This is Democracy

Jeremi sits down with Professor Aaron O’Connell to discuss the evolving identity of America’s military from 1776 to the present day. Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “America.” Aaron O’Connell joined the faculty of UT Austin from Washington D.C., where he served in the Obama Administration as Director for Defense Policy & Strategy on the National Security Council. Prior to working in the White House, Dr. O’Connell taught military history at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he was named the Admiral Jay Johnson Professor in Leadership in Ethics in 2015. In addition to his academic career, Dr. O’Connell is also a Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, and in that capacity, he has served as a Special Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a Special Advisor to the Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and a Special Assistant to General David Petraeus in Afghanistan. Dr. O’Connell holds a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut, an M.A. in American Literature from Indiana University, an M.A. in American Studies from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in American History from Yale University in 2009. When not reading or writing, he spends far too much time practicing the guitar. Scholarly Interests: Dr. O’Connell’s scholarly interests span four inter-related fields: 20th-century military history, U.S. foreign affairs, cultural history, and American politics. His scholarly publications focus on understanding the effects of U.S. military influence and infrastructure inside and outside the United States. His public history pieces mostly concern how the U.S. military affects contemporary domestic and political culture. He teaches courses in military history, U.S. foreign policy, U.S. military culture, and the U.S.’s role in the world since 1898. Publications and Appearances: Dr. O’Connell is the author of Underdogs: The Making of the Modern Marine Corps, which explores how the Marine Corps rose from relative unpopularity to become the most prestigious armed service in the United States. He is also the editor of Our Latest Longest War: Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan, which is a critical account of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan since 2001. He has also authored a number of articles and book chapters on military affairs and U.S. military culture. He has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and PBS’s NewsHour Weekend and his commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Slate, The Daily Beast, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Dr. Jeremi Suri speaks with Augusta Dell’Omo and Chris Rose of the University of Texas at Austin about gender. As always, Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “A Rochester Summer.” Augusta Dell’Omo is a doctoral student in History at the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in U.S. foreign policy during the late Cold War, with a particular focus on U.S.-South African relations and race in American foreign policy. Her dissertation focuses on the intersections between the Reagan administration, televangelism, and the anti-apartheid movement during an ending Cold War. Interested in public history, Augusta contributes to UT’s public history forum, Not Even Past, and acts as an interview and technical director for 15 Minute History, UT’s podcast for students, educators and history buffs. A passionate teacher, Augusta serves as a Supplemental Instruction Supervisor, developing pedagogical techniques for graduate students. Currently, Augusta possesses reading proficiency in German and Italian, and is learning Afrikaans. She graduated with highest distinction and highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA 2016) and received an MA in history from UT in May 2018. She tweets @Augusta_Caesar. Christopher S. Rose is a doctoral candidate (ABD) in Middle Eastern History at the University of Texas at Austin, and an adjunct instructor in Global Studies at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. He is a founding co-host of the podcast 15 Minute History, and is currently (2014-18) president of the Middle East Outreach Council. His dissertation, “Disease, Depravity and Revolution: The Breakdown of Public Health in Egypt, 1914-1919” is a social history of Egypt during the First World War through the lens of public health. Prior to pursuing his PhD, Chris was Assistant Director of UT’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

Dr. Suri has an extended conversation this week with Dr. Peniel Jospeh about race, Black Lives Matter, the post-Civil Rights era, and how to remain optimistic. Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “Vicksburg to Montgomery to Chapel Hill.” Peniel Joseph holds a joint professorship appointment at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the History Department in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. He is also the founding director of the LBJ School’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. His career focus has been on “Black Power Studies,” which encompasses interdisciplinary fields such as Africana studies, law and society, women’s and ethnic studies, and political science. Prior to joining the UT faculty, Joseph was a professor at Tufts University, where he founded the school’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy to promote engaged research and scholarship focused on the ways issues of race and democracy affect people’s lives. In addition to being a frequent commentator on issues of race, democracy and civil rights, Joseph wrote the award-winning books “Waiting ‘Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America” and “Dark Days, Bright Nights: From Black Power to Barack Obama.” His most recent book, “Stokely: A Life,” has been called the definitive biography of Stokely Carmichael, the man who popularized the phrase “black power.” Included among Joseph’s other book credits is the editing of “The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era” and “Neighborhood Rebels: Black Power at the Local Level.”

