Let’s Find Common Ground

Outrage, grief, and despair over cases of police brutality and racism erupted nationwide, with growing demands for major reforms. The protests appeared to sway public opinion. A Washington Post poll in June found that 69% of Americans agreed that the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis suggests a broader problem within law enforcement.  This episode brings together a police chief and a critic of law enforcement. Both discuss their hopes for better policing in the future, and find some areas of agreement on proposed changes, including greater diversity, better training, and firmer action against officers who step over the line.   Art Acevedo is Chief of Police for the Houston Police Department. He now serves as President of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. MSNBC legal analyst Maya Wiley is a civil rights activist, former board chair of New York City's Civilian Complaint Review Board, and senior vice president for Social Justice at The New School.

Mimi Walters, former Congresswoman (R-CA) and Fall 2020 Fellow at the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, joins co-directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy to share some thoughts on the 2020 election and her decades-long career in public office. From investment executive to elected official, Walters most recently served as U.S. Representative for District 45 in Orange County, until 2018. She also served in both the California State Senate and Assembly and got her start in politics as a city Councilmember and Mayor of Laguna Niguel. In Congress, Walters sponsored legislation for wildfire disaster tax relief and the Survivor’s Bill of Rights that established key protections for survivors of sexual assault. She served on the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee where she was a member of the Communications and Technology, Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, and Oversight and Investigations subcommittees. She is the co-founder of the California Women’s Leadership Association, sits on several boards, and will be teaching a course in the Fall titled “So You Want to Run For Office?” with the USC Center for the Political Future.

As the pandemic has unfolded, social media has once again demonstrated how it can inform – or mislead – by encouraging the spread of literally deadly information. Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy moderate a discussion on the implications of misinformation from political, social and engineering perspectives – and how it could alter the course of social media. In partnership with the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences' Dornsife Dialogues series. The panelists include: Kristina Lerman, Research associate professor of computer science and principal scientist at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Information Sciences Institute Jon-Patrick Allem, Assistant professor of research preventive medicine and director of the Social Media Analytics Lab at Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Still reeling from a global pandemic, protests across America erupted in cities across all 50 states, sparking a worldwide movement in over 20 countries. Violence against black men and women, like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others, perpetrated by police has plagued this country for decades. The demand for systemic change for how cities are policed and how racism penetrates so much of American life has become a national, multicultural discussion. This panel explores how we got here and what actions are needed to move forward. The panelists include: Art Acevedo - Chief of Police, Houston Police Department; President, Major Cities Chiefs Association Donna Brazile - Former Chair, Democratic National Committee (DNC); FOX News Contributor Sydney Kamlager-Dove - California State Assembly member, District 54 (D-Los Angeles) Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Erroll Southers - Professor of the Practice in National & Homeland Security; Director, Safe Communities Institute; Director of Homegrown Violent Extremist Studies, USC Price Moderated by: Ron Christie, BBC News Analyst; Fall ‘19 Fellow, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.

Nationwide protests against racism, police violence, and racial inequality have shaken the nation to its core. Support for Black Lives Matter and anger over police treatment of African-Americans grew dramatically in recent weeks. Outrage over the disturbingly graphic deaths of George Floyd and other black men and women have changed the debate over racism. In this podcast, we look for potential areas of common ground, and consider the prospects for lasting change. Our guests are Ilyasah Shabazz, and Brian Williams, MD. Professor Shabazz often speaks about the remarkable legacy of her father, Malcolm X. She promotes higher education for at-risk youth and interfaith dialogue to build bridges between cultures for young leaders of the world. Doctor Williams led the trauma team that treated police officers ambushed by a sniper in Dallas in 2016 - the largest loss of life for US law enforcement since 9/11. "Education and discussion is a start, but not enough," Dr. Williams tells us. "A lot of us have been educating and talking and waiting for a long long time. Now is the time for action." If we're taught hate we're never going to solve any problems. It looks like that's what the young people are saying and it's great, says Professor Shabazz. "We need our young people to have their voices, to speak up and help us make change." In this podcast, we discuss the findings of two studies related to racism: Research on children's perceptions of black and white dolls, and the 40-year U.S. Public Health Service study of syphilis in Macon County, Alabama.

Communities of color face visible threats. The recent murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black jogger in Georgia, and the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, reverberated across the country, sparking an outpouring a pain and rage. These cases of racial violence and bias were only the latest on a very long list of attacks and murders of African-American men and women. At this profoundly painful time, we speak with musician and bandleader, Daryl Davis, a Black man who has spent the past 35 years on a remarkable quest: speaking with, and at times befriending, members of white supremacist groups. He has helped more than 200 KKK members to renounce their racist ideology.  "We have to ask ourselves the question: do I want to sit back and see what my country becomes, or do I want to stand up and make my country become what I want to see," Daryl tells us. "I've chosen the latter. And so you have to get into the thick of it."

Barbara Boxer, former U.S. Senator (D-CA) and Fall 2020 Fellow at the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, joins co-directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy to reflect on her career and look ahead to the November election. Boxer was elected to the United States Senate in 1992 during the “Year of the Woman." She served four terms and retired in 2017, having also served five terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and six years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. Known as a “liberal firebrand,” Boxer has advocated for families and the environment for decades. She has consistently addressed the threat of climate change and attacks on women’s health and the right to privacy. She also authored landmark legislation for federally funded after-school programs. Boxer is chairwoman for a global strategy firm, runs a political action committee, and in the Fall, she will be teaching a course called "Demystifying Governance and Politics" at the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.

The coronavirus emergency is the world's biggest crisis of the 21st century--worse than the tragic losses ‪on 9/11, and the economic damage of the great recession. Using lessons from history, we look at positive ways for all of us to emerge from the pandemic. Retired Admiral James Stavridis spent 37 years in the US navy and served in both Democratic and Republican administrations. He led US Southern Command in Miami and served as the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO. His latest book is "Sailing True North". Admiral Stavridis calls himself "a very serious cook” and is spending time during the lockdown learning a new language: Portuguese.

The times ahead may be radically different than what most of us have experienced so far in our lives. This episode considers what kind of sacrifices will have to be made now and in the future. How can volunteers make a difference? What needs to be done to prevent a further fraying of the fabric of our national life? Guest: Professor Paul Light of New York University, who often writes about public service, and has testified before Congress.

What does it take to be an effective leader at a time of unprecedented crisis? We look at the vital skills great leaders share in common. Guest: Retired four-star general, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate, Wesley Clark. He shares his unique experience in the military, business, politics, and as the leader of the non-profit group, Renew America Together.