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Host Kimberlé Crenshaw continues Intersectionality Matters' 2026 election coverage with anti-racist educator and AAPF Sr. Fellow Tim Wise, and journalist Kirsten West Savali. Together, they go behind the headlines from the last week to connect the dots, and discuss polling data relevant to African American voters. New episodes drop weekly on Fridays through November 3rd. This episode includes clips from: Ben Crump CONDEMNS finding that use of force in 1-year-old Kohen Wiley's death was justified Music by Blue Dot Sessions Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Kimberlé Crenshaw's book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Backtalker: An American Memoir⁠⁠⁠

When a Cornell student known as Jane Doe came forward alleging she was assaulted by seven fellow students, the "Cornell Seven", it ignited a national firestorm. It also resurfaced an old pattern of institutional betrayal that universities, police, and the legal system have repeated for decades when women report sexual abuse. In this episode, host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by philosopher Kate Manne and journalist Kirsten West Savali to examine the Cornell case alongside that of Kendall Francis, a Black student at LSU whose story received a fraction of the attention. Together, they trace the through line from Anita Hill to Tarana Burke, interrogate the "bro code" and himpathy that shield perpetrators, and ask why the public still struggles to side with the most vulnerable. This episode includes clips from: Mickey Atkins CBC News ABC News and ABC News Kendall Francis via Jess Francis 101 Music by Blue Dot Sessions Host Kimberlé Crenshaw Sr. Producer Nicole Edwards Associate Producer Aniah Francis Cover Art Ashley Julien Research from The African American Policy Forum Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Kimberlé Crenshaw's book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Backtalker: An American Memoir⁠⁠⁠

Host Kimberlé Crenshaw launches Intersectionality Matters' 2026 election series with philosopher Jason Stanley (How Fascism Works) and journalist Kirsten West Savali. Together they connect three headlines: the raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar's home, the plan to live-stream a public execution, and AOC's remark that "woke 1.0 was crazy", into a unified portrait of a democracy under fascist threat. New episodes drop weekly on Fridays through November 3rd. This episode includes clips from: MS NOW ⁠CNN Riverside Church Livestream Guardian News France 24 English Music by Blue Dot Sessions Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Kimberlé Crenshaw's book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Backtalker: An American Memoir⁠⁠⁠

Honouring the life and legacy of Gloria Steinem, host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by scholars Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Salamishah Tillet for an intimate conversation about the ways Steinem touched their lives, and affected history. This episode includes clips from: Yahoo News Time Magazine Music by Blue Dot Sessions Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Kimberlé Crenshaw's book, ⁠⁠⁠Backtalker: An American Memoir⁠⁠⁠

Host Kimberlé Crenshaw and author Jamilah Lemieux reflect on how it feels to release their first memoirs. On the heeels of the release of Backtalker: An American Memoir, author Kimberlé Crenshaw embarks on a series of conversations with fellow Backtalkers — those who speak truth to power and habitually challenge injustices that others deem unfixable. This is episode two. For the inaugural episode of the series, go back to episode 79 with Cheryl Harris. In this episode, you'll hear abou the reclamation of “baby mama,” how popular culture and respectability politics shaped perceptions of Black families, and Lemieux’s shifting understanding of how we define family. The conversation traces the Moynihan Report’s lasting influence across Black political thought, and connects it to debates about Black solidarity across genders, accountability for harm to Black women, and policy priorities in inititiatives like My Brother’s Keeper. Lemieux also discusses what motivates her to keep Backtalking, despite backlash. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Kimberlé Crenshaw's book, Backtalker: An American Memoir

