color of Change) on Race and Representation in Hollywood Mar 06, 2018

Today on Speak Out With Tim Wise, Tim speaks with Rashad Robinson Executive Director of Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. Driven by over one million members, Color Of Change builds power for Black communities, moving decision makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people and all people.
In addition to their work around criminal justice reform, Color of Change is currently spearheading the Hollywood Culture Project, an initiative to change the rules in Hollywood, ensuring accurate, diverse, empathetic and human portrayals of Black people on television and throughout the media landscape.
On this episode, Robinson and Wise discuss the importance of more accurate and representative images in media and entertainment, and how those images connect to the broader struggle for racial equity and justice.

Episode 24: Hugh Vasquez on Understanding and Undoing Subconscious Racial Bias Feb 28, 2018

On this episode Tim speaks with activist and educator Hugh Vasquez of the National Equity Project about the role of subconscious bias in perpetuating racial inequities, and how individuals and institutions can begin to undo the impact of these biases and create policies and practices that minimize the damage they can do.
In their discussion Hugh and Tim explore the research from the field of brain science and how that research can (and must) inform our strategies for addressing racism in our communities.

Episode 23: Guns, Violence and the Cult of the Firearm in America Feb 20, 2018

On today’s episode Tim offers an extended personal commentary on the gun crisis in America, following last week’s horrific mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida. With so much attention focused on what the shooting means—about guns and violence in America, about mental health, and about the politics of gun control—it’s important to understand the issues in play, to cut through the arguments against common sense gun regulations made by gun fanatics, and to explore the connections between guns, toxic masculinity, and whiteness in particular.
In this hour, Tim demonstrates not only the sources of the problem—too many easily available guns and a culture that fetishizes them—but also examines some of the ways in which we might begin to wind down the problem of gun violence and minimize the likelihood that such tragedies will continue to occur.

Episode 22: Loretta Ross on Race, Reproductive Justice and Movement Building in an Age of Backlash Feb 13, 2018

On this week’s episode, Tim speaks with Loretta Ross, one of the nation’s leading scholars and activists in the movement for reproductive justice. She was the co-founder and National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective from 2005-2012, a network founded in 1997 by women of color specifically to organize women of color in the reproductive justice movement.
Ms. Ross was the Founder and Executive Director of the National Center for Human Rights Education (NCHRE) in Atlanta, Georgia and launched the Women of Color Program for the National Organization for Women (NOW) in the 1980s.
She is the author or co-author of several books including her two latest: Reproductive Justice: An Introduction, which she co-authored with Rickie Solinger, and Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundations, Theory, Practices and Critique.
On the show today, Loretta and Tim will discuss the meaning of reproductive justice and how it seeks to expand the traditional concept of reproductive freedom beyond mere issues of abortion access and typical pro-choice/pro-life divides.
They’ll discuss how reproductive self-determination connects to issues of racial inequity, comprehensive health care access, and education, and how without an intersectional framework linking these things, the entire concept of reproductive freedom and choice mean very little for women, including those women who choose to carry a pregnancy to term.
Ross and Wise also explore the opportunities for cross-racial alliances in the age of Trump, why it’s important to engage whites around issues of white supremacy, and how movements for social justice can ultimately do that.

Episode 21: Activist/Author Rinku Sen on Movement Building and Intersectionality in the Age of Trump Feb 06, 2018

On this week’s episode, Tim speaks with activist, author, and leading progressive movement strategist, Rinku Sen. They discuss why it's important for progressives to bridge the work being done by anti-Trump activists (who focus mostly on challenging the Administration’s corruption and authoritarian tendencies) with broader issue-oriented social justice efforts, and why both community organizers and electoral campaigners have lots to learn from one another. Additionally, she and Tim discuss the strategic and conceptual value of intersectionality when it comes to movement building, and how it can help clarify the importance of identity to our experiences, while yet building bridges between people that avoid the sometimes isolating elements of so-called identity politics. Finally, they discuss the importance of storytelling and narrative to the building of progressive movements, as well as the recent Golden Globes protest, and the value of celebrities taking up progressive causes, amid criticism and pushback to them doing so.

Episode 20: Dr. Chris Emdin - For White Folks Who Teach in the 'Hood (and the Rest of Y'all Too) Jan 30, 2018

This week on Speak Out with Tim Wise, Tim speaks with Dr. Christopher Emdin, author of the award-winning and best-selling books, "Urban Science Education for the Hip-Hop Generation," and "For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education."
Emdin, who is a professor of Math, Science and Technology at Teacher’s College (Columbia University), is a leading expert on ways to engage and inspire young students of color in school by connecting their daily lived experiences, styles of communication and natural genius to academic learning. On this episode, Tim and Chris discuss this “reality pedagogy,” and how teachers so often resist its use, settling instead for stale and failed approaches to educating such students. They also discuss the myth that money alone will solve the issues facing urban education, the problem of white savior syndrome manifested by many white teachers in black and brown communities, and the way that oftentimes even educators of color adopt habits and mentalities that further marginalize children of color.
A must-listen-to episode on a critical topic for all educators, parents, and persons concerned about the future of schooling in America.

Episode 19: Filmmaker Ramsey Denison - Corruption and Cover Up in the Las Vegas Police Department Jan 23, 2018

This week on Speak Out With Tim Wise, Tim speaks with filmmaker Ramsey Denison, whose award-winning documentary, "What Happened In Vegas" exposes the corrupt and brutal workings of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. While most Americans only came to think about law enforcement in Vegas in the wake of last October’s mass shooting, Denison explains that the LVMPD has a pattern of deeply rooted abuse and misconduct, little of which has ever resulted in officers being held accountable.
Focusing specifically on four recent cases in which Las Vegas police killed innocent and unthreatening civilians, Denison shines a light on this culture of corruption, and the way in which the casinos and press in Las Vegas do their part to keep a lid on stories of wrongdoing. With regard to the October mass shooting by Stephen Paddock on the Vegas strip, Denison notes that the casino called a "back line” to the police, rather than 911 when the shooting began — something they do when high rollers are involved — and that this likely delayed the police response to the tragedy. Tim and Ramsey discuss the film and the stories it tells, and what needs to be done to restore confidence and integrity to the Las Vegas police department.
This episode also includes Tim’s weekly commentary, discussing the recent government shutdown and the capitulation by Democratic Party leadership to the GOP’s weaponization of DACA and the Dreamers

Episode 18: CNN Contributor Sally Kohn on Trump, Progressive Resistance and Oprah (for President?) Jan 16, 2018

With many progressives focused on fighting Donald Trump — exposing collusion with Russia, possible money-laundering, and other misdeeds — and others continuing (as before the election) to focus on fighting broader issues of xenophobia, racial inequity in policing and systemic misogyny, there is an important question to ask: what is the proper balance for the left? How much should we focus on Trump or Trumpism, and how much should we emphasize the larger struggles that we were engaging before he burst on the political scene?
On this episode, Tim speaks with CNN contributor, author and longtime activist Sally Kohn about these matters. How will the Democratic Party respond to Trump in 2018 and 2020? Will they make Trump the issue or put forth an agenda that people will vote for, rather than simply voting against a particular individual in the White House? How will they navigate the tensions between those who criticize “identity politics” and claim there is too much focus on issues of race, gender and sexuality, (and not enough on the “working class”), and those who insist it is people of color, women as women and LGBT folks who are the most reliable bases of the Democratic coalition, and thus it is those voters to whom Democrats must principally appeal?
Oh, and they’ll also discuss why Sally hates cruise ships and why she penned an essay claiming that Oprah Winfrey would make an exceptional president. And in his weekly commentary, Tim will explain why despite her excellent speech at the Golden Globes, and her general decency as a human being, an Oprah presidency is far from something that progressives should ultimately support.

Episode 17: Black Conservatism in Transition in an Age of Trump - A Conversation with Charles Badger Jan 09, 2018

What does it mean to grow up a black Republican, and conservative in America? And especially as the right has increasingly relied upon race-baiting and white racial resentment for votes? On this week’s episode of Speak Out with Tim Wise, Tim speaks to someone who has been there, done that, and has emerged with a newfound political independence and determination to force both major parties to take seriously the concerns of people of color and the poor. Political consultant and writer Charles Badger has worked for such GOP figures as Mitch McConnell and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and worked as an outreach coordinator on the 2016 presidential campaign of Jeb Bush. But as the Republican Party finds itself in thrall to Trumpism, Charles has struck out in a different direction, hoping to bring his insights from a life on the right to a politics of inclusion, integration and serious policy analysis aimed at uplifting those most in need.
On this episode, Tim and Charles discus the state of the nation, the de-evolution of black conservatism, the forces behind Trumpism, and what policy prescriptions might begin to narrow the gaps between white folks and folks of color in America, and between the economic haps and have nots.
This episode also features Tim's commentary on the way conservatives are still trying to rationalize stop-and-frisk policing, even as crime has continued to plummet in New York City without it, despite their insistence that ending the practice would lead to chaos and bloodshed.

