Civil Rights

In this episode, we explore the harms of the Trump Administration’s “unleashing” of law enforcement and what that means for immigration enforcement and policing. As ICE raids and deportations increase, local police departments are being pressured to take on immigration enforcement duties. The lines between public safety and federal immigration policy are blurred, and entire communities are living in fear. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is rolling back key oversight mechanisms, like consent decrees— effectively ending efforts to hold police departments accountable for racial profiling, excessive force, and other civil rights violations. These shifts will only serve to deepen mistrust in law enforcement, particularly in immigrant and communities of color already subject to over-policing. This conversation examines how immigration enforcement and police accountability rollbacks are reshaping local law enforcement and threatening civil rights.

April 1 was the commemoration of Census Day, but the numbers that shape our country are under attack. From erasing critical datasets on government websites to revoking the census practice of counting noncitizens, the Trump Administration’s actions threaten democracy and economic stability. These changes to how we count people will impact everyday lives. Undercounts can mean federal funding losses for schools, hospitals, and other community resources; they can create congressional districts that deny voters political power. With the elimination of accurate or whole data, we erase people and communities from our society. But while some of the census and data harms from the Trump administration are unprecedented, these fights for fair and equitable counts are not new. And these fights have been won by the civil rights community. This episode will discuss how we protect and preserve the hard-fought gains for a census and data that reflect everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or citizenship status.

On the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we explore the deep connection between education and voting rights—two pillars of democracy that have long been intertwined. For decades, education determined one’s access to the polls, as literacy tests and other barriers were used to disenfranchise Black voters. Today, attacks on curriculum, book bans, and misinformation continue to shape political participation, particularly for young and marginalized communities. And education itself is on the ballot, with school board races; policies on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and funding for public schools directly impacting what future generations learn about history, democracy, and their civil rights. At the federal level, the effort to dismantle the Department of Education and roll back protections for marginalized students is underway, and will deepen disparities and weaken access to quality and equitable education. In this episode, we will unpack the legacy of Selma, the ongoing threats to both voting and education, and how we can honor those who marched by taking action today.

In this episode we will tackle how to respond to the new administration’s early attacks on civil rights. With a wave of executive actions already rolling back key protections—harming immigrants, undermining the federal workforce, and dismantling diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility—we will break down what this means for communities across the country and, more importantly, how we fight back. We will explore the role of grassroots mobilization as the first line of resistance, discuss how federal advocates can sharpen their strategy in Washington, and highlight the necessity of coalition-building to amplify our collective power. This is not a moment for isolation—it is a moment for solidarity, strategy, and sustained action.

On the season 4 premiere of Pod for the Cause, Wade Henderson, civil rights lawyer, human rights activist, and interim president of The Leadership Conference, and Nelini Stamp, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at the Working Families Party, join host Vanessa Gonzalez to discuss where we've been as a country (and where we want to be) in the aftermath of the white supremacist insurrection at the Capitol.

2020 has been a year unlike any other - from the COVID-19 pandemic to racial injustice, a historic presidential election and more - as we close the door on 2020 and welcome a New Year, The Leadership Conference colleagues LaShawn Warren and Kelly Brewington join Vanessa Gonzalez to take a look back & reflect on all that has happened this year, while also bringing in some cheer as we approach 2021. 

Schuyler Bailar, athlete, activist, life coach, and the first openly trans NCAA Division I athlete and swimmer, and Sam White, social impact strategist and advocate, join host Allyn Brooks-LaSure for a conversation all about allyship in the Black Lives Matter movement. The Leadership Conference's own Vanessa Gonzalez hits us with her Hot Takes.

On our first post-Election episode, comedians Travon Free and Jenny Yang join host Allyn Brooks-LaSure to break down the 2020 Election and the state of comedy as we transition from the Trump Presidency to a Biden-Harris Administration.