Democracy in Color

Although race and identity always have shaped U.S. politics, they reemerged four years ago with new intensity. In what was supposed to be Obama’s post-racial America as the pivot point of the election, they became the unapologetic driver of Donald Trump’s unexpected victory. But the reenergized forces that propelled Trump to the White House did not spring out of a vacuum. The crowd-pleasing candidate merely marshaled spirits unleashed half a century ago in what was a culmination of the so-called “Southern strategy,” as the Republicans pushed race and identity to the political forefront. In Common Ground‘s fourth show of the season, a panel of nationally known voices discuss the role of race in American politics and how identity issues are shaping our daily lives.

Panelists include:

• Jelani Cobb, staff writer, The New Yorker
• Don Lemon, CNN anchor and author of This Is the Fire
• Richard Lui, MSNBC anchor, author and director
• Heather McGhee, author of the New York Times bestseller The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

Where to Watch

This program originally aired on Sunday, July 11, 2021 on CPTV and is now available to watch on-demand above.

It is also available on video.cptv.org; on YouTube; and on the free Connecticut Public mobile app. (Visit Google Play or the Apple App Store to download the app.)

Common Ground with Jane Whitney is distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT).

Sponsored by: