Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

This episode originally aired in 2025. Christian nationalism is an extremist, anti-democratic ideology rooted in the belief that the United States should be a nation for Christians to the exclusion of all others. In modern times, the Trump administration and its Republican allies have wielded this ideology as a weapon to divide Americans and implement an agenda via plans like the infamous Project 2025 that eviscerates the rights of immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community, questions the rights of women to vote, restores a freedom to discriminate against others and targets reproductive rights. This week, in response to a listener question asking what Christian nationalism has to do with the central tenets of Christianity, Stacey shares her own experience as a progressive, democratic Christian, pulling back the curtain on a core truth: the malice and hatred preached by right-wing religious leaders who shape our politics has nothing to do with Jesus’s actual teachings. She’s joined by Bishop William Barber, president of Repairers of the Breach, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, and professor at Yale Divinity School and Father Greg Boyle, Jesuit priest, founder of Homeboy Industries, and author. Together, they break down the threat Christian nationalism poses to democracy and show how faith, at its best, can be a powerful force for justice and progress. This inspiring conversation has so much to offer all our listeners, whether they come from a Christian background, some other faith background, or no faith at all.
Learn & Do More:

BE CURIOUS: To learn more about progressive Christian philosophy, liberation theology is a good place to start: read  “A Theology of Liberation” by Gustavo Gutierrez and “The Cross and the Lynching Tree” by James Cone.

SOLVE PROBLEMS: Join secular or interfaith organizations that can oppose the march of Christian nationalism and reassert our faith pluralism. Check out the Interfaith Alliance at interfaithalliance.org, whose mission is to advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America. Look for similar groups where you live — but remember, belonging must be met with volume and action.

DO GOOD: Visit homeboyindustries.org to learn how you can volunteer or donate to support their programs. Check out poorpeoplescampaign.org to get involved with a movement led by the poor and dedicated to supporting those in poverty across the country.

What does disability rights and representation really look like? While the Trump administration continues to decimate access to healthcare and dismantle civil rights, disabled Americans are often among those most affected and most overlooked. More than 70 million adults in the United States live with a disability, navigating barriers that extend far beyond health care. This week, Stacey is joined by Marlene Sallo, Executive Director of the National Disability Rights Network, and disability rights advocate and motivational speaker Spencer West. They discuss the challenges facing the disability community, what many people get wrong about disability rights, and why building a more accessible and inclusive society is a social justice issue that impacts us all.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date
Learn & Do More: 

Be Curious: Follow Spencer West on Instagram (@spencer2thewest) and expand your list of trusted creators, advocates, and journalists covering disability issues. Our guests also recommended The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: How To Build a Disability-Inclusive World by Tiffany Yu, and the books of the late activist and author Alice Wong. Finally, check out the Netflix documentary Crip Camp, which follows teens at a groundbreaking camp for young people with disabilities and their powerful journey as activists. 

Solve Problems: Visit NDRN.org to learn more about the issues impacting disabled communities and how you can contact your elected representatives to advocate for change. If you are disabled and need assistance, the National Disability Rights Network can help connect you with legal advocacy and support services. You can also support their work by making a donation.

Do Good: Look for organizations in your community that are advancing disability rights and accessibility. For example, New Disabled South at https://www.newdisabledsouth.org/ hosts remote and accessible events focused on issues such as voting rights, immigration enforcement, and other policies that uniquely affect disabled communities. Find an organization near you, get involved, and support the work being done on the ground.

Why are state governments more important than ever? While the Trump administration has been busy gutting and remaking the federal government, it’s critical to remember that the power in Washington was given to it by…the states. This week, Stacey is joined by Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton and Daniel Squadron, cofounder of The States Project and author of The Fourth Branch. They talk about the biggest lessons from their own time as elected officials, the critical ways that state legislatures impact peoples’ lives, share stories of their biggest victories, and argue that the states can be a powerful tool  in the fight for Democracy.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.

Learn & Do More: 

Be Curious: Pick up a copy of Daniel’s book, The Fourth Branch: How State Government Can Save Our Union, to learn more about the power of state government and check out the chapters at the end on how to take action at home. 

Solve Problems: We need more people who care about their communities running for state and local office. Run for Something helps recruit, train, and elect young people. Organizations like Emerge and Emily’s List support women candidates, and New American Leaders helps immigrants and refugees run for office. If you’re interested in getting more involved in local races, organizations like States Win and the States project can help you take action in support of local candidates. 

Do Good: As schools let out across the country, children will face a summer without school lunch, sometimes their only meal of the day. Consider donating to your local food bank or supporting No Kid Hungry at nokidhungry.org.

AI development is barreling ahead with no guardrails,  leading Americans to feel anxious about what lies ahead. This week, Stacey tackles the big questions we need to ask ourselves about the technology with Katie Drummond, Global Editorial Director at Wired, and Timnit Gebru, founder and Executive Director at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR). They discuss the economic uncertainty created by AI, , the motivations driving tech leaders,  making sense of the flurry of information and opinions that are influencing the discourse on the issue, and whether we can imagine a more optimistic technologically-forward future.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.
Learn & Do More: 

Be Curious: Subscribe to Wired to gain access to their excellent reporting on technology, politics, science, and culture. 

Solve Problems: Learn about Timnit’s organization at dair-insitute.org to support their work to imagine an alternative technological future and build a better world. 

Do Good: Building off of the “Read Them Home” Dilley activation, on Wednesday May 20th Stacey will join  other members of Read Them Home and the National Coalition to End Family and Child Detention to host a day of action. Visit readthemhome.org to learn more and support and support our activations in DC and around the country.

This week, Stacey goes beyond the headlines about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Voting Rights Act and outlines why this step is so dangerous - not just for minority voters around the country - but for our democracy as a whole She’s joined by Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight, to discuss what people can still do at the local level and at the ballot box to save our elections and fight back against authoritarianism. Then, Stacey is joined by CNN host Abby Phillip, who talks about the importance of debate in our political culture and what current activists can learn from Jesse Jackson’s legacy of fighting for equality.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast, episode title, and episode date.
Learn & Do More:

Be Curious: To learn more about the extraordinary legacy of Jesse Jackson, pick up Abby Phillips’ book, “A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power”. 

Solve Problems: On Saturday, May 16th, a national mass rally will take place at the Alabama state capitol in Montgomery. Visit allroadsleadtothesouth.com to learn about how you can participate and stay updated on boycotts, events and other rapid response efforts. You can also follow  @FairFightAction on Instagram to stay up to date on the evolving voting rights landscape and mobilization efforts in the South, including upcoming marches in Jackson, Mississippi and at state capitols in South Carolina and Louisiana. 

Do Good: Medication abortion now accounts for more than two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S., and since Dobbs, mail access to the pill has been a lifeline for people in states where abortion is banned. As the Supreme Court case on this issue continues to unfold, and Republican attacks on abortion access escalate, consider donating to the National Network of Abortion Funds at https://abortionfunds.org/, and look for local organizations that support reproductive justice for ways to get involved.