

Pod Save the People
Pod Save the People
On Pod Save The People, host DeRay Mckesson explores social justice, culture, politics – and the various ways they all collide – with cohosts Myles E. Johnson and Sharhonda Bossier.
Each Tuesday, the crew digs into the current events driving the political discourse – bringing cultural context, actionable insights, and a hot take or two – to help empower listeners to engage as thoughtful members of their communities…and their group chats.
Alongside special guests, the show uplifts overlooked news stories that impact people of color and amplifies underrepresented voices who are working to create meaningful change.
Each Tuesday, the crew digs into the current events driving the political discourse – bringing cultural context, actionable insights, and a hot take or two – to help empower listeners to engage as thoughtful members of their communities…and their group chats.
Alongside special guests, the show uplifts overlooked news stories that impact people of color and amplifies underrepresented voices who are working to create meaningful change.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 9, 2024 • 1h 16min
Comin' in HOT
In the first episode of 2024: DeRay, Kaya, De'Ara and Myles cover the underreported news of the week — sickle cell treatments advance with limited accessibility, Taraji. P. Henson criticizes 'The Color Purple' production, GOP active in Iowa but absent for the state's only minority-focused forum, Democrats begin election-time appeal to Black voters.NewsThe Right Is Dancing on Claudine Gay’s Grave. But It Was the Center-Left That Did Her In.Thousands of Black children with sickle cell disease struggle to access disability paymentsFDA approves two gene therapies for sickle cell, bringing hope to thousands with the diseaseGOP candidates skip Iowa’s only minority-focused forumIn South Carolina, Democrats See a Test of Biden’s Appeal to Black VotersTaraji P. Henson Criticizes 'The Color Purple' Production for Making Cast Drive Themselves to Set in Rental Cars

Dec 19, 2023 • 39min
Forward March
In the final episode of 2023: DeRay, Kaya, and De'Ara cover the underreported news of the week — pharmacies share medical data with police without a warrant, widening disparity in mortgage approval rates between White and Black borrowers, and a debate the American vote.NewsMother of 6-year-old who shot his teacher sentenced to 2 years in prison for child neglectPharmacies share medical data with police without a warrant, inquiry findsAmerica’s Thirst for AuthoritarianismThe nation’s largest credit union rejected more than half its Black conventional mortgage applicants

Dec 12, 2023 • 1h 4min
Story Behind The Story (with Matthew Desmond)
DeRay, Kaya, and De'Ara cover the underreported news of the week — noise surveillance in the nation's largest city, the decline of youth voters, and unprecedented diversity in president-appointed judges. DeRay interviews Pulitzer prize winning author Matthew Desmond about his new book Poverty, by America. NewsQuiet, Please: New York’s ‘Noise Cameras’ Are ListeningMost of Biden’s appointed judges to date are women, racial or ethnic minorities – a first for any presidentFewer young Americans plan to vote in 2024, Harvard youth poll finds

Dec 5, 2023 • 59min
Miscarriage of Justice
DeRay, Kaya, De'Ara and Myles cover the underreported news of the week — the ongoing criminalization of miscarriage, vulnerable groups targeted by power hungry GOP, ski masks banned for the wintertime, and a debate on choreography copyright.NewsWoman’s abuse of corpse case heads to grand juryChoreography Copyright Case Against ‘Fortnite’ Maker Epic Games Rebooted With First-of-Its-Kind RulingBacklash to affirmative action hits pioneering maternal health program for Black womenPhiladelphia lawmakers vote to ban ski masks in some public places, a move praised by police but panned by rights advocates

Nov 28, 2023 • 1h 6min
Ready for Reckoning
DeRay, Kaya, De'Ara and Myles cover the underreported news of the week — the GOP scramble to increase donations, Asian American families struggle post-affirmative action, hairdressers provide therapy services in West Africa, and the pertinence of modern minstrelsy. NewsHow the History of Blackface Is Rooted in RacismWhen Will Black TikTokers Stop Performing For The White Gaze?Post-affirmative action, Asian American families are more stressed than ever about college admissionsNeed Therapy? In West Africa, Hairdressers Can Help.Donations to GOP drop as worries mount about the party’s finances

Nov 14, 2023 • 58min
Evolution Has Pros and Cons
DeRay, Kaya and Myles cover the underreported news of the week — Trump's latest power hungry reelection strategy, Darius Jackson's dark secret exposed, and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence.NewsWhy Aren’t Millennials Having Kids?Psaki: If elected to a second term, Trump would…Behind the Curtain: Trump allies pre-screen loyalists for unprecedented power grabKeke Palmer and a Basic Understanding of Domestic AbuseThis was a massive week for AI

Nov 7, 2023 • 1h 5min
Lesser of Two Evils?
DeRay, Kaya, De'Ara and Myles cover the underreported news of the week — NYPD interferes with federal investigation, heightened frustrations with Biden administration, Dwight Howard's sexual assault allegations, and a debate about one-sided book bans. NewsNYPD ‘Wellness Check’ Before Feds Raided Mayor Eric Adams’ Fundraiser Called Into Question: ‘FBI Would Never Ask For One’Gossip about Dwight Howard’s sexuality detracts from the gravity of assault claimsStudents hated 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Their teaches tried to dump it.Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Times/Siena Poll Finds

Oct 31, 2023 • 1h 16min
All Things Politicized (with Juliet Hooker)
DeRay, Kaya, De'Ara and Myles cover the underreported news of the week — the origin of Nashville's "Music City" moniker, Black British hidden figures, a nonprofit flower project focused on Black male mental health, and overexposure to our own reflections. DeRay interviews author and political theorist Juliet Hooker about her new book Black Grief/White Grievance: The Politics of Loss.NewsWhy is Nashville called Music City? The Fisk Jubilee Singers and Queen Victoria get the creditWe were never supposed to see our own faces this muchHow a Nonprofit Flower Project Is Helping Black Men to Heal and Improve Their Mental Health Half of Britons can’t name a Black British historical figure, survey finds

Oct 24, 2023 • 1h 30min
Amanda Seales the Deal
DeRay, Kaya, De'Ara and Myles cover the underreported news of the week — Southern GOP's latest attempt to steal the House, Chicago's ongoing contract with ShotSpotter, the earliest known U.S. novel authored by an enslaved Black woman, and the secret world of immortality science. DeRay interviews Amanda Seales about her new political-comedy documentary 'In Amanda We Trust'. NewsNorth Carolina Republicans unveil map proposals that could help GOP gain up to four House seats in 2024Searching for America’s First Black Woman NovelistOnce again, activists call for Mayor Johnson to get rid of ShotSpotterSo far, the Johnson admin hasInside the secret world of immortality science

Oct 17, 2023 • 1h 7min
Political Climate (with Daria Dawson)
DeRay, Don and Myles cover the underreported news of the week — a race for speaker of the House, context to the Israel & Palestine conflict and the dark side of fitness journeys. DeRay interviews Daria Dawson of America Votes about the current state of progressive politics. NewsThe latest on the race for speaker of the House Black Feminist Perspectives on PalestineWhy are Americans obsessed with fitness? The answer: Neoliberalism