Natalie Suri joins Jeremi in the studio today to discuss the role of athletes, sports and competition in the realm of democracy. In the wake of Kaepernick’s Nike advertising deal, Naomi Osaka’s victory over Serena Williams at the US Open, and Lebron James’ criticism of the Trump Administration, a national conversation has opened up about the role of sports in politics. The two also take a look back at the history of outspoken athletes throughout American history, in particular Muhammad Ali’s famous objection to the War in Vietnam. Natalie Suri attends McCallum High School in Austin Texas, where she participates in the Fine Arts Academy and plays basketball. Natalie also dances and plays violin. She loves sports, travel, and even history (sometimes).

This week Dr. Suri speaks Sophie Wysocki and Meena Anderson to discuss the importance for young citizens to be politically aware and engage in democratic resolution. Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “If I’m Lost.” Sophie Wysocki is a senior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas. She’s been involved in a variety of different activities throughout her life, from dance to lacrosse to volunteering, and works with girls aged 7-14 at an overnight summer camp called Rocky River Ranch. Growing up in an accepting family and community has taught her to respect all types of people she might meet through her life and to care about and to fight for those who who face discrimination or hardship. Meena Anderson is a first year journalism student at UT Austin. She grew up in Los Angeles, CA, London, England, and Austin, TX. She likes going to protests, memes, and keeps a quote wall.

This week Dr. Suri speaks with Amber Pleasant and Melissa Scheinfeld to discuss educating citizenship. Zachary Suri also reads his original poem, “With Every Breath.” Amber Pleasant is an Austin educator. She spent nine years teaching 3rd-8th grade in local public schools. For the past four years, Amber worked for Austin ISD as a Social and Emotional Learning Specialist. She is the current Program Director for the Amala Foundation. Melissa Scheinfeld has spent the last 14 years working in education with a particular focus on equitable access for all students and teacher sustainability.  After spending eight years as a high school social studies teacher and instructional coach, Melissa transitioned into working at the central office of a network of charter schools to build a Teacher Career Pathway.  While challenging to leave the direct work of teaching in a classroom, this opportunity allowed her to continue working towards the long-term viability of the teaching role.  Melissa is currently with IDEA Public Schools serving as the Vice President of Teacher Advancement, building pathway programs to support teacher retention and teacher development.  These programs include new teacher development programs, teacher residency to bring new teachers into the career with a robust training program, coaching programs for teacher-managers (typically assistant principals), and a teacher evaluation and recognition program.  Melissa lives in Austin, TX with her husband Dave and 2-year-old daughter Antonia.

How should young citizens blend their traditional spiritual values with their strong commitments to progressive change in a time when our polarized politics demand that they choose one or the other? How can young, talented, patriotic citizens make a difference in national policy as they pursue ideas for reform? We will discuss these difficult and important questions with a young woman who is working hard to create new opportunities for spiritual and progressive policy thinkers in the United States today. Kelsey Ritchie comes from a conservative, religious family in Oklahoma, she is studying for a Master’s degree in Global Policy Studies at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and she has interned at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington D.C. She will join Jeremi Suri in a conservation about her efforts at youthful policy leadership. A link to the Robert F. Kennedy transcript can be found here: https://www.jfklibrary.org/Research/Research-Aids/Ready-Reference/RFK-Speeches/Remarks-of-Senator-Robert-F-Kennedy-to-the-Cleveland-City-Club-Cleveland-Ohio-April-5-1968.aspx And to view Robert F. Kennedy delivering portions of the speech, you can follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiNTw1GF65w

In this inaugural episode of This is Democracy, Dr. Jeremi Suri sits down with his son, Zachary Suri, to lay out the groundwork for what this podcast hopes to achieve. They begin by reviewing President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s November 2, 1940 speech in Cleveland, Ohio. Roosevelt declares that, “We Americans of today—all of us—we are characters in this living book of democracy.” Jeremi and Zachary use this speech as a jumping off point to discuss generational gaps in the United States – who has a voice in our democracy? Whose voices are amplified in the United States? And, ultimately, who are the authors in the so-called “living book of democracy?” The FDR speech mentioned above can be found at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=15893

The future of democracy is uncertain, but we are committed to its urgent renewal today. This podcast will draw on historical knowledge to inspire a contemporary democratic renaissance. The past offers hope for the present and the future, if only we can escape the negativity of our current moment — and each show will offer a serious way to do that! This podcast will bring together thoughtful voices from different generations to help make sense of current challenges and propose positive steps forward. Our goal is to advance democratic change, one show at a time. Dr. Jeremi Suri, a renowned scholar of democracy, will host the podcast and moderate discussions, bringing in new guests and perspectives each week. In this teaser episode, Dr. Suri hopes to lay the groundwork and expectations for the series to come. Please join us every Thursday for new episodes. Music provided by Harrison Lemke. https://harrisonlemke.com/