America turns 250—the momentous milestone comes to us cloaked in surreality. Anniversaries usually ask us to remember. This one asks whether we are willing to remember everything. This episode explores why, after two and a half centuries, our national narrative still clings to the anti-Blackness embedded in the nation’s founding, all while insisting that this bleak history no longer deserves our attention. How do we commemorate a republic built by people whose lives, labor, knowledge, and testimony are continually erased from the stories we tell about America?  Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by Sarah Lewis, Clint Smith, Mark Rosenbaum, and Ibram X Kendi. Music by Blue Dot Sessions Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Kimberlé Crenshaw's book, ⁠Backtalker: An American Memoir⁠

Host Kimberlé Crenshaw and celebrated legal professor Cheryl Harris discuss the creative process and anticipated release of Crenshaw's latest book, Backtalker: An American Memoir. Crenshaw’s memoir traces the way her lived experience made her see things others didn’t. It chronicles the earliest moments she starts to talk back, and the journeys that backtalking has taken Crenshaw on throughout her life.  Music courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions. Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Kimberlé Crenshaw's book, Backtalker: An American Memoir Register for Backtalkers Academy, running throughout Spring/Summer 2026 Check out UCLA Law Review's podcast

Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by award-winning radio host Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead and playwright and feminist activist V (formerly Eve Ensler), author of The Apology. Together they discuss the 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four game, where coach Geno Auriemma aggressively confronted Coach Don Staley after she led her team to victory against his. They discuss the mysogynoir of this moment, the insufficient apologies that followed, and what genuine accountability requires. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Clips in this episode from: ESPN Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Kimberlé Crenshaw's book, Backtalker: An American Memoir Register for Backtalkers Academy, running throughout Spring/Summer 2026

On Cesar Chavez Day and the close of Women's History Month, host Kimberlé Crenshaw and award-winning radio host Kaye Wise Whitehead unpack a painful reckoning: recent New York Times revelations of sexual abuse by labor icon Cesar Chavez, including allegations from movement co-founder Dolores Huerta, who broke her silence at age 95. Together they explore why survivors delay disclosure, how hero worship in liberation movements hurts women and girls, and the tension between honoring a movement's legacy while confronting its darkest truths. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Clips in this episode from: PBS News Hour: Investigation uncovers sexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez ABC News: Dolores Huerta: Her Words, Her Movement Connect with us: ⁠⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Pre-order Backtalker: An American Memoir and find a book tour date near you at www.kimberlécrenshaw.com

This episode is an act of recovery, uplifting the artistic careers that McCarthyism upended through an immersive blend of conversation and artivism performances. This is part two. Click here for part one. Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay; Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen; and former President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and film scholar Jacqueline Stewart. Hear powerful artivism performances by two-time Tony Award winning actor Kara Young (Purlie Victorious, Purpose) and Tony-nominated actor Jon Michael Hill (Purpose, Elementary, Detroit 1-8-7, A Man in Full), directed by Professor of Theatre and Africana Studies at Oberlin College Justin Emeka. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Connect with us: ⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Watch an extended cut of this presentation on Youtube⁠ ⁠Read the Sundance 2026 Director's Cut⁠

This episode explores the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson—from organizing alongside Martin Luther King Jr. to building the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and reshaping the American electorate through his historic presidential campaigns. Challenging the media’s narrow framing of Jackson's impact in the wake of his passing, the episode uplifts the ways that his strategy, diplomacy, and inclusive vision laid the groundwork for a stronger democracy — exploring nuances that are often overlooked. Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by former DNC Chair Donna Brazile, President and Founder of the Truth and Justice Coalition Barbara Arnine, and Professor of Political Science at Hunter College-CUNY Joseph Lowndes. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Clips in this episode from: ABC News CNN CBS Seasme Street Democracy Now Amanpour & Company Connect with us: ⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Watch an extended cut of this presentation on Youtube⁠

