The Breakdown with Shaun King

I just wanted you all to hear my voice on this today. I wanted you to hear my heart and sincerity. And I want to confront a few big questions that I am getting from my followers. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content.

I don't talk a lot about pop culture, but over the past few weeks I've seen something disgusting that I wanted to unpack. White people are having full on meltdowns over Black people merely existing in traditionally white spaces - from Meghan Markle being in the British royal family to the popular show "The Bachelor" having a Black man at the center of it. In both instances, popular talk show hosts have been fired or quit and virulent racism has been exposed. I actually think these two moments say something discouraging about the true state of race and racism in the world. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content.

Last night, Joe Biden's new Secretary of State, Antony Blinken announced that he opposes an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the gross human rights violations and murders and atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians. The image I included with today's podcast on Instagram is of Rouzan al-Najjar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouzan_al-Najjar) - a brilliant (and of course unarmed and non violent) nurse that was killed by an Israeli sniper. Let me be clear - only dictators and guilty monsters oppose human rights investigations. The International Criminal Court is one of the most respected bodies in the world and the Biden administration just announced not that they oppose charges of war crimes, but that they even oppose an investigation into human rights violations. It's a despicable thing. Today, on @TheBreakdown - I unpack and explain it all. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content.

The Breakdown with Shaun King # 417 - Don't you want a leader who fights for us in Congress? Here's what we can do! Description: @GaryChambersJr has been fighting for the people his whole life! You've seen it! But now he needs us to step up and fight for him! Early voting starts THIS WEEKEND in Louisiana and Gary needs our help! Listen to today's episode to learn of all the ways you can help him right now, from wherever you are. He needs us to volunteer for him - online and offline. On the phones from home and in person. Let's do this! And let's make history together! Love y'all! This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content.

Like you, I am seeing all of the newly created videos of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, but I'm not sure how I feel about. They are equal parts fascinating and eerie. What do you think? This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content. 

Yesterday Joe Biden dropped bombs on Syria, but just can't find a way to send people the stimulus checks he said would be in the mail immediately after he got elected. It's almost March. What I know is this - governments get done what they want to get done. This government simply lacks the will to help everyday people. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content. 

Yesterday, a beloved leader in New York came forward to say that she was sexually assaulted and harassed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. She provided detailed receipts, text messages, and emails - and gave names, dates, and locations. And by and large, prominent Democrats were COMPLETELY SILENT. I mean nothing.  And here's what I know - if the exact same person, wrote the exact same story, with the exact same evidence, but Cuomo's name was substituted with Donald Trump - Democrats would be OUTRAGED. And this simply is not OK. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content. 

Last week in Fort Wayne, Indiana - a violent white supremacist walked up to a car with 3 Black teenagers and unloaded his gun on them - killing Josh Cooper and Andy Retic and critically injuring Jaylin Rice. Let me unpack and explain the case and then let's plan on doing everything we can to support these families. We paid for their funerals through @GrassrootsLaw but they are going to need a lot more help. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content. 

Today I wanted to take a moment to help us remember the gravity of what happened in this country one year ago today - as three brutal white supremacists targeted, chased and murdered Ahmaud Arbery. And police and prosecutors colluded together to make sure those men were never held accountable. Until we organized together to change everything. When we organize, we win. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content. 

This weekend we learned that a 95-year-old Nazi was arrested and deported by the American government for being a guard during the Holocaust in 1945. I'm glad about this. I just want the American government to give African Americans this same type of justice. They can start with arresting Carolyn Bryant for her essential role in the murder of Emmett Till. She's 8 years younger than the Nazi guard and Emmett's murder happened 10 years after the Holocaust. As long as she's living, we should still fight for her to be held accountable. Period. This podcast is produced by The North Star, a Black-owned and operated independent media platform for liberation-journalism. If you want to support The Breakdown and the work we do, head on over to https://www.thenorthstar.com/ for more content. 

Maybe it's because he has been in the shadows of Donald Trump for the past 6 years, but DAMN Ted Cruz sucks. This man is a monster and doesn't really get enough credit for how truly horrible he is. Now listen, I didn't expect him to have the heart required to stay home and serve and help his state as they suffer through a once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm. The man has proven over and over again that he doesn't have the heart to help people who are hurting, but you'd at least think he'd have the political sense to know that taking a damn vacation to Cancun while people in your state literally freeze to death is bad optics. But here's the thing - the bottom line - conservative voters have taught their leaders that nothing matters. Of course, Ted Cruz thinks he can go on vacation to Cancun while people freeze to death - because conservative voters have already announced, with their support of both him and Trump, that character and integrity and values no longer matter to them. Let me unpack and explain it. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

As I speak, millions of people in Texas are without power, heat, gas, and water. People are literally dying. And hungry. And freezing. And politicians like Texas Governor Greg Abbott somehow have the time to go on Fox News and blame Democrats and policies like the Green New Deal. But here's the thing - Texas is literally controlled by Republicans on every level. The Governor, the Lt. Governor, the Attorney General, and both Senators are all conservative Republicans. And when stuff goes wrong in states controlled by Democrats, those same people blame Democrats - as they should. But now they refuse to own the crisis. That's leadership failure 101.And what's happening in Texas is basically what you get when your state's leaders pretend that global warming is a hoax, refuse to invest in public infrastructure, and instead allow corporations to take over the entire power industry so that they can get filthy rich. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Trump is a monster. He's a horrible human being. But he's no longer President. He is no longer on Twitter - or any platform for that matter. And he wasn't convicted by the Senate in the impeachment proceedings. Soooooo.... Democrats can no longer use him as the excuse for their lack of progress on so many issues. Listen - I truly think Trump caused real political problems - but I also think Democrats blamed him for problems that he frequently had next to nothing to do with - like mass incarceration or police brutality. And now that he is pretty much a ghost, Democrats have to come to grips with the fact that people are only going to hold THEM accountable for whatever they do or don't get done moving forward. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I am going to spend more time unpacking and explaining for people the work that I do as a civil and human rights leader. I am the Co-Founder of @RealJustice. It is possibly the most impactful work of my life. We are the single most important organization in the nation that focuses exclusively on electing District Attorneys across the country. After we elect DA's, we partner with them to help them keep their campaign promises. We support them as they are attacked from every side. We consult with them through difficult decisions and policy battles. If you didn't know this, we helped to elect the new DA's of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Austin, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, San Antonio, and nearly 20 other cities across the country. Those DA's have now made radical shifts in each of those cities that we have helped to guide and inspire. I speak to our DA's almost daily behind the scenes. Our staff supports them 24/7. I'm not flexing here. I am trying to educate you on the work that I do. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Democrats have been masterful, but one thing that struck me as both poetic and painful, is the brand new video of Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, the Black man we first learned about last month for his role in saving lives at the Capitol - now saving the life of Senator Mitt Romney. It's a metaphor in some ways to me. An underpaid, undervalued Black man, in a profession that most often hates his guts, in a building that has fought against Black power for decades, putting his life on the line to save a Senator who didn't even remember until yesterday that the Black man who saved him was Officer Goodman. Black people keep saving this country from itself - over and over again. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

WOW! I've been waiting to see the results of this 6 month long pilot program taking away thousands of 911 calls from the Denver Police and sending them instead to a trained team of compassionate first responders. Guess what?Not a single arrest was made.  They never even needed the help of the Denver Police.  And SO MANY lives were saved. Let me break it down for you. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Thomas Edward Caldwell, who was arrested for playing a role in the attack on the United States Capitol says he worked for the FBI and has had a top secret security clearance since 1979. Let's dig in to what's really going on here.If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

This weekend I traveled to Louisiana to campaign for my dear friend and brother Gary Chambers in his run for Congress in their upcoming special election. What I saw all over the state with Gary inspired me. We have to do everything we can to send this man to Congress to not only represent Louisiana, but to represent ALL of us. Today, I'll tell you how we can all work together to do just that. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I wanna share the one life tip that I've tried to put to good use so far in 2021. It's given me extra time and emotional energy to be super productive and focused on my goals. And I hope it helps you as well!

It's taken me days to allow my anger and fury to simmer just a bit on this. Yes, I saw the video of the 9-year-old Black girl being brutalized by police in Rochester, New York. Here are my thoughts. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Wow! In less than 24 hours, over 8,000 of us raised nearly $260,000 to purchase Michael Thompson a new home, a new car, and get his life started. This is what happens when we come together for good. Today is one of those days where I just want to say thank you - and want us to use our imagination on what else we could do in the world! If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Michael Thompson served 25 hard years in prison for selling weed. We fought to get him released and he's finally free. But the State of Michigan left him with nothing. And some apartments won't even rent to him. So we're going to come together, pull our money together, and buy him a brand new home. He already picked it out and I already told him how generous you all are. Let's do this! The link is in my bio on Instagram. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Let me try to explain the madness of what's going on right now with GameStop, the investing app Robinhood, and so much more. Even if you aren't an investor, let me unpack why this matters to all of us. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Michael Thompson spent 25 hard years in prison for selling weed to a friend. It's unthinkable and is one of the worst acts on injustice I've ever seen in modern American history. While he was incarcerated, his parents died, his only son died, and he lost almost his entire adult life. Today, after 25 years, he was released - and we had to fight like hell to make that happen. Today Michael and I spoke for the first time with him as a free man. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Yesterday Joe Biden issued an executive order on private prisons. And the support of it went super viral with verified accounts and even leading media organizations saying "Joe Biden ended private prisons." They were wrong. Very wrong. And it's not Joe Biden's fault as much as people really got ahead of themselves without actually reading the executive order itself. First off, over 90% of private prisons function on the city, county, and state level. All of those will remain. Secondly, the majority of private prisons on the federal level are immigration detention centers. Joe Biden decided not to end those either. He's keeping those. Lastly, we learned that he's not even ending the few private federal prisons that do exist. The executive order just said they won't renew their contracts. Many of them have contracts that last for years on end. So, nobody is being freed. No city, county, or state private prisons are ending. No private ICE detention centers are ending. And they aren't closing down the others any time soon either. In the end, that executive order will hardly impact anyone. Sadly. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

In some ways, it seems like it was 5 years ago, and not 1, that Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and 7 of their friends suddenly died in a helicopter crash. In the shadows of that enormous loss, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others were killed in acts of racial violence. And the pandemic then overtook our entire nation - killing over 400,000 people in the process. In some ways, I think the way we've grieved the loss of Kobe and Gigi over the past year, has served as a way for us to grieve the hundreds of thousands of lives we've lost in this past year. Listen - and let me unpack and explain what I mean.If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I've spent the past few weeks reflecting back on the attack and takeover of the United States Capitol. And one clarion lesson stands out to me the most - the thing that we call the justice system - including the FBI, CIA, the DOJ, the Capitol Police, all the way to your local police department - was not built to interrupt white power, white privilege, white property, or even white violence - it was built to protect all of those things. And when our nation needed the justice system to prevent, stop, or even intervene once the Capitol was attacked, that justice system didn't know what to do. It just wasn't built to stop white people from doing whatever white people want to do - even when they are attacking the Capitol. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Democrats narrowly control the House, Senate, and Presidency - the real question I have now is this - what will they do with it? Because it already looks like Republicans are going to play hardball as usual. Will Democrats fold and get nothing done, or will they muster up the moral courage to fight for real meaningful change? Most of my close friends think that Democrats will squander this moment. Call me foolish, but I still have some hope. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Listen in to my transparent conversation with hip hop artist and author, Lecrae, as we discuss the intersection of white supremacy, power, faith, religion, race, and so much more.If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

It's official. Trump is gone. Not only from DC and Twitter, but from the presidency. And we are about to enter a new era of national politics. I already have very real criticisms of Joe Biden, but I want to explain why I think this incoming administration deserves a serious degree of grace as they get started.If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Trump will be out of office tomorrow! I’m nothing but glad. He’s dangerous. But what comes next is actually going to be very difficult. Let me explain what I mean.If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we are re-running one of our most popular episodes that highlights a lesser-known side of the civil rights hero. The words and legacy of Dr. King have been reduced and sanitized in so many ways. Today Shaun King plays 5 very special audio clips of Dr. King that you have likely never heard before and breaks down why they are so very important.If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

After the first attack on the US Capitol since the War of 1812, this country is STILL not taking the threat of white supremacist violence, and the actions of thousands of insurrectionists yesterday seriously. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

The Senate runoff in Georgia is nearly over. All of our hard work paid off. Our candidates have it on lock. This is proof that when we come together and organize, anything is possible. I highlight the importance of not just voting itself, but being conscious of exactly who and what you are voting for on today's rerun episode of The Breakdown. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Today is the day. The Senate runoff in Georgia is happening right now and it has MAJOR implications for the rest of the country. This election will determine so much for the years to come. We have to give it our all. I'm not in the studio, so today I've got a quick action steps episode for you all. Let's do this. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

In just 11 weeks we have the chance to elect one of the most brilliant, most courageous, most compassionate people I know to Congress! Gary just made it official. I have a secret I want to tell you about his first campaign ad and then I'll you how we can all chip in @ ChambersForCongress.com (http://chambersforcongress.com/) ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

When Shaun travels and campaigns for any cause, campaign, or case that he's working for, it impacts Rai & their kids. Either they stay home and they miss him, or they tag along. This winter break, Rai & the kids joined Shaun as he campaigned for Bernie Sanders across the entire state. On a campaign trail with 5 kids, is almost unimaginable for most of us. While on Bernie's campaign trail, Rai recorded voice memos that showed what it's like to navigate 5 kids and a marriage. On today's episode, Rai & Shaun talk through those clips and talk through what it's like to be a family while doing serious and exhausting political work. ---- While the team at The North Star takes a holiday break, we are using this week to run the top episodes from our other podcasts. We hope you enjoy and give our other shows a listen!

