The Breakdown with Shaun King

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Ep. 697 - The Kanye West Rorschach Test Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

Are you familiar with Rorschach tests? It's where inkblots are shown to people and they are asked to describe what they think they see. And 100 people can see the exact same inkblots and see WILDLY different things.
That's absolutely what I see happening now with Kanye West. How you respond to all that he's said and done now says more about you than it does about him.
Today I want to discuss two VERY different conclusions a lot of people are coming to - and both conclusions seem to be rubbing entire groups of people the wrong way. We need to talk.
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Ep. 696 - How Kanye West is causing a spike in Neo-Nazi hate and bigotry Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Having a thoughtful, mature, and even difficult conversation about who owns and controls the music industry is COMPLETELY POSSIBLE without it devolving in hate against Jewish people that is so ugly that it causes Neo-Nazis to come out of the woodwork.
But Kanye West is not healthy, thoughtful, or mature. And when ANYONE that is unhealthy, immature, and by their own admission - a self-centered narcissist - tries to have a conversation about the role of ANY particular group of people in society - particularly a group they aren't a part of - that conversation has a 99.9% chance of not just being a failure, but causing actual harm. And open Neo-Nazis are now calling Kanye their ally.
And THIS is the repeated M.O. of Kanye West. In the midst of dangerous stupidity, bigotry, and misogyny he might drop a nugget of truth. Trump is the same way.
And Trump supporters are willing to look past the racism and bigotry and misogyny of Trump to highlight the little nuggets of truth - because the dangerous things Trump says, like the dangerous things Kanye says, rarely impact their core audience. So they just put blinders on and keep being dangerous.
I hope you list to today's episode of The Breakdown before commenting on it.

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Ep. 695 - I think we've put far too many of our eggs in the wrong basket Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

I've been feeling this way. As taxpayers and citizens of this country, we are right to demand that this government - on the local, state, and federal level, do right by us. No telling where we'd be if we didn't fight and force our government to do the right thing.
But I've grown to think that far too much of our energy and attention is spent making demands of the government. I'm not saying we stop making those demands or stop fighting for people that actually care about us being in elected office. Those are worthy fights.
But we MUST MUST MUST spend more of our time, energy, intellect, skills, and resources on building our own systems, structures, strategies, and institutions - that we own and control.
Can you imagine what we could build and accomplish if HALF of all of us dedicated our lives to building and funding our own solutions?
That's what I want to see and work on for the rest of my life.

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Ep. 694 - An emergency update on the condition of Kastellio Vaughan Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

In spite of all of the attention, and all of the pressure we've put on local officials to take Kastellio to the hospital - they continue to refuse to do so and his condition remains dire.
Our team @GrassrootsLaw set up a hotline that we need YOU to call immediately. When you call, I will be on the line to talk you through everything and then I will transfer you to local officials on the case.
The number is: 334-605-8572.Let's keep on pushing and demand that he gets the emergency medical care he needs and ultimately gets released from prison to the care of his family. This man is no threat to anyone and the prison clearly has no intention on taking care of him.

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Ep. 693 - I have to say this ONE important thing about George Floyd Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

When an argument is completely based on a lie or a false premise - nothing else you say in defense of it matters. I needed to preface what I am about to say with that.
Of the hundreds of millions of people that demanded justice and accountability for the brutal murder/lynching of George Floyd, I don't think a single person fought for him because he was our hero. I never heard anyone say this. I never heard about anyone saying this.
We fought for George Floyd because he was a human being that was killed, in broad daylight, in one of the single most depraved and inhumane acts in modern American history. We fought for George because he was a victim and because he did not deserve a single thing that happened to him.
I did not care then and do not care now if George Floyd struggled with drugs or alcohol. In fact, it breaks my heart for him even more - because it means he was denied the chance to overcome his struggles in his own time - which I am sure he would have.
Nothing anyone can ever say about George Floyd will EVER make me feel like his life wasn't worth fighting for. NOTHING.
All Black Lives Matter to us.
And I can think of nothing more despicable than trying to tear down the humanity and memory of a man that already died such a horrible death.

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Ep. 692 - My #1 favorite school in the entire country Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

For my ENTIRE life I have said that we need schools that are for us, by us, but to this day we have so few schools in America that have Black and Brown founders AND leaders.
@EmberCharter in the heart of Brooklyn IS THAT SCHOOL.
And I’m pushing all of my chips in to back and support this beautiful community. If you haven’t already, check out the video about the school on my IG page.
And listen to the students for yourself. It’s special.

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Ep. 691 - What’s happening in Los Angeles RIGHT NOW might be the most eclectic and effective coalition on the left we’ve ever seen Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

I’m struggling to think of an example where we’ve seen almost every single stakeholder on the left, from radical activists all the way to the moderates at the White House all agree on one single political idea…That the racists on the Los Angeles City Council need to resign immediately.
We saw some HUGE coalitions emerge in 2020 around convicting people for crimes against Black people. But when have you seen more people, from more backgrounds, all agreeing on one single political point like what we are seeing right now?
It’s RARE. A unicorn. It almost never happens.
But we must study it. Because it’s an example of what can happen when the left - and I mean the whole left - young, old, all religions, races, orientations, ethnicities, backgrounds, and more, comes together.

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Ep. 690 - The 2 reasons I think the racist members of the Los Angeles City Council REFUSE to resign Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

It's Wednesday, and the 3 overtly racist members of the Los Angeles City Council remain in office - clearly refusing to resign. Today I want to unpack and explain at least 2 reasons why I think this is the case. More than anything, I think they are studying the new playbook for politicians from both parties when caught in scandal - which is to WEATHER the storm and refuse to resign.
And I think these 3 members of the city council are digging in their heels for 2 key reasons.

They need the job - and the income, benefits, and power it provides them. And are betting that they can outlast the outrage.
They know that they are safer, legally, if they are still ON the council, where they have 3 important votes and access to any information or investigations launched by the council. It's the same way that Donald Trump knew he was safer as long as he was still in office.

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Ep. 689 - 3 overtly racist members of the Los Angeles City Council must resign immediately Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

Over the weekend audio clips were released that revealed the OVERT anti-Black racism of Los Angeles City Council members Nury Martinez, Kevin de Leon, and Gil Cedillo. All 3 of them must resign immediately or be removed. Another person involved, a local labor leader, has already done the right thing and stepped down.
We have a lot to talk about here - because what their disgusting racism reveals, is that we have very narrow definitions of WHO is racist in this country.
When most people think of racism they think of racist white people. Who are likely conservatives. And maybe in the Deep South. But that is a very narrow way to see racism in this country. Let's be clear - a lot of racism comes from those groups, but that's not all of it.
These 3 city council members are prominent members of the Democratic Party. And they are Latinos.
Let me unpack and explain it.

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Ep. 688 - Why we can't simply ignore Kanye West Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

I see hundreds of you asking me, and others, to simply ignore Kanye. I get it. I wish it was that simple, but when someone that influential, spouts so much foolishness across social media and cable television, a public critique is required.
What I have learned across 25 years of public leadership is that harmful public rhetoric has to be confronted publicly - as an act of public education.
Let me unpack and explain it.

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