Shows
Justice Above AllReproductive Justice and the Role of Birthing CentersThis episode of Justice Above All highlights the centrality of birthing centers, which provide historically informed and culturally competent care to Black birthing people, to the realization of reproductive justice. We will discuss a wave of new state-level regulations that are severely impacting the ability of midwives and other birthing center staff to provide their services. We will also explore how these attacks on birthing centers relate to historic efforts to unwind progress towards reproductive justice. Today's host is Karla McKanders, Director of the Thurgood Marshall Institute. She is in conversation with the following guests: - Dr...2025-05-1141 minJustice Above AllThe Promises and Threats of Algorithms in HousingAlgorithms and predictive technologies are being used to an increasing extent in housing (i.e., tenant screening, lending, appraisals, housing advertising). While algorithms have the potential to increase equity by removing human bias from decision-making, there is very little transparency and oversight over these tools and there is a real threat that these technologies are in fact replicating and amplifying existing bias and discrimination. In this episode of Justice Above All, Thurgood Marshall Institute researchers speak with three experts on the risks and promise of algorithms in the housing sector.For more information on this episode, please...2025-04-1436 minJustice Above AllWho Holds Sheriffs Accountable?Despite being the only elected law enforcement officials, sheriffs operate with impunity. In fact, many people are not aware of the sweeping power that sheriffs hold over law enforcement, jails, and to an increasing extent national politics and election administration. In this episode of Justice Above All, we highlight the role of sheriffs in our law enforcement systems and discuss how sheriffs are breaking into national politics. It is well past time to hold sheriffs accountable and rein in their unchecked powers.For more information on this episode, please visit: tminstituteldf.org/justice-above-all.This episode was...2025-03-3152 minJustice Above AllDemocracy at a Crossroads: Voter Challenges and TurnoutThis episode of Justice Above All discusses voter challenges and voter turnout ahead of the November 5, 2024 election. Our guests explain how voter intimidation and voter suppression tactics continue to pose systemic barriers to Black voters. Even while this is occurring, Black voices are not being completely silenced: organizers are building Black political power in the South and celebrating major wins. Ahead of the November 2024 election, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) won two lawsuits which resulted in new, majority-Black congressional districts being created in Alabama and Louisiana. As a result, Black voters succeeded in electing three candidates of their choice t...2025-03-1955 minJustice Above AllReal Talk: What Project 2025 Means for Your LifeIn 2023, The Heritage Foundation, a think tank focused on promoting conservative public policies, published Project 2025 as a blueprint to consolidate power within the executive, or the office of the president, and weaken democratic structures. In speaking with experts, this episode of Justice Above All breaks down Project 2025 and anticipates how its implementation will directly impact individuals within the Black community. The podcast will unpack how Project 2025 will transform the systems of justice and education in ways that hit at the core of what it means to be a citizen in the U.S. seeking safety, fairness, and dignity for...2025-02-1742 minJustice Above AllBrown at 70: Tracing the Legacy and History of Brown v. Board of EducationMay 2024 marks 70 years since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education declaring the “separate but equal” doctrine unconstitutional and marking a new standard for American education.This episode is part one of a special three-part arc to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Brown, which dismantled legal racial apartheid in the United States and radically reshaped American life. The series will dive into the history and legacy of this groundbreaking LDF case. On this episode, we trace the origins of the case through to the state of equitable admissions in public...2024-05-1548 minJustice Above AllWhat is the state of felony disenfranchisement?On the season three opener of Justice Above All, host and Thurgood Marshall Institute Senior Researcher, Dr. Sandhya Kajeepeta explores the state of felony disenfranchisement. Across the country, previously incarcerated individuals are forced to navigate complex, bureaucratic processes in order to exercise their constitutional right to vote. In the past few years, we’ve seen increased criminalization of voting through new laws and the creation of election policing units, all under the guise of rooting out voter fraud. However, voter