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Have you heard of Project 2025? If not, you better learn fast. It's the GOP's 900-plus page conservative manifesto aimed at dismantling the federal government and the Democratic Party has no answer for it. Here to talk about 2025 is Anne Nelson, who read the entire document and is traveling the country to educate communities about the dangers that lie ahead if Trump wins in November. 
Host: Terrell Jermaine Starr
Guests: Anne Nelson
Producer: Mike Hull

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About the guest
Anne Nelson is a prize-winning journalist and author who has published extensive work on human rights and resistance to dictatorship. Her most recent book is Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right. She is a graduate of Yale University and a research scholar at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.  

Suggested reading
Here is a Project 2025 breakdown in case you don't have time to read the whole document (Washington Spectator)
Watch the Bad Faith documentary that delves into Project 2025 (interview with documentary filmmakers in Mother Jones)
Project 2025 Is An Attack On Black People (The Seattle Medium) 
How a Second Trump Term Will Redefine Foreign Aid (Foreign Policy)

Do HBCU students care about what’s happening in Gaza? Of course they do, but there are some distinct social-economic factors that play a role in how Black kids who attend HBCUs are protesting—or, in many cases, not at all. 
Two-time HBCU president Dr. Walter Kimbrough joins the podcast this week to talk about how he’d handle some of the challenges HBCU presidents face when it comes to student protests regarding Gaza, the right-wing congressional attacks on college presidents over Israel, as well as Biden’s commencement speech at Morehouse and Xavier University’s rescinding U.S. UN Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield’s invitation to deliver the school’s commencement address. 
Host: Terrell Jermaine Starr
Guests: Dr. Walter Kimbrough 
Producer: Mike Hull

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CashApp: $BlackDiplomats
PayPal: https://paypal.me/blackdiplomatspod 

About the guest
A native of Atlanta, Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough was his high school salutatorian and student body president in 1985 and went on to earn degrees from the University of Georgia, Miami University in Ohio, and a doctorate in higher education from Georgia State University. 
He has enjoyed a fulfilling career in student affairs, serving at Emory University, Georgia State University, Old Dominion University, and Albany State University. In October of 2004, at the age of 37, he was named the 12th president of Philander Smith College. In 2012 he became the 7th president of Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and served for ten years. Both institutions are HBCUs.
Kimbrough served as the interim executive director of the Black Men’s Research Institute at Morehouse College during the 2022-23 academic year. He was also named executive in residence for the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center. In early 2022 he was appointed by President Joseph Biden to the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs. 

This week, Black Diplomats Podcast speaks with Christopher Shell, a fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment. At Carnegie, Christopher’s work studies how Black Americans feel about foreign policy issues. We talked about how Black folks feel about Ukraine, Gaza and other foreign policy issues, based on his research
Host: Terrell Jermaine Starr
Guest: Chris Shell 
Producer: Mike Hull

Support us financially!
Venmo: @BlackDiplomats 
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Read Some of Christopher’s work 
The West Should Engage With Reparations for Slavery and Colonialism (World Politics Review) 

Most Black Americans Want a More Active U.S. Role in Ending the War in Gaza and Protecting Palestinian Lives (Carnegie Endowment) 

How Black Americans Feel About the Possible Use of Military Force in Ukraine and Taiwan (Carnegie Endowment) 

Today, I speak with two young Georgians under 30-years-old who have been hitting the streets every day in protest of their ruling government’s introduction of a “foreign agent” law that critics say will restrict the work of organizations and independent media that safeguard free and fair elections and other services that depend on foreign financial support. 
Read more about the controversial bill here.
Ana Lazariashvili, 24 and Giorgi Vachnadze, 28, told Black Diplomats that it has mostly been young people who’ve been facing off aggressive police officers that target them with tear gas and rubber bullets. Both Ana and Giorgi say they will continue protesting even if the bill is signed into law.
Host: Terrell Jermaine Starr
Guests: Ana Lazariashvili and Giorgi Vachnadze
Producer: Mike Hull

Support us financially!
Venmo: @BlackDiplomats 
CashApp: $BlackDiplomats
PayPal: https://paypal.me/blackdiplomatspod 

About the guests
Ana Lazariashvili and Giorgi Vachnadze are young Georgians who have been protesting for a European future for their country.

More on this topic:
Georgian Opposition See Opportunity in Tbilisi Protests (Black Diplomats Newsletter)

This week, I spoke with two Ukainians who support Palestine and why they feel it is important for their countrymen and women to understand colonialism in other parts of the world. Rita Adel, a humanitarian analyst, and Vladyslav Starodubtsev, a socialist leader and historian, and I talked about Ukrainian socialism, what progressives in the west don’t get about Ukraine and NATO and why Ukrainians aren’t privileged because they are “white.”
Host: Terrell Jermaine Starr
Guests: Rita Adel and Vladyslav Starodubtsev 
Producer: Mike Hull
Support us financially!
Venmo: @BlackDiplomats 
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About the guests
Vladyslav Starodubtsev is a left-wing Ukrainian activist and historian. He specializes in the history of Central Eastern Europe. 
Rita Adel, a humanitarian analyst. Rita is both of Ukrainian and Palestinian origin, having lived in Ukraine and Jordan. Currently based in Amman.

Warning: This week’s episode will focus on sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers. Reader, listener and viewer discretion is advised
This week, I talk about Ukrainian civilians who survived sexual assault from Russian troops during the war. Ukraine is investigating  nearly 300 cases of sexual assault, but that number is likely much higher. Today, I am talking with Nadiia Volchenska, co-founder of the Sylni foundation, which was founded soon after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 202s to support survivors of sexual assault. 
Translating for Nadiia is Vira Stadnyk - communications manager at the Sylni Foundation. 

FINANCIALLY SUPPORT Sylni’s work here.

Host: Terrell Jermaine Starr
Guest: Nadiia Volchenska
Producer: Mike Hull

Support us financially!
Venmo: @BlackDiplomats 
CashApp: $BlackDiplomats
PayPal: https://paypal.me/blackdiplomatspod 
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Read about this subject 
Reparations to be paid to survivors of wartime sexual violence in Ukraine (The Guardian)
Ukrainian survivors of sexual violence, torture say country will have to share burden of their trauma (CBC)
Exclusive: Ukraine accuses Russian snipers of abusing child, gang raping mother (Reuters)