The Takeaway

On Friday, June 2, we will broadcast our final episode.  As we head into these final days, we are taking the time to pause and show a little gratitude for the extraordinary team of producers who make The Takeaway every day.  Today, we are hailing our Senior Producer: Shanta Covington. Shanta and Takeaway host Melissa Harris-Perry have been working on media projects together for over a decade now. They first met when Melissa worked as a tv host on MSNBC's MHP Show (2012-2016). Shanta was a guest booking producer for the network with a profound impact. On the MHP show, she helped shape critically momentous coverage of things like the 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin and unrest in Ferguson following the police killing of Michael Brown.  WATCH: A Decade of Racial Violence | Melissa Harris-Perry  On The Takeaway, she co-produced award-winning segments, like our interview with feminist hip hop journalist and filmmaker of "Surviving R. Kelly," dreamhampton. "She is a passionate content creator and storyteller with more than 20 years in television/digital/film production as well as photography. She loves great movies, great stories and of course great content. In addition to her work for the Takeaway at WNYC, she owns and operates her own photography and video company." In less than a year of producing radio for the very first time, she went from a temporary producer to the show’s sole senior producer and has led the show's team of associate producers and temporary producers tirelessly. That's why Team Takeaway is sending her all the love and gratitude in this Producer Appreciation segment. 

A group of dancers working at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, just won their battle to form the only current union for strippers in the country. Since being locked out on the job in March 2022, the dancers held a strike and picket for eight months before officially voting to unionize with Actors' Equity in November. But club management challenged the vote, prompting the National Labor Relations Board to set a hearing for May 15, 2023. Yet over this past weekend, the owners agreed to come to the table and recognize the union vote — handing the dancers a historic victory. We speak with Reagan, a dancer and union organizer with the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar dancers, about the months leading up to this moment and what's next for the new union. Click here to listen to our previous conversation with Reagan in August 2022.

The mounting death toll from the opioid crisis in the United States continues to wreak havoc in cities, towns, and rural communities across the nation. Over the past two decades, the number of people dying from opioid overdoses in New York, and across the United States, are rising each year.  But there is something that some public health experts say could help. Narcan, the brand name for the drug naloxone, is an overdose prevention tool that anyone can use. It’s a simple nasal spray, it's legal, it’s pretty quick and easy to learn how to use, and it can reverse the effects of opioid overdose, and potentially save a life. In March, the Food and Drug Administration authorized over the counter sales of Narcan, making a potentially live-saving drug even more widely available. A CDC study from 2020 found that nearly 40 percent of overdose deaths occurred while another person was nearby — which means the more people carrying Narcan, the better chance there is of saving a life. Takeaway producer Katerina Barton reports, and spoke with Joanna Kaufman, a nursing student, full spectrum doula and priestess in training, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, whose brother, Benjamin, died in 2019 from a fatal opioid overdose. Katerina also received a Narcan training from Elena Rotov, an overdose prevention coordinator, Hep C/HIV tester, and Hep C coordinator at the Brooklyn-based harm reduction center After Hours Project. Narcan is currently accessible and mostly distributed outside of the traditional health care system from nonprofits and harm reduction organizations. It is also available in some states at participating pharmacies. Most cities offer free community Narcan trainings, where you will receive a free dose of Narcan, and you can also find trainings at nonprofits and harm reduction organizations near you, and online.New York City Public Overdose Prevention Programs  

Ruth E. Carter made history when she became the first Black costume designer to win an Oscar, and the first Black woman to win two Oscars, both for her work on Marvel’s Black Panther franchise. She’s been the premier designer for movies that portray iconic Black characters and cultures for three decades, having worked with the likes of Spike Lee, Denzel Washington and Ava DuVernay even before her Black Panther triumphs. Carter recounts pivotal moments and reflects on her career in a new book, "The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther," from out May 23rd. Carter sat down with The Takeaway to talk about her visions of Black history and for Afrofutures.

The Writers Guild of America, which has over 11-thousand members, is entering week its third week of a work stoppage.  This is the first strike in 15 years, and comes at a time when the TV and film industry has seen some major changes in recent years. Amongst their demands, writers are seeking higher wages, better residuals, and assurances on the use of AI. First we hear from Monice Mitchell Simms, TV writer, screenwriter, author, producer and a member of the Writers Guild of America, who has been on the picket lines in Los Angeles. Then we speak with Alex Press, labor reporter and staff writer at Jacobin Magazine

Under the covid era immigration policy, Title 42 had expelled and turned away 2.6 million people at the U.S. Southern border without question. But that has not stopped the tens of thousands of migrants from gathering along the Southern border, hoping to be allowed to remain in the United States while awaiting a court date. While the Biden administration has rejected comparisons to the Trump administration, now as Title 42 measures have been lifted new asylum rules have been put into place. Causing migrant advocate groups to point out that the Biden administration has only “doubled down.” Joining us now is Faisal Al-Juburi, a spokesperson with RAICES a non-profit group defending the rights of immigrants and refugees, and Camilo Montoya-Galvez, immigration reporter at CBS News.