fraud is almost nonexistent—less than 1% of voters are suspected of committing voter fraud. These new tactics will likely dispr...2024-04-1541 minJustice Above AllSpecial Episode: What is Food Apartheid?On this episode of Justice Above All, Thurgood Marshall Institute summer research fellows explored food apartheid. The fellows investigated the struggle to access quality food in the United States and on this special episode of the show, they're sharing what their research revealed about the deep, systemic legacy of food apartheid in Black communities across the country. Guests: Dr. Wilma Clopton, Amalea Smirniotopolous, David Wheaton If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a review and helping others find it! To keep up with the work of LDF please visit our website at www.naacpldf.org...2024-02-1532 minJustice Above AllHow does racism undermine scientific innovation?Elijah McCoy, Garret Morgan, George Washington Carver, and Madame CJ Walker are names you might recognize. They're Black inventors whose inventions modernized the world. But they may also be the only names you recognize when you think of Black inventors. Due to racism and other discriminatory structural barriers, potential Black inventors have been locked out, or in some cases violently forced out, of invention pipelines. On this episode of Justice Above All, Dr. Kesha Moore, TMI Research Manager, takes a deep dive into the world of innovation and tracks how racism has undermined scientific innovation. ...2023-12-1534 minJustice Above AllLDF's Return to the Supreme CourtIn 2022, LDF made its return to the Supreme Court for the first time in seven years. Every year, LDF submits a few amicus briefs in various civil rights cases to the Court, but an LDF attorney had not delivered an oral argument before the Court since Buck v. Davis. But in 2022, Deuel Ross, LDF’s Deputy Director of Litigation, argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of Black Alabama voters in Allen v. Milligan. LDF challenged Alabama’s unconstitutional congressional map that denied Black voters equal opportunity to elect their candidates of choice. The Supreme Court ultimately agreed with LDF...2023-11-3047 minJustice Above AllHow did school board elections become so intense?On this episode, host Dr. Sandhya Kajeepeta, TMI Senior Researcher, chronicles how school board elections and meetings were once bastions of Black political power but have now become sites of charged debates, takeovers, and infiltrated by groups outside of the actual districts . Using Charleston as a case study, Dr. Kajeepeta illustrates how school board meetings and elections became so intense and why they should matter to anyone who cares about democracy. Guests: Est Mungai, LDF Senior Organizer Courtney Waters, Charleston County School Board Trustee Crystal Robinson Rouse, Parent of Charleston County School District Students Sharon McMahon, host...2023-10-1852 minJustice Above AllWhat was Freedom House?Freedom House was a radical idea that changed emergency response programs and birthed modern-day paramedicine. As we continue to reimagine public safety and confront the role of police in our society, Freedom House's legacy offers a blueprint on what health and safety can look like when people experiencing medical or behavioral distress are met with appropriate care. On this episode Justice Above All, host Dr. Ayobami Laniyonu, Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow at TMI, unpacks what we can learn from Freedom House's rise to prominence and its ultimate demise. Guests: Kevin Hazzard, author of American Sire...2023-09-1445 minJustice Above AllHow does criminalizing abortion hurt Black communities?In 2022, the Supreme Court reversed decades of precedent in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The decision held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion and that the authority to regulate abortions rests with states. While the long-term ramifications of overturning the right to an abortion are unknown, Dobbs immediately triggered states’ existing laws banning abortion and prompted several states to enact laws that would eliminate or restrict access to abortion. As abortion bans spread across the country and prosecutors become more emboldened, Black pregnant people will...2023-08-1434 minJustice Above AllHow does affirmative action improve democracy? For over 40 years, affirmative action was one of the nation's key tools in helping create diverse working and learning environments. The practice of affirmative action in higher education admissions processes has been challenged several times over, and on June 29, 2023 the Supreme Court overturned previous rulings on the practice's legality in their decisions in SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC Chapel-Hill. This episode was recorded before a decision was issued in Harvard and UNC. Despite the decision restricting the discretion of educators and admissions