UNDISTRACTED With Brittany Packnett Cunningham

He’s the much-watched governor making political headlines—but long before Wes Moore was the governor of Maryland, his wife Dawn Moore was a political superstar there. In this rare joint sitdown, they join Brittany Packnett Cunningham for a wide-ranging conversation about public service, governing through one of America's most politically turbulent moments, and what it’s like to be the only Black First Family of a state right now.. They also tackle the Trump administration's impact on Maryland, and address controversies around reparations, data centers, and women's leadership. Then, Brittany is joined by Dr. Brittney Cooper for Untrending news—i...

If everyone is against the Republican hatemongering, why can’t we, you know, get rid of them, for real this time? YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, author of the new book The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World, has the answer. He sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to explain. They get into Brian’s theory of why “wrong and strong” is beating “right and weak,” and they both dish out some free advice for Democrats about what real winning would look like, and how we can get there (fast, please). 

Then Brittany is joined by...

What does reparations actually mean? And why is it important to talk about right now? 

In this special live episode of Undistracted, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with someone perfectly positioned to answer those questions: Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project creator and New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. Together, they get into why the economic practice of slavery requires an economic solution (yes, reparations is broader, but “frankly, I’m most interested in cash,” says Hannah-Jones); how reparations for Black Americans is different (and isn’t) from Germany’s reparations to Holocaust survivors; and why, most of all, our history sho...

It’s a magic moment for sports—and no, we’re not talking about the Knicks over in the MNBA, we’re talking the WNBA, where women just negotiated a huge, historic new collective bargaining agreement for themselves. What’s next, and what can the rest of us learn from this victory? Brittany Packnett Cunningham is joined by journalist, author, and media powerhouse Jemele Hill for a conversation about how these players fought for “dignity and respect,” and why they’re more activist than many male athletes. They also unpack how the Men's World Cup is influencing America's global reputation (mayb...

As we get ready to celebrate Juneteenth and the nation's 250th anniversary, Brittany Packnett Cunningham is asking: What would it actually take to repair the worst of America’s history, and build the future we deserve? To talk about the idea of reparations, Brittany sits down with The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer to unpack why this idea matters now, why “we’re not just talking about slavery,” and what we should learn from other countries that have done it (successfully and not). Then, group chat bestie Dr. David Johns joins Brittany for an Untrending News conversation on what reparations would look...

We’re talking Summer House and Freedom Summer in this episode! Because we love our reality TV and also we love our democracy. Our special guests? Attorney, activist, and Bravo alum Preston Mitchum, and group chat regular Dr. Brittney Cooper. Together with Brittany, they cover everything from Trump’s repeated tantrums before Black women reporters to why book bans continue to backfire. Plus, the group weighs in on Summer House reunion chaos, and why Serena Williams and Allyson Felix coming out of retirement feels bigger than sports. Because when institutions are under pressure, culture tells us just as much as p...

She’s the scholar behind the idea of intersectional feminism—and but those words aren’t just political to her, they’re personal. In her new memoir Backtalker, Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw traces her own life from childhood in Ohio to work on Anita Hill’s legal team to helping popularize ideas like critical race theory. Now she sits down with Brittany to talk about all of it, and how she’s learned to challenge systems that were never built to see Black women clearly. 

Plus we’ve got a full and fearless UNtrending News for you, with gro...

A lot of conversations about AI are either sales pitches (“the efficiency!”) or horror stories (“the extinction!”). This week, Bridget Todd, technologist and host of There Are No Girls on the Internet, joins us for something better—an informed, 100% human discussion of what it will take to make AI work for us, and whether there’s still time to do that. (Yes, but move fast.) 

She, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and group-chat regular Dr. David Johns break it down in a wide-ranging conversation: Together, they unpack the rise of AI-generated Black identities, nude deepfakes, the risks to child safety...

In a world of Epstein files, voter suppression and mansplaining lawmakers, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal is a breath of fearless fresh air. She sits down with Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about everything from why the files matter to why some politicians still refuse to grasp the urgency of this political moment. Plus, Brittany links up with David Johns for a group chat on this Saturday’s historic voting rights rallies in Selma and Montgomery, as well as why some people are confused about exactly where the South is.

