ellisconversations's podcast

Jamil Ellis and Ronald Ellis
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Politics

In this podcast, Jamil Ellis talks with his father, retired Federal Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis, about the historical role of law in shaping the societal structures which act as barriers to attaining the American dream. They discuss why "legal" is not a synonym for "moral" and why law, a prime actor in creating the problems, can and should be a part of the solution. Join them as they talk about wealth, voting, education, criminal justice and other topics which divide the nation. https://ellisconversations.tumblr.com/

  1. Jul 13

    In Sheep's Clothing: When facially neutral policies and practices mask intentional discrimination

    In this episode of Ellis Conversations, Jamil Ellis and retired Federal Magistrate Judge Hon. Ronald L. Ellis begin a two-part conversation on employment discrimination, civil-rights enforcement, and the future of equal opportunity in America. Prompted by recent reporting on the Trump administration's retreat from discrimination enforcement — including the Justice Department, EEOC, and other federal agencies stepping back from disparate-impact cases — Jamil asks Judge Ellis to help explain how we got the workplace protections we have today, why they matter, and what may be lost when government stops enforcing them. This conversation is especially personal and historically grounded because before joining the federal bench, Judge Ellis worked at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund on employment discrimination cases. Together, father and son discuss how discrimination has operated through race, gender, hiring tests, workplace rules, and supposedly "neutral" policies — and why disparate impact became such an important tool for identifying discrimination that does not always announce itself openly. This episode also continues themes from recent Ellis Conversations episodes on birthright citizenship, Temporary Protected Status, immigration, race, and the courts. Across these conversations, the question remains: when long-standing protections are weakened, what happens to the promise of equal justice? Listen to Ellis Conversations on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ellisconversationss-podcast/id1485019282 Part Two preview: In the next episode, Jamil and Judge Ellis turn to AI and hiring technology, including the Workday lawsuit, and ask what happens when discrimination is embedded inside software before a human ever sees an application.

  2. Jul 4

    The American Dream at 250

    In this episode, the Hosts discuss America's struggle to make real the promise of equality embodied in its founding documents depite periodic efforts to restrict who should be able to live that dream. Supreme Court TPS Ruling

  3. 06/12/2025

    Loving Day, The Warren Court, The rights they want to erase

    In this episode of Ellis Conversations, co-host Jamil Ellis sits down again with his father, retired federal magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis, to mark Loving Day — the anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the 1967 Supreme Court case that struck down bans on interracial marriage. What starts as a reflection on Loving Day quickly becomes a powerful and wide-ranging discussion about: How distorted historical narratives fuel today's rollback of civil rights Why anti-DEI forces rely on historical erasure The forgotten legal barriers against women The dangerous nostalgia embedded in the "Make America Great Again" slogan A look at Project 2025, the Federalist Society, and how today's Supreme Court is targeting many of the Warren Court's civil rights decisions From All in the Family to Sidney Poitier, from welfare state debates to voting rights, Judge Ellis breaks down the legal and cultural legacy at stake.   Relevant Links & Resources: Loving v. Virginia (1967) https://www.oyez.org/cases/1966/395 Warren Court Key Decisions Brown v. Board (1954): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483 Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1962/155 Miranda v. Arizona (1966): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1965/759 Griswold v. Connecticut (1965): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1964/496 Engel v. Vitale (1962): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1961/468 Tinker v. Des Moines (1969): https://www.oyez.org/cases/1968/21 Project 2025: https://www.project2025.org Federalist Society: https://fedsoc.org All In The Family theme reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_in_the_Family

    Loving Day, The Warren Court, The rights they want to erase

  4. 05/30/2025

    Deliberate, But No Speed: How Supreme Court rulings have allowed public schools to remain segregated seventy years after Brown v. Board.

    The hosts discuss how desegregation under Brown was hampered in schools by a policy of "all deliberate speed" where the speed was often zero.  In contrast, and despite the fact that in large portions of the nation education is separate and unequal, the Trump administration has begun an "all speed ahead" policy of eliminating decrees which contained desegregation requirements'.   https://www.axios.com/2025/05/02/doj-decades-old-school-desegregation-louisiana   In this episode of Ellis Conversations, co-host Jamil Ellis and his father, retired federal magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis, reflect on the 71st anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education—not just the 1954 decision, but its overlooked 1955 follow-up. They explore the legal and societal impacts of desegregation mandates, the resistance that followed, and how today's rollback of civil rights enforcement—particularly around school desegregation—echoes familiar patterns. With real-life stories, including Ruby Bridges and Prince Edward County's school closures, the conversation traces decades of policy evolution—from Milliken v. Bradley to Roberts Court rulings that undermine systemic remedies for segregation. The episode also offers generational perspectives on optimism, protest, and the need for youth leadership in safeguarding educational equity. 👉 If you're concerned about the dismantling of civil rights protections in education and policing—or wondering how to equip young people to carry the legacy forward—this one's for you. 🔗 Relevant Links & References: Brown v. Board of Education (1954 & 1955 decisions) https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483 https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/349us294 Milliken v. Bradley (1974) https://www.oyez.org/cases/1973/73-434 Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (2007) https://www.oyez.org/cases/2006/05-908 Ruby Bridges Foundation https://rubybridges.foundation Shelby County v. Holder (2013 Voting Rights Act decision) https://www.oyez.org/cases/2012/12-96 American Psychological Association – Implicit Bias https://www.apa.org/ed/university/implicit-bias The Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" (mentioned indirectly) https://www.project2025.org

