Sunday morning, 10 people were killed and 53 people were injured in shootings across the South and West sides of Chicago. To discuss, we SPOTLIGHT Charlene Carruthers, who is based in Chicago. Carruthers is a Black, queer feminist community organizer and writer with over 10 years of experience in racial justice, feminist and youth leadership development movement work. She currently serves as the national director of the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100), an activist member-led organization of Black 18-35 year olds dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people. Her passion for developing young leaders to build capacity within marginalized communities has led her to work on immigrant rights, economic justice and civil rights campaigns nationwide. Media includes: NPR, MSNBC, BBC World News.
Facebook, Spotify, Apple, and YouTube have banned U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and website InfoWars from their platforms due to incition of hate speech and violence. To discuss, we FEATURE Soraya Chemaly. Chemaly speaks frequently on topics related to inclusivity, free speech, sexualized violence, data and technology. She is the director of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project and organizer of the Safety and Free Speech Coalition, an international civil society network dedicated to expanding women’s civic and political participation. As an activist, Chemaly has spear-headed multiple successful campaigns challenging corporations to address online harassment and abuse, restrictive content moderation and censorship, and institutional biases that affect free speech. Media includes: The Atlantic, The Nation, Verge,Quartz, TIME, Salon, The Guardian, The New Statesman.
One year after Charlottesville, the alt-right and white supremacists are gathering in Washington, DC for a "Unite the Right" rally. To discuss, we FEATURE Kelly J. Baker. Baker has a PhD (2008) in American religious history from Florida State University and has been researching and writing about white supremacy, white nationalism, racism, and religious intolerance for over 11 years. Her award-winning book, Gospel According to the Klan: The KKK’s Appeal to Protestant America, 1915-1930(University Press of Kansas, 2011), is the first to analyze the white religious nationalism of the 1920s Klan and the continued legacy of their particular form of white nationalism today. Media includes: The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post.
The U.S. is reimposing sanctions on Iran following the Trump administration abandoning the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal. To discuss, we FEATURE Seema Gahlaut. Gahlaut is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for International Trade & Security. She directs all CITS programs aimed at assisting government officials, legislators, industry and the academia on issues relating to implementation and enforcement of controls over WMD-relevant technologies. This includes the Security and Strategic Trade Management Academy, Asian Fellows Program, and Enterprise Outreach Workshops around the world. She is a member of the Export Control Experts Group in the WMD Working Group of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP). Media includes: BBC Radio, Voice of America, NBC, Bloomberg.
The trial of Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign chairman, for tax evasion and bank fraud continues. To discuss, we FEATURENomiki Konst. Konst is an advocate, writer and political communications strategist regularly appearing on national media outlets discussing politics. She's Founder & Executive Director of The Accountability Project, an investigative news start-up centered on political corruption. She hosts The Accountability Podcast, which focuses on political corruption. Media includes: Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, Politico, The Wall Street Journal.
The midterm elections are coming and many seats are up for election. To discuss, we FEATURE Melanie L. Campbell. Campbell the CEO and President of the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, Inc. She is an expert and passionate advocate on issues impacting African Americans, women, immigrants and youth and the intersection of how politics, public policy, race, gender, class and age impacts quality life for all Americans. Campbell has a strong knowledge base in Black voter participation, civil rights, voting rights, women’s rights, and election reform. Media includes: CNN, NPR, BET, The New York Times, The Washington Post.
Primary elections in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington are this week. To discuss how women are faring, we FEATURE Debbie Walsh. Walsh is the director of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers’ Eagleton Institute of Politics. As director, Walsh manages and oversees CAWP’s multi-faceted programs that include national forums for political women and provide vital information and facilitate creative strategy-building. She also manages leadership and campaign training programs designed to empower women of all ages to participate fully in politics and public life. Media includes: The Washington Post, The Guardian, MTV.
August 7th is Black Women's Equal Pay Day-- for every dollar that a white man earns, a black woman only earns 63 cents. To discuss, we FEATURE Fatima Goss Graves. Graves is the President and CEO of the National Woman's Law Center and has served in numerous roles at NWLC for more than a decade. She has spent her career fighting to advance opportunities for women and girls. She has a distinguished track record working across a broad set of issues central to women’s lives, including income security, health and reproductive rights, education access, and workplace fairness. Media includes: The Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, CNN, The New York Times.
Dr. Julie Thomas Achettu, EdD
Dr. Rebecca J Clendenen, PhD
Dr Carla Ionescu, PhD
Dr. Kimya Nuru Dennis, Ph.D.
Dr. Melody J Glenn, MD, MFA