The Round Table Podcast Playlists
Civic Learning Week Playlist 2024
Happy Civic Learning Week! At The Round Table podcast, we know the power of civic education. We hope you’ll stay civically motivated beyond this week (civics is a year-round sport!), which is why we’ve compiled this curated playlist of demonstrating the value of civic learning.
Click on the episode titles below to listen on Spotify or find the podcast on other platforms here.
Super Engaged Citizenry is the Path to Collective Liberation (April 2023)
In this podcast episode, we had Betsy MacLean, the first Chief Engagement Officer of the City of New York, talk to us about the inspiration she draws from communities working together to create something bigger than themselves, referring to this as a path to “collective liberation.”
A Radical Vision of Young People Leading (May 2023)
Featuring DJ Yearwood, who is the founder of Vote16 Missouri, we underscored that young people don’t lack the urge to participate politically - they often lack the opportunity. Everyone has the capacity to contribute and getting involved at any level - whether through advocacy, organizations, or even door knocking - can help address key civic issues.
Having a Seat at the Table (August 2023)
In this podcast episode, Briana Carmen, political director at Emerge, goes into her life experiences in an underrepresented community and how that has shaped her passion for being involved in large-scale impactful work. She discusses her commitment to debunking the myth that young activists don’t have the experience or networks to be successful on the campaign trail.
Be Relentless in Demanding a Seat at the Table (November 2023)
Featuring Rachel Janfaza, an amazing journalist covering youth political culture, we dive deeply into topics, such as the uptick in youth voter turnout rates over the past 3 major election cycles as well as the ways that local politics often affect young people’s lives more than anything on the national level.
Activism Isn’t a One Time Thing (December 2023)
In this podcast episode, Esmeralda Simmons, Fellow in the Advanced Leadership Institute at Harvard University and Founder of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, discusses her accomplishments as a lawyer and public servant who has spent decades fighting for human and civil rights on the federal, state, and municipal levels.
An Innovative Way to Address Public Policy (February 2024)
Featuring Alice Siu, Senior Research Scholar at Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development, and Rule of Law, we discussed the emphasis that needed to be placed on equipping the younger generation with the skills to navigate to digital landscape responsibly. We learned to embrace the challenges of polarization, armed with the belief that thoughtful dialogue can pave the way for understanding.
While Civic Learning Week only happens once a year (in March), the value of civic education lasts year round! That’s why we’ve compiled this curated playlist of The Round Table episodes focusing specifically on civic learning: what it is, why it matters, and how it happens.
Click on the episode titles below to listen on Spotify or find the podcast on other platforms here.
Assume Good Intent (January 22nd, 2023)
Featuring Program Manager of the Civic Saturday Fellowship at Citizen University Cornell Woolridge, he goes into depth on how binding spiritual faith with civic engagement can build trust in ourselves and our community. Listen in on how fostering conversations with individuals on opposite sides of the political spectrum can create powerful, unifying experiences and connections.
Democracy’s Children (December 15, 2022)
In this podcast episode, we had Alison Gash and Daniel Tichenor, co-authors of Democracy Child: Young People and the Politics of Control, Leverage, and Agency, talk to us about how numerous political decisions are made for young people without our direct input. However, we discuss the history of youth activism and what our generation can do to pave the way for change in our democracy.
Politics is the Elephant in the Room (March 2, 2023)
Michelle Blanchet, co-author of Preventing Polarization: 50 Strategies for teaching kids about empathy, politics and civic responsibility, was a special guest in this podcast episode where she dives into how politics is now fueled by ego driven conversation and causes constantly increasing division among our nation. She then zooms in on what this would mean for integrating politics into the classroom and the importance of giving young people the resources and setting to learn and apply these skills in tackling our country’s most pressing challenges.
A Born Contrarian (February 16, 2023)
In this podcast episode, we spoke with Max Eden, head of the Conservative Ed Reform Network at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), who dived into the various aspects of education reform and the impact of schools on the humans who people grow up to be. Filled with many open-ended questions, this discussion closes off with the different perceptions of progressivism and how they impact early childhood in detrimental ways.