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The Constitution: So revered! So important! So…really, who knows, because most of us haven’t read it. But law professor and Strict Scrutiny cohost Melissa Murray has, and she sits down with Brittany Packnett Cunningham to discuss her new, essential book on the subject. They get into why the Constitution is a “trauma-informed document,” why SCOTUS’s new voting-rights ruling is so scary and “bonkers,” and why the real secret of the Constitution is that we, the people, have more power than we think. Plus, Brittany is joined by Dr. Brittney Cooper and political strategist Atima Omara for this week’s gr...

After her MSNBC show The Cross Connection was canceled back in 2022, Tiffany Cross “felt like it was just me.” But now she sees her experiences of loss (of a job, and of a relationship at the same time) as connected to the broader pattern of Black women being pushed out of the workplace and denied what they deserve. Now, she has a new book out—and she sits down with Brittany Packnett Cunningham to talk about what it takes to rebuild. Plus, we’ve got your UNTrending News—with group chat fave Dr. Brittney Cooper joining Brittany to break down every...

It’s been a month of devastating violence against women and children—from femicide cases making headlines to the mass killing in Shreveport, Louisiana. To understand it, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa for a powerful conversation about the shocking allegations against farmworkers leader César Chávez, and Maria’s interview with Chávez’s co-leader (and victim) Dolores Huerta. Plus, they get into covering politics in the age of Trump, and how Maria got her Mexican passport back.

And at the top of the show, group chat fave Dr. Brittney Cooper join...

Let’s be real: Capitol Hill has a creep crisis. In this episode, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with creator Arielle Fodor—better known as Mrs. Frazzled—to unpack how a small group of women publicized the alleged sexual misconduct of former congressman and California gubernatorial hopeful Eric Swalwell. They get into the power of the whisper network, and why Democrats stay quiet when The Accused is one of their own. Plus, group chat bestie Dr. David Johns joins Brittany to break down this week’s UNtrending news—from Hungary to New Jersey.

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UNDISTRACTED is back—and this is a fully loaded season premiere! First, Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down the group chat of Dr. Brittney Cooper and Dr. David Johns to unpack what’s happened, from the rise of Ms. Rachel to the decline of democracy. Then she hits the mic with Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach to talk about raising boys in the age of the manosphere, navigating social-media backlash, and why Dawn Staley should never be messed with. This conversation gets real about the work of showing up…with integrity and with each other. Plus, we’ve got a helping of your...

We missed you, our sweet UNDISTRACTED gang…and look, this is no time to be apart. So we are BACK, with our biggest, juiciest season yet. Here’s a peek at what host Brittany Packnett Cunningham and her regular group chat—plus our newsmaking, rule-breaking guests—will be talking about all season long. In a world that’s trying to distract you from what really matters, she’ll keep you focused, informed, and making a difference.

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For our Season 3 finale, Brittany had no choice but to call up Thee group chat–The Machetes, an unshakeable sisterhood of women who bonded during COVID and haven’t let go. This week Brittany sits down with five of them–community organizer LaTosha Brown, broadcast journalist Cari Champion, co-host of The View Sunny Hostin, sports journalist Jemele Hill, and TheReidOut host Joy Ann Reid for conversation about community, sisterhood, and of course—where they got their name. Listen in…and hold on tight to your own Machetes. We’re going to need each other this year.

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It’s been 10 days since the inauguration—10 days full of executive orders, immigration crackdowns, dismantled DEI initiatives and general panic. This shock and overwhelm is intentional, but if we’re going to make it through the next four years…we can’t traffic in hopelessness. This week, Brittany speaks with activist Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, to talk about collective action, whether we’ll ever get gun reform, and how to build the “womansphere.” Plus: Brittany brings you this week’s UNtrending news.

For timely analysis, updates, and resources on actions from Trump-Vance administration, visit: https://www.democr...

How do you make sense of a day that both honored Martin Luther King, Jr. and ushered in a president determined to demolish progress at warp speed? Brittany calls up two people equipped to do it: group chat members Dr. David J. Johns and Dr. Brittney Cooper. Together, they trace the origin of white obsession with “meritocracy,” the price the country has paid for the success of Barack Obama, the fact that more information does not equal more knowledge, and how we’ll survive this moment the way we would a storm. Plus:  Brittany honors the life and legacy of her...

Cori Bush is just one week out of Congress—so who better to tell us exactly what to expect over these next four years? In this episode, Brittany sits down with the activist and former legislator for an “exit interview” like no other: all about what her Republican colleagues really told her behind the scenes, why she still thinks public service is worth it, and what the new “radical Cori” will do next. Plus: a special report from environmentalist Leah Thomas on evacuating her LA home.

