Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

The media landscape in the US continues to undergo drastic transformations, with billionaire ownership and corporate consolidation leading to mass layoffs and content censorship. This week, Stacey is joined by Joy Reid, host of the Joy Reid Show and the first black woman to host a primetime program on cable news. They talk about the layoffs at the Washington Post, why she transitioned into independent media, what is lost when Black journalists are no longer at the table, and what people can do to inform themselves in an era where billionaires with agendas control the news.
Learn & Do More:

Be Curious:  If you enjoyed my conversation with Joy Reid, check out her podcast, “The Joy Reid Show” and her Substack, “Joy’s House.” 

Solve Problems: Quality, well-funded journalism is essential to holding power to account, and local journalism is particularly essential. Subscribe to your local paper today. Also, please consider contributing to the Invest in Black Media campaign, which is highlighting the National Association of Black Journalists this month. Go to NABJ.org > click the donate button > and select the “Jubilee Endowment-Black History Month Match” to contribute. Onyx Impact is matching up to $100,000 for the fund.

Do Good: As RFK Jr continues to dismantle our healthcare system and sow doubt and fear about the safety of vaccines, it is incumbent upon all of us to fight back, especially with measles cases on the rise.. Be watchful of friends and loved ones who are slipping into vaccine hesitancy, and push back on misinformation and disinformation you see on your social platforms. Visit vaccineinformation.org to get accurate , shareable information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

Voting rights are the Trump administration’s next big target. This week, Stacey is joined by Pod Save America’s Jon Favreau to discuss the aftermath of a raid by federal authorities in Fulton County, GA for boxes of election related materials from the 2020 cycle. They also talk about the Democrats leveraged a government shutdown to insist on ICE reforms, the latest polling data,  how this all intersects with the continued ICE raids in Minnesota, and what it means for Democrats to lead in this moment. 
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast. 
Learn & Do More:

Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Jon Favreau check out Pod Save America and Offline. 

Solve Problems: The fight to defend voting rights starts now. If you haven’t already, find out about signing up as a poll worker or volunteer with the League of Women Voters, Fair Fight and Common Cause. 

Do Good: The people of Minnesota continue to live under siege. Donate to the immigrant rapid response fund, which provides food, supplies, housing, and healthcare to immigrants in need. Rent relief funds can help those who are unable to work right now but still need to pay their bills. Minneapolis rapid response needs donations to help legal observers access safety gear and PPE. Check out the show notes for  an article from New York Magazine’s The Cut that includes links to these organizations and other ways to help.

The unjust murder of Alex Pretti is the latest ICE killing in the city of Minneapolis, and he joins a growing body count for DHS. Protestors continue to flood the streets across Minnesota as the Trump administration and Republicans mislead the public as they continue to perpetuate state violence. This week, Stacey is joined by Hysteria’s Erin Ryan to discuss the aftermath of Pretti’s death, the escalation of federal actions in Minnesota, the connection to other assaults on Americans and what Democrats need to do in response. Then, Stacey and Erin turn to the March for Life rally that took place last weekend and examine how the Trump administration’s handling of abortion policy is putting it at odds with members of its own anti-abortion base.
Learn & Do More:

Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Erin Ryan, go check out Hysteria and her YouTube series This Fucking Guy. 

Solve Problems: Call your senator and demand that they block increased funding to the Department of Homeland Security. Many of our immigrant friends and neighbors are being forced to stay indoors right now—volunteer to pick up groceries or other supplies so they can remain in place as the siege continues. 

Do Good: The winter storm moving across the country is impacting communities that aren’t equipped to manage freezing weather. Rebuild.us is an organization led by disaster response professionals and dedicated to building a disaster relief system that’s responsive to our climate reality. Visit rebuild.us to donate and sign up to take action.

This week, Stacey begins by offering a response to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ ridiculous assertion that Americans could save money if only they limited their dinners to a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, and a corn tortilla. Then she speaks to Jelani Cobb, Dean of the Columbia Journalism School and Author of “Three or More Is A Riot” to talk about what historic parallels can teach us about authoritarianism and activism in this moment. As protests grow in response to violent ICE encounters in Minnesota and other parts of the country, history offers insight into what ordinary Americans have done to stand up for each other, and offers a hopeful blueprint for our future. 
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
 
Learn & Do More:

Be Curious: Pick up a copy of Jelani Cobb’s book  “Three Or More Is A Riot”.

Solve Problems: A group of cyclists known as CyclingXSolidarity are riding across Chicago, buying out food carts from vendors who may be undocumented, so the workers can stay home without losing wages. And they are distributing the food they purchase to help those in need across the city. Check them out at cyclingxsolidarity.com to support them, and consider taking similar action in your own communities.

Do Good: Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court held oral arguments on the constitutionality of state bans on transgender women and girls participating in sports that align with their gender identity. Volunteer with and donate to organizations like The Trevor Project at thetrevorproject.org to support LGBTQ+  youth at this difficult time.

The killing of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis has sparked outrage and protests, but also  an outright defense of the use of state violence by the Trump administration and its allies. This week, Stacey is joined by NYU Law Professor and Strict Scrutiny host Melissa Murray to talk about the fallout from Minneapolis, the legal ways citizens can fight back against ICE, and the politicization of the Justice Department and the investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.
 
Learn & Do More:

Be Curious: No matter your legal status, knowing your rights when you encounter ICE is more important than ever. Visit the national immigrant justice center at https://immigrantjustice.org/for-immigrants/know-your-rights/ice-encounter/ to learn more about how to prepare and protect yourself, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation at https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/yes-you-have-right-film-ice to learn best practices for lawfully filming ICE activity.

Solve Problems: Contact your officials to put pressure on them to take action, including your  congressional representative, governor, mayor, and  city councilor

Do Good: Donate to organizations like the Envision Freedom Fund at envisionfreedom.org, which helps free people from immigrant detention and advocates for policies against incarceration.