In this episode of W.O.C. at Work, Rai and Blanca talk with Erica Hamilton, an accomplished business and non-profit executive with many years of experience in C-Suite positions. Erica talks with the hosts about how women of color can set up their "portfolio life" and ensure that the life they're living is the life they've purposely envisioned and designed. ---- While the team at The North Star takes a holiday break, we are using this week to run the top episodes from our other podcasts. We hope you enjoy and give our other shows a listen!

Opportunity doesn't knock, it just lays there. In the past year, Black Americans have been receiving attention from corporations, politicians and funding institutions in a way that's never been seen before--and may never be seen again. In this episode, we discuss how to improve your financial situation in the current "Black Lives Matter" climate before the opportunities are taken off the table. ---- While the team at The North Star takes a holiday break, we are using this week to run the top episodes from our other podcasts. We hope you enjoy and give our other shows a listen!

In the first part of a two-episode look at the nation’s two main political parties, Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez speak to state Democrats and voting organization leaders about how well the Democratic Party is living up to its mission to “maximize voter participation for all Americans.” We hear from Colorado state Rep. Leslie Herod, Massachusetts state Sen. Becca Rausch, New Georgia Project executive director Nse Ufot and Center for Election Innovation & Research executive director David Becker. ---- While the team at The North Star takes a holiday break, we are using this week to run the top episodes from our other podcasts. We hope you enjoy and give our other shows a listen!

The Coronavirus pandemic has left staggering numbers of the New York City's workers out of a paycheck. Rent has become a problem for people who never had difficulty with their rents before the pandemic. On top of that, the city’s most vulnerable population, the people without homes, are left to suffer in a deafening silence. This episode of Sick Empire is an investigation on what homelessness and rent tension look like on the ground in NYC. ---- While the team at The North Star takes a holiday break, we are using this week to run the top episodes from our other podcasts. We hope you enjoy and give our other shows a listen!

For years on end, after every mass shooting in this country, Republicans would offer nothing but thoughts and prayers. It's infuriating. But now I am worried that Democrats who are quick to say "Black Lives Matter," but don't actually fight for policies that prove it are doing the same damn thing. Let me unpack and explain it on today's rerun episode of The Breakdown. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I'm fighting for it. You're fighting for it. But let's take a moment to define what justice means for families impacted by police violence and racial terrorism on today's rerun episode of The Breakdown. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

2020 is too much. Period. On today's episode, a rerun that's relevant now more than ever as the year comes to a close, I just want to talk to you about the importance of processing the pain of it all. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

People ask me all of the time what I do for fun and whether or not I have a hobby. Let me tell you what I've been working on for fun for the past 6 months. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Today in the United States, essential workers and others are starting to receive the coronavirus vaccination. I come from a community of people who are rightly skeptical of everything about the American healthcare system. I agree with them that this system is predatory and has a long history of abuse and profiteering. That's why I am understanding of people who just don't accept the vaccination at face value. I've read the studies. I've talked to epidemiologists. I've talked to public health experts. And I live in one of the most impacted communities and cities in the world where we need real help. If you are a part of a community that still doesn't believe that the coronavirus is real - then it will be hard for us to have a smart conversation together. However, if you know it's real, but just don't trust the system, then let's talk. Feel free to push back. I'm OK with that. Love y'all and need us to bounce back from this. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Last night, at 9:27 PM, Brandon Bernard breathed his last breath after being injected with lethal poison 20 minutes earlier. Our federal government, with our tax dollars, did this. And it's easy to put all of the blame on our political enemy right now, but SO many people and systems failed Brandon along the way. Let me unpack and explain. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I want to take a moment to begin unpacking and explaining the horrible police murder of Casey Goodson - a brilliant, kind, generous young Black man in Columbus, Ohio. He did nothing wrong. Broke no laws. Committed no crimes. Wasn't wanted for anything. Had never been in trouble a day in his life. But in what is perhaps the most 2020 way to end 2020, he was shot and killed by police as he had his keys in one hand, with the keys literally in the door of his home, and Subway sandwiches in another. We are not just demanding answers, but we are demanding justice, accountability, and deep systemic change. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Today is a GOOD NEWS episode of @TheBreakdown! The people of New Orleans just elected a brand new District Attorney - a civil rights attorney and former Innocence Project attorney, Jason Williams - who is going to change the local justice system from inside out. And just this week Los Angeles swore in its brand new DA, George Gascon, who came out of the gates announcing more deep systemic change than any DA I've ever seen in my life. The PEOPLE made that happen! It's real change. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I see a lot of calls for Joe Biden to appoint Black people to his cabinet. I get it. Black people put this man into office. And it makes sense to demand something in return for that loyalty and dedication, but we have to have a hard conversation today, OK? Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is Black - and HORRIBLE. He has blocked justice for Breonna's family at every turn. We just defeated one of the most oppressive District Attorneys in the country - a Black woman - who was a Democrat - Jackie Lacey in Los Angeles. She was the oppressor. It's not just wrong to think that appointing someone Black is immediately a righteous decision - it can literally be used as COVER for some very horrible policies coming down the line. Yesterday Joe Biden nominated a Black man to be his defense secretary, but I need to explain to you why it's not quite what it appears to be. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

All over the country, as the coronavirus pandemic rages out of control, businesses are being shut down to slow the spread of the virus. Listen - I understand. This thing is off the rails. I think our country clearly has to make hard emergency decisions to get through this, but if you are going to close down small businesses, and mess with the ways people provide for their families, you have to provide direct aid to them right away. Period. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Budget cuts are about to hit this country SO hard. The pandemic is reducing tax revenue from coast to coast - and when those cuts are made, police budgets need to be some of the first budgets cut. Departments are bloated, ineffective, and don't actually make us safer. Today, I'll finish my 2 part series on why we can and should defund the police. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for  exclusive members perks and early access to content

Earlier this year I recorded a popular 2 part series on 10 ways we can and should defund the police. In light of the current comments from Barack Obama throwing the defund movement under the bus, I want to unpack and explain what we mean and why I believe in this movement. Listen, learn, THEN feel free to let me know your thoughts. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for  exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Friends - grassroots leaders like Gary Chambers only make it to Congress if everyday people like us make it happen. Today, I am asking you to do something that I have never asked my listeners to do before. I am asking you to click on the link in my bio on Instagram and donate whatever you can to give Gary Chambers - one of the most courageous men I know - a jumpstart in his run for Congress. I'll unpack and explain it all. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for  exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Happy holidays everybody. I wanted to take a few minutes today to unpack and explain the meeting we hosted with the Biden-Harris administration on mass incarceration and police violence. We've had several follow up meetings in the days since the meeting and are hopeful that some of our policy ideas will be integrated into their plans. I am cautiously optimistic. I understand that Biden is moderate, but we will move forward knowing that we did our best. Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of you who signed our petition and made countless phone calls to the transition team. We wouldn't have had the meeting without you. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for  exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Today, Georgia, a state with a Republican Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and two Republican Senators is about to certify Joe Biden as the winner there. They finished their official recount. And this was one of the states that Trump truly believed he could and would be able to somehow flip or steal, but state by state, his loss is being officially certified by the official election bodies - making his loss - and his eventual exit - more official than ever. Yes, he will make a mess of everything he can, but this thing is done. Keep one eye on Trump, but no matter what he says or does, he has lost. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for  exclusive members perks and early access to content.Aired: November 20, 2020

This past Friday police in Cocoa, Florida shot and killed these two teenage boys, AJ Crooms and Sincere Pierce, in what increasingly seems like a horrible case of mistaken identity. Today, I am beginning to dig into the case. It's ugly. I don't think I've ever seen police shoot and kill two children like this before. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for  exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Today I want to share a painful, personal story about a lesson that I learned about organizing for change as an outsider and organizing for change as an insider. In the winter of 2014, I found myself in a deep funk after failing in so many fights for families fighting for justice. And I got a call from The White House that forever changed the way I saw my role in this movement. I wanted to speak like and lead like Malcolm, but have the access to rooms of power and privilege like Martin. It didn't work. Let me unpack and explain how that informs almost everything I do as a leader today. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

And the seat in his district just opened up! Let's be real. Congress is full of Connies. Haha! Men and Women. And plenty of them are Democrats. And I don't know anybody that is going to be more willing to go there and speak truth to power, not only calling out injustice, but fighting for everyday people whose needs are so often missing there. I know this man. I trust him. He will never sell us out. Everybody - follow @GaryChambersJr across social media and let him know you want him to run! ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

The United States is a nation in crisis. Yesterday nearly 2,000 people died from the coronavirus in the deadliest day since May. And Trump is literally just tweeting conspiracy videos from Fox News all day. He has abandoned his post. He is asleep at the wheel. He has 2 primary tasks in these final months of his presidency and he has bailed out on both of them. I'll unpack and explain it. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Yesterday more people died from the coronavirus, nearly 1,600 people, than any single day in 6 months. Yesterday set the record for the number of people hospitalized as well with nearly 65,000 people. And it also set the record for people testing positive with nearly 150,000 people in one day. And Trump has quit even pretending to care. Let me unpack and explain what gives me hope about what comes next, but also share with you my single biggest concern. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

The Breakdown with Shaun King # 359 - Let me tell you what Trump is really doing right nowDescription: I see all of the viral videos saying how Trump could steal the presidency. He's evil enough to try, yes, but that's not what's actually going on. It's not going to be a coup. It's way more simple than that. It's a money grab. Let me unpack and explain it. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Right now, literally this very moment, the incoming Biden-Harris Administration is working with hundreds of people they've assembled on their transition teams to set their policies and staff their offices. They are already publicly announcing their Day 1 policies and executive orders. We need to make sure that the justice policies we need are included on Day 1. We have crafted 70 executive orders and executive actions that Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and their teams can enact WITHOUT winning the Senate. They are deep and far-reaching. What we need to see now is whether or not they are going to keep their promises. But know this - the only change we get, is the change we fight for. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

 I am nothing but excited about the defeat of Donald Trump. But the fight for deep systemic change has just started. When it comes to justice, policing, and mass incarceration, we would be making a HUGE mistake to simply assume that the Biden-Harris administration will do right by us. In all fairness, they are inheriting a country in shambles. And if we're not careful, our most pressing concerns could easily be forgotten or put on the back burner. We're going to have to fight for every bit of policy change we get. Are you ready? ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

When you don't hold some Democrats accountable, they are often only light-versions of Republicans. We've learned this the hard way too many times. We must immediately pivot to making sure that Joe Biden does right by the people who actually not only saved his career in politics, but pushed him over the top in this presidential race.---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

As I recorded this, the presidential race has not been called and both candidates believe they have real paths to win. It just shouldn't be this damn close. Let me unpack what I truly think Democrats did wrong. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

This race is not officially over, but I think in the next 12 hours Joe Biden will win Nevada and be named President of the United States. It all comes down to Nevada, and if Biden wins there, he will barely cross the finish line and end up at 270 electoral college delegates. But Nevada has just said they won't announce their new vote totals until tomorrow.

