Majority 54

Jason is back with a new season and a new co-host, Ravi Gupta. Each week, they'll tackle our most pressing issues, giving you the tools necessary to successfully have conversations across the aisle.

We're back, this time with our friends at Wonder Media Network! Welcome to a weekly primer for the 54% of Americans who didn't vote for Donald Trump and want to change the minds of those who did. Co-hosts Jason Kander and Ravi Gupta draw on their experience winning progressive campaigns in red states to give you the tools necessary to combat the latest in misinformation, propaganda, and whatever your right-wing co-worker saw on Facebook.

Jason and Diana are here to introduce you to Diana's podcast Professional AF which is focused on essential habits for women at work. Diana interviews authors and thought leaders who have something to teach women about how to be more awesome at work. Diana acts like a guinea pig for each episode, trying the advice and instruction before each taping to report back on how well it worked for her.  Several episodes are already available so subscribe to Professional AF on Diana's feed (search for Diana Kander: Professional AF) and enjoy a binge-listen with new episodes every Monday.

In 2014, there was a shooting outside the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas - a suburb of Kansas City. The gunman was a white supremacist and the former grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. He picked this location because he was sure he would find Jewish children preparing for a talent show. The gunman killed three people, none of whom were actually Jewish. Of the three people killed, two of them were related to Mindy Corporon. One was her 14 year-old son, Reit. The other was her father, a practicing physician, who took his grandson to the audition. Mindy was supposed to meet them there. When she arrived at the scene, her life changed forever. Since then, Mindy has been working to spread a message of peace and kindness that spans every religious background, but she’s also become more familiar with the rise of white supremacists. She’s trying to understand why people are doing this and to prevent others from following in their footsteps. For the season finale of Majority 54, here is my conversation with Mindy Corporon about turning the tide of White Nationalism. Important links: @MindyCorporon @GiveSevenDays @Majority54 @JasonKander hellomajority54@gmail.com Produced by Brock Wilbur @brockwilbur Ads: SunBasket.com/54 DollarShaveClub.com/54

One of the best parts of doing this podcast is getting to highlight friends of mine who are doing big things or have big ideas or both. Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has a history of public service, and now he’s continuing it from the private sector. He’s a deeply thoughtful guy and he’s really made me think differently about what expectations we should put on the business community in America. I mean, yes, as progressives we think big business should pay its fair share of taxes and should treat workers fairly, but Deval doesn’t stop there - he’s saying there’s no reason companies can’t also seek to make the world a better place too. This is something I’ve been talking about a lot in here in Kansas City, because I want to make sure the progress in KC is felt by everyone - residents and employers alike. Here is my conversation with my friend Deval Patrick about reinvesting in America. Important links:  @DevalPatrick @Majority54  @JasonKander  hellomajority54@gmail.com  Produced by Brock Wilbur  @brockwilbur Ads: DollarShaveClub.com/54

Jon Lovett takes over Majority 54 to interview Jason about his new book.  "Outside The Wire" tells the story of Jason Kander's experiences as a deployed American soldier and what he's learned about working in politics while keeping your soul intact. Join us for this Crooked crossover episode with the host of Lovett or Leave It. "Outside The Wire" is available today, wherever books are sold.

This episode is for everyone who has listened to this show, thought about the change they’d like to make in the world, and hesitated to take action because they either weren’t an expert or weren’t directly affected by the thing they wanted to change. We’ve been debating the Muslim ban since the 2016 campaign, and we’ve even done an episode of this show on Islamophobia, but today we wanted to tell you about the woman behind the legal fight for refugees. She’s not a long-time human rights attorney or a former refugee herself. In fact, when Becca Heller started the International Refugee Assistance Project, she wasn’t even a lawyer yet. Now that organization is helping people in over 70 countries. Becca is also one of the people who organized volunteer attorneys to assist refugees at airports when the Muslim ban first came down. The Muslim ban may not lead the news everyday, but the damage its doing continues, and here is my conversation with Becca about what can be done. Important links: @RefugeeAssist @Majority54  @JasonKander hellomajority54@gmail.com Donate: https://irap.urbanjustice.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=13 Produced by Brock Wilbur

Gerrymandering is the process of redrawing the districts and reviewing the power structure of voting in America, but often for less than bi-partisan means. Every ten years, the party in power works with recent census data to determine the "best" way for voters to be represented. The process is becoming a bitter power play, and the people who are fighting against it are finding incredible backing from other voters who are tired of watching their voice in our government get muted more with each passing election. Katie Fahey refused to accept this status quo, and so with a single Facebook post she wound up launching one of the biggest social forces fighting gerrymander-- all from her home in Michigan. While you're here, check out our new line of t-shirts from the Crooked Media Store at https://store.crooked.com/collections/majority-54 Important links:   @NotPoliticians @Majority54   @JasonKander   hellomajority54@gmail.com   Produced by Brock Wilbur   Ads: GetQuip.com/Majority54

This is a show all about reaching across the aisle and engaging with people that you might think could never change their mind. So, it's a real pleasure to talk to someone who has flipped a seemingly impossible stance in a public figure. I absolutely want to ask them about how they pulled it off, and what we can learn from that and/or emulate in our own battles. Remember a few years ago when the owner of Chick-fil-A made some anti-gay remarks and it lead to a national boycott of the fast food chain? Well, did you ever wonder why you stopped hearing about that guy? CEO Dan Cathy experienced a personal shift in beliefs, and it wasn’t just about losing money. It was about a friendship he made with LGBTQ activist Shane Windmeyer. Here is my conversation with Shane Windmeyer about changing a mind by making a friend. While you're here, check out our new line of t-shirts from the Crooked Media Store athttps://store.crooked.com/collections/majority-54 Important links:   @campuspride @Majority54   @JasonKander   hellomajority54@gmail.com   Produced by Brock Wilbur   Ads: SunBasket.com/54 Blinkist.com/Majority54