officers, they are still charged with the mor...2023-07-1543 minJustice Above AllGrace Lee Boggs: A Model for Intersectionality?It may seem odd that an Asian-American woman became a leader in the Black liberation and Civil Rights Movement, but Dr. Grace Boggs deeply understood that our individual liberation is bound up in the liberation of others. Dr. Grace Boggs was a Detroit-based labor activist and organizer known as the founding mother of intersectionality. She used her academic background in philosophy to undergird her organizing work in building cross-racial, intersectional social movements and centering marginalized experiences. As we continue the fight against intersecting and overlapping systems of oppression, Grace’s scholarship, activism and vision can lead the way. On thi...2023-06-1538 minJustice Above AllCan voting make us healthier?On the opening episode of Season two of Justice Above All, the Thurgood Marshall Institute team explores how access to the ballot can make Black communities healthier. In 2022, the American Medical Association classified voting as a social determinant of health. Equal and fair access is not only the pinnacle of a healthy, functioning democracy, but it has crucial downstream impacts for physical, mental, and emotional health. Dr. Sandhya Kajeepeta, TMI Senior Researcher, walks listeners through the impact voting has on the health of our communities. Hosted by Sandhya Kajeepeta. Produced by Keecee DeVenny, Jackie O'Neil, and Sandhya Ka...2023-05-1536 minJustice Above AllCorporate Prey: How Corporate Landlords Destabilize Black HomeownershipOn this episode of Justice Above All, TMI Senior Fellow and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro walks listeners through the rise of the corporate landlord and their preying upon Black neighborhoods, starting with America's history of state-sponsored segregation, exploring the impact of the Great Recession, and ending with the state of today's housing market. This episode features Jennifer Holmes, LDF Senior Counsel, Katie Goldstein, Director of Housing and Healthcare Campaigns at the Center for Popular Democracy, and Christina Livingston, Executive Director of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Institute. Produced by Kee...2023-03-0934 minJustice Above AllAccess Denied: How Race Shapes the Impacts of Long-Haul COVIDOn this episode of Justice Above All, host Dr. Sandhya Kajeepeta walks listeners through how race shapes the experience of contracting and recovering from long-haul COVID. Featuring former Washington D.C. Public Health Commissioner Dr. Reed Tuckson, Yale School of Medicine Assistant Professor and epidemiologist Dr. Carol Oladele, and award-winning former teacher, activist and long-COVID patient Chimére Smith, this episode explores how pre-existing disparities are threatening Black communities' risk of long COVID and what this means for the future of public health and economic stability. This episode is produced by Keecee DeVenny, Sandhya Kajeepeta, and Jackie O...2023-02-0731 minJustice Above AllBeyond 911: Alternatives to Policing Behavioral Health CrisesIn the U.S., experiencing a behavioral health crisis can mean deadly interaction with the police. Instead of meeting those in need with compassion and care, they’re being met with guns and incarceration. The latest episode of Justice Above All explores alternatives to policing behavorial health crises. Hosted by: Ayobami Laniyonu Produced: Keecee DeVenny and Jackie O'NeillEdited by: Keecee DeVenny If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a review and helping others find it! To keep up with the work of LDF please visit our website at www.naacp...2022-12-1926 minJustice Above AllNIMBYs: The Geography and Environment of Public HousingMillions of people live in areas that expose them to hazardous conditions and jeopardize their health. Across the nation, existing and newly built public and subsidized housing is concentrated in low-economic opportunity areas. Disproportionately Black and Brown communities face high levels of poverty and high exposure to environmental dangers. The federal government's long history of disinvestment in public housing has profound consequences for Black and Brown communities, including high rates of poverty, health risks due to exposure to environmental hazards, and a lack of economic and educational opportunities. On this episode of Justice Above All, hosted by T...2022-11-0218 minJustice Above AllAftershocks: Election Sabotage and January 6thDuring the 2020 Election, targeted difficulties, like voting ID laws, polling place closures, voter roll purges, registration requirements, and limitations on voting times, had a particularly burdensome impact on voters of color. Nevertheless, 2020 saw the highest turnout of voters of color in American history. On this episode, Justice Above All unpacks how election sabotage invaded the 2020 electoral process and culminated in the violent attack on the