  5. 07/11/2024

    The Company Trump Keeps: From David Duke to The Proud Boys to Project 2025 – Intended Consequences

    In this episode, the hosts discuss Project 2025 and its potential impact in a Donald Trump administration. Heritage Foundation and Trump   https://www.heritage.org/impact/trump-administration-embraces-heritage-foundation-policy-recommendations   Biden's Judicial Appointments https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/12/04/most-of-bidens-appointed-judges-to-date-are-women-racial-or-ethnic-minorities-a-first-for-any-president/   Trump bankruptcies   https://bankruptcy-toledo.com/fact-checking-donald-trump-has-filed-bankruptcy-six-times/     The Nation on the Heirtage Foundation Project 2025   https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/will-the-heritage-foundations-project-2025-turn-trumpism-into-a-governing-agenda/   Trump Administration people at Heritage   https://www.heritage.org/impact/four-trump-cabinet-members-now-call-heritage-home   Trump on baby Tiffany's body.   https://youtu.be/nqVgmwkX7oA     Platforms   Republican 2016 platform - https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2016-republican-party-platform    Democrat 2020 platform - https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2020-democratic-party-platform     Related episodes Voting is a Fundamental Right: Exercise It; You'll Make It Stronger     The Hands That Rock The Cradle: Donald Trump, the Supreme Court, and the Federalist Society.

    The Company Trump Keeps: From David Duke to The Proud Boys to Project 2025 – Intended Consequences

  6. 06/26/2024

    Voting is a Fundamental Right: Exercise It; You'll Make It Stronger

    In this episode, the hosts begin a series of discussions on the historical significance of voting, efforts to prevent some groups from voting, and why you should exercise your right to vote even if you don't like the choices.  Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.    Southern Strategy   - In American politics, the Southern strategy was a Republican Party electoral strategy to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans.   Voter ID by State https://ballotpedia.org/Voter_identification_laws_by_state   Student ID to Vote https://www.campusvoteproject.org/student-id-as-voter-id

    Voting is a Fundamental Right: Exercise It; You'll Make It Stronger

  7. 02/12/2024

    States Rights, Legal Wrongs: A Recurring Page from the Segregationist Playbook

    In this episode, the hosts discuss the history of invoking some form of States' Rights theory to limit the efforts of the federal government to expand or protect the rights of persons within the United States     Southern Manifesto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Manifesto   Mississippi State Sovereign Commission https://web.archive.org/web/20191205182453/http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/index.php?id=243 https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/nullification/#:~:text=The%20crisis%2C%20which%20began%20as,and%20secede%20from%20the%20Union.   "Calhoun's justification of nullification and secession as constitutional rights of the state also went beyond traditional states' rights doctrine as they were based on an unprecedented notion of absolute state sovereignty. Most old states' righters, including James Madison, condemned nullification as an extraconstitutional and un-republican theory as it was not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution and because it subverted the cardinal principle of republican government, majority rule."     https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Declaration_of_Secession#:~:text=The%20South%20Carolina%20Declaration%20of,for%20seceding%20from%20the%20United   "A geographical line has been drawn across the Union, and all the States north of that line have united in the election of a man to the high office of President of the United States, whose opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery."   https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/setting-the-precedent-mendez-et-al-v-westminster-school-district-of-orange-county-et-al-and-the-us-courthouse-and-post-office.htm#:~:text=Mendez%2C%20et%20al.-,v.,school%20segregation%20across%20the%20state.   "Before Brown, et al., v. Board of Education., et al., made racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, there was Mendez, et al. v. Westminster School District of Orange County, et al. This 1946 class-action lawsuit challenged the constitutionality of separate schools for Mexican American students in Southern California and eventually helped end public school segregation across the state."   https://mississippitoday.org/2024/01/14/on-this-day-in-1963-alabama-gov-georg-wallace-said-segregation-forever/ (Jan 14, 1963) "On the same portico of the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery where Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederacy, Alabama Gov. George Wallace delivered his inaugural address, telling the crowd, "In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!"  Asa Carter, a member of the Ku Klux Klan, wrote his speech, which made national headlines and thrust Wallace into the national spotlight."  https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety  "I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of 'interposition' and 'nullification' — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."  Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality

    States Rights, Legal Wrongs: A Recurring Page from the Segregationist Playbook

  8. 01/08/2024

    Claudine Gay: The Latest Victim in the Debate over DEI, Affirmative Action, and Meritocracy

    In this episode, the hosts discuss the controversy concerning the Resignation of Harvard president Claudine Gay.Is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion undermining merit or does it address a history of Discrimination, Exclusion, and Inequality.   Claudine Gay's Resignation The Claudine Gay Debacle Was Never about Merit Claudine Gay and the Limits of Social Engineering at Harvard Biden to Appeal to Black Voters in Campaign Trip to Charleston, SC

    Claudine Gay: The Latest Victim in the Debate over DEI, Affirmative Action, and Meritocracy
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In this podcast, Jamil Ellis talks with his father, retired Federal Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis, about the historical role of law in shaping the societal structures which act as barriers to attaining the American dream. They discuss why "legal" is not a synonym for "moral" and why law, a prime actor in creating the problems, can and should be a part of the solution. Join them as they talk about wealth, voting, education, criminal justice and other topics which divide the nation. https://ellisconversations.tumblr.com/

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