The Breakdown with Shaun King

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 747 - I just need you to hear this statement from the Chief of Police in Memphis. It's the best I've ever heard Jan 26, 2023

Show notes

In all my life, I don't think I've ever shared or bragged about a statement from the police. They are almost always terrible, inhumane, and full of nothing but what we call copaganda designed to protect police.

But last night, Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis, in the shadows of the brutal murder of Tyre Nichols by officers in her department, Chief Davis not only fired the 5 main cops involved, she has made it abundantly clear publicly and privately that everything about what those cops did was absolutely horrible.

I just want you to listen to her entire statement today and see it as a model for what's possible with policing in America. It would be best, of course, for Tyre to be alive, but this is what accountability and humanity should look like.Let me unpack and explain it.

To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

Love and appreciate you all.

Shaun

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Ep. 746 - The United States has now had 40 mass shootings in the first 25 days of 2023. Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

Mass shootings are now MORE American than apple pie. 300% more Americans have been shot and killed since the start of the war in Ukraine than Ukrainians have been killed in the war.

That's how violent this place is. I know it's our home. But 40 mass shootings in 25 days? How is this sustainable? And what do we do?

Because we are the only nation in the world that has more guns than people. And it's not even close. And as long as we have a staggering 400 million guns (and growing) in circulation, the mass shootings, and all of the other gun violence appears like it will be here to stay.

Let me unpack and explain it.

To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

Love and appreciate you all.

Shaun (edited)

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Ep. 745 - You need to know this name: Tyre Nichols Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

Yet again, in this brutal place we call the United States of America, another Black man has been beaten to death by police.
Yesterday, family and attorneys saw the body camera footage and said that Tyre was beaten worse than Rodney King. They said it was like they were beating a human piñata.
And it's all so outrageously exhausting. We've already marched and protested and demonstrated and the best thing I can compare this country to is an abusive spouse. That clearly doesn't love or respect us in any way.
I know the District Attorney in this case and our staff @RealJustice helped get him elected. We believe he will do right by this family.
Let me unpack and explain it.
To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.
If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.
Love and appreciate you all.
Shaun

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Ep. 744 - Why I've lost the little bit of confidence I had in Joe Biden's DOJ. Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

The moment Joe Biden was elected, I had very little expectations that he'd do much about the issues of police violence and mass incarceration. He was already damn near 80 years old and hadn't done much of anything good about those issues his entire life.

But when he appointed Merrick Garland, a bland, moderate, conservative white man who has always lacked the courage for bold moves on police violence and mass incarceration, it was clear that those things were not true priorities for Joe Biden Biden.

And here we are, in year 3 of their administration, and next to nothing has been done. A few cases have been prosecuted here and there, but the 2 cases the DOJ most famously filed charges for, of the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, had literally already been successfully prosecuted in Minnesota and Georgia.

I've formally submitted lists of HUNDREDS of cases from the 1950s until today and this DOJ continues to ignore them all.

Listen, it's not that I'm surprised, but I am frustrated and disappointed that we continue to get damn near the same shit on issues of police violence no matter who we elect.

Let me unpack and explain it.

To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

Love and appreciate you all.

Shaun

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Ep. 743 - Democrats now have a window to challenge Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024. Should they? Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

Let me give you my answer right off the top - YES! Because of the growing scandal with Joe Biden having classified and even TOP SECRET documents all over this house and offices, a window has opened up for some Democrats to do something that rarely happens - challenge a sitting President from within the party for the nomination.

Beyond the fact that Joe Biden would be 82 years old when he would start the next Presidency, this classified document situation has weakened him and damaged the entire party.

Before this current scandal, it seemed highly unlikely that anyone would challenge Biden for the nomination, but I'm hearing a ton of chatter behind the scenes now that 2-3 candidates might go ahead and announce they are running anyway.

I hope they do. What do you think?

Let's talk about it.

To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

Love and appreciate you all.

Shaun

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 742 - Ron DeSantis just banned African American Studies from being taught in Florida Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

Yes, I'm serious. The State of Florida, under the leadership and legislation of Ron DeSantis, just banned African American Studies from being taught in public schools.

This is actually a DEEPLY disturbing setback. It's not just racist and foolish, it's dangerous. It's a sign of where this country is right now - and a grave sign of where we are heading.

Let me unpack and explain it all.

To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

Love and appreciate you all.

Shaun

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Ep. 741 - My thoughts on the new King Family monument in Boston Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

Alright. I didn't plan on talking about this, but I have to. Most people who see this monument see two sets of arms and hands embracing each other. And it's based on a beautiful photo of Dr. King and Coretta embracing each other after he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

But other people swear they see a hand holding a penis. And it's true, that from one angle, if you are already thinking that, it's hard to un-see it.

Let me unpack and explain it all.

To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

Love and appreciate you all.

Shaun

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 740 - Why I found MLK Day to be a bit frustrating this year Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

I'm a HUGE Dr. King fan and follower and have been for most of the past 30+ years. But this year, for the first time in a long time, I found myself with the time and space to reflect on how this nation honors (or dishonors) Dr. King on his birthday year after year.

Don't get me wrong - I am nothing but glad to see Dr. King honored at this time every year, but part of me has grown to think that we are no longer actually honoring Dr. King, but this nation is, instead, creating a bland, toothless, colorless caricature of the man and forcing it on all of us.

Dr. King was a revolutionary. The man had more courage in his pinky toe than most of us have in our entire body. He spoke truth to power. And this nation hated him for it.

I saw a few things yesterday that made me sad and certainly a bit frustrated.

Let me unpack and explain it all.

To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

Love and appreciate you all.

Shaun

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The MLK You Never Knew Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we are re-running one of our most popular episodes that highlights a lesser-known side of the civil rights hero. The words and legacy of Dr. King have been reduced and sanitized in so many ways. Today Shaun King plays 5 very special audio clips of Dr. King that you have likely never heard before and breaks down why they are so very important.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

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Ep. 739 - Why police brutality seems so permanent in the United States Jan 13, 2023

Show notes

Yesterday, like tens of millions of Americans, I saw the brutal police murder of 31-year-old Keenan Anderson, by the LAPD in broad daylight.

Keenan, like so many Black men before him, was unarmed and non-violent. At most he needed medical attention. Instead, he was Tasered to death.

And we continue to see this, with new names and faces, but the same story of police violence, because this country just barely tinkers with policing when the entire system would actually need to be completely overhauled in order for us to see something totally different.

It can be done. But so far not even one single large American city is willing to drastically overhaul how policing is done there. And so we continue to be the only developed nation in the world that does this, day after day, year after year, to its citizens.

Let me unpack and explain it all.

To listen to today’s FULL EPISODE of The Breakdown go now to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and search for “The Breakdown with Shaun King.” Subscribe there for FREE and listen to the whole podcast.

If you are already on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, please subscribe, listen, share, leave reviews, and listen daily to the entire episode. The more of it you listen to, the better it is for us.

Love and appreciate you all.

Shaun

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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