DSR's Words Matter

John Robert Lewis was a politician, statesman, and civil rights leader who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020. He was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from 1963 to 1966.Born near Troy, Alabama, on February 21, 1940, he the third of ten children of Willie Mae and Eddie Lewis.[2][3] His parents were sharecroppers in rural Pike County, Alabama,As a child in rural Alabama in the 1940s, young John Lewis was disturbed by the evidence that he saw around him of the South’s Jim Crow racial segregation laws. He wanted to know why they existed.Even as a small child he would ask his mother why black children went to separate schools from white children, why Black people were forced to use separate bathrooms, separate drinking fountains and sit in separate sections in public places.His mother discouraged his curiosity, by saying, “Don’t get in the way. Don’t get in trouble.” But, as John Lewis often explained later, he went in the other direction – he got in the way. He got into trouble – GOOD TROUBLE as he famously called it.Inspired by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who he first met at the age of 18, John Lewis was already an established Civil Leader by the age of 21. He had been one of the 13 original Freedom Riders in 1961 and lead the way in desegregating interstate transportationAt 23, John Lewis became the chairman of the  Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was one of the "Big Six" leaders of groups who organized the August 1963 March on Washington. He was the youngest person to speak at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th 1963 – on the same stage that Dr. King delivered his iconic “I have a Dream” Speech.While he held many important leadership roles in the civil rights movement and the fight to end legalized racial segregation in the United States. the cause John Lewis became most associated with was that of Voting Rights.In 1965, John Lewis organized some of the voter registration efforts during the Selma voting rights campaign, and became nationally known for his prominent role in the Selma to Montgomery marches.[49] On March 7, 1965 – a day that would become known as "Bloody Sunday" – Lewis and fellow activist Hosea Williams led over 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.At the end of the bridge and the city-county boundary, the marchers were met by Alabama State Troopers who ordered them to disperse.When the marchers stopped to pray, the police discharged tear gas and mounted troopers charged the demonstrators, beating them with nightsticks. Lewis's skull was fractured, but he was aided in escaping across the bridge to Brown Chapel, a church in Selma that served as the movement's headquarters.[50] Lewis bore scars on his head from this incident for the rest of his life.[51]In March 2015, on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, President Barack Obama, delivered a speech  in Selma and then John Lewis lead the way as President Obama, former President George W. Bush and 40,000 Civil Rights Movement veterans and marched across that very same bridge.With that – let’s listen to the honorable John Robert Lewis talk about the importance of  “good trouble”  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By this time during the presidency of the former guy, his national security advisor had been booted, the Muslim ban had been tried and Comey was days from getting fired. We also knew that the GOP was simply not going to do anything about even the worst things Trump was doing. So it's not too early to make some prognostications about about the political weather we can expect in the Biden Era. The bad news is, we already know the GOP is still Trump's GOP, obstructionist at best, anti-democratic, racist, corrupt and traitorous at worst. The good news is that so far, Joe Biden has managed to by-pass the Beltway and win bi-partisan support by listening to the American people and giving them the kind of programs and change the majority of them have long supported. Will this continue? What could result in a course change? We discuss with Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Washington Post, Dr. Kavita Patel, former Obama White House official and practicing physician and Ryan Goodman, NYU Law professor and co-editor of "Just Security." Join usEach week, we’re bringing you a new episode of one of our favorite podcasts, Deep State Radio.Deep State Radio, hosted by David Rothkopf, produces new episodes 2-3 times per week and brings together top experts, policymakers, and journalists from the national security, foreign policy, and political communities. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.If you become a member of the DSR Network, you’ll receive benefits such as ad-free listening via private feed, discounts to virtual events and Deep State Radio Swag, and access to the member-only Slack community. This is one of the most closely followed podcasts among the people influencing the most important decisions in Washington and worldwide today. You can learn more by visiting thedsrnetwork.com. Listeners to Words Matter will receive 25% off of the regular membership price. Use code wordsmatter at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A charismatic Russian woman arrives in the US on a mission to improve relations between the two countries, and she soon makes some powerful friends. But who is Maria Butina? And who is she working for? As Maria gets closer to the rich and connected she also attracts the attention of the FBI. In the politically charged world of US-Russia relations, everyone has secrets and almost nothing is what it seems. From Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and Dr. Death comes SPY AFFAIR a story about deception, appearances and betrayal. Hosted by Celia Aniskovich.Listen today at wondery.fm/SAWordsMatterSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 3, 1968 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis, Tennessee to lend his support, his help, and his leadership to the Memphis Sanitation Worker’s Strike.That February, Black sanitation workers had walked off the job because two of them had been crushed to death in a garbage compacting truck. There was already unrest and tension because the Black workers were paid poorly and treated even worse. They deserved a raise and better working conditions.On March 28, Dr. King participated in a huge Memphis march, but to his dismay, it ended in violence. With the intention of leading a peaceful march later that week, Dr. King returned to Memphis on April 3. That evening, he spoke at Mason Temple, then the Church of God in Christ world headquarters. As he had throughout the tumultuous struggle for Civil Rights during the 1950s and 60s, Dr. King called on America and Americans to live up to the promise of our founding creed, and to honor the words of our founding documents. As Dr. King came to the end of his speech, he talked about his 1958 attempted assassination, the bomb threat that delayed his plane that day, and threats made against him in Memphis. As a storm raged outside the packed church, Dr. King prophetically spoke of his own mortality.The next day, Thursday, April 4, 1968, Dr. King was at the Lorraine Motel with aides and friends; Rev. Billie Kyles of Memphis arrived to take the group to dinner. At about 6 p.m. Dr. King stood with Rev. Kyles on the balcony outside his Room 306 and told musician Ben Branch to be sure to play “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” at the rally that evening.Then, as Dr. King leaned over the balcony railing to speak with his young aide Reverend Jesse Jackson  he was struck down by an assassin’s bullet.He was 39 years old.Later that evening, in Indianapolis, Indiana – presidential candidate, Senator Robert Kennedy delivered the news of Dr. King’s murder to a crowd of black and white supporters.Exactly two months later Robert Kennedy himself was assassinated in Los Angeles after winning the California Democratic presidential primary.With that, let’s listen to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I've Been to the Mountain Top” in its entirety.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Too much of world history is written by men about men for men. The result is that cultural biases of a male-centric world are reinforced. But another consequence is that the vitally important stories about heroic women who are shaping our communities an our futures go unnoticed. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author of the Daughters of Kobani, is addressing this shortcoming with powerful books telling the story of remarkable women across the greater Middle East. We discuss with her the future of the US in the region, the future of women in the region and how average American can make a difference in resetting our priorities. Don't miss it.Each week, we’re bringing you a new episode of one of our favorite podcasts, Deep State Radio.Deep State Radio, hosted by David Rothkopf, produces new episodes 2-3 times per week and brings together top experts, policymakers, and journalists from the national security, foreign policy, and political communities. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.If you become a member of the DSR Network, you’ll receive benefits such as ad-free listening via private feed, discounts to virtual events and Deep State Radio Swag, and access to the member-only Slack community. This is one of the most closely followed podcasts among the people influencing the most important decisions in Washington and worldwide today. You can learn more by visiting thedsrnetwork.com. Listeners to Words Matter will receive 25% off of the regular membership price. Use code wordsmatter at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A charismatic Russian woman arrives in the US on a mission to improve relations between the two countries, and she soon makes some powerful friends. But who is Maria Butina? And who is she working for? As Maria gets closer to the rich and connected she also attracts the attention of the FBI. In the politically charged world of US-Russia relations, everyone has secrets and almost nothing is what it seems. From Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and Dr. Death comes SPY AFFAIR a story about deception, appearances and betrayal. Hosted by Celia Aniskovich.Listen today at wondery.fm/SAWordsMatterSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A charismatic Russian woman arrives in the US on a mission to improve relations between the two countries, and she soon makes some powerful friends. But who is Maria Butina? And who is she working for? As Maria gets