Sunday marked one year since the racist mass shooting in Buffalo. Melissa Harris-Perry sits down with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to reflect on the tragedy and discuss how the city is coping right now. The tragic shooting is one of several disturbing massacres motivated by hate that have occurred in recent years. But the history of race based violence dates back to the beginning of what is now the United States, and some of the recent racially motivated attacks call to mind some of the racist violence that targeted Black communities in the early 20th century. We also speak with journalist and professor Jelani Cobb about this history.

We discuss what motherhood looks like when mothers and children are separated by borders, and how these families challenge Western stereotypes about what "good" motherhood is. We speak with Gabrielle Oliveira, associate professor at Harvard's Graduate School of Education and the author of "Motherhood Across Borders: Immigrants and their Children in Mexico and in New York City."  

Original Air Date: May 6, 2022 Motherhood and its many meanings and expectations are created and experienced within the particular realities of our society and history. And to better understand some of our shared national history with mothering we sat down with Professor Michele Goodwin of the University of California-Irvine who is author of the book Policing the Womb:  Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood.

On May 8th, 2023, Community Change Action, a nonprofit organization that aims to “dramatically improve material conditions for people struggling to make ends meet in the United States,” launched its “A Day Without Childcare” action. Thousands of parents, families and childcare providers came together to push for equitable access to childcare. Co-President of Community Change and friend of the show, Dorian Warren, joins The Takeaway to discuss this action.

Washington state has long led on progressive policies and reform.  In late April, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a package of bills to address gun violence. House Bill 1240 prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of assault-style weapons in Washington. Two additional measures require a 10 day waiting period and a training requirement for all gun purchases were also signed by the Governor.  We speak with Governor Jay Inslee about the legislation, and hear how Washington is leading on other progressive policies as well. 

Harpist Ashley Jackson seeks to shatter the traditionally narrow definition of "classical music," highlight Black history and pay homage to Black composers. Jackson, an Assistant Professor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Music Department at Hunter College, views the harp as a vehicle for storytelling. In a recent performance at New York City's Lincoln Center called "Take Me To The Water," Jackson explored the role and symbolism of water in Black stories.  Her upcoming album, "Ennanga," explores the intersections between West African folk music, Black American spirituals and contemporary jazz, featuring the works of composers like William Grant Still and Alice Coltrane. It will be released on June 16 by Bright Shiny Things.  

Nebraska state senator from Omaha, Machaela Cavanaugh, promised to filibuster every bill that comes before the legislature this year — even those she supports. Why? She’s trying to stop a bill intended to outlaw gender-affirming care for people 18 and under. Senator Cavanaugh has been filibustering since February 23 and halfway through the legislative session in March, she’d managed to prevent even a single bill from passing. Her work took on a new urgency this week when Republicans introduced an amendment to the bill framed as a compromise: only gender-affirming surgeries would be banned, but a 12-week abortion ban would also be instated. We spoke with Sen. Cavanaugh prior to this development on Monday about her efforts.

Last week, Jordan Neely, a talented dancer whose impersonations of Michael Jackson made fans of many who watched him perform, was killed by a white former Marine on the New York City subway. Before the marine put Jordan in a chokehold that killed him, he’d been crying out for food. In the depths of despair, he said he wanted to die. But, what he needed was help. Countless others believe Jordan Neely should be alive today. Protests have rocked the city’s subways on behalf of a young man whose mental health deteriorated following the murder of his mother. He’d sought help from the New York City Department of Homeless services, but that help – from the city or his fellow passengers – didn’t arrive in time to save his life. The white man who killed him, has yet to be charged with a crime.  We speak with the President of Color of Change, Rashad Robinson. 

After speaking out on the Montana House floor against a bill that would restrict gender-affirming health care, Rep. Zooey Zephyr was censured by the legislative body. Zephyr, the state’s first openly transgender representative, will be barred from attending in-person debates and voting on legislation for the rest of the legislative session. That’s because Zephyr’s lawsuit against the Montana House, claiming her censorship violated her First Amendment rights, was denied by a Montana District judge. We speak with Rep. Zephyr about her censure, trans representation in the Montana state house, and anti-LGBTQ legislation currently on the docket.