Episode 16 - Writer/Poet Michael Harriot: On Racism, Whiteness and Honesty in America Jan 02, 2018

Words are just letters on a page, or sounds traveling through the air when spoken, except when they’re more than that. For Birmingham-based writer and poet Michael Harriot — whose essays are featured at The Root and whose spoken word performances have lit up audiences across the United States — words are much more. They are tools at the very least, and weapons at the most, for crafting truth in a society built on lies.
On this episode, Tim speaks with Michael about some of his recent essays about race in America: about the trouble with white liberals and colorblindness; white deflection techniques to avoid hard conversations about racism; the difference between institutional racism and personal bias, and the racial meaning of the recent Alabama Senate election among other things.
The episode also features Michael’s spoken word performance of his poem “My Mama So Black,” performed at the 2017 International World Poetry Slam Finals, and Tim’s commentary about the quixotic search for those elusive Obama-to-Trump voters folks like to talk about so as to "prove" that Trump's appeal isn't due to racism.

Episode 15 - Singer/Songwriter Will Hoge on Making Country Music With Progressive Politics Dec 26, 2017

Conscience or Commerce? Sometimes the choice is a difficult one, especially as a songwriter, and particularly in a mostly country genre, where political music (especially with an unapologetically progressive message) risks turning off some fans, and certainly record labels. Luckily for Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Will Hoge, being an independent artist has allowed him to make a good living doing what he loves and to speak his mind about the issues of the day when the occasion calls for it.
For nearly 20 years Will has been touring non-stop, churning out album after album of live and studio work, building a huge fan base and tackling topics including the plight of the poor, immigration, religious phoniness, the killing of Trayvon Martin, the confederate flag and the power of the gun lobby in the face of mass killings—all this, in between the necessary and also excellent songs about love, loss, whiskey and regret, which so often define the genre in which he operates.
On this episode, Tim speaks to Will about his more political work, what inspired him to take risks in crafting those songs, how he developed his own consciousness around these issues, and how a near-fatal accident in 2008 impacted his mentality about the career he chose, as well as his outlook on family and life in general.

Episode 14 - Framing the Black Family: Dr. Travis Dixon on Race and Media Misrepresentation in America Dec 19, 2017

Amid competing concerns about “fake news” and media bias — whether coming from conservatives who think the media is slanted left, or progressives who feel the press carries too much water for Trump, Wall Street and the right — one thing is certain: the media continues to present disproportionately negative images of black families, contributing to racial bias and reactionary public policy.
On this week’s episode Tim speaks with Dr. Travis Dixon (University of Illinois), a media effects scholar who studies racial stereotypes in mass media and the impact of stereotypical imagery on audience members. They discuss his latest study, conducted for Color Of Change and Family Story, which examined the way media frames stories about African American families.
Dixon found a clear tendency for media to over-represent black families as poor, welfare dependent, criminal and lacking in paternal involvement, relative to the what the factual data says about the state of black families in America. The policy implications of these findings are discussed, as are solutions to the problem of racial bias in media narratives.
Also on this episode, Tim’s weekly commentary concerns the resurrection of budgetary “Scroogism” among Republicans as they push tax cuts for the wealthy and threaten program cuts for the neediest among us.

Episode 13: Fake News, Post-Truth Politics and the Future of American Democracy Dec 12, 2017

Tired of living in a “post-truth” political world where lies become “alternative facts” and social media facilitates the spreading of nonsense faster than ever before? Worried about the way we often find ourselves, and others, in walled-off political and cultural silos, only hearing things that reinforce our pre-existing assumptions? Concerned about the way our brains seem almost wired for irrationality? You’re not alone. And luckily, things are not hopeless!
On today's episode, I'll speak with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, a professor at Ohio State University who specializes in the science of irrational decision making, and is committed to fostering fact-based inquiry and rationality in our daily and political lives. As co-founder of the “Pro-Truth Pledge,” Tsipursky is pushing for a renewed commitment to accuracy, fact-checking and honesty in our daily discourse, whether on social media or in politics. And as Tsipursky explains, there are strategies we can employ to foster the search for truth, short-circuit our own tendencies to irrational thinking, and encourage the same in others.
This episode also features my commentary on the “post-truth” claims of conservatives and Republicans, to the effect that “they are the party of civil rights and anti-racism,” in which I explain the historical deception behind such a claim.

