On This Week’s Episode of “How to Be a Dictator”

Aug 14, 2025

Guest

Emanuel Cleaver

Mark Veasey, Congressman from Texas's 33rd District, sheds light on the ongoing redistricting efforts and emphasizes the urgency of protecting voting rights. Jalanda Jones, Texas State Representative, shares insights on grassroots movements against redistricting abuses. Emanuel Cleaver, Congressman from Missouri, discusses the pursuit of political power amidst these challenges. Together, they dissect the implications of gerrymandering and the necessity for community engagement to ensure representation for marginalized voters, highlighting a critical moment in American politics.

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INSIGHT

Federal Deployment Is A Power Grab

Ty Hobson-Powell argues the federal deployment in D.C. is a power grab, not a public safety response.
He urges national listeners to amplify D.C. residents and treat it as a test for authoritarian overreach.

ANECDOTE

Community Life Disrupted By Policing

Tiffany Cross describes losing neighborhood community when law enforcement disperses public housing gatherings.
She recalls Marion Barry's street-level leadership as a contrasting model of engagement.

ADVICE

Prepare To Survive Encounters

Learn your local rules and know your rights before encounters with federal agents or the National Guard.
Use community vigilance and information-sharing to de-escalate wrong or unlawful arrests.

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On Episode 92, our hosts Tiffany Cross, Angela Rye, and Andrew Gillum would be remiss not to address the crackdown happening in our nation’s capital.

The residents of Washington D.C., a city with more than 40% Black residents, are under siege. We hav reports from the ground of federal agents rolling out in overwhelming force and literally showing up on folks’ doorsteps. Trump’s stated goal is to crack down on “crime,” homelessness, and teenagers. Our hosts watch some clips and discuss, featuring friends of the show, Ty Hobson-Powell and Elizabeth Booker Houston.

Then an update on the redistricting wars with Rep. Veasey (TX-33), Rep. Cleaver (MO-5), and State Rep Jones (TX-147). Texas Governor Abbot has said he will end the special session he called to redraw Texas’ electoral maps, which Texas Democrats fled the state to protest. What happens next? Will the Texas Dems be apprehended by the FBI? Do they have a path to victory in Texas or is the strategy mutually assured destruction (looking at you California)? We get the facts from the source.

Did you know that the Democratic Republic of the Congo supplies much of the world’s cobalt, a vital mineral that helps power your smart phone? While this critical resource should be making the country fabulously wealthy, it has instead been a major driver of violence and exploitation. As promised, Tiffany Cross delivers a report on the DRC after her recent trip there.

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We are 446 days away from the midterm elections. Welcome home y’all!

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Native Land Pod is brought to you by Reasoned Choice Media.

Thank you to the Native Land Pod team:

Angela Rye as host, executive producer and cofounder of Reasoned Choice Media; Tiffany Cross as host and producer, Andrew Gillum as host and producer, and Lauren Hansen as executive producer; Loren Mychael is our research producer, and Nikolas Harter is our editor and producer. Special thanks to Chris Morrow and Lenard McKelvey, co-founders of Reasoned Choice Media.

Theme music created by Daniel Laurent.

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