closer to the rich and connected she also attracts the attention of the FBI. In the politically charged world of US-Russia relations, everyone has secrets and almost nothing is what it seems. From Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and Dr. Death comes SPY AFFAIR a story about deception, appearances and betrayal. Hosted by Celia Aniskovich.Listen today at wondery.fm/SAWordsMatterSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A charismatic Russian woman arrives in the US on a mission to improve relations between the two countries, and she soon makes some powerful friends. But who is Maria Butina? And who is she working for? As Maria gets closer to the rich and connected she also attracts the attention of the FBI. In the politically charged world of US-Russia relations, everyone has secrets and almost nothing is what it seems. From Wondery, the makers of The Shrink Next Door and Dr. Death comes SPY AFFAIR a story about deception, appearances and betrayal. Hosted by Celia Aniskovich.Listen today at wondery.fm/SAWordsMatterSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geraldine Ferraro was a politician, diplomat, attorney - and also a teacher, activist, author, and businesswoman.The daughter of an Italian immigrant, Geraldine lost her father when she was 8, and moved with her family to the South Bronx where her mother worked in the garment industry to support them.She was an outstanding student winning a full scholarship to college, and earning a degree in English with honors. Geraldine Ferraro worked as a public school teacher in Queens before entering Fordham University School of Law in 1957. She continued to teach second grade at PS 57 in Queens during the day while going to law school in Manhattan at night and was of 2 women in her graduating class of 179 to earn a Juris Doctorate in 1960. Ferraro raised a family and worked as a civil lawyer for 13 years - occasionally doing pro bono work for women in family court.She joined the Queens District Attorneys Office in 1974 heading the new Special Victims Bureau that dealt with sex crimes, child abuse, and domestic violence. Before she made history as the first woman to run for office on a national ticket - Geraldine Ferraro was a rising star in the Democratic Party and a powerful voice in Congress. Elected in 1978 to Represent New York’s 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens, a seat once held by Joseph Pulitzer and later by Chuck Schumer.In only her second term she served in a prestigious leadership position as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus - under legendary Speaker Tip O’Neil. A position perviously held by Shirley Chisholm and later by James Clyburn. In July of 1984, former Vice President Walter Mondale made history when he asked Ferraro to join the Democratic ticket as his running mate when he became the presidential nominee to challenge incumbent President Ronald Reagan and his Vice President George HW Bush.One hundred and ninety-seven years after the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia in 1787, a female candidate was finally nominated for national office at the Democratic Convention in San Francisco in 1984.36 years, 6 months and 2 days later Senator Kamila Harris – also the daughter of immigrants, was sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United StatesLet’s listen to the Honorable Geraldine Ferraro’s historic acceptance speech for the 1984 Democratic Vice Presidential nominationSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few decisions a government can make are more consequential than deciding when the use of force is warranted. In the US a debate has raged for decades about how much latitude a president should have in making such decisions and what role Congress should play. Legal contortionism has turned congressional authorizations for the use of force in one circumstance into blank permissions slips still cited by president decades later. This week, the Congress has begun to reconsider these profoundly important issues and we are joined by experts Steve Pomper, formerly of the Obama NSC, and Oona Hathaway, professor at Yale Law School, as well as regular co-host Ryan Goodman, co-editor of Just Security and professor at NYU Law School for a discussion on what changes are needed and which are possible. Don't miss it.Each week, we’re bringing you a new episode of one of our favorite podcasts, Deep State Radio.Deep State Radio, hosted by David Rothkopf, produces new episodes 2-3 times per week and brings together top experts, policymakers, and journalists from the national security, foreign policy, and political communities. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.If you become a member of the DSR Network, you’ll receive benefits such as ad-free listening via private feed, discounts to virtual events and Deep State Radio Swag, and access to the member-only Slack community. This is one of the most closely followed podcasts among the people influencing the most important decisions in Washington and worldwide today. You can learn more by visiting thedsrnetwork.com. Listeners to Words Matter will receive 25% off of the regular membership price. Use code wordsmatter at checkout.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/words-matter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices