After George Floyd’s death, Americans grappled with 8 minutes and 46 seconds of police brutality caught on tape. Protests erupted across the country as Americans took to the streets to declare “Black Lives Matter.” As a country, we had to reckon, again, with the idea that not all law enforcement believes this slogan to be true. Policy analyst and Campaign Zero co-founder Sam Sinyangwe talks to us about the microaggressions of his childhood that inspired his data collection on policing in America. We talk to Sam about why our system of policing is broken, and what organizations like his are doing to reimagine public safety.

This episode brings us to a mobile home park in Waukee, Iowa, where we meet 93-year-old Arletta Swain and her neighbor Matt Chapman. These manufactured housing communities were one of the last remaining affordable housing options in the US – at least they were, until private equity firms came into the picture. Today, we talk to the two neighbors about what grassroots activism looks like when you’re up against a 70% rent hike and, in Arletta’s words, “money-crazy” folks. 

Julián and Elizabeth Warren developed a close friendship this past year – from sharing a debate stage to campaigning alongside each other in Iowa. This week, we’re joined by the Massachusetts senator, who shares her perspective on humble beginnings and making sacrifices for what you believe in. The Oklahoma native talks hope and persistence in the midst of a year that has dealt severe blows to both.  

Back in April, a viral image captured the toll of the coronavirus pandemic on Americans trying to put food on the table. In this episode, we get the story behind that photo from Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. He tells us what it’s like running a food bank in the midst of a national crisis, and what’s changed for essential workers on the frontlines of food distribution.

Next, we talk to renowned chef and food advocate, José Andrés. In 2010, José and his wife, Patricia, started World Central Kitchen to aid in relief efforts after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. We talk to José about the immigrant farm workers who have sustained us during the pandemic, and the importance of emergency food distribution, from the Navajo Nation to Kentucky polling places.  

It’s hard to look at the current administration’s decision to downplay the severity of the Coronavirus without thinking about the Flint water crisis. Both stories reflect the devastating impact of misinformation and government inaction. This week, we return to Flint and talk to a dynamic duo: Pastor Ezra Tillman and First Lady Catrina Tillman. We hear about the incredible work they’re doing to support their community and the progress still left to be done. Join Julián for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from environmental racism, Diana Ross, and the kindness of strangers.

In 2012, on the stage of the Democratic National Convention, Julián Castro described the American Dream as a relay. In the first episode of Our America, we dig into the Castro family’s backstory. We follow the baton passing from one generation to the next, starting with Julián’s grandmother immigrating to the US nearly 100 years ago. Julián and his twin brother, Congressman Joaquin Castro, talk about their journey from the segregated West Side of San Antonio to the national stage. We also meet their mom, Rosie, an activist in her own right, who highlights raising her sons with a strong sense of Mexican-American identity and how that helped shape their life’s trajectory.