The Deciding Decade with Pete Buttigieg

The Deciding Decade has featured a number of conversations with so many remarkable current and future leaders who have given us great hope for the decade and century ahead. For the final episode, Pete is joined by one of the most accomplished public servants this country has ever produced. Hillary Clinton talks to Pete about what it was like to cast her vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as a member of the electoral college, how the role of state and local government has evolved, and why there's been talk on both sides of the aisle across the political spectrum to bring back earmarks. Plus, Hillary's advice for Pete's next chapter with the Biden administration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the years since the Flint water crisis began, the Michigan city is still grappling with the aftermath. Many have gotten involved and stepped up to offer support, including some of the community's youngest members. For the final episode in our series of conversations with youth leaders, Pete talks to our youngest guest yet: Mari Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint, is a 13-year-old water rights activist who rose to international fame when, at age 8, she fought to help her hometown by organizing a mass bottled water drive. To date, she has donated over one million bottles of water and raised over $500,000 for school supplies for Flint-area families affected by the contaminated water. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the beginning, the Latino community has been a vital part of America's story and now represents the fastest growing demographic group in America. Leaders across the nation in politics, advocacy and entertainment are working to expand opportunity and build empowerment for Latinos so that everyone has a chance to benefit from and fully contribute to American life. Actress Eva Longoria joins Pete to discuss her work mobilizing and engaging Latinos to vote, why farmworkers should be considered essential workers, and the value of increasing opportunities for Latinas in STEM fields. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music represents such a vital perspective with the potential to cut across boundaries, habits, and prejudice, and musicians have a lot to offer, not just within, but beyond the world of entertainment. John Legend is a perfect example, having blessed our screens and ears with beautiful, powerful, and important music, television, and movies over the years. But he is also working passionately to restore rights and gain equality for so many in this nation. John joins Pete to discuss why he won't just "shut up and sing," the fine line between free speech and censorship on social media, and his work with his organization, FreeAmerica, which aims to tackle mass incarceration. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's important, but not often prioritized, that younger generations see themselves in the stories before them. Are there characters who have similar backgrounds, characteristics, and experiences to them? Do they see their families and neighborhoods reflected in what they read? Too often, the answer is no. But at 15, Marley Dias has already done a lot to change that. In 2015, she launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks drive to collect and donate 1,000 children’s books featuring Black female protagonists. To date, she’s collected over 12,000 books. Continuing our series of conversations with youth leaders, Pete talks to Marley about the lack of diversity in children's books, the importance of representation in the classroom, and the surprising pattern in the books she found. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Athletes this year have had a tremendous impact on the election and on national conversations around equal pay, social and racial justice, and more. From the U.S. women's soccer team fighting for equal pay to LeBron James' More Than a Vote organization registering and turning people out to vote, there are so many inspiring athletes who are standing up and using their platforms for good. Among them is Atlanta Dream player Renee Montgomery, a WNBA champion who opted out of the 2020 season in the wake of the George Floyd murder to focus on social justice initiatives. Renee joins Pete to talk about the intersection between politics and sports, the expectation for athletes to stay quiet on social issues, and what happened when her team's co-owner publicly opposed the Black Lives Matter movement. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a new president prepares to take office and the country continues to reel from the effects of the pandemic, income inequality and workers' rights remain a central issues in our country. To speak more about these issues, Pete is joined by two of the most active and dynamic figures in the labor movement today: Missouri State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge and Mary Kay Henry, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest labor unions in America. Together, they discuss the fight for a $15 minimum wage, the correlation between racial and economic inequality, and the importance of local governments for workers rights. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gun violence prevention has risen to the forefront of American politics because of the mass casualty events that have devastated our communities and the day-to-day violence that commands less attention but destroys even more lives. It’s also getting attention because of the phenomenal work being done from groups like March For Our Lives, co-founded by David Hogg. David is a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history took place in 2018. As part of our special series with youth leaders, David talks to Pete about dedicating his time fighting for gun legislation, approaching youth leadership with humility, and why gun violence is a symptom of a much bigger injustice. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In politics, there’s always a heavy focus on making the country work for the middle class. But the stark reality is there are 140 million poor and low-income people in this country. And if we don’t figure out how to mobilize around poverty -- to name it, expose the truth of it, and fix it -- we won’t be able break it. Reverend Dr. William Barber II has been working on this moral cause for years and joins Pete to discuss the truth about poverty and systemic racism in this nation, his movement of fusion politics, and his success with political organizing during the pandemic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are likely about to close the chapter of the Trump presidency and begin a new one. The road ahead is complicated, but filled with opportunity. Pete is joined by critically acclaimed author and journalist Jonathan Alter, an expert on presidential politics, to talk about how the next president’s first 100 days could compare to those of Roosevelt, Carter and Obama, what this election means as a moment in our history, and how the past isn’t necessarily a predictor of the future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the political landscape look like today for young people who are watching the profound dysfunction in our highest office? As part of our special series with youth leaders, Pete talks with René Otero, the breakout star from the documentary Boys State, about how his participation in the American Legion's annual program about government left him disappointed with campaigns, the power of protesting, and why his generation is more cynical about the country. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether it's in reality or on our screens, full and equitable representation matters -- in government, boardrooms, books, and certainly in film and media. Jon Chu, the film director who brought the wonderful Crazy Rich Asians to our screens, is breaking barriers in entertainment. He joins Pete to discuss the importance of diversity in storytelling, the pressures and expectations of representing an entire culture, and how the pandemic has changed how audiences will view the upcoming In the Heights. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Darrick Hamilton is one of the country’s leading economists examining racial disparities. He joins Pete to discuss his impactful work in the emerging field of stratification economics, his ideas on how to close our wealth gap, how to make our economy more equitable, and what his proposal for "baby bonds" can do for our future of society. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of the most powerful voices for change aren't candidates for office. In fact, many are not yet even old enough to vote. As we prepare for the decade ahead, it's important to think about what you might call the next, next generation. Helping launch our special series with youth leaders is 15-year-old climate activist and founder of Earth Uprising Alexandria Villaseñor, who joins Pete to discuss the ways young people are getting their messages heard, how to get involved in decision-making conversations with political leaders, and specific steps in taking action and creating change. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artists bring meaning to our lives that we simply couldn’t find elsewhere. What can we learn from those who are shaping our time through their creativity and courage? Billy Porter is an actor, singer, fashion icon, and activist who has devoted his life to art, as best seen in the groundbreaking hit series Pose. He joins Pete to discuss how fashion can be a form of activism, what it's like to confront and challenge the definition of masculinity, complications within the gay community, and being part of the generation who blazed the trail for queer artists. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restoring the credibility of the United States and repairing our reputation around the world will be an urgent task for the next administration and an ongoing effort in the years to come. It will be daunting but it is exceptionally important, not just for America's future, but the world's. One person who understands this well is Susan Rice, a longtime respected diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and was President Obama's National Security Advisor. She joins Pete to discuss this issue and what the next generation of diplomatic service might look like, reflect on leadership and how to overcome challenges, and talk about how to restore the trust our government once inspired around the world.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For as long as humans have faced challenges, humor has helped us get through. But given what's been happening in 2020, is it even okay to laugh right now? Or is humor more important than ever? Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost speaks to Pete about the role humor can play during these troubling times, when puzzling real-life events go beyond parody, the dark side of the comedy world, and why he's considering leaving SNL. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a path-breaking progressive leader who has served in Congress for over the past two decades. As one of the principal voices on racial justice and equity, Lee joins Pete to talk about her upbringing in segregated El Paso, share incredible stories from her time working with Shirley Chisholm, and discuss her Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Commission. Together, they try to find some of the answers we’re all searching for right this moment: How do we face our deepest, harshest truths? How do we heal? And how can we move forward together? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glennon Doyle is many things: a mother, a wife, an activist, and a bestselling author of three memoirs. Her unbelievable honesty, clarity, and humor about her personal struggles, as well as her courage to speak out and speak up, have made her an inspiration to many. Glennon joins Pete to discuss the poignant messages in her current book Untamed, their shared values of belonging and trust, and what it's like being an LGBTQ person of faith. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What will the future of justice look like in this country? How can we recover from the corruption and abuses of the Trump era? Preet Bharara is the perfect person to answer these questions because of the work he’s done as the former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He joins Pete to discuss the consequences of political interference at the DOJ, why Trump’s time in the White House won’t mimic Nixon’s, how “deepfakes” may be our next big disaster, and what the future looks like for the Department of Justice. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first year of the 2020s has left us all asking: How will we move forward from here? Join Pete Buttigieg, former presidential candidate and Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, in conversation with leading activists, politicians, authors, scholars, entertainers and more to confront America’s greatest challenges and discuss the ideas and actions that will shape the times we are about to live through. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.