Our guest today had never been a political person, mostly because he simply did not have time to. He works​ three jobs trying to support a family. And that ​is the issue: based on the minimum wage in America, he ​is ​still struggling to provide for his family. It certainly ​isn't due to ​a ​lack of work ethic.   Here is my very personal conversation with minimum wage activist Terrance Wise about how we can right the ship. If you're a fan, check out our new line of t-shirts from the Crooked Media Store at https://store.crooked.com/collections/majority-54 Important links:   @fightfor15 @Majority54   @JasonKander   hellomajority54@gmail.com   Produced by Brock Wilbur   Ads:  ZipRecruiter.com/54 GetQuip.com/Majority54

His name is Trae Crowder but you might know him under a different name: The Liberal Redneck. From his porch, Trae films videos on his phone where he goes on rants about social issues. You instantly feel he’s about to venture into very upsetting territory, and some of that comes from his mix of anger and a heavy southern accent. And then, when he hits his stride, The Liberal Redneck shifts into a position of openness, and general woke-ness, that turns your expectations on their head. Now, him and his co-comedians WellRED Comedy are touring the country, engaging with audiences of all types, and headed for an inevitable network TV show of their own. Here is my conversation with Trae Crowder about how we can use a few good jokes to offset the darkness. Also, check out our new line of t-shirts from the Crooked Media Store at https://store.crooked.com/collections/majority-54 Important links:   @‏traecrowder www.wellredcomedy.com @Majority54   @JasonKander   hellomajority54@gmail.com   Produced by Brock Wilbur   Ads:  HelixSleep.com/Majority54

Phil Spagnuolo is a state representative in New Hampshire, and someone who has personally struggled with opioid addiction. Last year, he flipped the seat from red to blue for the very first time in the history of that state. During the campaign for the 2016 election, Trump came to New Hampshire and made a lot of claims about the opioid epidemic and his plans to solve it. As you might have guessed, there’s been no progress on this issue from the Trump administration. But there has been progress from Phil Spagnuolo. He’s a certified substance misuse recovery coach who founded his own clinic. Phil says he’s here today, alive on this earth, because of Medicaid. And now he’s in a position to defend Medicaid from the inside, so that it can help other people stay alive. Here is my conversation with State Representative Phil Spagnuolo about his own battle with addiction, what he’s learned, and what he’s trying to teach his colleagues. Also, check out our new line of t-shirts from the Crooked Media Store at https://store.crooked.com/collections/majority-54 Huge thank you to Ryan Wilson, a majority 54 fan who created the new logo. Ryan is a freelance designer and creator, who you could possibly employ via his website at www.RyanGWilson.com Important links: @PhilSpagnuoloNH ‏  @Majority54 @JasonKander hellomajority54@gmail.com Produced by Brock Wilbur Here are links to the advertisers mentioned on the show: Blinkist.com/Majority54 SunBasket.com/54 HelixSleep.com/Majority54

Today, we’re talking to one of the biggest names in the tech entrepreneur world. He experienced a total political shift the night of the 2016 election, while he watched in horror, as most of us did. Unlike most of us, he set about creating a means for change to prevent this from ever happening again. Eric Ries inadvertently became very influential in the Resistance against Donald Trump’s policies (and many of you probably have used a tool he invented without even knowing it).  We’re going to discuss how the online landscape has changed the political and the person forever, and what we can do in the face of it. Eric's story is one in a million, and we hope you feel as inspired by the conversation as I was. Important links: @ericries startuplessonslearned.com  @Majority54 @JasonKander hellomajority54@gmail.com Produced by Brock Wilbur

Welcome to Majority 54. We’re talking to the 54% of American​s​ who did not vote for Donald Trump about where we go from here. Senator Yvanna Cancela is a millennial union leader who thought she was headed for a much different destination. She listened to her calling and became the political director of Culinary Local 226, Nevada’s largest union. Now, Cancela has led protests, lobbied state lawmakers and played a pivotal role in turning Nevada blue last November when most of the nation wound up red.  We’re going to discuss how unions are perceived in America, both positively and negatively, and what the future of organized labor looks like. Hope you enjoy! Important links: @YvannaCancela @Majority54 @JasonKander hellomajority54@gmail.com Produced by Brock Wilbur

Welcome the official start of season two of Majority 54. If you’re new to Majority 54, I’m Jason Kander, the president of Let America Vote: an organization dedicated to making sure that every American gets to vote by creating political consequences for anyone who wants to diminish the most basic American right. And we’re talking to the 54% of American who did not vote for Donald Trump about where we go from here. He's a District Attorney for Nueces County in Texas. He's a proponent of criminal justice reform. He's a self-proclaimed "Mexican biker lawyer covered in tattoos." He's a Dallas Cowboys fan. He's never prosecuted a single case. He's Mark Gonzalez, and he's our guest today. We're going to discuss how law enforcement impacts real people, how sweeping reform needs to come to America, and how District Attorneys can change enforcement on a local level.  We hope you enjoy listening to this interview as much as we enjoyed discussing Mark's colorful history and bright future. Important links: @Majority54 @JasonKander hellomajority54@gmail.com Produced by Brock Wilbur