GRITS

Tressie McMillan Cottom in her piece examines the evolving Southern identity in the context of popular culture, the ebb and flow of "disdain and attraction" to the region. Aftyn and Anna address their own prodigal returns to the South post-college, and how they've navigated public opinion of the South in their professional capacities.  🍍BONUS 🍍Aftyn gives a dramatic reading of an interaction between Toby Keith and Kris Krist...

With US student debt reaching $1.7 TRILLION, the girls deliver the state of play on student loans: what amount of relief Biden is considering; racial disparities in borrowing; and how privilege takes center stage in the debate whether to cancel it all. #StudentDebtGritty

🍍LINKS 🍍

• Run down of the imminent congressional showdown
  
• Biden signals new era with Secretary of Education pick
  
• COVID rel...

New year, new… WTF. Aftyn and Anna are back for season 4 in the wake of the pro-Trump QAnon furry hat wearing insurrection identifying the Tennessee culprits and grappling with how to humanize those involved. BONUS: tips on how to talk to your people who believe in conspiracy theories

For the final episode of the year, Anna and Aftyn dig into how the Democratic party should utilize three winning progressive policies to bring new folks in. Embrace an economic populist message and distribute LEGALIZE IT bumper stickers across the country: is it that simple? Happy holidays and the girls will see y'all in 2021! #KeepItGritty

#1 Grittle Rep. Gloria Johnson joins Aftyn and Anna to discuss the state of COVID19 in Tennessee, while the Tennessee Republican leadership points fingers at Venezuela for Trump’s loss. The girls apologize for the audio as they were not in Anna’s closet for this episode. 😁

Yes, President Trump is finally out of office, but with 72 million Americans showing up to vote for him after four years, who is really the winner of the 2020 election? Anna and Aftyn look past the presidential victory, highlighting the role of white women in maintaining white supremacy at the ballot box this cycle. 

Four days before the election, Anna and Aftyn provide the state of play for those wondering, "Does my vote even matter?" And if you live in a key battleground state like Texas, the answer is an absolute and resounding yes. Even if all of Aftyn's exes live in Texas, the girls uplift the work of southern states in the most important election of their lifetimes. Let's get #ElectionGritty. 🍍

We’re less than 20 days out in the election and it seems East Nashville, more than usual, is filled with Black Lives Matter yard signs. Anna and Aftyn unpack performative allyship and virtue signaling in this episode and ask their listeners to think about why they’re posting black squares on Instagram, and how they can truly be allies.

With RBG’s death and the fate of the Supreme Court in question, Anna and Aftyn outline how we got here, what’s to come, and what you can do about it. TLDR: Aftyn’s arch-nemesis Mitch McConnell doesn’t play by the rules, and don’t let Tennessee’s Senator Alexander retire to Canada in peace.

Pratik Dash from Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition joins the girls this week to discuss his experience as a “brown kid” living in Tennessee following the September 11th attacks. #NeverForget the post 9/11 racism and Islamophobia and our country’s intervention in the Middle East which led to the region’s destabilization.

Aftyn and Anna interview Claire and Safara, organizers with the Be Better Belmont campaign, which is pushing Belmont’s college administration to divest from the private prison system. #CancelCoreCivic.

Aftyn and Anna are joined by Aftyn’s middle and high school classmate Tre Waters as he shares his experiences as a mixed-race kid at the private, predominantly white, prep school Webb School of Knoxville located in East Tennessee.

With their TN Holler launch, Aftyn and Anna release their conversation following the national uprising in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and our responsibility as white Southern women to engage in anti-racism work. #BlackLivesMatter

Only you can combat neighborhood stigma!

Anna and Aftyn return to discuss Tennessee's plan to extend paid family leave to 12 weeks and how the US falls short in terms of progressive pro-family policies. #letsgetprolifegritty 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