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What do the election results and mass violence have in common? Among other things: men—angry American men whose path to radicalization seems to be moving faster and faster. Why is it happening? What can we do about it, both in our politics and in our own lives? And whose responsibility actually is it to fix all this? In this episode, Brittany speaks with journalists Anand Giridharadas and Liz Plank about the manosphere, who profits from it, and what should take its place. Plus: Brittany breaks down the UNtrending news, from Bad Bunny to Biden.

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Happy New Year! To ring in 2025, Brittany calls up the group chat—Dr. David J. Johns and Dr. Brittney Cooper—to hear their resolutions (crafting, joy, and a little “intentional silence,” among other things). Then, she sits down with Rev. Neichelle Guidry, director of the Sisters Chapel at Spelman College. No matter what faith you practice, this is a conversation to tune into, about radical politics, the roar of conservative evangelical values, and the power of quiet conversations.

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Donald Trump has made his cabinet nominations, and many have something in common: allegations of sexual misconduct. Has disrespect toward women somehow become an actual job qualification? To make sense of the moment, Brittany sits down with Natasha Stoynoff, who says Donald Trump assaulted her when she was a reporter for People, and Eliza Cooney, who claims that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. groped her when she was a part-time nanny for his family. They talk about what every Senator weighing in on these confirmations should do next—and the “strange sorority” of women with similar stories. Plus, Cooney has words...

We all have mamas! And some of us are mamas. So why are onscreen mamas so often so…plastic? This week, Brittany invites actor and comedian Ilana Glazer over to talk about how they’re pushing back on binary ideas of motherhood in their own work. Together they get into Glazer’s forthcoming Hulu stand-up special “Human Magic,” their own parenting joys, and why onscreen fathers are always Homer Simpson or Tony Soprano. Plus: Brittany brings you this week’s UNtrending news on everything from the Black maternal health crisis to all the glory that is hip-hop starlet Doechii. 

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Everyone’s got an opinion about the media…and almost everyone has a complaint. But why, exactly? And what does the fractured nature of what we read and listen to cost us? This week, Brittany sits down with Semafor’s Max Tani, who breaks down how trust in the media has unraveled, what gender and race have to do with it, and the reason people are still fixating on why Kamala Harris didn’t go on Joe Rogan. Plus, this week’s UNtrending news: health benefits for sex workers!

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UNDISTRACTED celebrates its 100th episode! Brittany is joined by Alicia Garza, the activist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Organization, to reflect on the past four years, the state of our movements, and to discuss how we can chart a path forward. Plus: Brittany talks about post-election news, including the state of Ohio’s Haitian migrant community, victories for the Working Families Party. And: a new report on school segregation, and a glimmer of hope in the Washington Spirit soccer team.

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Who saw last week’s election results coming? Among others, this week’s guests—and they have a lot to say. As we approach the 100th episode of UNDISTRACTED, Brittany checks in with legendary abortion-rights activist Cecile Richards, who was our very first guest, about her new project Abortion in America, and what’s ahead for all our rights. Then, Brittany speaks with journalist Paola Ramos about the far-right shift of some Latino voters— and the future of multiracial coalitions.

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Just 36 hours after Americans elected Donald Trump — again — Brittany sat down with the people she most wanted to process this with: group chat regulars Dr. Brittney Cooper and Dr. David J. Johns. This is a conversation of righteous rage, deep disappointment, and total honesty. 

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As co-host of The View, Sunny Hostin spends her time working with and speaking to a bipartisan audience. So how’s that going? With a week to go before the election, Brittany and Sunny talk about dividing lines, political surprises, and Sunny’s epic clapbacks on behalf of Puerto Rico and the people she cares about. Plus: Brittany decodes this week’s UNtrending News—and not all of it’s about the election!

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Two years ago, Kaitlyn Joshua was desperately trying to obtain abortion care in Louisiana, which had enacted a severe ban after Dobbs. Today, she’s telling her story to anyone who will listen, in an effort to help turn the election. She took a pit stop to hang with Brittany and talk about her fight for reproductive justice in the South and the challenges women of color face in healthcare. And she knows: This is so much bigger than Roe. Plus: Brittany brings you this week’s UNtrending news.