Over 100 million Americans voted early. Every bit of data suggests that Democrats crushed early voting. And my educated guess is that Trump needed a landslide of voters to show up for him today and I'm just not seeing it right now. Let's hope that logic holds out. Join us LIVE tonight on Twitch at Twitch.tv/TheBreakdown (http://twitch.tv/TheBreakdown) at 7pm EST all the way until 3am for nonstop coverage. Let's GO! ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Americans are on edge. Our country is on edge, honestly. And while every presidential election matters, tomorrow will be seen as one of the most important days in American political history. Biden has more paths to victory than Trump, but he could still win. I am concerned, though, that it's going to be a mess no matter what. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Yesterday our team at the Grassroots Law Project, in partnership with the Louisville Urban League, and the attorneys for the family of Breonna Taylor, filed a legal brief showing the blatant misconduct of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. We are now calling on the Kentucky Prosecutor's Advisory Council to appoint a special prosecutor and impanel a brand new grand jury that actually considers all of the charges ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

In January, NYPD Officer Michael Valva brutally beat his 8-year-old son, Thomas, who had autism, then froze him to death. He has been charged with murder. Yesterday, the NYPD allowed Officer Michael Valva to resign and keep his pension. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Last night, in the middle of Nebraska, Donald Trump, in a painful metaphor for his whole life and presidency, literally bused hundreds of supporters into a rally in the freezing cold, then got on Air Force One and left them there with no way to get home. They were stranded for hours on end. It was so cold that men, women, children, and senior citizens had to be rushed to the hospital for hypothermia. Trump hates rural Americans. Always has. And last night, he let that hate show in a cruel way. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

All over the world police safely disarm men, women, and children who are in the middle of a mental health crisis. American police just don't want to. It's the bottom line. They are trained to shoot to kill any time they get the heebie-jeebies. And they damn sure do. Walter Wallace needed an ambulance. He needed medical attention. Instead, he got bullets. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

In a few hours, Republicans are about to approve the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. It will give conservatives a devastating 6-3 majority and the power to not only overturn everything we hold dear, but to basically overturn any future legislation if Democrats take power after the upcoming election. Democrats must be prepared to expand and change the Supreme Court. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

We only have 11 more days until the presidential election comes to a close. I want to share with you guys what I think is going to happen, based on the information we've got now. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Yesterday a judge granted an original grand juror in the Breonna Taylor case the permission to speak out publicly about the hearing and their findings. What we learned was both explosive and despicable. The grand juror said that they were never even allowed to look at the evidence, in spite of requesting it, that could've caused them to charge the officers who shot and killed Breonna. This directly contradicts the words of Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron who said that the jurors themselves decided not to prosecute the cops. All of this misconduct and malfeasance warrants a new grand jury being formed. Today I'll unpack and explain how this could happen and who could do it. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

What happened yesterday in Nigeria was a civil rights and human rights catastrophe as the Nigerian military opened fire on peaceful protesters in Lagos. Let me explain to you what I saw unfold, live on Instagram yesterday, and unpack how badly the government is handling the aftermath. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Yesterday 50 Cent endorsed Donald Trump and literally said he doesn't care if Trump hates Black people. But today I want to dig deeper. The very reason 50 endorsed Trump is based on a complete fabrication about Biden's tax plans. Also, I share a personal story about one of 50's dear friends. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Yesterday the people of Bolivia voted their socialist party and leaders back into office after a coup backed by the United States and gross capitalists like Elon Musk. It was a total rejection of the coup. Of course, the American media and power structure hardly has anything to say about it. Let me unpack and explain why it matters. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

The Grassroots Law Project is organizing a special community just for our work in Texas and we want you, and everybody you know in Texas, to join us. We're launching in 12 days and need YOU on board. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Dr. King was right when he said "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." And this month, while it is no shock to Nigerians, most of the world is hearing about the crisis of police violence in Nigeria for the very first time. We must ALL stand against it and stand in solidarity with protesters and organizers who are on the front lines. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Our country has a lot at stake for the next 20 days - and people are nervous. Let's talk about it. So much has gone wrong in 2020 that I think our hope and optimism have been worn down to a nub. I still see some real light at the end of the tunnel. Let me share one particularly good scenario that I truly think is possible. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

It's not enough to simply win elections. If Democrats win back the Senate and the Presidency, they are going to have to play by a fierce new set of rules so that they actually wield that power to advance their agenda. Let me unpack and explain what this should look like. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

All my life, I've said that MJ was the best basketball player to ever live. Today, I want to highlight why we say Muhammad Ali was the best boxer of all time and how that standard, which includes who Muhammad Ali was out of the ring, should apply to the GOAT in basketball as well. If it does, a real argument for LeBron being the GOAT can be made. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

These white men, who were buying explosives and plotting to overthrow the government of Michigan, fit the literal definition of terrorists. Yet they aren't being labeled as such for two fundamental reasons that I want to share with you today. Let me unpack and explain it. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Kamala Harris won the debate last night. Hands down. Today I'll unpack what she did well, what was disappointing, and also give my thoughts on the fly and the bloodshot eye. Also, it now appears this is going to be the last debate we see in this presidential campaign since Trump pulled out of the second one. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Shockingly, in 100 years, New York City has had only 4 District Attorneys. Today, I am proudly endorsing Tahanie Aboushi to be the next District Attorney of Manhattan. She's one of the smartest, most courageous, compassionate, determined people I've ever met. And she has EXACTLY what it takes to be the change agent that New York needs. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Smart local voting can truly change systems. For the next 28 days, I am dedicating my life to supporting candidates for office who are truly going to change the game from the inside out. Today I want to tell you about Sarah Iannarone who is running for Mayor of Portland, as well as Terra Lawson-Remer and John Avalos - who are running for county supervisor roles in San Diego and San Francisco. Even if you aren't in these cities (I'm not either), I am going to unpack and explain why it all matters. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

This weekend a wonderful brother named Jonathan Price was murdered by police in a rural town outside of Dallas, Texas. People are now sharing an old Facebook post he made where he spoke of how much respect he had for police - as if this means we shouldn't fight for him. I very strongly disagree. Let me explain why. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Trump is so consistently dishonest - a pathological liar - that it's genuinely difficult to believe anything he says. Today I'll tell you why I think he actually has it and what I think the impact will be on the election which is just a few weeks away. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Of course Trump supports bigots and hate groups. Of course he refuses to repudiate them. Of course he refuses to take the threat of white supremacist violence seriously. He is a white supremacist and has been one for his entire life. His father was literally in the KKK. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Today is a very, very important day as we continue our fight to hold the officers who murdered Breonna Taylor accountable. A judge has ordered that the transcripts from the grand jury be released. We now know for sure that the Attorney General didn't even attempt to hold the officers accountable. The grand jury notes will show us exactly what went down. Also, I want to unpack and explain what we saw last night in the first presidential debate between Trump & Biden. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Over the past 48 hours we've learned so much about the Breonna Taylor case to warrant it being reopened. Today I unpack and explain all that we've learned so far. Tomorrow, after a member of the grand jury filed a suit stating that the Kentucky Attorney General misrepresented them, all of the records from the grand jury will be released. The truth is - a new grand jury needs to be formed. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

We have to be real here. Donald Trump didn't sneak anything past the IRS by only paying $750 in taxes. They've known EXACTLY what he's been doing for 50+ years. They just don't care. Because the IRS - much like America's justice system - was designed to protect the rich and privileged. It's not a bug. It's a feature of capitalism itself. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

All is not lost. I see multiple pathways to change, justice, and accountability for Breonna Taylor. Today, I'll share some clear action steps for us. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Last night on Instagram Live I took time to really break down and explain the systems, structures, and people that are responsible for Breonna's murder and the subsequent lack of justice and accountability. I want you to hear that entire conversation. Later today, on The Breakdown Live, I will give us solutions and action steps.

Today we learn whether or not any of the officers who murdered Breonna Taylor will be held accountable. Let me give you a refresher on this case, explain the laws that were broken, and begin discussing what accountability feels like for Breonna's family. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

If Democrats aren't willing to do this one thing, they don't deserve our support. The rules have changed. Hell, the whole game has changed. And this is their only logical next step. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

We’re 43 days from the moment we call Election Day, but the truth is that today is Election Day. Tomorrow is too. Early voting is already underway from coast to coast and every day between now and November 3rd is its own mini-Election Day. We must pivot and see this as Election Season, where every single day matters. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Today on a special episode of The Breakdown, we are running an episode of another TNS produced podcast - America the Voiceless. Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez dig into the roadblocks faced by Americans who navigate through the criminal justice system. Americans who have been incarcerated or are currently incarcerated often lose the right to vote and have difficulties regaining that right. We hear from Nicole Porter from The Sentencing Project, Dr. Jane Gubser from Cook County Jail and artist Natti from CunninLynguists. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Have you heard of the murder rule? Most countries in the world have gotten rid of this rule. But, of course, it is still in place in most states in the US. On today's episode, a rerun from last year, Shaun unpacks and explains exactly what this rule is, and how it is leveraged against people of color. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

When Shaun hears about horrible cases of police brutality, he runs the situation through, what he calls, the Taylor Swift test. On today's episode, a rerun from last year, listen as he breaks down what the Taylor Swift test for police brutality is. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

The United States does not have one justice system or one legal system. We often talk about changing the system, but in reality, we have 30,000 microsystems. Each microsystem has its own set of rules, laws, and politics, which is simultaneously great news in our fight to change the status quo, as well as horrible news. On today's episode, a rerun from last year that remains painfully relevant, Shaun breaks down what this means. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

What's the plan to change the criminal justice system? Do you know it? Read it? Heard about it? Plans do exist, but a plan is only as effective as the ability of everyday people to repeat it back to you. On today's rerun episode, Shaun unpacks and explains why we need to be on board for the plan. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

To be an abolitionist, you not only have to have an abolitionist worldview, you have to take abolitionist actions. On today’s rerun episode, Shaun unpacks and explains what that means. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Most of us know what it meant to be an abolitionist before the American Civil War, but what does it mean today? Listen to Part 1 of a mini-series we are rerunning as Shaun unpacks and explains how we can all be modern-day abolitionists. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Shaun gets asked one question more than any other -- "How do I change the world?" To give you an answer, Shaun needs to ask you an even bigger question: What are you going to fight for? Making a conscious, honest decision about what you're going to fight for is not simple. It's complicated and personal. And all of us need to make that decision to make real meaningful change. In today's episode, a rerun from last year with a message just as relevant today, Shaun walks us through what it takes to make that decision. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Right now, jails & prisons in the United States have the highest documented infection rates of COVID-19 in the world. On today's episode, a re-run from April that sadly remains relevant, Shaun explains the concept of jail churn and breaks down how it shows up in our prison system, and contributes to the spread of coronavirus. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Last week police in San Antonio shot and killed a decorated military veteran named Damian Daniels on the doorstep of his home. He hadn’t broken the law or committed a crime. He needed to go to the doctor. But in 2 minutes, police shot and killed him. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Moments ago, the Missouri State Senate just passed a bill by a 22-8 margin stripping St. Louis DA Kim Gardner of some of her most essential powers. They refused to do this to any other prosecutor in the state - just her - a Black woman who just won re-election by a landslide last month. Listen, and take our action steps today. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Moments ago, I just learned that the Governor of Oregon, a Democrat, is literally working with the Trump administration to interfere with the decisions of Portland's courageous new District Attorney ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I have good news for you today! A powerful piece of legislation just passed in California and is awaiting the signature from the Governor. Let me tell you what it means and why it matters to all of us. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

