MMSD's new layoff practices, and what is cultural competency?
School Board member Savion Castro joins Matthew to talk about new reassignment and layoff policies for MMSD, and explore why cultural competency is important.
Apr 07, 2021•38 min
Finding the Warmth of Our Sun
Host Matthew Braunginn examines issues surrounding race and racism from a historical perspective.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Episodes
GOP's Jim Crow 2.0 and Civil Rights deconstruction
The GOP is rolling out voter suppression laws across the United States, pushing Jim Crow in the 21st century. But their broader goal is to roll back the civil rights movement entirely, and the media and moderates are giving cover to their undemocratic behavior by taking up their talking points about those who fight for social justice.
Mar 31, 2021•30 min
Asian-American violence driven by broader white supremacy
This killing of Asian women in Atlanta (misspoken as Alabama in episode) didn't just derive from hate but from policies and decisions of our past and present. This is a larger problem of seeing "hate" as the only form of racism, or one must hate to perpetuate race-based crimes. It both shows the short-comings of labeling something a "hate crime," as it misses out how race-based violence oftentimes isn't born out of ignorance or hate, but larger issues of power and self-interest. We need a better...
Mar 24, 2021•37 min
Cancel Culture Warriors and their hypocrisy
Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri was acquitted last week after being arrested and charged covering one of this summers Black Lives Matter protests. While many on the left spoke out, many who decry cancel culture stayed silent. This behavior of those who oppose so-called cancel culture, being silent in the face of government suppression and oppression, is common. But, so-called cancel culture doesn't exist, at least not the way it is publicly discussed. It is a tool of those in relativ...
Mar 17, 2021•25 min
Dane County approves funding for a new jail & more on women in prisons
The Dane County Board decided to approve paying Mead & Hunt for work not requested on a jail that shouldn't move forward. White supervisors approved in the face of all the supervisors of color. Plus a deeper dive into women in prisons, and why more research needs to be done.
Mar 10, 2021•24 min
California prisons forced sterilizations & Women in the Criminal Justice System
It was recently revealed California is still forcing sterilizations upon women in their prisons. And just on the numbers alone, the state of women and our criminal justice system is alarming, with many in prison for petty offenses or defending themselves from abuse and face longer sentencing than men.
Mar 03, 2021•22 min
COVID-19 drops Black American life expectancy by 3 years
COVID has reduced Black and Brown life expectancy by 3 and 2 years respectively. But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Black health disparities and racism in medicine.
Feb 24, 2021•20 min
The inhumanity of jails and our justice system
In this episode, Matthew talks about how we have multiple justice systems, one serving Black & Brown people, one serving white people, one for poor people, and one for the wealthy. He also talks about how things are so broken, reform will fall short, and jails do nothing but take away our own humanity- abolition and investing in people and humanity over human pens is our only way through this.
Feb 17, 2021•25 min
On the lie of whiteness
On this episode, Matthew talks about his experience being white-passing, and insight into what whiteness is and isn't.
Feb 10, 2021•30 min
Moving forward from this coup
In this episode, Matthew talks about what our future might hold, what we can learn from the past, and why accountability is a must for this nation to survive.
Feb 03, 2021•26 min
The unsettling nature of memeing accomplished Black women
Stacey Abrams, Amanda Gorman, and Michelle Obama are among a group of Black women that have been portrayed as "superwomen" (most of the time by white liberals) to an unsettling degree, that approaches fetishization. While many of these same white liberals go on to dismiss and ignore Black women in their own workplaces and lives.
Jan 27, 2021•22 min
Madison- just say no to body cameras
In this episode, Matthew brings an update on where the talk of body-cams are here in Madison, and what the latest information on body cams tell us - they don't do what people think they do. And because of that, they are not a cost-effective way to decrease use of force, improve transparency, or improve accountability (as they don't do those things).
Jan 20, 2021•28 min
The Coup, Police, and the Koup Klux Klan of it all
A mob of terrorists attempted a coup one week ago. Today, Matthew talks about that insurrection, what went wrong with the capitol police (or was this to be expected?), and how this is what happens in the United States when white people are threatened with a multi-cultural democracy. Oh, and yes, these people are fascist traitors, and any government official that aided this attempt should lose their office and be tried for treason. Correction: At 25:00, the correct date is 1898 for the North Caro...
Jan 13, 2021•30 min
Rebroadcast - Citizen Dave, Madison, and Why You're Probably Thinking About Racism Wrong
This week, Matthew revisits this episode about former mayor Dave Ciezslewicz, his problematic columns, Madison, and why you’re probably thinking about racism wrong.
Jan 06, 2021•28 min
Rebroadcast - Defund the Police
This week we revisit Matthew's exploration of the role of police in society, their effectiveness, and why the idea of defunding them isn't actually scary.
Dec 30, 2020•26 min
On Climate Change, Capitalism, and Race with Nada Elmikashfi
On this episode, Matthew talks with Nada Elmikashfi talk about climate change, the failure of the US to lead, how the future world-leading nations will be the ones leading on climate, and what race and capitalism have to do with it all.
Dec 23, 2020•43 min
The Cruel Madness of the GOP & their coup
Two intersecting behaviors of the GOP are on full display: the idea that only a GOP win is legitimate and their cruelty.
Dec 16, 2020•22 min
Obama, and coming to terms with the failure of Democrats
In this episode, Matthew looks at President Obama as an example of how Democrats at every level fail to wield power effectively, and how a change in the perception of these failures is important to progress.
Dec 09, 2020•31 min
"Defund" the military
In this episode, Matthew talks through the pragmatic, economic, political, and moral reasons that defunding the military and reshaping US foreign policy is a must going forward.
Dec 02, 2020•19 min
Trumps coup and a broken nation
On this episode, Matthew talks about how Trump is quite clearly attempting a coup, backed up or enabled by the GOP, how the GOP and its voters embrace authoritarianism and reject the notion of a multicultural democracy, and to what extent America and its people are fundamentally broken, making a hard road forward. There is no going back to the normal before 2016, for better or for worse.
Nov 25, 2020•24 min
How Madison (and progressives) uphold a racialized caste system
On this episode, Matthew discusses how the Common Council voted to not cut more from MPD's budget and some alders told the county not to match funds for a mental health community response unit, showing the little ways even progressives can help uphold a racial caste system and white supremacy.
Nov 18, 2020•23 min
Sure, an election review special
On this episode, Matthew talks about some very too soon lessons we can glean from the election. How Black, Latino, and Indigenous organizers won the election for Biden, how Democrats need to do more to empower these organizers, how BLM didn't hurt Dems and in fact helped, and how the GOP continues down a dangerous path.
Nov 11, 2020•29 min
When Will The Civil War End?
On this episode, Matthew talks about how the ideological battle (and at times real violence) of the Civil War continues to this day.
Nov 04, 2020•21 min
The United States is not a Democracy
On this episode, Matthew tackles the state of the democracy within the United States, but first handles the bad-faith argument "we're a republic not a democracy."
Oct 28, 2020•30 min
On Race and Class
On this episode, Matthew talks about the myth of linear racial progress, and why we also need to think about class.
Oct 21, 2020•28 min
America: A Failed State
On this episode, Matthew talks about how the United States meets the criteria of a failed state, how this goes beyond partisan politics, and why far-reaching action must take place.
Oct 14, 2020•24 min
Trump Sympathy, COVID, and American Lies
In this episode, Matthew talks about how some people decide to give Trump sympathy (while he would give you none) and how that relies upon an American lie - whiteness.
Oct 07, 2020•28 min
Trump: The Symptom, Not the Disease
On this episode, Matthew talks about how President Trump is just a symptom of a much deeper rot that made a Trump-like figure inevitable.
Sep 30, 2020•26 min
Citizen Dave, Madison, and Why You're Probably Thinking About Racism Wrong
This week, Matthew talks about former mayor Dave Ciezslewicz, his problematic columns, Madison, and why you’re probably thinking about racism wrong.
Sep 23, 2020•27 min
Trump and the GOP COVID Genocide
In this episode, Matthew explores the failures of Trump and the GOP during our ongoing coronavirus epidemic, and how these failures can be framed as genocide.
Sep 16, 2020•21 min
Hosted on Libsyn
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android