Make It Plain with Mark Thompson

LaTosha Brown, Cliff Albright, and April England-Albright of Black Voters Matter made the decision not to attend President Biden’s speech in Georgia yesterday where he addressed the attack on our voting rights–but it is being said that Biden is not going far enough to protect those rights. These leaders discuss why they chose not to attend, their expectations of Biden and congress, and why they’re no longer considering speeches as action. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today you’ll hear from six more hunger strikers (Joe Madison told us his story yesterday, as he begins his second month of striking for voting rights), who are also faith leaders in their communities. They detail their own motivation, hopes, and fears for our country as our voting rights are under attack. And as one of the guests succinctly notes: the deadline for our democracy is January 17th. Will congress take action? Guests: Rev. Stephen A. Green, Pastor, St Luke AME of Harlem Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould of Missouri Faith Voices Rev. Dennis James, III, Pastor, Pine Grove, AME, Columbia, SC Rev. Traci Blackmon, United Church of Christ Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago Rev. Jamal Bryant, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Atlanta Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Joe Madison has been on a hunger strike for voting rights, now 65 days in, and he joins Mark to discuss why he’s striking, the physical affects, and what he hopes will unfold on Capitol Hill. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mark teams up with Danielle Moodie, Host of WokeAF, for our new monthly crossover series… Make It Effing Woke. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this "best of MIP" episode, Dr. Amara Enyia of the Policy and Research Coordinator for Movement for Black Lives details a report the organization released, which demonstrates how the United States government persecutes activists with the hope of dissuading them from taking any kind of political action. Though it’s easy to blame red states like Florida for putting laws in place that would criminalize peaceful protest, the Biden administration is not off the hook, as they have yet to take meaningful action to prevent that criminalization of protestors. Dr. Enyia also points to the disparity in language when discussing those who participated in protests, like those for George Floyd or Breonna Taylor, compared to those who participated in the January 6th insurrection. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today's "best of MIP" espiode, Scott Dworkin, who is also Founder and Executive Director of the Democratic Coalition and host of podcast “The Dworkin Report,” is here to download us on all sorts of strategy and analysis of what’s up ahead for 2022 and 2024. He shares that it’s believed Trump plans to announce a 2024 run early next year, before primary season, for one specific reason--but could that help Democrats in the long-run? Scott also shares his biggest concerns for 2022, and fills us in on a key race in Virginia, where Terry McAuliffe is back for another run. Breaking from the future to look at the past, Scott explains why Mike Pence is an accomplice to the January 6th insurrection. And Scott also share why he thinks Facebook going out of service was a self-inflicted wound to distract from the whistleblower news, and why he doesn’t think Mark Zuckerberg will be running Facebook this time next year. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainmen

Today is a "Best Of MIP Episode" with Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, the author of “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.” In the episode she impresses the importance that we all have a critical role to play in slowing climate change. Building off some details from a recent conversation with the White House Climate Advisor, Dr. Hayhoe and Mark examine heat-related deaths disproportionately impacting Black and Brown communities. And as Dr. Hayhoe outlines for us, climate change is responsible for 9 million deaths every year, but is never framed as a life-or-death emergency and is not often being discussed as a top priority on mainstream news networks. And Dr. Hayhoe gives her take on something we’ve wondered about many times on MIP: how do you overcome the apathy or helplessness when it comes to fighting climate change? Bonus… if you’re a TikTok-er, Dr. Hayhoe also talks about her debut on the platform and what kind of content she plans to share, including some jaw-dropp

Nadra Nittle is a Senior Reporter for Civil Eats and more recently she has taken on the title of author, with her book titled “Toni Morrison’s Spiritual Vision: Faith, Folktales, and Feminism in Her Life and Literature.” In today’s episode she discusses the many facets of the legendary Toni Morrison, which often lead us back to her spirituality and religion, and the ways we can see that play out in her inimitable literature. BUY Nadra’s book here: https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9781506471518/Toni-Morrisons-Spiritual-Vision Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What is the connection between the Virginia governor’s race, Toni Morrison, and Mark Twain? Those are the ties made in today’s conversation with James Henry Harris, Distinguished Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology and a research scholar in religion and humanities at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. He’s also author of the book “N: My Encounter with Racism and the Forbidden Word in An American Classic,” a memoir recounting a semester spent in a graduate course studying Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn,” where the n-word is used more than 200 times, which granted a sort of permission to the white professor and students (Harris was the only Black student) to freely use the unabbreviated version of the word themselves. This experience acts as the foundation for today’s conversation, which examines the intersection of Toni Morrison’s own studies (and support) of Mark Twain and his work, and how the effort to ban her work is being used by the Republican gubernatori

Donna Haskins grew up in poverty in one of the most racially segregated cities in America with seemingly all the odds stacked against her. She was sexually assaulted at 13, and when she had an abortion, she thought she could never fulfill her dream of becoming a nun. Later in life, in a crisis about her identity as a Black woman and on the brink of suicide, she hears a sermon that shook her to her core and permanently changed her course. Dr. Onaje X.O. Woodbine is today’s guest, author of "Take Back What the Devil Stole: An African American Prophet’s Encounters in the Spirit World," where he introduces us to Donna Haskins and her transformed life as a prophet. Dr. Woodbine worked with Donna for four years to document her life’s work, dedicated to helping others without accepting a dime, her Afro-Caribbean roots, and how it all intertwines with her Christianity. And if you want to believe in miracles, listen to the incredible story of Donna’s visions that brought a woman the family she thought she’d ne