2020 is too much. Period. Today, I just want to talk to you about the importance of processing the pain of it all. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Did you hear the disturbing clip of Kenosha, Wisconsin Sheriff David Beth saying Black people need to be locked up, warehoused, and never let out again? He said this after a shoplifting incident. But listen, that man was VOTED into office. We have to start be very, very specific about who and what people should be voting for and against nationwide. Or we get him. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Yesterday the Milwaukee Bucks started a movement. Today I want to unpack the big lesson from their courageous step to not play in their NBA playoff game as a protest against police brutality ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Last night in Kenosha, Wisconsin armed white supremacists literally worked directly with local police, sharing water and refreshments and strategies with them, before they murdered two people and injured another ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

 I'm fighting for it. You are fighting for it. But let's take a moment to define what justice really means for families impacted by police violence and racial terrorism. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Last night, we were literally with the family of Breonna Taylor when we learned that police shot 29-year-old father, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin in front of his kids. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

This past week I decided to do something I've never done - I made my social media accounts private. And I love it. The hate, spam, and death threats have been reduced drastically and the harassment is nearly gone. It comes with a tradeoff. Let me explain. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I want to defeat Donald Trump. We must. But squashing dissent and critical voices from the left won't help that - it will turn essential voting groups into non-voters. Let's talk about it. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

For years on end, after every mass shooting in this country, Republicans would offer nothing but thoughts and prayers. It's infuriating. But now I am worried that Democrats who are quick to say "Black Lives Matter," but don't actually fight for policies that prove it are doing the same damn thing. Let me unpack and explain it. ---- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Every day I see people rightly ask why more "good cops" don't speak out on police violence. Well - today I'll show you why. This brave officer posted his professional opinion about the murder of George Floyd - and just got fired over it. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

All across the country, cities are being forced to drastically reform the way police operate within their communities. The outcomes have been incredible, but there is one major change that must be implemented to ensure law enforcement officers can no longer abuse their power: police oversight. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I want to play four of the most powerful clips from the speeches and interviews of Malcolm X. They are also painful because they shouldn't even be relevant anymore, but he literally could've said these things yesterday. Listen and learn.While The North Star takes a sabbatical week, we've decided to rerun the top 5 most listened to episodes of The Breakdown. Here is one of them.  ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

The ratification of the 15th Amendment was seen as a huge milestone for the liberation of African Americans, but does it really do all we so often say it does? Shaun doesn't think so, actually. Listen and learn. While The North Star takes a sabbatical week, we've decided to rerun the top 5 most listened to episodes of The Breakdown. Here is one of them. 

Mortality is something every person deals with, but few talk about. On today's episode, Shaun shares a personal message about the emotions that come with loss, and how he deals with them.  While The North Star takes a sabbatical week, we've decided to rerun the top 5 most listened to episodes of The Breakdown. Here is one of them.

Did you know that the majority of Americans don't vote? Today I ask you to not only commit to voting, but commit to being an informed voter that brings others with you.  While The North Star takes a sabbatical week, we've decided to rerun the top 5 most listened to episodes of The Breakdown. Here is one of them.  ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

While The North Star takes a sabbatical week, we've decided to rerun the top 5 most listened to episodes of The Breakdown. Here is the first. The words and legacy of Dr. King have been reduced and sanitized in so many ways. Today Shaun King plays 5 very special audio clips of Dr. King that you have likely never heard before and breaks down why they are so very important. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I learned a long time ago that victories come so rarely, that you have to celebrate them when you have them. Last night two brilliant candidates won essential elections, but another brilliant candidate lost as well. Let me unpack and explain all three races. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

It's here! My brand new book, Make Change, is now available in bookstores worldwide. Today, I want to share a short story of failure and the major pivot that we made as a result. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Tomorrow is a huge day for me as I await the release of my new book, Make Change. Today I want to read an excerpt from it for you. If you have not yet ordered it, please do so now at MakeChangeBook.com (http://makechangebook.com/)  ok? ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Most people think of Hawaii as a perfect paradise, but it faces the same systemic issues as the rest of the country, including mass incarceration. That’s why Jacquie Esser is running for lead prosecutor, to bring about desperately needed change. Let’s help get her elected! ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Yesterday we shared our first 5 ways to defund the police and make America safer at the same time. Today, we conclude with the final 5 ideas. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Alex Vitale is one of my favorite scholars in the country on how and why we must defund the police. He recently listed 10 ways we can do that safely. Today I'll break down the first five. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

The United States is experiencing a failure of both systems and personnel. It's not one, but both. And as a consequence, the single most famous stat for mass incarceration is now the exact same as this horrible new stat for the coronavirus. It's because the stats are produced by the same source. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Kim Gardner is my hero. She's the lead prosecutor for St. Louis and has more courage in a day than most of us will have in our lifetime. Because of that, she has now become one of the single most hated Black women in America to the conservative white establishment. Today let's hear from Kim directly and plan on supporting her in every way we can. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Meet Victoria Burton-Harris - a badass woman who is running to be the new District Attorney of Detroit. It's one of the single most important races in the country and she needs our support. ----- If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

I see a battle unfolding of some people saying we need to stop focusing on art and symbols and put all of our focus on systems and substance. I understand the critique. But let me try to unpack and explain how symbols support systems. It all matters.

Today I want to take a moment to really share my heart and soul about anti-Semitism in 2020. I also want to tackle the questions I have received about why more Black people are not fighting against it right now. I think I understand at least part of the answer. It's capacity. Let me unpack and explain it.

Over 25% of all people killed by American police were having a mental health emergency. In some states, it's over 50%. Every study out shows that a super-majority of Americans want somebody other than police showing up to mental health emergencies. Let's talk about how we get it done.

Today is Rai's 39th birthday! We're out celebrating but I wanted to tell you about a big organizing victory we had this week!

The hypocrisy is on full display. It has now been nearly 4 months since Breonna Taylor was murdered and not a single soul in the whole state of Kentucky can find it in them to arrest and charge a single police officer. But last night, 100 peaceful protestors were charged with felonies for sitting down with their legs crossed. This system can clearly charge who it wants, when it wants. If you listen to The Breakdown and want to help support the work we do, consider becoming a member of our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thebreakdown for exclusive members perks and early access to content.

Joe Biden just released the 2.0 version of his policy plan for criminal justice reform. He refuses to end qualified immunity and refuses to stand for the legalization of marijuana. It's literally worse than the 1.0 version of every leading presidential candidate. He needs to go ahead and work on plan 3.0. This isn't good enough.

A healthy debate is underway between the purists in the abolitionist community who are arguing that the men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor should not be arrested or sent to prison and others of us who believe that we can completely dismantle the unjust systems of our country while simultaneously using the current laws to the best of our ability. Let's talk about it.

Today I want us to talk about the hanging death of Robert Fuller. It was just officially ruled a suicide. I've looked at the results. I need us to understand that it can be simultaneously true that we live in a constant state of racial terror AND we have real mental health challenges that we need to discuss. Today, I want to tear down some walls and have an open conversation with you about all of it.

The world knows her as Trayvon Martin's mother. And she embraces that. But Sybrina Fulton is more than her greatest moment of pain. Now, after 7 years of fearless advocacy for victims of gun violence and racial injustice, she's running for office in Miami! Let's help make that happen!

Over 130,000 Americans have already died from the coronavirus. Now, it is surging across the country. Today, more than anything else, I am begging you to take it seriously. I've seen the costs up close and personal. Trust me - you don't want this thing in your life.

Did you see the video of the white man LOSING it on an elderly woman working at Costco because he was asked to wear a mask? That rage and that fragility were familiar. We've seen it all before. Today, let's talk about the true costs of white rage, white fragility, and toxic masculinity. It's deadly.

30 years ago, a group of people in one American city decided that they could do a better job than police at handling mental health and homelessness. So they built the solution and hundreds of thousands of 911 calls are now routed to their team. Listen and learn more. We can do this nationwide.

On Wednesday we launched Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commissions in 3 of America's largest cities. Today you can hear from the DA's who will be helping to lead the process.

Today I want to teach you one simple fact. It is the foundation for most of the work that I do. And I need you to understand the size and scope of the problem we're facing. The United States is the single most incarcerated nation in the entire history of the world.

The thing we call the justice system in this country is not broken. It's firing on all cylinders. So we must build new systems and new pathways to justice. Today, we are beginning just that. Learn more and join us at TJRC.org (http://tjrc.org/)

 It costs hundreds of millions of dollars. They have not stopped a single school shooting. And the police are brutalizing Black, Brown, and Native American children from coast to coast. They are handcuffing and arresting them. We must interrupt the school to prison pipeline. Here's how.

Studies show that support for the Black Lives Matter Movement has doubled since 2016. Even a majority of white people now say that they support the movement and its goals - which is groundbreaking. But what are we going to do with this momentum? Let's talk about it.

Shaun wants to introduce us all to one of his favorite people currently running for office: Cori Bush. On today's episode, he interviews Cori so that we can hear for ourselves what makes her so special. And even though she is running for office in Missouri, you can volunteer for her campaign WHEREVER YOU ARE. Let's go! CoriBush.Org (http://coribush.org/)

For my own safety, and the safety of my family, I had to expose this today. Here I include their names, their death threats and plans, and more. Who are you supposed to turn to in a moment like this? Police? The NYPD? The FBI? We felt like exposing them publicly was our best tool today.

Last night breakthrough leaders won elections across the country in the Democratic primaries. That's great news! But why is the Democratic Party fighting against them tooth and nail? Let's talk about it!

Yesterday I started a firestorm by saying that statues of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus-figure should be taken down just like the monuments of slaveholders. The problem is that for tens of millions of white people, it's necessary for that Jesus, that Savior, to be white. And it has been used as a tool of oppression for hundreds of years. It's a problem.

Last night, I read a brand new study on American policing and it has one stat that I think is the single most important stat of the year in American policing. I need you to learn it. I think it's so big that it will become a household stat that all of us who want serious change will memorize and quote from this point forward.

Something is happening in San Francisco that is truly revolutionary. I honestly didn't think it was possible. It's never been done before. But now we must do it all over the country.

Today I want to share a life lesson. I use it the best I can. Sometimes I fail, but this lesson has helped to keep me and my family whole for at least 10 years. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.

In many states where we've fought for justice, every single person in power was a Republican. We had to work with them. And sometimes we got results. Other times, everybody in power was a Democrat, and we got nothing. We have to be willing to work with whoever is in power to fight for change. Period.

We need you to know Sean Monterrosa's name. You might be tired, but we still have to fight when we're faced with such blatant injustice. Sean was unarmed, non-violent, and on his knees with his hands up when Vallejo Police Officer Jarrett Tonn shot him five times through the windshield of his car. Join us as we fight for justice for Sean.

For today, we are revisiting a throwback episode from June of 2019 where Shaun breaks down a Buzzfeed and Injustice Watch study called "Good Day for a Chokehold". The report gives us quantifiable proof that many American police are closet bigots by diving into the social media posts of thousands of officers. Shaun draws historical lines between past, present and future to break down exactly what we're up against.

Thousands of you asked Shaun to break down what it means to defund the police, so today, in simple terms, Shaun wants to unpack and explain it for you. Shaun supports it and thinks you should too.

Sick Empire is a brand new podcast that showcases the experiences of New Yorkers who operate daily within the epicenter of the COVID-19 health crisis. On today's episode of The Breakdown, Shaun formally introduces you to Sick Empire, and invites you to listen to the first episode. This is the most timely, important podcast out today -- join the conversation.

In our current uprising around the world, people are tearing down monuments to racism, bigotry, white supremacy, and slavery. They should all be torn down - including those of Washington and Jefferson in the United States.

Over the past 2 weeks, I have tried my best to ignore the constant lies about me, my work, my teams, our fundraising, and more. Today I will respond, with receipts and details, one last time. After that, you can lie about me, but that's on you.

