UNDISTRACTED With Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Latest Episodes:

Lawyer Chase Strangio On “Genocidal” Anti-Trans Laws—And Resistance Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

2021 has already been declared the worst year in U.S. history for legislative attacks against the LGBTQ community...and we’re not even halfway through! Against that backdrop, ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio—named one of Time’s “most influential people in the world” in 2020—sits down to talk to host Brittany Packnett Cunningham about why the GOP is obsessed with anti-trans legislation, and what we can do in response. Plus, Brittany reflects on the lessons of FX’s Pose and brings us the Untrending News.

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Amani on Why This Moment “Feels Different” For Palestinians Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

After last month’s devastating violence in Palestine and Israel, global public opinion began to shift in support of the Palestinian people. That’s long-overdue, says Amani, the Palestinian-American activist and founder of the online platform Muslim Girl. She tells host Brittany Packnett Cunningham exactly why—and what social media and feminism have to do with it. Plus, Brittany reflects on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre and brings us the latest Untrending News, featuring Naomi Osaka.

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‘Queen Sugar’ Author Natalie Baszile on the New Black Farming Revolution May 27, 2021

Show notes

In a week that marks one year since George Floyd's death, there’s no better time to talk about cultivating the world we deserve. Queen Sugar author Natalie Baszile believes that true Black freedom is tied to land ownership, food sovereignty, and a renewed dedication to the soil. She talks to Brittany about her new anthology that’s been making waves, We Are Each Other’s Harvest, and how a new generation of young, Black farmers are returning to the land and building upon the legacy of their ancestors. Plus, Brittany brings us the latest Untrending News.

Here’s a list of the resources Natalie mentions in this episode:

Soul Fire Farm - Reparations map to donate land to Black farmers (https://www.soulfirefarm.org/get-involved/reparations/)
The Tall Grass Food Box - CSA program (https://www.tallgrassnc.com/)
Planet FWD - For coordinating organic food supply (https://planetfwd.com/)
Jubilee Justice - A Black farmer funding alternative to the USDA (https://www.jubileejustice.org/our-mission)

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Travon Free Wants To Flip The Script on Masculinity May 20, 2021

Show notes

Feminism is not just about changing the ways we raise girls—in the words of host Brittany Packnett Cunningham, “men need to be freed too, y’all!” And Travon Free, the filmmaker who just won an Oscar for his short film, “Two Distant Strangers,” has a lot to say about that. He and Brittany sit down to talk about the prison of masculinity, and what happens when men (especially Black men) dare to question old norms. Plus, Brittany reflects on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and brings us the latest Untrending News.

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Nikole Hannah-Jones Wants Us To Confront The Truth of Who We Are May 13, 2021

Show notes

New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones is the creator of The 1619 Project, a multimedia effort about the legacy of slavery, and how it still informs American life. It won her a Pulitzer Prize, much praise—and relentless ire from the right, including an ongoing assault from Mitch McConnell, who wants it banned from school curriculums. In today’s episode, Hannah-Jones sets the record straight about the Project, and why Black Americans should feel proud of building this country. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending News.

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Insecure’s Yvonne Orji On Black Joy… And Her “Homie” Jesus May 06, 2021

Show notes

In the year of our lord 2021, we need all the faith we can get—so it felt like the perfect time to invite comedian/actress Yvonne Orji (Molly from HBO’s Insecure) onto the show to share her lessons from “Da Good Book” a.k.a. the Bible. Author of the new advice guide, “Bamboozled by Jesus,” Orji joins Brittany Packnett Cunningham for a laugh-out-loud conversation about her rise in comedy, kicking it with God, and Issa and Molly’s big fight. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson On The “Feminist Climate Renaissance” Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

The state of our blue planet can feel dire—because it is. California wildfires, Midwestern droughts, Southern floods, and global food insecurity. But marine biologist and climate justice expert Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson believes we can still make a difference—and that women are the reason why. This week, she talks to host Brittany Packnett Cunningham about the need for an intersectional feminist climate movement, President Biden’s plan to get America on renewable energy, and how to center joy in the work. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending News.

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Andra Day on the Tragedy and Triumph of Billie Holiday Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

In a week that brought us Derek Chauvin guilty verdicts but also a relentless wave of police killings, it can feel like not much has changed since Billie Holiday sang “Strange Fruit.” Andra Day—up for an Oscar for playing the iconic singer—joins Brittany to talk about how Holiday’s life, as a “great-godmother of the reinvigorated civil rights movement,” provides powerful inspiration today. They get into everything from Day’s whirlwind film education (this is her first major acting gig) to the need for more stories about complex Black women. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending News.

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Sophia Bush on Surviving “Relentless” Harassment in Hollywood Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

Sophia Bush ruled the small screen in TV hits like “One Tree Hill” and “Chicago PD”—but on both those sets, the workplace abuse was real, she tells host Brittany Packnett Cunningham. Together, they unpack what three-plus years of #MeToo has and hasn’t changed for working women, and get into Sophia’s activist work—including how white women can better show up for women of color. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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Alexis McGill Johnson on the “Dire” Landscape for Abortion Rights Apr 08, 2021

Show notes

Headlines are already calling 2021 “the year of anti-abortion legislation.” State lawmakers have so far introduced more than 500 bills restricting the procedure. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham speaks to Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, who says “abortion access is hanging on by a thread.” Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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