What’s the likelihood of an American experiencing poverty? Turns out, it’s the majority. That’s what Mark Rank covers in his new book (co-authored by Lawrence Eppard and Heather Bullock) out now, “Poorly Understood: What Americans Get Wrong About Poverty.” There’s a common misconception that poverty is an issue of “them” when it’s really about “us” -- not an individual failing, but a structural one. How does that play out in our society and economy? Mark explains that, and what can be done to make systemic changes, in this eye-opening episode. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What would it look like to engage in nonviolent direct action consistently, through strategic organizing? That’s what Kai Newkirk (Founder of For All www.forallorg.us) and Rev. Stephen Green (Pastor, Scholar, and Activist) explain in today’s episode, as they discuss the piece they co-authored, “Why Kingian democratic socialism is the best path forward for the progressive left.” This is especially relevant in the context of our current society where unarmed Black people continue to be murdered by police. They also dig into why we need statehood in D.C. in order to make winning Georgia actually count and see progress on reparations. Read their article here: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2021/04/why-kingian-democratic-socialism-best-path-forward-for-progressive-left/ Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In 2002, Julius Jones was wrongfully convicted of murdering Paul Howell. Last week, on the day of his scheduled execution for a crime he did not commit, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commuted the death sentence just four hours before he was set to die. It is a victory that Julius’s life has been saved, but now the work continues to free him from prison. Pastor Mike McBride, Founder of Live Free USA and the Black Church PAC, played a large part in fighting for Julius’s life alongside other faith leaders, and he walks us back through the racism that led to Julius's incarceration, the racism of the death penalty itself, and the juxtaposition of faith leaders assisting in Julius's commutation while simultaneously being scrutinized in the trial of the men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/

Happy Holidays MIP family! We're bringing you some of the year's most popular episodes while our team takes a break. Enjoy this throwback episode and a restful, joyful holiday season! Robert P. Jones is the author of “White Too Long” (which recently received the American Book Award), as well as a leading commentator on the crossroads of politics and religion. He brings us his expertise in data and theology with what he has titled the “racism index,” a scale used to examine the impact religion has had on a person’s potential racism through a series of racial attitude questions. His results were both affirming and surprising, and he explains them in today’s episode, as he and Mark question what a movement to integrate Sunday morning might look like. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Happy Holidays MIP family! We're bringing you some of the year's most popular episodes while our team takes a break. Enjoy this throwback episode and a restful, joyful holiday season! America is the wealthiest country in the world and yet our federal paid leave, or rather, lack thereof, comes up way short in comparison to other countries. Carol Joyner is the Director of Labor Project for Working Families and in today’s episode, she explains that we’re at a pivotal moment in our country’s history where we have the potential to pass the first federal paid leave mandate--but how likely is that to actually happen? She fills us in on the challenges the legislation faces, why she’s optimistic, and where there is still room for improvement on the granular details. She also details how Labor Project for Working Families, in conjunction with a nationwide network of unions, partners, and organizations, have worked to pass paid leave legislation in 9 states and Washington D.C. over the last 20 years. Executive

Happy Holidays MIP family! We're bringing you some of the year's most popular episodes while our team takes a break. Enjoy this throwback episode and a restful, joyful holiday season! You know Brittany Temple as the Producer behind the scenes of Make It Plain, but she’s also a writer and publisher of a bi-weekly newsletter, Write All Along. Her most recent issue was inspired by Bill Cosby’s release from jail--she wasn’t surprised it happened, and felt frustrated with the continued fixation on big headline stories, when sexual assault is happening in our communities every day. She chose to share her story in hopes of contributing to the collective strength of survivors who are standing up to say they won’t be silent about sexual abuse any longer. Brittany makes the point that, statistically speaking, we all know someone who has been sexually abused, and in order to create a supportive culture, we have to demand it by speaking up. Read her newsletter here: https://brittanytemple.substack.com/ Executi

Jen Miller is the Executive Director at the League of Women Voters Ohio, and she and her colleagues are working alongside the ACLU of Ohio and the A. Philip Randolph Institute to fight gerrymandering in the state. They recently filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court to fight against the state’s new Congressional district map and prove the maps are extreme partisan gerrymandering. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Eric Boehlert of Pressrun.media is back for his biting analysis of what the mainstream media is flubbing these days: this time, they’re following along with Republicans who invented claims about Critical Race Theory. They’re happy to indulge the fabricated GOP fears but fail to mention that CRT is something that is only taught at the college level and higher, not in elementary school. But the Republicans dictate the public discourse based on what they’re angry about or what controversy they’d like to stir, and the Beltway press is happy to lap it up. On top of CRT, Eric has good news and bad news about the coverage of the January 6th committee. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On December 1st, the Supreme Court heard Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, one of the more troubling attacks on Roe v. Wade and women’s access to healthcare that is currently unfolding in America right now. Daniela Diaz is the Federal Strategies Manager at All* Above All, and she helps us understand what this case means in the grander scheme of protecting reproductive health care and access. The situation is dire, but she also details creative strategizing happening, including the EACH Act, which seeks to reverse the Hyde Amendment that blocks federal funds from going toward abortion. Daniela is also an abortion storyteller, meaning that she willingly shares her own experience with the medical procedure, and she talks to us about that decision and how it impacted her life for the better. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://

It’s #ThursdayKos and we’re back to strategizing for H.R. 40, the midterms, and democracy at large. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy