UNDISTRACTED With Brittany Packnett Cunningham

Latest Episodes:

Shannon Watts Believes We’re at a Tipping Point for Gun Reform Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

People may believe that gun violence went away during the pandemic because mass shootings slowed down—but in reality, gun violence overall hit a two-decade high in 2020, killing 20,000 Americans. On the heels of mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham speaks to Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and self-described “worst nightmare of the NRA.” They shed new light on the crucial questions: Will this moment actually be different? Is gun reform possible? Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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Comedian Amber Ruffin Wants to “De-Gaslight” America Mar 25, 2021

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Amber Ruffin is breaking boundaries in late-night television with her witty and insightful takes on race, politics and history. She’s a writer and performer on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and the star of “The Amber Ruffin Show.” In this laugh-packed conversation, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks to the comedian about everything from the rise of Black women in late-night to why racism is actually...funny? Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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Rep. Cori Bush Is What “Keeping It Real” Looks Like Mar 18, 2021

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U.S. Rep. Cori Bush made history last fall when she became the first Black woman from Missouri to be elected to Congress. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham—a St. Louis native—talks to her Congresswoman about the long road to Washington, from Rep. Bush’s roots as a Ferguson activist to her no-holds-barred, wholly authentic approach to governing. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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Lisa Ling on Anti-Asian Violence—And the Rising Movement Against It Mar 11, 2021

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Lisa Ling, the award-winning CNN host, was sounding the alarm about anti-Asian threats long before the current rise in violence hit most headlines. Here, she unpacks the troubling issue with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham—from why racism against Asian Americans is so often overlooked to what everyday people can do to take action. Plus, Brittany shares her thoughts on Meghan Markle’s mental-health openness, and brings you the latest Untrending news.

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Padma Lakshmi on the New Food Revolution Mar 04, 2021

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With International Women’s Day coming up, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham talks to Padma Lakshmi, the “Top Chef” host and advocate for immigrants’ and women’s rights. And they go deep on the politics of food, from why home cooking is so often overlooked to what Lakshmi would cook for dinner with new V.P. Kamala Harris. (There’s “nothing more political than the food we eat and the bread we break together,” says Lakshmi.) Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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“The Squad is Big, Y’all”: Rep. Ayanna Pressley on the Power of the People Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

To round out Black History Month, we turn to a woman making history of her own: U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, who’s holding Congress’s feet to the fire on issues from student-loan forgiveness to vaccine equity. (She says policy is her love language.) The Congresswoman sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about her political and her personal journey—in a talk that ranges from racial justice to her own evolving sense of beauty, as a Black woman leader living with alopecia. Plus, Brittany pays homage to the 500,000+ people lost to Covid–19, and brings you the latest Untrending news.

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What Would a Future Without Prisons Look Like? Feb 18, 2021

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Calls for criminal-justice reform have built over the last year—and this week, with jail uprisings in St. Louis, the focus is on prison abolition. That’s personal for both host Brittany Packnett Cunningham and her guest, organizer Kayla Reed, who break down what’s happening in their mutual hometown, and take on common myths about abolition. It’s a revealing discussion—and required listening for anyone trying to understand prison issues now. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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Opal Tometi on the Righteous Rise of Black Lives Matter Feb 11, 2021

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Black Lives Matter was just nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize—so this week, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with co-founder of the Black Lives Matter organization Opal Tometi. How did the movement go from being seen as radical to more widely accepted? And what’s next in the fight for racial justice? They cover it all—plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

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Raquel Willis Believes in Black Trans Power Feb 04, 2021

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President Biden signed new protections for LGBTQ people on Day One of his presidency—but new anti-trans legislation is cropping up everywhere, and violence against gender-nonconforming folks, especially Black trans women, remains high. How can we fix this? Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with activist and writer Raquel Willis to talk about everything from the new administration to the trans ancestors you never heard about. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending news.

Here are the legendary trans ancestors Raquel mentions in the episode:

Mary Jones: A Black trans sex worker living in New York in the 1830s.
Frances Thompson: A formerly enslaved Black trans woman who fought in the Memphis Riots and later testified before Congress.
Marsha P. Johnson: A Black trans woman who was among the first to resist police raiding Stonewall, sparking the LGBTQ Rights Movement.
Sylvia Rivera: A trans Latina activist and veteran of the 1969 Stonewall uprising
Crystal LaBeija: The legendary founder of The House of LaBeija.

And some of her trans “siblings” leading the fight today:

Ceyenne Doroshow: Founder and Executive Director of GLITS Inc
Ianne Fields Stewart: Founder of The Okra Project
C. Riley Snorton: Professor of English Language and Literature, archiving Black trans history
Tourmaline: Activist, photographer, filmmaker

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Want A Safer Internet? Listen to Black Women Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

The Capitol attacks were shocking...but, to many Black women, who had been sounding the alarm on online hate and disinformation for years, not wholly surprising. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham tells her own story of being targeted on Facebook—and sits down with media justice expert Brandi Collins-Dexter of Color of Change for a conversation about everything from foreign agents impersonating Black women to how we can all hold social media companies accountable. Plus, Brittany brings you the latest Untrending News.

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