Sparking Change In America: Joy Reid Calls Out Injustice Everywhere
“I’m very conscious of the fact that I’m the person that looks like the young black girls who come up to me, and it makes me feel very proud because I can represent. You really can only be what you can see.”
Episode 03
We’re wrapping up our series featuring Black Trailblazers, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have another guest who has broken barriers and basically created their own space as part of the national conversation, becoming the first black woman to anchor a cable primetime show. You may know her from her seat as a political analyst on MSNBC, or as the host of her own show, The ReidOut. It’s the amazing Joy Reid, everyone! Joy is a Harvard grad with a degree in visual and environmental studies and a concentration in documentary film. She also worked on the Florida branch of the Obama campaign. Her political writing prowess has landed her columns and articles everywhere; The New York Times, The New Republic, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, and The New Yorker, to name a few. PLUS she has a new book coming out that she gives us a special peek into; it’s the important and moving story of slain Civil rights pioneer Medgar Evers and his wife Myrlie, also an activist. It’s not every day we get to talk to someone who brings the goods about so many profound topics—civil rights, the fight for reproductive rights, immigration issues, the sacrifice for equality—and she and Jen shy away from none of them here. Joy’s passion for calling out injustice and her unwavering belief that we all hold the keys to preserving our rights and our freedoms gives us a reason to believe that we all can be trailblazers toward sparking change in our world.
Hey everyone. Jen Hatmaker here, your host of the For the Love podcast, whooh, welcome to the show.
I’m exhaling because not 45 seconds ago I just finished this interview and, I feel like I could just run around the block. So we are wrapping up a series called For the Love of Black Trailblazers. It’s been amazing. We had A’ja Wilson, an absolute superstar, two time NBA champion. Phenomenal interview. We had Jerrie Merritt, Tyler’s mom, who has just risen through the ranks of such a powerful position in the city of Vegas. These women are incredible. They have broken barriers. They have opened doors. It’s been a thrill to hear their stories and to celebrate them.
And you guys, our final guest to wrap up this amazing series is literally a powerhouse. She is a powerhouse in her field, but also in the world. She’s a brilliant political analyst. She shares her insights and interviews with us every night, as a reliable and trustworthy guide through stories and–well hell–the all too political, common political satire that’s playing out in our democracy literally every single day. And, she holds our leaders’ feet to the fire, and she helps us make sense of the information overload. And I am telling you, wait till you hear this conversation today.
It was like drinking through a firehose. Guys, get ready to enjoy today the absolutely incredible Joy Reid. Now you know Joy. But for those of you who need a refresher, Joy Reid, she’s an MSNBC political analyst, and she’s the host of The ReidOut, which airs weeknights on MSNBC. And she holds the title as the first black woman to anchor a cable primetime news show. It’s just a really big deal. On her way to this space, she hosted, previously, the weekend program AM Joy, the daily news show, The Reid Report. And listen. She’s got the goods. She’s got the credentials. Joy is a Harvard grad with a degree in visual and environmental studies, concentration in documentary film. She’s a Knight Center for Specialized Journalism fellow. She was the press secretary for the voter registration and mobilization entity America Coming Together. She worked on the Florida branch of the Obama campaign. And her political writing prowess landed her columns and articles everywhere. New York Times, New Republic, Guardian, Daily Beast, New York. All of them. Just all of them, really. She wrote a New York Times bestselling book called The Man Who Sold America Trump And The Unraveling of The American Story. And she has a new book coming out that we’re going to get into in just a moment. And so this is to say nothing of her wall of awards. She has received nominations and awards for her media work from the NAACP, the Emmys, the Women’s Media Center, National Action Network, and GLAAD. She is so smart. She’s so smart. This conversation is packed. I mean, I ask her everything. I ask her about immigration. I ask her about reproductive rights. I ask her her prediction for the election this year. I ask her what she thinks is on the line. I mean, it is all in here.
She is so brilliant, so knowledgeable. I just sat here like, what? I was hanging onto my desk the whole time, like, just to stay with her. This is a smart conversation–interesting, important, and even hopeful. And so, gosh, I’m delighted to bring you this conversation with the absolutely wonderful Joy Reid.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
The Man Who Sold America Trump And The Unraveling of The American Story
by Joy Reid
Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Wakened America
by Joy Reid
T.R.M. Howard – Black Physician Who Created a System of Affordable Health Care
Legislation in Georgia Regarding a Six Week Abortion Ban
Gwen Ifill – American Journalist
Medgar & Myrlie Evers – Civil Rights Pioneers
Manning Marable – Professor African American Studies/Columbia University
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