heather mcghee

When Heather McGhee isn’t fighting for justice, writing, teaching, and raising her son, she’s daydreaming about biscuits (butter only, please). She tells Alicia and Ai-jen how she got involved with economic policy advocacy, what she learned about the intersection of racism and inequality after the 2008 financial crisis, and how becoming a parent made her work even more urgent. Plus: What really happened after Heather’s viral TV moment with Gary in North Carolina.

This is a re-release of an episode from January 2020.

Sunstorm is a project of the NDWA, in collaboration with Participant Media.

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This week on All Ears Abby talks to author and commentator Heather McGhee. Heather is a distinguished senior fellow at the progressive think tank Demos, where she also served as president for four years. Heather argues that the economic, intellectual, and societal costs of racism affect not only its victims but also its perpetrators. She tells Abby that America’s White middle class grew after WW2, with help from Federal housing subsidies, education grants and other benefits that were largely denied to Black Americans. Once Black Americans began demanding equal treatment, many of those programs were simply dismantled. This kind of racism, McGee tells Abby, cost everyone. Abby and Heather also delve into the political theft of Reconstruction, whether American racism is unique, the misogyny of libertarianism, and if the Karen memes are a harbinger of a backlash on feminism.

Heather’s heavily anticipated book, The Sum of Us, is due out in early 2021.

EPISODE LINKS:
“A White Man Asked C-Span How to Stop Being Racist. Here’s the Fascinating Answer” (Fortune)
“Racism Has A Cost For Everyone” (TED Talk)
“Facebook Fails to Appease Organizers of Ad Boycott” (NY Times)
Color of Change
Demos

Heather on Twitter: @hmcghee
Heather on Instagram: @HeatherCMcGhee

What role can our government play in making our lives better? And what role can we play in our government? Heather McGhee, Distinguished Senior Fellow and former President of Demos, is just the person to answer these questions. In this episode, George talks to Heather about building on our gut-level interconnectivity towards a more inclusive future, and about what learnings they have from being on the frontlines of the 2008 financial crisis and how they are applying those learnings today.

Heather McGhee is Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos. She is author of the forthcoming book, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together.  You can find her on Twitter: @hmcghee

Details on what you can learn, do and share: peoplesaction.org/nextmove

About People's Action

People’s Action is a national network of 40 state and local grassroots, power-building organizations united in fighting for justice. 

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When Heather McGhee isn’t fighting for justice, writing, teaching, and raising her son, she’s daydreaming about biscuits (butter only, please). She tells Alicia and Ai-jen how she got involved with economic policy advocacy, what she learned about the intersection of racism and inequality after the 2008 financial crisis, and how becoming a parent made her work even more urgent. Plus: What really happened after Heather’s viral TV moment with Gary in North Carolina.

Sunstorm is a project of the NDWA, in collaboration with Participant Media.

Sunstorm is executive produced by Alicia Garza, Ai-jen Poo, Kristina Mevs-Apgar, and Jess Morales Rocketto. Sunstorm is produced by Amy S. Choi and Rebecca Lehrer of The Mash-Up Americans. Producers are Jocelyn Gonzales, Shelby Sandlin, Mary Phillips-Sandy, and Mia Warren. Original music composed by Jen Kwok and Jody Shelton.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.