
The Al Franken Podcast Heather McGhee and Adam Serwer on the Power of Protest
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Apr 12, 2026 Adam Serwer, staff writer at The Atlantic who writes on race, history and politics, joins to discuss protest and power. They trace how Black freedom struggles have shaped immigrant rights. They unpack threats to birthright citizenship, nationwide No Kings actions, and the resilience of multiracial solidarity.
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Movements Change People Not Just Policy
- Movements build political capacity by changing people, not just policy.
- Heather McGhee argues protests convert strangers into citizens who repeatedly act, citing recent mobilizations like Black Lives Matter and No Kings.
Minneapolis Neighbors Shielded Immigrants From ICE
- Minneapolis residents physically defended immigrant neighbors when ICE occupied parts of the city.
- Heather McGhee describes volunteers donating money, diapers, encircling schools, and placing their bodies between soldiers and community.
Birthright Citizenship Is A Battle Over Americanness
- The fight over birthright citizenship is an explicit attempt to redefine who counts as American.
- Adam Serwer and Heather McGhee tie Trump’s attack to a longer tug-of-war over non-racial citizenship rooted in racial exclusion.