The men who murdered Breonna Taylor must be held responsible. But we must change the laws and policies that caused her death in the first place. One way to start right now, is banning no-knock warrants. Let me break it down and give you action steps for today

Today, civil rights attorney Lee Merritt and I are launching The Grassroots Law Project and we need all hands on deck. Join us now @ GrassrootsLaw.org (http://grassrootslaw.org/)  and let's take our first action steps together

Ninety-nine years ago today, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, one of the most beautiful, prosperous, wealthy Black communities in the world was destroyed by terrorists. Today, with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, protestors across the globe, and the 1921 destruction of Black Wall Street in mind, Shaun teaches a lesson on how and why history repeats itself. 

It's not enough to do good here and there. What do you believe about the world? What is your philosophy? Because that's what drives your actions - or lack thereof. Let's talk about it.

The systems and structures we are fighting against aren't a little corrupt, they were fully built to oppress us. They should be completely abolished. Let me tell you what that means for us in 2020 and beyond.

Today Shaun wants to teach you what may be his most important lesson on how we can actually abolish the systems and structures of mass incarceration and police brutality. We often fail in these attempts, because we don't actually know what we're tearing down. It's not one system. And we are choosing to believe that's good news. It's 30,000 microsystems. Let us explain.

Listen to today's episode on what Shaun thinks is the single most underrated civil rights issue of our time. It's the local budget of your city and county and how much of it is going to law enforcement. Did you know that the LAPD takes up over 50% of the whole Los Angeles General Fund? It's outrageous. And we have to fight back to make these budgets actually reflect what we need.

On today's episode of The Breakdown I want to take a minute to thank all of you for your hard work and support as we fought for justice for Ahmaud Arbery. We must celebrate the small victories, but keep on pushing.

Today we are beginning to learn how so many people knew Ahmaud was in their neighborhood. We also have new info on the shooter, Travis McMichael.

Today is a special check-in episode of The Breakdown. I'll tell you how I'm doing, and what I'm trying to do to manage the stress of the time we are in, but I also want to hear from you.

Today would've been the 95th birthday of our dear Brother Malcolm X. I want to play four of the most powerful clips of his speeches and interviews. They are also painful, because they shouldn't even be relevant anymore, but he literally could've said these things yesterday. Listen and learn.

Georgia should've already arrested William Roddie Bryan. But what we know is that we only get the justice we fight for. On today's episode, Shaun reveals new information about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and gives us new action steps to take.

On today's episode of The Breakdown Live, Shaun walks through the extended details of Breonna's case and gives on update on Kenny's story as well. He then interviews Senate candidate Charles Booker, and does a very special segment with essential workers who are on America's frontlines. The Breakdown Live is an extended video version of The Breakdown Podcast. To see the video that accompanies this audio, you can go to http://twitch.tv/thebreakdown

Kenny Walker was Breonna's boyfriend, and he is a hero. On the night police broke into his home, in plain clothes, unannounced, when he and Breonna did nothing wrong, he used his legally owned firearm to protect his family. Now he's foolishly being charged with attempted murder. This cannot stand.

Today is a day of action. On this special action steps episode of The Breakdown, Shaun gives us clear action steps and marching orders for how we stand with Breonna Taylor and her dear family. Let's go!

Nearly one month ago today, Breonna Taylor was brutally shot and killed by police in her own home as they executed a drug raid at the wrong address for a person they had already arrested earlier that day. Our fight for justice for her begins today.

Thanks to millions of you, we’ve achieved so many of our Action Steps for Ahmaud Arbery, but we can’t let up. Not at all. One man is still on the loose and we have more things worth fighting for. Let me tell you what’s next.

Today was the second episode of The North Star's new weekly video livestream - The Breakdown Live. It is an extended video version of this podcast which will feature interviews and more. On this episode, Shaun did a deep dive into Ahmaud's case and ends with Action Steps.

Today I am just checking on you. We are overwhelmed and I want you to lean in and grieve. It's OK to cry. It's ok to be angry. Let me talk you through it then let's walk or run together this weekend. Love you all.

After a shocking video of Ahmaud Arbery lynching was leaked, Shaun updates us on the grave injustice that occured in Brunswick, Ga and gives updated action steps. We need EVERYONE on deck!

Mega businesses are using the coronavirus crisis to take public money and then demolish vulnerable small and medium sized businesses. New legislation that we should all support halts all mega-mergers during the crisis. Today I unpack why we should all care.

This weekend was one of THOSE weekends where police were so brutal, in so many places, for no good reason, almost exclusively against Black folk, that it's clear to me that we are crossing a line where people are not going to take it much longer.

Across the country, millions of Americans are not going to be able to pay their rent today. We knew this day was coming. Just agreeing not to evict them this month is too little. Rent needs to be forgiven and covered by the government. Today I share a way to pay for it as well.

 Please go to that website and call that number right now. We need ALL HANDS ON DECK as we begin the fight for justice for Ahmaud Arbery.

Yesterday in an interview w/ Naomi Campbell, Diddy spoke on how presidential candidates needed to have a strong agenda for Black people. I agree. We'll talk about that, a new bill being proposed in Congress, and I'll give an update on the Ahmaud Arbery case.

2 months ago two white supremacists murdered an innocent Black jogger in Brunswick, Georgia in broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon. We're demanding justice.

During this pandemic, I've struggled to figure out how to best help everyday people. One way that I am trying to help is by speaking at funerals across the country. Another, is by speaking at high school and college graduations. I've agreed to nearly 50 so far. Today I spoke at the graduation of the Fashion Institute of Technology. Here's my short address to the students.

We are in a global pandemic and the President of the United States literally suggested that we should inject ourselves with disinfectant to kill the coronavirus. It may be the single dumbest, most dangerous moment of his presidency. Also, today is a dubious anniversary for the KKK. Shaun unpacks and explains both stories.

Now that we are in the middle of a global pandemic, this classic episode - which was first released on the day Dr. Ibram Kendi's book "How to be an Anti-Racist" came out - is more relevant than ever. The global pandemic that we're living in has crystallized who has privilege. Asian-Americans have become the target of countless acts of hate as bigots blame the coronavirus outbreak on them. Take time, as you're sitting at home, to ask yourself to what extent you are currently benefiting from racist structures & systems.

Leonard Carter had been granted parole after serving 30 years in prison. Advocates begged for him to be released. Cuomo ignored the calls. Leonard, with just weeks left on his sentence, died from the coronavirus.

A few weeks ago, as thousands of people began dying across the country from the coronavirus, Shaun noticed the despair as people posted that they could not even have a traditional funeral to grieve. Since Shaun had been a pastor for many years, he offered to perform eulogies or prayers for any families who needed it. Today was the first - for a great woman - Lucille Marie Scott.

This weekend, 33 year old Steve Taylor, a beloved father and son, was murdered by police at a Walmart in San Leandro, California. When Shaun hears about these horrible cases of police brutality, he runs the situation through, what he calls, the Taylor Swift test. Listen in as he breaks down what the Taylor Swift test for police brutality is.

Listen, I know during this pandemic you are fighting for your own survival. We all are. But I need you to understand that policies are being passed (and ignored) all over the country and what we do and do not fight for will inform what our government does during this time. Also, 5 years ago this week, Freddie Gray was murdered by the Baltimore Police. I speak some on his case.

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed that if the United States wants to spend trillions of dollars on something, it can at the drop of a dime. This proves that the US Government has always had money for reparations. Today, Shaun breaks down what this means about marginalized folx in this country and talks about the importance of Universal Basic Income.

Michael Thompson has served 26 years of a life sentence for selling some weed to a friend. Once. Michael is a senior citizen and has several underlying health conditions that put him at grave risk with the coronavirus sweeping across America’s jails and prisons. There is one person who can set him free: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. On today's episode, Shaun unpacks why, as she has risen to stardom in the Democratic party, Governor Whitmer has frozen out our pleas to free Michael.

A heartfelt thank you message to Bernie Sanders.

For a moment, it looked like police brutality was going to really slow down during the pandemic, but America is a police state. Today, let me unpack the Supreme Court case that really helps police get away with so much of their brutality.

Today Nancy Pelosi is suggesting that she may extend the congressional recess - which is outrageous. They need to find a way to get back to work. Shaun also has an important update on California's jails and prisons.

Right now, jails & prisons in the United States have the highest documented infection rates of covid-19 in the world. On today's episode, Shaun explains the concept of jail churn and breaks down how it shows up in our prison system, and contributes to the spread of coronavirus.

Once white conservatives in Wisconsin learned that the coronavirus was mainly impacting Black communities, they had no problem forcing the elections there today. Virtually every public health official and every mayor in Wisconsin begged the state to postpone their elections. When the Governor issued an emergency executive order to reschedule the election, the conservative state legislature and state Supreme Court each voted to overturn those decisions — forcing the elections to happen today anyway. This is so dangerous, and we can't look away. Our democracy is at stake. 

As we learn that Black people and communities are being hit the hardest from the coronavirus, watch as white conservatives check out and stop caring. It's happening now in Wisconsin.

This episode is the first in a three-part-series on the Supreme Court cases that make police brutality functionally legal in the United States. Unfortunately, this episode is as relevant now as it was when it originally aired one year ago. This is essential education for yourself, your kids, your students. We must know the names of these Supreme Court cases so that we know what we're up against.

On today's episode Shaun will have an homage to the legendary Bill Withers, but first, will discuss disturbing new demographic data on who is dying from the coronavirus and talk about the crisis at our immigration detention centers.

On today's episode of The Breakdown Shaun tells us the story of the life, death, and courageous words of Scott Ryan - a bus driver outside of Seattle who told us in February what we were going to be facing. And Shaun gives action steps on what we need to be fighting for on behalf of essential workers nationwide.

Yesterday Shaun spoke with a man incarcerated at Rikers. Today he not only shares what he learned from that conversation, but describes the willful neglect at jails nationwide as a form of genocide. On the second half of today's episode, Shaun details how some cities are smartly using hotels to house the unhoused to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Tomorrow, tens of millions of Americans will be kicked off of their health insurance and be unable to pay their rent. And the nation has done virtually nothing about it. Shaun breaks down what makes this moment so devastating and ends with an action step.

Today is no doubt a special day in American history, but does the 15th Amendment really do all we so often say it does? Shaun doesn't think so, actually. Listen and learn.

Today Shaun gives us clear action steps to stop the conviction of an innocent man BEFORE he is convicted. Then he gives us some commentary on the horrible bailout package that was passed and says what our country really should've done instead.

For months, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio have been ignoring the professional advice of virtually every civil rights, human rights and public health organization in the city in regard to the hellhole of a jail known as Rikers. On today's episode, Shaun breaks down how they have directly caused a completely avoidable catastrophe in Rikers and gives us some action steps.

Experts believe that within the next 10 days, the United States -- not China, Italy, or Spain -- will have the most cases of Covid-19 worldwide. On today's episode, Shaun breaks down seven reasons why African Americans are actually at a much higher risk of contracting the coronavirus as it spreads across the country.

In 3 straight polls, the majority of Americans now say they believe Donald Trump is doing a good job of handling the Covid-19 pandemic. The near complete absence of Joe Biden during this time created a vacuum for this to happen.

On today's special episode of The Breakdown we celebrate everyone who has come this far with us and hear from our listeners on what they love most about the podcast.

In the next few days, government leaders on every level are going to be making long term decisions on how to fight back against the coronavirus. We need to make sure we tell them what that agenda need to be.

We've entered into a phase of this pandemic where politicians and corporations are thinking on how they can use this crisis for their financial and political gain. Trump and conservatives are doing something that could prove perilous for Democrats.

Today is Shaun's daughter, Kendi, turns 18 years old, but is stuck in the house, with school canceled, and everything else canceled as well. Today, Shaun talks about how the coronavirus is going to impact not just his family, but America's children.

All over the country we need cities and states to immediately stop evictions and the shutting off of utilities. Smart cities are already doing this. Is yours?

Colleges and schools are closed. Thousands of businesses have shut down. People are afraid and they are out of work. We're forming our own mutual aid society to help one another. Listen and join us today.

