Let's Give A Damn

It’s Maggie Smith Day on the podcast! 

Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful; My Thoughts Have Wings, a picture book illustrated by SCBWI Portfolio grand prize winner Leanne Hatch; the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change; as well as Good Bones, named one of the Best Five Poetry Books of 2017 by the Washington Post and winner of t...

It’s Ed Begley Jr. Day on the podcast! 

Ed Begley, Jr. recently starred in Hallmark film, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, and was a fan favorite on the very popular series Young Sheldon and Better Call Saul and was recently a series regular on Netflix’s Future Man. 

On the environmental front, he is one of the foremost environmentalists in Hollywood, supporting and advocating for multiple eco-initiatives and charity organizat...

It’s Mara Kronenfeld Day on the podcast! 

As the Executive Director of UNRWA USA, Mara Kronenfeld leads the strategic vision, operations, and fundraising efforts of the nonprofit organization that supports the humanitarian and human development work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Middle East. With over 20 years of experience in international development, Mara is a Fulbright Schola...

It’s Lauren Paul & Molly Thompson Day on the podcast! 

Lauren Paul is the co-founder of Kind Campaign and Director, Writer and Producer of Kind Campaign's award-winning documentary, Finding Kind. Finding a way to start a conversation about bullying has been on Lauren’s heart ever since her own life-altering experience in middle school. After studying film at Pepperdine University, Lauren joined forces with her friend and fellow ...

Munther Isaac is a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian. He now pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem and the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College, and is the director of the highly acclaimed and influential Christ at the Checkpoint conferences. 

He speaks locally and internationally and has published numerous articles on issues related to the theolog...

Jess Natale is the creator of the Instagram account @so.informed. Her background is in marketing, journalism, political volunteering, and activism. She’s dedicated the So page to educating millions of people around the world on topics ranging from politics and reproductive rights to criminal justice reform and more.

She is actively involved in political protests and organizing, focusing on efforts on the ground to effect change. She...

It’s Daniel Maté & Aaron Maté day on the podcast! Let’s get this out of the way — yes, they are the sons of Dr. Gabor Maté. 

Daniel is a composer, lyricist, and playwright for musical theatre. He is also a mental chiropractor. And he is one of the hosts of Bad Hasbara - The World’s Most Moral Podcast. Lastly, he coauthored a book with his dad called The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture.

Aaron is a t...

It’s Lily Greenberg Call day on the podcast! Remember a couple of months ago when we heard on social media that a Biden appointee had resigned over his atrocious handling of and his complicity in the genocide in Gaza? Lily is *that* staffer!

Lily is a former Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the Department of Interior. She has nearly a decade of experience in politics, movement organizing, and domestic and international hum...

Genesis Be, a dynamic artist and activist, harnesses the power of music to amplify marginalized voices and advocate for social change. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, her music blends elements of hip-hop, soul, and spoken word, creating a powerful platform for storytelling and empowerment. 

With lyrics that confront systemic oppression and celebrate resilience, Be's artistry transcends entertainment, serving as a catalyst for dialogue ...

Born and raised in the Bronx, Joél Leon is a performer, author, storyteller, and damn-giver extraordinaire. 

“Joél’s words are where I go when I need some inspiration. And he never lets me down.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda

“In each generation, there are only a few authors who are gifted with the ability to fully capture the best parts of the human condition. Joél is one of those authors.” — Frederick Joseph

I’m so glad we get to be alive at...

It’s been a few weeks but we’re back! My guest this week is the brilliant Katie Bogen. In her own words, Katie is a clinical psychology PhD student, a trauma therapist, a sex researcher, a rad Jewess, a queer activist, and a cottagecore rabble-rouser.

Katie is truly a wonderful soul. Over the past few months, ever since this horrific genocide began, she has been one of the most helpful voices on social media. She has made loads of c...

I know it’s a bit late—hello 2024!—but I wanted you to experience some of my favorite moments and some of your favorite moments in 2023. I spoke with some incredible folks last year and I learned so much from them. Here’s to many more incredible conversations in 2024!

If you want to skip around this episode, here are the timestamps for each highlight:

Simran Jeet Singh - 8:07 

Rachelle Lefevre - 16:54

Megha Desai - 24:18

Rainn Wilson - ...

Noor Tagouri’s name literally  means “Guiding Light.” And a guiding light she is! Noor is back for a second time. Her first appearance was for episode 19 of the podcast in the summer of 2017! 

At 29, Noor is an award-winning journalist and producer, a touring speaker for over 15 years, and has told stories in every medium from radio and print, to documentaries and brand campaigns.

In 2019 Noor founded At Your Service Media, a consult...

Meike Ziervogel is a German-British novelist with five novels to her name. She is the founder of an award-winning publishing company in the UK and a fluent Arabic speaker. Since 2018 she has lived in Lebanon. From 2018 to 2019 she transformed a failing needle art workshop in the Shatila refugee camp into a sustainable independent business, providing a monthly income to 100 refugee women. In January 2020 she set up Alsama Project wi...

My guest this week is my friend and incredible human, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis. Jacqui is an author, activist, preacher, and public theologian toward creating an antiracist, just, gun violence free, fully welcoming, gender affirming society in which everyone has enough. Read the rest of her bio here. 

Watch or listen to Jacqui’s Listen, Learn, Lean Into Peace series.

Learn more about Freedom Rising 2024!

Follow Jacqui on Instagram, Twitt...

My guest this week is the esteemed Tim Wise. Tim is among the most prominent anti-racist educators and authors in the United States. He has spoken to audiences in all 50 states and internationally about systemic racism, inequality, and methods for dismantling racism in institutions from workplaces to schools to law enforcement. 

He is the author of nine books including his most recent essay collection, Dispatches from the Race War, ...

My guests this week are two truly remarkable women. I met Sophia and Patricia at the Clinton Global Initiative 2023 meetings a few weeks ago. 

Read more about Sophia Kianni’s work here. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter. And make sure to check out Climate Cardinals! 

Follow Patricia Velásquez on Twitter and Instagram. Consider getting involved with the Wayuu Taya Foundation.

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“All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild.” — John Muir

Barbara Jo Jenkins co-authored The Walk West (William Morrow), which became an international bestseller and part of the permanent White House Library. A nonfiction blockbuster, it sold 15 million copies, became a Reader's Digest condensed book, and was chosen as one of the most influential bestsellers related to American culture in the last 100 years. Jenk...

From their website: “Rise & Shine TN believes every Tennessean should enjoy a free, safe, and vibrant life. Rise & Shine was started as a home for those who want to harness their hope, anger, sadness and fear and use it to build change. This is more than meetings with legislators who won’t hear us. This is more than calls that won’t be answered. This is more than business-as-usual. We draw from our training and experiences ...