

Pod Save the People
Crooked Media
On Pod Save The People, host DeRay Mckesson explores social justice, culture, politics – and the various ways they all collide – with cohosts Myles E. Johnson and Sharhonda Bossier.
Each Tuesday, the crew digs into the current events driving the political discourse – bringing cultural context, actionable insights, and a hot take or two – to help empower listeners to engage as thoughtful members of their communities…and their group chats.
Alongside special guests, the show uplifts overlooked news stories that impact people of color and amplifies underrepresented voices who are working to create meaningful change.
Each Tuesday, the crew digs into the current events driving the political discourse – bringing cultural context, actionable insights, and a hot take or two – to help empower listeners to engage as thoughtful members of their communities…and their group chats.
Alongside special guests, the show uplifts overlooked news stories that impact people of color and amplifies underrepresented voices who are working to create meaningful change.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 11, 2025 • 1h 57min
Dr. Brittany Friedman on the Racial Divide
AI program jails innocent man for 17 months, Katt Williams imperialist rant, Congress members denied access to Department of Education. Pod Save The People is back with the Blackest Book Club reading list in collaboration with Reconstruction and Campaign Zero. DeRay interviews author Dr. Brittany Friedman about her new book titled Carceral Apartheid: How Lies and White Supremacists Run Our Prisons. NewsMan jailed over police AI program, then freed 17 months after victim raised doubtsTrump says he'd deport US citizens convicted of crimes 'in a heartbeat' if legalMembers of Congress denied access to Department of EducationMusk to rehire DOGE staffer with history of racist tweetsKatt Williams Imperialist RantAkilah Hughes on non-voters Follow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feb 4, 2025 • 1h 36min
Aaron Robertson on Building Black Utopia
Trump rewrites history on White House website, study on Harvard finds 43 percent of white students are legacy, athletes, or related to donors/staff, and the rise of Black educators on TikTok. Pod Save The People is back with the Blackest Book Club reading list in collaboration with Reconstruction and Campaign Zero. DeRay interviews author Aaron Robertson about his new book titled The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America. NewsThe Rewriting of a Pioneering Female Astronomer’s Legacy Shows How Far Trump’s DEI Purge Will GoStudy on Harvard finds 43 percent of white students are legacy, athletes, related to donors or staffHillmanTok: The rise of Black educators on TikTokTrump pauses 25% tariffs on Canadian goods after deal will Trudeau Follow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jan 28, 2025 • 59min
The Performance Art of Politics
Automated grocery prices increase depending on the shopper, Target follows suit in abandoning DEI initiatives, ICE officers issued an arrest quota, and the legacy of Florence Price - the first Black women to premiere works by a US orchestra. NewsAutomation in Retail Is Even Worse Than You ThoughtMeet Florence Price, the first Black woman to have her work premiered by a US orchestraTarget rolls back DEI initiatives, the latest big company to retreatTrump officials issue quotas to ICE officers to ramp up arrests Follow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jan 21, 2025 • 1h 39min
This is Not A Drill
Whistleblower exposes Russian political interference operation, Louisiana governor evicts homeless people ahead of Super Bowl, Mississippi infrastructure neglect leads to parasites in impoverished residents, and Doechii stuns in Black sitcom inspired music video. DeRay interviews Andrew Bakaj and Naomi Seligman of Whistleblower Aid. NewsThe Westminster whistleblower: how my friend Sergei tried to expose the Kremlin plot against BritainGovernor forces removal of homeless people by New Orleans Superdome before Super BowlInfrastructure neglect and poverty lead to parasites in the Mississippi DeltaWatch Doechii’s life literally blow up on ‘Denial is a River Show” Follow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jan 14, 2025 • 1h 25min
Make Government Boring Again
Meta makes up with MAGA, Black students barred from empowerment clubs, tow companies allowed to sell people's cars, and the legacy of Dada Masilo. Support California wildfire relief efforts with a donation to Vote Save America & Crooked Ideas Action FundDisplaced Black Families GoFundMe DirectoryNewsBehind the Curtain: Meta's make-up-with-MAGA mapGone in 15 Days: How the Connecticut DMV Allows Tow Companies to Sell People’s CarsWorld of dance mourns death of ‘brilliant light’ Dada Masilo at age of 39DC Public Schools hit with federal civil rights complaint over 'student affinity group'‘Essential’: nearly 800 incarcerated firefighters deployed as LA battles wildfiresI talked to Meta’s Black AI character. Here’s what she told me. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jan 7, 2025 • 1h 25min
Back on that Bull
Explore the alarming rise of white supremacist militias and their impact on political discourse. Unpack the harsh reality of employed homelessness as soaring housing costs push many to the edge. Discover the legacy of Luther Vandross through a new documentary and reflect on the complexities of media representation and its emotional toll. Delve into systemic issues surrounding community violence and the importance of acknowledging historical narratives for true understanding and growth.

Dec 17, 2024 • 1h 19min
Here Comes The Circus
Trump rolls back on campaign promises, Black feminist artist Lorraine O'Grady becomes an ancestor, and a debate on the future of the Democratic Party. NewsLorraine O’Grady, Conceptual Artist Who Advocated for Black Women’s Perspectives, Dies at 90Why aren’t Black women in the conversation to lead the Democratic Party?Trump now says bringing down grocery prices, as he promised, will be 'very hard'Comcast Plans Massive Cable Spin-Off, Separating USA, MSNBC and More From NBC, Theme ParksLuigi Mangione Isn’t The Brilliant Thirst Trap Y'all Made Him Out to BeFollow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dec 10, 2024 • 1h 24min
Conspiracies Unfold
Conspiracies unfold as Florida prosecutors vacate convictions for people who bought crack made by the Sheriff's Office, Biden urged to empty federal death row before Trump presidency, and the most-known cause for depression debunked. NewsFlorida prosecutor seeks to clear records of people charged with buying police-made crack in 1980sBiden urged to empty federal death row before Trump takes officeDepression Is Not Caused by Chemical Imbalance in the Brain Follow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dec 3, 2024 • 1h 34min
I Beg Your Pardon!
A deep dive into the self harm occurring within a Virginia Supermax prison, Putin's efforts to market Russia to Africans, and the declining reputation of the Black church. NewsPrisoners Intentionally Burned Themselves at Troubled Virginia SupermaxThe Black Church is CookedJoe Biden Pardons His Son HunterInside the Effort to Market Russia and Putin To AfricansCynthia Erivo on Bringing Her Black Queer Identity to ‘Wicked’: ‘It’s a Love Letter to Everyone Who Feels Different’ Follow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nov 19, 2024 • 1h 16min
Same Goal, New Path
Schools eerily quiet about election results, Bernice King 2017 election advice resurfaces, an ode to Ella Jenkins legacy in children's music and Malcolm Peacock uses art to push boundaries. NewsSchools Are Eerily Quiet About the Election Results, Educators SayElla Jenkins, Chicago's first lady of children's music, dies at 100Malcolm Peacock Asks, “When Is the Last Time You Trusted Yourself?” | Studio Museum in HarlemBernice King: Post-Election Advice Follow @PodSaveThePeople on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