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With new accusations against Diddy dominating the headlines, Brittany sits down with Drew Dixon—who has shared her own powerful story of surviving abuse in the music industry. Together they get into the emotional toll of speaking out, the specific pushback Black women survivors face, and how Drew stopped living in “the fetal position” and reclaimed her life. It’s an inspiring vision of a brighter future for hip-hop and for our lives. Plus, Brittany covers this week’s UNtrending news.

National Sexual Assault Hotline

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Everybody watches women’s sports…it’s true! Brittany talks to iconic sports broadcaster and host of "The Making of a Rivalry" Cari Champion about what all these new eyes mean for the athletes, and the league. Plus: a new report on the mental health toll of anti-trans policies, the October 7 anniversary of the war in Gaza, and the Country Music Awards Beyoncé snub. 

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We’ve got company! This week Brittany is joined by the group chat to cover the week’s UNtrending news. Dr. Brittney Cooper and Dr. David Johns help us break down Hurricane Helene’s real impact…the latest on college free-speech moves…and the voter suppression tactics afoot in swing states. It’s a conversation full of our favorite cocktail: hard truths and hopeful solutions.

NBJC Voting ToolKit

North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

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On this week’s episode, Brittany sits down with Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, and Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman, who wrote a speech we never got to hear at the DNC. Maurice talks strategy, Ruwa gets us inspired, and they answer that pressing question: What do you say to folks who still want to vote third party? Plus, Brittany brings you this week’s UNtrending news.

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As Kamala Harris became the first Black and South Asian woman to receive a major party nomination for the presidency, Brittany sat down with Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Dr. Brittney Cooper at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. They unpack the highs and lows of this political moment, plus talk about what it means to be a Black woman in power.

This episode of Undistracted was recorded live at “The Power Lounge” during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, hosted by Emerge and The Meteor. You can watch the full, unedited interview on YouTube.

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It’s our first episode back! And Brittany knew who she wanted to talk to: Ava DuVernay, the visionary director who excels in “big-sister wisdom.” They get into everything about the state of the world now, from the DNC (cookout energy!)...to the way DuVernay’s most recent film, Origin, reframes the world…to why DuVernay wishes Democrats would get “a little bit more bare-knuckle.” Plus, Brittany brings you the latest UNtrending news. 

This episode is brought to you in partnership with PEN America. Visit pen.org/undistracted to learn more about Banned Books Week.

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It’s a brand new season of UNDISTRACTED, starting September 12th! Join host Brittany Packnett Cunningham as she tackles and makes sense of the news of the week—the bits you heard about, the bits you didn’t, and what we’re going to do about all of it. A lot has happened since we were last together, so make yourself comfortable; Brittany’s got some extra special guests stopping by. Listen in, and let us know who you want to hear from!

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One year ago this week, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade—a momentous decision that has enabled 14 states to outlaw abortion so far. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham knew exactly who she wanted to talk to about that, and in this special episode, she sits down with Vice President Kamala Harris to talk about the chaos, the confusion, and what the White House should be doing to help patients and providers now. They get into all of it: what the VP thinks of the “extremist so-called leaders” behind the bans; the lawsuits the administration is filing, and the advice Kamala...

It’s been five years exactly since millions of people, most of them women, stepped forward to say #MeToo. What have we learned since then? In our season finale, host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Tarana Burke, the woman who started the movement back in 2006, along with playwright/attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle, and organizer/attorney Monica Ramirez. Their conversation is a reflection on our post-#MeToo world—and what we actually owe survivors. But first, as always, your UNtrending news. 

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The floods, the hurricanes, the wildfires…if you feel like you’re living through a climate apocalypse, you’re not wrong. But it’s not all hellfire, says marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson—there are signs of progress if you know where to look. In this episode, the “climate futurist” sits down with host Brittany Packnett Cunningham to give our planet a report card from the point of view of science, policy and climate action. The results? Not what we expected. But first, this week’s UNtrending news.

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Congresswoman Cori Bush doesn’t have the usual political resume: no Ivy League alma mater, no law degree, no generational wealth––but she’s an organizer, a mother, a pastor and a survivor, and she’s brought all those pieces of herself with her to Washington. Host Brittany Packnett Cunningham sits down with Rep. Bush to talk about her brand-new memoir, her harrowing journey to the Capitol, and what it’s really like to survive in politics as a Black woman. But first, this week’s UNtrending news.

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