The coronavirus is going to impact the most vulnerable people and communities among us. Today Shaun starts to unpack what that's going to mean for America's jails and prisons.

The NBA season was just suspended. Tom Hanks has the coronavirus. The NCAA tournament is going to be played without fans. And the President is still a complete idiot. Today will go down in history as the first day the entire nation fully understood the impact of the Coronavirus.

Today Shaun unpacks and explains the impact of colleges and universities shutting down for the coronavirus across the country. Also, he shares some thoughts on the elections yesterday and closes with painful audio of the aftermath of a police shooting in Raleigh. Plus, our first woman crush Wednesday segment.

On this special episode of The Breakdown Shaun unpacks and explains why The United States is in a particularly dangerous position with the coronavirus and what we can do about it.

Working with the family of Nate Woods this weekend, Shaun noticed one big difference between an execution and a case of police violence. Today he unpacks it for us.

Yesterday, the state of Alabama murdered an innocent man. On today's episode, Shaun unpacks this painful ordeal. We are devastated, but unfortunately we are not surprised.

In hours, the State of Alabama is set to execute a man they fully know never killed a single soul in his life. It's a legal lynching. Listen, then go to SaveNate.com (http://savenate.com/) to fight back to stop this. We can't give up!!

Shaun unpacks and explains his thoughts on Super Tuesday, Bloomberg dropping out, and our fight to save Nate Woods

Today is Super Tuesday, but the biggest thing on my mind is saving the life of Nate Woods, who’s scheduled to be executed in this Thursday. We have new action steps for you to take at SaveNate.com (http://savenate.com/) .

Nathaniel Woods. Say his name. He is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, but he didn't even pull the trigger. Nobody says he did. And the shooter says he had nothing to do with the crime.

Months we learned that the Orlando Police arrested a 6 year old girl. You helped us get the officer fired. Today we see the video. Here’s what we do to prevent this from ever happening again.

The debate last night was a mess. Period. But today Shaun breaks down a high moment, a low moment, and says why the whole thing was bad for the Democratic Party.

Today Shaun reflects on the conviction of Harvey Weinstein for sex crimes, but offers what may be a surprising critique of the celebrations. Also, Shaun reflects on the words of Michael Jordan at the Kobe & Gigi Bryant Memorial.

Today we begin making phone calls for Myon Burrell. Don't worry, I'll talk you through all of it.

It’s up to us to free Myon Burrell! 17 years ago, Myon was charged and convicted of a murder that he did not commit. He is completely innocent, and has been in prison since 2002. We can't just stand by. Today Shaun lays the framework for how we will free him. Listen for two action steps that should leave us looking within. Visit FreeMyonBurrell.com (http://freemyonburrell.com/) right now for more details.

In 2002 a teenage boy named Myon Burrell was arrested for a murder he had absolutely nothing to do with. Today we will begin our efforts to educate you on his case and then building a campaign to set him free.

Today Shaun not only breaks down a very transparent after-show moment Trevor Noah had discussing the brutality of Mike Bloomberg, he plays the key audio clips of Bloomberg that Trevor is addressing.

Today is the 1 year anniversary of The North Star and the day Frederick Douglass chose as his birthday. Shaun shares a story about this and more.

In our efforts to beat Trump, Shaun has preached for over a year that he would support whoever won the democratic primary. But upon further review, he has quickly determined that Mike Bloomberg is simply a line that he can not cross. Listen in as he explains why.

You need to hear these two racist bombshell clips from Michael Bloomberg. He should never serve in office again.

It's ugly. Today Shaun weighs in with his transparent thoughts on the very public spectacle not just between Gayle King and Snoop, but with millions of hurting, grieving people.

Today Shaun has 3 stories and an action step for us - starting in Florida where the Republican governor took power away from a good local prosecutor. Also, an update on voting in Iowa and an action step on tasering case in Austin, Texas.

I’ve never seen this happen before. It’s a sad symptom of our fragile democracy and opens up a real opportunity for Trump to exploit such weakness

A quick reflection from Shaun on the first Democratic primary in the nation. It was an unorganized mess.

Today is the first full day of the Democratic primaries as voters in Iowa kick it off. Shaun gives some thoughts on Iowa and then discusses the bold words made by Joaquin Phoenix last night.

In the 2020 campaign Joe Biden flat out lying to say that he was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. Today Shaun tells us the story of when this began and why.

This is the biggest story released yet to air on The Breakdown. For nearly 50 years Joe Biden has pretended to have been an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. The time has come to confront it. Today and tomorrow, Shaun systematically breaks down Biden's lies and what they mean.

Shaun checks in with a quick message. He is currently working on an extremely important story and needs more time.

Well, this is new. A corrupt Chicago billionaire is trying to buy the DA’s office. Shaun also gives updates on Michael Thompson and Parchman Prison.

A personal message from Shaun.

Today Shaun has two important action steps for you to take - one on behalf of a brilliant boy who needs our help and another on behalf of Michael Thompson who we are trying to help get out of prison.

Yesterday, over 10,000 of you went to FreeMichaelThompson.com and wrote a letter on behalf of Michael Thompson! A great job, but we need more! Shaun updates us on Michael's case as well as gives an update on Mississippi's Parchman Prison.

In just 7 days we are going to be submitting a clemency petition on behalf of Michael Thompson - a kind, compassionate soul who has spent 25 hard years in prison for selling weed in Michigan - a state that just made weed legal. And we need your help.

Did you know that the majority of Americans don't vote? Today I ask you to not only commit to vote, but commit to being an informed voter that brings others with you.

The words and legacy of Dr. King have been reduced and sanitized in so many ways. Today Shaun King plays 5 very special audio clips of Dr. King that you have likely never heard before and breaks down why they are so very important.

The LAPD has been caught in yet another scandal framing people as being in gangs. Today Shaun begins to unpack and explain this. Then, he invites Nikki Rojas, a writer for The North Star on to talk about voter suppression in Wisconsin.

Today Shaun discusses a conversation that caused him to really check who he cares about and why - then begins the conversation about the despicable human rights conditions in Mississippi prisons

Kim Gardner, a brilliant, bold, progressive prosecutor in St. Louis just filed suit against powerful white special interests in law enforcement using the KKK Act of 1871. And it's amazing.

Yesterday it was said that Bernie Sanders said a woman could not be President. It trended. It went viral. But sources tell me and The Washington Post that it never happened.

You need some good news in your life. Today Shaun brings you three good news stories from San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin, NFL star Marshawn Lynch, and Will Smith. Listen, smile, and learn.

Today Shaun unpacks the intellectual foundation for why Donald Trump believed he could openly assassinate a foreign leader and get away with it. Then we begin discussing something the problematic fact that New York is giving some of its most important justice reforms just 9 days before giving up on them. We have action steps.

On our first episode of 2020 Shaun wishes us happy new year as our nation is on the brink of World War III.

Do you know the name Eddie Gallagher? He is a violent, bigoted war criminal that Trump absolutely adores. Today Shaun unpacks and explains this and also details the despicable conditions of prisons in Mississippi.

A holiday greeting from Shaun King and a quick reflection on this past year.

On our 150th episode Shaun will unpack and explain the horrible sex trafficking case involving teenager Chrystul Kizer, who ultimately shot and killed her trafficker.

Now that Trump has been impeached, Shaun unpacks and explains what will be next and gives us a glimpse into the minds of Republicans and Trump during this time.

Today is a good news episode of The Breakdown where Shaun unpacks and explains what is scheduled to happen today with the impeachment of Donald Trump. He also gives us an update on the officer who assaulted the child in North Carolina and a massive restoration of voting rights in Kentucky.

Shaun gives us an update on the case of the 11 year old boy who was brutally assaulted by police in Vance County, North Carolina then shares details on four new cases of police violence that have happened across the country this month

A horrible video of a police officer assaulting an 11 year old boy was just released. Here Shaun unpacks and explains the case and gives us action steps to call for this officer to be fired and arrested immediately.

To be an abolitionist, you not only have to have an abolitionist worldview, you have to take abolitionist actions. Today Shaun unpacks and explains what that means and gives us a big update on the impeachment of Donald Trump.

Today Shaun tells the story of three teenage boys who spent 36 years in prison for a crime they did not commit and has a very special action step for us on how we can build something together to support anybody who has been wrongly convicted.

Most of us know what it meant to be an abolitionist before the American Civil War, but what does it mean today? Listen to Part 1 of a mini-series from Shaun King as he unpacks and explains how we can all be modern day abolitionists.

We're not giving away the BIG news in the description! You have to listen to this episode to get it!

The Golden Globe nominations were just announced and Shaun unpacks and explains why it's a problem, and why it matters that women and people of color were left out.

Michael Bloomberg oversaw one of the most racist policies of the 21st century. Today he went on national TV and lied, saying nobody ever told him it was wrong until last month. This lie is Trumpian in nature and must be confronted

Shaun shares some of his story of living in chronic pain and how hard it can be to take a day off.

Kamala Harris just dropped out of the presidential race. Shaun discusses some of the unique challenges of Black women in politics and unpacks what her dropping out means for the race at large.

On today's episode Shaun unpacks and explains Trump's new refusal to participate in this week's impeachment hearings, confronts the horrible new threats against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and offers a critique of both Mayor Pete and Michael Bloomberg.

Rodney Reed's execution was stayed exactly two weeks ago. Today, Shaun updates us on the case, and tells us new stories about people all over the country who have been wrongfully convicted. Join us with an action step that will help combat our national problem with wrongful convictions.

Unable to record a full episode for today, Shaun takes a moment to check in for a brief moment. Enjoy your weekend!

As the impeachment hearings continue, bombshell testimony dooms Trump to a certain impeachment in the weeks ahead.

Yesterday was the single worst day yet for Trump on impeachment. It may be the worst day of his presidency. Here Shaun will unpack and explain two of the biggest moments of the day.

Now that Rodney Reed's execution has been stopped, people are wondering if they were duped about Rodney Reed. The answer is no. Shaun unpacks the details.

A special preview episode of the brand new podcast from Rai and Shaun King called “Married to the Movement”

We have just 4 days left to save the life of Rodney Reed. Today Shaun is leading our action steps and needs all hands on deck.

Today Shaun unpacks and explains the NFL's decision to grant Colin Kaepernick a "tryout" 3 years after banning him from the league. Shaun also gives his thoughts on the announcement of Deval Patrick that he's running for President. And concludes with new action steps for Rodney Reed.

We only have 6 days left to save a man who is provably innocent. Today, Shaun gives updates about the state of Rodney's case and unpacks our action steps for today. Rodney's team is undeterred, and so are we. Let's keep pushing!!

In 7 days, Rodney Reed is scheduled to be executed. Allegations that he was never charged for are now being floated out to justify his execution. That's the literal definition of a lynching.

Today Shaun celebrates a huge organizing victory in San Francisco and gives us an update and new Action Steps for Rodney Reed

We have just 11 days left to organize and fight back to save the life of Rodney Reed. Today Shaun gives new updates on how our action steps are working and speaks on the rally tomorrow in Austin.

We have just 12 days left to save the life of Rodney Reed. Today Shaun gives us updates on the case and asks all of us to make very specific phone calls on Rodney's behalf.

Today we need you to make these phone calls to help save the life of Rodney Reed.

The State of Texas is now just 14 days away from executing a demonstrably innocent man. We need all hands on deck. Today Shaun unpacks and explains our action steps and makes a very special announcement about his brand new book, Make Change!

We now have 15 days to save the life of an innocent man on death row in Texas. Today Shaun unpacks our big action steps for today. Let's GO!

In 20 days Texas is scheduled to execute an innocent man. We must all work to free him. Shaun is dedicating the next 20 days to this, but we need all hands on deck.

Today Shaun unpacks and explains three stories from San Francisco, Austin, and Baltimore where leaders are going against the will of the people. Listen and take our action steps to fight back.

Legendary comedy John Witherspoon has passed away. Today Shaun plays three of his favorite clips from “Pops,” as he was often called, and speaks on the importance of laughter and comedy to get us through life.

As wildfires break out all over California, the state continues to use incarcerated men to fight the fires, but then effectively bans them from ever being firefighters once they serve their time.

