Make It Plain with Mark Thompson

The League of Women Voters, People for the American Way, and Declaration for American Democracy have initiated a season of direct action and civil disobedience at the White House to demand President Biden take action to end the filibuster and protect our voting rights. Mark participated in yesterday’s rally (stick around ‘til the end to hear him speak), where leaders of the movement demand President Biden and his administration address their campaign-trail-promise to protect our voting rights. 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

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

How deeply do you understand the critical legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer? Dr. Keisha N. Blain is a historian and author of her latest book, “Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer’s Enduring Message to America,” and she shows how Hamer’s words still speak truth to power in our society and what that actually means. Dr. Blain familiarizes us with Hamer, who didn’t know she could vote until she was 44 years old, but eventually found herself on stage at the Democratic National Convention in 1964. But she also faced tensions within the democratic party and experienced a lot of difficult resistance to her radical honesty. But her dedication to her home state of Mississippi and to the movement are still evident today, as her message endures. BUY the book here: https://bookshop.org/books/until-i-am-free-fannie-lou-hamer-s-enduring-message-to-america/9780807061503 Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://re

Nadya Okamoto is CEO of August, a company dedicated to producing sustainable, ethical, and impactful tampons and pads, as well as host of the newest podcast in the DCP Entertainment family, “Tigress.” She joins Mark to discuss the evolution of her career that began at the age of 16 and continues to evolve but always keeps her eye on the prize of abolishing the period tax and expanding access to affordable (if not free) period products. And as her podcast takes shape, she’s expanding into topics like mental health, sexual assault and harassment, and family dynamics.  Check out Nadya’s show here: https://www.dcpofficial.com/tigress 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

It’s time for #ThursdayKos and Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos and Civiqs and host of podcast “The Brief,” is back to talk all things 2024. But before we climb that hill, there’s midterm elections to be had, and Markos explains why losing either chamber of congress will absolutely kill the Biden legislative agenda. Luckily we have organizers like Stacey Abrams who know how to engage with people outside of the election season, and Markos explains how that edge should give her the push she needs to be the next governor of Georgia. Over at Civiqs, where they’re tracking a plethora of polling data, Markos explains that Biden’s numbers have tanked with independents--that, combined with the fact that Trump could be a strong contender in 2024, should have us all contributing to organizations that will help us hold onto the hill. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPr

Last week, a few reputable news sources ran a story that the Biden administration had made a serious cut in their proposal to get relief funds to HBCUs--and that story was incorrect. Trey Baker is a Director of Public Engagement for the Biden administration and he tells us that, in truth, the Biden administration is currently proposing a historic amount of funding for HBCUs, but the total dollar amount is still undecided. That’s where congress comes in.  See the HBCU-funding fact sheet here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/09/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administrations-historic-investments-and-support-for-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/ 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

Chad Stone, Chief Economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, is back for our monthly check-in on the economy via the jobs report. Chad points out that labor force participation is much lower than it would be in a normal strong labor market, because of the pandemic, and especially for parents. And September usually brings stronger numbers in education, as kids get back to school, but this year was lower than average, and Chad explains why. Ultimately, we’re reminded that COVID-19 is still driving the economy. 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

Wisconsin has the highest race of violence and sexual assault against Indigenous women in the country. Justine Rufus and Skye Boniasnoke Alloway are Co-Chairs of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force of Wisconsin, and Skye explains one of the task force's main goals: get accurate data on the number of missing and murdered indigenous women, and work to break down the barriers that make that data collection so challenging in the first place. Justine and Skye share how the task force plans to tackle the systemic racism that has contributed to the distrust between Indigenous communities and law enforcement, and how that doubles down on what is already complicated and challenging: keeping Indigenous people safe, and accurately reporting the crimes against them. *Producer’s note: Mark mentions that Gabby Petito was found in Wisconsin, which is incorrect. Gabby’s body was found in Wyoming. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional c

It’s not about comparing Gabby Petito’s case to those of Indigenous women, or saying that one is more deserving than the other--that’s not the case at all. It’s about cultural patterns, as Yonasda Lonewolf and Cliff Matias explain, and the fact that no missing Indigenous person has ever received national media attention. Yonasda makes a haunting connection between pipeline construction sites and murdered and missing Indigenous women, and points out how Pocahontas was actually the original missing Indigenous woman. And to round it out, Cliff shares some special events happening this weekend in New York City and other cities across the country to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Weekend. 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

Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm joins Make It Plain to discuss the Infrastructure bill that is resilient to climate impacts and improves our physical foundations, but also honors the human side of it, which includes things like getting families access to childcare, elder care, internet access--basic human needs that put extra stress people and their budgets. 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

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 Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdver

Confederate monuments are coming down every day in this country, but as Connor Towne O’Neill details in his book “Down Along With That Devil's Bones,” we’re still fighting a “Cold Civil War,” where monument removal is a change that is important symbolism but does not get at the systemic problems. Connor became invested in the conversations and arguments happening around Confederate monuments when he moved to Alabama and came upon a memorial for Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate Army general and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan--a man whose 200th birthday was just celebrated by Neo-Confederates this past summer. Connor shares the story of who Forrest was, the role he played in the Civil War, and why he’s still a hero to some racist white southerners today. And though his busts have come down in Tennessee, there’s much work to be done by white people, specifically engaging in conversations with one another about racism, white supremacy, and the factual history of this country. Because these Co

Color of Change ran their first campaign against R. Kelly and his alleged abuse in 2017, as they attempted to get his label, RCA, to drop him. Now that he’s been formally charged and found guilty in a court of law, Jade Magnus Ogunnaike, Senior Director of the Media, Culture, and Economic Justice at Color Of Change, discusses how we can move forward and find new ways to rehabilitate the women and girls who survive abuse. And now that R. Kelly has been convicted at the federal level, what will unfold with his state-level charges? Jade explores what might be up ahead for the convicted sexual predator, and why he’s undeserving of a conversation on redemption. Jade also shares with us the news that Color of Change has created a style guide media outlets to assist in their speaking about sexual assault survivors with respect. Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy &

Is it time for your booster shot? United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy returns to the show for an update on the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. He answers questions like: what does the booster do in your body, who is eligible, what happens if you’ve had a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson shot, and how the boosters help the overall population. WHERE CAN YOU GET THE BOOSTER? Look here: vaccines.gov 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

Progressives want an infrastructure bill PLUS the Build Back Better legislation, otherwise they’re not voting for infrastructure. Markos Moulitsas, Founder of DailyKos, Civiqs, and podcast “The Brief,” is back to give us the play-by-play on what’s happened so far and what might be around the corner, much of that dependent on the moves made by the so-called-centrist Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Speaking of Sinema, what exactly knocked her down to an all-time-low 18-percent approval rating? Civiqs data has the answer. And what is to come with the debt ceiling, what happens if lawmakers don't’ raise it, and how does this ordeal definitively prove that Republicans are trying to sink the economic recovery from COVID-19? 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

Sojourner Gibbs was slipping into diabetic shock, so someone called 911 to help her. When the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived, they accused her of drug use, swept her feet out from under her, slammed her to the dirt face-first, and zip-tied her hands together. Even as she screamed, “I’m diabetic! I need help!” The officer who knocked her down was later promoted to detective. This disturbing event and lack of consequences for the officers does not surprise the residents of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Richard Webster, a New Orleans-based investigative journalist, produced a story on the horrifying abuses of power, and the physical abuse of local residents, at the hands of Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies. He details the stories of Sojourner and several others, in hopes of bringing much-needed attention to the police violence in the district, similar to what is being implemented in New Orleans to improve conditions. And in a first sign of hope for change, the ACLU has called for a f

Williams Evans and Omar Holman created a community on their popular website BlackNerdProblems.com as a response to the lack of diversity in comic and gaming culture. What grew from that is their new book of the same name, featuring a collection of essays that they call a “love letter to nerd culture” that also speaks to the sometimes-complicated intersection of race and nerd culture. The founders and authors talk with Mark about what it is to be a modern-day nerd, a title that no longer bears a negative connotation. Beyond that, what is it to be a Black nerd? What exactly are “Black nerd problems?” The three also discuss the death of Darrien Hunt and the potentially dangerous side to “cosplaying while Black.” BUY their book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Black-Nerd-Problems/William-Evans/9781982150235 READ their website here: www.blacknerdproblems.com Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Producer: Brittany Temple Distributor: DCP Entertainment For additional content: makeitplain.comAdvertising In

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is the author of “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World,” and in today’s 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-dropping statistics that are sure to sho

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people were released from prison to finish their sentences on home confinement, many of whom are elderly and immunocompromised. Now, those people are at risk of being sent back to prison when the pandemic recedes--unless President Biden acts NOW. Scott Roberts is the Senior Director of Criminal Justice and Democracy for Color of Change, and he shares the reality many are facing if the administration fails to follow through on promises to reduce the federal prison population AND grant clemency to those who were already released. GET INVOLVED BY TEXTING “CLEMENCY” to 55156 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

It’s time for #ThursdayKos and there’s plenty to unpack this week, as haunting images of Haitians getting whipped at the US/Mexico border by patrol agents have some Democrats demanding the Biden administration rectify the situation immediately. What else is Biden’s problem? Markos Moulitsas, founder of DailyKos, Civiqs, and podcast “The Brief,” say that dealing with Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema and their “so-called moderate” behavior, which is clearly motivated by donations and not the desire to be a real centrist. Markos also brings our focus back to 2022/24, detailing the specific races we need to focus on, and where new opportunities might be found. 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