Episode 12 - Dr. Robyn Henderson-Espinoza on Public Theology, Intersectional Activism and Social Justice Dec 05, 2017

When we think of theology or philosophy or ethics, we often think of mere theory, either received from authorities on high or taught in stale classrooms, without real world, daily applicability to pressing social concerns. But Dr. Robyn Henderson-Espinoza — this week’s guest on Speak Out with Tim Wise — knows that real liberation requires the blending of theory and practice. As a Transqueer Latinx activist (they/their/them pronouns), and public theologian committed to expanding our moral horizons, Henderson-Espinoza expresses in clear and bold terms, “crucified people are my people,” and discusses what it means to engage a truly liberatory theology and ethics. Challenging state violence — which is, after all, what crucifixion represents, in both literal and metaphorical terms — is the highest responsibility of persons committed to social justice. As Robyn and Tim discuss in this episode, only by doing so in an intersectional way (and challenging the binaries that so often divide us) can true liberation for all — oppressed and oppressor — be obtained.

Episode 11 - Activist/Actor Matt McGorry (How to Get Away With Murder) on Fighting Racism and Misogyny in Hollywood and America Nov 28, 2017

Although Matt McGorry is best known for his role as Asher Millstone on ABC's How to Get Away With Murder, he is also increasingly known for speaking out on issues of sexism, racism and white male allyship in the struggles against both. With reports of widespread male sexual predation emerging from Hollywood (and the world of politics), Matt's take on these subjects, both in and outside the entertainment industry, is especially timely. On this episode we discuss misogyny and structural white supremacy, the problematic concepts of "good men" or "good white people" (and why our intentions aren't the point where oppression is involved), and navigating these subjects while in the public eye as a celebrity.

Episode 10 - Frances Lee on Social Justice Activism, Call-Out Culture and the Pitfalls of Progressive Proselytizing Nov 21, 2017

Fighting for a better world in a society beset by multiple injustices can be incredibly exciting and rewarding — and it’s obviously necessary. But can it also sometimes bring out the worst in people? Like a toxic quest for ideological purity? Or an overly judgmental tendency to call people out in divisive and dogmatic ways over even relatively small errors in judgment? In recent essays, “Excommunicate Me from the Church of Social Justice,” and “Why I’m Starting to Fear My Fellow Social Justice Activists,” writer and activist Frances Lee explains why the answers to these questions are often yes, and why it matters.
If we wish to build a strong and effective progressive left, we’ll need to find ways to support one another without striking a more-radical-than-thou pose; and we’ll need to re-focus our attention on structures and systems that maintain oppression, rather than attacking individuals when they make mistakes, inadvertently say the wrong thing, or fail to live up to the standards of some on the left.

Episode 9 - Meghan Linsey on Taking a Knee for Justice, Anti-Racist Solidarity and Progressive Country Music Nov 14, 2017

This September, singer/songwriter Meghan Linsey, the 2015 runner-up on "The Voice" took a knee as she sang the final note of the national anthem before the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks game in Nashville. Meghan and her boyfriend and guitar player, Tyler Cain, joined players across the NFL that day in this form of protest, in response to Donald Trump criticizing football players for speaking out against police brutality and racial injustice. On this episode, I'll speak with Meghan about the responsibility of artists to speak out in these dangerous times, the importance of white allyship to people of color, and how her experiences growing up around racism heightened her awareness to the need to resist.

Episode 8 - Spare the Kids: Dr. Stacey Patton on Race, Corporal Punishment and Why Whuppins Won't Save Black America Nov 07, 2017

Perhaps you’ve heard it said before: “I got spanked as a kid and I turned out alright!,” or “If I don’t whoop you, the police will do far worse” as rationales for corporal punishment, in general, and especially within the black community (and white working class communities). But while the people who say these things may mean well, what damage does spanking children actually do? My guest this week is professor, author, and scholar Dr. Stacey Patton of Morgan State University. Her work (and her personal story) attest to the damage done by corporal punishment and the way violence done to black children for generations under enslavement and white supremacy ultimately became embedded in the thinking of even those victimized by it. As Patton — an unapologetic critic of racism and white supremacy — makes clear, historically speaking, spanking or “whuppin” black children is “literally the whitest thing you can do.” Until we begin to see such practices as antiquated and destructive forms of abuse, generations of young people will continue to be hit in the name of love, embedding deeply destructive mixed messages about the care they deserve, both as children and later as adults.

