A Moment with Erik Fleming

Host Erik Fleming speaks with three guests about urgent national and local issues: Nekima Levy Armstrong on police and ICE violence and community-led demands following Renee Good’s killing in Minnesota; Dr. Kem-Laurin Lubin on ethical AI, the risks of computational bias, and design heuristics to protect human dignity; and Mishael White on his campaign for Georgia’s District 81, focusing on transportation, maternal health, school sa...

Host Erik Fleming opens the year by urging listeners to subscribe and support the podcast, then leads three in-depth interviews. Naomi Raquel Enright discusses her book Strength of Soul and the role of language and identity in confronting systemic racism. Dr. Eboni Preston Goddard explains her work with the National Parks Conservation Association to preserve and elevate Black history within national parks. George Hornedo outlines h...

Host Erik Fleming interviews Dr. Marlee Bunch about preserving Black female educators' oral histories from Mississippi, the Unhush framework, lifelong learning, and ethical uses of AI in classrooms. He also speaks with Dr. Patrice Fenton about the Ella Baker Institute’s youth leadership programs, community well‑being, and efforts to increase teacher diversity—especially Black men in schools.

The episode combines history, pedagogy, ...

Host Erik Fleming speaks with Dr. Laura Chavez-Moreno about her book "How Schools Make Race," exploring how education shapes Latinx racial identities, bilingual programs, and racial projects. He also interviews political strategist Jacquetta Van Zandt on Boston politics, community power, and strategies for advancing Black leadership and Democratic prospects.

The episode highlights how schools construct race through policy and pract...

Host Erik Fleming interviews Cheryl Ann Wadlington, founder of Evoluer House, about her two-decade fight to heal and prepare Black and brown teen girls for college and life — and Kristen Torres, a Mississippi-born public policy strategist who explains how nonprofits and local governments can navigate Congress and federal agencies.

The episode mixes uplifting success stories, policy insights on advocacy and lobbying, and practical w...

Host Erik Fleming welcomes return guests Bremond MacDougall and Lisa Cooper, who run Quite Literally Books, and a community leader driving change in Arkansas. The episode features lively discussion about three newly republished books — a women-only utopia by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a witty Civil War-era satire by María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, and a charming 1892 guide to intimate dinners — plus insights on the challenges of small-...

Host Erik Fleming welcomes listeners and interviews two experts: Rajiv Vinnakota on rebuilding civic culture in colleges and engaging Gen Z, and Howard Yaruss explaining clear, practical economics.

The episode explores constructive campus dialogue, the college presidents initiative for civic preparedness, how young people want to engage in person, and accessible explanations of tariffs, crypto, national debt, and Social Security.

E...

Host Erik Fleming speaks with Lorena Quiroz about organizing after the 2019 mass worksite raids in Mississippi and efforts to prepare and protect immigrant communities, and with Anne Hand about reclaiming family history and pursuing Austrian citizenship through a restorative program.

The episode explores themes of belonging, due process, humane immigration policy, intergenerational history, and the role of community and kindness in...

Host Erik Fleming leads a wide-ranging conversation with three experts: Les Leopold on labor and runaway inequality, Veronica Cardenas on immigration and humane legal support, and John Bonifaz on free speech, voting rights, and constitutional reform. The episode also includes a news roundup and calls for civic engagement.

Listeners will hear concrete policy ideas, personal stories, and practical resources to stay informed and get i...

Host Erik Fleming interviews Professor Sahar Aziz and Councilmember Wala Blegay in a wide-ranging episode about law, activism, and public service.

Aziz examines national security, Islamophobia, campus protests, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, while Blegay discusses local governance, the impact of federal layoffs, EV infrastructure, and a Food-as-Medicine initiative to improve community health.

Together they explore how activis...

Host Erik Fleming interviews attorney and author Steven Eichenblatt about his memoir Pretend They Are Dead, tracing his discovery of his biological father's journals, the impact of abandonment, and how those experiences inspired three decades of advocacy for children as a guardian ad litem.

The episode closes with a brief commentary on character and courage in public life, touching on current political moments and the importance of...

Host Erik Fleming sits down with three community-focused leaders—Dr. Nancy Pearson, Tania Anderson, and Hannah Bonecutter—to explore civic engagement, local government, and public service. The episode highlights practical steps for getting involved in local politics, the power of curiosity and contribution, and the lived experiences of leaders navigating activism, representation, and public life.

Listeners will hear candid reflecti...

Host Erik Fleming speaks with three leaders — Mikel Bolden, executive director of the Mississippi Democratic Party; Renee Williams, CEO of the National Center for Victims of Crime; and Joan Garry, founder of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab. They discuss voter engagement and special elections in Mississippi, supporting crime survivors and ethical true-crime storytelling, and nonprofit leadership during challenging political and funding...

Host Erik Fleming sits down with political scientist Dr. Caroline Heldman and journalist Alia Dastagir to explore how survival becomes resistance for women facing harassment, assault, and online abuse. They discuss intersectionality, the limits of Me Too, trans-exclusionary movements, and survivor-led accountability.

The episode also features legal analysis from the Pearson & Pearson team on key upcoming Supreme Court cases inv...

Host Erik Fleming welcomes two dynamic guests — former Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong and media activist Alysia Cutting — for a candid conversation about leadership, racial equity, community healing, and supporting women in public life. They discuss lessons from city government and the pandemic, Chasity’s coaching framework for sustainable leadership, Alysia’s "Check One Box" project, and grassroots solutions to health and social in...

In this episode host Erik Fleming interviews Amanda Janoo on well‑being economics — redefining success beyond GDP and designing economies that prioritize people and the planet — and Dr. Karida Brown on the history of Black education from emancipation through Brown v. Board and the ongoing fight against privatization and book bans.

The conversation explores alternatives to growth‑focused capitalism, policy lessons from global well‑b...