76. The Story of Us 2026, Part 2

On Cesar Chavez Day and the close of Women's History Month, host Kimberlé Crenshaw and award-winning radio host Kaye Wise Whitehead unpack a painful reckoning: recent New York Times revelations of sexual abuse by labor icon Cesar Chavez, including allegations from movement co-founder Dolores Huerta, who broke her silence at age 95. Together they explore why survivors delay disclosure, how hero worship in liberation movements hurts women and girls, and the tension between honoring a movement's legacy while confronting its darkest truths. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Clips in this episode from: PBS News Hour: Investigation uncovers sexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez ABC News: Dolores Huerta: Her Words, Her Movement Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Pre-order Backtalker: An American Memoir and find a book tour date near you at www.kimberlécrenshaw.com

This episode explores the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson—from organizing alongside Martin Luther King Jr. to building the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and reshaping the American electorate through his historic presidential campaigns. Challenging the media’s narrow framing of Jackson's impact in the wake of his passing, the episode uplifts the ways that his strategy, diplomacy, and inclusive vision laid the groundwork for a stronger democracy — exploring nuances that are often overlooked. Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by former DNC Chair Donna Brazile, President and Founder of the Truth and Justice Coalition Barbara Arnine, and Professor of Political Science at Hunter College-CUNY Joseph Lowndes. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Clips in this episode from: ABC News CNN CBS Seasme Street Democracy Now Amanpour & Company Connect with us: ⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Watch an extended cut of this presentation on Youtube⁠

This episode is an act of recovery, uplifting the artistic careers that McCarthyism upended through an immersive blend of conversation and artivism performances. Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay; Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen; and former President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and film scholar Jacqueline Stewart. Hear powerful artivism performances by two-time Tony Award winning actor Kara Young (Purlie Victorious, Purpose) and Tony-nominated actor Jon Michael Hill (Purpose, Elementary, Detroit 1-8-7, A Man in Full), directed by Professor of Theatre and Africana Studies at Oberlin College Justin Emeka.  Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Connect with us: ⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Watch an extended cut of this presentation on Youtube⁠ ⁠Read the Sundance 2026 Directors' Cut⁠

Music has long been central to the fight for freedom—the rhythmic heartbeat of the struggle for justice. From Beyoncé to Shaboozey to L’il Nas X and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Black artists have sparked a much-needed conversation about the rich legacy of Black artistic achievement in multiple genres of American music. This episode celebrates the Black roots of country, blues and folk music by bringing together a dynamic group of artists and scholars to reclaim this often ignored history. Guests: Jake Blount (Musician and Historian), Amythyst Kiah (Banjo Player and Historian), Amanda Ewing (Luthier), Tim Wise ( Writer and Racial Justice Educator), Denitia Odigie (Musician). Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, produced by the team at the African American Policy Forum Sr. Podcast Producer /Mixer Nicole Edwards Find more on our show and the African American Policy Forum at ⁠aapf.org⁠ Music by Blue Dot Sessions, Beyoncé, DeFord Bailey. Follow the podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, and ⁠Bluesky⁠ Check out our special series on the attack against CRT and DEI called ⁠United States of Amnesia: The Real Histories of Critical Race Theory Donate to our show

It's the 11th anniversary of the #SayHerName Campaign. To commemorate, we're uplifting a favourite #SayHerName episode from our archive. Please join us on Dec 8 in NYC for a staged reading of #SayHerName - The Lives That Should have been, featuring a star-studded cast of performers, a talkback with the mothers of the #SayHerName Mothers Network, and a post-show party with performances by special guests. Get your tickets here. This episode highlights a new milestone for the #SayHerName campaign: a new book, entitled #SayHerName: Black Women’s Stories of Police Violence and Public Silence.  Co-authored by podcast host Kimberlé Crenshaw and the team at the African American Policy Forum, this book helps readers better understand Black women's susceptibility to police brutality and state-sanctioned violence. It explains —through Black feminist storytelling and ritual — how we can effectively mobilize various communities and empower them to advocate for racial justice for Black women, girls, and femmes. In this podcast episode, you'll hear incredible performances from actors at each of our #SayHerName book tour stops in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Baltimore. You'll also hear from members from the #SayHerName Mothers Network, a sisterhood of women who have lost other women, girls and femmes in their family to police violence. You'll also hear from Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead, Dr. Dorothy Roberts, and Kali Holloway, each of whom served as cohosts at book tour stops in their respective cities. They reflected with Dr. Crenshaw on the power of the tour, the calls to action from the book, and the urgency of the lessons the book contains. Centering Black women’s experiences in police and gender violence discourses sends the powerful message that, in fact, all #BlackLivesMatter, and that the police cannot kill without consequence. Supporting AAPF ensures that this important research and testimony continues to inspire change. To purchase your copy, click ⁠here⁠. Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw (@sandylocks), with Dorothy Roberts @DorothyERoberts, Kaye Wise Whitehead @kayewhitehead, and Kali Holloway @kalihollowayftw. Produced by Nicole Edwards and the team at the African American Policy Forum. Mixing by Sean Dunnam Music by Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.