Dangerous Knowledge: Dr. Curtis Acosta Discusses the Assault on Mexican American Studies in Tucson Oct 31, 2017

Imagine a high school program whose students are 5 times more likely than their counterparts to go to college, and only 1/20th as likely to drop out. Now imagine lawmakers banning that program and attacking its leaders as “un-American.” As Dr. Curtis Acosta explains on this week’s Speak Out With Tim Wise, that’s what happened when Arizona eliminated Tucson’s Mexican American Studies Program. But now a federal court has ruled the ban unconstitutional, giving new hope to progressive and transformative educators across the nation. On this episode Wise and Acosta will discuss the program and the effect it had on students, the racist attacks leveled against it, and the future of radical educational reform in Arizona and the nation.

Episode 6 - Teaching Black Students in the Crosshairs of Injustice: A Conversation with St. Louis Teacher Erika Whitfield Oct 24, 2017

In this episode, I talk with Erika Whitfield, a 7th grade teacher in St Louis, whose recent Washington Post article about her students’ reaction to police misconduct (and the acquittal of yet another white officer in the killing of yet another black man), speaks to the way even 12 year old black kids have come to expect disappointment from the justice system. We discuss what this means, and how she as a teacher helps inspire their learning and optimism despite a system that they already understand is stacked against them.

Equity, Justice and the White Church (Rob W. Lee and John Pavlovitz) Oct 17, 2017

What does one do when their church no longer wants them as a pastor? When speaking out against white supremacy, on behalf of black lives, and in solidarity with LGBTQ liberation, ultimately costs them their jobs? Does one abandon the church altogether or try and fight for a progressive Christianity instead? My guests this week have answered the questions clearly, and in favor of the latter option. Rob W. Lee -- a descendant of Robert E. Lee -- faced pushback from parishioners in his church after condemning white supremacy in the wake of Charlottesville, ultimately convincing him to resign his position. Meanwhile, John Pavolovitz was fired from his position after challenging some of the more reactionary church positions on sexuality among other topics. Both are adamant however that those reactionary ideologies should not and do not define what Christianity can be, even in a white church community that has often taken a pass on justice struggles. Regardless of your own faith beliefs -- or even if you reject religion altogether -- this conversation is a necessary one for progressives to engage.

Episode 4: Cephus (Uncle Bobby) Johnson and Nissa Tzun (Families United 4 Justice) Oct 10, 2017

In this episode, I'll be speaking to Cephus ("Uncle Bobby") Johnson -- the uncle of Oscar Grant, who was shot and killed by a transit officer in Oakland in 2009 -- as well as Nissa Tzun of Families United 4 Justice. We'll discuss the ways in which families are affected by police violence, but so often do without the support and services of the community when their loved ones are killed. The sympathy that so often attaches to the victims of criminal violence is rarely as forthcoming for those victimized by law enforcement. What do these families need, and need for us to know? And how can we elevate their voices in the larger discussion about reforming policing in America?
Disclaimer: My apologies for some of the sound glitches in this episode. I was doing a Skype recording with both guests at once and it created some feedback, some of which I was able to eliminate, but some of which I was not. Lesson learned, the technical quality will improve from here on out!

Episode 3: Activist and Educator Tia Oso Sep 30, 2017

There’s an old saying: “You gotta dance with the one that brought ya.” But as my guest Tia Oso explains in this week’s episode, too often Democrats and white liberals fail to acknowledge the centrality of folks of color – and especially black women – to any truly progressive political coalition. Only by amplifying and listening to the voices, agendas and ideas of the most marginalized, can progressives hope to build lasting and effective movements for social change.

Episode 2: Former Skinhead Christian Picciolini Sep 30, 2017

For those who wonder why people join hate groups, much like those who gathered recently for the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, my guest on this episode knows the answers all too well. Christian Picciolini was in one of America’s first Nazi skinhead crews and was a committed white supremacist for years. Now he helps racists leave hate behind and works to inoculate a new generation of young people from the poison of prejudice, and he’s got some ideas about how to respond to surging white nationalism in America.

Episode 1 : Filmmaker Qasim Basir Sep 30, 2017

How does it feel to be a problem? It’s a question sociologist W.E.B DuBois asked over a century ago in The Souls of Black Folks, and which my guest this week also addresses, regarding both blackness and his identity as a Muslim in post 9-11 America. On this episode, I chat with writer/director Qasim Basir about his award-winning films Mooz-lum and Destined. We discuss the beauty (and the horror) of faith, the power of personal choices in the face of systemic injustice, and the importance of unapologetically black art in dangerous times.

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