Capitol. Joined by Christina Das (Legal Defense Fund) and Secretary Tahesha Way (New Jersey Secretary of State), they look at how election sabotage risks the lives of election worker and poses a grave threat t...2022-08-1024 minJustice Above AllOutside Influence: The Origins of Anti-CRT ManiaOn this episode, host Dr. Kesha Moore unpacks the anti-truth movement and the coordinated attempts to censor the accurate teaching of American history. Justice Above All is joined by Katrina Feldkamp, Assistant Counsel for the Legal Defense Fund and Anya and Raven, two student leaders in the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition. If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a review and helping others find it! To keep up with the work of LDF please visit our website at www.naacpldf.org and follow us on social media at @naacp_ldf. To keep up with the w...2022-05-2540 minJustice Above AllFines, Fees, and Racial Wealth ExtractionOn this episode, host Dr. Kesha Moore traces the history of fines and fees and outlines how localities are fining some of their poorest residents as a way to generate revenue for their budgets. Guests: Katurah Topps, LDF Policy Counsel, Emily Harris, Policy Director of the Ella Baker Center, and Cortney Sanders, Senior Manger of State and Policy Analysis at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Produced by Keecee DeVenny and Jacqueline O'Neill Edited by Keecee DeVenny If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a review and helping others find it! T...2022-02-0831 minJustice Above AllEvictions and Housing Instability During the PandemicOn this episode of Justice Above All, host and TMI Senior Researcher Dr. Kesha Moore talks with Sarah Saadian, Vice President of Public Policy at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Sophie House, Law and Policy Director at NYU's Furman Center's Housing Solutions Lab, and Jason Bailey, Assistant Counsel at the Legal Defense Fund about how our current housing epidemic links back to the 2008 financial crisis, the racial disparities present in evictions, and how we can use the pandemic as impetus to prioritize creating a social safety net for renters. Guests: Sarah Saadian, Vice President of Pu...2021-10-2828 minJustice Above AllLocking Up the Vote: Prison-Based Gerrymandering and its Impact on the Black VoteLater this year, the redistricting process will begin and the states will begin drawing the districts that will determine the allocation of political power and representation for the next ten years. However, a practice known as prison-based gerrymandering threatens the principle of "one person, one vote" and risks unfairly diluting the political power of Black and urban communities, while inflating the power of white, rural ones. On this episode of Justice Above All, Thurgood Marshall Institute Senior Researcher Kesha Moore talks to the Executive Director of the Abolitionist Law Center, Saleem Holbrook, and Cara McClellan, Assistant Counsel at...2021-07-2725 minJustice Above AllPreparing for an Unprecedented ElectionIn this episode, election law expert, Professor Richard L. Hasen speaks with, Thurgood Marshall Institute Senior Researcher, Dr. Algernon Austin about the many obstacles to voting facing African Americans this November. Professor Hasen and Dr. Austin discuss how this election is expected to be different from any other and how voters need to prepare. This podcast is a product of the Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI), an interdisciplinary center of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF). This episode is hosted by Dr. Algernon Austin and produced by Keecee DeVenny. If you enjoyed this episode please consider le...2020-09-1634 minJustice Above AllCOVID-19 and Education EquityIn this episode, the Thurgood Marshall Institute team is joined by Dr. Janise Parker, Dr. Brooke Cunningham, and LDF's Monique Lin-Luse, Esquire to tackle four important questions: how should we reopen schools in a way that addresses the racial inequities and trauma experienced by Black students?; How can school districts better fulfill their responsibility for a safe and equitable education for all?; How do we ensure that Black parents do not have to choose between the health of their families and the education of their children?; What factors should parents use to guide their decision making about how...2020-07-3157 min
Stanford LegalRacial Justice: Key NAACP Legal Defense Fund Cases with guest Sherrilyn IfillFrom the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education case to voting rights and education, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) has been the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality since its founding in 1940 by legendary civil rights lawyer (and later Supreme Court justice) Thurgood Marshall. Sherrilyn Ifill, LDF’s President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), will discuss important NAACP cases and issues.
Originally aired on SiriusXM on March 28, 2020.2020-03-3028 min
Justice In AmericaConversation with Sherrilyn IfillOn this episode of Justice in America, Josie Duffy Rice and her guest co-host, Darnell Moore, talk to Sherrilyn Ifill about policing, civil rights, the criminal justice system, and more. Ifill is the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization. LDF was founded in 1940 by one of the most important civil rights lawyers in history, Thurgood Marshall, who later became Supreme Court justice. Ifill began her career as a Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union, before joining the staff of the LDF as an Assistant Co...2020-03-2500 min
Race and DemocracyEp. 31 – The Future of Criminal Justice Reform and Voting Rights: A Conversation Sherrilyn IfillSherrilyn Ifill is the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality. LDF was founded in 1940 by legendary civil rights lawyer (and later Supreme Court justice) Thurgood Marshall, and became a separate organization from the NAACP […]2020-03-0200 min
Race and DemocracyEp. 31 – The Future of Criminal Justice Reform and Voting Rights: A Conversation Sherrilyn IfillSherrilyn Ifill is the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality. LDF was founded in 1940 by legendary civil rights lawyer (and later Supreme Court justice) Thurgood Marshall, and became a separate organization from the NAACP […]2020-03-0200 minJustice Above AllAlgorithms of OppressionThis episode features a conversation between Dr. Safiya Noble, New York Times Best-Selling Author of Algorithms of Oppression and Associate Professor at UCLA, and Will Searcy, Research and Operations Associate at the Thurgood Marshall Institute. At their most basic, algorithms are just instructions that are given to a computer to perform specific tasks. They can be very simple or incredibly complex. Working from this framework, Dr. Safiya Noble joins the pod to break down how bias becomes intertwined in algorithms and perpetuates discrimination.If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a review and helping others find...2020-02-0351 min
We the PeopleEric Holder on the 14th Amendment TodayThis year marks the 150th anniversary of the 14th Amendment, which was ratified on July 9, 1868. Last week, the National Constitution Center and the Thurgood Marshall Institute at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund co-hosted a daylong symposium commemorating this important anniversary.In this We the People episode, former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., discusses the importance of the 14th Amendment today during the symposium’s keynote conversation. He is joined by Sherilynn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of LDF, and We the People host Jeffrey Rosen. Questions or comments? We would love to hear fr...2018-05-031h 04
cmdX anDre Articles "Law of WE "podcastEric Holder on the 14th Amendment todayThis year marks the 150th anniversary of the 14th Amendment, which was ratified on July 9, 1868. Last week, the National Constitution Center and the Thurgood Marshall Institute at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund co-hosted a daylong symposium commemorating this important anniversary. In this We the People episode, former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., discusses the importance of the 14th Amendment today during the symposium’s keynote conversation. He is joined by Sherilynn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of LDF, and We the People host Jeffrey Rosen. Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you. Contact the We th...2018-05-031h 01
We the PeopleEric Holder on the 14th Amendment TodayThis year marks the 150th anniversary of the 14th Amendment, which was ratified on July 9, 1868. Last week, the National Constitution Center and the Thurgood Marshall Institute at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund co-hosted a daylong symposium commemorating this important anniversary.In this We the People episode, former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., discusses the importance of the 14th Amendment today during the symposium’s keynote conversation. He is joined by Sherilynn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of LDF, and We the People host Jeffrey Rosen. Questions or comments? We would love to hear fr...2018-05-031h 04