This episode is an act of recovery, uplifting the artistic careers that McCarthyism upended through an immersive blend of conversation and artivism performances. Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay; Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen; and former President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and film scholar Jacqueline Stewart. Hear powerful artivism performances by two-time Tony Award winning actor Kara Young (Purlie Victorious, Purpose) and Tony-nominated actor Jon Michael Hill (Purpose, Elementary, Detroit 1-8-7, A Man in Full), directed by Professor of Theatre and Africana Studies at Oberlin College Justin Emeka.  Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Connect with us: ⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Watch an extended cut of this presentation on Youtube⁠ ⁠Read the Sundance 2026 Directors' Cut⁠

Music has long been central to the fight for freedom—the rhythmic heartbeat of the struggle for justice. From Beyoncé to Shaboozey to L’il Nas X and Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Black artists have sparked a much-needed conversation about the rich legacy of Black artistic achievement in multiple genres of American music. This episode celebrates the Black roots of country, blues and folk music by bringing together a dynamic group of artists and scholars to reclaim this often ignored history. Guests: Jake Blount (Musician and Historian), Amythyst Kiah (Banjo Player and Historian), Amanda Ewing (Luthier), Tim Wise ( Writer and Racial Justice Educator), Denitia Odigie (Musician). Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, produced by the team at the African American Policy Forum Sr. Podcast Producer /Mixer Nicole Edwards Find more on our show and the African American Policy Forum at ⁠aapf.org⁠ Music by Blue Dot Sessions, Beyoncé, DeFord Bailey. Follow the podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, and ⁠Bluesky⁠ Check out our special series on the attack against CRT and DEI called ⁠United States of Amnesia: The Real Histories of Critical Race Theory Donate to our show

It's the 11th anniversary of the #SayHerName Campaign. To commemorate, we're uplifting a favourite #SayHerName episode from our archive. Please join us on Dec 8 in NYC for a staged reading of #SayHerName - The Lives That Should have been, featuring a star-studded cast of performers, a talkback with the mothers of the #SayHerName Mothers Network, and a post-show party with performances by special guests. Get your tickets here. This episode highlights a new milestone for the #SayHerName campaign: a new book, entitled #SayHerName: Black Women’s Stories of Police Violence and Public Silence.  Co-authored by podcast host Kimberlé Crenshaw and the team at the African American Policy Forum, this book helps readers better understand Black women's susceptibility to police brutality and state-sanctioned violence. It explains —through Black feminist storytelling and ritual — how we can effectively mobilize various communities and empower them to advocate for racial justice for Black women, girls, and femmes. In this podcast episode, you'll hear incredible performances from actors at each of our #SayHerName book tour stops in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Baltimore. You'll also hear from members from the #SayHerName Mothers Network, a sisterhood of women who have lost other women, girls and femmes in their family to police violence. You'll also hear from Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead, Dr. Dorothy Roberts, and Kali Holloway, each of whom served as cohosts at book tour stops in their respective cities. They reflected with Dr. Crenshaw on the power of the tour, the calls to action from the book, and the urgency of the lessons the book contains. Centering Black women’s experiences in police and gender violence discourses sends the powerful message that, in fact, all #BlackLivesMatter, and that the police cannot kill without consequence. Supporting AAPF ensures that this important research and testimony continues to inspire change. To purchase your copy, click ⁠here⁠. Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw (@sandylocks), with Dorothy Roberts @DorothyERoberts, Kaye Wise Whitehead @kayewhitehead, and Kali Holloway @kalihollowayftw. Produced by Nicole Edwards and the team at the African American Policy Forum. Mixing by Sean Dunnam Music by Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.

This episode features Legal Defense Fund President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson with professors Carol Anderson and Nancy MacLean, in conversation with our host Kimberlé Crenshaw. This riveting and timely conversation shows how anti-Blackness can be weaponized to harm democracy for all through voter suppression, money in politics, and the erosion of democratic safeguards. Clips in this episode from Democracy Forward - How Louisiana v. Callais Could Change Voting Rights and Anti-Discrimination Protections Music by Blue Dot Sessions Follow us on Instagram, Facecbook, and Bluesky) Learn more about the African American Policy Forum at aapf.org. Donate here.