Did you see the horrible abuse by the NYPD of teenagers on the subway? One reason that happened is that New York simply has too many police officers. The whole country does. And until we drastically reduce that number, they will always find people to arrest and brutalize.

What’s the plan to change the criminal justice system? Do you know it? Read it? Heard about it? Plans do exist, but a plan is only as effective as the ability of everyday people to repeat it back to you. Today, Shaun unpacks and explains why we need to be on board for the plan.

Not only is Facebook failing to protect our elections, they are now knowingly, openly allowing admitting that their new policy is to allow political campaigns to openly lie and mislead voters in their ads. Today, Shaun takes us through Zuckerberg's horrible testimony before Congress yesterday and plays highlights from some of the smartest questions he was asked.

Yesterday, an ambassador to Ukraine testified before congress for 10-hours about Trump. The ambassador's name is Bill Taylor, and we believe that Bill Taylor will become a household name one day. His testimony about Trump was that damning. Today, Shaun breaks down what makes that testimony worthy of Bill Taylor becoming famous.

Earlier this morning, when Trump called the impeachment inquiry a "lynching," he was making a deeply problematic statement. While Shaun digs into just how absurd this statement is, he also addresses how difficult it is to live in a time dictated by Trump's outrageous tweets. To effectively fight for justice, we can't constantly spend our energy and time on Trump. We have too much to fight for.

HBO's new show "The Watchmen" depicts the early 1920s in Tulsa, OK in the time of the Tulsa Race Riots. The release of the Watchman marks the first time in a century that the Black Wall Street Massacre of 1921 is accurately portrayed in mainstream media. On today's episode, Shaun digs into the significance of this show, and breaks down why it took 98 years to tell the truth about our own history.

In today's world, we hear terms like "War on Poverty" used often, but we don't always dig into what that means. The War on Poverty is constructed out of tens of thousands of laws and ordinances. On today's episode, we examine the policies that criminalize homelessness. There are certain cities and states that are making an effort to roll-back those policies, but many politicians, businesses, and police unions are opposing these reforms. To break down exactly what that looks like, Shaun focuses in on a specific ordinance in Austin, TX and lays out what we can do to support one mayor's efforts to decriminalize homelessness.

The President of the United States is publicly committing crimes as we speak. While you might say that we've known for a long time that Donald Trump is corrupt, there's something unique about just how blatant and unapologetic the crimes are that he is currently committing. We can't allow ourselves become numb to this. On today's episode, Shaun breaks down just how illegal and unacceptable the actions of Trump and his administration are. He also reflects on the passing of Elijah Cummings and pays tribute to the late member of Congress.

Last weekend, Fort Worth police officers shot and killed 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson in her own home. She was in her house playing video games with her nephew. Since Saturday, the police officer who shot Atatiana was arrested and charged with murder. It's a horrible tragedy, and on today's episode, Shaun breaks down the nuances of this case. He also reports on three people who made an important endorsement in the 2020 presidential race. 1:08 PM (https://thebreakdownpodcast.slack.com/archives/DMMBN6NEB/p1571245722006300)

Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the US and, while it should be a trendsetter for reform, it is the nation’s largest jail system. LA is the perfect example of why this country so desperately needs progressive district attorneys because Los Angeles DA Jackie Lacey is the opposite. Today, Shaun breaks down just how awful DA Jackie Lacey’s track record is on justice reform and the consequences of her actions.

When a sitting United States President looks at Congress and says that he or she simply will not do what Congress asks, then we are in crisis. That’s exactly what happened on Tuesday afternoon when Donald Trump declared that he will not participate in the  impeachment process. Today, Shaun breaks down just how dangerous this action is, and what  the implications are.

Joshua Brown, a father of three young children, was brutally murdered last Friday. As you may know, Joshua was a key witness in the murder trial of Amber Guyger. Ten days after he testified, he was targeted and shot to death outside of his home. Today, Shaun breaks down this open investigation to explain exactly what happened in the courtroom when Joshua testified and how it changes our understanding of Joshua’s murder.

The United States does not have one justice system or one legal system. We often talk about changing the system, but in reality, we have 30,000 micro systems. Each micro system has its own set of rules, laws, and politics, which is simultaneously great news in our fight to change the status quo, as well as horrible news. Today. Shaun breaks down what this means.

Due to the North Star moving into new offices, we will not be able to record a new episode for today. We are working around the clock today and through the weekend to complete the move. Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

On today's episode, Shaun unpacks and explains the 10 year prison sentence that was handed down to Dallas police officer Amber Guyger. He also addresses some of the fallout the verdict including the direct reactions of the family, the judge and a bailiff in the courtroom. 

Just hours ago, Amber Guyger received a guilty verdict for the murder of Botham Jean. No verdict can make up for the loss and pain that the family has suffered, but even this version of justice is  virtually unprecedented. On today's episode,  Shaun breaks down what makes this case different from the countess other cases that have been denied guilty verdicts by America's legal system.

The case for impeachment is all over the news, and Trump's reaction has been extreme. Today, Shaun breaks down the case for impeachment in the context of Trump's entire presidency and highlights the gravity of his "Civil War" comments.

The murder trials of the police officers who murdered Botham Jean and Anthony Hill are both underway right now. Shaun breaks down why these two cases are SO  important in the fight for justice. We all need to be watching and listening to how these two trials go down.

Remember the 5 children that we told you about who were being charged with a murder that they didn't commit (ep. 89)? After that episode, thousands of you made phone calls and wrote emails. Well, largely because of you, those murder charges have been dropped. In the last 95 episodes of this podcast, we've learned a lot about what makes our Action Steps truly work. We know that the calls we ask you to make can be tough, which is why we're going to break down our tips and tricks to keep in mind when taking Action Steps.  Today, Shaun not only celebrates our shared successes, but gives a tutorial about how to make phone calls that truly help to make change.

So many of the stories we hear in the news are horrendous. But too often, we don't investigate the root causes of the stories we're outraged by. So, after reporting instances of young children being arrested on our last two episodes, Shaun digs into the root cause of these stories. He breaks down his theory that events like this only happen in the United States because of the abundance of guns here.

All over the country, black girls and boys as young as six are being arrested for minor behavior problems. On today's episode, Shaun continues his conversation on this issue by focusing on how schools nationwide are failing to implement systems and structures that better support these children.

The United States may be the only nation in the world where a 6-year-old child could be handcuffed, arrested, put in a police car, finger printed, and jailed over a tantrum they had in class. And that is exactly what happened last week in Orlando, Florida.  This case exposes exactly what the school to prison pipeline looks like and on today’s episode Shaun digs into the extent to which Black girls are criminalized in our schools and in our society.

Last week, several white students brutally assaulted a 12-year-old Black boy in a locker room at their school. Today, Shaun digs into the case and breaks down the dynamics at play between parents, children, and schools. It’s not enough to watch these horrible videos and to be outraged. We need to learn from them about how to intervene and stand up for justice in an everyday way.

Since Flip the Senate launched one month ago, we have seen mass shootings, natural disasters, and the abysmal reaction of our government to each of these tragedies remind us how urgent our mission is to Flip the Senate in 2020. Today, Shaun reveals the next four candidates who we are going to push for and fight for because they're the right people to win their state!! Let's do this!!

Colin Kaepernick played his last game in the NFL 924 days ago simply because he had the nerve to have a silent, peaceful protest against police brutality and systemic injustice before each game. This season Shaun is continuing his personal boycott of the NFL, and on today's episode, he breaks down why.

Shaun gets asked one questions more than any other -- "How do I change the world?" To give you an answer, Shaun needs to ask you an even bigger question: What are you going to fight for? Making a conscious, honest decision about what you're going to fight for is not simple. It's complicated and personal. And all of us need to make that decision to make real meaningful change. In this unscripted episode, Shaun walks through what it takes to make that decision.

After last week’s devastation in the Bahamas, tens of thousands of people are now homeless and evacuations have begun. Last night, when hundreds of men, women, and children arrived to the United States, they were ordered away. They had the proper documentation, but they were told that US Customs and Border Patrol had issued the order to not let them in.

Have you heard of the murder rule? Most countries in the world have gotten rid of this rule. But not only is the rule still in place in most states in the US, but right now, five teenagers may face life in prison for a murder that they did not commit because of this rule. We have action steps at the end of this episode so that we can come together and intervene.

If you don’t care about the climate crisis, it might be the case that you don’t fully understand what’s ahead and how it impacts every single one of us – particularly the most marginalized nations and communities of the world. We need all hands on deck. 

Did you know that it is against the rules of the United States Congress for members to call the President, or the words and actions of the President, racist? It’s true. Let’s change them.

A 7 person panel of experts took a deep dive into every dollar Shaun King has ever raised as a leader in the Black Lives Matter Movement including 5 years of his tax returns, 10 years of banking, and every single fundraiser Shaun has ever participated in. 

The Breakdown is not just here to change the news, it's here to change the world. On today's episode, Shaun goes back over our first four months to celebrate all of the hard fought Action Step victories that we've had together - including two that actually start today! Together we're making the world a better place!!

Police in Colorado Springs shot teenager De’Von Bailey repeatedly in his back as he ran away from them. What do the laws say about this? And what can we do about it? On today’s episode Shaun dives in to the unique dangers of being Black, armed, and confronted by American police.

Most people could not name anyone, other than Jeffrey Epstein, who was killed or died in jail in the United States. While about 1,200 people are killed by police per year in this country, nearly 5,000 people die in America’s jails and prisons. On today’s episode, Shaun breaks down the conditions behind those numbers and has an action step for you.

Today, Shaun openly and honestly addresses some of the more critical questions that he often hears about how his fundraisers work and what his finances are like. 

At least 7 different elected sheriffs in North Carolina have stated that they will not cooperate with ICE. So, yesterday, in a very dangerous vote, North Carolina state legislators passed House Bill 370 which would force sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. Shaun is going to unpack this bill on today’s episode, and asks you to take action because North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper has the power to veto this bill!

Five years ago, Eric Garner was murdered by an NYPD officer. Yesterday, the police officer responsible for his murder finally was fired from the force. On today’s episode, Shaun unpacks the incredible amount of backlash from white police officers and police unions. 

On many episodes of The Breakdown, we have clearly laid out the sway that local DAs have over legal system. Today Shaun breaks down the role of an actor whose importance often gets overlooked — your local mayor. Many people are unaware of just how much power their mayor has over the landscape of their local legal system, so let’s dig in!

Yesterday, the NFL announced a wide-ranging partnership with Jay-Z and his company, Roc-Nation, mainly to promote music and social justice work. They made this announcement on the 3-year-anniversary of the first day Colin Kaepernick took a knee in the NFL. On today’s episode, Shaun is open about how he feels about this partnership.

In interviews this week, Trump’s head of US Citizenship & Immigration Services first suggested rewriting the beautiful poem at the feet of the Statue of Liberty, and then later claimed that it was only meant for Europeans in the first place. On today’s episode, Shaun breaks down exactly what happened in these interviews. When the administration of America is trying to rewrite what this country stands for, we need to take the time to understand exactly what we’re up against.

Do you think that you are racist? In all likelihood, your answer is no, but it’s a trick question. Most of us don’t think about what it really means to be “not racist” in today’s world. On today’s episode, Shaun is asking us to challenge our understanding of racism as he lays out a path toward better definitions of what racism is and isn’t.

Today, we are launching a 15-month campaign to flip the Senate. Flipping the Senate is a national emergency, and we need to out-organize our opponents. On today’s episode, Shaun breaks down why we need to organize like our lives depend on it, and introduces you to 7 candidates.

On Wednesday, nearly 700 people were taken from their jobs in the middle of Mississippi’s first day of school in the largest ICE raid in American history. Words cannot describe the pain that so many people have experienced in the past week. On today’s episode, Shaun needs you to hear the voices of these people themselves. Because we can’t detach ourselves. We need to double-down to organize better and faster.

Due to a family emergency, Shaun is unable to record a full podcast for today. But he still wants to remind you to visit TheActionPAC.com and/or HowWeFlipTheSenate.com in order to register for a special phone call on this coming Monday. Stay tuned for tomorrows episode!. 

Sometimes it is hard to know whether the world is actually getting more cruel or whether we only feel like it is because we are living in the age of social media and information. Today, Shaun digs into that question. He asks us to acknowledge and accept how overwhelming this moment feels. And then channel all of our feelings into focus and determination. 

In the aftermath of this weekend’s deadly hate crimes, we uncovered that the NRA has been helping to write laws that ban cities from making their own gun laws for the past 38 years. Over 45 states have these laws in place. It’s time to take action against these laws. 

Right now, we are living in the age of the deadliest hate crime in 98 years. And people are asking what we can do about it. To really understand what we can do, Shaun needs us to zoom out. On today's episode, he gets historical and talks about how human history follows a trend of having high-highs and low-lows. Shaun makes the case that we are currently living at an extremely low point in history. And today, Shaun is going to tell you about the path he sees for us to start climbing out of this low point.

If you have ever played a game of dodgeball, you have seen kids get hurt, end-up with bloody noses. You know that it happens. Last week in Michigan, a ten-year-old boy was charged with adult felony assault for accidentally injuring another child in a school-sanctioned game of dodgeball. Shaun breaks down the larger problem in America’s school system that this case exposes and ends with an action step for us to take together.

A protected class is a legal phrase designed to protect oppressed and marginalized groups of people. Can we agree that no one in America has more privilege thant a white, straight, cis, man? Last week, a court ruling determined that white men are a protected class. It is outrageous. On today’s episode, Shaun digs in to the case and the ruling to break down exactly what happened. 

The United States is the only nation in the world that has more guns than people. And this weekend, we saw two mass shootings on opposite sides of the country. On today’s episode, we are unpacking why we have so much carnage in this country and yet so little change. Have you guessed yet what Shaun will be breaking down? It’s time to talk about the NRA.

The United States is the only nation in the world that has more guns than people. And this weekend, we saw two mass shootings on opposite sides of the country. On today’s episode, we are unpacking why we have so much carnage in this country and yet so little change. Have you guessed yet what Shaun will be breaking down? It’s time to talk about the NRA.

Of course we were all outraged when we saw the video of Nancy Goodman walking right up to two young black customers and calling them “stupid n—.” We don’t need to break down how problematic this incident is. Instead, Shaun is going to break down how important it is to be mindful of how we react to moments of blatant racism like this. Racism has victims. It is violent and it spreads. And our reaction to it matters.

We log every question you email us. Then, every month, we sort through those questions and pick the 7 most commonly asked questions. Today, Shaun answers the questions from July. We love hearing from you — email your questions to thebreakdown@thenorthstar.com (mailto:thebreakdown@thenorthstar.com) with the subject line “You Asked, Shaun Answers”.

Massive protests are going on in Puerto Rico. Two cops in Louisiana were fired on Monday after saying that they’d like to shoot and kill Alexandria Occasio-Cortez. Palestinians are being forcefully evicted from their homes. On today’s episode, Shaun breaks down these stories and what they say about the moment of history that we’re in. 

Voters in America’s largest cities are voting for radical criminal justice reform. City by city, we are electing progressive district attorneys and ousting conservative candidates who perpetuate the systems behind mass incarceration. But we are now seeing something new as state governments systematically strip away the powers of DAs. In today’s episode, Shaun breaks down who exactly is helping conservative politicians limit the power of progressive DAs. 

What does it mean for the President of the United States to make explicitly racist statements in public? Can an explicitly biased person “faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States?” On today’s episode, Shaun breaks down why explicit bias is illegal in this country. The President of the United States has broken those laws this week. Are you wondering what can be done about it? Let’s dig in.

Trump’s rally last night was one of the most racist public moments in modern political history. Public racism has hit a modern peak. It is so dangerous, so despicable, that we had to move faster than expected. On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun is introducing The Action PAC — to help us all organize for change. Let’s go!

Tomorrow, Eric Garner's murder will have taken place exactly five years ago. Today, we found out that no charges will be filed against the NYPD officer that murdered him. It's horrifying. So many people and systems have failed the Garner family. Shaun is dedicating a triple-length episode to work through how we got here. Because we can grow. We can move forward. But first, there are key lessons that we must learn about how to really effect change.

Trump has done so many blatantly racist things, that it probably felt like you couldn’t be shocked ever again. On Sunday morning, he publicly targeted 4 young women of color, Congresswomen, in a Tweet. Shaun is going to break down how we got to this point and will unpack how much danger his words put people of color into. 

In the last 7 days, more than 6000-people have joined The Breakdown Crew. Today, Shaun breaks down what we achieved together and how we're going to keep the momentum going. Thanks to the energy of our listeners, this podcast has grown into a tool for organizing and change in a way we never expected, so we're taking a minute to thank you. At the end of today's episode, Shaun lays out his favorite episodes of our show so far and lets you know that we are taking a short break. We will be back in a few weeks!

You have probably seen the horrible video of police brutality that emerged out of Phoenix at the end of May. When demanding justice for these horrible instances of police brutality, it can be easy for our responses to become routine. Today Shaun explains why justice is so hard to come by in cases like this. Because sometimes we need to be reminded of the larger systems that we’re facing, in order for our fight for justice to be effective.

The North Star has always been about liberation, abolition, and freedom. It was about change when Frederick Douglass and Martin Delaney founded the newspaper in 1847, and it still is. Our listeners on The Breakdown have blown us away with your commitment to fight for change with us. You've inspired us, and this week, we're going all in.  We are getting systems in place to organize at a new and bigger scale - we're building a team that we need you to join. 

Trump tweeted a dangerous statement last night – one that should have us all alarmed. With Trump’s reelection campaign kicking off tonight, we need to be more alert than ever because if he acts on his threats, the results would be disastrous. Shaun also needs us to know about two new candidates for Congress in 2020 because just as we need to be vigilant, we also need to be hopeful. 

Sometimes when you want to make change, there comes a moment that you just can’t pass on. It’s too big. Today is one of those days. There is a bill currently in the New York state legislature that needs to pass if we want to dismantle the structures of mass incarceration.  It’s a strong bill that will actively counteract the damage done by the War on Drugs. But it’s about to be watered down. And we have three days to make sure that it passes just the way it is. Let’s go!!

Every single day of your life, something gets cheated. It could be your health, your relationships, or your work. On this short freestyle episode, Shaun speaks clearly about how you must make the tough choice on what gets cheated - or life will choose for you - and the results can be disastrous.

If we want to change the criminal justice system from the inside out, we must elect reform-minded district attorney's. Tiffany Cabán, a public defender, is currently running for district attorney in Queens, NY and she is a game changer. If every county and every city could elect a candidate like her, let alone get people like her to run, our criminal justice system would change overnight. On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun tells you about Tiffany Cabán and what he thinks is “the most important election in the country right now.”  

A revolution is fully underway in Sudan. Protests started in 2018. On April 11th, 2019, the long-standing dictator stepped down due to pressure from protestors. But now the military is slaughtering those protestors. These three sentences sum-up what we know from mainstream media outlets, but it’s not enough! Today’s episode of the Breakdown is dedicated to breaking down the nuanced historical and political context of this conflict because true understanding is the first step to showing solidarity with the Sudanese protestors. It’s a global responsibility!

Casual bigotry is on the rise. Civility and kindness toward fellow humans has become less normal. Yesterday NBA fans laughed in the face of Kevin Durant’s injury, and today, Shaun exposes what the casual cruelty of NBA fans says about the times in which we live.

You are helping to make change every time you take an action step from The Breakdown. Your participation is integral to fulfilling our vision at The North Star — to create news that fits the needs of our times by being more transparent, more action-oriented, and more nuanced. On today’s episode, we’re reporting back on the progress that we have been seeing from the action steps thanks to your work.

We need to fight for the justice we get. Today, Shaun needs us to fight together to hold the corrupt prosecutors in the Central Park Five case accountable. The last two episodes of The Breakdown were dedicated to tackling the injustices of the Central Park Five case because, for our fight to work, we need to be organized and informed.

Have you heard of Imbler v. Pachtman? Most people haven’t. It is a Supreme Court case that gives America’s prosecutors and district attorneys absolute immunity, even for the worst misconduct. Shaun breaks it down for you today, because to get justice in the Central Park Five case, we must first understand that prosecutorial corruption is essentially legal in this country. ***This episode contains a description of sexual assault.***

Ava Duvernay’s new Netflix miniseries “When They See Us” is powerful. It is an example of what strong storytelling is capable of. Because of her work, we now have a unique opportunity to fight for justice in a decades-old case. The next three episodes of The Breakdown will be dedicated to the infamous 1989 case known as the Central Park Five and Shaun will lead us in a renewed fight against old injustices.

We hear questions from you, our listeners, all the time. Sometimes they get personal, sometimes they are serious, and sometimes they're downright silly. Shaun will answer your questions in a special episode once per month, and here's our June Edition! Today Shaun answers your questions about everything from time management to self-care to whether he has personal beef with Joe Biden.

Buzzfeed and Injustice Watch just released a study called “Good Day for a Chokehold,” and it is revolutionary. The report gives us quantifiable proof that American police are bigoted by diving into the social media posts of thousands of police officers. Today’s episode is all about the findings of this study, because having hard, quantitative data to prove what we already knew is a big deal. 

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King unpacks the news that Illinois has banned over 200 books in their library – books about race, justice, freedom, and liberation. Shaun needs us to take the action steps that he lays out in this episode to fight back against a decision that furthers the cycle of oppression in our system of mass incarceration.

On today's episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King continues the conversation from episode 25 on how to figure out which candidates to support in the 2020 American presidential election. With the democratic field changing every day, our analysis of candidates has to be ongoing, and Shaun is here to break it down for you. 

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King tells us two stories. Shaun exposes that the San Antonio Police Department attempted to cover-up the murder of a teenage boy, Charles Roundtree, and gives us some clear action steps. Shaun also reports on the recent election in Europe and unpacks why it matters so much. 

Instead of a full episode today, Shaun just has a quick message from the Breakdown team wishing everyone a restful, extended weekend. See you back here on Tuesday.

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King tells the story of Michael Thompson who is currently serving a life sentence in Michigan for selling weed. To fully understand the injustice that Michael is experiencing, Shaun needs you to understand the truth about the relationship between profit and oppression in the United States. Let’s #FreeMichaelThompson!

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King celebrates the election of Rochelle Bilal as Philadelphia’s new sheriff. Philadelphia is doing more to dismantle mass incarceration than any city in the country, and everywhere else needs to follow suit.

Shaun King dedicates today’s episode of The Breakdown to Muhlaysia Booker. Muhlaysia was a Black transgender woman who was shot and killed this weekend - and this horrible violence against her must push us to action. Shaun pushes all of us to confront the violence toward Black trans women in our country, and breaks down what we must do to intervene.

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King celebrates Robert F. Smith’s announcement to forgive the student loan debt of every graduating senior at Morehouse College. Shaun uses the story as a jumping-off point to dig into the student loan crisis in this country and then closes with his thoughts on Grady Wayne Wilkes.

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun digs into the horrible police shooting that happened earlier this week in Baytown, Texas. He lays out an important action step in order to press for justice in this case and then leaves us with a heartwarming story to end the difficult week on a note of hope.

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King breaks down Joe Biden’s recent comments defending his 1994 Crime Bill. To understand what the implications are of defending this bill, Shaun needs us to understand that mass incarceration in America was designed and planned to criminalize Blackness. 

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King unpacks how the recent measures in Georgia and Alabama that ban a woman’s right to choose could become law in 2019. Shaun digs into the constitutional history of Roe v. Wade and explains what it actually says today. There is so much outrage in the country over these measures, and Shaun needs us to understand that our organizing must match our outrage.

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, Shaun King unpacks the lies that conservatives are telling about Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Detroit. Yesterday, conservatives tried to frame Rashida Tlaib with a quote about the Holocaust that she never actually said, the mainstream media irresonsibly repeated the lie, and Shaun digs in to the larger context about what this means for conversations about Palestine in America.