Married to the Movement The North Star

In December of 1996, Shaun met a girl in a small Baptist church in Kentucky. He was 17 and she was 15. They fell in love, got married, and lived happily ever after, right? Not exactly. In this episode Rai and Shaun tell the story of their beginnings--how they met, their first impressions of each other, and their first date. They also discuss what their teenaged expectations were of what their lives together would become. (Spoiler alert: it's not even close.)

When the Black Lives Matter movement started in 2014, Shaun suddenly became @ShaunKing. And when his life became public, Rai & Shaun needed to make real and complicated decisions around what his activism would mean for their still very young family.

Social justice work can be difficult and draining. The consequences of that work for Rai and their kids can be painful. BUT these two laugh all the time. Today they talk about joyful moments and the things that lift them up.

You know Shaun from his hundreds of thousands of tweets. But Rai's life has been private until now. Even though she has a public IG, photos and videos don't tell the whole story of who someone is. Today, Shaun, who is usually the one getting interviewed, steps into the seat of interviewer. Shaun and Rai talk about who she is, who she isn't, where she comes from, her gifts, her passions, and more.

It's easy to think that someone else's relationship must be sexier and easier than your own. But that's just not how it works. Rai & Shaun are the first to say that there's nothing glamorous about their marriage. It is hard. And has taken A LOT of work. On today's episode, they talk about their "regular" marriage -- about what two decades of marriage has taught them about themselves and unconditional love.  They share three clear lessons that have guided them through the highs and lows of their 23-year-long relationship.

Rai & Shaun recorded this episode just hours after they found out that Rodney Reed's execution had been stayed. They talk about their decision to involve their kids in that case, and also give a behind-the-scenes look into the organizing Shaun did to create the most signed petition EVER on behalf of someone on death row. Through their conversation, Rai & Shaun analyze America's legal system, discuss the moral implications of the death penalty, and so much more.