Citizening is a Full Contact Sport (December 22, 2022)
Featuring Lisa Kay Solomon, Co-founder of All Vote, No Play, she sheds light on how we can learn to bring our preferred future to life: having a bold imagination and being comfortable with the unknown. Using student athletes as widely overlooked examples, Solomon explores how a shared mission and putting themselves in positions-including sometimes at risk of harm or threat- can protect the kind of democracy we want to be a part of.
You Have To Make Those 40 Minutes Fun (December 1, 2022)
In this podcast episode, we spoke with Paul Gabbey, a teacher of AP Government & Politics/Macroeconomics for the last 28 years, who talked about the challenges of teaching politics in a productive way in a time of hyperpolarization, while simultaneously preparing students for the AP exam, all while making content relevant and relatable. He then dives into the power of teaching an interdisciplinary approach in emphasizing involvement and how he hopes his class will encourage young individuals to be a part of the everlasting fight for intergenerational democratic change.
National Week of Conversation Playlist 2023
National Week of Conversation, which takes place in April, was “created for those exhausted by division and hatred” and invites all Americans to engage in conversations that can build bridges between those who disagree, promote empathy over divisiveness, and active listening over toxic polarization. The Round Table was specifically designed to accomplish the same through intergenerational and cross-partisan conversations.
Click on the episode titles below to listen on Spotify or find the podcast on other platforms here.
Words Words Words (January 27, 2023)
In this podcast episode, we had our hosts discuss with one another about the ongoing issues of political language and performative activism. Listen in on how the meanings of phrases have changed over the years and how this can skew narratives and hinder discourse rather than enable people to evolve in their thinking.
The stories we tell shape our collective sense of what’s possible (January 7, 2023)
Featuring Kaz Beecher, founder of Curious Catalyst and Innovation Strategist for Made By Us, we learn that she is committed to respecting everyone’s uniqueness and helping people be confident and centered in order to be empowered to do work. Take a listen to how she encourages us to think about what we can do together that we couldn’t do individually and how she emphasizes that changing systems—and society—is never easy.
Modern Elders and Old Souls (November 24, 2022)
In this podcast episode, we had Eunice Lin Nichols, CEO of Co-Generate, and Natilee McGruder, an Innovation Fellow at Co-Generate, discuss the power of intergenerational conversations and relationships–and also the tensions, judgments, and misperceptions that can arise. Listen in-depth to how we emerged with heightened respect for just how powerful co-generating can be.
Journalism is in my DNA (June 9, 2022)
Featuring Geanne Belton, Director of Baruch College’s High School Journalism Program, we learn from the perspective of a former journalist who has blended her interests in law, media, and ethics. Take a listen to the powerful role student journalists—and journalists across the board!--can play in asking hard questions, bringing issues to the forefront, building community, informing community, and holding community accountable.
There’s no substitute for listening to people (June 2, 2022)
In this podcast episode, we had Eli Dvorkin, Editorial & Policy Director of the Center for an Urban Future, speak to us about his work and how it has actionable implications on important issues like helping city policymakers unlock the full potential of CUNY and creating a more equitable economy. Eli underscored that while many things conspire to make us feel systemic change is impossible, making incremental progress–for example, on things like building better and stronger career pathways into adulthood–can still be really satisfying. Rather than just focusing on the bad and negative, he and CUF work to engage with important ideas and create tangible change even if they can’t resolve all of the deepest challenges.
Trying to put the civil in discourse (May 24, 2021)
Featuring Eric Torres, a doctoral student at Harvard School of Education, we discussed the state of civil discourse in and outside of classrooms, what it takes for dialogue to be productive rather than argumentative, and concerns about the absence of facts in too many of these conversations. Listen in-depth as we all come to the agreement that productive political dialogue in schools is almost an oxymoron and that building students’ and teachers’ skills around engaging in hot button dialogue would be very, very valuable.